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How animal cell types, tissues, and regional body plans arose is a fundamental question in EvoDevo. Many current efforts attempt to link genetic information to the morphology of cells, tissues and regionalization of animal body plans using single-cell sequencing of cell populations. However, a lack of in-depth understanding of the morphology of non-bilaterian animals remains a considerable block to understanding the transitions between bilaterian and non-bilaterian cells and tissues. Sponges (Porifera), one of the earliest diverging animal phyla, pose a particular challenge to this endeavour, because their body plans lack mouths, gut, conventional muscle and nervous systems. With a goal to help bridge this gap, we have studied the morphology, behaviour and transcriptomics of cells and tissue types of an easily accessible and well-studied species of freshwater sponge, Ephydatia muelleri. New features described here include: a polarized external epithelium, a new contractile sieve cell that forms the entry to incurrent canals, motile cilia on apopyle cells at the exit of choanocyte chambers, and non-motile cilia on cells in excurrent canals and oscula. Imaging cells in vivo shows distinct behavioural characteristics of motile cells in the mesohyl. Transcriptomic phenotypes of three cell types (cystencytes, choanocytes and archaeocytes) captured live indicate that cell-type transcriptomes are distinct. Importantly, individual archaeocytes show a range of transcriptomic phenotypes which is supported by the distinct expression of different genes by subsets of this cell type. In contrast, all five choanocyte cells sampled live revealed highly uniform transcriptomes with significantly fewer genes expressed than in other cell types. Our study shows that sponges have tissues whose morphology and cell diversity are both functionally complex, but which together enable the sponge, like other metazoans, to sense and respond to stimuli., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).) more...

Eukaryotic plankton are important parts of the aquatic ecosystem and their community composition and spatiotemporal distribution patterns are affected by environmental factors. The Liujiaxia Reservoir is located at the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau and is a vital resource for communities and agriculture in the region. Revealing the plankton diversity and their correlation with environmental factors is essential for understanding the ecological processes and mechanisms by which plankton contribute to, and maintain the ecosystem function of, the Liujiaxia Reservoir and beyond. This study investigated the detailed spatiotemporal distribution patterns and assembly mechanisms of eukaryotic plankton communities in Liujiaxia Reservoir for three periods during 2021. Significant spatial and temporal variations of abundance and community distribution of eukaryotic plankton were demonstrated. In addition, environmental factors such as water transparency, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, and pH were confirmed to have the most significant impact on the distribution of these communities in the reservoir. The dominant eukaryotic plankton group was Pyrrophyta, and the species interactions were predominantly cooperative. The trophic level index indicated excellent overall water quality in the reservoir. Deterministic processes were demonstrated as the predominant factors governing the assembly of eukaryotic plankton communities. This study provides valuable insight into the eukaryotic plankton community structure in the Liujiaxia Reservoir and reveals the complex relationships between plankton communities, environmental factors, and water quality.IMPORTANCEBased on 18S rDNA high-throughput sequencing, the spatiotemporal distribution patterns and assembly mechanisms of eukaryotic plankton communities were investigated. This study provides valuable insight into the eukaryotic plankton community structure in the Liujiaxia Reservoir in the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, and the relationships between eukaryotic plankton communities, environmental factors, and water quality. Through the dynamic changes of these communities, the water quality of the reservoir was assessed to provide basic data for the protection of its biodiversity. The findings of the present study will help to improve knowledge and understanding of the ecological processes and mechanisms by which plankton contribute to ecosystem function in the Liujiaxia Reservoir and beyond., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. more...

Caligus minimus Otto, 1821 has been known for over two centuries and it is the second oldest of the approximately 275 species of Caligus O. F. Müller, 1985. Despite the numerous records of this species from European waters, it has never been fully described to modern standards. The lack of a comprehensive modern description has resulted in numerous misidentifications, even in recently published reports, and this is especially problematic for a species that is known to have a significant economic impact in aquaculture. This study presents a detailed description of both sexes and documents newly observed features of C. minimus collected from the buccal cavity of farmed European Sea Bass (ESB), Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758). The morphology of C. minimus was examined using light microscope (LM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), and new details are revealed regarding the structure and ornamentation of the marginal membrane of the cephalothorax, maxilliped, antenna, sternal furca, abdomen, and legs 1, 3, 4, and 6. The ornamentation of the marginal membrane of the cephalothorax is unique and its impact on the functioning of the cephalothoracic sucker requires further investigation. Additionally, partial COI gene region sequences were obtained from four individuals of C. minimus and provided for future references. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted in conjunction with Caligus sequences available in the NCBI GenBank database., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.) more...

Ciliates of the class Nassophorea Small & Lynn, 1981, inhabit a wide range of aquatic environments and serve as a trophic link in microbial food webs. However, their diversity remains underestimated. In the present study, the morphology and molecular phylogeny of Rhinakis faurei Deroux, 1994, an insufficiently known nassulid ciliate, were investigated using an integrative taxonomic approach. The studied population was collected from a freshwater pond in Qingdao, China. Details of the live morphology and ciliature of R. faurei are documented for the first time, and an improved species diagnosis is provided. Phylogenetic analyses of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequence revealed that R. faurei clusters within the family Nassulidae de Fromentel, 1874. However, evolutionary interrelationships within the Nassulidae remain obscure owing to under-sampling, the lack of sequence data for most nominal species, and low nodal support or unstable gene tree topologies. more...

Aromia bungii is an invasive Cerambycidae of major concern at the global scale because of the damage caused to Rosaceae. Given the major phytosanitary relevance of A. bungii, predicting its spread in invaded areas and identifying possible new suitable regions worldwide remains a key action to develop appropriate management practices and optimise monitoring and early detection campaigns. To improve the predictive power of the modelling framework, a habitat suitability model (HSM), which includes host plants, was combined with a bioclimatic suitability model (BSM), both of which were calibrated on native occurrences. The range of A. bungii was substantially limited by the bioclimate, while habitat conditions acted as limiting factors in the species' distribution. Host plants were the most important variable that positively influenced habitat suitability. Bioclimatic suitability improved as rainfall in the warmest quarter and average temperatures in the wettest quarter increased and as isothermality decreased. According to the combination of HSM and BSM, Japan is the most suitable area outside the native range of the species. In Europe, despite its high habitat suitability, it is difficult to expect a species to expand its range except through a substantial change in its bioclimatic niche., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).) more...

