Latest Articles from Biodiversity Data Journal Latest 100 Articles from Biodiversity Data Journal https://bdj.pensoft.net/ Tue, 19 Mar 2024 04:26:10 +0200 Pensoft FeedCreator https://bdj.pensoft.net/i/logo.jpg Latest Articles from Biodiversity Data Journal https://bdj.pensoft.net/ First description of the females of Qinorapala qinlingana Chou & Wang, 1995 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) from Shaanxi and Sichuan Provinces, western China https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/117061/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e117061

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e117061

Authors: Sixun Ge, Wen-Hao Sun, Yang Yang, Li-Li Ren, Shao-Ji Hu

Abstract: The family Lycaenidae is a widely distributed and species-rich group with approximately 5300 described species. The rare genus Qinorapala Chou & Wang, with Q. qinlingana Chou & Wang as its type species was established as monotypic. In the original description, Q. qinlingana was described from a male holotype; the female remained unknown. To date, the genus is only recorded from the Qinling Mountains (Shaanxi and Gansu Provinces). In this study, two female specimens, from Shaanxi Province and western Sichuan Province (bordering Yunnan Province) are described and illustrated for the first time.Female specimens of Q. qinlingana from Shaanxi and Sichuan are described for the first time. The species' distribution is updated and a distribution map is provided.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Fri, 15 Mar 2024 13:12:33 +0200
A new, unusually large, Clavicornaltica Scherer, 1974 flea beetle from Borneo, described and sequenced in the field by citizen scientists (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/119481/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e119481

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e119481

Authors: Sean Otani, Luca Bertoli, Filippo Lucchini, Tom van den Beuken, Desanne Boin, Lehman Ellis, Holm Friedrich, Brittany Jacquot, Sotiris Kountouras, Sarah Lim, Eleonora Nigro, Syafi’ie Su’eif, Wei Harn Tan, Ulmar Grafe, Daniele Cicuzza, Massimo Delledonne, Iva Njunjić, Menno Schilthuizen

Abstract: The genus Clavicornaltica Scherer 1974 consists of very small, soil-dwelling flea beetles in South, Southeast and East Asia. Due to their diminutive size and morphological similarities, very little is known about their ecology and taxonomical diversity. It is likely that further studies will reveal this genus to be much more speciose than the 30 species currently recognised.A new species of Clavicornaltica from Brunei Darussalam is described, C. mataikanensis Otani et al., sp. nov. This is the second species of this genus recorded from Ulu Temburong National Park.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Fri, 15 Mar 2024 08:47:25 +0200
Two new records of the genus Trioxys (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) parasitic on bamboo aphids from South Korea https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/118599/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e118599

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e118599

Authors: Sangjin Kim, Juhyeong Sohn, Hyojoong Kim

Abstract: The genus Trioxys Haliday, 1833 consists of more than 80 species worldwide with three species being recorded in South Korea. In this study, we report the first observation of the two additional species, T. liui Chou & Chou, 1993 from Takecallis arundinariae (Essig, 1917) on Phyllostachys bambusoides Siebold & Zucc., 1843 and T. remaudierei Starý & Rakhshani, 2017 from T. taiwana (Takahashi, 1926) on Sasa borealis (Hack.) Makino & Shibata, 1901.Trioxys liui and T. remaudierei are described and reported with phototographs of the diagnostic morphological characters and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) data (barcode region) and Bayesian tree of the phylogenetic analysis amongst the closely-related taxa are provided.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Thu, 14 Mar 2024 08:18:02 +0200
Two new species of Lysiteles Simon, 1895 from Cibagou National Nature Reserve, Xizang, China (Araneae, Thomisidae) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/120347/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e120347

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e120347

Authors: Cheng Wang, Jiahui Gan, Xiaoqi Mi

Abstract: Lysiteles Simon, 1895 contains 64 nominal species distributed in East, South and South Asia. It possesses very high species diversity in China (with 46 and 32 endemics), Bhutan (with 9 and 1 endemic) and Nepal (with 8 and 4 endemics).In June 2023, a spider survey of Cibagou National Nature Reserve, Xizang, China was carried out. After examination and morphological comparison, two Lysiteles species were recognised as new to science.Two new species of Lysiteles Simon, 1895 collected from Cibagou National Nature Reserve, Xizang, China are described: L. cibagou sp. nov. (♂♀) and L. tangi sp. nov. (♂♀). Diagnostic photos of habitus and copulatory organs and a distributional map are provided.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Wed, 13 Mar 2024 09:22:57 +0200
Catalogue of type specimens deposited in the Polychaeta Collection of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Léon (Mexico) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/118576/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e118576

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e118576

Authors: María Elena García-Garza, Jesús Angel de León-González, María Ana Tovar-Hernández

Abstract: In Mexico, there are six scientific collections of polychaetous annelids. The "Colección Poliquetológica" from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León houses one of the three most important collections of annelids in the country, based on a number of lots and number of type materials deposited, as well as geographical coverage.A catalogue of type materials of polychaete annelids housed at the “Colección Poliquetológica” from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (México) is presented for the first time. The Collection contains 37 holotypes, 174 paratypes and one syntype. These type materials are grouped in 15 families, 35 genera and 54 species of marine worms. Types were described mostly from the Mexican waters, with a low number of types from Ecuador, El Salvador, Argentina, USA, Philippines, New Caledonia and Japan.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Tue, 12 Mar 2024 12:53:07 +0200
New records of Chrysochroinae Laporte de Castelnau, 1835 (Coleoptera, Buprestidae) from China https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115599/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115599

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115599

Authors: Hong-Mu Ai, Zhi-Hao Qi, Rong-Xiang Su, Zhi-Yu Liao, Hai-Tian Song

Abstract: Chrysochroinae Laporte de Castelnau, 1835 is the very colourful subfamily of Buprestidae. There are 127 species and subspecies of the subfamily which have been recorded in China.In this paper, we reported three genera, two subgenera and five species of the subfamily Chrysochroinae Laporte de Castelnau, 1835 (Coleoptera, Buprestidae) which are all newly recorded from China. These reported taxa belong to two tribes and four genera: Chrysochroa (Chroodema) corbetti (Kerremans, 1893), Chrysochroa (Pyranthe) fulgens ephippigera White, 1843, Demochroa (Demoxantha) gratiosa indica Csiki, 1900, Xanthocata bonvouloirii (Deyrolle, 1861) (all the above four being Chrysochroini) and Cardiaspis mouhotii E. Saunders, 1866 (Dicercini). The five newly-recorded species are briefly described, illustrated and supplemented with relevant biological information.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Mon, 11 Mar 2024 14:08:57 +0200
Planktonic, benthic and sympagic copepods collected from the desalination unit of Mario Zucchelli Research Station in Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica). https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/119633/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e119633

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e119633

Authors: Marco Grillo, Guido Bonello, Matteo Cecchetto, Alice Guzzi, Nicholas Noli, Valentina Cometti, Stefano Schiaparelli

Abstract: Distributional data on planktonic, benthic and sympagic copepods collected in the framework of the XXXIVth Expeditions of the Italian National Antarctic Programme (PNRA) to the Ross Sea sector from 2018–2019 are here provided. These occurrences correspond to specimens collected from the 25 μm filters used in the desalination plant of the Italian research station "Mario Zucchelli" (MZS), located in the Terra Nova Bay area (TNB; Ross Sea, Antarctica). This dataset is a contribution to the Antarctic Biodiversity Portal, the thematic Antarctic node for both the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (AntOBIS) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility Antarctic Biodiversity Information Facility (ANTABIF). The dataset was uploaded and integrated with the SCAR-AntOBIS database (the geospatial component of SCAR-MarBIN). Please follow the guidelines from the SCAR Data Policy (ISSN 1998-0337) when using the data. If you have any questions regarding this dataset, please contact us via the contact information provided in the metadata or via data-biodiversity-aq@naturalsciences.be. Issues with the dataset can be reported at the biodiversity-aq GitHub project.We describe the diversity of marine copepods Terra Nova Bay sampled by the filters installed in the desalination unit (DU) of the Italian research station "Mario Zucchelli" described in recent work. The opening of the intake pipe of the DU is positioned at a depth of 4 m and allowed a total of 2,116 specimens to be sampled and recognised. In addition, new occurrence records of copepod genera and species are reported in the same zone. We provide an overview of the marine copepod diversity reported for TNB. The total of 2,116 individuals corresponds to 14 genera and 15 species and is represented by 136 occurrence records in this dataset. Around 52% of the total number of species are new records for the TNB area. The publication of this data paper was funded by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO, contract n°FR/36/AN1/AntaBIS) in the Framework of EU-Lifewatch as a contribution to the SCAR Antarctic biodiversity portal (biodiversity.aq).

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Data Paper Mon, 11 Mar 2024 13:46:01 +0200
Upper mesophotic reef fish assemblages at Bahía de Banderas, Mexico https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113125/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e113125

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e113125

Authors: Jose Luis Arreola, Cristian Galván-Villa, Yocanxóchitl Perfecto-Avalos, Fabian Rodríguez-Zaragoza, Eduardo Rios Jara

Abstract: There is no information on the species associated with the mesophotic reefs of Banderas Bay, located in the central Mexican Pacific. This study analysed the reef fish assemblage from three depths (50, 60 and 70 m) in three sampling sites of the southern submarine canyon of the Bay: Los Arcos, Bajo de Emirio and Majahuitas. Several analyses were performed to test the hypothesis that there are important differences in fish abundance and species composition between sites and depths. Twenty-two species of bony fishes grouped in 14 families were recorded. PERMANOVA results showed that there were no significant differences in fish diversity parameters between sites, indicating a certain uniformity in their distribution. However, nine species were exclusive to one site and depth (five singleton species with only one individual recorded and four unique species recorded only once). On the other hand, there were significant differences between depths, mainly between 50 and 70 m. Diversity decreases with depth and species composition changes. SIMPER, Shade Plot and NMDS analysis show the most representative species at each depth, with at least half of the species (11) recorded only at 50 m and four species at the deeper levels (60 - 70 m). The observed assemblage includes several of the most caught species in the shallow water artisanal fishery, which is the most traditional and common type of fishery in the Bay. In addition, the Pomacanthus zonipectus (Cortés angelfish) is of particular interest, as it has a special protection status in the official Mexican standard (NOM-059-SEMARNAT, 2010) due to its use as an ornamental species in aquaria. We hypothesised that the mesophotic zone may serve as a refuge for these fishes, so we propose that the information obtained is an important basis for new research aimed at the sustainable management of fisheries in the area.

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Research Article Mon, 11 Mar 2024 10:49:21 +0200
Ten years later: An update on the status of collections of endemic Gulf of Mexico fishes put at risk by the 2010 Oil Spill https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113399/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e113399

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e113399

Authors: Prosanta Chakrabarty, Alec Sheehy, Xavier Clute, Shannon Cruz, Brandon Ballengée

Abstract: The 2010 Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon was the largest oil spill in human history that occurred during a 12-week period in a region less than 100 km from the coast of Louisiana; however, after more than a decade of post-spill research, few definitives can be said to be known about the long-term impacts on the development and distribution of fishes in and around the region of the disaster. Here, we examine endemic Gulf of Mexico fish species that may have been most impacted by noting their past distributions in the region of the spill and examining data of known collecting events and observations over the last twenty years (ten years prior to the spill, ten years post-spill). Five years post-spill, it was reported that 48 of the Gulf’s endemic fish species had not been collected and, with expanded methods, we now report that 29 (of the 78 endemic species) have not been reported in collections since 2010 (five of these are only known from observations post-spill). Although the good news that some previously ‘missing’ species have been found may be cause to celebrate, the lack of information for many species remains a cause for concern given focused sampling efforts post-spill.

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Research Article Fri, 8 Mar 2024 16:11:11 +0200
Long-term monitoring of the fish community in the Minho Estuary (NW Iberian Peninsula) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/112217/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e112217

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e112217

Authors: Allan Souza, Martina Ilarri, Ester Dias, Mário Araújo, António Roleira, Ana Catarina Braga, Ana Rita Carvalho, Micaela Mota, Maria Helena Correia, Ana Lages, Ana Moura, Carlos Antunes

Abstract: The paper presents an extensive fish sampling dataset spanning a long-term period from 2010 to 2019. The data were collected in Lenta Marina, an upstream area in the Minho Estuary of the NW Iberian Peninsula, which belongs to a LTSER (Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research) platform. To capture fish, fyke nets were utilised as the sampling method and deployed at Lenta Marina. This dataset offers valuable insights into the abundance of each collected taxa recorded over time.The dataset reports a comprehensive compilation of data on the abundance of fish species observed in the area during the sampling period (includes zeroes when a given taxonomic entity was absent in a given sampling event). It provides a detailed record of the abundances of the fish community through time in a frequent sampling regime (on average, sampling was done every 6 days). The dataset shows that the amount of fish from invasive taxa exceeds the count of fish from native taxa in the Minho Estuary.

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Data Paper Fri, 8 Mar 2024 09:20:21 +0200
The dataset of the CLU lichen herbarium (Calabria, Italy) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/116965/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e116965

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e116965

Authors: Matteo Conti, Stefano Martellos, Andrea Moro, Pier Luigi Nimis, Domenico Puntillo

Abstract: Calabria, the southernmost tip of the Italian Peninsula, is a biogeographically very interesting region for lichenologists, characterised by the abundance of oceanic and suboceanic species with subtropical affinities, but also by the presence of the southernmost outposts of several boreal species on the highest peaks. The lichen biota of Calabria, which began to be intensively studied only from the 1980s, hosts more than 1000 infrageneric taxa. The lichen herbarium of the Botanical Garden of the University of Calabria (CLU) is the most relevant lichen collection from this region. It was established in 1985 and it presently includes 16926 specimens, most of which were collected in Calabria, although there are also several specimens from other parts of Italy and from abroad.This dataset contains 16926 records of lichens for a total of 1316 species. Of the 15219 georeferenced specimens, 10254 were collected in Calabria, while 4965 in other administrative regions of Italy. The dataset is available through GBIF, as well as in ITALIC, the Information System of Italian Lichens.

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Data Paper Fri, 8 Mar 2024 08:47:10 +0200
The InBIO Barcoding Initiative Database: DNA barcodes of Iberian Bees https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/117172/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e117172

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e117172

Authors: Thomas Wood, Hugo Gaspar, Romain Le Divelec, Andreia Penado, Teresa Luísa Silva, Vanessa Mata, Joana Veríssimo, Denis Michez, Sílvia Castro, João Loureiro, Pedro Beja, Sónia Ferreira

Abstract: Bees are important actors in terrestrial ecosystems and are recognised for their prominent role as pollinators. In the Iberian Peninsula, approximately 1,100 bee species are known, with nearly 100 of these species being endemic to the Peninsula. A reference collection of DNA barcodes, based on morphologically identified bee specimens, representing 514 Iberian species, was constructed. The "InBIO Barcoding Initiative Database: DNA Barcodes of Iberian bees" dataset contains records of 1,059 sequenced specimens. The species of this dataset correspond to about 47% of Iberian bee species diversity and 21% of endemic species diversity. For peninsular Portugal only, the corresponding coverage is 71% and 50%. Specimens were collected between 2014 and 2022 and are deposited in the research collection of Thomas Wood (Naturalis Biodiversity Center, The Netherlands), in the FLOWer Lab collection at the University of Coimbra (Portugal), in the Andreia Penado collection at the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto (MHNC-UP) (Portugal) and in the InBIO Barcoding Initiative (IBI) reference collection (Vairão, Portugal).Of the 514 species sequenced, 75 species from five different families are new additions to the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) and 112 new BINs were added. Whilst the majority of species were assigned to a single BIN (94.9%), 27 nominal species were assigned to multiple BINs. Although the placement into multiple BINs may simply reflect genetic diversity and variation, it likely also represents currently unrecognised species-level diversity across diverse taxa, such as Amegilla albigena Lepeletier, 1841, Andrena russula Lepeletier, 1841, Lasioglossum leucozonium (Schrank, 1781), Nomada femoralis Morawitz, 1869 and Sphecodes alternatus Smith, 1853. Further species pairs of Colletes, Hylaeus and Nomada were placed into the same BINs, emphasising the need for integrative taxonomy within Iberia and across the Mediterranean Basin more broadly. These data substantially contribute to our understanding of bee genetic diversity and DNA barcodes in Iberia and provide an important baseline for ongoing taxonomic revisions in the West Palaearctic biogeographical region.

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Data Paper Tue, 5 Mar 2024 18:45:23 +0200
Locusta migratoria (L.) (Orthoptera) in a warming world: unravelling the ecological consequences of climate change using GIS https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115845/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115845

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115845

Authors: Eslam Hosni, Areej Al-Khalaf, Mohamed Nasser, Sara ElShahed, Sara Alashaal

Abstract: The migratory locust, Locusta migratoria (L.), a significant grasshopper species known for its ability to form large swarms and cause extensive damage to crops and vegetation, is subject to the influence of climate change. This research paper employs geographic information system (GIS) and MaxEnt ecological modelling techniques to assess the impact of climate change on the distribution patterns of L. migratoria. Occurrence data and environmental variables are collected and analysed to create predictive models for the current and future distribution of the species. The study highlights the crucial role of climate factors, particularly temperature and precipitation, in determining the locust's distribution. The MaxEnt models exhibit high-performance indicators, accurately predicting the potential habitat suitability of L. migratoria. Additionally, specific bioclimatic variables, such as mean temperature and annual precipitation, are identified as significant factors influencing the species' presence. The generated future maps indicate how this species will invade new regions especially in Europe. Such results predict the risk of this destructive species for many agriculture communities as a direct result of a warming world. The research provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between locust distribution and environmental factors, enabling the development of effective strategies for locust management and early warning systems to mitigate the impact on agriculture and ecosystems.

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Research Article Tue, 5 Mar 2024 08:45:44 +0200
Fossil Collection at the Zoology Museum of the University of Concepción: enhancing understanding of Chile's past biodiversity https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/117275/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e117275

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e117275

Authors: Francisca Beltrán Echeverría, Laura Tavera Martínez, Cristián Hernández

Abstract: The digital inventory of paleontological material stored in Chilean museums is highly relevant as it increases accessibility to information, both locally and over long distances, while reducing wear and tear on specimens caused by physical manipulation. The Fossil Collection database of the Museum of Zoology of the University of Concepción (UCC_MZUC_FOS) includes 144 records, with the main representatives being marine invertebrates of the Bivalvia, Echinoidea and Gastropoda classes. Notable species include Encope calderensis, Hemiaster wayensis, Zygochlamys patagonica and Retrotapes exalbidus, most of which come from important Chilean fossil sites. Material was collected between 1970 and 2017, with a large portion of it being donated and identified by Professor Emeritus Hugo I. Moyano and Dr. Alberto Larraín. Although the specimens contained in the resource offer basic collecting information, they substantially contribute to sharing knowledge on the fossils kept in the museums throughout the country, while providing data on their distribution.This resource corresponds to the first publication of data on faunal fossils from a museum collection in Chile on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) platform, thereby enhancing the understanding and documentation of Chile's paleontological heritage and its national biodiversity.

