Refine
Year of publication
Document Type
- Article (78) (remove)
Language
- English (78) (remove)
Has Fulltext
- yes (78)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (78) (remove)
Keywords
- distribution (78) (remove)
Institute
Dragonflies (Insecta, Odonata) of São Vicente, Cape Verde Islands : 10 species on a desert island
(2010)
The island of São Vicente, Cape Verde Islands, has no natural and permanent surface fresh water habitats. Surprisingly, with records of 10 species of dragonflies, the island is the most species-rich in the archipelago so far (cf. Aistleitner et al. 2008, this study). Knowledge of Odonata from São Vicente is based on a small number of reports, mostly including single records only (Calvert 1893, Kirby 1897, Lobin 1982, Aistleitner et al. 2008). During a visit to the island in August 2009, AM recorded four species as single adults. Two species were recorded on 26 August 2009, after two days of heavy rainfall which caused extensive temporary waterflows and pools in the main courses of river beds, on the plains, as well as on roads and sports grounds in and around the town of Mindelo.
First record of Straw-coloured fruit bat Eidolon helvum (Kerr, 1792) for the Cape Verde Islands
(2010)
On 8 September 2010, at 9:45 AM, a fruit bat was seen flying at a height of ca. 2 m over the sea off Ervatão, southeastern Boavista, Cape Verde Islands (16º 02’ N, 22º 41’ W). After a while, the animal landed in the beach vegetation. When captured, it did not offer any resistance to being handled and it was taken to the nearby sea turtle station, operated by the NGO Cabo Verde Natura 2000. The bat – which proved to be a female – was placed in an improvised cage made of plastic netting where it eagerly fed on the food provided, i.e. tomato, apple and banana. At 16:00 PM, the following biometric data were taken: head width 31.6 mm, humerus 81.1 mm, ulna 121.2 mm, tarsus 49.7 mm. When restrained for taking body measurements, the bat attempted to defend itself with its mouth.
Based on both stranding and sighting records, recent data on the status and distribution of whales and dolphins in the Cape Verde Islands are presented, including records of four taxa new to the archipelago, viz. Common minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata, Dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima, beaked whale Mesoplodon cf. europaeus and False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens. Distribution elsewhere in the tropical eastern Atlantic and some taxonomic issues are discussed.
On 31 August 2003, at 11:40 local time, c. 5 nm southwest of São Nicolau (16º33.1N, 024º27.7W), Cape Verde Islands, GT and PLS observed c. 20 Fraser’s Dolphins Lagenodelphis hosei Fraser, 1956 (Fig.1). The sighting was made under excellent weather conditions (sea state Beaufort 2 with sun) from the 39.6 m diesel engine powered oceanographic research vessel Taliarte during a two week cetacean survey conducted as part of the Hydrocarpo project.
Butterflies of the superfamilies Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea collected in the Cape Verde Islands and deposited in the Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, Lisbon, Portugal, were studied. Some novelties are reported at the insular level and one Palearctic species of Nymphalidae is reported for the first time in the islands. The identification of the only species of Colias (Pieridae) present in the Cape Verde Islands and its biogeographical affinities are discussed.
Based on newly collected samples and data from the literature, an updated list of the marine bivalves of the Cape Verde Islands is presented. From 2004 to 2006, collections were made at 22 sampling points in the islands of Santiago, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Boavista and Maio. Using qualitative and direct sampling methods, 39 species of bivalves, belonging to 20 families, were identified. Families most represented were Veneridae (6 species), Cardiidae (5 species), Arcidae (4 species) and Mytilidae (4 species). Islands with the largest diversity of species were São Vicente (30 species) and Santiago (23 species), probably due to the larger number of sample points (64% of total). Six species not previously reported from the archipelago were collected, i.e. Irus irus, Venus declivis, Timoclea ovata, Diplodonta rotundata, Plagiocardium papillosum and Tagelus adansoni. Corbicula fluminea, supposedly a man assisted introduction, was also collected.
Recent data on status and distribution of resident and migrant birds in the Cape Verde Islands are presented, including records of 25 taxa new to the archipelago, viz. Mareca penelope, M. americana, Anas carolinensis, A. clypeata, Pterodroma arminjoniana, Sula dactylatra, Egretta thula, Ardea melanocephala, Hieraaetus pennatus, Porzana porzana, Crecopsis egregia, Porphyrula martinica, Pluvialis apricaria, Calidris fuscicollis, C. bairdii, Gallinago delicata, Larus audouinii, L. atricilla, Streptopelia decaocto, Ceryle rudis, Ptyonoprogne rupestris, Motacilla citreola, Erithacus rubecula, Oenanthe leucopyga and Lanius senator. The current situation of some endemic taxa is discussed, some of which (e.g. Ardea bournei) are critically endangered, while others (e.g. Acrocephalus brevipennis) have been shown to be more widespread than previously known.
