Species Groups Research Articles

Scale dependence of bird diversity in London

ContextUnderstanding drivers of biodiversity in cities can be mutually beneficial for ecosystems and people. Crowd-sourced bird observations provide an opportunity to assess how patterns of bird diversity change across observation scales and suggest driving processes.ObjectivesWe assessed the scale dependence of bird diversity within a 128 × 128 km extent over London’s urban–rural gradient to suggest scales at which key drivers may be operating.MethodsWe quantified scale variance of bird diversity across scales from 500 m to 64,000 m for three groups of species (All, Passeriformes, and Anseriformes and Charadriiformes combined). We estimated diversity by aggregating observations into a series of grids and computed comparable diversity estimates within each cell using interpolation and rarefaction. We calculated the variance explained by each scale for common diversity metrics.ResultsThe results show that bird diversity patterns around London vary by scale, and that the location of high variance shifts across the study area depending on both scale and species group. The variance of Passeriformes diversity gradually shifted from the urban core to the periphery, while variance of Anseriformes and Charadriiformes diversity occurred near water features.ConclusionsThe results suggest that the urban–rural gradient and location of water are two properties of the study extent around London influencing the scale dependance of bird diversity that could be used to ground scale considerations of further modeling efforts.

Species diversity in the new lamprey genus Occidentis, formerly classified as western North American ‘Lampetra’

Accurate taxonomy is fundamental to the study and conservation of biodiversity. Because of their morphological similarities, most brook and river lampreys in western North America have been placed in the genus Lampetra along with lampreys from Eurasia and eastern North America. However, molecular-based phylogenetic studies dating back several decades indicate that lampreys from Pacific drainages are genetically distinct from Atlantic Lampetra. Reviewing previous phylogenetic analysis of two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes for Northern Hemisphere lampreys, we assign these western North American brook and river lampreys to a new genus, Occidentis. To assess species diversity within Occidentis, we performed a species delimitation analysis using all publicly available cytochrome b sequences of the genus. Similar to previous studies, O. ayresii and O. richardsoni were not reciprocally monophyletic and are best categorized as life history variants of a single species. In addition to O. pacifica, O. hubbsi, and the diverse O. ayresii species complex, as many as seven undescribed candidate species from Oregon and California were identified, supporting results from previous studies with more geographically limited datasets. One specimen from Paynes Creek, California, was identified as a candidate species, although this single individual showed minimal interspecific divergence (1.34%) with O. hubbsi. Further genetic assessment along with information on morphology and phylogeography is needed to determine whether the variation observed between groups of candidate species represents distinct species or divergent lineages within a species complex. Additional sampling will inform whether there are additional species not currently represented in this dataset. Thus, the number of species formally recognized under Occidentis is subject to change with new information. Systematic assessment of the distribution and phylogenetic complexity within Occidentis will enhance our understanding of its evolutionary history and taxonomic diversity, which will guide efforts to conserve the biodiversity of lampreys.

Species-Specific Spillover Patterns Detected by Biomass Gradients in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas

The aim of this paper is to provide evidence of the species-specific export of adult fishes for some species or group of species from six well-enforced Mediterranean marine protected areas (MPAs): Cerbère-Banyuls and Carry-le-Rouet in France and Medes, Cabrera, Tabarca, and Cabo de Palos in Spain. We estimated the distance at which spillover of those individual or groups of species occur by directly assessing the existence of gradients of biomass across the MPA boundaries by means of underwater visual census, asuming that such gradients will be specifics in terms of structure (sharpness, slope, and intercept) for every species and group of species. A significant “reserve effect” was observed for biomass of some of the individual and grouped species in all MPAs. Decreasing gradients of biomass differ among taxons and are not related with the insular nature of the location. Different gradients of biomass resulted from the interaction between species characteristics and some ecological and structural drivers, and we did not find regular patterns for each taxa among MPAs, even though the same species can exhibit different gradient structure and/or spillover distances in the same MPA depending on the orientation. Habitat patch distribution and continuity seems the most important environmental factor explaining the existence and pattern of gradients at species level, interacting with fish home range and fishing pressure close to the limits of the MPAs. Managers should take in account the surrounding distribution of habitats in terms of complexity and quality in order to optimize the spillover capacity of the MPAs.

