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Species delimitation is a contentious topic. The genomics revolution initially brought hope that identifying and classifying species would be easier through better methods and more data, but genomics has also brought complexity and controversy to delimitation. One solution can be to collect a larger sample of individuals at a finer geographic scale. But what if taxa are rare and collecting more samples is difficult or detrimental to the organisms at hand? In this issue of Molecular Ecology Resources, Opatova et al. (2023) tackle the ambiguity of species delimitation in rare and endangered trapdoor spiders (genus Cyclocosmia). The authors propose a framework for delimiting species when samples are hard to come by, such as in these rare and cryptic spiders. The authors combine extensive genomic sampling with statistical approaches that consider both the genetic distinctiveness of each population of spiders and how much gene flow occurs between these populations. Their proposed taxonomy balances two opposing signals, structure and gene flow, to count eight lineages of Cyclocosmia, and to point the way for future taxonomic studies of the rare or difficult to obtain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecology of Kinosternon baurii (Striped Mud Turtle) has been studied in only a few locations within its range, which means we do not have baseline data to understand the ecology of this species. Further, no studies have been conducted on Striped Mud Turtles in restored wetlands, which are increasingly common in Florida landscapes and across the globe. Comparing populations in restored habitats to natural habitats could give insight into restoration success that focuses on supporting robust semi-aquatic turtle populations. We conducted a mark–recapture study at a restored wetland in Circle B Bar Reserve, in Polk County, FL, to assess the population size, sex ratios and morphometrics of the Striped Mud Turtle. We found a population estimate of 90 adults, from over 2849 checked trap nights over 2 years. Previous studies in natural habitats found larger populations of Striped Mud Turtles. Our morphometric data is similar to others in central and south Florida but adds to the conclusion that habitat variation can impact size variation of Striped Mud Turtles. In our population, we had more females than males (68.8% females), which appears to be consistent for Striped Mud Turtles in most other study sites. Overall, our study provides additional knowledge on the ecology, population size, and morphometrics of Striped Mud Turtles, which local reserve managers can use to better understand the turtles, especially in restored habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]