Background: Historically, soil-transmitted helminth (STH) control and prevention strategies have relied on mass drug administration efforts targeting preschool and school-aged children. While these efforts have succeeded in reducing morbidity associated with STH infection, recent modeling efforts have suggested that expanding intervention to treatment of the entire community could achieve transmission interruption in some settings. Testing the feasibility of such an approach requires large-scale clinical trials, such as the DeWorm3 cluster randomized trial. In addition, accurate interpretation of trial outcomes requires diagnostic platforms capable of accurately determining infection prevalence (particularly as infection intensity is reduced) at large population scale and with significant throughput. Here, we describe the development and validation of such a high-throughput molecular testing platform., Methodology/principal Findings: Through the development, selection, and validation of appropriate controls, we have successfully created and evaluated the performance of a testing platform capable of the semi-automated, high-throughput detection of four species of STH in human stool samples. Comparison of this platform with singleplex reference assays for the detection of these same pathogens has demonstrated comparable performance metrics, with index assay accuracy measuring at or above 99.5% and 98.1% for each target species at the level of the technical replicate and individual extraction respectively. Through the implementation of a rigorous validation program, we have developed a diagnostic platform capable of providing the necessary throughput and performance required to meet the needs of the DeWorm3 cluster randomized trial and other large-scale operational research efforts for STH., Conclusions/significance: Resulting from the rigorous developmental approach taken, the platform we describe here provides the needed confidence in testing outcomes when utilized in conjunction with large-scale efforts such as the DeWorm3 trial. Additionally, the successful development of an evaluation and validation strategy provides a template for the creation of similar diagnostic platforms for other neglected tropical diseases., Competing Interests: Co-author Sitara Swarna Rao Ajjampur currently sits on the editorial board for PLoS NTDs., (Copyright: © 2025 Pilotte et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.) more...

Species of Tricholoma are of great economic and ecological value. There are many studies on Tricholoma worldwide, but the areas investigated are generally North America and Europe. There is limited knowledge about Tricholoma in China. In this study, 21 species of Tricholoma were confirmed in Shanxi Province based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses. These species are located in eight sections, viz. sect. Atrosquamosa, sect. Genuina, sect. Lasciva, sect. Matsutake, sect. Pardinicuti, sect. Rigida, sect. Terrea and sect. Tricholoma. Of these, four species are described as new to science: T.flavoviride , T.fumeobrunneum , T.parafulvum , and T.viscidum ., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Ning Mao, Jia-Jia Yang, Yu-Xin Zhang, Ting Li, Li Fan.) more...

Trade-offs resulting from the high demand of offspring production are a central focus of many subdisciplines within the field of biology. Yet, despite the historical and current interest on this topic, large gaps in our understanding of whole-organism trade-offs that occur in reproducing individuals remain, particularly as it relates to the nuances associated with female reproduction. This volume of Integrative and Comparative Biology (ICB) contains a series of papers that focus on reviewing trade-offs from the female-centered perspective of biology (i.e., a perspective that places female reproductive biology at the center of the topic being investigated or discussed). These papers represent some of the work showcased during our symposium held at the 2024 meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) in Seattle, Washington. In this roundtable discussion, we use a question-and-answer format to capture the diverse perspectives and voices involved in our symposium. We hope that the dialogue featured in this discussion will be used to motivate researchers interested in understanding trade-offs in reproducing females and provide guidance on future research endeavors., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.) more...

The 2020 mass mortality of 350 African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Botswana sparked global concern, with cyanotoxins in watering holes (pans) being a suspected cause, though evidence remains inconclusive. Combining remote sensing and spatial analysis, we examined the relationship between the ecohydrology of ∼3000 pans and the locations of deceased elephants. Our analysis revealed a significant difference in the spatial distribution of fresh versus decayed carcasses (p < 0.001), indicating that the die-off deviated from typical regional elephant mortality patterns. We identified 20 pans near fresh carcasses that experienced increased cyanobacteria bloom events in 2020 (n = 123) compared to the previous 3 years combined (n = 23), exhibiting the highest average phytoplankton biomass of the period 2015-2023 (Normalised Difference Chlorophyll Index >0.2). These findings suggest a heightened risk and likelihood of cyanotoxin presence in these pans. Elephants were estimated to have walked 16.5 km (± 6.2 km) and died within 88 h (± 33 h) of exposure. Our study provides evidence that cyanobacterial toxicity could be a contributing factor to the 2020 die-off, while also considering other potential causes, and offers a general framework for investigation of future mortality events. We underscore the need to integrate spatial analysis and regional ecohydrological assessments to monitor and mitigate animal mortality events and inform conservation strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) more...

Pseudophilotes fatma (Oberthür, 1890) is a Palearctic butterfly species endemic to the Maghreb region, characterised by a highly restricted distribution and "Endangered" conservation status. Recent field observations in Batna Province, northeastern Algeria, have documented new localities for P. fatma, marking its rediscovery after a 71-year absence. We updated the global distribution map for this species and highlight the urgent need for conservation actions to ensure its persistence. A lectotype is designated for Lycæna bavius var. fatma Oberthür, 1890. more...

Accurate knowledge of species distributions is foundational for effective conservation efforts. Bats are a diverse group of mammals, with important roles in ecosystem functioning. However, our understanding of bats and their ecological importance is hindered by poorly defined ranges, mostly as a result of under-recording. This issue is exacerbated in Africa by the ongoing rapid discovery of new species, both de novo and splits of existing species, and by inaccessibility to museum specimens that are mostly hosted outside of the continent. Here we present the African bat database - a curated set of 17,285 unique locality records of all 266 species of bats from sub-Saharan Africa, vouched for by specimens and/or genetic sequencing, and aligned with current taxonomy. Based on these records, we also present Maxent-based distribution models and calculate the IUCN Red List metrics for Extent of Occurrence and Area of Occupancy. This database and online visualization tool provide an important open-source resource and is expected to significantly advance studies in ecology, and aid in bat conservation., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

Habitat association has been proposed to affect evolutionary dynamics through its control on dispersal propensity, which is considered a key trait for lineage survival in habitats of low durational stability. The Habitat Constraint hypothesis predicts different micro- and macroevolutionary patterns for stable versus dynamic habitat specialists, but the empirical evidence remains controversial and in insects mostly derives from winged lineages. We here use genome-wide SNP data to assess the effect of habitat association on the population dynamics of two closely related flightless lineages of the genus Eutagenia (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), which are co-distributed across the Cyclades islands in the Eastern Mediterranean but are associated with habitat types of different presumed stability: the psammophilous lineage is associated with dynamic sandy coastal habitats, while the geophilous lineage is associated with comparatively stable compact soil habitats. Our comparative population genomic and demographic analyses support higher inter-island gene flow in the psammophilous lineage, presumably due to the physical properties of dynamic sand-dune habitats that promote passive dispersal. We also find consistent bottlenecks in the psammophilous demes, suggesting that lineage evolution in the dynamic habitat is punctuated by local extinction and recolonisation events. The inferred demographic processes are surprisingly uniform among psammophilous demes, but vary considerably among geophilous demes depending on historical island connectivity, indicating more stringent constraints on the dynamic habitat lineage. This study extends the Habitat Constraint hypothesis by demonstrating that selection on dispersal traits is not the only mechanism that can drive consistent differences in evolutionary dynamics between stable versus dynamic habitat specialists., (© 2024 The Author(s). Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.) more...

Descriptions of the following three new species of Macrotomoderus Pic, 1901 from continental China are provided: M.blinsteini sp. nov. , M.hirsutus sp. nov. , and M.turpiculus sp. nov. The available identification key to the Palaearctic Macrotomoderus species is supplemented and updated., Competing Interests: The author has declared that no competing interests exist., (Dmitry Telnov.) more...

