Natural Distribution Range Research Articles

Expanding the known geographical distribution range of Kalanchoe waterbergensis (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) in northern South Africa

The natural geographical distribution range of Kalanchoe waterbergensis van Jaarsv. (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae), previously documented only from the type locality, is extended by about 80km in a northeasterly direction in the Waterberg in northern South Africa.

The identity of Kalanchoe lubangensis R.Fern. (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae), a little-known species endemic to southwestern Angola, with an extension of its distribution range

The identity of the little-known Kalanchoe lubangensis R.Fern. (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) is clarified. An amplified description is provided for this endemic species from southwestern Angola, aspects of its ecology are discussed, and it is illustrated. Kalanchoe lubangensis is compared to K. brachyloba Welw., a likely close relative. The natural geographical distribution range of K. lubangensis is extended to the Namibe province of Angola; previously it was only known from the Huíla province of that country.

Differences in stem form and bark anomalies of northern red oak trees in forest stands in Canada and Germany

Northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) wood is valuable for a variety of applications not only in its natural distribution range in North America but also in Europe. Timber quality and stem diameter largely determine timber prices and respective uses. Silvicultural management is key to influencing tree growth and stem quality. In Germany, crop tree thinning is currently the standard treatment, while in Canada the shelterwood system is common practice. The objective of this study was to compare stem characteristics related to stem quality of northern red oaks from Canada with those from Germany to determine effects of different silvicultural treatments on stem quality. We examined stem characteristics from a total of 150 dominant northern red oaks in Canadian and German forest stands using the terrestrial laser scanning approach. Northern red oak stems in Canada (shelterwood system) were significantly straighter, whereas German stems (crop tree thinning approach) were significantly smoother on the surface and rounder on the upper parts of the stems (height 4–8 m). The number of bark anomalies decreased with increasing tree competition, indicating that competition is the main driver influencing external stem form and the occurrence or persistence of bark anomalies.

Methyl acetate, a highly volatile floral semiochemical mediating specialized plant-beetle interactions.

Olfactory signaling is key to the reproductive biology of entomophilous palms. Both pollinating and specialized herbivorous insects are attracted to fragrance-emitting palm inflorescences that function as reliable food sources, as well as mating and oviposition sites. In the present study, we characterized the floral scent chemistry of the acuri palm (Attalea phalerata), assessing its role in the attraction of flower-visiting insects associated with this species over its natural distribution range. We sampled insects from staminate inflorescences of A. phalerata (n = 6) at four different sites in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Cerrado, and Colombian Amazon basin. Dynamic headspace scent samples of both pistillate and staminate inflorescences of A. phalerata (n = 3♀, 3♂) were collected and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Methyl acetate, a rare floral scent compound, was identified as the almost exclusive constituent (> 99.8% relative percentage) in all the samples. Flight-interception traps baited with methyl acetate, installed in one of the sites in the Brazilian Cerrado, were attractive to beetles associated with inflorescences of A. phalerata across all four sampling sites (9 spp. in total), including the putative main pollinators (Mystrops spp., Nitidulidae; Andranthobius spp., Curculionidae) and various palm borers (Paratenthras martinsi, Cerambycidae; Parisoschoenus sp.1 and Belopoeus sp.1; Curculionidae). Methyl acetate is highly volatile and we hypothesize its efficacy relies on profuse emission by the inflorescences of A. phalerata, as specialized pollinating insects respond to high concentrations of the attractant, perhaps before odor plumes rapidly disperse. Such a strategy could prove particularly effective in dense populations of A. phalerata.

The effects of four stressors, irradiance, temperature, desiccation, and salinity on the photosynthesis of a red alga, Agarophyton vermiculophyllum (Gracilariales) from a native distributional range in Japan