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Data Paper Thu, 29 Feb 2024 17:49:30 +0200
Checklist of the marine malacofauna of Culuccia Peninsula (NW Sardinia, Italy), with notes on relevant species https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115051/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115051

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115051

Authors: Paolo Mariottini, Carlo Smriglio, Marco Oliverio, Sabrina Rossi, Andrea Di Giulio

Abstract: Culuccia is a small peninsula of about 3 km2 placed in north-western Sardinia (Italy) at the margin of the Maddalena Archipelago. The marine area surrounding this Peninsula is a Special Area of Conservation, included in the European Natura 2000 Ecological Network of protected areas, but until now, no information on biodiversity of this area is available. In 2021, a research project to study both terrestrial and marine biodiversity of Culuccia has started in order to fill this gap of knowledge.This work provides the first inventory of the marine malacofauna of the coast of Culuccia. Fifteen sites were sampled seasonally for one-year by using different sampling methods and the present study shows the results from approximately 50 scientific SCUBA and free dive surveys, carried out in all main marine habitats of the studied area. In total, 259 species of molluscs were recorded along the coasts of the Culuccia Peninsula (0-25 m depth), belonging to the classes Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Polyplacophora and Scaphopoda. Amongst the four classes recorded, gastropods were the most represented (66.90%; 173 species), followed by bivalves (28.10%; 73 species), polyplacophorans (4.60%; 12 species) and scapophods (0.40%; 1 species). Notes about distribution, conservation status and ecology for some valuable species are provided, together with images of representative species, consisting mainly of in situ photographs. Additionally, the present investigation recorded the presence of four alien species, whose Mediterranean distribution was extended to north-western Sardinia.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Wed, 28 Feb 2024 15:02:44 +0200
Dataset of barcoded Reticulariaceae: ten years of DNA sequencing https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115630/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115630

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115630

Authors: Dmytro Leontyev, Iryna Yatsiuk

Abstract: As a result of the ten years (2012–2022) work under the critical revision of the genera of Reticulariaceae, a set of papers was published. Collection data of hundreds of specimens, used as a material for these studies, were provided as supplements of corresponding papers, but remained unpublished in biodiversity databases.Here, we represent an occurrence dataset "Barcoded Reticulariaceae of the World", published in GBIF. It includes data on 523 myxomycete collections (including 36 types) gathered from five continents and spanning 24 countries. The dataset encompasses 43 distinct species and one subspecies of myxomycetes, including rare, endemic, and recently-described taxa. Species included to the database mainly belong to the genera Alwisia, Lycogala, Reticularia, Siphoptychium, Thecotubifera and Tubifera (Reticulariaceae), but as well Lindbladia and Licaethalium (Cribrariaceae). Nearly all of the research material, with the exception of several old collections, underwent molecular barcoding, primarily involving the 18S rDNA gene, but also the elongation factor 1α gene and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene. For those sequences that are stored in the NCBI GenBank, accession numbers are provided in the dataset. Newly-described species make up a significant part of the studied herbarium collections; many of them can be characterised as common for their region. A particularly high level of taxonomic novelty is observed in Australia, which may be explained by the endemism of the local myxomycete biota.

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Data Paper Wed, 28 Feb 2024 10:14:16 +0200
DNA barcoding aids in generating a preliminary checklist of the lichens and allied fungi of Calvert Island, British Columbia: Results from the 2018 Hakai Terrestrial BioBlitz https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/120292/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e120292

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e120292

Authors: Richard McMullin, Andrew Simon, Irwin Brodo, Sara Wickham, Philip Bell-Doyon, Maria Kuzmina, Brian Starzomski

Abstract: Bioblitzes are a tool for the rapid appraisal of biodiversity and are particularly useful in remote and understudied regions and for understudied taxa. Lichens are an example of an often overlooked group, despite being widespread in virtually all terrestrial ecosystems and having many important ecological functions.We report the lichens and allied fungi collected during the 2018 terrestrial bioblitz conducted on Calvert Island on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. We identified 449 specimens belonging to 189 species in 85 genera, increasing the total number of species known from Calvert Island to 194, and generated Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequences for 215 specimens from 121 species. Bryoria furcellata, Chaenothecopsis lecanactidis and C. nigripunctata were collected for the first time in British Columbia. We also found Pseudocyphellaria rainierensis, which is listed as Special Concern on the federal Species at Risk Act, and other rarely reported species in British Columbia including Opegrapha sphaerophoricola, Protomicarea limosa, Raesaenenia huuskonenii and Sarea difformis. We demonstrate that DNA barcoding improves the scope and accuracy of expert-led bioblitzes by facilitating the detection of cryptic species and allowing for consistent identification of chemically and morphologically overlapping taxa. Despite the spatial and temporal limitations of our study, the results highlight the value of intact forest ecosystems on the Central Coast of British Columbia for lichen biodiversity, education and conservation.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Wed, 28 Feb 2024 09:16:56 +0200
Geometric morphometric methods for identification of oyster species based on morphology https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115019/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115019

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115019

Authors: Qian Liu, Yuepeng Guo, Yanzhuo Yang, Junxia Mao, Xubo Wang, Haijiao Liu, Ying Tian, Zhenlin Hao

Abstract: Both genetic and environmental factors affect the morphology of oysters. Molecular identification is currently the primary means of species identification, but it is inconvenient and costly. In this research, we evaluated the effectiveness of geometric morphometric (GM) techniques in distinguishing between two oyster species, Crassostrea gigas and C. ariakensis. We used traditional morphometric and GM methods, including principal component analysis (PCA), thin-plate spline analysis (TPS) and canonical variable analysis (CVA), to identify specific features that distinguish the two species. We found that differences in shape can be visualised using GM methods. The Procrustes analysis revealed significant differences in shell morphology between C. gigas and C. ariakensis. The shells of C. ariakensis are more prominent at the widest point and are more scattered and have a greater variety of shapes. The shells of C. gigas are more oval in shape. PCA results indicated that PC1 explained 45.22%, PC2 explained 22.09% and PC3 explained 10.98% of the variation between the two species, which suggests that the main morphological differences are concentrated in these three principal components. Combining the TPS analysis function plots showed that the shell shape of C. ariakensis is mainly elongated and spindle-shaped, whereas the shell shape of C. gigas is more oval. The CVA results showed that the classification rate for the two species reached 100% which means that C. ariakensis and C. gigas have distinct differences in shell morphology and can be completely separated, based on morphological characteristics. Through these methods, a more comprehensive understanding of the morphological characteristics of different oyster populations can be obtained, providing a reference for oyster classification and identification.

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Research Article Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:47:41 +0200
Monitoring data on the effect of domestic livestock and rabbits on Androcymbium europaeum (Lange) K. Richt. and its xerophytiques pastures for thirteen years https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113943/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e113943

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e113943

Authors: Antonio Jesús Pérez-Luque, María Eugenia Ramos-Font, Mauro José Tognetti Barbieri, Clara Montoya Román, Claudia Tribaldos Anda, Francisco M. Cabezas-Arcas, José González-Rebollar, Ana Belén Robles

Abstract: Dataset of annual monitoring of herbivory effects on the conservation status of the endangered species Androcymbium europaeum (Lange) K. Richt and its associated plant communities is presented in this manuscript. This dataset encompasses the annual monitoring of herbivory effects on the conservation status of the endangered species Androcymbium europaeum. Since 2010, the SERPAM Department (Service of Evaluation, Restoration and Protection of Mediterranean Agrosystems) at the Zaidin Experimental Station, belonging to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC-EEZ), has conducted annual sampling to assess the impact of both domestic and wild livestock, specifically rabbits, on the pastures where A. europaeum lives. The study consisted of a randomised block design, implementing three distinct treatments to evaluate different management strategies: (1) rabbit and domestic herbivory, (2) exclusion of domestic livestock and (3) exclusion of rabbits and domestic livestock. Within each treatment, two types of monitoring were conducted. Firstly, the abundance of A. europaeum was estimated by counting individuals within 50 cm x 50 cm quadrats. Secondly, plant species diversity was assessed along 2-m long transects using the modified Point-Quadrat method. The research was conducted within the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park in southern Spain, specifically in the Amoladeras Nature Reserve in Almería.The dataset contains information spanning from 2010 to 2023, providing valuable insights into the annual monitoring of herbivory effects on the conservation status of A. europaeum, contributing to our understanding of the species' interaction with domestic and wild animal in the studied area.

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Data Paper Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:43:22 +0200
Atlas Florae Europaeae notes, 34. Distributions and two conservation profiles of East European species of the Cytisus ratisbonensis group (Fabaceae) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/118034/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e118034

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e118034

Authors: Alexander Sennikov, Valery Tikhomirov

Abstract: The Cytisus ratisbonensis group (Fabaceae) includes small shrubs with attractive yellow flowers, used in ornamental cultivation. It is widely distributed in southern forest, forest steppe and steppe zones of Eastern Europe, both in the lowlands and low mountains. This group is notorious for its taxonomic complexity and difficulties in identification, which accounted for incongruent taxonomic treatments and common identification errors, and resulted in a poor understanding of the distribution areas. The increasing availability of herbarium collections and accumulation of human observations through digital resources require their critical taxonomic revision and update in order to provide reliable data for plant species mapping, conservation and analysis of distribution areas.This paper describes a distributional dataset of East European species of the Cytisus ratisbonensis group, which was prepared for the pan-European grid mapping project, Atlas Florae Europaeae. The taxonomic revision includes seven species and two interspecific hybrids and is based on the critical evaluation of diagnostic characters, nomenclature and synonymy. The territorial scope of this study is Eastern Europe, but it also includes some data from Central Europe, the Caucasus and the neighbouring territories of Siberia and Kazakhstan, which are included in order to trace eastern and south-eastern limits of the species distributions and to establish reliable synonymy. We report 3699 native occurrence records included in the dataset; these records are based on major herbarium collections which are known to hold specimens from Eastern Europe (DNZ, KRA, KRAM, KW, LE, LW, LWKS, MHA, MSK, MSKH, MSKU, MW), complemented by selected specimens from other herbaria (BUNS, CSAU, H, NNSU, NS, NSK, OXF, PVB, RWBG, TUL). The herbarium collections were examined largely de visu, but partly online. Besides the herbarium specimens, recognisable photographs documenting human observations on online platforms (florafauna.by, iNaturalist, Plantarium, UkrBIN) were also examined and included. All specimen records are accompanied with textual data and georeferences, which were produced for this dataset. Point and contour distribution maps are created for each accepted species. According to the distributional data, the Cytisus ratisbonensis group may be classified as temperate lowland and steppic in Eastern Europe. Among European endemic shrubs, C. cinereus (as C. paczoskii) was assessed in 2017 as Near Threatened, whereas its new IUCN protection status is proposed as Least Concern because the new data demonstrated that its distribution area is much greater than previously believed. A species restricted to the Crimea, C. wulffii, is assessed here for the first time as Vulnerable because of its restricted area and small population size (criteria D1,2).

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Species Conservation Profiles Fri, 23 Feb 2024 17:24:47 +0200
Diversity of an Odonata assemblage from a tropical dry forest in San Buenaventura, Jalisco, Mexico (Insecta, Odonata) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/116135/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e116135

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e116135

Authors: Enrique González Soriano, Felipe Noguera, Cisteil Pérez-Hernández

Abstract: The patterns of richness, diversity, and abundance of an odonate assemblage from San Buenaventura, Jalisco are presented here. A total of 1087 specimens from seven families, 35 genera and 66 species were obtained through monthly samplings of five days each during a period of one year. Libellulidae was the most diverse family (28 species), followed by Coenagrionidae (21), Gomphidae (7), Aeshnidae (6), Calopterygidae (2), Lestidae (1) and Platystictidae (1). Argia was the most speciose genus. The highest species richness and Shannon diversity were found during August and September, whereas the highest abundance was observed in June and the highest Simpson diversity was recorded in September — all of which were associated with the rainy season. The highest values of phylogenetic diversity were found from June to October. The different diversity facets of this assemblage were positively correlated with precipitation and minimum temperature, whereas maximum temperature showed no influence. In addition, we found that this odonate diversity was higher than most Mexican localities with tropical dry forest (TDF) studied.We continue our efforts to describe the patterns of richness, diversity and abundance of some insect groups associated with the tropical dry forest ecosystem in Mexico, following a latitudinal gradient of the distribution of this ecosystem in the country. Our emphasis here was to evaluate the spatial and temporal patterns of richness and diversity of an Odonata assemblage from Jalisco, Mexico.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Fri, 23 Feb 2024 08:22:39 +0200
Monitoring arthropods under the scope of LIFE-SNAILS project: I - Santa Maria Island baseline data with implementation of the Index of Biotic Integrity https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/116829/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e116829

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e116829

Authors: Paulo Borges, Lucas Lamelas-López, Sébastien Lhoumeau, Nelson Moura, Mauro Ponte, Abrão Leite, Laurine Parmentier, Ricardo Abreu

Abstract: The database we introduce is a pivotal component of the LIFE SNAILS project (Support and Naturalisation in Areas of Importance for Land Snails). This initiative is dedicated to safeguarding three endangered species of terrestrial molluscs, specifically, two snails (Oxychilus agostinhoi Martins 1981 and Leptaxis minor Backhuys, 1975) and a semi-slug (Plutonia angulosa (Morelet, 1860)), all of which are single island endemics from Santa Maria Island and face significant threats towards their populations.In this study, we established a comprehensive database derived from a long-term arthropod monitoring campaign utilising SLAM (Sea, Land, Air, Malaise) traps. Although molluscs were not the primary focus, our findings serve as a credible proxy for evaluating the overall habitat quality for endemic invertebrates, with arthropods serving as principal indicators. From September to December of 2022, a total of 11 SLAM traps were installed and monitored monthly in eleven sites of mixed forests of Santa Maria Island.Based on the 33 available samples (11 sites x 3 sampling periods), we recorded a total of 118 taxa of arthropods (of which 94 were identified at species or subspecies level), belonging to three classes, 14 orders and 62 families. From the 94 identified taxa, a total of 21 species were endemic, 31 native non-endemic, 32 introduced and 10 indeterminate. We also provide additional information of the habitat quality (Index of Biotic Integrity), including general habitat and dominant species composition.We registered three new records to the Island, the native bug Piezodorus lituratus (Fabricius, 1794) (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae), the Azorean endemic beetle Phloeosinus gillerforsi Bright, 1987 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) and the exotic ant Hypoponera punctatissima (Roger, 1859) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) and one new record for the Azores Archipelago, the native beetle Cephennium validum Assing & Meybohm, 2021 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae).This publication not only contributes to the conservation of highly threatened endemic molluscs, through an assessment of habitat quality, based on arthropod communities and habitat description (e.g. native or exotic vegetation), but also provides an updated inventory of arthropods from Santa Maria Island.

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Data Paper Fri, 23 Feb 2024 08:10:04 +0200
The Buprestidae (Coleoptera, Buprestoidea) of the Tuscan Archipelago (Italy) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/117362/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e117362

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e117362

Authors: Leonardo Forbicioni, Nicola Tormen, Gianfranco Curletti, Luciano Bani, Andrea Di Giulio, Enrico Ruzzier

Abstract: Buprestidae is a group of beetles of important conservation and phytosanitary value that is poorly studied in the Tuscan Archipelago and the limited faunistic knowledge available refers to a few scant historical records.The present contribution increments the species documented in the Archipelago from 27 to 51, providing more than 300 georeferenced occurrence records, derived from both direct field research and citizen science via iNaturalist. Of particular importance is the discovery of Eurythyrea quercus on Isola d'Elba, an uncommon and localised species currently critically endangered.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Wed, 21 Feb 2024 18:09:04 +0200
First record of Caligus dussumieri Rangnekar, 1957 (Copepoda, Siphonostomatoida, Caligidae) from Malaysia, with notes on caligids found from Malaysia and on host-specificity of caligids on lutjanid fishes https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/116598/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e116598

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e116598

Authors: Norshida Ismail, Yusuke Nishida, Susumu Ohtsuka, Geoff Boxshall, James P. Bernot

Abstract: In total, 14 species of Caligus have been reported from Malaysia. Amongst them, four species are reported from lutjanid fishes.Caligus dussumieri Rangnekar, 1957 is reported from Malabar snapper, Lutjanus malabaricus, purchased from a local wet market in Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. This is the first record of this species in Malaysia and it is only the second species assigned to the bonito-group of the genus Caligus to be reported from Malaysia. A key to species of the bonito-group is presented herein. The list of caligids infecting lutjanid fishes and the geographical distributions plus the known hosts of members of the bonito-group of Caligus are discussed.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Tue, 20 Feb 2024 08:58:08 +0200
Integrative taxonomy reveals first record of Loxosceles rufescens (Dufour, 1820) (Araneae, Sicariidae) in the Philippines https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/117072/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e117072

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e117072

Authors: Aimee Lynn Barrion-Dupo, Ireneo Lit, Jr., Camille Faith Duran, Ma. Francia Kyla Cammayo, Marnelli Alviola, Sheila Mae Mercado, Cecille Ann Osio, Orlando Eusebio, Cristian Lucañas, Alberto Barrion

Abstract: The spider family Sicariidae Keyserling, 1880 represented by the synanthropic Mediterranean recluse spider, Loxosceles rufescens (Dufour, 1820), is reported in the Philippines for the first time, based on morphological and molecular data. The introduced spider was observed in a small cave (Kamantigue Cave) in Lobo, Batangas Province. Considering the medical importance of this spider, the proximity of its habitat to human habitation and tourist sites poses a potential public health concern.This study reports on the first record of the family Sicariidae in the Philippines and the fourth recorded occurrence of L. rufescens in Southeast Asia.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Mon, 19 Feb 2024 18:07:35 +0200
Hoverflies of the Timon-David collection (Diptera, Syrphidae) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/117265/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e117265

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e117265

Authors: Gabriel Nève, Xavier Lair, Thomas Lebard, Jean-Yves Meunier, Louis-Jean Teste, Louise Séguinel

Abstract: Hoverflies are among the most important insect pollinators and there is documented evidence of a recent decline in their populations. To trace the past distributions of hoverfly species, verified records of historical collections are essential.Here, we provide data on 1071 specimens of hoverflies collected or received by Jean Timon-David and hosted at the Marseille Natural History Museum, France. Most of the specimens were collected by Timon-David himself and come from south-eastern France, mainly from the Departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and Hautes-Alpes. Most of these specimens were checked for the accuracy of their identification according to the latest identification keys. This resulted in 85 additions to the known fauna of the French Departments, mostly for Var and Bouches-du-Rhône. The taxonomy of all specimens was checked against the latest available checklists and updated names added whenever necessary. Specimens received from entomologists working in other continents may also be valuable, as these are historic testimonies of the fauna of their own respective regions of origin and may, therefore, also be used as reference material. One paratype specimen from Australia is present in the collection. The holotype of Cheilosia vangaveri Timon-David, 1937 is absent from the collection and should be considered as lost. All but two of the specimens with locality labels had their geographical coordinates of origin added in the dataset.