The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky), is a polyphagous woodboring beetle that infests and damages hardwood host trees in Asia, Europe, and North America. Native to China and the Korean peninsula, ALB is invasive in both North America and Europe. Due to the large environmental and economic impacts associated with ALB, much effort has been placed on its management and eradication from invaded areas. Eradication programs consist of visual surveys, regulatory quarantines, host removal, public outreach and education, and in some cases, insecticides. Host removal is effective but is laborious and costly, and while insecticides have been useful as a component of some eradication programs, they can be expensive, ineffective, and environmentally detrimental. Thus, several arthropod biological control agents (BCAs) have been evaluated which could support a more environmentally friendly management strategy to supplement traditional ALB management tactics. Here, we review the biological control strategy for ALB, including the exploration within the native and invaded ranges of the pest, to find potential arthropod BCAs. We discuss the ecological premise behind the method as well as the potential for its success, and we identify knowledge gaps and future considerations for the enactment of this method. While biological control shows promise, care will be needed in utilizing this method, and further research must explore the success of BCAs in field settings., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.) more...

Pleurostomatid ciliates, as a highly diverse and widely distributed unicellular eukaryote group, play a crucial role in the cycling of nutrients and energy in microbial food webs. However, research on pleurostomatids remains insufficient, resulting in a paucity of molecular information and substantial gaps in knowledge of their phylogenetic relationships. In recent years, we investigated pleurostomatid diversity in various Chinese habitats, including their systematic relationships and taxonomic circumscriptions, which were comprehensively analyzed using an integrative morphomolecular approach. Results revealed that: (1) pleurostomatids can be categorized into two suborders, Protolitonotina subord. nov. and Amphileptina Jankowski, 1967; (2) Protolitonotina subord. nov. represents the ancestral pleurostomatid group and includes two genera, Protolitonotus and Heterolitonotus , characterized by right kineties progressively shortened along rightmost full kineties and absence of a left dorsolateral kinety; (3) gen. nov. , characterized by right kineties progressively shortened along rightmost full kineties and absence of a left dorsolateral kinety; (3) Heterolitonotus gen. nov. represents an orphan lineage and is defined by an oral slit extending to its dorsal margin; (4) " Protolitonotus clampi " does not group with congeners but instead represents an orphan lineage, thus Novilitonotus gen. nov. is established to which P. clampi is transferred as Novilitonotus clampi , are described; and (6) helices 21es6a to 21es6d within the V4 region of small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) may serve as a useful tool for discriminating pleurostomatids. The evolutionary relationships among all main lineages of pleurostomatids are discussed and a key to the identification of pleurostomatid genera is provided.comb. nov. ; (5) three new species, Apoamphileptus paraclaparedii sp. nov. , Heterolitonotus rex gen. nov., sp. nov. , and Loxophyllum apohelus sp. nov. , are described; and (6) helices 21es6a to 21es6d within the V4 region of small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) may serve as a useful tool for discriminating pleurostomatids. The evolutionary relationships among all main lineages of pleurostomatids are discussed and a key to the identification of pleurostomatid genera is provided. more...

Diplomonorchis micropogoni Nahhas & Cable, 1964 was considered a junior subjective synonym of Diplomonorchis leiostomi Hopkins, 1941 in 1969. Diplomonorchis leiostomi has since been widely reported from the coastal Western Atlantic between Delaware Bay and southern Brazil. Until now, taxonomically verifiable DNA sequence data for D. leiostomi has been available from an individual worm collected from the northern Gulf of Mexico. We generated a partial sequence of the 28S rRNA gene from D. leiostomi from the spot croaker, Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepède (type-host) from Beaufort, North Carolina, USA (type-locality) that differed at 31 of 1,246 bases from the available 28S sequence. This prompted a reevaluation of Diplomonorchis spp. identities from the northern Gulf of Mexico. We found D. leiostomi and D. micropogoni distinguishable by testes shape and size, and to a lesser degree by relative caecal length. Museum specimens of D. leiostomi, identified from the Gulf of Mexico represent a species complex containing D. leiostomi, D. cf. micropogoni and, a new species of Diplomonorchis. The sequences previously identified as D. leiostomi in GenBank (AY222137 & AY222252) are herein identified as D. cf. micropogoni. The new species is described from newly collected material herein. Phylogenetic analysis of 28S rRNA sequences from the species complex plus 46 species from the Monorchioidea Odhner, 1911 indicated all three Diplomonorchis spp. are closely related and form a clade with some species of Lasiotocus Looss, 1907. With the addition of the new species, and acceptance of D. micropogoni, there are currently 14 valid species in Diplomonorchis., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict of interest All authors report no competing interest or conflict related to the research or writing. Ethical approval Auburn University institutional guidelines for care and use of animals were followed. Fish were collected under permits issued from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Marine Division, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Marine Fisheries Management, Special Activity License SAL-10-15-0942-SR., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

Two new species, namely Gastroptychia geoffreyi sp. nov. and Gastroptychia collicola sp. nov., are described respectively from Darjeeling and West Khasi Hills, northeastern India based on historical collections at the Natural History Museum, London. Gastroptychia collicola sp. nov. is distinguished from sympatric species by the presence of a unique palatal swelling and a palatal lamella, while Gastroptychia geoffreyi sp. nov. is distinguished from sympatric species by its dense ribs. The type specimens of all sympatric sinistral species, namely Gastroptychia insignis (Godwin-Austen, 1870), Gastroptychia gibbosa (W. T. Blanford, 1868), Gastroptychia gibberosa (Godwin-Austen, 1892), and Gastroptychia jaintiaca (Godwin-Austen, 1870), are illustrated for comparison. more...

Eyes within the marine gastropod superfamily Stromboidea range widely in size, from 0.2 to 2.3 mm - the largest eyes known in any gastropod. Despite this interesting variation, the underlying evolutionary pressures remain unknown. Here, we use the wealth of material available in museum collections to explore the evolution of stromboid eye size and structure. Our results suggest that depth is a key light-limiting factor in stromboid eye evolution; here, increasing water depth is correlated with increasing aperture width relative to lens diameter, and therefore an increasing investment in sensitivity in dim light environments. In the major clade containing all large-eyed stromboid families, species observed active during the day and the night had wider eye apertures relative to lens sizes than species observed active during the day only, thereby prioritising sensitivity over resolution. Species with no consistent diel activity pattern also had smaller body sizes than exclusively day-active species, which may suggest that smaller animals are more vulnerable to shell-crushing predators, and avoid the higher predation pressure experienced by animals active during the day. Within the same major clade, ancestral state reconstruction suggests that absolute eye size increased above 1 mm twice. The unresolved position of Varicospira, however, weakens this hypothesis and further work with additional markers is needed to confirm this result., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Society of Systematic Biologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.) more...

