We present a detailed description of the craniodental and postcranial remains of the enigmatic Magerictis imperialensis, a basal Ailuridae previously known only from a single m2 from the Middle Miocene of the Madrid Basin (Spain). The discovery of new specimens from eight Middle Miocene (MN5–MN6) localities in Madrid has yielded comprehensive information on the dentition, mandibular morphology, and postcranial skeleton of this species. These new fossils provide an excellent opportunity to revise the phylogenetic relationships of Magerictis and related musteloids from the Oligocene and Miocene of Eurasia and North America. Our phylogenetic analysis indicates that Magerictis and Rothictis gen. nov. are the most basal members of the Aiuluridae. Both genera, together with Alopecocyon, Actiocyon, and Protursus, underwent a limited adaptive radiation during the Middle and Late Miocene in Eurasia and North America. This radiation potentially includes the ancestors of the most specialized ailurids (Simocyon, and the ailurines Parailurus, Pristinailurus and Ailurus). The postcranial elements attributed to Magerictis, particularly the astragalus and calcaneus, exhibit a morphological pattern comparable to that of Ailurus, thereby distinguishing it from other Musteloidea. A systematic rearrangement of the primitive Holartic musteloids from the Oligocene and Miocene is proposed. The Ailuridae are divided into three subfamilies: (i) Ailurinae for Ailurus, Parailurus and Pristinailurus; (ii) Simocyoninae, which includes Simocyon, Protursus, Alopecocyon and Actiocyon; and (iii) Magerictinae nov. rank for Magerictis and Rothictis gen. nov. (type species Rothictis wintershofensis comb. nov.). The family Amphictidae Winge, 1895 is revalidated for Amphictis and Bonisictis gen. nov. (type species Bonisictis ambiguus comb. nov.). https://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:15D893D5-0C61-4652-8919-DAEF998F3953

• A new monothalamid genus, Flaviatella, is described using integrative taxonomy. • Flaviatella profunda is found at bathyal and abyssal depths in the Bering Sea and the Aleutian and Japan trenches. • A second species, F. siemensma, was discovered in shallow subtidal waters of the Falkland Islands. • Morphological and 18S rRNA data confirm the wide geographic and bathymetric range of Flaviatella. • Our findings highlight the adaptability and dispersal potential of deep-sea monothalamids. Single chambered foraminifera (monothalamids) occur in all marine habitats, as well as freshwater and terrestrial environments. Their genetic diversity by far surpasses their morphological variety and a combination of morphological and molecular data is needed to distinguish species and classify them. We present here the results of an integrative taxonomic study of monothalamids from bathyal and abyssal samples collected from the Bering Sea and Aleutian Trench and from coastal waters in the Southern Hemisphere. Based on morphological and molecular (DNA barcode sequences of 18S rRNA) data, we describe Flaviatella gen. nov., a member of monothalamid Clade Y. The type species, F. profunda gen. & sp. nov., was isolated from surface sediment samples collected at lower bathyal depths (3553 m) in the Bering Sea and at abyssal depths (4612 m) close to the nearby Aleutian trench. Specimens collected in 2007 from near the Japan trench (5360 m depth) are morphologically similar and genetically identical to this species. We also describe a second species of the new genus, F. siemensma sp. nov., based on samples collected in 2019 from a shallow subtidal bay in the Falkland Islands. Flaviatella is a new genus with a large geographic distribution and a wide bathymetric range, showing that monothalamid taxa can successfully colonize disjunct areas and adapt to different environmental conditions.