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Data Paper Mon, 19 Feb 2024 09:55:21 +0200
Exploring the hidden riches: Recent remarkable faunistic records and range extensions in the bee fauna of Italy (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Anthophila) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/116014/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e116014

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e116014

Authors: Maurizio Cornalba, Marino Quaranta, Marco Selis, Simone Flaminio, Sirio Gamba, Maurizio Mei, Marco Bonifacino, Andree Cappellari, Roberto Catania, Pietro Niolu, Stefano Tempesti, Paolo Biella

Abstract: The area sourrounding the Mediterranean basin is recognised as a major biodiversity hotspot for bees, and Italy is amongst the European countries with the highest bee species richness. Detailed knowledge of bee distribution is crucial for understanding bee biology and designing tailored conservation strategies, but is still insufficient in southern European countries, especially in Italy.We report recent finds of 48 bee species that yield significant novelties for the Italian bee fauna. Eight species, namely Andrena confinis Stöckhert, Anthidiellum breviusculum Pérez, Coelioxys alatus Foerster, Lasioglossum algericolellum Strand, Megachile lapponica Thomson, Megachile opacifrons Pérez, Megachile semicircularis auct. nec Zanden and Trachusa integra Eversmann are reported as new for Italy. In addition, Andrena binominata Smith, Andrena compta Lepeletier, Colletes acutus Pérez, Lasioglossum strictifrons Vachal, Rhodanthidium siculum Spinola and Rhodanthidium sticticum Fabricius are newly recorded from mainland Italy, Osmia heteracantha Pérez from Sardegna and Nomada flavopicta Kirby from Sicilia. We also report significant range extensions for other bee species and recent records of species that had long gone unrecorded in Italy. The combination of morphology and DNA barcoding provided reliable identifications even for the most challenging specimens. As several of our records come from areas neglected by bee experts in the past, this study stands out as a key indicator of a bee faunistic richness still awaiting discovery and hopefully it will stimulate the interest of taxonomists and stakeholders in pursuing bee research in Italy in the near future.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Fri, 16 Feb 2024 18:38:37 +0200
Genetic analysis of Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) subspecies https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/116889/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e116889

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e116889

Authors: Rusko Petrov, Dobri Yarkov, Nayden Chakarov

Abstract: Two subspecies of Saker Falcon are commonly accepted - Western (Falco cherrug cherrug) and Eastern (Falco cherrug milvipes), which are differentiated by their distribution range and phenotype. In Bulgaria, Western Saker Falcons are breeding ex situ in the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Breeding Centre, part of Green Balkans - Stara Zagora NGO, with the aim of restoring the nesting population of the species in the country and both Western and Eastern - in the Breeding Centre for Birds of Prey in Burgas for the purpose of sale for the needs of falconry in the country and abroad. In 2021, a total of 115 birds from the two breeding centres were sampled. The samples were analysed in Bielefeld University (Germany) at nine microsatellite loci. Structure analyses were performed to establish the optimal explanatory number of groups. We compared the putative genetic groups with the known/expected origin of falcons. A separation in two groups best explained the allelic variation between samples. Out of 68 Saker Falcons with putatively Eastern origin, 66 were ascribed to genetic group 2 and two falcons had unclear, mixed or hybrid genetic fingerprints. Out of 42 Sakers with putatively Western origin, 33 were ascribed to genetic group 1, seven to genetic group 2 and two individuals appeared to have a mixed signature of genetic groups 1 and 2 with dominating alleles of group 2. Five known hybrids were scored as mixed signature with dominating genetic cluster 2. This suggests that the two (Eastern and Western) populations of Saker Falcon origin suggested by the subspecies' definitions are also adequate to be considered in breeding programmes. Genetic cluster 1 might represent the ancestral alleles shared with other falcons, while specific novel alleles allow the discrimination of secured Eastern Sakers (group 2), while these populations may be occasionally invaded by individuals from the west.

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Research Article Fri, 16 Feb 2024 09:18:32 +0200
The land snail fauna of Batu Kudik, isolated limestone outcrop near Simunjan, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo (Mollusca, Gastropoda) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115556/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115556

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115556

Authors: Jie Ying Lee, Nurul Syafiqah Nasir, Mohammad Effendi Marzuki, Jaap J. Vermeulen, Mohd Zacaery Khalik

Abstract: The present study provides a checklist of land snails collected from Batu Kudik, a small and isolated limestone outcrop in Simunjan, Sarawak. A total of 24 species of land snails, representing 18 genera and 14 families were recorded, including one newly-described subspecies. The most species-rich of the families in Batu Kudik are Diplommatinidae (17%) and Chronidae (17%) with four recorded species from each of the families. Based on our analysis, Plectostoma wallacei kudikense subsp. nov., Opisthostoma javanica and Georissa pyrrhoderma were identified as the most abundant land snails at this isolated outcrop, whereas Diplommatina onyx and Everettia minuta were recorded as the least abundant. All of the land snails at Batu Kudik were exclusively found sheltered between limestone boulders, underscoring the critical role of this outcrop as their refuge for survival. Consequently, conserving this biodiversity-rich limestone area becomes paramount to prevent the local extinction of these land snail species and possibly other organisms that depend on the unique attributes of the limestone for their survival. We also provide detailed descriptions of Plectostoma wallacei kudikense, a new subspecies of the genus Plectostoma which is endemic to Batu Kudik.A description of a new subspecies Plectostoma wallacei kudikense subsp. nov.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Fri, 16 Feb 2024 08:50:29 +0200
Ukrainian Plant Trait Database: UkrTrait v. 1.0 https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/118128/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e118128

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e118128

Authors: Denys Vynokurov, Dariia Borovyk, Olha Chusova, Anastasia Davydova, Denys Davydov, Jiří Danihelka, Iwona Dembicz, Svitlana Iemelianova, Ganna Kolomiiets, Ivan Moysiyenko, Viktor Shapoval, Oleksandr Shynder, Nadiia Skobel, Oksana Buzhdygan, Anna Kuzemko

Abstract: Considering the growing demand for plant trait data and taking into account the lack of trait data from Eastern Europe, especially from its steppic region, we launched a new Ukrainian Plant Trait Database (UkrTrait v. 1.0) aiming at collecting all the available plant trait data from Ukraine.To facilitate further use of this database, we linked the trait terminology to the TRY Plant Trait Database, Thesaurus of Plant Characteristics (TOP) and Plant Trait Ontology (TO). For taxa names, we provide the crosswalks between the Ukrainian checklist and international sources, i.e. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, World Checklist of Vascular Plants (World Checklist of Vascular Plants (World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), World Flora Online (WFO) and Euro+Med PlantBase. We aim to integrate our data into the relevant global (TRY Plant Trait Database) and pan-European (FloraVeg.EU) databases. The current version of the database is freely available at the Zenodo repository and will be updated in the future.Until now, plant traits for the Ukrainian flora were scattered across literature, often focusing on single species and written mainly in Ukrainian. Additionally, many traits were in grey literature or remained non-digitised, which rendered them inaccessible to the global scientific community. Addressing this gap, our Ukrainian Plant Trait Database (UkrTrait v. 1.0) represents a significant step forward. We compiled and digitised plant traits from local Ukrainian literature sources. Furthermore, we performed our own field and laboratory measurements of various plant traits that were not previously available in literature. In the current version of the UkrTrait, we focus on vascular plant species that are absent from the other European trait databases, with emphasis on species that are representative for the steppe vegetation. Traits assembled from literature include life span (annuals, biennials, perennials), plant height, flowering period (flowering months), life form (by Raunkiaer), plant growth form and others. Our own measured traits include seed mass, seed shape, leaf area, leaf nitrogen concentration and leaf phosphorus concentration. The current version, i.e. UkrTrait v. 1.0, comprises digitised literature data of 287,948 records of 75 traits for 6,198 taxa and our own trait measurements of 2,390 records of 12 traits for 388 taxa.

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Data Paper Tue, 13 Feb 2024 10:08:32 +0200
Biodiversity of zooplankton (Rotifera, Cladocera and Copepoda) in the tributaries of Cheboksary Reservoir (Middle Volga, Russia) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/116330/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e116330

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e116330

Authors: Dmitriy Gavrilko, Vyacheslav Zhikharev, Tatyana Zolotareva, Ivan Kudrin, Basil Yakimov, Aleksandra Erlashova

Abstract: Freshwater zooplankton is an important component of the ecological communities of inland water bodies. It acts as an important part of the food web and participates in the self-purification processes of aquatic ecosystems. To study the abundance and distribution of species, a sampling event dataset was compiled and then published through GBIF. The aim of the work was to describe the current zooplankton fauna (Rotifera, Cladocera and Copepoda) and its abundance, based on a recently published dataset. The research was conducted from 2015 to 2022. Zooplankton samples were collected by vertical towing a plankton net (70 μm mesh) from the bottom to the water surface or by filtering through a net, the water being collected with a measuring bucket. The samples were concentrated to 100 ml and fixed with a final concentration of 4% formalin solution. For each sampling event, the coordinates of the location, number of individuals and date were recorded.The dataset contains information on 259 taxа, including 257 species and subspecies of zooplankton from 36 families found in the tributaries of the Cheboksary Reservoir. The families Chydoridae (35 species), Brachionidae (31) and Cyclopidae (27) were the most species-rich. Four invasive species were found: Kellicottia bostoniensis (Rousselet, 1908), Acanthocyclops americanus (Marsh, 1893), Ilyocryptus spinifer Herrick, 1882 and Thermocyclops taihokuensis Harada, 1931.

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Data Paper Tue, 13 Feb 2024 09:50:38 +0200
Molossus melini Montani et al. 2021 (Chiroptera, Molossidae) in Brazil: new insights for distribuition, morphology and genetics https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114261/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e114261

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e114261

Authors: Ana Priscila Olímpio, Amanda Lima, Samira Mendes, Beatriz Natividade, Elmary Fraga, Maria Claudene Barros, Iracilda Sampaio

Abstract: The species M. melini has been observed in both the Pampa and Spinal ecoregions of Argentina. Researchers have underscored that distinguishing M. melini from other species within the same genus relies primarily on craniometric and molecular analyses. Morphological measurements alone do not offer a clear differentiation between M. melini and other members of this genus.This study aims to document the presence of M. melini within the Brazilian ecoregion, focusing on its morphological, morphometric and genetic characteristics. By undertaking a comprehensive examination, we seek to contribute valuable insights into the distribution and differentiation of M. melini in this region.Molossus melini specimens exhibited a forearm length ranging from 39.9 to 40.08 mm. The average intraspecific divergence was 1.2%, with specimens from the Argentine Pampas clustering in the same clade with a 98% bootstrap support and a posterior probability of: Regarding dorsal colouration, the specimens displayed fur with two bands—a Snow White base colour and apex colours ranging from Olive Brown, Broccoli Brown, Wood Brown to Yellowish-Brown. This marks the first record of M. melini in Brazil, expanding its distribution 1,300 km northeastwards into the Curitiba, Paraná, Atlantic Forest Ecoregion. The findings contribute valuable information on the distribution, morphology, morphometrics and genetics of this species.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Mon, 12 Feb 2024 08:52:44 +0200
New genus of the family Laophontidae T. Scott, 1905 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from Hupo on the eastern coast of Korea https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/108106/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e108106

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e108106

Authors: Je Hyeok Oh, Dongsung Kim, Wonchoel Lee

Abstract: The Laophontidae is a very large and diverse family containing more than 320 species and 74 genera in the Harpacticoida. According to records published until recently, 25 species of 12 genera of Laophontidae were reported to appear in Korean waters. The most common laophontid species in Korean waters is Paralaophonte congenera (Sars, 1908). During research on the meiobenthic community in the subtidal zone near the Korean coast in the East Sea, we found an undescribed genus of the Laophontidae family. The character traits of this undescribed specimen of the Laophontidae family do not match any existing genus.Herein, a new genus of the interstitial marine benthic copepods family Laophontidae T. Scott, 1905 is described from the subtidal zone near Hupo Harbour on the east coast of Korea. This genus was named Strictlaophonte gen. nov. and has been classified into the family Laophontidae. This was based on the presence of seven segmented female antennules, reduced antennary exopod, first endopodal segments having no inner setae from the second leg to the fourth leg and P5 with a distinct exopod that is not fused at the basis. The distinguishing features of Strictlaophonte gen. nov. are P5 exopod having only four setae, the P1 exopod having two segments and the antenna exopod having four setae. In particular, this new genus has unique characteristics in that the caudal rami are very tightly attached to each other.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Mon, 12 Feb 2024 08:37:17 +0200
Host relationships and biological notes of Cassidinae beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) in Qiannan Prefecture, Guizhou, China https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/116267/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e116267

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e116267

Authors: Chaokun Yang, Chengqing Liao, Jiasheng Xu, Xiaohua Dai

Abstract: The faunal composition, host relationships and biological information of the subfamily Cassidinae (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) remain poorly known in many Chinese regions. Based on the seven-year field survey, faunal composition and host associations of Cassidinae beetles were systematically compiled for Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province. In particular, through direct field observations, detailed biological information, such as life history and behavioural features and host plants were first recorded for 56 species of Cassidinae beetles. We have tripled the number of Cassidinae species in Qiannan. Sixty-nine species of Cassidinae beetles belonging to 17 genera and eight tribes were identified, of which 38 species are newly recorded in Guizhou and 56 are newly recorded in Qiannan. The tribes Leptispini and Notosacanthini were newly recorded in Guizhou. The genera Thlaspidosoma Spaeth, Downesia Baly, Klitispa Uhmann, Platypria Guérin-Méneville, Leptispa Baly and Notosacantha Chevrolat were recorded in Guizhou for the first time. A total of 61 species, 37 genera and 17 families of host plants were collected. Lardizabalaceae and Araliaceae were new host plant families for Cassidinae worldwide. Quantitative food web analysis indicated that Cassidinae species in Qiannan mainly feed on Poaceae, Rosaceae, Convolvulaceae and Lamiaceae. Callispini and Leptispini only feed on monocots, Aspidimorphini, Basiprionotini, Cassidini and Notosacanthini only feed on dicots, while Hispini feed on both monocots and dicots. The feeding patterns and corresponding damage marks of Cassidinae were quite diverse. In addition, the pupal mine-making behaviour of Dactylispa excisa (Kraatz, 1879), D. similis Chen et T’an, 1985 and D. uhmanni Gressitt, 1950 are worth further study. Although preliminary, our field survey is an essential step in understanding Cassidinae behaviour and Cassidinae-plant interactions.

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Research Article Thu, 8 Feb 2024 16:38:40 +0200
The MOVECLIM – AZORES project: Bryophytes from Pico Island along an elevation gradient https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/117890/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e117890

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e117890

Authors: Rosalina Gabriel, Leila Morgado, Paulo Borges, Márcia Coelho, Silvia Aranda, Débora Henriques, Cecília Sérgio, Helena Hespanhol, Fernando Pereira, Manuela Sim-Sim, Claudine Ah-Peng

Abstract: In September 2012, a comprehensive survey of Pico Island was conducted along an elevational transect, starting at Manhenha (10 m a.s.l.) and culminating at the Pico Mountain caldera (2200 m a.s.l.). The primary objective was to systematically inventory the bryophytes inhabiting the best-preserved areas of native vegetation environments. Twelve sites were selected, each spaced at 200 m elevation intervals. Within each site, two 10 m x 10 m plots were established in close proximity (10-15 m apart). Within these plots, three 2 m x 2 m quadrats were randomly selected and sampled for bryophytes using microplots measuring 10 cm x 5 cm, which were then collected into paper bags. Six substrates were surveyed in each quadrat: rock, soil, humus, organic matter, tree bark and leaves/fronds. Three replicates were obtained from all substrates available and colonised by bryophytes, resulting in a maximum of 18 microplots per quadrat, 54 microplots per plot, 108 microplots per site, and a total of 1296 microplots across the 12 sites on Pico Island.Two-thirds of the maximum expected number of microplots (n = 878; 67.75%) were successfully collected, yielding a total of 4896 specimens. The vast majority (n = 4869) were identified at the species/subspecies level. The study identified a total of 70 moss and 71 liverwort species or subspecies. Elevation levels between 600-1000 m a.s.l., particularly in the native forest plots, exhibited both a higher number of microplots and greater species richness. This research significantly enhanced our understanding of Azorean bryophyte diversity and distribution, contributing valuable insights at both local and regional scales. Notably, two new taxa for the Azores were documented during the MOVECLIM study, namely the pleurocarpous mosses Antitrichia curtipendula and Isothecium interludens.

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Data Paper Thu, 8 Feb 2024 16:03:46 +0200
LifeWatch ERIC: papers collection on original datasets and new e-services for the biodiversity and ecosystems’ scientific community https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/119804/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e119804

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e119804

Authors: Christos Arvanitidis, Alberto Basset, Peter van Tienderen, Lucas de Moncuit, Cristina Huertas Olivares, Cristina Di Muri, Ana Mellado, Wouter Los

Abstract: Papers including articles that are produced because of the activities of LifeWatch ERIC, in the context of its second implementation period (2022 - 2026) and through the implementation of its new Strategic Working Plan, are published in this special collection. The articles include data papers, papers describing the development and functioning of analytical services and papers describing any other research outcome, produced either by LifeWatch ERIC or by any collaboration with any other ERIC, Research Infrastructure, global aggregator or other legal entity.

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Editorial Thu, 8 Feb 2024 08:16:34 +0200
Fauna of some families of Coleoptera (Insecta) in the Republic of Mordovia (Russia) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/117041/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e117041

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e117041

Authors: L.V. Egorov, Alexander Ruchin, Sergei Alekseev, Oleg Artaev, Evgeniy Lobachev, Sergei Lukiyanov, Gennadiy Semishin

Abstract: Biodiversity conservation is an important goal of most ecosystem management efforts. Therefore, proper monitoring of biodiversity requires constant attention. Coleoptera should be monitored as an essential part of the overall biodiversity. Special monitoring is needed for families that are active as predators (e.g. Coccinellidae) or are saproxylic species (e.g. Elateridae and Cerambycidae). The aim of the research is to describe the fauna of seven families of Coleoptera (Elateridae, Drilidae, Lycidae, Lampyridae, Cantharidae, Coccinellidae and Cerambycidae) of the Republic of Mordovia (the centre of the European part of Russia). The results are based on faunistic research, the main part of which was carried out in April-October 2007-2023 and on material from museum collections. The collecting was made using several different methods (by hand, light trapping, on different lures, into pitfall traps etc.). GPS coordinates are given for each faunistic record.The dataset contains information on seven species new to the region: Malthodes flavoguttatus Kiesenwetter, 1852, Malthodes minimus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Cantharidae); Scymnus rubromaculatus (Goeze, 1777) (Coccinellidae); Anoplodera rufipes ventralis Heyden, 1886, Tragosoma depsarium (Linnaeus, 1767), Xylotrechus arvicola (Olivier, 1795) and Xylotrechus ibex (Gebler, 1825) (Cerambycidae).