Eukaryotic cells depend on dynamic changes in shape to fulfill a wide range of cellular functions, maintain essential biological processes, and regulate cellular behavior. The single-celled, predatory ciliate Lacrymaria exhibits extraordinary dynamic shape-shifting using a flexible "neck" that can stretch 7-8 times the length of its body to capture prey. The molecular mechanism behind this morphological change remains a mystery. We have observed that when in an active state, Lacrymaria repeatedly extends and contracts its neck to enable 360-degree space search and prey capture. This remarkable morphological change involves a unique actin-myosin system rather than the Ca 2+ -dependent system found in other contractile ciliates. Two cytoskeletons are identified in the cortex of the Lacrymaria cell, namely the myoneme cytoskeleton and the microtubule cytoskeleton. The myoneme cytoskeleton is composed of centrin-myosin proteins, exhibiting distinct patterns between the neck and body, with their boundary seemingly associated with the position of the macronucleus. A novel giant protein forming a ladder-like structure was discovered as a component of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Thick centrin-myosin fibers are situated very close to the right side of the ladders in the neck but are far away from such structures in the body. This arrangement enables the decoupling of the neck and body. Plasmodium-like unconventional actin has been discovered in Lacrymaria, and this may form highly dynamic short filaments that could attach to the giant protein and myosin, facilitating coordination between the two cytoskeletons in the neck. In summary, this fascinating organism employs unconventional cytoskeletal components to accomplish its extraordinary dynamic shape-shifting., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) more...

Background: Tapeworms are parasitic flatworms that independently evolved a segmented body plan, historically confounding comparisons with other animals. Anteroposterior (AP) patterning in free-living flatworms and in tapeworm larvae is associated with canonical Wnt signaling and positional control genes (PCGs) are expressed by their musculature in regionalized domains along the AP axis. Here, we extend investigations of PCG expression to the adult of the mouse bile-duct tapeworm Hymenolepis microstoma, focusing on the growth zone of the neck region and the initial establishment of segmental patterning., Results: We show that the adult musculature includes new, segmental elements that first appear in the neck and that the spatial patterns of Wnt factors are consistent with expression by muscle cells. Wnt factor expression is highly regionalized and becomes AP-polarized in segments, marking them with axes in agreement with the polarity of the main body axis, while the transition between the neck and strobila is specifically demarcated by the expression domain of a Wnt11 paralog., Conclusion: We suggest that segmentation could originate in the muscular system and participate in patterning the AP axis through regional and polarized expression of PCGs, akin to the gene regulatory networks employed by free-living flatworms and other animals., (© 2024 The Authors. Developmental Dynamics published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association for Anatomy.) more...

Animal-mediated pollination is a key ecosystem service required to some extent by almost three-quarters of the leading human food crops in global food production. Anthropogenic pressures such as habitat loss and land-use intensification are causing shifts in ecological community composition, potentially resulting in declines in pollination services and impacting crop production. Previous research has often overlooked interspecific differences in pollination contribution, yet such differences mean that biodiversity declines will not necessarily negatively impact pollination. Here, we use a novel species-level ecosystem service contribution matrix along with mixed-effects models to explore how groups of terrestrial species who contribute differently to crop pollination respond globally to land-use type, land-use intensity, and availability of natural habitats in the surrounding landscape. We find that the species whose contribution to crop pollination is higher generally respond less negatively (and in some cases positively) to human disturbance of land, compared to species that contribute less or not at all to pollination. This result may be due to these high-contribution species being less sensitive to anthropogenic land conversions, which has led humans to being more reliant on them for crop pollination. However, it also suggests that there is potential for crop pollination to be resilient in the face of anthropogenic land conversions. With such a high proportion of food crops requiring animal-mediated pollination to some extent, understanding how anthropogenic landscapes impact ecological communities and the consequences for pollination is critical for ensuring food security., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.) more...

The 'type' of the fly species 'Trypeta' cylindrica Walker, 1853, from the William Saunders Collection, was misidentified and subsequently placed in the genus Chyliza Fallén (Psilidae). A specimen from the same collection with identical label data but belonging to Coelopacidia Enderlein (Tephritidae) is hereby identified as the correct holotype and the species should therefore be referred to as Coelopacidia cylindrica (Walker, 1853). Chyliza pallidipes Lamb, 1917 stat. rev. is taken out of synonymy and regarded as the valid name for the species previously treated as 'Chyliza cylindrica'. more...

Why aggressive traits evolve in some species but not in others is poorly understood. We modeled the population dynamics of the extinct Mauritius dodo and Rodrigues solitaire to examine divergent pathways in the evolution of aggression. Whereas the dodo conformed to island syndrome predictions of tameness, its sister-taxon the solitaire evolved strong sexual dimorphism and aggressive traits. We computed rates of change in island size from sea level modeling and connected island size change to population dynamics by integrating a Hawk-Dove game theory model for territory competition with a population model. We find that the rapid rate of decrease in island size likely was an important trigger for the onset of aggressive behavior and that aggressive behavior becomes fixed if a tipping point is reached where island size falls below a critical threshold., Competing Interests: Authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 The Author(s).) more...

A revision of the genus Neoleptastacus Nicholls, 1945 (Harpacticoida, Arenopontiidae) is presented, resulting in the recognition of 24 valid species. The genus is divided in five species groups based on shared morphological character states, i.e. the acanthus-, australis-, speluncae-, trisetosus- and spinicaudatus-groups with the acanthus-group being further fragmented in three subgroups (acanthus, gussoae, ornamentus). The two members of the speluncae-group, Neoleptastacus phreatica (Cottarelli, Bruno & Venanzetti, 1994) and N. speluncae (Cottarelli, Bruno & Venanzetti, 1994), are redescribed and transferred to a new genus, Phreatipontia gen. nov., that appears to have a preference for low salinity habitats. The Mediterranean N. acanthus (Chappuis, 1954) is redescribed based on material from Türkiye and considered potentially conspecific with N. huysi (Karanovic, 2000). The male specimen illustrated in the original description of N. longiremis (Chappuis, 1955) is designated as the lectotype to define the nominal taxon objectively in the likely event that females and males assigned to this inadequately described species turn out to be non-conspecific. Detailed morphological comparison of species currently allocated to the gussoae-complex revealed three new cryptic taxa from Central and South America which are accorded specific rank (N. abbreviatus sp. nov., N. chilensis sp. nov., and N. rectus sp. nov.). The taxonomic status of Arenopontia (Neoleptastacus) acantha accraensis Lang, 1965 sensu Kunz (1971) is reassessed based on material from Angola and described as N. emendatus sp. nov. The Panamanian material previously identified as N. trisetosus (Mielke, 1982) is considered to represent a distinct species, N. panamensis sp. nov. while N. pseudishikarianus sp. nov. is proposed for the Chilean "population" of N. ishikarianus (Itô, 1968). Neoleptastacus supersetosus sp. nov. is described from Kuwait, representing the first arenopontiid record from the Arabian Peninsula. Neoleptastacus secundus Krishnaswamy, 1957 and N. accraensis (Lang, 1965) are treated as species inquirendae while Arenopontia breviarticulata Mielke, 1975 is removed from its provisional position in Neoleptastacus and placed as species incertae sedis in the Arenopontiidae. Distribution data are summarized for each species and the previously assumed amphi-Panamanian and amphi-Pacific distribution patterns of N. gussoae (Cottarelli, 1973) and N. ishikarianus, respectively, are rejected. Updated keys to the 24 valid species of Neoleptastacus and the six genera currently recognized in the family are provided. more...