The species of the spider genus Azilia Keyserling, 1881 from the Americas are revised. Cardimia Mello-Leitão, 1940 is removed from the synonymy with Azilia and is newly synonymized with Diphya Nicolet, 1849, with its type species, Cardimia eximia Mello-Leitão, 1940, considered synonymous of Diphya bicolor Vellard, 1926. The genus type species, Azilia formosa Keyserling 1881 described from Peru is redescribed. The type material is considered lost, but here a neotype is designed based on specimens next to the type locality in Peru. Azilia boudeti Simon, 1895, Azilia marmorata Mello-Leitão, 1948, Arochoides integrans Mello-Leitão, 1935 and Cyrtophora vachoni Caporiacco, 1954 had their types examined and are synonymized with Azilia histrio Simon, 1895. The males of Azilia formosa and A. histrio are described for the first time. Azilia affinis O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1893, A. guatemalensis O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889, A. rojasi Simon, 1895 and A. montana Bryant, 1940 are redescribed and illustrated. Finally, eight new species are described based on males and females, including six from Brazil: Azilia arrebitada sp. nov.; A. catita sp. nov.; A. fabulosa sp. nov.; A. guapa sp. nov.; A. joinha sp. nov.; A. supimpa sp. nov. and two from Mexico: Azilia esplendida sp. nov., and A. hermosa sp. nov.

The effect of collinearity between observed and model derived training variables on estuarine algal species distribution models

Fire significantly influences beetle diversity in natural wetland forests but the effects vary by forest type and insect species

The Small East Asian genus Petrobiellus Silvestri, 1943 has so far included three species: P. takunagae Silvestri, 1943 (Japan), P. sachalinensis Kaplin, 2020 (Sakhalin), and P. kusakini Kaplin, 1980 (Simushir Island, Kuril Islands). Two new species are added herewith: P. nematocerus sp. n. (Furugelm Island, Sea of Japan) and P. leleji sp. n. (Atlasov Island, Kuril Islands). Among them, the first new species seems to be particularly similar to P. sachalinensis, whereas the second new species seems most similar to P. takunagae, the type species of the genus. Petrobiellus nematocerus sp. n. differs from P. sachalinensis in the color of the scales on the dorsal side of the body; the length ratio of the antennae to the body; the color of the paired ocelli and the distance between them relative to the total width of the compound eyes; the number of dentate setae on the dorsal side of the apical and pre-apical articles of the maxillary palps; the number of needle-shaped supporting setae on the 2nd article of the tarsi and tibiae; and the size of the apical angle of urosternites. Petrobiellus leleji sp. n. and P. takunagae differ in the distance between the paired ocelli relative to the total width of the eyes; the width to length ratio of the paired ocellus; the lengths of the last and penultimate articles of the maxillary palps, urosternites and urocoxites, as well as the apical angle of urosternites and the number of articles in the parameres of the male.

Molecular phylogeny of <i>Naineris</i> and <i>Protoaricia</i> (Annelida: Orbiniidae) with the reinstatement of <i>Theodisca</i>

Characterizing the divisional mode of anaerobic genus Plagiopyla (Alveolata, Ciliophora, Plagiopylea), with notes on morphology and phylogeny of the type and one common species.

A new genus Shuqiangius Wang, Marusik & Yao, gen. nov. is described. It comprises the type species Shuqiangiusrarobulbus (Lo, Cheng & Lin, 2024), comb. nov. (♂; Taiwan, China) and a new species Shuqiangiuschuan Wang, Marusik & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀; Sichuan, China).

The ReWeeMap project, co-financed by EIT Food and the European Union, aims to develop an AI-driven, image recognition-based software capable of specifically detecting Datura stramonium (jimsonweed) among selected arable crops using supervised learning. To achieve this, we employed advanced drone technology equipped with multispectral imaging cameras.Field testing and data collection were conducted at two locations in Hungary, focusing on maize, tomato, and pepper crops. Meanwhile, the software development and IT implementation were carried out in Lithuania by BetaVia (formerly ART21). The development was scientificly proved by the University of Szeged. Following nearly one year of data collection and development works, the software now operates with an accuracy exceeding 80%.The project’s long-term objective is continuous improvement, a core principle in AI-based software development. The methodology established for this software is scalable and adaptable to detect other hazardous weed species in various crop types. Consequently, the project envisions not only the commercialization of the software but also its expansion based on the developed framework.Ultimately, this initiative contributes to reducing the food industry’s exposure to contamination by toxic weeds by enabling early-stage detection and mitigation directly at the source of infestation. Our aim is to present the development steps and methodology we have established, with the hope that it will support the broader adoption of digital solutions designed to mitigate threats to the agri-food sector.