Multiple old differentiation centres around the Alps and complex range expansion patterns in a semi-aquatic insect: the phylogeny and biogeography of the Wormaldia occipitalis species complex (Trichoptera)

The understanding of cryptic species complexes with their often highly interesting biogeographical patterns is still a crucial aspect in evolutionary biology and related disciplines. Trichoptera are a group of insects particularly rich in unresolved groups. One example is the Wormaldia occipitalis species complex in which morphological studies suggest remarkable patterns of differentiation. In order to determine genetic differentiation and phylogenetic structure, one mitochondrial (COI) and two nuclear markers (CAD, wingless) were analysed for the W. occipitalis species complex around the Alps and northwards to Germany. The morphology-defined differentiation pattern was also observed at the genetic level. The morphologically well distinguishable groups W. occipitalis and W. subterranea were identified as two genetically distant monophyletic groups with about 10 % genetic divergence of the mitochondrial marker. These two taxa likely split during the Mio-Pliocene transition. Genetic analyses revealed four subgroups within W. occipitalis and three within W. subterranea. Several possible postglacial dispersal and differentiation processes are proposed. Thereby, W. occipitalis from the western Alps and individuals of W. subterranea from the eastern Alps spread towards Central Europe after the Last Glacial Maximum. Today, both species groups are sympatric and partly syntopic in the recolonised area in western Germany but apparently allopatric in their centres of origin around the Alps. The high genetic differentiation, lack of detectable genetic evidence for hybridisation, their syntopic distribution and the morphological distinctness indicate that W. occipitalis and W. subterranea are two distinct species. The genetically determined subgroups might represent subspecies.

Fire frequency shapes diversity in multi‐guild communities through direct and indirect pathways

Abstract Human‐induced changes in fire regimes worldwide are leading to changes in the diversity and composition of plant and insect communities through alterations in vegetation and habitat characteristics. As species interact in complex networks, environmental disturbances, such as an increase in fire frequency, can affect species directly and indirectly through cascading effects across trophic levels. This study examines the effects of fire frequency on multi‐guild communities in the Chaco region in Argentina, aiming to disentangle the direct and indirect pathways of influence between five different species groups: plants, phytophagous insects, ants, predators, and parasitoids. We assess cross‐taxon congruence by analysing α and β diversity indices and performing a structural equation model and Procrustes tests, respectively, trying to elucidate the pathways of influence between fire frequency and the different guilds. Multi‐guild communities responded to environmental changes produced by fire frequency via direct and indirect effects. Fire has both negative and positive, but weak indirect effects on predator richness through a bottom‐up cascading effect from plant richness across phytophagous insects and ants. However, when species relative abundances were considered, no effects have been observed on Shannon and Simpson diversity indices. A positive correlation between species composition of different guilds and fire frequency indicated congruence between connected guilds suggesting that changes in beta diversity propagate across all trophic chains. Given an increase in fire frequency, changes posed to vegetation translated in weak changes via species richness but through pronounced effects on species composition across different trophic levels. Our findings emphasise the importance of a multi‐guild approach to understanding biodiversity responses to environmental changes, highlighting the complexity and intricate dynamics of ecological communities in fire‐prone ecosystems.

Model‐based impact analysis of climate change and land‐use intensification on trophic networks