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis has now become a core approach in marine biodiversity research, which typically involves the collection of water or sediment samples. Yet, recently, filter-feeding organisms have received much attention for their potential role as natural eDNA samplers. While the indiscriminate use of living organisms as 'sampling tools' might in some cases raise conservation concerns, there are instances in which highly abundant sessile organisms may become a nuisance as biofouling on artificial marine structures. Here we demonstrate how a sea sponge species that colonizes the moorings of the world's largest curtain of hydroacoustic receivers can become a powerful natural collector of fish biodiversity information. By sequencing eDNA extracted from Vazella pourtalesii retrieved from moorings during routine biofouling maintenance, we detected 23 species of marine fish and mammals, compared to 19 and 15 species revealed by surface and bottom water eDNA respectively, and 28 species captured by groundfish survey in the surrounding area, which are more ecologically impactful and involve higher additional costs. Sponge-based species inventories proved at least as informative as those obtained by traditional survey methods, and are also able to detect seasonal differences in fish assemblages. We conclude that opportunistic sampling of marine sponge biofouling may become an efficient way to document and monitor biodiversity in our rapidly changing oceans., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) more...

A new species of the genus Notodoma Lacordaire, 1854 (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Exosternini), Notodoma koreanum sp. nov., is described from Korea. Most of them recognized from various fungi colonies, feeding on small insect eggs or larvae, as well as fungi. We present the descriptions and images of diagnostic characters for Korean Notodoma species, including Notodoma fungorum Lewis, 1884. Additionally, a revised key to all seven species of the genus Notodoma worldwide, including the newly described species, is provided. more...

Mass extinctions are considered to be quintessential examples of Court Jester drivers of macroevolution, whereby abiotic pressures drive a suite of extinctions leading to huge ecosystem changes across geological timescales. Most research on mass extinctions ignores species interactions and community structure, limiting inference about which and why species go extinct, and how Red Queen processes that link speciation to extinction rates affect the subsequent recovery of biodiversity, structure and function. Here, we apply network reconstruction, secondary extinction modelling and community structure analysis to the Early Toarcian (Lower Jurassic; 183 Ma) Extinction Event and recovery. We find that primary extinctions targeted towards infaunal guilds, which caused secondary extinction cascades to higher trophic levels, reproduce the empirical post-extinction community most accurately. We find that the extinction event caused a switch from a diverse community with high levels of functional redundancy to a less diverse, more densely connected community of generalists. Recovery was characterised by a return to pre-extinction levels of some elements of community structure and function prior to the recovery of biodiversity. Full ecosystem recovery took ~7 million years at which point we see evidence of dramatically increased vertical structure linked to the Mesozoic Marine Revolution and modern marine ecosystem structure., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

The physical effects of climate warming have been well documented, but the biological responses are far less well known, especially at the ecosystem level and at large (intercontinental) scales. Global warming over the next century is generally predicted to reduce food web complexity, but this is rarely tested empirically due to the dearth of studies isolating the effects of temperature on complex natural food webs. To overcome this obstacle, we used 'natural experiments' across 14 streams in Iceland and Russia, with natural warming of up to 20°C above the coldest stream in each high-latitude region, where anthropogenic warming is predicted to be especially rapid. Using biomass-weighted stable isotope data, we found that community isotopic divergence (a universal, taxon-free measure of trophic diversity) was consistently lower in warmer streams. We also found a clear shift towards greater assimilation of autochthonous carbon, which was driven by increasing dominance of herbivores but without a concomitant increase in algal stocks. Overall, our results support the prediction that higher temperatures will simplify high-latitude freshwater ecosystems and provide the first mechanistic glimpses of how warming alters energy transfer through food webs at intercontinental scales., (© 2024 The Author(s). Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.) more...

The evolution of limb reduction in squamates is a classic example of convergence, but the skeletal morphological patterns associated with it are underexplored. To provide insights on the biomechanical and developmental consequences of transitions to limb reduction, we use geometric morphometrics to examine the morphology of pectoral and pelvic girdles in 90 species of limb-reduced skinks and their fully limbed relatives. Clavicle shapes converge towards an acute anterior bend when forelimbs are lost but hindlimbs are retained-a morphology typical of sand-swimmers. This may either indicate functional adaptations to locomotion in fine substrates, or a developmental consequence of complete limb loss. The shape of limb-bearing elements of both girdles (coracoid and pelvis) instead closely mirrors limb reduction, becoming more simplified as undulation replaces limbed locomotion. Integration between girdles decreases in taxa lacking elements of the forelimbs but not hindlimbs, indicating differential selection on each girdle in response to distinct locomotory strategies. However, this pattern becomes less clear when considering phylogenetic history, perhaps because it is limited to one specific clade ( Lerista ). We show how the functional demands of locomotion can induce changes at different levels of organismal organization, including both external and internal structures. more...

In the global processed seafood industry, disparate actors play different roles along the supply chain, creating multiple opportunities for mistakes, malpractice, and fraud. As a consequence, consumers may be exposed to non-authentic products, which hinder informed purchasing decisions and broader efforts to improve trade transparency and sustainability. Here, we characterised the taxonomic composition of 62 processed seafood products in Italian, British and Albanian retailers, purposefully obtained from different supply routes, using multiple DNA metabarcoding markers. By combining molecular results with metadata reported on labels, we revealed patterns of mislabelling in 24 products (39%) across sampling regions, denoting lack of transparency of processed seafood products based on resources sourced from either Europe or globally. We show that the accuracy of label claims and the mis-represented and underestimated levels of traded biodiversity are largely determined by the management of raw material by global processors. Our study shows that DNA metabarcoding is a powerful and novel authentication tool that is mature for application at different stages of the seafood supply chain to protect consumers and improve the sustainable management of fish stocks., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.) more...

COI-barcode-like sequences appear to show substantially more species diversity among Mesoamerican bumblebees than had been reported previously from morphological studies. Closer examination shows that some of this apparent diversity may be pseudospecies (groups falsely misinterpreted as separate species), often supported by paralogous 'numts' (nuclear copies of mitochondrial sequences). For the well-sampled weisi-complex, we seek to filter out pseudogenes in order to use the orthologous COI-barcode sequences for identifying estimates of evolutionary relationships and likely species' gene coalescents for candidate species. Even after this filtering, in contrast to recent purely morphological studies our results from an integrative assessment of species' gene coalescents together with skeletal morphology support that 'Bombus weisi' Friese in its recent broad sense consists of two species: B. weisi (which includes the taxon montezumae Cockerell); and B. nigrodorsalis Franklin. Our interpretation rejects likely numts-based pseudospecies and a candidate species that are unsupported by skeletal morphology. This shows that careful attention needs to be paid to both barcode analysis and to skeletal morphology, to avoid describing pseudospecies. more...

