Floating plastics as a vector for range expansion: First record of Lepas (Lepas) pectinata Spengler, 1793 (Cirripedia: Lepadidae) in Turkish waters (Eastern Mediterranean).

Indianthus virgatus (Roxb.) Suksathan & Borchs., a monotypic species of Marantaceae endemic to the Western Ghats–Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot, holds important ecological, ethnobotanical, and conservation value. The present study aimed to understand the ecology of I. virgatus and to assess its current distribution, threats, and conservation needs. We compiled species’ distribution data from herbarium records, online repositories, taxonomic literature, supplemented with field surveys (2023–2025), and ground validation across its range in the Western Ghats. Results indicate that Indianthus populations are generally small (10–50 m²) and fragmented, occurring in wet forest ecosystems and along plantation boundaries at elevations of 100–1,200 m. Phenological observations show that the species flowers year-round, with peak flowering during the monsoon. Major threats include habitat loss from agricultural expansion, plantation development, and road construction, compounded by competition from invasive species. While Indianthus is classified as Critically Endangered in Sri Lanka, its global conservation status remains unassessed by the IUCN Red List. This study provides baseline ecological, taxonomic, and distributional information, highlighting the species’ vulnerability and underscoring the urgent need for conservation measures, including habitat protection, community engagement, and a formal global IUCN Red List assessment.

Recent molecular evidence showed that Labeo umbratus comprises two allopatrically distributed genetic lineages, a northern lineage confined to the Orange-Vaal River system where this species was originally described and a southern lineage with three geographically separated haplogroups (western, central and eastern) distributed across multiple isolated southward-draining river systems in the Cape Fold, Amatola-Winterberg Highlands, and the Southern Temperate Highveld freshwater ecoregions of South Africa. Detailed morphological examination supported recognition of the eastern haplogroup, distributed from the Sundays to the Nahoon River system, as a distinct species. Although a name proposed in 1861 exists for this haplogroup, originally described from the Kat River, a branch of the Great Fish River system, it is derogatory and offensive to the indigenous people of South Africa and has not been adopted in subsequent taxonomic literature. We see no nomenclatural stability in resurrecting a name that is both offensive and long forgotten, and we argue that retaining such a name undermines universality because it conflicts with ethical and cultural acceptance in the region of endemism. Accordingly, we reject the use of this derogatory name and instead provide a new name, Labeo ngqikai, for the species to ensure both nomenclatural stability and cultural sensitivity. The epithet ngqikai honours King Ngqika, the third paramount chief of the native inhabitants of the Kat River valley, from where the species was originally described.

In Brazil, the Atlantic Forest biome faces significant threats due to urban expansion and deforestation, resulting in a loss of species diversity. Biological collections represent a valuable tool and the best way to preserve population data on species in a specific region. The Coleção Zoológica Norte Capixaba (CZNC) is located in the North of Espírito Santo, serving as a reference zoological collection for the region, and has significant potential to enhance the knowledge of local fauna, particularly ant fauna. The present study aims to survey ant species in the northern region of Espírito Santo deposited in the CZNC. The identification and morphospeciation of ants were carried out using specialized taxonomic literature, identification keys, morphological character analysis, and online databases, such as AntWeb and AntCat, following established protocols for species delimitation. A list of CZNC species is presented, and new records for the state are highlighted, photographed, and added to AntWeb (an electronic database for ants). A total of 135 ant species recorded in Espírito Santo were deposited in CZNC, with the Myrmicinae subfamily being the most representative. Conceição da Barra had the most records among the sampled cities. Although Espirito Santo has 78 municipalities, records were available for only seven of them, indicating possible undersampling with the potential to exceed the current number of 227 recorded species. Twelve species were new records for Espírito Santo. The study findings show how the CZNC represents a valuable source of knowledge about myrmecofauna, enriching the repertoire of records from this poorly studied state for the group and highlighting the diversity of species the region is home to.