There is well‐established evidence that land use is the main driver of terrestrial biodiversity loss. In contrast, the combined effects of land‐use and climate changes on food webs, particularly on terrestrial trophic networks, are understudied. In this study, we investigate the combined effects of climate change (temperature, precipitation) and land‐use intensification on food webs using a process‐based general mechanistic ecosystem model (‘MadingleyR'). We simulated the ecosystem dynamics of four regions in different climatic zones (Brazil, Namibia, Finland and France) according to trait‐based functional groups of species (ectothermic and endothermic herbivores, carnivores and omnivores). The simulation results were consistent across the selected regions, with land‐use intensification negatively affecting endotherms, whereas ectotherms were under increased pressure from rising temperatures. Land‐use intensification led to the downsizing of endotherms, and thus, to smaller organisms in the food web. In combination with climate change, land‐use intensification had the greatest effect on higher trophic levels, culminating in the extinction of endothermic carnivores in Namibia and Finland and endothermic omnivores in Namibia. Arid and tropical regions showed a slightly higher response of total biomass to climate change under a high‐emissions scenario with rising temperatures, whereas areas with low net primary productivity showed the most negative response to land‐use intensification. Our results suggest that 1) further land‐use intensification will significantly affect larger organisms and predators, leading to a major restructuring of global food webs. 2) Arid low‐productivity regions will experience significant changes in community composition due to global change. 3) Climate changes appear to have slightly greater effects in tropical and arid climates, whereas land‐use intensification tends to affect less productive environments. This paper shows how general ecosystem models deepen our understanding of multitrophic interactions and how climate change or land‐use drivers affect ecosystems in different biomes.

ОБИЛИЕ РЕДКИХ ВИДОВ РЫБ РЕКИ ЮЖНЫЙ УЗЯН БАШКИРСКОГО ЗАПОВЕДНИКА

Climatic factors inherent in the period from 2008 to the present have directly influenced the behavior and dy- namics of the ichthyofauna of the Bashkir Reserve. Migrations and altitude preferences, trends in the abundance of groupings are an additional characteristic of the habitat of groups of rare fish species and explain the strategy of their survival in the period of unfavorable conditions. Studies of the state of the number and preference of habitats by alti- tude of rare species of the main watercourse of the Bashkir Reserve – the Yuzhny Uzyan River in 2013–2017 re- vealed that there is a movement of herds by altitude level. Thymallus thymallus in the conditions of the mountain- forest zone has a positive tendency in abundance, and in the Cottus gobio, on the contrary, a negative one.

Environmental and Spatial Effects on Co‐Occurrence Network Size and Taxonomic Similarity in Stream Diatoms, Insects and Fish

ABSTRACTAimThe influences of environmental and spatial processes on species composition have been at the center of metacommunity ecology. Conversely, the relative importance of these processes for species co‐occurrences and taxonomic similarity has remained poorly understood. We hypothesised that at a subcontinental scale, shared environmental preference would be the major driver of co‐occurrences across species groups. In contrast, co‐occurrences due to shared dispersal history were more likely in dispersal‐limited taxa. Finally, we tested whether taxa co‐occurring due to similar responses to environmental and spatial processes were more taxonomically similar than expected by chance.LocationThe conterminous United States.Time Period1993–2019.Major Taxa StudiedStream diatoms, insects and fish.MethodsWe generated co‐occurrence networks and developed methodology to determine the proportions of nodes and edges explained by pure environment alone (after accounting for space), pure space alone (after accounting for the environment), pure environment and pure space together, and spatially structured environment. Taxonomic similarity of taxa co‐occurring because of environmental and/or spatial controls or because of unmeasured processes was compared to that of a null model.ResultsPure environment alone, spatially structured environment, and pure environment and pure space together explained the greatest proportion of nodes and edges in the co‐occurrence networks of diatom species and genera, and insect genera. Conversely, pure environment and pure space together best explained the nodes and edges in the co‐occurrence network of fish species and genera. Co‐occurring taxa were more closely related than the random expectation in all comparisons.Main ConclusionsThe environment controlled co‐occurrences in all groups, while the influence of space was the strongest in fish, the most dispersal‐limited group in our study. All co‐occurring taxa were more taxonomically related than expected by chance due to environmental or spatial overlap or unaccounted factors.