A new species of small-sized smiliogastrin barb, Enteromius gamo sp. nov., is described from tributaries to lakes Abaya and Chamo in south-western Ethiopia. The new species belongs to a readily diagnosable group commonly identified as E. kerstenii, exhibiting a thickened and serrated last unbranched ray in the dorsal fin, a low number of scales in the lateral series (≤ 27), and a yellow, orange or reddish blotch on operculum. Pairwise genetic distances between the new species from Ethiopia and specimens of E. kerstenii from close to the type locality in north-eastern Tanzania were 7.5-8.3 % (COI) and 8.9-10.1 % (cytb). Enteromius gamo sp. nov. is morphologically distinguished from E. kerstenii and all examined congeners from Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda primarily by short anterior (15.8-35.1 %, mean 27.4 %, of snout length) and posterior (63.2-95.7 %, mean 81.0 %, of snout length) barbels. The new species is known only from wetlands and side channels of rivers (Hare, Sile, and Sago) along the western shores of lakes Abaya and Chamo. more...

Roughly a third of all horseshoe bat species (Rhinolophidae: Rhinolophus ) are found in Africa, where a recent continent-wide genetic survey suggested the presence of both undescribed and apparently invalid species. Here, we focus on the R. landeri species complex and the recent elevation of R. lobatus Peters, 1852, to species rank. That action created ambiguity in the taxonomy of East African members of the group-are both R. landeri Martin, 1838, and R. lobatus sympatric in East Africa or is another, unnamed species present there? Here, we refine genetic, morphological, and behavioral characterizations of R. landeri and its erstwhile synonyms with samples from the vicinity of their type localities. The distribution of R. landeri appears to be limited to Central and West Africa; existing genetic records attributed to this species from Mali clearly represent another taxon. We marshal genetic evidence for the species-level distinction of R. dobsoni Thomas, 1904, from Sudan, which was previously considered a synonym of R. landeri . We reject R. axillaris J. A. Allen, 1917, as a synonym of the R. landeri complex, provisionally regarding it as a valid member of the landeri species group. Finally, we demonstrate that East Africa is home to a fourth species of the landeri complex that is named herein. Final resolution of the systematics of this species complex awaits expanded characterizations (especially of genetics, vocalizations, and noseleaves) and studies of variation in regions of contact., Competing Interests: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Mammalogists.) more...

Descriptions of the following four new species of Anthicidae Latreille, 1819 from Taiwan are presented: Microhoria bunun, M. lingua, M. taguan, Nitorus mediator spp. nov. Nitorus mediomaculatus (Pic, 1913) stat. restit., comb. nov. is rescued from the synonymy with N. trigibber (Marseul, 1876), a new combination is proposed (from Anthicus Paykull, 1798), and a lectotype designation is made. New distribution records of anthicids from Taiwan are provided. Asian species of Nitorus Telnov, 2007 with distinctly gibbose pronotum are keyed and Nitorus sathulaz sp. nov. from northern Vietnam is described. more...

Anthicidae of the Solomon Archipelago, comprising the nation of the Solomon Islands and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea, are assessed based on published records and new data. An annotated checklist and distribution maps of the Solomon Archipelago anthicids are presented. Sapintus francoisi (Pic, 1902) stat. restit., comb nov. is herein considered a valid species, removed from the synonymy with S. oceanicus (La Ferté-Sénectère, 1849), and a new combination is proposed (from Anthicus Paykull, 1798). Lectotypes are designated for Anthicus oceanicus var. guamensis Blair, 1942, A. rectifasciatus Lea, 1896, and S. oceanicus to maintain nomenclatural stability. Sapintus minamiiwo Bonadona & Sakai in Sakai, 1986 and Anthicus oceanicus var. guamensis were found conspecific with S. francoisi and new synonyms are introduced. Anthicus rectifasciatus and S. vexator (Werner, 1965) were found conspecific with S. oceanicus, and new synonyms are introduced. more...

A monotypic South American genus Micreurygenius Pic, 1942 (hitherto in Eurygeniinae LeConte, 1862) is synonymized with Ischyropalpus La Ferté-Sénectère, 1849 (Anthicini Latreille, 1819) and, accordingly, moved to Anthicinae Latreille, 1819. A new combination is proposed for its only known species, Ischyropalpus angustatus (Pic, 1942) comb. nov., the species is herein tentatively attributed to the I. eryngii Werner, 1966 informal species-group. The Lemodinae Matthews, 1987 is synonymized with Copobaeninae Abdullah, 1969 and Copobaenus Fairmaire & Germain, 1863 is found congeneric with Trichananca Blanchard, 1891 syn. nov. based on adult morphology. New combinations are proposed for species hitherto attributed to Trichananca Blackburn, 1891: Copobaenus apterus (Lea, 1922) comb. nov., C. bicoloratus (Gemminger in Gemminger & Harold, 1870) comb. nov., C. cheesmanae (Telnov, 2019) comb. nov., C. concolor (King, 1869) comb. nov., C. frenchi (Pic, 1913) comb. nov., C. fulgidus (Werner & Chandler, 1995) comb. nov., C. hornabrooki (Uhmann, 1995) comb. nov., C. inexpectatus (Telnov & Degiovanni, 2021) comb. nov., C. marziae (Moore & Vidal, 2005) comb. nov., C. micromelas (Lea, 1922) comb. nov., C. neotropicus (Telnov & Degiovanni, 2021) comb. nov., C. nigripennis (Lea, 1917) comb. nov., C. novacaledonicus (Telnov, 2019) comb. nov., C. pisoniae (Lea, 1917) comb. nov., C. poggii (Telnov & Degiovanni, 2021) comb. nov., C. poqui (Guerrero & Diéguez, 2018) comb. nov., C. rugulosus (Uhmann, 2007) comb. nov., C. uniformis (Lea, 1922) comb. nov., C. valenciai (Moore & Vidal, 2005) comb. nov., C. victoriensis (Blackburn, 1891) comb. nov., C. vinctus (Erichson, 1842) comb. nov. Copobaenus erratus sp. nov. from Chile is described. The Eurygeniinae LeConte, 1862 tribe Ictistygnini Borchmann, 1936 is found contribal and is synonymized with Eurygeniini LeConte, 1862 based on adult morphology. An updated key to Eurygeniinae LeConte, 1862 tribes is presented. Setosicornia Pic, 1911, an obscure monotypic South American tenebrionoid genus, is redescribed and moved to the anthicid tribe Eurygeniini (Eurygeniinae) from Ripiphoridae Laporte 1840. A monotypic South American genus Atenizoides Gilmour, 1968, originally placed in Cerambycinae Audinet-Serville, 1832 (Cerambycidae Audinet-Serville, 1832), and placed in the Eurygeniini by Phillip and Ivie (1989), is found to be congeneric with Setosicornia and a new generic synonym is introduced. A new combination is proposed for its only known species, Setosicornia curacaoae (Gilmour, 1968) comb. nov., and this species is redescribed herein. more...