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Data Paper Tue, 6 Feb 2024 10:47:50 +0200
At a crossroads: Genetic lineages and dispersal routes of Morimus asper (Sulzer, 1776) s.l. (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) in Bulgaria https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/116619/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e116619

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e116619

Authors: Rumyana Kostova, Simeon Borissov, Aneliya Bobeva, Rostislav Bekchiev

Abstract: The present study fills a knowledge gap in the distribution and genetic variation of Morimus populations in the Balkans, by studiyng the representatives of the genus in Bulgaria – M. asper funereus Mulsant, 1862, M. verecundus bulgaricus Danilevsky, 2016 and M. orientalis Reitter, 1894. Additional information is provided for Albania and northern Greece. The mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) marker and the nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) were used for the genetic analyses. Three of the previously-defined mitochondrial lineages (Lb/HgA, L2 and L3) were detected in Bulgaria, as well as a new lineage (Str) from the Strandzha Mountains (south-eastern Bulgaria). A total of 24 distinct haplotypes, 20 of them in Bulgaria, were found. Bulgarian populations of Morimus demonstrated relatively high nucleotide diversity. The L3 COI lineage was confirmed as the most diverse and frequent in the Balkans. The L3 lineage is dominant in most of Bulgaria, but was not identified in the easternmost parts near the Black Sea coast, where the L2 and Str lineages were found. New data highlighted two dispersal routes of the L2 mitochondrial lineage on the Balkan Peninsula: 1) northwards along the Black Sea coast and 2) westwards, across the Balkans where only disjunct populations remain. North-western Bulgaria seems to be the eastern limit of the basal lineage Lb/HgA distribution. Our results show high levels of genetic exchange between most of the mitochondrially defined lineages, yet some of the easternmost populations probably remained isolated for comparatively longer periods.

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Research Article Mon, 5 Feb 2024 15:55:02 +0200
Molecular identification and lipolytic potential of filamentous fungi isolated from residual cooking oil https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113698/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e113698

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e113698

Authors: Elvia Gómez-Vázquez, Yazmin Sánchez Roque, Guillermo Ibáñez-Duharte, Miguel Canseco-Pérez, Ana Zenteno-Carballo, Roberto Berrones-Hernández, Yolanda Pérez-Luna

Abstract: Filamentous fungi, microorganisms that develop and are located in different habitats, are considered important producers of enzymes and metabolites with potential for the biotechnology industry. The objective of this work was to isolate and identify filamentous fungi that grow in used oil. Two fungal species were characterised through their morphology and molecular identification. The DNA of each extracted strain was amplified by PCR using primers ITS1 and ITS4, obtaining sequences that were later in GenBank (NCBI). A white coloured strain (HB) with a cottony, white, hyaline morphology and irregular borders was observed; so too, a brown colony (HC) with a sandy surface, a well-defined border of beige colour in early growth until it became a dark brown colour. The identity result by homology of the sequences in the BLASTn database was 100% and 99.55%, indicating that they correspond to Cladosporium tenuissimum and Fomitopsis meliae, respectively. Finally, the results in lipolytic activity show greater potential for Fomitopsis meliae with 0.61 U/l in residual oil. Thus, it is important to highlight the potential of this type of waste to favour the prospection of microorganisms for a sustainable alternative for future studies of biological conversion.

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Research Article Mon, 5 Feb 2024 09:43:27 +0200
Isolation and characterisation of 17 microsatellite DNA loci from RAD reduced-representation genomes for Asian warty newts, genus Paramesotriton (Caudata: Salamandridae) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113979/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e113979

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e113979

Authors: Ming-Le Mao, Tao Luo, Wei Li, Ning Xiao, Huai-Qing Deng, Jiang Zhou

Abstract: Asian warty newts, genus Paramesotriton, are endemic to southern China and northern Vietnam. Despite the achievements in biodiversity, molecular systematics and biogeography of species in this genus, population genetic diversity studies are lacking due to the lack of economical and available genetic markers. In this study, we developed 17 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci from RAD simplified genomic data for the Asian warty newts, genus Paramesotriton and successfully completed cross-species amplification tests on 20 samples of four species of Paramesotriton. These microsatellite markers can be used as important tools to study population genetic structure, levels of gene flow, population differentiation, mating systems and landscape genetics within the genus Paramesotriton and, thus, to make scientific conservation decisions and actions for the conservation of these rare and endangered amphibians.

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Short Communication Fri, 2 Feb 2024 12:09:45 +0200
Bat white-nose disease fungus diversity in time and space https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/109848/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e109848

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e109848

Authors: Violeta Zhelyazkova, Nicola Fischer, Sebastien Puechmaille

Abstract: White-nose disease (WND), caused by the psychrophilic fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, represents one of the greatest threats for North American hibernating bats. Research on molecular data has significantly advanced our knowledge of various aspects of the disease, yet more studies are needed regarding patterns of P. destructans genetic diversity distribution. In the present study, we investigate three sites within the native range of the fungus in detail: two natural hibernacula (karst caves) in Bulgaria, south-eastern Europe and one artificial hibernaculum (disused cellar) in Germany, northern Europe, where we conducted intensive surveys between 2014 and 2019. Using 18 microsatellite and two mating type markers, we describe how P. destructans genetic diversity is distributed between and within sites, the latter including differentiation across years and seasons of sampling; across sampling locations within the site; and between bats and hibernaculum walls. We found significant genetic differentiation between hibernacula, but we could not detect any significant differentiation within hibernacula, based on the variables examined. This indicates that most of the pathogen’s movement occurs within sites. Genotypic richness of P. destructans varied between sites within the same order of magnitude, being approximately two times higher in the natural caves (Bulgaria) compared to the disused cellar (Germany). Within all sites, the pathogen’s genotypic richness was higher in samples collected from hibernaculum walls than in samples collected from bats, which corresponds with the hypothesis that hibernacula walls represent the environmental reservoir of the fungus. Multiple pathogen genotypes were commonly isolated from a single bat (i.e. from the same swab sample) in all study sites, which might be important to consider when studying disease progression.

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Research Article Fri, 2 Feb 2024 11:07:05 +0200
TerrANTALife 1.0 Biodiversity data checklist of known Antarctic terrestrial and freshwater life forms https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/106199/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e106199

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e106199

Authors: Luis Pertierra, Gilda Varliero, Andrés Barbosa, Elisabeth Biersma, Peter Convey, Steven Chown, Don Cowan, Asunción De Los Rios, Pablo Escribano-Alvarez, Diego Fontaneto, Ceridwen Fraser, Mathew Harris, Kevin Hughes, Huw Griffiths, Peter le Roux, Xiaoyue Liu, Heather Lynch, Roksana Majewska, Pablo Martinez, Marco Molina-Montenegro, Miguel Olalla-Tarraga, Lloyd Peck, Antonio Quesada, Cristina Ronquillo, Yan Ropert-Coudert, Leopoldo Sancho, Aleks Terauds, Juliana Vianna, Annick Wilmotte, Joaquín Hortal, Michelle Greve

Abstract: Incomplete species inventories for Antarctica represent a key challenge for comprehensive ecological research and conservation in the region. Additionally, data required to understand population dynamics, rates of evolution, spatial ranges, functional traits, physiological tolerances and species interactions, all of which are fundamental to disentangle the different functional elements of Antarctic biodiversity, are mostly missing. However, much of the fauna, flora and microbiota in the emerged ice-free land of the continent have an uncertain presence and/or unresolved status, with entire biodiversity compendia of prokaryotic groups (e.g. bacteria) being missing. All the available biodiversity information requires consolidation, cross-validation, re-assessment and steady systematic inclusion in order to create a robust catalogue of biodiversity for the continent.We compiled, completed and revised eukaryotic species inventories present in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems in Antarctica in a new living database: terrANTALife (version 1.0). The database includes the first integration in a compendium for many groups of eukaryotic microorganisms. We also introduce a first catalogue of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) of prokaryotic biodiversity. Available compendia and literature to date were searched for Antarctic terrestrial and freshwater species, integrated, taxonomically harmonised and curated by experts to create comprehensive checklists of Antarctic organisms. The final inventories comprises 470 animal species (including vertebrates, free-living invertebrates and parasites), 306 plants (including all Viridiplantae: embryophytes and green algae), 997 fungal species and 434 protists (sensu lato). We also provide a first account for many groups of microorganisms, including non-lichenised fungi and multiple groups of eukaryotic unicellular species (Stramenophila, Alveolata and Rhizaria (SAR), Chromists and Amoeba), jointly referred to as "protists". In addition, we identify 1753 bacterial (obtained from 348117 ASVs) and 34 archaeal genera (from 1848 ASVs), as well as, at least, 14 virus families. We formulate a basic tree of life in Antarctica with the main lineages listed in the region and their “known-accepted-species” numbers.

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Data Paper Thu, 1 Feb 2024 12:31:36 +0200
Re-description of Parasphaerosyllis indica Monro, 1937 (Annelida, Syllidae), with the establishment of a new species from western Mexico https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/116082/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e116082

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e116082

Authors: Gerardo Góngora-Garza, María Tovar-Hernández, Jesús Angel de León-González

Abstract: Parasphaerosyllis Monro, 1937 is a syllid genus, currently composed of four species: P. indica Monro, 1937 from the Arabian Sea, P. uschakovi (Chlebovitsch, 1959) from the Kurile Islands, P. ezoensis Imajima & Hartman, 1964 from Japan and P. malimalii Capa, San Martín & López, 2001 from the Pacific coast of Panama. The distribution of P. indica is circum-tropical to temperate waters, but the presence of species complexes has been suggested. In order to clarify the distribution of P. indica in many areas of the world, a re-description, based on examination of the type material, is required as a first step to a better understanding of its diagnostic features.Parasphaerosyllis indica is re-described, based on holotype examination, a new species is established from the Gulf of California and Parasphaerosyllis malimalii is reported for the first time since its description in 2001. Parasphaerosyllis irregulata sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by the following features: 1) Palps are free at their base; 2) Two types of dorsal cirri are present: spherical to bulbous and moniliform cirri; 3) Both types of cirri are distributed irregularly. A spherical/bulbous and moniliform cirrus may appear together within the same segment (asymmetrical segment) or only a spherical/bulbous cirrus may appear in several consecutive segments (not alternating as occurs in congeners); 4) The spherical/bulbous cirri may have distal knobs with 1–3 terminal articles; and 5) Bidentate falcigers with short, sub-triangular blades with a proximal tooth slightly larger that the distal one. A taxonomic key to species of Parasphaerosyllis species is included.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Wed, 31 Jan 2024 11:03:56 +0200
Macrosemia fengi Wang sp. nov. from Yunnan and Guizhou, China (Hemiptera, Cicadidae, Cicadinae) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115974/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115974

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115974

Authors: Cheng-Bin Wang

Abstract: The genus Macrosemia Kato, 1925 (Hemiptera, Cicadidae, Cicadinae, Dundubiini, Dundubiina) currently includes 16 species (excluding subspecies and varieties), mainly occurring in the Oriental Region. More than half of them, 10 species, are known from China, including one new species, described in the present study.A new species of cicada, Macrosemia fengi Wang sp. nov., is described from Yunnan and Guizhou, southwest China. Colour plates are presented to illustrate its diagnostic characters. The distribution map of the new species is also given.

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Single Taxon Treatment Wed, 31 Jan 2024 10:39:46 +0200
A checklist of Nigerian ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): a review, new records and exotic species https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/99555/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e99555

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e99555

Authors: Bunmi Jimoh, Kiko Gómez, Kehinde Kemabonta, Winifred Wakanjuola, Ethel Phiri, Palesa Mothapo

Abstract: Ants are one of the most ubiquitous, widespread and abundant groups of animals on Earth. They are eusocial and are well noted for their important ecosystem services such as nutrient recycling, seed dispersal, engaging in mutualistic associations with other organisms, as well as serving as predators and scavengers. Although Africa has been recognised as a global hotspot for ant diversity, African ant genera are not as well-known when compared with other regions. The last checklist of Nigerian ants was compiled and published in the 1970s. To contribute to new knowledge on West African ant genera and Nigeria in particular, we conducted a review of the ant species of Nigeria using 132 scientific publications mostly compiled in the database www.antmaps.org, along with a survey of ant species of Lagos and Oyo States in Nigeria which was conducted between 2018 and 2020. The study aimed to ascertain the diversity of Nigerian ant genera, as well as to confirm the presence of previously recorded species and add new species to the current checklist of Nigerian ants, based on the 1970 survey.As many as 106 species were recorded from the survey in the current study, of which 28 are new to Nigeria and additional 28 are identified to the morphospecies level. In total, 317 species from 10 subfamilies and 64 genera are now recorded from Nigeria, including 11 invasive ants, of which six are new to Nigeria. The following eleven species that were included in the 1970 checklist were excluded from the current list, mostly due to previous misidentifications: Aenictus rotundatus Mayr, 1901; Anochetus jonesi Arnold, 1926; Camponotus barbarossa micipsa Wheeler, 1992; Camponotus foraminosus dorsalis Santschi, 1926; Camponotus rufoglaucus (Jerdon, 1851); Cardiocondyla zoserka Bolton, 1982; Messor barbarus (Linnaeus, 1767); Odontomachus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1758); Technomyrmex albipes (Smith, 1861); Tetramorium decem Forel, 1913 and Tetraponera penzigi (Mayr, 1907).

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Taxonomy & Inventories Mon, 29 Jan 2024 17:37:27 +0200
Does urbanisation have an impact on the trophic ecology of the Algerian hedgehog Atelerix algirus in northern Algeria? https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115721/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115721

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115721

Authors: Amina Zidane, Ilham Sahki-Benabbas, Mohamed Ayoub Rahal, Riadh Moulaî

Abstract: The Algerian hedgehog, which is an endemic Mediterranean species, is a nocturnal and terrestrial insectivorous mammal. Atelerix algirus’ populations are widespread in various habitats comprising human agglomeration, such as rural, suburban or natural ecosystems. However, the impact of the habitat’s characteristics on its diet remains unknown in Algeria. To contribute to a better understanding of this question, we have analysed 158 faeces samples of the Algerian hedgehog in three different areas: urban, suburban and natural area.The findings show that the Algerian hedgehog is an opportunistic species. It feeds on several classes of Arthropoda, but the harvester ant Messor barbarus dominates largely its menu with AR = 74.81% in the diverse habitats. Furthermore, the HAC and FCA analyses confirm the positive impact of the level of urbanisation and the anthropogenic activity on the Algerian hedgehog prey richness in the north of Algeria (79 prey species and 5574 individuals ingested in the urban area, compared to 64 prey species and 3188 individuals ingested in the natural zone).

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Research Article Mon, 29 Jan 2024 09:49:14 +0200
Rubus puyumaensis, a new species of Rosaceae from Taiwan https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115431/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115431

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115431

Authors: Po-Hao Chen, Juinn-Yih Huang, An-Ching Chung

Abstract: The genus Rubus L. (Rosaceae), comprising approximately 750 species and classified into 12 subgenera, is distributed worldwide and is one of the largest plant genera. In Taiwan, Rubus comprises 41 taxa, including 35 species, three varieties and three hybrids. Amongst the genus Rubus, the species, previously recorded as R. howii in Taiwan, was misidentified and this study recognised it as a new species.Due to its distribution mainly in south-eastern Taiwan, we named this new species as Rubus puyumaensis, after the local aborigine tribe Puyuma. Taxonomic descriptions and colour photographs of the new species are provided to assist in identification. R. puyumaensis is most similar to R. howii and R. refractus. They can be distinguished by the colour of young leaves, leaf shape, arrangement of florets, trichomes of inflorescences, size of sepal lobes, petal colour, types and trichomes of filaments and the length of stamens and pistils.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Thu, 25 Jan 2024 09:18:58 +0200
A new species of Tanna Distant, 1905 from Yunnan, China (Hemiptera, Cicadidae, Cicadinae) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115715/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115715

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115715

Authors: Cheng-Bin Wang

Abstract: The genus Tanna Distant, 1905 (Hemiptera, Cicadidae, Cicadinae, Leptopsaltriini, Leptopsaltriina) currently includes 23 species (three tentatively placed), with its actual geographical distribution in China, Japan, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. Most of them, 16 species, are known from China, including one new species here described.A new species of cicada, Tanna fengi Wang sp. nov., is described from Yunnan, southwest China. Colour plates are presented to illustrate all diagnostic characters. An updated list of Tanna species occurring in China is provided.

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Single Taxon Treatment Thu, 25 Jan 2024 09:07:41 +0200
Updated distributional checklist of the genus Pytho Latreille, 1796 of the Palearctic realm with the first records of P. abieticola J. R. Sahlberg, 1875 from Lithuania and the family Pythidae (Coleoptera) from Moldova and Serbia https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115422/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115422

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115422

Authors: Radomir Jaskuła, Denis Ćoso, Vytautas Tamutis, Romas Ferenca

Abstract: Pytho Latreille, 1796 is a small genus of the dead log bark beetles (Coleoptera, Pythidae). All species are distributed in the Holarctic, being recognised as typically boreal taxa, but knowledge about the geographical ranges of particular taxa is far from complete.The updated distributional checklist of the genus Pytho of the Palearctic is given, based on literature and new records, including citizen-scientific data. Pytho depressus and the family Pythidae are recorded for the first time from the Republic of Moldova (Municipality of Chișinău) and the Republic of Serbia (Municipality of Voždovac) and P. abieticola is recorded for the first time from Lithuania (Alytus District Municipality, Ignalina District Municipality and Kaišiadorys District Municipality).

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Taxonomy & Inventories Wed, 24 Jan 2024 14:31:08 +0200
The invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Decapoda, Portunidae) is rapidly expanding its distributional range in the north-western Mediterranean coast of Morocco https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115875/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115875

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115875

Authors: Fatima Zahra Hamiche, Mustapha Aksissou

Abstract: In this study, we report the first occurrence of Callinectes sapidus in the rivers of ‘Oued Tani’ (Martil) and ‘Oued Negro’ (Fnideq), based on 127 individuals of the blue crab caught from November 2022 to August 2023. Additionally, we were able to determine the potential consequences of C. sapidus on the indigenous species as well as the socioeconomic implications on artisanal fisheries activities. This research highlights further data that reinforces recent findings on recorded blue crab from various locations along the Moroccan coastline.