A Model of Southern Sikhote-Alin Liverwort Flora and a New Approach to Analyze the Altitudinal Distribution Patterns in the Zov Tigra National Park (South of the Russian Far East, Temperate Pacific Asia)

The liverwort flora in Zov Tigra National Park in southern Sikhote-Alin (Primorye Territory, south of the Russian Far East), which has one of the richest regional floras, was studied to assess its taxonomic diversity, and analyzed using a new approach to determine altitudinal distribution patterns. This new approach is based on probabilistic models of the altitudinal distribution of individual taxa proposed for identifying altitudinal groups of species. This method can be used to analyze patterns of the distribution of species of various taxonomic groups in cases where a sufficiently representative dataset is available and may be especially relevant in regions where altitudinal zonation is not obvious or changes in the altitudinal fractions of the dominant vegetation are too continuous. The proposed method revealed three altitudinal groups that were more clearly differentiated than groups of taxa based on altitudinal vegetation belts. Based on the obtained results, the most important bioclimatic indices correlated with the altitudinal distribution of liverworts were identified: annual mean temperature (BIO1), annual precipitation (BIO12), isothermality (BIO3), and factors associated with the temperature and amount of precipitation during the warmest period of the year, including the maximum temperature of the warmest month (BIO5), the mean temperature of the wettest quarter (BIO8), the mean temperature of the warmest quarter (BIO10), precipitation during the wettest month (BIO13), precipitation during the wettest quarter (BIO16), and precipitation during the warmest quarter (BIO18). This study reports 130 species, 1 variety, and 1 subspecies. Pseudolophozia debiliformis and Scapania praetervisa are newly recorded for Sikhote-Alin and the Primorye Territory. Diplophyllum albicans and Cephaloziella rubella are newly reported for the Primorye Territory. The national park liverwort flora can be classified as boreal–temperate circumpolar–East Asian. Given the high taxonomic diversity and coverage of all altitudinal zones represented in the region, the liverwort flora in Zov Tigra National Park can serve as a model for all liverwort floras in southern Sikhote-Alin.

Allocating catches to species in mixed species data – A model-based approach

Stock assessments should ideally be conducted at the species level, but this can be difficult when commercial catches are reported by species group rather than by species. This is a common problem if species are hard to identify or it is too time consuming to do so. Species split algorithms are applied in such cases. We outline a GAM-based approach for splitting species-aggregated catch and effort data to species and apply them to two species groups (tiger and endeavour prawns) in Australia’s Northern Prawn Fishery. The best models incorporate spatial, temporal and biophysical covariates, demonstrating strong explanatory power and robust performance in cross-validation tests. The results suggest that the annual split to species by location and day of the year is constant over time for the endeavour prawns. However, evidence exists for long-term trends (i.e., non-stationary) when splitting the tiger prawns. This highlights the importance of regularly updating this information.

Metalacurbs foordi sp. nov., a new Lacurbsinae (Opiliones, Laniatores, Biantidae) from Ankasa National Park, Ghana

Despite being one of the most conspicuous African opilionids, the members of Lacurbsinae remain one of the least known groups of harvestmen species. All eight previously-known species of Lacurbsinae are inadequately described and poorly illustrated, leaving the morphological characteristics of this subfamily obscure. After more than half a century, we describe a new species of Lacurbsinae. Metalacurbs foordisp. nov. is described, based on a male specimen collected in Ankasa National Park, Ghana, with a detailed description and illustration of its external and genital morphology. This marks the first modern taxonomic description of a species within Lacurbsinae, including an illustration and description of the male genital morphology, a crucial modern taxonomic characteristic for Opiliones and represents a starting point for the taxonomic revision of the subfamily.

Informal pricing in formal fish markets: Evidence from the Solomon Islands

How are fish prices determined in the largest formal market in the Solomon Islands? The Honiara Central Market is the country’s primary fresh produce market, serving as an important conduit between rural food producers and urban consumers. One distinctive characteristic of this market is that despite a diverse range of reef fish species being available, all reef fish are traded nominally as homogeneous goods with no price differentiation. Using transaction-level data collected from the market, we show the prevalence of informal pricing, wherein the unit price of fish is implicitly differentiated based on fish species groups, quality, and buyers’ attributes. This result aligns with our expectation that diverse species groups and qualities are traded in a competitive environment with many vendors and buyers, where reef fish are indeed traded as heterogeneous products. Although fish provide a vital source of food and income for Pacific Island countries, the pricing of this vital natural resource is poorly understood. Our study provides new insights into how fish prices are determined in a formal market within the context of small island developing states.