The Eurasian otter is a wide-ranging semi-aquatic mammal that underwent a significant population decline in the last century, leading to local extinctions, reduction and fragmentation of populations. The individuals of populations exposed to both external and internal stress may present the inability to produce a specific developmental outcome, generating developmental 'noise' (developmental instability (DI)). Factors contributing to DI include inbreeding depression, population bottlenecks, habitat loss and exposure to pollution. We analysed fluctuating asymmetry (FA) as a proxy of DI in two European otter populations that experienced a major decline in the 1990s. Using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics methods on skull samples of otters from the UK and Sweden, we compared the degree of FA both between populations before, during and after the decline. We found a higher FA in the UK populations compared with Sweden. The level of asymmetry differed significantly over time only in the UK population, where it was higher during the decline phase. FA in the UK populations can be attributed to the specific impact of polychlorinated biphenyls pollution that caused a bottleneck. More generally, our study suggests that habitat loss, pollution and limited gene flow may contribute to DI in declining otter populations, highlighting the need for continued investigation to identify and quantify the specific stressors behind this trend in local populations. more...

The subgenus Aeschyntelus includes six species that show variations in body color and shape, thus making it difficult to identify them based on morphological identification alone. To date, no genetic study has evaluated species within this genus. Herein, we collected 171 individuals from 90 localities of Rhopalus and employed an integrative taxonomic approach that incorporated morphological data, mitochondrial genomic data (COI, whole mitochondrial data) and nuclear genomic data (18S + 28S rRNAs, nuclear genome-wide SNPs) to delineate species boundaries. Our analyses confirmed the status of nine described species of Rhopalus and proposed the recognition of one new species known as Rhopalus qinlinganus sp. nov., which is classified within the subgenus Aeschyntelus. Discrepancies arising from nuclear and mitochondrial data suggest the presence of mito-nuclear discordance. Specifically, mitochondrial data indicated admixture within Clade A, comprising R. kerzhneri and R. latus, whereas genome-wide SNPs unambiguously identified two separate species, aligning with morphological classification. Conversely, mitochondrial data clearly distinguished Clade B- consisting of R. sapporensis into two lineages, whereas genome-wide SNPs unequivocally identified a single species. Our study also provides insights into the evolutionary history of Aeschyntelus, thus indicating that it likely originated in East Asia during the middle Miocene. The development of Aeschyntelus biodiversity in the southwestern mountains of China occurred via an uplift-driven diversification process. Our findings highlight the necessity of integrating both morphological and multiple molecular datasets for precise species identification, particularly when delineating closely related species. Additionally, it reveals the important role of mountain orogenesis on speciation within the southwestern mountains of China., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.) more...

Our ability to reconstruct the evolutionary history of deep-water scalpellid barnacles (Crustacea: Cirripedia: Scalpellidae) and to understand their geographical distributions and ecology, is limited by the lack of a robust classification system. Analysis of the ontogeny of scalpellids highlights the significant morphological changes that occur during development from the smallest, recently settled juveniles up to full-grown specimens. Externally, these ontogenetic alterations can include changes in size, shape, and in the capitulum/peduncle ratio, as well as changes in the shape of plates resulting from modifications in the patterns of calcification. Using an exemplar developmental series of Mesoscalpellum carinatum (Hoek, 1881), we reveal how the misinterpretation of such changes has resulted in the recognition of polyphyletic and paraphyletic taxonomic units and how this has impacted all previous classifications proposed for the Scalpellidae. Our study explores a novel approach to the recognition of Mesoscalpellum Hoek, 1907 sensu Newman & Ross, 1971 as a monophyletic unit, based on the incorporation of data derived from developmental patterns. The re-establishment of this genus leads to significant systematic rearrangement. Multiple taxa currently placed in three scalpellid subfamilies and five genera were recognised as synonyms of just three Mesoscalpellum species-M. carinatum (Hoek, 1881), Mesoscalpellum sanctaebarbarae (Pilsbry, 1907) and Mesoscalpellum japonicum (Hoek, 1883). Two scalpellid genera, Barbascalpellum Zevina, 1978 and Pteroscalpellum Zevina, 1978, are no longer regarded as valid. In future, if study of scalpellid developmental series demonstrates that the holotype of a species is ambiguous and cannot be used for the precise application of the name of a taxon, a level of type status should be assigned to the full-grown specimen to promote its use for comparative study. We suggest that our perspective will help to resolve the confusion around the traditional typological grouping of other scalpellid genera and will foster the creation of a robust scalpellid classification. more...

The deep-sea remains the biggest challenge to biodiversity exploration, and anthropogenic disturbances extend well into this realm, calling for urgent management strategies. One of the most diverse, productive, and vulnerable ecosystems in the deep sea are sponge grounds. Currently, environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is revolutionising the field of biodiversity monitoring, yet complex deep-sea benthic ecosystems remain challenging to assess even with these novel technologies. Here, we evaluate the effectiveness of whole-community metabarcoding to characterise metazoan diversity in sponge grounds across the North Atlantic by leveraging the natural eDNA sampling properties of deep-sea sponges themselves. We sampled 97 sponge tissues from four species across four North-Atlantic biogeographic regions in the deep sea and screened them using the universal COI barcode region. We recovered unprecedented levels of taxonomic diversity per unit effort, especially across the phyla Chordata, Cnidaria, Echinodermata and Porifera, with at least 406 metazoan species found in our study area. These assemblages identify strong spatial patterns in relation to both latitude and depth, and detect emblematic species currently employed as indicators for these vulnerable habitats. The remarkable performance of this approach in different species of sponges, in different biogeographic regions and across the whole animal kingdom, illustrates the vast potential of natural samplers as high-resolution biomonitoring solutions for highly diverse and vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

Parasmittina is the most representative cheilostome genus of the family Smittinidae, often reported in the fouling non-indigenous marine community. Here, we present a review of Parasmittina species reported in the Southwestern Atlantic including the characterization of one species from Argentina (P. dubitata) and ten from the Brazilian coast: P. abrolhosensis, P. alba, P. bimucronata, P. ligulata comb. nov., P. longirostrata, P. pinctatae, P. serrula, P. simpulata, P. winstonae and the new species Parasmittina falciformis sp. nov. The new species is characterized by a smooth distally primary orifice with 1-2 oral spines, large lyrula, serrated condyles with hooked tips, and two types of avicularia-small and subtriangular and large sublanceolate. This study does not recognize four species previous recorded in Brazil: reports of P. betamorphaea and P. trispinosa are now assigned to P. pinctatae; records of P. munita belong to P. falciformis sp. nov.; and reports of P. spathulata encompass at least two taxa, including P. abrolhosensis and P. simpulata. In this study, five species complexes (P. alba, P. longirostrata, P. serrula, P. simpulata and P. winstonae) were identified and require further investigations. While six species characterized here were first described based on specimens from the Southwestern Atlantic (P. abrolhosensis, P. alba, P. dubitata, P. ligulata comb. nov., P. simpulata and P. falciformis sp. nov.), the remaining species are mainly known from the Indo-Pacific. These taxa are here recognized as exotic (P. longirostrata) and cryptogenic (P. bimucronata, P. pinctatae, P. serrula and P. winstonae) in the studied area. Most of the non-native taxa are widespread along the Brazilian coast, growing on both artificial and natural surfaces, indicating that they are well-established in the area. As non-native bryozoans can negatively influence the environment, affecting human economic activities and beach usage, further studies on the fauna presented here are suggested to determine the origin of these taxa and help prevent bioinvasion events along the SW Atlantic., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Farias et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.) more...