Freshwater shellfishes, despite their ecological and economic importance, remain poorly studied in many parts of India, particularly in the northeastern region of Bihar. This study was undertaken to document the taxonomic diversity, abundance, and economic value of shellfishes in the Mahananda-Koshi basin. Shellfishes were collected from both lentic and lotic water bodies using hand-picking and dredging techniques. Systematic identification was carried out using standard taxonomic keys and reference literature. Species were categorized into three groups-abundant, common, and rare-based on their frequency of occurrence. In addition, market surveys were conducted to assess the economic significance of different taxa. A total of 24 taxa, including gastropods, bivalves, and crustaceans, were recorded. Out of the 24 taxa recorded, the most abundant species group accounted for 16.7%, whereas the least abundant (rare) group represented 20.8% of the total diversity. Market analysis revealed that M. gangeticum and other small-sized Macrobrachium species had the highest economic value, followed by Paratelphusa and edible gastropods (Pila and Bellamya). Overall, the study highlights the rich ecological diversity and considerable economic potential of freshwater shellfishes in the region, underscoring the urgent need for their sustainable exploitation, management, and conservation to maintain ecological balance and support rural livelihoods.

The present study was conducted to document the biodiversity of potter wasps (subfamily Eumeninae, family Vespidae) from Malakand District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Specimens were collected from various localities using active search with a hand net and subsequently preserved, pinned, and identified to species level based on standard taxonomic literature. A total of twelve species and five subspecies were recorded, among which five species—Knemodynerus excellens (Perez, 1907), Oreumenoides edwardsi (de Saussure, 1852), Eumenes placens (Nurse, 1903), Euodynerus semisaecularis (Dalla Torre, 1889), and Delta campaniforme (Fabricius, 1775)—and two subspecies—Anterhynchium abdominale abdominale (Illiger, 1802) and Rhynchium brunneum brunneum (Fabricius, 1793)—are newly reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The identified species were measured, photographed, and compared with previously published descriptions, with distributional data also documented. Earlier studies in Pakistan reported Eumeninae primarily from Punjab, Sindh, and Gilgit-Baltistan, but data from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained scarce. This study highlights the unexplored diversity of potter wasps in the region and expands the known distribution range of several species and subspecies. The findings further emphasize the ecological significance of Eumeninae, as they act as natural regulators of insect populations, with larvae feeding on various pest species and adults utilizing nectar resources. By documenting new records from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, this work provides baseline data that will facilitate future taxonomic, ecological, and conservation studies of solitary wasps in Pakistan. Such research is essential to understand regional biodiversity patterns and to enhance the role of natural enemies in integrated pest management programs.

In light of recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology in science, we considered it a useful exercise to investigate whether a large language model (LLM) could provide a reliable and accurate aid to palynological identifications. This paper describes the preparation required to develop a LLM augmented taxonomic key (LATK), and the efficacy of the LATK based on a small corpus of material from the Carboniferous-Permian of the Arabian Plate. The quality of the determination achieved indicates that a LATK may be valuable to palynologists. As in a traditional key, a LATK should not replace the need for students and professionals to use taxonomic literature (for example published diagnoses and descriptions), but a well-designed LATK could be a useful assistant speeding up the work of determination, and could have considerable pedagogic value. It could also help in standardising taxonomic procedures, making taxonomy more consistent and therefore correlation and biostratigraphy more reliable. However, the quality of the LATK depends directly on the quality of learning materials, and at present much of the highest quality learning materials are behind publishers’ paywalls. This is the main barrier to producing very high quality, professional level broadly based LATKs, not the LLM technology itself.