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Short Communication Mon, 22 Jan 2024 11:14:19 +0200
Modicella guangxiensis (Mortierellomycota, Mortierellaceae), a new species from south-western karst areas of China https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115044/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115044

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115044

Authors: Guang-Fu Mou, Tolgor Bau

Abstract: Modicella Kanouse (1936) is the only genus of Mortierellaceae known to produce macroscopic fruiting bodies in the form of small, whitish, round sporocarps. Specimens which belong to Modicella were collected during our field investigations in tropical karst areas of China. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis, a new species is introduced.Modicella guangxiensis is described as a new species from tropical karst areas of China. The main distinguishing characteristics of M. guangxiensis are the number of sporangiospores per sporangium (11–18), the size of sporangiospores (14–34 × 12–27.5 μm) and the surface of some hyphae with hemispherical tuber. The phylogenetic analyses, based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the large subunit (LSU) regions of rDNA sequences using Bayesian (BA) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) methods showed that the new taxon is closely related to M. reniformis.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Fri, 19 Jan 2024 14:36:05 +0200
Spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of the Visimskiy Biosphere Reserve (Middle Urals): 37 years of arachnological research https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114930/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e114930

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e114930

Authors: Nadezhda Ukhova, Sergei Esyunin, Artëm Sozontov

Abstract: More than 30 articles concerning spiders’ diversity and assemblages’ structure within the Visimskiy Reserve have been published since its establishment 52 years ago. The literature provides data on 260 recorded species, one of which has been described as a new species. The majority of these records were not annotated. The peak of publication activity was in the 2nd part of the 1990s and the beginning of the 21st century. The greatest amount of material was collected between 2012 and 2018, within long-term plots with quantitative observations of epigean and litter-dwelling spiders, focusing on wind-throw and post-fire successions.This article summarises all the literature and field primary data. We also list 18 species new to the reserve's fauna, which currently comprises 278 species. Doubtful and invalid records have been excluded from the species list. The occurrences in the dataset are supported by detailed information about vegetation cover at the time of collection. This is important in the context of research on fauna and community changes along the vegetation succession, including wind-thrown and post-fire restoration.

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Data Paper Fri, 19 Jan 2024 13:52:00 +0200
A new species of the genus Xizangiana Sherwood, Li & Zhang, 2022 (Araneae, Gnaphosidae) from Xizang, China https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/116569/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e116569

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e116569

Authors: Bo Liu, Feng Zhang

Abstract: The spider genus Xizangiana Sherwood, Li & Zhang, 2022, comprises nine species that inhabit northern India and south-western China. Six of these species have been documented in the Xizang Autonomous Region of China.A new species, Xizangiana plankton sp. nov. is described and illustrated from Xizang Autonomous Region, China.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Fri, 19 Jan 2024 13:05:46 +0200
Microbial diversity in four Mediterranean irciniid sponges https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114809/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e114809

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e114809

Authors: Katerina Skaraki, Christina Pavloudi, Thanos Dailianis, Jacques Lagnel, Adriani Pantazidou, Antonios Magoulas, Georgios Kotoulas

Abstract: This paper describes a dataset of microbial communities from four different sponge species: Ircinia oros (Schmidt, 1864), Ircinia variabilis (Schmidt, 1862), Sarcotragus spinosulus Schmidt, 1862 and Sarcotragus fasciculatus (Pallas, 1766). The examined sponges all belong to Demospongiae (Class); Keratosa (Subclass); Dictyoceratida (Order); Irciniidae (Family). Samples were collected by scuba diving at depths between 6-14 m from two sampling sites of rocky formations at the northern coast of Crete (Cretan Sea, eastern Mediterranean) and were subjected to metabarcoding for the V5-V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene.

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Data Paper Fri, 19 Jan 2024 12:38:09 +0200
Inocellia (Amurinocellia) calida (Raphidioptera, Inocelliidae) was first observed as a predator of Monochamus saltuarius (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) in China, the vector of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Aphelenchida, Aphelenchoididae) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114294/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e114294

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e114294

Authors: Miao Yu, Jue Wang, Wenfeng Yan, Shiyu Kuang, Yanan Zheng

Abstract: Monochamus saltuarius Gebler (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) serves as the primary carrier of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner & Buhrer) (Aphelenchida, Aphelenchoididae) in the middle-temperate zone of China. Pine wilt disease caused by B. xylophilus leads to serious losses to pine forestry around the world. It is necessary to study the biological control of M. saltuarius to effectively prevent the further spread of B. xylophilus. To explore the insect resources that act as natural enemies of M. saltuarius, investigations were conducted on natural enemy insects by splitting Pinus koraiensis Siebold & Zucc (Pinales, Pinaceae) damaged by M. saltuarius and dissecting their trunks in Yingpan Village, Fushun County, Fushun City, Liaoning Province, China, in 2023. A larva of Inocellia (Amurinocellia) calida (H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck) (Raphidioptera, Inocelliidae) was discovered in the trunk of an infested P. koraiensis. Additionally, the feeding habits of I. calida were preliminarily examined under indoor conditions and a description of its morphological characteristics was provided. When placed in an indoor environment, the I. calida larva began pupating after a period of 21 days, during which time it consumed and attacked a total of 23 M. saltuarius larvae. Ultimately, after a pupal period of ten days, the I. calida larva emerged successfully as an adult. This discovery marks the first recorded presence of I. calida in Liaoning Province and the first documentation of I. calida in China, serving as a natural predatory enemy of M. saltuarius.

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Research Article Wed, 17 Jan 2024 12:40:37 +0200
Helminths found in common species of the herpetofauna in Ukraine https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113770/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e113770

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e113770

Authors: Oleksii Marushchak, Yaroslav Syrota, Ivanna Dmytrieva, Yuri Kuzmin, Andrii Nechai, Olga Lisitsyna, Roman Svitin

Abstract: Only a few comprehensive studies have been carried out on parasites in amphibians and reptiles in Ukraine. This has resulted in identifying over 100 helminth species across these vertebrate groups. However, most of the studies were performed in the 20th century and the taxonomy of many parasites and their hosts has changed ever since, in addition to the discovery of new species and registrations of species that had not been previously known for Ukraine. In recent decades, there have been very few publications on helminths from amphibian or reptile hosts in this region. Notably, just one of these recent studies is a faunistic study, providing a list of helminths found in two species of green frogs – Pelophylax ridibundus (Pallas, 1771) and Pelophylax esculentus (Linnaeus, 1758). Therefore, it is clear that publishing datasets of modern records of helminths in these vertebrate groups, based on modern taxonomy, is an essential step in further studies of their parasitic diversity. Additionally, such study is important in terms of global climate change, the growing number of possibilities of invasion of alien species (both hosts and parasites) that might potentially become a threat to native biota and growing anthropogenic pressure on local populations of hosts that affect the parasites as well. In future, this study is planned to be used for the creation of a checklist of helminths of the herpetofauna of Ukraine. The present dataset is an inventory of various species of helminths parasitising common species of the herpetofauna in central, northern, western and southern Ukraine recorded during field studies in the 2021-2023 period.The dataset is the first one to represent the up-to-date and unified data on helminths of reptiles and amphibians of Ukraine. Previously, records of this group of organisms with reference to their hosts were presented as several separate records within the country. Currently, this is the largest dataset presenting geocoded records of non-human-related helminths in the fauna of Ukraine. It reports helminth species from 15 hosts (205 individuals), including eight amphibians and seven reptilian species found in various Ukrainian regions. A total of 47 helminth species have been documented in the research and during 2021-2023 period on the territory of northern (Kyiv and Zhytomyr), western (Lviv, Zakarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk), central (Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy, Zaporizhzhia and Poltava) and southern (Odesa) regions of Ukraine. The identified helminth species belong to the following phyla: Acanthocephala (Centrorhynchidae (2), Echinorhynchidae (2)); Nematoda (Acuariidae, Anisakidae, Cosmocercidae (3), Dioctophymatidae, Gnathostomatidae (1), Kathlanidae (1), Molineidae (7), Onchocercidae (1), Pharyngodonidae (1), Rhabdiasidae (6), Strongyloididae); Platyhelminthes (Diplodiscidae (1), Diplostomidae (2), Encyclometridae (1), Haematoloechidae (1), Leptophallidae (2), Macroderidae (1), Mesocestoididae, Opisthorchiidae (2), Plagiorchiidae (3), Pleurogenidae (2), Polystomatidae (3), Proteocephalidae (1), Strigeidae (1) and Telorchiidae (3)). Only some helminths in the dataset were not identified to species level. Material is stored in the collection of the department of Parasitology of the I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology NAS of Ukraine.

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Data Paper Tue, 16 Jan 2024 13:10:03 +0200
Soil macrofauna communities in Brazilian land-use systems https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115000/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115000

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115000

Authors: George Brown, Wilian Demetrio, Quentin Gabriac, Amarildo Pasini, Vanesca Korasaki, Lenita Oliveira, Julio dos Santos, Eleno Torres, Paulo Galerani, Dionisio Gazziero, Norton Benito, Daiane Nunes, Alessandra Santos, Talita Ferreira, Herlon Nadolny, Marie Bartz, Wagner Maschio, Rafaela Dudas, Mauricio Zagatto, Cintia Niva, Lina Clasen, Klaus Sautter, Luis Froufe, Carlos Eduardo Seoane, Aníbal de Moraes, Samuel James, Odair Alberton, Osvaldino Brandão Júnior, Odilon Saraiva, Antonio Garcia, Elma Oliveira, Raul César, Beatriz Corrêa-Ferreira, Lilianne Bruz, Elodie Silva, Gilherme Cardoso, Patrick Lavelle, Elena Velásquez, Marcus Cremonesi, Lucília Parron, Amilton Baggio, Edinelson Neves, Mariangela Hungria, Thiago Campos, Vagner da Silva, Carlos Reissmann, Ana Conrado, Jean-Pierre Bouillet, José Gonçalves, Carolina Brandani, Ricardo Viani, Ranieri Paula, Jean-Paul Laclau, Clara Peña-Venegas, Carlos Peres, Thibaud Decaëns, Benjamin Pey, Nico Eisenhauer, Miguel Cooper, Jérôme Mathieu

Abstract: Soil animal communities include more than 40 higher-order taxa, representing over 23% of all described species. These animals have a wide range of feeding sources and contribute to several important soil functions and ecosystem services. Although many studies have assessed macroinvertebrate communities in Brazil, few of them have been published in journals and even fewer have made the data openly available for consultation and further use. As part of ongoing efforts to synthesise the global soil macrofauna communities and to increase the amount of openly-accessible data in GBIF and other repositories related to soil biodiversity, the present paper provides links to 29 soil macroinvertebrate datasets covering 42 soil fauna taxa, collected in various land-use systems in Brazil. A total of 83,085 georeferenced occurrences of these taxa are presented, based on quantitative estimates performed using a standardised sampling method commonly adopted worldwide to collect soil macrofauna populations, i.e. the TSBF (Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme) protocol. This consists of digging soil monoliths of 25 x 25 cm area, with handsorting of the macroinvertebrates visible to the naked eye from the surface litter and from within the soil, typically in the upper 0-20 cm layer (but sometimes shallower, i.e. top 0-10 cm or deeper to 0-40 cm, depending on the site). The land-use systems included anthropogenic sites managed with agricultural systems (e.g. pastures, annual and perennial crops, agroforestry), as well as planted forests and native vegetation located mostly in the southern Brazilian State of Paraná (96 sites), with a few additional sites in the neighbouring states of São Paulo (21 sites) and Santa Catarina (five sites). Important metadata on soil properties, particularly soil chemical parameters (mainly pH, C, P, Ca, K, Mg, Al contents, exchangeable acidity, Cation Exchange Capacity, Base Saturation and, infrequently, total N), particle size distribution (mainly % sand, silt and clay) and, infrequently, soil moisture and bulk density, as well as on human management practices (land use and vegetation cover) are provided. These data will be particularly useful for those interested in estimating land-use change impacts on soil biodiversity and its implications for below-ground foodwebs, ecosystem functioning and ecosystem service delivery.Quantitative estimates are provided for 42 soil animal taxa, for two biodiversity hotspots: the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes. Data are provided at the individual monolith level, representing sampling events ranging from February 2001 up to September 2016 in 122 sampling sites and over 1800 samples, for a total of 83,085 ocurrences.

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Data Paper Mon, 15 Jan 2024 15:53:31 +0200
First records of non-native species Callitriche deflexa (Plantaginaceae), which was previously misidentified as C. terrestris in Japan https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115142/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115142

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115142

Authors: Hiroyuki Koga, Yuki Doll, Wataru Ohnishi, Hirokazu Tsukaya

Abstract: The cosmopolitan genus Callitriche (Plantaginaceae) is a clade of small herbaceous plants that encompasses terrestrial and aquatic species. In Japan, six Callitriche species have been identified: four native and two naturalised species. Callitriche terrestris, a naturalised terrestrial species, was first reported in 1984 in Kanagawa Prefecture and it is thriving today.We report the presence of a new naturalised terrestrial species, Callitriche deflexa, which has been previously misidentified as C. terrestris because of its similar morphology. Callitriche deflexa can be distinguished from C. terrestris through genetic differences and distinct morphological traits, such as longer pedicels. Re-examination of herbarium specimens in the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History confirmed that most of the specimens labelled as C. terrestris, including voucher specimens from the original report, were indeed C. terrestris, but a few were C. deflexa. We also noted that the plants referred to as “C. terrestris” in our previous developmental studies should be corrected to C. deflexa.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Mon, 15 Jan 2024 10:15:29 +0200
Data mobilisation in the LWS Herbarium: success and prospects https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/117292/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e117292

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e117292

Authors: Andriy Novikov, Anastasiia Savytska, Oleksandr Kuzyarin, Viktor Nachychko, Solomia Susulovska, Volodymyr Rizun, Andrii Susulovsky, Habriel Hushtan, Kateryna Hushtan, Dmytro Leleka

Abstract: Digitisation of hosted specimens is a crucial task for all herbaria worldwide and is one of the main streams for today. By digitising their collections and publishing the datasets, the herbaria grant access to essential data to a wide research audience and, as a result, involve their collections in scientific work more actively. Digitisation also allows virtual preservation of the collections, which is especially important in conditions of hostilities, when the entire collection can be destroyed or damaged in one moment. This paper describes two datasets recently published in GBIF in the framework of the LWS herbarium digitisation initiative. It also contains some considerations about further digitisation priorities and plans in the LWS Herbarium in the context of complicated war conditions and limited facilities.In total, 2,419 occurrence records from Ukraine mobilised from LWS Herbarium were published. These datasets are planned to be dynamic with the addition of new records along with progress of digitisation work at LWS. At least 6,000 more records are planned to be published through these datasets in 2024.

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Data Paper Thu, 11 Jan 2024 10:06:21 +0200
Molecular diversity of Pseudoscorpiones in southern High Appalachian leaf litter https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115928/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115928

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115928

Authors: Ernesto Recuero, Michael Caterino

Abstract: The Pseudoscorpiones fauna of North America is diverse, but in regions like the southern Appalachian Mountains, they are still poorly documented with respect to their species diversity, distributions and ecology. Several families have been reported from these mountains and neighbouring areas. Here we analyse barcoding data of 136 specimens collected in leaf litter, most of them from high-elevation coniferous forest. We used ASAP as a species delimitation method to obtain an estimation of the number of species present in the region. For this and based on interspecific genetic distance values previously reported in Pseudoscorpions, we considered three different genetic Kimura two-parameter distance thresholds (3%/5%/8%), to produce more or less conservative estimates. These distance thresholds resulted in 64/47/27 distinct potential species representing the families Chthoniidae (33/22/12 species) and Neobisiidae (31/25/15) and at least six different genera within them. The diversity pattern seems to be affected by the Asheville Depression, a major biogeographic barrier in this area, with a higher diversity to the west of this geographic feature, particularly within the family Neobisiidae. The absence of representatives from other families amongst our studied samples may be explained by differences in their ecological requirements and occupation of different microhabitats.

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Research Article Thu, 11 Jan 2024 09:47:13 +0200
Towards a Canary Islands barcode database for soil biodiversity: revealing cryptic and unrecorded mite species diversity within insular soils https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113301/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e113301

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e113301

Authors: Irene Santos-Perdomo, Daniel Suárez, María L. Moraza, Paula Arribas, Carmelo Andújar

Abstract: Soil arthropod diversity contributes to a high proportion of the total biodiversity on Earth. However, most soil arthropods are still undescribed, hindering our understanding of soil functioning and global biodiversity estimations. Inventorying soil arthropods using conventional taxonomical approaches is particularly difficult and costly due to the great species richness, abundance and local-scale heterogeneity of mesofauna communities and the poor taxonomic background knowledge of most lineages. To alleviate this situation, we have designed and implemented a molecular barcoding framework adapted to soil fauna. This pipeline includes different steps, starting with a morphology-based selection of specimens which are imaged. Then, DNA is extracted non-destructively. Both images and voucher specimens are used to assign a taxonomic identification, based on morphology that is further checked for consistency with molecular information. Using this procedure, we studied 239 specimens of mites from the Canary Islands including representatives of Mesostigmata, Sarcoptiformes and Trombidiformes, of which we recovered barcode sequences for 168 specimens that were morphologically identified to 49 species, with nine specimens that could only be identified at the genus or family levels. Multiple species delimitation analyses were run to compare molecular delimitations with morphological identifications, including ASAP, mlPTP, BINs and 3% and 8% genetic distance thresholds. Additionally, a species-level search was carried out at the Biodiversity Databank of the Canary Islands (BIOTA) to evaluate the number of species in our dataset that were not previously recorded in the archipelago. In parallel, a sequence-level search of our sequences was performed against BOLD Systems. Our results reveal that multiple morphologically identified species correspond to different molecular lineages, which points to significant levels of unknown cryptic diversity within the archipelago. In addition, we evidenced that multiple species in our dataset constituted new records for the Canary Islands fauna and that the information for these lineages within online genetic repositories is very incomplete. Our study represents the first systematic effort to catalogue the soil arthropod mesofauna of the Canary Islands and establishes the basis for the Canary Islands Soil Biodiversity barcode database. This resource will constitute a step forward in the knowledge of these arthropods in a region of special interest.

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Research Article Wed, 10 Jan 2024 11:49:34 +0200
Checklist of vascular plant species on inselbergs in the Monumento Natural dos Pontões Capixabas, Espírito Santo State, Brazil https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/105688/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e105688

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e105688

Authors: Fabiula Arantes, Luiza de Paula, Rafaela Forzza

Abstract: Inselbergs are granitic and/or gneissic rocky outcrops and, in Brazil, the dome-shaped ones in the Atlantic Forest Domain are called sugarloaves (pães de açúcar). They have an extremely specialised vegetation with high levels of endemism. Even though, they are poorly studied and highly degraded. In north-eastern Espírito Santo State, south-eastern Brazil, the Monumento Natural dos Pontões Capixabas (MONAPC) is a federal protected area created to guard some inselbergs mainly threatened by mining, which is one of the main economic activities in the State. In this work, we provide the first checklist of the vascular plant species in this protected area.We recorded 108 species in 36 families and 75 genera that inhabit the vegetation islands on the inselbergs within the official limits of MONAPC. A new species of Pleroma (Melastomataceae) and a new species of Cololobus (Asteraceae) were discovered as new to science and they are being described in other articles.