Seasonal changes in the structure of the bog taxocene of Collembola of the «Zalizna voda» forest park (Lviv)

An analysis of the taxonomic and ecological structure of the bog taxocene of collembola of the «Zalizna voda» forest park in the city of Lviv in different seasons of the year was carried out. 36 species of collembola belonging to 24 genera and 12 families were found in the investigated urboecosystem. It has been established that a characteristic feature of the studied bog collembolan taxocene is its great species diversity, super-specialization and super-dominance, which are preserved in different seasons of the year. It was found that the point alpha-diversity in different seasons of the year varies from 6 to 16 species, and the coenotic alpha-diversity - 23-27 species, which indicates a large capacity of the soil environment for collembola in this bog urboecosystem, compared to the natural bog ecosystems of Roztochchia region. The investigated taxocene of collembola are also characterized by high population density in different seasons of the year, from 11.34 to 15.48 thousand inhabitants/m2. In certain seasons of the year, from 3 to 5 mass (dominant) species were established, which account for 66.4-83.6% of the collembolan population. Over the entire period of research, the invasive species D. trispinata was superdominant, the share of which in certain seasons of the year was 57.4-68.6% of the population. The analysis of the ecological structure showed that in terms of species richness and abundance, it is dominated by complexes of hygro-mesophilic (11 species, 76.8% of the total abundance), hygrophilic (9, 11.3%) and mesophilic (9, 7.7%) springtails. The studied taxocene includes seven biotope groups of species. Among them, representatives from the group of meadow-bog (65.4% of the population), erytopic (10%), forest and forest-meadow (18% in total) species of Collembola predominate in terms of relative abundance. It has been established that a super-specialized bog taxocene of Collembola is formed in the studied ecosystem, where the share of specialized species to this bog edaphotope (meadow-bog, bog and arroundwater) is more than 70% of the total abundance.

On two closely related leaf beetle Generа Aulacia Baly 1867 and Colaspoides Laporte 1833 from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, with the description of the new genus Aulacioides gen. N. (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Eumolpinae)

A new genus of leaf beetles, Aulacioides gen. n., and a new species, Aulacioides spiridonovi sp. n., are described. Aulacia laeta L. Medvedev 2004 is transferred to Aulacioides, comb. n., also being the type species of the new genus. Four new species of Aulacia Baly are described: A. guskovae sp. n., A. limbipennis sp. n., A. longicostata sp. n. and A. moseykoi sp. n. Three new species of the genus Colaspoides Laporte are described from Java, Indonesia: C. filimonovi sp. n., C. fuscoaenoides sp. n. and C. pangrangensis sp. n. Three further species of Colaspoides are transferred to Aulacia: A. bicoloricollis (L. Medvedev et Romantsov 2014), A. cyaneipennis (L. Medvedev 2004) and A. minuta (L. Medvedev 2006), all comb. n. New identification keys are compiled to almost all species of Aulacia, to both species of Aulacioides gen. n., and to all known members of Colaspoides from Java. The following new species groups showing similar characters are proposed: the femorata group from Borneo for the species with a narrow frons and a keel on the pygidium, this group including A. femorata Baly 1867, A. fulviceps Baly 1867 and A. longicostata sp. n.; the cyaneipennis group, again from Borneo, for the species with a wide frons and a wide lateral border of the elytra, the aedeagus being truncated at the apex and bearing a tooth in the middle, and the pygidium showing no keel; this group includes A. cyaneipennis, A. limbipennis sp. and A. moseykoi sp. n. The diversa group is proposed, and its taxonomic status discussed, to incorporate three poorly studied and similar species of Aulacia: A. diversa Baly 1867, A. flavifrons Jacoby 1896 and A. fulvicollis Jacoby 1899, all from Malacca and Sumatra and all sharing a completely or partially black body upperside and several carinae on the sides of the elytra in females. Aulacia brunnea Jacoby 1894 is recorded from Sumatra for the first time. Photographs both of the adult habitus in dorsal view and the genitals are provided for almost all of the above closely related species. A new name, Colaspoides alexei nom. n., is proposed to replace Colaspoides aeneoviridis Romantsov et Moseyko 2023, a junior homonym of Colasposoma aeneoviride Clark 1865, the latter species subsequently synonymized with Colaspoides cuprea Baly 1867.