Morphological data are critical for taxonomy, evolutionary biology, ecology, and species identification. However, no widely used central database for morphological data exists as it does for DNA sequences or specimen data. Most of these data are “locked up” in taxonomic literature. Various scripted and Natural Language Processing approaches have been explored to automate the extraction of morphological data from taxonomic descriptions. Here, we explore the feasibility of using Large Language Models (LLMs) and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to rapidly extract data for 51 morphological characters of Australian native and introduced Asteraceae (daisy family) to populate a taxon × character table. ChatGPT 4o was used to process all 1,121 descriptions, which, following currently accepted taxonomy and after accounting for taxa with descriptions in multiple sources, comprise data for 95 genera and 838 species or infraspecific taxa, totalling 945 taxa. The missing data rate is 51.1%. Visual checking of 109 profiles revealed an error rate of 5.8%, a majority of them misapplication of data to the wrong trait based on confusion between different kinds of bracts and between individual involucral bracts and the involucre as a whole. Error rates were lowest for cypsela and pappus characters, at 2.1%. When repeating 109 inferences with the same LLM, 78.9% of the table cells for which at least one replicate had data showed no substantive difference; the main source of inconsistency was 16.7% of those cells having data in only one replicate. When repeating 109 inferences with an open source LLM run on a local computer, results were considerably less reproducible and showed numerous unit errors, irrelevant information being retrieved, and characters being skipped. Our results suggest that while mining of morphological descriptions with LLMs is possible in principle, instructions for the LLM have to be extremely precise. Even then, in contrast to scripting approaches, LLMs are inherently probabilistic. This makes their responses not fully reproducible and their integration into automated workflows difficult. Future work could explore if results can be improved using approaches such as Retrieval Augmented Generation or fine tuning of models on explanations of morphological terminology. The scripts used in the study and the extracted morphological data for Australian Asteraceae data are made available to support future studies.

Myanmar is one of the Southeast Asian countries where biodiversity richness is very high as well as under various anthropogenic threats. Its broad latitudinal range, heterogeneous topography, and tropical monsoonal climate make the country exceptionally rich in plant biodiversity. However, botanical exploration in Myanmar still lags, hindering a full understanding of the floristic diversity of the country and leading to a large gap in taxonomic knowledge of its flora. The latest checklist of Myanmar plants (including 11,800 species) was published over 20 years ago and clearly needs significant and comprehensive revisions to be in line with modern taxonomic classification systems. In this regard, the present study investigated the species richness of Myanmar flora based on herbarium specimens, taxonomic literature, and online databases. Therefore, it resulted in an updated checklist consisting of 14,020 species in 2,701 genera and 292 families of vascular plants known from Myanmar. Among them, there are 13,314 native species and 706 introduced species in Myanmar. In Myanmar, there are 864 endemic species which need proper conservation actions. In comparison, the number of species in the updated checklist has increased by 2,220 species more than those of the previous checklist, mainly due to the discovery of new species and new records for the country. The updated checklist has been taxonomically verified with voucher specimen-based comparisons, which will be useful for subsequent analyses of biodiversity research and conservation action.

Background and Aims: Moquilea (Chrysobalanaceae) has 54 species distributed between North and South America; 23 grow in Colombia, of which five in Chocó. Two recent collections from Chocó attracted attention due to their compact inflorescences and medium to large fruits, so the aim of this study is to further clarify their identity.Methods: The collections and types of Chrysobalanaceae, deposited in the CHOCO, COL, HUA, PMA and SCZ herbaria, were reviewed. They were studied with the most up-to-date taxonomic literature. The conservation status of this species in Colombia was evaluated according to the IUCN categories and criteria.Key results: The first confirmed record of Moquilea fasciculata (Chrysobalanaceae) for Colombia is presented, fully mature fruits and seeds are described, and a key is provided to differentiate it from its most similar species. For Colombia it is categorized as Critically Endangered.Conclusion: Due to its inflorescence (small and compact fascicles), it is unmistakable within the genus. Its record increases the number of Moquilea species recorded for Chocó and Colombia to 5 and 24, respectively.