During a survey of plant litter-associated microfungi in Guangdong and Jiangxi Provinces, China, several specimens that have carbonaceous ascomata were collected. Morphological characteristics combined with multi-gene (LSU, SSU, and tef1-α) phylogeny revealed that they belong to the Aigialaceae, Astrosphaeriellaceae, and Pseudoastrosphaeriellaceae families. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI) approaches. Caryospora pruni and Pseudoastrosphaeriella zingiberacearum are introduced as new species, and Astrosphaeriella bambusae, C. quercus, Fissuroma caryotae, and Neoastrosphaeriella aquatica are introduced as new host records. In addition, Caryospora minima is synonymized under C. aquatica based on close morphological and phylogenetic relationships. All the newly introduced species fit well with their respective generic concepts and can be distinguished from closely related species in their morphology and DNA molecular data. The new host records also provide similar morphological characteristics to their respective type species, and multi-gene phylogeny analyses also offer evidence for their placements. In addition, we compiled the geographical distribution and host associations of species in Aigialaceae, Astrosphaeriellaceae, and Pseudoastrosphaeriellaceae. This provides a database for future studies to understand the ecological interactions and geographical variations.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neuroinflammatory and demyelinating disease that causes disability in patients. Cladribine is an oral treatment that is used in relapsing–remitting and active secondary progressive MS. T and B lymphocytes are especially sensitive to cladribine, which are transiently depleted upon short treatment courses. However, cladribine crosses the blood–brain barrier (BBB), supporting the hypothesis that cladribine may affect central nervous system (CNS)-resident cells. In this study, we used human primary cells and human cell lines to test the effect of cladribine, at therapeutic concentrations, on cells of the CNS. In these conditions, cladribine did not affect survival, proliferation and the capacity of producing cytokines of human microglial cells (HMC3 cell line) or primary human astrocytes but enhanced the production of oxygen reactive species in both cell types. The initial differentiation of primary human neuronal progenitor cells was impaired when continuously exposed to the maximum therapeutic concentration of cladribine, but not when lower concentrations were used. However, cladribine protected differentiated SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line from oxidative stress-related cell death. In conclusion, using different in vitro cell models, we demonstrate that cladribine maintains the normal function of CNS glia and protects neuronal cells from oxidative stress damage.

ABSTRACT The taxonomy of chalara-like anamorphs in Leotiomycetes was recently thoroughly redefined. Due to the morphological simplicity of these species, emphasis was given on monophyletic generic concepts defined based on rDNA. In our follow-up study, we revised the taxonomic classification of selected chalara-like fungi in the families Hamatocanthoscyphaceae and Pezizellaceae. We examined our isolates of chalara-like anamorphs and collections of discomycete teleomorphs from coniferous litter in Europe, along with a revision of related fungarium collections. We performed phylogenetic analyses based on data sets consisting of the internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, partial 28S nuc rDNA, and fragments of genes encoding either translation elongation factor 1α or RNA polymerase II second largest subunit. Our phylogenetic analyses showed that the inclusion of teleomorphs is essential for proper naming of the holomorphic species. In Hamatocanthoscyphaceae, we propose to synonymize the monotypic genus Chalarodendron with the recently erected genus Stipitochalara. Further, we provide evidence of Infundichalara microchona being the anamorph of Ciliolarina ligniseda. The anamorph for Hamatocanthoscypha laricionis, the type species of Hamatocanthoscypha, is also documented. Several sequences obtained from collections identified as H. laricionis were distantly placed in the phylogeny, indicating that a thorough revision of the genus is needed and its relationship with Constrictochalara and Xenochalara should be explored. In Pezizellaceae, we reveal the anamorph-teleomorph connection between Calycina (=Chalara) fungorum and Calycina subtilis and propose to synonymize Nagrajchalara angustata with N. inflatipes. Calycina (=Chalara) brevispora should be excluded from Leotiomycetes; molecular data from a recently obtained isolate showed that this fungus should be placed in Chalarina (Chaetosphaericaceae, Chaetosphaeriales, Sordariomycetes).