We examined the effects of four stressors, irradiance, temperature, desiccation, and salinity on the photosynthesis of a red alga, Agarophyton vermiculophyllum (= Gracilaria vermiculophylla, Gracilariales, Rhodophyta) from its native distributional range in Hokkaido and Kagoshima, Japan. Photosynthesis–irradiance (P–E) curves at 8, 16, and 28°C showed that the maximum net-photosynthetic rates (NPmax) and saturation irradiance (Ek) were highest at 28°C for both strains. Gross-photosynthesis determined at 8–40°C at 200 μmol photons m-2 s-1 showed that the maximum gross-photosynthetic rate (GPmax) occurred at 25.3°C for Hokkaido and 28.0°C for Kagoshima ( $$ {T}_{opt}^{GP} $$ ), which is almost consistent with the summer-time seawater temperature at each habitat. The temperature responses (4–40°C) of effective quantum yields (ΔF/Fm') of photosystem II during 7-day exposures were similar to that of oxygenic photosynthesis and the optimum temperature ( $$ {T}_{opt}^{\varDelta F/ Fm\prime } $$ ) was 20.0°C for Hokkaido and 30.1°C for Kagoshima. In the desiccation experiment, the ΔF/Fm' decreased with decreasing absolute water content (AWC); nevertheless, for samples with an AWC above 20%, ΔF/Fm' retuned to initial levels after subsequent 1-day rehydration in seawater, suggesting relatively strong tolerance to desiccation. This alga also showed a broad range of tolerance to salinity ranging from 20 to 60 psu in 7-day exposures, and the ΔF/Fm' tolerated 0 psu at 3-day exposure. The adaptations of A. vermiculophyllum from its native range in Japan to relatively high irradiance, a broad range of temperature, and strong osmotic (desiccation and salinity) tolerance explain its potentially high invasive capacity.

Invasive species trait-based risk assessment for non-native freshwater fishes in a tropical city basin in Southeast Asia.

Biological invasions have created detrimental impacts in freshwater ecosystems. As non-native freshwater species include economically beneficial, but also harmful, species, trait-based risk assessments can be used to identify and prevent the import of potentially invasive species. Freshwater fishes are one of the most evaluated freshwater taxa to date. However, such assessments have mostly been done in sub-temperate to temperate regions, with a general lack of such research in the tropics. In view of this knowledge gap, this study aims to determine if a different set of traits are associated with successful establishment of non-native fishes within the tropics. In tropical Southeast Asia, Singapore represents a suitable model site to perform an invasive species trait-based risk assessment for the tropical region given its susceptibility to the introduction and establishment of non-native freshwater fishes and lack of stringent fish import regulation. A quantitative trait-based risk assessment was performed using random forest to determine the relative importance of species attributes associated with the successful establishment of introduced freshwater fishes in Singapore. Species having a match in climate, prior invasion success, lower absolute fecundity, higher trophic level, and involvement in the aquarium trade were found to have higher establishment likelihood (as opposed to native distributional range and maximum size being among the commonly identified predictors in subtropical/temperate trait-based risk assessments). To minimize invasive risk, incoming freshwater fishes could be screened in future for such traits, allowing lists of prohibited or regulated species to be updated. The findings could also potentially benefit the development of invasive species action plans and inform management decisions in the Southeast Asian region. Considering a geographical bias in terms of having relatively less documentation of biological invasions in the tropics, particularly Asia, this study highlights the need to perform more of such risk assessments in other parts of the tropics.

The effects of irradiance, temperature, and desiccation on the photosynthesis of a brown alga, Sargassum muticum (Fucales), from a native distributional range in Japan

We determined the effects of irradiance, temperature, and desiccation on the photosynthesis of a brown alga, Sargassum muticum (Fucales), from its native distributional range in Japan by using a pulse amplitude modulation (PAM)-chlorophyll fluorometer and optical dissolved oxygen sensors. Photosynthesis–irradiance curves at three temperatures (8, 20, and 28°C) showed that the maximum net photosynthetic rates (NPmax) and saturation irradiance were highest at 28°C. Gross photosynthesis determined at 8–36°C (every four increments) and 300 μmol photons m−2 s−1 showed that the maximum gross photosynthetic rate (GPmax) occurred at 19.5°C ( $$ {T}_{\mathrm{opt}}^{\mathrm{GP}} $$ ), which is consistent with the seawater temperature at its peaked abundance in Japan. The maximum quantum yields (Fv/Fm) of photosystem II (PSII) during the 72-h temperature exposures were above 0.60 at 8–28°C but dropped at higher temperatures. Continuous exposure (12 h) to irradiance of 200 (low) and 1000 (high) μmol photons m−2 s−1 at three temperatures showed remarkable decline in the effective quantum yields (ΔF/Fm') of PSII under high irradiance at 8°C only; the Fv/Fm measured after 12-h dark acclimation also did not recover to initial values, signifying its sensitivity to photoinhibition at 8°C. Furthermore, the alga exhibited tolerance to 2 h of desiccation with 80% of water loss from the thallus, and ΔF/Fm' recovered after 24 h of rehydration in seawater, suggesting potential of photosynthetic recovery of this alga at such low hydration threshold. In conclusion, the adaptation of S. muticum to relatively high irradiance, to broad range of temperature (8–28°C), and to desiccation explains its potentially high invasive capacity.

