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The Formal Model for the hoverfly Eristalis tenax (Diptera, Syrphidae) agent-based model in the Animal Landscape and Man Simulation System (ALMaSS)
No full textWe present a formal model for Eristalis tenax, the common drone fly, one of the most widespread syrphid species globally. This model is intended for inclusion in the Animal Landscape and Man Simulation System as a basis for regulatory assessment of the effects of pesticides on hoverfly pollinators. We propose to implement the model using an individual-based approach. The main drivers of the model are temperature, larval habitat distribution and quality, and nectar and pollen food resources in space and time. A prototype model description is presented that describes the full model, ready for implementation. The model considers individuals at all life stages, from egg to adult, with development from egg to pupa driven by temperature and larval development also influenced by larval density linked with the larval habitat quality. The model uses thermal performance curve models to represent the development and survival of the pupal stage, which is the most critical moment in the life cycle. Movement is modelled in detail, integrating dispersal, oviposition and foraging. Sources of mortality include overwintering mortality, slow development, density-dependent mortality at the larval stage, background mortality and pesticide and farm management mortality. A simple toxicological model is described as a basis for future expansion
Ichneumonidae species (Hymenoptera) new to Iraq recorded from Kurdistan
No full textParasitoid Hymenoptera are a large insect group of considerable importance in most terrestrial ecosystems, and are a specialised group of Hymenoptera, one of the largest insect orders. During a survey in Kurdistan, Iraq, numerous Ichneumonidae species were collected in July 2022 using a Malaise trap. All the newly recorded species, and one previously recorded species, are illustrated and discussed. Distributions are provided for all species, summarised for very widely distributed species.Fourteen species of Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae are herein newly recorded for the fauna of Iraq, as well as 18 previously recorded species. Phaenolobus hilalii Kolarov & Gürbüz Lissonota deversor Gravenhorst, Alcima orbitale (Gravenhorst), Campoletis scyticus Riedel, Casinaria tenuiventris (Gravenhorst),Cryptus spinosus Gravenhorst, Perilissus dissimilator Aubert, Diadromus collaris (Gravenhorst), Clistopyga incitator (Fabricius), Itoplectis tunetana (Schmiedeknecht), Pimpla flavicoxis Thomson, Pimpla spuria Gravenhorst, Zaglyptus multicolor (Gravenhorst), Zatypota bohemani (Holmgren), Mesostenus transfuga Gravenhorst, Cryptus inculcator (L.)
Size matters: a new genus of tarantula with the longest male palps, and an integrative revision of Monocentropus Pocock, 1897 (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Eumenophorinae)
No full textA taxonomic revision of the eumenophorine tarantula genus Monocentropus Pocock, 1897, which currently comprises three species, M. balfouri Pocock, 1897 (♂♀; Socotra, Yemen), M. lambertoni Fage, 1922 (♂♀; Madagascar), and M. longimanus Pocock, 1903 (♂♀; Yemen), is presented. By integrating both morphological data and a molecular phylogeny based on mitochondrial (cox1) and nuclear (28S, 18S) markers, the genus is herein redefined to include only the type species, M. balfouri. A new genus, Satyrex Zamani & von Wirth, gen. nov., is established to comprise S. longimanus comb. nov., along with four new species from the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa described herein: S. arabicus Zamani & von Wirth, sp. nov. (♂; Saudi Arabia), S. ferox Zamani, von Wirth & Stockmann, sp. nov. (♂♀; Yemen, Oman), S. somalicus Zamani & von Wirth, sp. nov. (♂; Somaliland), and S. speciosus Zamani, von Wirth & Just, sp. nov. (♂♀; Somaliland). The new genus is partially characterised by possessing the longest male palps known in tarantulas, possibly functioning in cannibalism avoidance during mating. Both the molecular phylogeny and morphological characters suggest that M. lambertoni is probably not congeneric with M. balfouri, and also indicate that multiple species may be currently subsumed under the former name. Therefore, M. lambertoni is regarded as incerta sedis pending further studies to clarify its taxonomic placement, as it is also considered to represent a species complex. Finally, the distribution of all studied taxa is discussed within a biogeographic framework
Characeen Österreichs. Checkliste, Atlas und Rote Liste der Armleuchteralgen (Charophyceae)
No full textIm Zuge des Projektes „Characeen Österreichs‟ wurden von 2005 bis 2025 7.577 Funddaten von Armleuchteralgen (Characeae) dokumentiert. Erstmals gibt es nun eine Monografie der Characeen Österreichs mit Checkliste, Verbreitungskarten der Arten und Roter Liste. Insgesamt konnten 35 Arten nachgewiesen werden. Nachweise und Gefährdungsgrade der einzelnen Arten werden detailliert für die einzelnen Bundesländer und Naturräume angegeben. Im allgemeinen Teil der Monographie werden die Erforschungsgeschichte der Characeenflora, Systematik und Nomenklatur, Ökologie und Physiologie, Lebensräume und Naturschutz behandelt. Im speziellen Teil werden Habitate und deren Gefährdung, Angaben zum Vorkommen der Arten auf verschiedenen Seehöhen, deren Morphologie, Ökologie, Bestandsentwicklung und Verbreitung mit Quellenangaben und Verbreitungskarten beschrieben. Die Characeen-Österreich-Datenbank mit allen Funddaten ist online abrufbar
Typification of the name Allium cirrhosum Vand. (Amaryllidaceae)
No full textThe name Allium cirrhosum is here lectotypified based on an unpublished illustration preserved at University of Pavia Library. The lectotype does not include a complete set of significant distinguishing features and cannot be critically identified for purposes of the precise application of the name. Hence, an epitype preserved at PI was selected to serve as an interpretative type. Based on the typification here proposed, the name A. cirrhosum has priority at species rank over A. coloratum (1771 vs. 1825)
A new large-sized lepetid limpet from the abyssal northwestern Pacific is the deepest known patellogastropod