Genome sequences have become indispensable for objective and reliable bacterial taxonomy. The genus Pseudaestuariivita is a member of the family Roseobacteraceae. In this study, genome sequence analysis was employed to re-evaluate the taxonomic status of the species Pseudaestuariivita rosea. Genome-based phylogenetic analysis revealed that Pseudaestuariivita species are polyphyletic. Specifically, the species Pseudaestuariivita rosea clustered phylogenetically with the type species of the genus Parasulfitobacter, Parasulfitobacter algicola, rather than with the type species of the genus Pseudaestuariivita, Pseudaestuariivita atlantica. Comparative analyses of average amino acid identity (AAI), percentage of conserved proteins (POCP), genome-wide average nucleotide identity (gANI), alignment fraction (AF), and phenotypic traits revealed a significantly higher degree of similarity between the species Pseudaestuariivita rosea and Parasulfitobacter algicola than between the species Pseudaestuariivita rosea and Pseudaestuariivita atlantica. The integrated evidence from genomic and phenotypic characterization leads to a formal proposal for the reclassification of the species Pseudaestuariivita rosea as Parasulfitobacter roseus comb. nov. This reclassification resolves the taxonomic ambiguity surrounding the species Pseudaestuariivita rosea, resulting in a more consistent classification within the family Roseobacteraceae.

Papaverodinia gen. nov. (Odiniidae: Traginopinae) is described from Brazil, with three new species, P. chiquinhamum gen. et sp. nov. (type species) (from Amazonas, Maranhão, Pará and Piauí), P. canalesi gen. et sp. nov. (from Ceará and Maranhão) and P. willkeniae gen. et sp. nov. (from Amazonas). The genus is characterized by a unique combination of diagnostic features: body predominantly brown to black; lunule arched with central black pubescent spot; scutellum with several marginal setulae; posterior intra-alar setae present; male tergite 6 absent; epandrium about 3.5 × as short as high; inner surstylus thin and positioned below the outer surstylus; outer surstylus enormously dilated at the distal end.

A new leafhopper genus of the tribe Athysanini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae), Neonakaharanusgen. nov., including two new species: Neonakaharanuscurvatussp. nov. (type species) and Neonakaharanustriangulatussp. nov. are described and illustrated, and a key to species is provided. The type specimens of the new species are deposited in the Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China (GUGC).

The genus Hemicyclops Boeck, 1873 is known for its association with various marine invertebrates, including cnidarians, crustaceans, polychaetes, and sponges, with some species also occurring in planktonic communities. Here, we report the first association of Hemicyclops with the scleractinian coral Galaxea fascicularis (Linnaeus, 1767) (Scleractinia, Euphylliidae). Hemicyclops cyanus sp. nov. is described based on a female specimen collected from this coral host in the lagoon (depth 10 m) of Dongsha Atoll, Pratas Islands, South China Sea. The new species is readily distinguished from its congeners by its characteristic genital double-somite, which bears prominent anterolateral expansions, and by the flexed, elongated exopodal segment of leg 5, which is more than three times longer than wide. In H. cyanus sp. nov., the paired spermatophores attached to the female are fused into a butterfly-shaped, highly modified complex with large lateral wings and a central tube into which the female urosome is inserted. To aid in species identification, we present the first comparative plate with schematic illustrations of the genital double-somites for the group of 25 species, including the type species.