Notes on the Natural Geographical Distribution Range of the Madagascan Kalanchoe dinklagei Rauh (Crassulaceae Subfam. Kalanchooideae)

The genus Kalanchoe Adans. (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) is most diverse in Madagascar where about one third of the known ca. 150 species are known to be endemic and all three of the subgenera currently recognised in the genus are represented. We discuss and provide additional information on the natural geographical distribution range of K. dinklagei Rauh, a little-known arborescent species from southern Madagascar.

Population genetic structure and demographic history of the dipterocarp species Anisoptera costata Korth revealed by microsatellite analysis.

Moderate levels of genetic diversity and differentiation of Anisoptera costata were determined. A population divergence occurred during Younger Dryas. The anthropogenic disturbance had significantly affected the genetic diversity of the species in low tropical forests. Anisoptera costata Korth, an endangered species, is mainly distributed in the lowland tropical forests of the Southeast region in Vietnam, which has not been explored for genetic diversity and demographic history. In this study, eight polymorphic microsatellite markers were used to analyze 232 wild trees of A. costata at nine different populations, representing the natural distribution range of the species in Vietnam. Genetic diversity within the populations was determined with mean values of 0.284 and 0.327 observed and expected heterozygosity, respectively, while genetic differentiation among populations was found with Weir and Cockerham index of 0.12 and Hedrick index of 1.38. These results indicated that habitat fragmentation by the anthropogenic disturbance may be the major factor for the low heterozygosity values and affected the number of alleles in all the targeted populations of A. costata in lowland tropical forests. Populations in the Central Southeast area had a higher level of genetic diversity than the populations in the Coastal and Western Southeast areas. The analysis of molecular variance showed that high genetic variation existed within populations (86.15%) compared to the variation among populations. A reduction in the population size of A. costata was determined by BOTTLENECK. Different clustering methods (Bayesian analysis, the neighbor-joining tree, and principal coordinate analysis) suggested optimal genetic clusters related to gene flow among different areas. Approximate Bayesian computation suggested that population divergence occurred during Younger Dryas. We also discussed the measures for species conservation based on these results.

Navigation by extrapolation of geomagnetic cues in a migratory songbird

Displacement experiments have demonstrated that experienced migratory birds translocated thousands of kilometers away from their migratory corridor can orient toward and ultimately reach their intended destinations.1 This implies that they are capable of "true navigation," commonly defined2-4 as the ability to return to a known destination after displacement to an unknown location without relying on familiar surroundings, cues that emanate from the destination, or information collected during the outward journey.5-13 In birds, true navigation appears to require previous migratory experience5-7,14,15 (but see Kishkinev etal.16 and Piersma etal.17). It is generally assumed that, to correct for displacements outside the familiar area, birds initially gather information within their year-round distribution range, learn predictable spatial gradients of environmental cues within it, and extrapolate from those to unfamiliar magnitudes-the gradient hypothesis.6,9,18-22 However, the nature of the cues and evidence for actual extrapolation remain elusive. Geomagnetic cues (inclination, declination, and total intensity) provide predictable spatial gradients across large parts of the globe and could serve for navigation. We tested the orientation of long-distance migrants, Eurasian reed warblers, exposing them to geomagnetic cues of unfamiliar magnitude encountered beyond their natural distribution range. The birds demonstrated re-orientation toward their migratory corridor as if they were translocated to the corresponding location but only when all naturally occurring magnetic cues were presented, not when declination was changed alone. This result represents direct evidence for migratory birds' ability to navigate using geomagnetic cues extrapolated beyond their previous experience.