No full textTrue limpets in the gastropod subclass Patellogastropoda are familiar members of shallow-water rocky environments but are much rarer in the deep, with just three families adapted to bathyal depths or more. Of these, Lepetidae is the only one found on ambient seafloor habitats, and Bathylepeta is a very deep genus known from two species off Chile and Antarctica. Here, we report a giant Bathylepeta up to a shell length of 40.5 mm from 5922 m deep in the northwestern Pacific and name it Bathylepeta wadatsumi sp. nov. Phylogenetic reconstruction using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene supports the placement of this new species in Bathylepeta. Our new species is most similar to B. linseae from the Weddell Sea but can be distinguished by its much more developed second lateral and marginal teeth, as well as a larger size. Bathylepeta wadatsumi sp. nov. also has slightly imbricating radular basal plates, a feature previously unknown from this genus; we therefore emend the genus diagnosis. Our finding not only extends the distribution of this enigmatic limpet genus to Japan but also marks the deepest bathymetric record for the entire Patellogastropoda
Thirty-five years of floristic collections in southern Tuscany (Italy)
No full textFloristic knowledge and georeferenced information about vascular plant species distribution in southern Tuscany (Italy) are still poor for supporting effective biodiversity conservation efforts.A dataset of georeferenced floristic collections from Southern Tuscany, which was developed by the first author between 1989 and 2024, is provided and briefly commented on. The dataset includes data for 4535 herbarium specimens, mostly unpublished, currently preserved in the Herbarium Centrale Italicum at the Natural History Museum of Florence (FI). The specimens belong to 1766 species and subspecies in 122 families of vascular plants. Each record is associated with a Unique Identifier (UID) and information on the collection locality, date, collector(s), and geographical coordinates (WGS84 geodetic datum). Many specimens were collected in areas that were poorly investigated, documenting new sites for several uncommon or phytogeographically relevant taxa. The dataset includes two specimens of Euphorbia meuselii Geltman, a forest herb endemic to Southern Italy and new to the flora of Tuscany. Overall, this dataset allows a relevant advancement in the floristic knowledge of central Italy
Endemism patterns of the vascular flora of Lebanon: A dynamic checklist
No full textGiven its high concentration of rare and endangered plant species, Lebanon is recognized as a biodiversity meso-hotspot within the Levant. This study presents a list of vascular plants endemic to Lebanon, detailing their taxonomic diversity, comparing them with the floras of Egypt, Iran and Turkey, and examining their life forms, spatial distribution across key geomorphological features, and conservation status. The list, comprising 169 taxa belonging to 37 families and 99 genera, was compiled through a comprehensive review of published literature, examination of herbarium specimens, and insights from field observations. The five most endemic-rich families are Asteraceae (18.9%), Lamiaceae (14.2%), Fabaceae (11.2%), Caryophyllaceae (5.9%), and Iridaceae (5.9%). The most endemic-rich genus is Astragalus (8.3%), followed by Centaurea (4.7%), Allium (4.1%), and Iris (3%). The comparison with other floras highlighted the relationships with the neighboring floristic regions, mostly the Irano-Turanian and Mediterranean. In terms of spatial distribution, Mount Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon emerge as centers of endemism, hosting respectively 70 and 21 exclusive taxa. Hemicryptophytes are the predominant life form (67.6%), followed by geophytes (13.6%), and chamaephytes (10%), reflecting the mountainous and Mediterranean character of Lebanon. According to IUCN Red List, 53% of the taxa have been assessed, with 10% taxa classified as Critically endangered, 27.8% as Endangered, 9.5% as Vulnerable. The checklist is available on an online repository and is considered dynamic. It will be updated in response to taxonomic changes resulting from genetic analyses and revisions of distribution ranges
Two new species of Phaeoclavulina (Gomphaceae, Gomphales) from North China based on morphological and phylogenetic analysis
No full textTwo new species, Phaeoclavulina aurea and P. fulva, were discovered and described from North China. Identification was based on morphological observations combined with phylogenetic analysis of nrITS–nrLSU sequences. Phaeoclavulina aurea is characterized by its pale yellow to golden yellow basidiomata, brownish black coloration with dark tips at maturity, and basidiospores bearing truncate spines. Phaeoclavulina fulva is distinguished by its dirty orange basidiomata, pale yellow stipe surface, and basidiospores ornamented with rounded warts. This study enriches the species diversity of Phaeoclavulina in North China
Discovery of the first resinicolous fungus in Mycosphaerellales (Dothideomycetes): Resinomelania communis from conifer resins in Poland
No full textResinicolous fungi have evolved across different fungal lineages, but they are best known within the classes Eurotiomycetes, Leotiomycetes, Orbiliomycetes, and Xylonomycetes. Within the class Dothideomycetes, a resinicolous lifestyle is uncommon and is predominantly known in members of the order Mytilinidiales. In this study, 13 strains of a dark, slow-growing fungus belonging to Dothideomycetes were isolated from resins of four conifer species—Abies alba, Larix decidua ssp. polonica, Picea abies, and Pinus sylvestris (all from the family Pinaceae)—in Poland. Based on multi-locus (LSU, ITS, rpb2, tef1, tub2) phylogenetic analyses and morphological features, the isolated strains were identified as representing an undescribed species in a new genus within the order Mycosphaerellales, family Teratosphaeriaceae. Consequently, a new genus and species, Resinomelania communis, is described and illustrated. It is phylogenetically related to the genera Neocatenulostroma and Sthughesia. The common occurrence of R. communis on resins of four different conifer species indicates its resinicolous lifestyle. Resinomelania communis is the first resinicolous fungus reported in Mycosphaerellales