ABSTRACT Members of the oxytrichid genus Cyrtohymena are characterised by a distinctive undulating membranes type, known as the Cyrtohymena pattern, featuring a strongly curved stichodyad paroral that forms a semicircle distally. Although the type species, Cyrtohymena muscorum , has been redescribed morphologically, its ontogenesis remains poorly understood due to missing data on key developmental stages. In addition, previous phylogenetic studies support that the genus is polyphyletic. In this study, we investigated the morphology and ontogenesis of C. muscorum using live observation, protargol impregnation, and scanning electron microscopy. Our detailed analysis clarified the origin of each frontal‐ventral‐transverse cirral anlage in both the proter and opisthe. Phylogenetic analyses based on multiple genes show that Cyrtohymena clusters with other species exhibiting a similar arrangement of transverse cirri, indicating that this feature carries a strong phylogenetic signal. A critical review of previous records suggests potential misidentifications and underestimation of species diversity within the group. The revised generic diagnosis indicates that several species currently assigned to Cyrtohymena may, in fact, belong to other genera.

Abstract. Mycorrhizal fungi enhance plant access to nitrogen (N) in nutrient-poor environments like the Arctic tundra by depolymerizing N-rich organic compounds into forms available to plants and microbes. As climate change reshapes plant communities and mycorrhizal associations, shifting dominance from herbaceous species to shrubs, changes in mycorrhizal type and plant species dominance may differentially stimulate N cycling. Both dominant and rare species, along with mycorrhizal associations, contribute to ecosystem processes and stability, though the specific roles of these components in N cycling and overall ecosystem functioning remain uncertain. We investigated how mycorrhizal associations and plant diversity affect gross N mineralization and nitrification rates in an Oroarctic ecosystem. Four years after a plant removal treatment, we measured these rates using in situ 15N labelling and quantified a selection of nitrification genes. Treatment plots included (1) unmanipulated (Control); or the removal of: (2) ectomycorrhizal (EcM) and ericoid mycorrhizal (ErM) plants, letting arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and non-mycorrhizal (NM) plants dominate (AM/NM); (3) AM and NM plants, letting EcM and ErM plants dominate (EcM/ErM); (4) low-abundance species, leaving the most abundant species (Dominant); and (5) high-abundance species, leaving only the low-abundance species (Rare). Gross N mineralization rates were 73 % and 78 % higher in EcM/ErM and Dominant, respectively, compared to Control, while AM/NM and Rare showed more moderate increases of 30 % and 46 %. Gross nitrification was also highest in EcM/ErM, with a 26 % increase over Control. Gene abundances did not mirror nitrification patterns. Archaeal ammonia oxidizers (AOA), Nitrospira-type nitrite oxidizers (NIS), and comammox clade A (ComaA) were consistently more abundant than bacterial ammonia oxidizers (AOB), Nitrobacter-type nitrite oxidizers (NIB), and comammox clade B (ComaB), suggesting a stable site-level nitrifier community. Dominant had the lowest gene copy numbers overall, except for AOB, which was highest. In addition, AOA gene abundance was significantly lower in Dominant compared to Control, with a marginal reduction observed for NIS. Our findings highlight the key role of EcM/ErM fungi in accelerating N cycling in Oroarctic soils, challenging traditional assumptions that N transformation rates are slow in EcM/ErM dominated ecosystems. These insights underscore the need to consider mycorrhizal associations and plant community composition when predicting tundra ecosystem responses to environmental change.

The new genus Chicosa gen. nov. (type species: Alopecosa cinnameopilosa (Schenkel, 1963) is described and the new combination Chicosa cinnameopilosa (Schenkel, 1963), comb. nov. is made. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial loci do not place Chicosa cinnameopilosa into Alopecosa or the subfamily Lycosinae but rather suggest it is sister to Wadicosa Zyuzin, 1985 + Pardosa C. L. Koch, 1847. Descriptions of the new genus and known species, supplemented by photographs, a distribution map, and phylogenetic evidence, are provided.