Authoritative subspecies diagnosis tool for European honey bees based on ancestry informative SNPs

BackgroundWith numerous endemic subspecies representing four of its five evolutionary lineages, Europe holds a large fraction of Apis mellifera genetic diversity. This diversity and the natural distribution range have been altered by anthropogenic factors. The conservation of this natural heritage relies on the availability of accurate tools for subspecies diagnosis. Based on pool-sequence data from 2145 worker bees representing 22 populations sampled across Europe, we employed two highly discriminative approaches (PCA and FST) to select the most informative SNPs for ancestry inference.ResultsUsing a supervised machine learning (ML) approach and a set of 3896 genotyped individuals, we could show that the 4094 selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) provide an accurate prediction of ancestry inference in European honey bees. The best ML model was Linear Support Vector Classifier (Linear SVC) which correctly assigned most individuals to one of the 14 subspecies or different genetic origins with a mean accuracy of 96.2% ± 0.8 SD. A total of 3.8% of test individuals were misclassified, most probably due to limited differentiation between the subspecies caused by close geographical proximity, or human interference of genetic integrity of reference subspecies, or a combination thereof.ConclusionsThe diagnostic tool presented here will contribute to a sustainable conservation and support breeding activities in order to preserve the genetic heritage of European honey bees.

Profiling native and introduced perennial garden plants in Puerto Rican urban residential yards

AbstractWorldwide the number of non-native species escaping from cultivation into native habitats is steadily increasing with no signs of saturation. Species that eventually become invasive may generate unwanted social and ecological conditions especially in areas of conservation concern. This study built upon prior biodiversity work from 432 residential yards in the San Juan Metropolitan Area of Puerto Rico to evaluate the natural history and functional traits of native and non-native plant species in these green spaces. We reviewed the literature for a total of 361 plant species to extract information on their taxonomy, native distribution range, invasive status (casual, naturalized or invasive), life-form and ecological and biological species attributes. We then evaluated the relationship between their attributes and their probability of escaping cultivation and become invasive. Our results show that non-native species growing in yards are more likely to succeed in becoming invasive if they have vegetative growth, a mixed breeding system, and an unspecialized dispersal mode. We also found that native and non-native species occurring in residential yards share similar adaptive strategy scores. Most plant species that have already become invasive originated from Asia and America a fact that is likely tied to the US nursery trade. We used the combined results of this and prior studies to understand the factors facilitating plant invasion and to generate recommendations for the development of management strategies that may limit the spread of non-native ornamentals with the potential to escape cultivation and become invasive on this island.

Reproductive Strategies That May Facilitate Invasion Success: Evidence From a Spider Mite.

With significant surge of international trade in recent decades, increasingly more arthropod species have become established outside their natural range of distribution, causing enormous damage in their novel habitats. However, whether a species can colonize its new environment depends on its ability to overcome various barriers which may result in establishment failure, such as inbreeding depression and difficulty to find mates. Here, we used a haplodiploid pest, Tetranychus ludeni Zacher (Acari: Tetranychidae), which is native to Europe but now cosmopolitan, to investigate whether its reproductive strategies have facilitated its invasion success, providing knowledge to develop programs for prediction and management of biological invasions. We show that inbreeding had no negative influence on female reproductive outputs and longevity over 11 successive generations, allowing mother-son and brother-sister mating to occur at the invasion front without adverse consequences in fitness. Virgin females produced maximum number of sons in their early life to ensure subsequent mother-son mating but later saved resources to prolong longevity for potential future mating. Females maximized their resource allocation to egg production immediately after mating to secure production of maximum number of both daughters and sons as early as possible. Furthermore, mated females with mating delay increased proportion of daughters in offspring produced to compensate the loss of production of daughters during their virgin life. We suggest that the lack of inbreeding depression in successive generations and the ability to adjust resource allocations depending whether and when mating occurs may be the key features that have facilitated its invasion success.

First record of the invasive mosquito species Aedes koreicus (Diptera, Culicidae) in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The natural distribution range of Aedes koreicus is Korea, China, Japan, and the Russian Far East. Since 2008, this species has been recorded as an invasive species in some European countries (Belgium, European Russia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland). The invasive mosquito species Ae. koreicus is reported from the Republic of Kazakhstan for the first time. Its morphological identification was confirmed by molecular-genetic analyses of ND4 sequences using specific primers. Aedes koreicus larvae were found in an artificial water reservoir together with the larvae of Culiseta longiareolata and Culex pipiens s.l. Aedes koreicus successfully overwintered in Almaty at low winter temperatures in 2018–2019. This suggests that the Ae. koreicus acclimation capacity is greater than it has been considered until now. We assume that Ae. koreicus will spread over the west and south of the Republic of Kazakhstan and territories of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan Republics bordering the Almaty region.