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Data Paper Tue, 9 Jan 2024 16:43:55 +0200
Description of a new Asian Leaf Litter Toad of the genus Leptobrachella Smith, 1925 (Anura, Megophryidae) from southern Guizhou Province, China https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113427/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e113427

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e113427

Authors: Shize Li, Wei Li, Yanlin Cheng, Jing Liu, Gang Wei, Bin Wang

Abstract: The Asian leaf litter toads of the genus Leptobrachella Smith, 1925 (Anura, Megophryidae) inhabit the forest floor and rocky streams in hilly evergreen forests and are widely distributed from southern China, west to north-eastern India and Myanmar, through mainland Indochina to Peninsular Malaysia and the Island of Borneo.A new species of the Asian leaf litter toad genus Leptobrachella from Guizhou Province, China is described. Molecular phylogenetic analyses, based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA and COI genes and nuclear RAG1 gene sequences indicated that the new species is genetically divergent from its congeners. The new species could be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) body of medium size in males (SVL 31.9 – 32.9 mm); (2) distinct black spots present on flanks; (3) toes rudimentarily webbed, with wide lateral fringes; (4) skin on dorsum shagreened with fine tiny granules and short ridges; (5) heels overlapped when thighs are positioned at right angles to the body; (6) tibia-tarsal articulation reaching interior corner of the eye.A new species of the Asian leaf litter toad genus Leptobrachella from Guizhou Province, China is described. Molecular phylogenetic analyses, based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA and COI genes and nuclear RAG1 gene sequences indicated that the new species is genetically divergent from its congeners. The new species could be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) body of medium size in males (SVL 31.9 – 32.9 mm); (2) distinct black spots present on flanks; (3) toes rudimentarily webbed, with wide lateral fringes; (4) skin on dorsum shagreened with fine tiny granules and short ridges; (5) heels overlapped when thighs are positioned at right angles to the body; (6) tibia-tarsal articulation reaching interior corner of the eye.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Tue, 9 Jan 2024 13:32:24 +0200
First documentation on herpetofauna diversity in Gunung Belumut Amenity Forest, Peninsular Malaysia: Implications for conservation in an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/108476/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e108476

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e108476

Authors: Farah Farhana Ramli, Kaviarasu Munian, Nur Aina Amira Mahyudin, Nursyuhada Othman, Hidayah Haris, Nurfatiha Akmal Fawwazah Abdullah-Fauzi, Nur Hartini Sariyati, Mohd Lokman Ilham-Norhakim, Muhammad Abu Bakar Abdul-Latiff

Abstract: Malaysia is blessed with lush tropical rainforests that harbour an exceptional diversity of amphibians and reptiles. However, compared to other animal groups, amphibians and reptiles have received limited attention in research, despite their ecological significance. With amphibians and reptile species having been declining rapidly due to anthropogenic activities, there is a pressing need to conserve these species and their habitats. Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) are designated regions that are beneficial due to their critical role in providing essential ecosystem services and serving as repositories of biodiversity. Nonetheless, the classification of ESAs in Malaysia lacks biological elements and only focuses on physical attributes. To enhance the current ESA classification framework by integrating biological components, there is an urgent need to obtain information on diversity and habitat in Malaysia. Therefore, the objectives of this study were twofold: to determine the diversity of amphibians and reptiles in Gunung Belumut Amenity Forest and to conduct a comparative analysis between the herpetofauna assemblages in Gunung Belumut with other forest reserves in Peninsular Malaysia. The survey was carried out between March and June 2022, with additional sampling conducted in February 2023. The Visual Encounter Survey (VES) and pitfall trap methods were employed to survey the herpetofauna species, focusing on both aquatic and terrestrial habitats within the study area. A total of 210 individuals representing 38 species of herpetofauna were recorded, comprising 18 amphibian and 20 reptile species. Amongst the observed species, Limnonectes blythii was the most frequently encountered amphibian, with 59 individuals observed, while the dominant reptile species was Cyrtodactylus consobrinus, represented by eight individuals. This pioneering study serves as a vital baseline documentation of the amphibian and reptile assemblages in Gunung Belumut Amenity Forest. It provides valuable information for identifying extant herpetofauna species, including those of potential conservation concern or rarity. These findings contribute to ongoing conservation efforts dedicated to the preservation of herpetofauna within the region. By understanding the diversity and distribution patterns of amphibians and reptiles in Gunung Belumut, effective conservation strategies can be developed to protect these species and their habitats.

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Research Article Tue, 9 Jan 2024 09:55:50 +0200
Checklist of digeneans (Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea) of Georgia https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/110201/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e110201

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e110201

Authors: Lela Arabuli, Lali Murvanidze, Anna Faltynkova, Levan Mumladze

Abstract: In the present study, we aim to provide an inventory of digenetic trematodes (Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea) from Georgia including records from the freshwater, marine and terrestrial realms. The checklist is based on a critical review of data from 109 papers, 11 monographs and four Ph.D. theses published between 1935 and 2019 and our new records. The checklist includes information on synonymy, the host species, site of infection, geographical distribution and bibliographical references. The present data will serve as a baseline for further studies on trematodes from Georgia focused on integrative taxonomy, life-cycle elucidation, parasite ecology and epidemiology.We compiled data on the digenean trematode fauna of Georgia, which is represented by 186 species (of these 173 identified to species level) belonging to 108 genera, 47 families and 17 superfamilies. This is the first checklist of the digeneans of Georgia. The majority of digenean species were recorded as adults (160 species), only a small fraction being found as cercariae (33 species) or metacercariae (24 species), in their first or second intermediate hosts, respectively. Predominantly, records of trematodes (62 species) from birds were found, followed by those parasitising fish (50 species, i.e. 32 species as adults and 18 as metacercariae), mammals (33 species) and amphibians (25 species, i.e. 23 species as adults and 2 as metacercariae), with the least number of species reported from reptiles (12 species, i.e. 9 species as adults and 3 as metacercariae). Adult digeneans recorded together with another life-cycle stage (metacercariae and/or cercariae) comprised 28 species, i.e. for 15% of the total trematode species number, a part of their life-cycle is known.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Mon, 8 Jan 2024 15:35:17 +0200
Review of German Spilomicrus Westwood (Hymenoptera, Diapriidae, Spilomicrini) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114515/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e114515

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e114515

Authors: Jeremy Hübner, Vasilisa Chemyreva

Abstract: This study provides an integrative taxonomy-based review for the genus Spilomicrus Westwood in Germany using DNA barcoding and classic morphology.Spilomicrus simplex Tomsik, 1947 is placed in synonymy with S. antennatus Jurine, 1807; Spilomicrus thomsoni Kieffer, 1911 is removed from synonymy with S. hemipterus Marshall, 1868. A lectotype is designated for Spilomicrus nigripes Thomson, 1858. Newly recorded for Germany are the following species: S. thomsoni Kieffer, 1911, S. crassiclavis Marshall, 1868, S. lusitanicus Kieffer, 1910 and S. diversus Chemyreva, 2021. Three species, Spilomicrus brevimalaris sp. nov., S. flavecorpus sp. nov. and S. politus sp. nov. are described as new to science. The 23 DNA-barcodes with species identification present a substantial addition over the previous German checklist. This study aims to update the number of nationwide known Spilomicrus species from fifteen to twenty. Furthermore, a new key to identify all European Spilomicrus species is provided.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Mon, 8 Jan 2024 13:21:40 +0200
DNA barcoding of the supergiant isopods from Bathynomus kensleyi Lowry & Dempsey, 2006 (Cirolanidae) and a molecular biology comparison of B. jamesi Kou, Chen & Li, 2017 https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/111046/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e111046

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e111046

Authors: Ming-Chih Huang, Niel L Bruce

Abstract: DNA was extracted from tissue samples from specimens of newly-collected Bathynomus kensleyi from Queensland and subsequently the COI and 16S rRNA sequences were successfully cloned. The holotype of B. kensleyi was also sampled for COI only. Comparison of the sequences showed that, for the COI sequences, B. jamesi and B. kensleyi have more than 59 different DNA positions amongst 596 known reading sequences. The Kimura two parameter (K2P) distance analysis confirmed that B. jamesi and B. kensleyi are two species. Indian records of Bathynomus are reviewed and three of the four identified species from India are shown to be misidentifications. Bathynomus decemspinosus, B. doederlini and B. kensleyi are found to not occur in India and the only accepted record is that of Bathynomus keablei Lowry & Dempsey, 2006. We conclude that, based on molecular analysis and morphological comparisons, the correct species identity of Indian species other than Bathynomus keablei remains unknown.

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Research Article Fri, 5 Jan 2024 14:05:42 +0200
Taxonomic diversity and abundance of enchytraeids (Annelida, Clitellata, Enchytraeida) in the Northern Palaearctic. 1. Asian part https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114682/ Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e114682

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e114682

Authors: Maxim Degtyarev, Ruslan Saifutdinov, Daniil Korobushkin, Alexander Bastrakov, Margarita Danilova, Ivan Davydov, Anastasia Gorbunova, Polina Guseva, Evgeniy Karlik, Roza Koshchanova, Ksenia Kuznetsova, Iurii Lebedev, Dmitriy Medvedev, Roman Obolenskiy, Anna Popova, Nina Pronina, Leonid Rybalov, Alexei Surov, Akmal Tadzhimov, Alexander Tarasov, Vladislav Vasiliev, Andrey Zaitsev, Elena Zvychaynaya, Konstantin Gongalsky

Abstract: Enchytraeids, or potworms, are tiny oligochaetes that are distributed worldwide in many terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Despite their key role in the functioning of ecosystems, the diversity and abundance of Enchytraeidae are rarely studied due to the laborious process of species identification. The present study addresses this gap and sheds some light on the distribution and abundance of enchytraeids in the lands of the Northern Palearctic. The provided dataset constitutes the latest and comprehensive field sampling of enchytraeid assemblages across the Asiatic part of the Northern Palearctic, encompassing an original set of soil samples systematically collected throughout the region from 2019 to 2022.The dataset includes occurrences from 131 georeferenced sites, encompassing 39 species and 7,074 records. This represents the first dataset providing species-specific information about the distribution and abundance of terrestrial enchytraeids across an extensive geographic area covering the Asian sector of the Northern Palaearctic. The compiled dataset is the key for exploring and understanding local and regional enchytraeid diversity. It may also serve as a valuable resource for monitoring and conserving the entire soil biodiversity.

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Data Paper Wed, 3 Jan 2024 09:18:30 +0200
Taxonomic review of the genus Nycteola Hübner (Lepidoptera, Nolidae) from Korea including potential invasive pests https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114878/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e114878

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e114878

Authors: Yeong-Bin Cha, Un-Hong Heo, Ulziijargal Bayarsaikhan, Sora Kim, Yang-Seop Bae

Abstract: The genus Nycteola Hübner has been mainly distributed in the Old World and usually feeds on Fagaceae and Salicaceae, but Myrtaceae and Juglandaceae have also been reported. In Korea, the number of this genus has been changed from four to three after 2007, but three or four species are listed confusingly up to now.The Japanese endemic species Nycteola dufayi Sugi, 1982 are firstly reported for the Continents with its brief biology. Additionally, Korean fauna of nycteolid species are reviewed.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Fri, 29 Dec 2023 16:18:43 +0200
Protecting isolated reptile populations outside their main area of distribution: a predictive model of the Dice snake, Natrix tessellata, distribution in the Czech Republic https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114790/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e114790

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e114790

Authors: Jan Chmelař, Petr Civiš, David Fischer, Daniel Frynta, Lenka Jeřábková, Veronika Rudolfová, Ivan Rehák

Abstract: Marginal populations of animals are highly susceptible to environmental pressures associated with climatic changes. Understanding their distribution and ecological requirements is, thus, essential for the development of efficient conservation strategies. The dice snake, Natrix tessellata, is listed as critically endangered in the Czech Republic. In certain regions (Bohemia and Silesia), its populations are located beyond the northern border of the continuous range of the species, while the south Moravian populations are connected to it. Based on the statewide database of the Czech Nature Conservation Agency, we created a predictive model and determined key factors influencing the species distribution. The most relevant factors were: watercourses and bodies, average annual temperatures, altitude, slope inclination and precipitation seasonality. The model fits the presence records well and is applicable in both theory and practice of the species conservation – for example, focusing faunistic research to certain areas, critical analysis of controversial presence reports and as an input for species management in the form of repatriation and introduction.

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Research Article Thu, 28 Dec 2023 09:10:53 +0200
Nest predation of Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis (Aves, Procellariiformes) by introduced mammals on Terceira Island, Azores https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/112871/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e112871

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e112871

Authors: Lucas Lamelas-Lopez, Marco Ferrante, Paulo Borges, Isabel Amorim do Rosário, Veronica Neves

Abstract: The Azores holds the largest population of Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis (Cory, 1881) (Aves, Procellariiformes) in the world. Apart from a few mammal-free islets, the bulk of the population breeds in coastal areas on the main human-inhabited islands, where several non-native predators have been introduced. Throughout the entire year of the 2019 breeding season, we used motion-triggered cameras and regularly visited three colonies of Cory's shearwater to identify nest predators and the factors affecting nest predation. A total of 292,624 photos were obtained, of which 97.7% were of Cory’s shearwaters, 1.7% of non-target species (e.g. other birds, rabbits) and 0.52% of potential predators. Of the monitored nests, 25.7% were predated (n = 9), mainly by black rats (n = 8), but also by cats (n = 1). The relative abundance of black rats in the nests was the main factor explaining nest mortality. This variable was significantly and negatively related with the daily survival rate of Cory’s shearwater nestlings. Identification of the main nest predators is crucial for the management and conservation of native bird populations, particularly on oceanic islands, which harbour an important number of threatened and endemic species.

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Research Article Fri, 22 Dec 2023 09:36:32 +0200
Xicotli Data: a project to retrieve plant-bee interactions from citizen science https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114688/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e114688

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e114688

Authors: Juan Barrios, Brenda Bedolla-García, Paola González-Vanegas, Andrés Lira-Noriega, Juan López-Enriquez, Jorge Mérida-Rivas, Daniel Madrigal-González, Pilar Rodríguez, Matthias Rös, Remy Vandame, Raúl Sierra-Alcocer, Carlos Cultid-Medina

Abstract: Xicotli data is the short name given to the dataset generated within the project framework "Integration of Biodiversity Data for the Management and Conservation of Wild Bee-Plant Interactions in Mexico (2021-2023)", as xicotli is the generic word for a bee in Nahuatl. The team comprised eco-informaticians, ecologists and taxonomists of both native bees and flora. The generated dataset contains so far 4,532 curated records of the plants, which are potential hosts of species of three focal families of bees native to Mexico: Apidae, Halictidae and Megachilidae and morphological and ecological data of the plant-bee interactions. This dataset was integrated and mobilised from citizen observations available at naturalista.mx (iNat), which were compiled through the iNaturalist project.The new information obtained with the Xicotli data project was:Taxonomic information about bee species curated by taxonomists based on the information contained in iNaturalist;Taxonomic identification of the host plants by a botanist from the photos compiled by the Xicotli Data project;Data on the ecomorphological traits of bees and plants based on expert knowledge and literature.All the data were integrated into the Xicotli Data Project via the creation of new “observation fields". The visibility of the information originally contained in iNaturalist was maximized and can be consulted directly on the iNaturalist platform.

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Data Paper Thu, 21 Dec 2023 10:02:12 +0200
A new species of Wuliphantes from Sichuan, China, with re-description on the type specimens of W. tongluensis (Araneae, Linyphiidae) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114390/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e114390

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e114390

Authors: Lan Yang, Zhiyuan Yao, Shuqiang Li

Abstract: The genus Wuliphantes Irfan, Wang & Zhang, 2023 is a small genus in the family Linyphiidae Blackwall, 1859, with only three species: W. guanshan (Irfan, Wang & Zhang, 2022), W. tongluensis (Chen & Song, 1988) and W. trigyrus Irfan, Wang & Zhang, 2023, all distributed in China.A new species: Wuliphantes yaan sp. nov. from Sichuan Province, China is reported. In addition, we re-described the type specimens of W. tongluensis (Chen & Song, 1988) that is similar to W. yaan sp. nov.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Wed, 20 Dec 2023 14:02:05 +0200
Assessment of the DNA barcode libraries for the study of the poorly-known rove beetle (Staphylinidae) fauna of West Siberia https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115477/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e115477

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e115477

Authors: Valeria Krivosheeva, Alexey Solodovnikov, Aleksandr Shulepov, Darya Semerikova, Anastasiya Ivanova, Maria Salnitska

Abstract: Staphylinidae, or rove beetles, are one of the mega-diverse and abundant families of the ground-living terrestrial arthropods that is taxonomically poorly known even in the regions adjacent to Europe where the fauna has been investigated for the longest time. Since DNA barcoding is a tool to accelerate biodiversity research, here we explored if the currently-available COI barcode libraries are representative enough for the study of rove beetles of West Siberia. This is a vast region adjacent to Europe with poorly-known fauna of rove beetles and from where not a single DNA barcode has hitherto been produced for Staphylinidae. First, we investigated the faunal similarity between the rove beetle faunas of the climatically compatible West Siberia in Asia, Fennoscandia in Europe and Canada and Alaska in North America. Second, we investigated barcodes available for Staphylinidae from the latter two regions in BOLD and GenBank, the world's largest DNA barcode libraries. We conclude that the rather different rove beetle faunas of Fennoscandia, on the one hand and Canada and Alaska on the other hand, are well covered in both barcode libraries that complement each other. We also find that even without any barcodes originating from specimens collected in West Siberia, this coverage is helpful for the study of rove beetles there due to the significant number of widespread species shared between West Siberia and Fennoscandia and due to the even larger number of shared genera amongst all three investigated regions. For the first time, we compiled a literature-based checklist for 726 species of the West Siberian Staphylinidae supplemented by their occurrence dataset submitted to GBIF. Our script written for mining unique (i.e. not redundant) barcodes for a given geographic area across global libraries is made available here and can be adopted for any other regions.