Abstract Cryptic species lacking distinct morphological features are widespread among soil fauna, including such functionally significant groups as springtails, mites and enchytraeids. Their presence, diversity and biomass may impact ecosystem services provided by belowground ecosystems. However, traditionally, the potential effects of cryptic diversity in explaining the functional significance of different mesofauna species have been overlooked due to the widespread practice of morphology‐based species identification. This review synthesizes the current state of knowledge on soil fauna cryptic species identification, emphasizing specific molecular techniques as the most reliable and precise method currently available for detecting and unravelling cryptic diversity. We analysed 326 scientific contributions available via Scopus or Web of Science, compiling information on genetic markers used to study cryptic diversity, including targeted gene regions, PCR primers and methods for estimating genetic distances. For comprehensive genetic analysis, combinations of mitochondrial Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) genes, together with nuclear markers such as 28S ribosomal RNA (28S rRNA) or Histone H3 (H3), are most commonly used. Our analysis revealed taxon‐specific thresholds: while COI divergences greater than 3% typically indicate cryptic species in collembolans, higher thresholds appear justified for mites (up to 17%) and enchytraeids (up to 5%) when supported by conserved nuclear markers (28S/H3), ecological or geographic coherence and the absence of intermediate forms. Advances in molecular research have also facilitated the analysis of cryptic diversity within morphospecies an—approach widely applied in soil ecology, especially when species‐level identification is hindered by limited taxonomic literature or expertise. However, our findings also demonstrated that it is a long way before methodological development in molecular approaches would ensure reliable cryptic species identifications in soil mesofauna. Even more should be done in linking the revealed cryptic diversity with its functional implications and possible differences in responding to environmental change. Besides these current limitations, we are positive that deeper integration of cryptic diversity knowledge into soil ecological research will significantly increase the reliability and precision of soil functions and services assessment.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Lalitpur is a district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, with much of its landscape dominated by tropical dry deciduous and scrub forests. The present work aims to document and assess the diversity of angiosperms in the region through a combination of literature review and field surveys conducted in forested and adjoining areas of Lalitpur. The research focuses on evaluating the conservation status, habitat preferences, and phenology of the recorded species. It also considers their sustainable use in various taxonomic and ethnomedicinal contexts, emphasising their ecological importance and potential applications. METHODS: A systematic field survey was planned to gather comprehensive taxonomic data for each species of angiosperms. Based on own observation, some previous literature and thorough 02 field survey tours of the district carried out in the spring season of 2023, the plant species were collected either in flowering or fruiting stages or in both forms. The voucher specimens of gathered taxa were established by consulting several floras, revisions, and other taxonomic literature including IPNI, POWO, Flora of India, and IUCN. Local conservation status of taxa: for the assessment of the local conservation status of the species, criteria defined by Palmer et al. have been adopted in the present study. RESULTS: During a preliminary survey of the area and based on some previous literature, the district comprises 283 species of angiosperms, belonging to 219 genera and 72 families. It contains mostly wild species, but some are in cultivation, escaped and/or growing as an invasive alien species. The species include 112 herbs, 59 shrubs, 73 trees and 39 climbers. Some dominant families respectively as follow Fabaceae (42 sp.), Malvaceae (20 sp.), Apocynaceae (15 sp.), Poaceae (13 sp.), Asteraceae and Lamiaceae (12 species each), Convolvulaceae and Cucurbitaceae (11 sp. each), Solanaceae (10 sp.) and Euphorbiaceae and Amaranthaceae (08 sp. each). Some dominant genera included Senna (07 sp.), Terminalia (06 sp.), Zizyphus, Sida and Ficus (05 sp. each), Ipomoea and Euphorbia (04 sp. each), Solanum, Capparis, Bauhinia, Leucas and Vachellia (03 sp. each). The global conservation status of plants accordingly IUCN Red List Category as follow Not Available (NA 58.67%), Least Concern (LC 37.10%), Data Deficient (DD 2.12%), Near Threatened (in wild) (NT 1.06%), Endangered (in wild) (EN 0.35%) and Vulnerable (VU 0.70%). CONCLUSION: The present study concluded the diversity of angiosperms of Lalitpur district of Uttar Pradesh for the purpose of recognition as a guide for the conservation and sustainable utilization in different taxonomical, ethnomedicinal applications, and other important aspects. The present study enumerates all species of flowering plants occurring in the forest and nearby area with their correct, updated nomenclature along with their habit and habitat, flowering and fruiting period, local/common or Ayurveda names, local conservation status, and IUCN Red List Category status of plants.

Failure to follow the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature can lead to significant confusion in taxonomic literature. This study examines five reptilian names (for two species, two genera and one family) that should be considered unavailable due to non-compliance with specific Code’s criteria. Proper adherence to the Code is essential for maintaining consistency and clarity in taxonomy. However, interpreting the Code is often challenging, and some of its rules require improvement. Despite these difficulties, taxonomists must remain knowledgeable about the Code regulations to ensure the nomenclatural availability of their work and stability of zoological nomenclature.