Floristic Diversity in the Lake Cluster of Pokhara Valley, Central Nepal

Wetlands support exceptionally high biodiversity and provide valuable ecosystem services, yet they are among the most threatened habitats due to anthropogenic activities. Conservation and management planning of wetlands requires, among others, a comprehensive floristic account. In this study, we prepared a checklist of the flowering plants found in the wetlands of the Lake Cluster of Pokhara Valley (LCPV), a Ramsar site of Nepal, located in a rapidly urbanizing capital city of Gandaki Province in Central Nepal. Voucher specimens were collected from the study sites through multiple visits during the monsoon (June-August) and autumn (September-November) seasons. Species were categorized based on their life forms (Raunkiaer’s classification) and native distribution range (native, naturalized, invasive). Ethno-botanical uses of the plant species were compiled from the published literature. We identified 230 plant species belonging to 70 families and 177 genera. Asteraceae (25 species), Poaceae (22 species), Fabaceae (18 species), Cyperaceae (16 species), and Lamiaceae (11 species) were species-rich families. Therophytes (30%) were the dominant life form followed by Hemicryptophytes (27%). Among 230 species, 183 species were native and 47 species naturalized; among the naturalized species, 21 species were invasive. Most of the plant species (61%) have medicinal values while others have food (24%) and fodder values (13%).

Meta-analysis of genetic representativeness of plant populations under ex situ conservation in contrast to wild source populations.

Ex-situ conservation is widely used to protect wild plant species from extinction. However, it remains unclear how genetic variation of ex-situ plant collections reflects wild source population diversity. Here, we conduct a global meta-analysis of the genetic representativeness of ex-situ populations by comparing genetic diversity (i.e. AR, allelic richness; HE , expected heterozygosity; PPB, percentage polymorphic bands; and SWI, Shannon-Winner index), inbreeding coefficient (FIS ), and genetic differentiation between ex-situ plant collections and their wild source populations. Genetic diversity (i.e., HE , PPB, and SWI) was significantly lower in ex-situ populations than their wild source populations, while genetic differentiation between ex-situ and wild populations (ex-situ-wild FST ), but not that among ex-situ populations, was significantly higher than among wild populations. Outcrossing species, but not those with mixed mating system, had significantly lower genetic diversity in ex-situ populations, and significantly higher ex-situ-wild FST . When the collection size for ex-situ conservation was ≥30 or 50, PPB, HE , and ex-situ-wild FST were not significantly different between ex-situ and wild populations, indicating a relatively high genetic representativeness. Collecting from the entire natural distribution range and mixing collections from different sources could significantly increase the genetic representativeness of ex-situ populations. Type of ex-situ conservation (i.e., planting or seed bank) had no effect on genetic representativeness. The effect size of HE decreased and the effect size of ex-situ-wild FST increased with the duration of ex-situ conservation. Our results suggest that current ex-situ plant collections do not effectively capture the genetic variation of wild populations. Low genetic representativeness of ex-situ populations was caused by both initial incomplete sampling from wild populations and genetic erosion during ex-situ conservation. We emphasize that it is necessary to employ more thorough sampling strategies in future collecting efforts and to add new individuals where needed. Article impact statement: Low genetic representativeness of living plant collections is a worldwide problem in ex situ conservation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Diclidurus albus Wied-Neuwied, 1819 (Mammalia, Chiroptera): Geographic Distribution in Honduras, with New Records Inferred from Acoustic Evidence and Morphology

Information on the distribution of the Northern Ghost Bat, Diclidurus albus, in its natural distribution range, is scarce. In Honduras, four previous records are known. Here we add seven new locations, corresponding to five departments: Atlántida, Choluteca, Copán, Cortés, and Valle. We document the first records in the insular zone of the Gulf of Fonseca. We confirm the presence of D.albus on the northern coast, through records in San Pedro Sula and Jardín Botánico Lancetilla. We expand the distribution range towards the west zone of Honduras, in Copán Ruinas, approximately 63 km from the closest previous record from the year 1937. We update the distribution and perform ecological niche modelling that suggest, a wider presence, mainly in ecosystems associated with aquatic environments and dry forest below 1500 m.a.s.l. We provide the values of the different acoustic parameters, which can serve as a reference for the identification of D. albus at the local level. In addition, morphological, and ecological information is contributed thereby advancing the natural history knowledge of this species.