Sauron rayi (Simon, 1881) is recorded in Austria for the first time. Male and female specimens of this rare European spider were found in two “Austrian pine forests” in Lower Austria. Data on distribution, habitat, phenology and Red List status from the Austrian localities and from published records in other countries are presented.
Invasive alien species (IAS) are a major global challenge requiring urgent action, and the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity (2011–2020) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) includes a target on the issue. Meeting the target requires an understanding of invasion patterns. However, national or regional analyses of invasions are limited to developed countries. We identified 488 IAS in China’s terrestrial habitats, inland waters and marine ecosystems based on available literature and field work, including 171 animals, 265 plants, 26 fungi, 3 protists, 11 procaryots, and 12 viruses. Terrestrial plants account for 51.6% of the total number of IAS, and terrestrial invertebrates (104 species) for 21.3%. Of the total numbers, 67.9% of plant IAS and 34.8% of animal IAS were introduced intentionally. All other taxa were introduced unintentionally despite very few animal and plant species that invaded naturally. In terms of habitats, 64.3% of IAS occur on farmlands, 13.9% in forests, 8.4% in marine ecosystems, 7.3% in inland waters, and 6.1% in residential areas. Half of all IAS (51.1%) originate from North and South America, 18.3% from Europe, 17.3% from Asia not including China, 7.2% from Africa, 1.8% from Oceania, and the origin of the remaining 4.3% IAS is unknown. The distribution of IAS can be divided into three zones. Most IAS are distributed in coastal provinces and the Yunnan province; provinces in Middle China have fewer IAS, and most provinces in West China have the least number of IAS. Sites where IAS were first detected are mainly distributed in the coastal region, the Yunnan Province and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The number of newly emerged IAS has been increasing since 1850. The cumulative number of firstly detected IAS grew exponentially.
The spider fauna active on the bark of trees in forests on eight sites in different regions in Germany was investigated. Trunk eclectors at about 2-4 meters height on living trees were used in different regions of Germany (SW Bavaria, Hesse, Brandenburg) between 1990 and 2003. In Hesse eclectors were also used on dead beech trees (standing and lying). In this study data, mainly from beech (Fagus sylvatica) and spruce (Picea abies), from May to October are compared – whole year samples (including winter) are only available from Hesse. A total of 334 spider species were recorded with these bark traps, i.e. about one third of the spider species known from Germany. On average, each of the eight regions yielded 140.5 (± 26.2) species, each single tree 40.5 (± 12.2) species and 502 (±452) adult spiders per season (i.e. May to Oct.). The 20 most abundant species are listed and characterised in detail. Six of the 20 species were not known to be abundant on bark, three prefer conifers and three beech/broadleaf. Even in winter (December-March) there was a remarkably high activity on the trunks. However, only a few species occur exclusively or mainly in winter. Finally, the rarity of some bark spider species is discussed and details (all known records in Germany, phenology) of four of them are presented (Clubiona leucaspis, Gongylidiellum edentatum, Kratochviliella bicapitata, Oreonetides quadridentatus). The diversity and importance of the spider fauna on bark in Central Europe is still underestimated.
Three different male and female super-specific types are distinguished according to variations in the morphology of the bulb and spermathecae within the genus Nemesia Audouin, 1826. Plotting the distributions of these sexual types on a map of the Mediterranean indicates the existence of geography-related sub-generic diversity in which the Nemesia fauna of the eastern Mediterranean differs markedly from that of the western Mediterranean. While the eastern Mediterranean Nemesia fauna is highly homogeneous, the fauna of the western Mediterranean is very diverse. The eastern and western Nemesia faunae appear to overlap in the central Mediterranean. Efforts to relate the specific bulb types to the particular types of spermathecae described here were only partly successful.
New data on the distribution were the reported: Buksendya river (153º15’E, 59º12’N), Yama valley (152º59’E, 60º00’N) and Nayakhan river (158º15’E, 62º33’N), mostly single birds in late summer, autumn or early winter. Resident breeding pairs regularly occur only in the Chelomdzha and further to the west – in Inya and Ulbeya valleys, and upper heads of the Kava valley (Fig. 1). New observations in the Inya valley (July-August 1999) and in the Chelomdzha valley (July 2003) have proved that the Blakiston’s Fish Owl dwells in lush flood-plain woods along the middle and lower streams of both of these valleys. Currently, the Blakiston’s Fish Owl steadily occurs within the limits of Kava-Chelomdza forestry of the Magadansky State Reserve (Tarkhov & Potapov 1986), and, most likely, the Chelomdzha valley forms currently the north-eastern limit of the species range. In the Chelomdzha valley the regular duet singing of the Blakiston’s Fish Owl begins from early February. Usually the birds display in the evenings, 20-40 min after sunset. The longevity of evening vocalizations increases from 3-5 min in first week of February to 30-50 min in mid-March. The intervals between strophes vary from 14-55 s, 27 s on average (n = 48). The chicks hatched between 2nd and 5th of May. Daytime hours the parents spend nearby the nest in the crowns of larches. During intense chick’s growth the parents visit the nest 4-5 times in a night. Search for food and hunting takes from 40-60 min. According to photo documents, the parents feed the chicks with sculpins and graylings (18–30 cm in length). The parents spend midnight hours nearby the nest. Becoming 50 days old the chicks leave the nest and roams around supervised by the parents.