The higher classification of termites requires substantial revision as the Neoisoptera, the most diverse termite lineage, comprise many paraphyletic and polyphyletic higher taxa. Here, we produce an updated termite classification using genomic-scale analyses. We reconstruct phylogenies under diverse substitution models with ultraconserved elements analyzed as concatenated matrices or within the multi-species coalescence framework. Our classification is further supported by analyses controlling for rogue loci and taxa, and topological tests. We show that the Neoisoptera are composed of seven family-level monophyletic lineages, including the Heterotermitidae Froggatt, Psammotermitidae Holmgren, and Termitogetonidae Holmgren, raised from subfamilial rank. The species-rich Termitidae are composed of 18 subfamily-level monophyletic lineages, including the new subfamilies Crepititermitinae, Cylindrotermitinae, Forficulitermitinae, Neocapritermitinae, Protohamitermitinae, and Promirotermitinae; and the revived Amitermitinae Kemner, Microcerotermitinae Holmgren, and Mirocapritermitinae Kemner. Building an updated taxonomic classification on the foundation of unambiguously supported monophyletic lineages makes it highly resilient to potential destabilization caused by the future availability of novel phylogenetic markers and methods. The taxonomic stability is further guaranteed by the modularity of the new termite classification, designed to accommodate as-yet undescribed species with uncertain affinities to the herein delimited monophyletic lineages in the form of new families or subfamilies., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

This study reports the metazoan ectoparasite fauna of juvenile Critically Endangered green sawfish, Pristis zijsron, and sympatric elasmobranchs in Western Australia. Five parasite taxa were found on 76 screened P. zijsron: Caligus furcisetifer (Copepoda: Caligidae), Dermopristis pterophila (Monogenea: Microbothriidae), Branchellion plicobranchus and Stibarobdella macrothela (Hirudinea: Piscicolidae), and praniza larvae of an unidentified gnathiid isopod. Only C. furcisetifer and D. pterophila were common, exhibiting discrepant site-specificity, with C. furcisetifer occurring mostly on the head and rostrum, and D. pterophila around the pectoral and pelvic fins. Intensity of infection for C. furcisetifer and D. pterophila increased with host total length and was influenced by host sex, but in opposite directions; intensity of C. furcisetifer was greater on female P. zijsron, whereas intensity of D. pterophila was greater on males. In the Ashburton River, likelihood of infection for C. furcisetifer and D. pterophila on P. zijsron increased with time since substantial freshwater discharge events, suggesting decreased salinity impacts both taxa. In addition to P. zijsron, five other sympatric elasmobranch species were opportunistically screened for ectoparasites in the study area: the giant shovelnose ray, Glaucostegus typus, the eyebrow wedgefish, Rhynchobatus palpebratus, the nervous shark, Carcharhinus cautus, the lemon shark, Negaprion acutidens, and the graceful shark, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides. Caligus furcisetifer was found on R. palpebratus; no other parasites of P. zijsron were found on other sympatric elasmobranch species. Conversely, Perissopus dentatus (Copepoda: Pandaridae) was found on all three carcharhinids but not on batoid rays (P. zijsron, G. typus or R. palpebratus)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare there are no competing interests associated with this research., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) more...

Despite their high abundance and wide distribution in ecosystems, most protists remain unknown to the public. Although science communication approaches were developed in historical times to raise public awareness of these 'enigmatic' taxa, many aspects have not been considered in the spotlight of modern techniques. We present selected ideas and activities on how to attract the public to unicellular eukaryotes. We give examples of how protists can be included in educational work. We explain that trained non-experts can understand and teach others how to recognize protists, where they live, in which habitats they can be found, what they look like and why they are important. Consequently, members of the public can learn how environmental threats impact not only the lives of protists but also ours, e.g., by the accumulation of microplastics through an aquatic food web, up to fish used for human consumption. We suggest age-appropriate methods for application in workshops on protist recognition., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.) more...

Ciliophora, an exceptionally diverse lineage of unicellular eukaryotes, exhibits a remarkable range of species richness across classes in the ciliate Tree of Life. In this study, we have acquired transcriptome and genome data from 40 representative species in seven ciliate classes. Utilizing 247 genes and 105 taxa, we devised a comprehensive phylogenomic tree for Ciliophora, encompassing over 60 % of orders and constituting the most extensive dataset of ciliate species to date. We established a robust phylogenetic framework that encompasses ambiguous taxa and the major classes within the phylum. Our findings support the monophyly of each of two subphyla (Postciliodesmatophora and Intramacronucleata), along with three subclades (Protocruzia, CONTHREEP, and SAPML) nested within Intramacronucleata, and elucidate evolutionary positions among the major classes within the phylum. Drawing on the robust ciliate Tree of Life and three constraints, we estimated the radiation of Ciliophora around 1175 Ma during the middle of the Proterozoic Eon, and most of the ciliate classes diverged from their sister lineage during the latter half of this period. Additionally, based on the time-calibrated tree and species richness pattern, we investigated net diversification rates of Ciliophora and its classes. The global net diversification rate for Ciliophora was estimated at 0.004979 species/Ma. Heterogeneity in net diversification rates was evident at the class level, with faster rates observed in Oligohymenophorea and Spirotrichea than other classes within the subclades CONTHREEP and SAPML, respectively. Notably, our analysis suggests that variations in net diversification rates, rather than clade ages, appear to contribute to the differences in species richness in Ciliophora at the class level., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.) more...

The debates over the requirement of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICNafp) for a viable specimen to represent the name-bearing type material for a species or infraspecific taxon have a long history. Taxonomy of fungi commonly studied as living cultures exemplified by yeasts and moulds, strongly depend on viable reference material. The availability of viable cultures is also particularly useful for several groups of filamentous and dimorphic fungi. While the preservation of metabolically inactive cultures is permitted and recommended by the ICNafp, there is room for improvement. Below, we review the history and current status of cultures as the name-bearing type material under the Code. We also present a roadmap with tasks to be achieved in order to establish a stable nomenclatural system that properly manages taxa typified by viable specimens. Furthermore, we propose setting up rules and defining the nomenclatural status of ex-type cultures under Chapter F, the section of the ICNafp that includes provisions specific to names of fungi., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...