Approximately 26 species of Hypostomus occur in the five freshwater ecoregions in Northeast Brazil. One of these ecoregions is the Parnaíba, which drains almost the entire state of Piauí, and part of the states of Maranhão and Ceará. Among the species of Hypostomus registered in this ecoregion, there is Hypostomus vaillanti. The type locality of H. vaillanti was assigned to the Rio Preto, a tributary of the median portion of the Rio São Francisco basin at the municipality of Villa de Santa Rita (currently Santa Rita de Cássia), Bahia State, Brazil. Despite these historical data, we only found H. vaillanti in the Rio Parnaíba basin. Some fish surveys were carried out in different times by the authors and by other skilled ichthyologists in the Rio Preto and other nearby rivers from the Rio São Francisco basin, and no specimen of H. vaillanti have been found. Additionally, although the original description of H. vaillanti was well written, searching its distinction from some congeners in the taxonomic literature is nowadays quite complicated. Therefore, this species is re-described, and a new diagnosis is provided based on the analysis of recently found specimens in addition to an analysis of the type material. A lectotype of the Plecostomus vaillanti is designated herein. The results suggest that the distribution of H. vaillanti is restricted to the Rio Parnaíba basin; furthermore, we provide a molecular phylogenetic analysis that highlights some relationships between H. vaillanti and closely related species.

Background and Aims: Coccoloba sect. Campderia comprises 14 species, which are recognized by the presence of fruits in the form of diclesia. During the review of herbarium specimens for the taxonomic treatment of the genus Coccoloba for the Flora de Veracruz and the Flora Mesoamericana, several specimens with fruits in the form of diclesia, which do not correspond to any of the species of the sect. Campderia so far described, were located. Therefore, in this work eight new species of Coccoloba sect. Campderia are described and illustrated. Methods: Physical and digital specimens from various herbaria were observed, including type specimens. The existing taxonomic literature on the genus Coccoloba was also consulted. The morphological description, illustrations, distribution map, as well as the assessment of the conservation status of each of the new species are presented. A dichotomous key to all species of the sect. Campderia from Mexico and Central America is included. Key results: Coccoloba burgeri, C. carnevalii, C. costaricensis, C. glandulosa, C. rodriguezii, C. ulloae, C. veracrucensis and C. victoriasosae are described and illustrated as new species. Coccoloba burgeri, C. costaricensis, C. glandulosa are endemic to Costa Rica while the rest are endemic to Mexico. Conclusions: The review of herbarium specimens and literature, combined with the description of the new species of Coccoloba sect. Campderia increase its species number to 28, which can be delimited by a set of character states of the leaves, inflorescences and fruits. Flowers are not helpful to delimit the species in the sect. Campderia.

Zingiberaceae is a diverse and culturally significant plant family across tropical Asia, yet in Roi Et Province, Thailand, it has remained poorly documented. This study aimed to provide the first comprehensive assessment of Zingiberaceae in Roi Et Province, Thailand. Previous studies in the region have been limited and did not systematically document species occurrence. The assessment began with an overview of species diversity, followed by an investigation of their ethnobotanical uses, an evaluation of their horticultural potential, and an assessment of their conservation status. Field surveys were conducted throughout Roi Et Province across various habitat types using exploratory sampling to record all observable Zingiberaceae species. Species were identified based on morphological characteristics and comparisons with existing taxonomic literature. A total of 97 species were recorded, including 86 native and 11 introduced taxa, with 23 species endemic to Thailand and 25 species featuring new distributions reported for the province. Species richness was highest in cultivated habitats, likely reflecting the active role of traditional agroecosystems in conserving both native and introduced taxa. Natural habitats such as wetlands and dry evergreen forests hosted species with restricted distributions, underscoring the need to preserve ecological heterogeneity. Ethnobotanical interviews revealed widespread local use of rhizomes and inflorescences for food, medicine, ornamentation, and ceremonial purposes. Phenological observations indicated synchronized flowering and fruiting aligned with the monsoon season, which are traits that supports successful reproduction but may also increase vulnerability under shifting climate regimes—highlighting the importance of monitoring for conservation and guiding optimal harvest timing. These findings demonstrate that both natural and cultivated systems are integral to maintaining Zingiberaceae diversity in the region. Conservation strategies should prioritize habitat protection, support traditional cultivation practices, and promote further research into economically and culturally valuable species.