This review lists Agama smithii Boulenger 1896 as a synonym of Agama agama (Linnaeus 1758), Agama trachypleura Peters 1982 as a synonym of Acanthocercus phillipsii (Boulenger 1895) and describes for the first time Acanthocercus guentherpetersi n. sp. Without more convincing evidence, Chamaeleon ruspolii Boettger 1893 cannot be accepted as specifically distinct from Chamaeleo dilepis Leach 1819, nor Chamaeleo calcaricarens Böhme 1985 from C. africanus Laurenti 1768. Consequently, 101 species of lizard are currently recognised in Ethiopia, of which some 40% appear to be denizens of the Somali-arid zone. This significant proportion is attributable in part to the importance of the Horn of Africa as a centre for reptilian diversification and endemicity, in part to the fact that this lowland fauna was rather extensively sampled during the 1930s, but also to the conspicuous neglect of lizards in other regions of the country. Mountain and forested habitats are widespread in Ethiopia, so it seems extraordinary to record only five saurian species which are believed to be endemic in such environments. The inference that there are many more still to be discovered has important implications for conservation, because montane forest is known to be among the most threatened of Ethiopian biomes and there is clearly an urgent need for its herpetofauna to be more thoroughly researched and documented.
The taxonomy, diversity, and distribution of the aquatic insect order Trichoptera, caddisflies, are reviewed. The order is among the most important and diverse of all aquatic taxa. Larvae are vital participants in aquatic food webs and their presence and relative abundance are used in the biological assessment and monitoring of water quality. The species described by Linnaeus are listed. The morphology of all life history stages (adults, larvae, and pupae) is diagnosed and major features of the anatomy are illustrated. Major components of life history and biology are summarized. A discussion of phylogenetic studies within the order is presented, including higher classification of the suborders and superfamilies, based on recent literature. Synopses of each of 45 families are presented, including the taxonomic history of the family, a list of all known genera in each family, their general distribution and relative species diversity, and a short overview of family-level biological features. The order contains 600 genera, and approximately 13,000 species.
The former and current distribution of the quokka, Setortix brachyurus, was mapped from published and all available unpublished records. At the time of European settlement the quokka was widespread and abundant and its distribution encompassed an area of approximatelyThe former and current distribution of the quokka, Setortix brachyurus, was mapped from published and all available unpublished records. At the time of European settlement the quokka was widespread and abundant and its distribution encompassed an area of approximately 41 200 km2 of south-west Western Australia inclusive of two offshore islands, Bald Island and Rottnest Island. Historical reports indicated an extensive population decline occurred in the 1930s. The decline continued, with a previously undocumented decline apparent in the period from 1980 to 1992. However, this decline may be an artefact of the time scales used for mapping and may well equate with a previously reported decline lor a suite of south -west mammals in the 1970s. By 1992 the quokka´s distribution had been reduced to an area of approximately 17800 km2. An increased awareness of the presence of the quokka on the mainland has resulted in numerous reportings of quokka presence since 1992, has confimled the existence of several populations at the northern extent of the quokka´´s known geographic range and indicated the cmrent, 2005, distribution to be similar to that in 1992. However, survey and population estimates at six of these mainland locations from the northem jarrah forest indicated low abundance. There have been no population estimates elsewhere on the mainland. Two populations have been reported tiom the Swan Coastal Plain, but neither has been confirmed extant. Predation by the introduced fox, Vulpes vulpes, is implicated as a major cause of the quokka´s initial decline, while ongoing predation, habitat destruction and modification through altered tire regimes have contributed to the continued decline. Specific conservation management actions are recommended, namely: (i) Implementing an active adaptive management program in the northern jarrah forest to determine quokka population response to habitat manipulation through the use of fIre, fox baiting and pig control; (ii) Surveying the Stirling fumge and Green Range populations with emphasis placed on determining population size and population genetic structure; (iii) Surveying the reported occurrences from the Swan Coastal Plain, with emphasis on unambiguously determining presence. If confirmed, priority should he directed to assessing population size and determining the management requirements to ensure persistence of the population; (iv) Surveying southem forest and south coast populations to assess quokka population size, the extent of movement between sllbpopulations and assessment of the range of habitat types used by quokkas. The latter should be combined with spatial analyses of known extant populations and suitable and potentially suitable habitat; (v) Determining the role of tire in establishing and maintaining preferred habitat of southern forest and south coast populations; and (vi) Establishing a program to assess the potential effects from management operations.