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Forum Paper Wed, 20 Dec 2023 10:01:49 +0200
A new distribution record, first host plant record and DNA barcoding of the Neotropical micromoth Astrotischeria karsholti Puplesis & Diškus (Lepidoptera, Tischeriidae) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115397/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e115397

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e115397

Authors: Héctor Vargas

Abstract: Astrotischeria Puplesis & Diškus, 2003 (Lepidoptera, Tischeriidae) is a New World genus of micromoths whose larvae are leaf miners associated mainly with plants of the family Asteraceae. The original description of the type species Astrotischeria karsholti Puplesis & Diškus, 2003 was based on adults from central Peru. No additional distribution records, host plants or DNA barcodes have been documented for this species.Astrotischeria karsholti is reported for the first time from Chile, based on adults obtained from leaf mines of Ambrosia cumanensis Kunth (Asteraceae) collected in the transverse valleys of the Atacama Desert. This discovery expands the distribution range of this micromoth nearly 900 km to the southeast and represents its first host plant record. Divergence between DNA barcodes of A. karsholti and the nearest congeneric was 6% (K2P). A Maximum Likelihood analysis, based on DNA barcodes, raises questions about the monophyly of Astrotischeria.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Tue, 19 Dec 2023 12:36:04 +0200
Size spectra of the edaphic fauna of typical Argiudol soils of the Rolling Pampa Region, Argentina https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113074/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e113074

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e113074

Authors: Víctor Velazco, Rosana Sandler, Maria Cynthia Valeria Sanabria, Liliana Falco, Carlos Coviella, Leonardo Saravia

Abstract: Soil-dwelling organisms populate the spaces—referred to as interstices—between the litter on the soil surface and the pores in the soil's organo-mineral matrix. These organisms have pivotal roles in soil ecosystem functions, such as the breakdown and decomposition of organic matter, the dispersal of bacterial and fungal spores and biological habitat transformation. These functions, in turn, contribute to broader ecosystem services like carbon and nutrient cycling, soil organic matter regulation and both chemical and physical soil fertility.This study provides morphological data pertaining to a range of soil organism sizes, specifically in Argiudol soils subjected to varying levels of agricultural activity in the Rolling Pampas Region, one of the world's most extensive and fertile plains.The primary focus is on soil microarthropods—namely, Acari (mites) and Collembola (springtails)—with a body width of less than 2 mm. These organisms constitute the majority of life in the intricate soil pore network. Additionally, the study documents species of earthworms (Oligochaeta, Crassiclitelata), recognised as ecosystem engineers for their ability to create physical channels in the soil matrix and to distribute organic matter. Moreover, the study includes measurements of morphological traits of soil-dwelling "macrofauna" (organisms with a body width greater than 2 mm), which are also implicated in various soil ecosystem functions. These include population regulation by apex predators, organic matter decomposition, biogenic structure formation, nutrient mobilisation and herbivory.In this paper, we report both the geographical locations and individual measurements of key morphological traits for over 7,000 specimens, covering a range of soil-dwelling organisms. These include springtails (Entognatha, Collembola), mites (Arachnida, Acari), earthworms (Oligochaeta, Crassiclitellata) and additional soil macrofauna. All specimens were collected from typical Argiudol soils located in three distinct agricultural systems characterised by varying levels of land-use intensity. To our knowledge, no other dataset exists providing this information for the Argentinian Pampas.

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Data Paper Mon, 18 Dec 2023 16:15:17 +0200
Floristic inventory and distribution characteristics of algific talus slopes in a specific area of forest biodiversity in South Korea https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113952/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e113952

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e113952

Authors: Jong-Won Lee, Ho-Geun Yun, Tae Young Hwang, Kyungmin Kim, Se-Hoon Jung, Jong Bin An

Abstract: This study conducted a survey for establishing in-situ and ex-situ conservation measures for northern lineage plants that are vulnerable to climate change and for designating Forest Genetic Resource Reserve for 25 algific talus slope sites, which are specific areas of forest biodiversity. The survey was conducted in South Korea within a distance of 50 m to the east, west, north and south from the core area where wind blows to the algific talus slopes. The study was conducted once or twice per season from April 2016 to November 2021.Vascular plants of 25 algific talus slope sites in South Korea included a total of 1,052 taxa of 125 families, 486 genera, 947 species, 23 subspecies, 75 variety and 7 forma. The maximum surveyed area was 0.09 km2, accounting for only 0.00014% of the 62,860 km2 forest area in Korea, but comprise 22.27% of the 4,724 species of vascular plants in Korea. The algific talus slopes are areas rich in forest biodiversity. Six taxa were categorized as endangered, including Paeonia obovata Maxim. Sixty-seven taxa, including Astilboides tabularis (Hemsl.) Engl.; 58 taxa endemic to the Korean Peninsula, including Weigela subsessilis (Nakai) L.H. Bailey; and 317 taxa of floristic target plants were categorized as rare plants in the Red list. Further, 181 taxa were identified as northern lineage plants and 32 taxa, including Sillaphyton podagraria (H. Boissieu) Pimenov, were limestone area plants. Regarding alien plants, 75 taxa, including Oenothera biennis L., were identified and the naturalization and urbanization rates were 7.13% and 12.12%, respectively. Plants specific to the phytogeography of the 25 algific talus slope sites in this study were Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., Rosa koreana Kom., Syringa villosa Vahl subsp. wolfii (C.K. Schneid.) Jin Y.Chen & D.Y. Hong, Lonicera chrysantha Turcz. ex Ledeb., Tephroseris flammea (Turcz. ex DC.) Holub, among others.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Mon, 18 Dec 2023 10:05:03 +0200
Documenting Mantodea species in South African museum collections and an updated species list https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/102637/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e102637

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e102637

Authors: Bianca Greyvenstein, Johnnie van den Berg, Hannalene du Plessis

Abstract: The previous species list of South African Mantodea, published in 1998, was largely compiled from the literature and did not incorporate data from the many insect museum collections available in the country. It is estimated that approximately 120 species of Mantodea occur in South Africa; however, since no historical museum records were previously incorporated, the current information is considered to be outdated and not a true reflection of the Mantodea fauna within this region. A checklist of species is an important benchmark for any insect group, especially in light of the worldwide declines of insect diversity reported over the last decade. Checklists that provide accurate information on insect diversity, especially for groups, such as the Mantodea which could be under threat and thus could provide important information that can be used in determining the threat status of species, as well as to aid in their conservation in general.This paper provides an updated checklist of the praying mantids (Insecta, Mantodea) species of South Africa. While 120 species were previously reported to occur in South Africa, this paper reports 157 species in 64 genera that represent eight different superfamilies, 14 families and 22 subfamilies. Additionally, five species are reported for the first time to occur in South Africa. This species list was generated from the approximately 4000 specimen records of which 3558 records reside within South Africa. The remaining 732 records represent 14 other African countries. Occurrence records from two citizen-science platforms (iNaturalist and Gbif.org), were also incorporated in this study, adding 1880 species records in South Africa. The low number of specimens in the national collections indicate that this group of insects is poorly collected and highlights the lack of knowledge about South Africa’s mantid fauna, as well as a lack of taxonomic expertise as 1532 museum specimens remain unidentified to species level.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Tue, 12 Dec 2023 12:50:19 +0200
Australia’s east coast humpback whales: Satellite tag-derived movements on breeding grounds, feeding grounds and along the northern and southern migration https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114729/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e114729

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e114729

Authors: Virginia Andrews-Goff, Nick Gales, Simon Childerhouse, Sarah Laverick, Andrea Polanowski, Michael Double

Abstract: Satellite tags were deployed on 50 east Australian humpback whales (breeding stock E1) between 2008 and 2010 on their southward migration, northward migration and feeding grounds in order to identify and describe migratory pathways, feeding grounds and possible calving areas. At the time, these movements were not well understood and calving grounds were not clearly identified. To the best of our knowledge, this dataset details all long-term, implantable tag deployments that have occurred to date on breeding stock E1. As such, these data provide researchers, regulators and industry with clear and valuable insights into the spatial and temporal nature of humpback whale movements along the eastern coastline of Australia and into the Southern Ocean. As this population of humpback whales navigates an increasingly complex habitat undergoing various development pressures and anthropogenic disturbances, in addition to climate-mediated changes in their marine environment, this dataset may also provide a valuable baseline.At the time these tracks were generated, these were the first satellite tag deployments intended to deliver long-term, detailed movement information on east Australian (breeding stock E1) humpback whales. The tracking data revealed previously unknown migratory pathways into the Southern Ocean, with 11 individuals tracked to their Antarctic feeding grounds. Once assumed to head directly south on their southern migration, five individuals initially travelled west towards New Zealand. Six tracks detailed the coastal movement of humpback whales migrating south. One tag transmitted a partial southern migration, then ceased transmissions only to begin transmitting eight months later as the animal was migrating north. Northern migration to breeding grounds was detailed for 13 individuals, with four tracks including turning points and partial southern migrations. Another 14 humpback whales were tagged in Antarctica, providing detailed Antarctic feeding ground movements.Broadly speaking, the tracking data revealed a pattern of movement where whales were at their northern limit in July and their southern limit in March. Migration north was most rapid across the months of May and June, whilst migration south was most rapid between November and December. Tagged humpback whales were located on their Antarctic feeding grounds predominantly between January and May and approached their breeding grounds between July and August. Tracking distances ranged from 68 km to 8580 km and 1 to 286 days. To the best of our knowledge, this dataset compiles all of the long-term tag deployments that have occurred to date on breeding stock E1.

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Data Paper Mon, 11 Dec 2023 08:14:18 +0200
Review of the genus Liocrobyla (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae, Ornixolinae) from Korea, with description of one newly-recorded species https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/115509/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e115509

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e115509

Authors: Da-Som Kim, Ji-Young Lee, Bong-Kyu Byun

Abstract: Liocrobyla Meyrick, 1916 is a relatively small genus within the family Gracillariidae, consisting of nine species worldwide, including five species in Korea.In this study, we recognise five species belonging to the genus Liocrobyla Meyrick, 1916 from Korea. Amongst them, one species, L. indigofera Liu, Wang & Wang, 2018, is reported for the first time in Korea. Figures of adults, male and female genitalia, along with a key to the species of Liocrobyla in Korea, are provided.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Fri, 8 Dec 2023 13:40:29 +0200
Arachnid Fauna (Araneae and Opiliones) from the Castro Verde Special Protection Area, southern Portugal https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/110415/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e110415

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e110415

Authors: José Barrientos, Carlos Prieto, Sílvia Pina, Sérgio Henriques, Pedro Sousa, Stefan Schindler, Luís Reino, Pedro Beja, Joana Santana

Abstract: With the increasing recognition of the significance of arachnid conservation, it is crucial to allocate greater efforts towards implementing targeted monitoring programmes. Despite recent studies, our understanding of arachnid populations in Portugal remains limited. This study serves as the initial inventory of arachnids (Araneae and Opiliones) within the Castro Verde Special Protection Area (SPA) located in Beja, southern Portugal. The surveys were conducted during the spring of 2012 across 80 open grasslands that were grazed by cattle and sheep.A total of 71 species of Araneae and two species of Opiliones have been identified. Notably, three spider species, namely Argenna subnigra, Civizelotes ibericus and Walckenaeria cucullata, are documented for the first time in Portugal. Additionally, two harvestmen species (Dasylobus ibericus and Homalenotus buchneri) and 14 spider species (Cheiracanthium pennatum, Haplodrassus rhodanicus, Marinarozelotes minutus, Tapinocyba algirica, Agraecina lineata, Tibellus macellus, Talavera petrensis, Tetragnatha intermedia, Dipoena umbratilis, Enoplognatha diversa, Neottiura uncinata, Ruborridion musivum, Theridion pinastri and Xysticus grallator) are recorded for the first time in the Beja District. The occurrence of each documented species within the SPA, including family and species details, is presented, underscoring the significance of the Castro Verde SPA for arachnid conservation. These findings contribute novel insights into the biodiversity of the Castro Verde SPA, emphasising the necessity of incorporating this area into arachnid diversity conservation efforts.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Wed, 6 Dec 2023 13:10:34 +0200
Creating a multi-linked dynamic dataset: a case study of plant genera named for women https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114408/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e114408

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e114408

Authors: Sabine von Mering, Lauren Gardiner, Sandra Knapp, Heather Lindon, Siobhan Leachman, Carmen Ulloa Ulloa, Sarah Vincent, Maria Vorontsova

Abstract: A discussion on social media led to the formation of a multidisciplinary group working on this project to highlight women’s contributions to science. The role of marginalised groups in science has been a topic of much discussion, but data on these contributions are largely lacking. Our motivation for the development of this dataset was not only to highlight names of plant genera that honour women, but to enrich this information with data that would allow the names, roles and lives of these women to be shared more widely with others, both researchers and data sources like Wikidata. Amplification of the contributions of women to botany through multiple means will enable the community to better recognise and celebrate the role of this particular marginalised group in the history and development of science.The innovative approach of our study resulted in a dataset that is dynamic, expansive and widely shared. We have published a static dataset with this paper and have also created a dynamic dataset by linking flowering plant genera and the women in whose honour those genera were named in Wikidata. This concurrent addition of the data to Wikidata, a linked open data repository, enabled it to be enriched, queried and proactively shared during the whole process of dataset creation and into the future. This innovative workflow allowed wide, open participation throughout the research process. The methodology and workflows applied can be used to create future datasets celebrating and amplifying the contributions of marginalised groups in science.

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Data Paper Wed, 6 Dec 2023 09:35:54 +0200
Diversity of parasitoid wasps (Insecta, Hymenoptera) in oilseed rape fields in Serbia https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/110118/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e110118

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e110118

Authors: Milan Plećaš, Vladimir Žikić, Korana Kocić, Jelisaveta Čkrkić, Anđeljko Petrović, Željko Tomanović

Abstract: Oilseed rape is an important crop grown worldwide and used for various purposes, including oil extraction and animal feed. In Europe, there are six major pest species and several other minor pests that can significantly affect oilseed rape production, requiring growers to effectively control them in order to ensure crop yield. The host-parasitoid complexes of these pests have been studied in detail and recorded mainly in western, central and northern Europe. As an abundant source of pollen and nectar, oilseed rape may also be attractive to other parasitoids that do not have direct trophic interactions with oilseed rape pest species. The aim of this study is to fill the knowledge gap regarding the wider parasitoid community in oilseed rape fields, particularly in southern Europe.During the two-year study, a total of 3135 specimens of primary and secondary parasitoids were sampled, of which 2855 were found in oilseed rape fields and 280 in semi-natural habitats. We found 153 taxa, of which 119 were found in oilseed rape fields and 87 in semi-natural habitats. We identified 31 genera (33 species) as parasitoids of oilseed rape pests, 54 genera (97 species) parasitising non-pest species and 10 genera (23 species) as possible parasitoids of oilseed rape pests. This study shows that the parasitoid community in oilseed rape fields is very diverse and that includes parasitoids of both oilseed rape pest and non-pest species.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Tue, 5 Dec 2023 09:02:28 +0200
Simultaneous detections of Olenecamptus bilobus (Fabricius, 1801) (Cerambycidae, Dorcaschematini) in Europe https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114432/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e114432

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e114432

Authors: Enrico Ruzzier, Carlos R. de Queros, Hugo Mas, Andrea Di Giulio

Abstract: Europe has a long history of non-native species introductions given its central role in global trade in recent centuries. Currently, approximately two hundred cerambycid species have been found in Europe, as the result of introductions between and within biogeographical regions; still, despite better monitoring and stronger restrictions, the arrivals and spread of non-native Cerambycidae continue.The aim of this contribution is to report and discuss the first European records of the non-native longhorn beetle Olenecamptus bilobus (Fabricius, 1801) on the basis of three specimens recorded almost simultaneously in Spain and Greece, respectively.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Fri, 1 Dec 2023 18:46:16 +0200
Occurrence dataset of birds in Sihong Hongze Lake Wetlands National Nature Reserve in China https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113108/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e113108

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e113108

Authors: Huali Hu, Wei Hu, Zheping Xu, Changhu Lu

Abstract: Hongze Lake is China’s fourth largest freshwater lake and is also an important habitat for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds on the East Asian-Australian Flyway (EAAF). Sihong Hongze Lake Wetlands National Nature Reserve is located on the northwest of Hongze Lake, Sihong County, Jiangsu Province. The Reserve is a protected large area of natural lake wetlands, marsh wetlands and riverine wetlands and used as a stopover and wintering habitats for migratory birds. Previous studies have conducted bird diversity and temporal-spatial variation in this Reserve, but only for species of Anseriformes. There is still a lack of a comprehensive dataset on the number of bird species and individuals in this Reserve throughout the year. Our study was conducted from July 2020 to June 2021 to observe bird species composition and individual numbers at Sihong Hongze Lake Wetlands National Nature Reserve and provides an occurrence dataset with detailed species and geographic information.This occurrence dataset is the first public record of birds in Sihong Hongze Lake Wetlands National Nature Reserve for a whole year, which includes the taxonomic information, location information, number, investigation date and endangered level for each species. All data have been published on GBIF.

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Data Paper Fri, 1 Dec 2023 17:38:06 +0200
Envisaging a global infrastructure to exploit the potential of digitised collections https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/109439/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e109439

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e109439

Authors: Quentin Groom, Mathias Dillen, Wouter Addink, Arturo H. Ariño, Christian Bölling, Pierre Bonnet, Lorenzo Cecchi, Elizabeth R. Ellwood, Rui Figueira, Pierre-Yves Gagnier, Olwen Grace, Anton Güntsch, Helen Hardy, Pieter Huybrechts, Roger Hyam, Alexis Joly, Vamsi Krishna Kommineni, Isabel Larridon, Laurence Livermore, Ricardo Jorge Lopes, Sofie Meeus, Jeremy Miller, Kenzo Milleville, Renato Panda, Marc Pignal, Jorrit Poelen, Blagoj Ristevski, Tim Robertson, Ana Rufino, Joaquim Santos, Maarten Schermer, Ben Scott, Katja Seltmann, Heliana Teixeira, Maarten Trekels, Jitendra Gaikwad

Abstract: Tens of millions of images from biological collections have become available online over the last two decades. In parallel, there has been a dramatic increase in the capabilities of image analysis technologies, especially those involving machine learning and computer vision. While image analysis has become mainstream in consumer applications, it is still used only on an artisanal basis in the biological collections community, largely because the image corpora are dispersed. Yet, there is massive untapped potential for novel applications and research if images of collection objects could be made accessible in a single corpus. In this paper, we make the case for infrastructure that could support image analysis of collection objects. We show that such infrastructure is entirely feasible and well worth investing in.