Presencia de la levadura Kodamaea ohmeri en escarabajos Aethina tumida (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) colectados de colonias de abeja melífera africanizada en dos apiarios en Yucatán, México

Aethina tumida (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), commonly known as the Small Hive Beetle (SHB), is becoming a significant pest in the beekeeping industry outside of its natural distribution range. In Mexico, recent reports indicate that the SHB is distributed throughout the Yucatan peninsula. The invasion of honey bee colonies by SHB it is mainly chemically mediated by volatiles produced by the yeast Kodamaea ohmeri which is regarded as a secondary symbiont of the SHB. It was analyzed the presence of this yeast in honey bee colonies of Yucatan based on the premise that symbionts are often conjointly distributed with their hosts, therefore the presence of K. ohmeri in hives will be closely associated with the presence of SHB. In managed Africanized honey bee (AHB) colonies, yeasts associated with adult beetles were isolated and identified and the results show that the SHB together with their associated yeast, K. ohmeri, have invaded AHB colonies in Yucatan. It was also reported the presence of yeasts other than K. ohmeri associated with SHB that for the first time are recorded in a geographical region where they had not been recorded before.

Genetic structure of coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens [D. Don] Endl.) populations in and outside of the natural distribution range based on nuclear and chloroplast microsatellite markers.

Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) naturally growing in southern Oregon and northern California is one of the few conifer tree species that are polyploid. Despite its unique ecological and economic importance, its population genetic structure is still insufficiently studied. To obtain additional data on its population genetic structure we genotyped 317 samples collected from populations in California (data set C) and 144 trees growing in a provenance trial in France (data set F) using 12 nuclear (five random nuclear genomic nSSRs and seven expressed sequence tag EST-SSRs) and six chloroplast (cpSSRs) microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, respectively. These data sets were also used as reference to infer the origin of 147 coast redwood trees growing in Germany (data set G). Coast redwood was introduced to Europe, including Germany as an ornamental species, decades ago. Due to its fast growth and high timber quality, it could be considered as a potential commercial timber species, especially in perspective to climate warming that makes more regions in Germany suitable for its growing. The well performing trees in colder Germany could be potential frost resistant genotypes, but their genetic properties and origin are mostly unknown. Within the natural range in southern Oregon and northern California, only two relatively weak clusters were identified, one northern and one southern, separated by the San Francisco Bay. High genetic diversity, but low differentiation was found based on the 12 nuclear SSR markers for all three data sets F, C and G. We found that investigated 147 German trees represented only 37 different genotypes. They showed genetic diversity at the level less than diversity observed within the natural range in the northern or southern cluster, but more similar to the diversity observed in the southern cluster. It was difficult to assign German trees to the original single native populations using the six cpSSR markers, but rather to either the northern or southern cluster. The high number of haplotypes found in the data sets based on six cpSSR markers and low genetic differentiation based on 12 nuclear SSRs found in this study helps us study and better understand population genetic structure of this complex polyploid tree and supports the selection of potential genotypes for German forestry.

Ilyocryptus spinifer Herrick 1882 (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Cladocera): The First Record of the Species in the European Fauna

In 2018, the water flea, Ilyocryptus spinifer Herrick 1882 (Cladocera, Ilyocryptidae), was found for the first time in the Vetluga River, Nizhny Novgorod Region, European Russia. This species with a benthic phytophilic mode of life belongs to the southern thermophilous complex of cladocerans and shows a circumtropical distribution pattern. So far, I. spinifer has never been found in Europe, sporadic records of this species were known only from few southern regions in the Asian part of Russia. The invasion of I. spinifer to relatively high latitudes may be related to a natural distribution range expansion due to global climate warming, to transfers via migratory birds, and/or with ballast waters in ships. In any case, further monitoring of the revealed populations is very important to control the water ecosystem conditions in Russia and other countries.