This study reports the first records of two alien aphid species—Cinara palaestinensis Hille Ris Lambers, 1948 and Cinara pinimaritimae (Dufour, 1833)—from the Fergana Valley in eastern Uzbekistan. The aphids were collected from ornamental pines (Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana and P. nigra) during field surveys conducted in 2022. Species identification was achieved through an integrative approach combining detailed morphological examination and DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial COI gene. Morphological features of both species matched descriptions in existing taxonomic literature, and molecular analyses confirmed their identities, revealing 99.2–100% sequence similarity with reference samples from the Mediterranean region. The presence of these aphids suggests ongoing biological invasions facilitated by the introduction of exotic host plants in urban and agroforestry settings. This study expands our knowledge of regional aphid diversity and provides a foundation for future monitoring of adventive insect species in Central Asia.

Abstract We applied FlowCam analysis cross‐validated by 18S rDNA sequences and taxonomic literature to study seasonal and short‐term population dynamics and species turnover in ciliate plankton during 15 months with high‐frequency samplings in a shallow temperate estuary in Denmark. FlowCam imagery identified 27 phenotypic ciliate entities, and 8 genotypes were identified. The analyses showed strong seasonality in biomass, abundance, diversity, trophy, and species turnover. The abundance of mixotrophic ciliates increased 30‐fold from winter to summer, whereas that of heterotrophic ciliates increased only five times. The two trophic groups also displayed contrasting seasonal diversity patterns. Heterotrophic ciliates increased in richness from 5.5 species in winter to 10.5 species in summer in 10 mL, whereas species richness of the mixotrophic community, dominated by Mesodinium rubrum, remained relatively constant with three species per 10 mL sample. Daily species turnover calculated from the decay of similarity was highest for heterotrophic ciliates, and community change rates of 3.1, 15.8, and 30.6% day−1 were significantly related to ambient temperatures of 4.8, 8.4, and 16°C, respectively. Oscillating species‐specific growth rates due to prey–predator interactions can explain faster species turnover rates in heterotrophic ciliates. By contrast, the mixotrophic ciliate community harvests a common supplementary energy source, which may dampen their species‐specific population oscillations.

Biodiversity is important in the preservation of ecological balance, and faunal diversity in any area is a reflection of its ecological health. Kesnand-Wadebolhai, being in Pune District, Maharashtra, supports varied habitats like cropland, grassland, and human habitation and hence is an ecologically important place. This research intends to record the faunal diversity of this area, emphasizing species richness and ecological importance. Field surveys involved direct observation, pitfall trap, and opportunistic sampling methods. Species were identified using standard taxonomic keys and literature at hand. There were 47 species from several taxonomic groups, such as Insecta, Arachnida, Chilopoda, Malacostraca, Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves, and Mammalia. The checklist gives clues to the diversity and distribution of the species that can be included in baseline ecological studies in the future. The findings indicate a rich collection of insects, arachnids, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals with key species like Apis dorsata (Giant Honey Bee), Mesobuthus tamulus tamulus (Indian Red Scorpion), Naja naja (Cobra), and Corvus splendens (House Crow). The diversity of these species shows the presence of a well-balanced ecosystem, but growing urbanization is a likely threat to biodiversity. The research highlights the need for conservation measures to safeguard the faunal richness of Kesnand-Wadebolhai. Knowledge of species distribution and their ecological functions can help in formulating biodiversity conservation and sustainable land-use planning strategies. Additional studies and ongoing monitoring are suggested to evaluate long-term environmental alterations and their effects on the fauna of the region.

The response of fungal species to changes in temperature is of theoretical and practical importance in a world of changing temperatures, ecologies and populations. Genomic sequencing to identify fungal species and their potential metabolic capabilities is well established, but linking this to growth temperature conditions has been limited. To that end, I describe a dataset that brings together the maximum and minimum temperature growth limits for 730 species of Fungi and Oomycetes for which genome sequences are available, together with supporting proteome and taxonomic data and literature references. The set will provide an entry for studies into how genomic structure and sequence can be used to predict the potential for growth at low or high temperatures, and hence the potential industrial use or pathogenic liability of existing or new fungal species.