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Forum Paper Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:46:07 +0200
A new cave-dwelling species of Hahnia C. L. Koch, 1841 from Guizhou Province, China (Araneae, Hahniidae) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113400/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e113400

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e113400

Authors: Jiahui Gan, Cheng Wang, Xiaoqi Mi

Abstract: Hahnia, the most species-diversity genus of the comb-tailed spider family Hahniidae Bertkau, 1878, compromises 102 species distributed worldwide. To date, 24 species have been recorded from China.A new species of the genus Hahnia C. L. Koch, 1841 is described, based on both sexes from Shanyang Cave of Guizhou Province, China and is named H. jiangkou sp. nov. Diagnostic photos of habitus and copulatory organs, as well as a distributional map, are provided.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Thu, 30 Nov 2023 13:25:28 +0200
Description of the unknown male of Vappolotes tianjiayu Li, Zhao & Li, 2023 (Araneae, Agelenidae, Coelotinae) from China https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114147/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e114147

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e114147

Authors: Bing Li, Zhe Zhao, Shuqiang Li, Chunyan Xie

Abstract: Vappolotes Zhao & Li, 2019 is one of the troglophilous genera, with five known species. The previous description of V. tianjiayu from China was based solely on female specimens collected from caves in the Wuling Mountains in southern China without any males.The present study, deals with the first record of the male of V. tianjiayu from its type locality: Guluo Cave. The validation of species is based on the morphological characteristics of both male and female.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Wed, 29 Nov 2023 11:49:57 +0200
Clarification of the taxonomic status of Acanthochitona discrepans (Brown, 1827) with new data for the North-East Atlantic Acanthochitona (Polyplacophora, Acanthochitonidae) https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/109554/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e109554

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e109554

Authors: Katarzyna Vončina, Nina Mikkelsen, Christine Morrow, Rory Ang, Julia Sigwart

Abstract: The genus Acanthochitona can be easily distinguished from other chitons by having eighteen tufts of bristles on the dorsal side of the densely spiculose girdle. In the North-East Atlantic, five species of this genus have been recognised so far: A. crinita (Pennant, 1777), A. discrepans (Brown, 1827), A. fascicularis (Linnaeus, 1767), A. oblonga Leloup, 1968 and A. pilosa Schmidt-Petersen, Schwabe et Haszprunar, 2015. The nomenclature of A. crinita, A. discrepans and A. fascicularis was confused for a very long time until Kaas (1985) designated type specimens for them and provided a brief key. However, his work lacked detailed descriptions of the three species and some authors doubted that A. discrepans constitutes a separate species. Subsequently, the taxonomic status of A. discrepans has remained unclear.Here, we implemented an integrative approach which combined morphology and molecular evidence to show that Acanthochitona discrepans is, indeed, a valid species and we present re-descriptions for A. crinita, A. discrepans and A. fascicularis.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Tue, 28 Nov 2023 13:15:02 +0200
Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) climate zones and its associated agrobiodiversity in Arauca, Colombia https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/112771/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e112771

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e112771

Authors: Carlos Gonzalez-Orozco, Mario Porcel, Sebastian Escobar, Daniel Bravo, Yeisson Gutierrez Lopez, Roxana Yockteng, Fabrice Vaillant, Margareth Santander, Sandra Llano, Karla Parra, Esperanza Briceño, Jhony Carmona, Shirley Torres, Ramiro Contreras, Andres Otero, Allende Pesca, Gustavo Carrillo

Abstract: Cacao (Theobroma cacao L) is one of the most relevant crops in terms of economy and social rural development in Colombia. Cacao is also an important crop due to its potential to replace illicit crops and it is related to less deforestation and preserves the biodiversity. There are several cacao districts in Colombia, one of these being Arauca. The Department of Arauca is the second largest cocoa producing region in Colombia; however, it is heavily affected by armed conflict. To raise the knowledge and technology available in the region, integrating data on the occurrence of cacao farms with climatic variables becomes a powerful socioeconomic mapping tool for maintaining agrobiodiversity and food security in the region. Consequently, this type of agrodiversity data and agroclimatic approaches help to better manage agrobiodiversity, as in the cacao region of Arauca. These tools are even more relevant in biodiverse regions, such as flooded savannahs and tropical forest ecosystems, which are currently undergoing drastic changes due to agricultural expansion and climate change. One of the knowledge gaps in Colombia´s cacao regions is that there are currently no agroclimatic maps made with a social and scientific approach. This study aimed to provide a database of the spatial distribution of cacao farms in Arauca, as well as agroclimatic maps that identify and locate cacao climate regions in Arauca. We also present a presence-only matrix consisting of twenty-six tree species, or agrobiodiversity, distributed across the study region and specifically associated with the cacao forestry systems in Arauca.We present the first database of both climate and agrobiodiversity data related to cacao farms in Arauca, developed with a research and socioeconomic vision that generated a novel approach for the agroclimatic zoning of cocoa in the Arauca Region and Colombia. Using 1,538 cacao farms at the regional scale, we identified two national and six regional-scale climate and soil regions. The selection at the local scale allowed us to classify 180 cacao farms comprising nine agroclimatic clusters in Arauca. We found twenty-six tree species distributed across the cacao climate zones. This dataset and its related maps also represent the agrobiodiversity of cultivated cacao locally. This is the most complete climate and agrobiodiversity dataset of cacao farms distribution in one of the top cocoa-producing regions in the country. These outputs are crucial because they constitute a baseline for developing research in the biodiversity of agroforestry systems, pests and diseases, pollutant presence, genetics, post-harvest processing and cocoa quality and safety.

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Data Paper Tue, 28 Nov 2023 13:02:21 +0200
Inventory of the urban flora of Budapest (Hungary) highlighting new and noteworthy floristic records https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/110450/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e110450

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e110450

Authors: Attila Rigó, Ákos Malatinszky, Zoltán Barina

Abstract: The systematic urban floristic research of Budapest was started in 2018 by the authors with detailed methodology. One scope of the research was to gain knowledge on the plant taxa appearing in Budapest and to compile the inventory of the urban flora of Budapest.We have provided the inventory of the urban flora of Budapest, which includes distribution data for all 973 taxa found in Budapest between May 2018 and May 2023. We also provided new detailed occurrence data for 49 species in Budapest. Seven of them are new to the adventive flora of Hungary (Campanula portenschlagiana Roem. & Schult., Clinopodium nepeta (L.) Kuntze, Chasmanthium latifolium (Michx.) H.O.Yates, Cyrtomium fortunei J.Sm., Linaria maroccana Hook.f., Talinum paniculatum (Jacq.) Gaertn.), three were rediscovered in Hungary (Glebionis coronaria (L.) Cass. ex Spach, Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl., Sisymbrium irio L.) and 18 were recorded for the first time in Budapest. We also provided data for two data-poor (Artemisia scoparia Waldst. & Kit., Polygonum rurivagum Jord. ex Boreau) species and we documented the major expansion of six species.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Mon, 27 Nov 2023 17:06:45 +0200
Paying it forward: Crowdsourcing the harmonisation and linking of taxon names and biodiversity identifiers https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114076/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e114076

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e114076

Authors: Brandon Seah

Abstract: Linking records for the same taxa between different databases is an essential step when working with biodiversity data. However, name-matching alone is error-prone, because of issues such as homonyms (unrelated taxa with the same name) and synonyms (same taxon under different names). Therefore, most projects will require some curation to ensure that taxon identifiers are correctly linked. Unfortunately, formal guidance on such curation is uncommon and these steps are often ad hoc and poorly documented, which hinders transparency and reproducibility, yet the task requires specialist knowledge and cannot be easily automated without careful validation. Here, we present a case study on linking identifiers between the GBIF and NCBI taxonomies for a species checklist. This represents a common scenario: finding published sequence data (from NCBI) for species chosen by occurrence or geographical distribution (from GBIF). Wikidata, a publicly editable knowledge base of structured data, can serve as an additional information source for identifier linking. We suggest a software toolkit for taxon name-matching and data-cleaning, describe common issues encountered during curation and propose concrete steps to address them. For example, about 2.8% of the taxa in our dataset had wrong identifiers linked on Wikidata because of errors in name-matching caused by homonyms. By correcting such errors during data-cleaning, either directly (through editing Wikidata) or indirectly (by reporting errors in GBIF or NCBI), we crowdsource the curation and contribute to community resources, thereby improving the quality of downstream analyses.

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Methods Fri, 24 Nov 2023 16:57:30 +0200
Molecular diversity of Protura in southern High Appalachian leaf litter https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113342/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e113342

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e113342

Authors: Michael Caterino, Ernesto Recuero

Abstract: The higher elevations of the southern Appalachian Mountains, U.S.A., host a rich, but little-studied fauna of Proturan hexapods. Here, we publish 117 Proturan barcode sequences from this region, estimated by automated species delimitation methods to represent 72 distinct species, whereas only nine species have previously been reported from the region. Two families, Eosentomidae and Acerentomidae, co-occur at most sampling sites, with as many as five species occurring in sympatry. Most populations exhibit very low haplotype diversity, but divergences amongst populations and amongst closely-related species are very high, a finding common to other phylogeographic studies of Proturans. Though we were unable to identify any of the barcodes to species, they form a useful, if preliminary, glimpse of southern Appalachian Proturan diversity.

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Research Article Fri, 24 Nov 2023 16:39:01 +0200
Citizen science expanding knowledge: a new record of the lizard Heterodactylus imbricatus (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) in south-eastern Brazil https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/107929/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e107929

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e107929

Authors: Cássio Zocca, André Barreto-Lima, Dulce Daleprane, Natalia Ghilardi-Lopes

Abstract: Through citizen science projects, like Projeto Bromélias, community members contribute valuable data on species diversity, notably those with low detectability like the Heterodactylus imbricatus lizard. A recent observation in the State of Espírito Santo (south-eastern Brazil), amidst coffee and eucalyptus crops, highlights the utility of widespread technology use in tracking and documenting wildlife. Such initiatives are especially beneficial for mapping the distribution of rare, endemic or endangered reptiles. Therefore, we advocate for more citizen science initiatives near protected areas, involving local communities.We provide a new record for the species Heterodactylus imbricatus, a microteiid lizard of low detectability from the Atlantic Forest of south-eastern Brazil. Heterodactylus imbricatus (Rio de Janeiro Teiid) was recorded near the protected area "Reserva Biológica Augusto Ruschi" by a citizen volunteer who contributes herpetofauna records to the Bromelias Project (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/projeto-bromelias). Heterodactylus imbricatus is a very poorly-known species in the localities where it occurs, probably due to its fossorial habit, genera's restricted occurrence range, habitat specificity and the absence of proper survey methods fitted to fossorial species, such as the utilisation of pitfall traps. By publishing the records of volunteer citizens, we hope that more people will contribute to increase the knowledge of biodiversity in the mountainous region of Espírito Santo State and expand our collective knowledge.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Thu, 23 Nov 2023 10:22:00 +0200
SPARSE 1.0: a template for databases of species inventories, with an open example of Czech birds https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/108731/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e108731

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e108731

Authors: Kateřina Tschernosterová, Eva Trávníčková, Florencia Grattarola, Clara Rosse, Petr Keil

Abstract: Here, we introduce SPARSE (acronym for "SPecies AcRoss ScalEs"), a simple and portable template for databases that can store data on species composition derived from ecological inventories, surveys and checklists, with emphasis on metadata describing sampling effort and methods. SPARSE can accommodate resurveys and time series and data from different spatial scales, as well as complex sampling designs. SPARSE focuses on inventories that report multiple species for a given site, together with sampling methods and effort, which can be used in statistical models of true probability of occurrence of species. SPARSE is spatially explicit and can accommodate nested spatial structures from multiple spatial scales, including sampling designs where multiple sites within a larger area have been surveyed and the larger area can again be nested in an even larger region. Each site in SPARSE is represented either by a point, line (for transects) or polygon, stored in an ESRI shapefile. SPARSE implements a new combination of our own field definitions with Darwin Core biodiversity data standard and its Humboldt core extension. The use of Humboldt core also makes SPARSE suitable for biodiversity data with temporal replication.We provide an example use of the SPARSE framework by digitising data on birds from the Czech Republic, from 348 sites and 524 sampling events, with 15,969 unique species-per-event observations of presence, abundance or population density. To facilitate use without the need for a high-level database expertise, the Czech bird example is implemented as MS Access .accdb file, but can be ported to other database engines. The example of Czech birds complements other bird datasets from the Czech Republic, specifically the four gridded national atlases and the breeding bird survey which cover a similar temporal extent, but different locations and spatial scales.

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Methods Thu, 23 Nov 2023 09:47:36 +0200
Records of the non‐native alga Acanthophora spicifera (Rhodophyta) and their colonial epibionts in La Paz Bay, Gulf of California https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/114262/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e114262

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e114262

Authors: María Mendoza-Becerril, Francisco F. Pedroche, Mariae Estrada-González, Elisa Serviere-Zaragoza

Abstract: Acanthophora spicifera, a red alga considered an alien species, was discovered for the first time on the Pacific coast of Mexico in 2006 from a locality inside La Paz Bay, Gulf of California. Since then, more records have shown its presence, 17 localities having been added up to 2015. A two-year field study (2020-2022) visiting 31 sites along the coast of La Paz Bay, complemented with data from literature and citizen science, resulted in a database of 709 entries that spans the data from 2004 to 2023. These data showed a distribution that goes from Punta Coyote, close to Boca Grande, the northern entrance to the Bay to Playa Tecolote in the south, more than 100 km of coastline, including Espiritu Santo Archipelago, an area considered a natural reserve since 2007. Anthropogenic activity and environmental variables did not present statistical differences that explain A. spicifera spreading. It represents a naturalised alien species without evidence of a negative impact. Still, it soon could acquire the status of invasive species together with its epibionts Bryozoa and Hydrozoa detected in this study.

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Research Article Mon, 20 Nov 2023 14:31:07 +0200
First report of Diomus guilavoguii Duverger, 1994 (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae, Diomini) predating on papaya mealybug Paracoccus marginatus from China https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113291/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e113291

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e113291

Authors: Jiamin Zhuang, Lizhi Huo, Mingjie Tang, Xiufeng Xie, Xiaosheng Chen

Abstract: Diomus guilavoguii Duverger, 1994, an adventive species, is recorded from Guangzhou (Guangdong Province), China for the first time. Larvae of D. guilavoguii were collected in association with an invasive mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus Williams & Granara de Willink, 1992, infesting papayas, cassava and several ornamental plants. However, little has been known about the biology of D. guilavoguii, especially the morphology of their larvae since their original descriptions.Diomus guilavoguii Duverger, 1994, native to Conakry, Guinea (Africa), is recorded as established in Guangdong Province for the first time. However, it is unclear when and how D. guilavoguii spread from Africa to Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Both the adult and larva feed on the invasive mealybug Paracoccus marginatus Williams & Granara de Willink (Hemiptera, Pseudococcidae) that infests papaya and ornamental plants. In this paper, the external morphology and male genitalia of adults are re-described. The detailed descriptions of larva and pupa are also provided for the first time. The status of D. guilavoguii and D. hennessyi Fürsch, 1987 are discussed.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:02:31 +0200
First genetic insights of Gonatodes caudiscutatus (Reptilia, Gekkota) in the Galapagos Islands and mainland Ecuador https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/113396/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e113396

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e113396

Authors: Lía Altamirano-Ponce, Mateo Dávila-Játiva, Gabriela Pozo, María José Pozo, Martín Terán-Velástegui, Carlos Daniel Cadena, Diego Cisneros-Heredia, Maria de Lourdes Torres

Abstract: Studies on genetic variability amongst native and introduced species contribute to a better understanding of the genetic diversity of species along their autochthonous distribution and identify possible routes of introduction. Gonatodes caudiscutatus is a gecko native to western Ecuador and introduced to the Galapagos Islands. Despite being a successful species in human-modified habitats along its native and non-native ranges, neither the colonisation process nor the genetic diversity of this gecko is known. In this study, we analysed 55 individuals from 14 localities in western Ecuador and six localities in San Cristobal Island, Galapagos — the only island with a large, self-sustaining population. We amplified and analysed the genetic variability of two nuclear genes (Cmos and Rag2) and one mitochondrial gene (16S). Cmos and Rag2 sequences presented little to none genetic variability, while 16S allowed us to build a haplotype network. We identified nine haplotypes across mainland Ecuador, two of which are also present in Galapagos. Low genetic diversity between insular and continental populations suggests that the introduction of G. caudiscutatus on the Islands is relatively recent. Due to the widespread geographical distribution of mainland haplotypes, it was not possible to determine the source population of the introduction. This study represents the first exploration of the genetic diversity of Gonatodes caudiscutatus, utilising genetic tools to gain insights into its invasion history in the Galapagos.

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Research Article Thu, 16 Nov 2023 11:15:55 +0200
Three new species of Illiesonemoura Baumann, 1975 (Plecoptera, Nemouridae) from China https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/112020/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e112020

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e112020

Authors: Zhi-Jie Wang, Yu-Zhou Du, Xiao-Yu Ji

Abstract: The genus Illiesonemoura Baumann, 1975 (Plecoptera, Nemouridae) is a small-sized stonefly with slender and curved embranous cerci. Currently, 18 species of the genus are known worldwide, mainly distributed in the Palaearctic and Oriental Regions, with a total of two species known to China.Three new species of Illiesonemoura Baumann, 1975, I. bituberculata Wang & Du, sp. nov., I. motuoensis Du & Ji, sp. nov. and I. weii Du & Ji, sp. nov. are described and illustrated, based on male adults from China. Illiesonemoura bituberculata is characterised by two pairs of tubercles arising posteromedially from tergum 10 and by two rows of spinules outlining the lateral edge of the ventral sclerite of the epiproct. Illiesonemoura motuoensis is characterised by the heart-shaped epiproct with a thin and slightly sclerotised protrusion between the sclerotised bands. Illiesonemoura weii is characterised by a pair of small knobs on tergum 10, outer lobes of paraprocts basally broad, then slender towards apices with a pointed tip and the epiproct with lateral spinules.

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Taxonomy & Inventories Tue, 14 Nov 2023 10:16:46 +0200
Metabarcoding dietary analysis in the insectivorous bat Nyctalus leisleri and implications for conservation https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/111146/ Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e111146

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e111146

Authors: Sarah Bourlat, Martin Koch, Ameli Kirse, Kathrin Langen, Marianne Espeland, Hendrik Giebner, Jan Decher, Axel Ssymank, Vera Fonseca

Abstract: In this study, we aim to uncover diet preferences for the insectivorous bat Nyctalus leisleri (Leisler's bat, the lesser noctule) and to provide recommendations for conservation of the species, based on the analysis of prey source habitats. Using a novel guano trap, we sampled bat faeces at selected roosts in a forest in Germany and tested two mitochondrial markers (COI and 16S) and three primer pairs for the metabarcoding of bat faecal pellets.We found a total of 17 arthropod prey orders comprising 358 species in N. leisleri guano. The most diverse orders were Lepidoptera (126 species), Diptera (86 species) and Coleoptera (48 species), followed by Hemiptera (28 species), Trichoptera (16 species), Neuroptera (15 species) and Ephemeroptera (10 species), with Lepidoptera species dominating in spring and Diptera in summer. Based on the ecological requirements of the most abundant arthropod species found in the bat guano, we propose some recommendations for the conservation of N. leisleri that are relevant for other insectivorous bat species.

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Research Article Tue, 14 Nov 2023 10:09:27 +0200