Contribution to the knowledge of larval chaetotaxy of the genus Berosus (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Hydrophilinae)

The primary and secondary chaetotaxy of the larval head capsule and head appendages of eight New World species of Berosus Leach (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Hydrophilinae), are described for the first time, together with detailed illustrations of all characters. The chaetotaxy of these eight species is compared to that of other known Berosus larvae. Larval chaetotaxy of Berosus appears to be very stable and chaetotaxic characters separating species are very subtle. Those chaetotaxic characters which are informative to distinguish among species or groups of species are discussed.

Potential carbon stocks of hardwood, softwood, and varied growth rate species in Pasir Hantap Research Forest, Sukabumi, West Java

Abstract Climate change has become a global phenomenon with signi2icant impacts on the environment. Indonesia has committed to reducing its emissions by 29% by 2030 through domestic efforts and 41% through international cooperation. The forestry sector plays a crucial role, with a potential reduction of 17.2% in emissions. One of the tropical forest areas that has the potential to help store carbon stocks is the Pasir Hantap Research Forest, Sukabumi. Pasir Hantap Research Forest is located in the tropics and is characterized by diverse, naturally occurring and planted vegetation. The forest has varying slopes, ranging from 10° to 45°, which can affect tree growth and biomass. The study will analyze the carbon stock potential of hardwood groups (Shorea sp. mixed), softwood groups (Pinus sp. mixed), fast-growing species groups (Eucalyptus sp. mixed), and slow-growing species groups (Swietenia macrophylla mixed) and examine the in2luence of slope on carbon storage. The overall results of carbon stock estimation in the four groups of stands did not show signi2icantly different results. The highest average carbon stock was in the mixed Swietenia macrophylla group at 423.84 tons/ha, while the lowest average was in the mixed Shorea sp. group at 128.76 tons/ha. The results of carbon stock estimation are negatively correlated with slope. The estimated value of carbon stocks in the mixed Swietenia macrophylla group decreased as the degree of slope increased. Meanwhile, the estimation of carbon stocks in the mixed Pinus group increased as the degree of the slope increased.

Morphometric variability of specimens in Ground Beetle (Carabidae) communities in agrarian landscape forests and protected areas

The change in the morphometric variable of ground beetles as well as in their volume (ellipsoidal biovol-ume) indicates the state of the biotope (unstable, stable), which is affected by anthropogenic activity such as forestry, agriculture and urbanisation. Between the years 2020 and 2022, we conducted research in flood-plain forests, which were located in agriculturally used land and in the important European territory of Du-najské Luhy Protected Landscape Area. Using the pitfall traps method, we recorded 1319 individuals be-longing to 29 species of ground beetles in six study areas representing two types of habitats (willow-poplar floodplain forest and regenerated poplar forest). We confirmed the largest average Ellipsoid Biovolume (EV) in the species Carabus coriaceus L. (2936 mm3), Carabus scheidleri Panzer (1427 mm3), Carabus vio-laceus L. (943 mm3), Carabus granulatus L. (366 mm3), Cychrus caraboides (L.) (336 mm3), Pterostichus niger (Schaller) (254 mm3), Harpalus rufipes (DeGeer) (123 mm3). The redundancy analysis confirmed the predominance of apterous and brachypterous species of ground beetles in forest stands in the Dunajské Luhy PLA (important European territory). These groups of Carabidae point to the ecological stability of bio-topes, because they inhabit habitats where they have optimum food. On the contrary, we confirmed the pre-dominance of macropterous species in forest biotopes in agrarian landscape conditions, which points to bi-otopes cyclically disturbed by anthropogenic activity. We recorded larger individuals in groups of apterous and brachypterous species in forest stands in the conditions of the Dunajské Luhy PLA. Larger macropter-ous individuals were recorded in forest stands in agrarian landscape conditions. In order to preserve forest habitats of European importance, it is necessary to know the ecological interactions between the ecosystem and ground beetles.

Too rough to be a Hypsibius: multipopulation survey accentuates the phylogenetic position and apomorphies of Hypsibius scabropygus (Eutardigrada: Hypsibiidae)

Abstract Tardigrade taxonomy is undergoing a turbulent phase of reclassifying various species that have previously been gathered within large wastebasket genera, such as Diphascon or Hypsibius. The application of genetic sequencing, paired with detailed analysis of fine morphological features in 3D using scanning electron microscopy, allow for revealing new phenotypic characters used in systematics. At the same time, resampling of previously well-sampled regions, such as the Western Palaearctic, delivers fresh and precious data. In this paper, the second from a series of publications integratively addressing the tardigrade fauna of Denmark, we focus on Hypsibius scabropygus and related species, which appeared to be common and abundant in cryptogam samples. As previously suggested by scarce molecular and morphological evidence, Hypsibius scabropygus is considerably different from other representatives of the genus Hypsibius by the presence of ramazzottiid characters. These include Ramazzottius-like claws with thinned, and thus more flexible, primary branches of external/posterior claws, apophyses for the insertion of the stylet muscles asymmetrical with respect to the frontal plane, rudimentary elliptical sensory organs, buccal tube slightly bent in posterior portion, and, finally, eggs with distinct chorion granulation laid in exuviae (known for some hypsibiids and acutuncids), and not smooth, which is otherwise typical for most hypsibiids. Consequently, the group of Hypsibius species with two small granular macroplacoids in the pharynx and pronounced cuticular sculpturing in the form of dorsoposterior protuberances or whole-dorsal tubercles is erected as Parahypsibius gen. nov. New DNA barcodes strongly support the monophyly of Hypsibiidae and recent changes in the classification of Pilatobiinae. We argue that some still poorly resolved nodes in the hypsibiid tree are the result of incomplete representation of particularly uncommon evolutionary lineages. Our abundant cryptogam samples from across Denmark demonstrate the value of involving local communities and utilizing citizen science in biodiversity monitoring and documentation.

Climate space, traits, and the spread of nonnative plants in North America

The future distribution of invading species depends on the climate space available and certain life history traits that facilitate invasion. Here, to predict the spread potential of plant species introduced in North America north of Mexico (NAM), we compiled distribution and life history data (i.e., seed size, life form, and photosynthetic pathways) for 3021 exotic plant species introduced to NAM. We comparatively examined the species’ range size and climate space in both native and exotic regions and the role of key life history traits. We found that large climate space for most exotic plants is still available in NAM. The range sizes in global exotic regions could better predict the current range sizes in NAM than those in global native regions or global native plus exotic regions. C3 species had larger ranges on average than C4 and CAM plants, and herbaceous species consistently showed stronger relationships in range size between native and exotic regions than woody species, as was the case within the C3 species group. Seed size was negatively related to range size both in native regions and in NAM. However, seed size surprisingly showed a positive correlation with global exotic range size and no correlation with the current actual global (native plus exotic) range size. Our findings underline the importance of species' native distribution and life history traits in predicting the spread of exotic species. Future studies should continue to identify potential climate space and use underappreciated species traits to better predict species invasions under changing climate.

Using In Silico Methods to Identify Protein Tyrosine Kinase A (PtkA) Homolog in Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM)

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) represent a diverse group of mycobacterial species known for causing opportunistic infections, especially in individuals with underlying health conditions. Unlike Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis, NTM species exhibit different pathogenic characteristics and drug resistance mechanisms, making them increasingly relevant in clinical settings. PtkA is a crucial protein tyrosine kinase that regulates bacterial growth, stress response, and virulence by phosphorylating various substrates in Mtb. Understanding whether PtkA homologs exist in NTM could provide insights into their virulence and resistance mechanisms. In silico approaches, which utilize computational tools for sequence alignment, structure prediction, and functional annotation, offer a powerful means to identify homologous proteins across different species. In this article, we have employed tools like BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool), protein structure databases, and the NTM database to identify PtkA homologs in NTM genomes, providing a foundation for further studies.