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The hypnorum-complex of bumblebees (in the genus Bombus Latreille, 1802) has been interpreted as consisting of a single widespread Old-World species, Bombus hypnorum (Linnaeus, 1758) s. lat., and its closely similar sister species in the New World, B. perplexus Cresson, 1863. We examined barcodes for evidence of species’ gene coalescents within this species complex, using the closely related vagans-group to help calibrate Poisson-tree-process models to a level of branching appropriate for discovering species. The results support seven candidate species within the hypnorum-complex (Bombus taiwanensis Williams, Sung, Lin & Lu, 2022, B. wolongensis Williams, Ren & Xie sp. nov., B. bryorum Richards, 1930, B. hypnorum, B. koropokkrus Sakagami & Ishikawa, 1972, and B. hengduanensis Williams, Ren & Xie sp. nov., plus B. perplexus), which are comparable in status to the currently accepted species of the vagans-group. Morphological corroboration of the coalescent candidate species is subtle but supports the gene coalescents if these candidates are considered near-cryptic species.
The Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park is a conservation unit established to preserve the highest savannahs of Central Brazil and their unique biodiversity. Eriocaulaceae are a relevant and conspicuous family in such high savannahs, but its diversity is poorly known, documented solely in general lists or in isolated efforts aimed at small groups. After a structured series of field expeditions and analysis of specimens from the relevant herbaria, we provide nomenclatural novelties, a first identification key, and an illustrated checklist for the species of Paepalanthoideae (Eriocaulaceae) in the area. We recorded 42 species of Paepalanthoideae from the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park: Actinocephalus (Körn.) Sano (2 spp.), Comanthera L.B.Sm. (1 sp.), Paepalanthus Mart. (24 spp.), and Syngonanthus Ruhland (15 spp.). Actinocephalus brevifolius Trovó & Echtern. sp. nov. and P. irwinii Trovó & Echtern. sp. nov. are newly described species and P. politus Trovó stat. et nom. nov. is a variety of P. elongatus (Bong.) Körn. raised to the species status with a new name. The generic and specific composition shows predominance of Paepalanthus and Syngonanthus, and with a low representation of Actinocephalus and Comanthera, as expected, outside of the Espinhaço Range. More than 50% of the species (22 spp.) are endemic to the area and 25 species are endemic to Central Brazil, the area being the main center of diversity for dimerous-flowered groups. The non-endemic diversity is a combination of widespread species and marginal distribution of species typical from the Amazon and southeastern savannahs. The species are unevenly distributed in the area, with their occurrence correlated to altitude, water availability, and lithology. We reinforce that the savannahs from Central Brazil are a secondary center of diversity for Eriocaulaceae, playing a central role in the conservation of an unique and irreplaceable piece of its diversity and the Cerrado biome as well.
Species are often presumed to be apparent in nature, but in practice they may be difficult to recognise, especially when viewed across continents rather than within a single site. Coalescent-based Poisson-tree-process (PTP) models applied to fast-evolving genes promise one quantitative criterion for recognising species, complete with the estimates of uncertainty that are required of a scientific method. Such methods face challenges especially in discerning between widespread polytypic species and complexes of closely related, restricted-range species. In particular, ‘over-sampling’ of many closely related individuals within one species could risk causing groups of less closely-related individuals within other species appearing relatively more distinct and consequently could risk them being interpreted falsely as separate species. Some of the most persistent taxonomic problems among bumblebees (genus Bombus Latreille, 1802) are within the subgenus Melanobombus von Dalla Torre, 1880. For a global revision of Melanobombus species, we use COI barcodes and seek to reduce the risk from localised over-sampling by filtering the data to include only unique haplotypes. Unique haplotypes give more conservative results than unfiltered data, but still increase the number of species in comparison with recent morphological treatments. After integrative assessment of COI coalescents in comparison with morphological groups, the number of accepted species shows a non-linear increase with sample size that plateaus to an increase of 47% (to 25 species) compared with a previous estimate (of 17) based on morphology alone. For the most widespread and variable species-complexes, our revised species improve the match to the patterns expected of species, both for genetic divergence-with-distance and for sympatry, leading to three main inferences. (1) The particularly widespread polytypic Bombus sichelii Radoszkowski, 1859, is a single species. (2) We detect two candidates for species within previous broad concepts of each of the former B. lapidarius (Linnaeus, 1758), B. miniatus Bingham, 1897, and B. rufofasciatus Smith, 1852. Within B. lapidarius s. lat. we find insufficient evidence to corroborate the candidate species, with no coalescent or morphological support for a recent claim for a separate species, B. bisiculus Lecocq, Biella, Martinet & Rasmont, 2019 described from southern Italy, but rather we find a weak and uncorroborated coalescent for a different and much broader group of samples from across southeastern Europe but excluding Turkey. Within the former broad concepts of B. miniatus s. lat. and B. rufofasciatus s. lat. the coalescent evidence is stronger and subtle evidence from morphology corroborates recognising B. miniatus s. str. and B. eurythorax Wang, 1892 stat. rev. as separate species as well as B. rufofasciatus s. str. and B. prshewalskyi Morawitz, 1880 stat. rev. as separate species. (3) Our coalescent and morphological results ‘split’ more clearly what has long been interpreted as a single polytypic B. keriensis Morawitz, 1887, s. lat., by supporting novel concepts of the restricted-range species: B. alagesianus Reinig, 1930 stat. rev., B. incertoides Vogt, 1911 stat. rev., B. keriensis s. str., B. qilianensis sp. nov., B. separandus Vogt, 1909 stat. rev., and B. tibeticus sp. nov. A lectotype is designated for the name B. keriensis and a neotype is designated for the name B. alagesianus. We estimate the phylogeny of Melanobombus species by including three slower-evolving genes to provide more evidence for deeper relationships, to estimate the time calibration of this phylogeny, and to estimate ancestral distributions, all within a Bayesian framework. We provide the first keys for identifying all of the species of Melanobombus.
Presented are species-group names published in the nine coprine genera (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Coprini) having only one lateral carina on each elytron. The data include authorships, dates and pages of original descriptions, geographic distributions, and references to works pertinent to the topic.
The fauna of Panama is species-rich due to its location and topography, and the resulting diversity of microclimates and habitats. The last summary of information about the caddisfly fauna (Insecta: Trichoptera) of Panama in 1992 noted 168 taxa in 13 families and 39 genera. Since then, and through 2014,
a large number of publications, based on work by a dedicated cadre of individuals, have recorded a net gain of 78 species and six genera. In 2015, 17 new species to science and 38 new country records were added, including one new family and two new genera for the country; and, two species were removed. Thus, 299 species of caddisflies are now known from the Republic of Panama and are distributed among 14 families
and 47 genera. Given the higher diversity in neighboring Costa Rica (>500 species), we feel certain that there are many more species yet to be discovered.
The Odonata fauna of Balabac Island, Philippines was studied in March 2013. A total of 41 species under 33 genera were recorded. Twenty-eight species were recorded for the first time in the island. One genus – Mortonagrion was recorded for the first time in the Philippines. Mortonagrion astamii spec. nov. and Prodasineura poncei spec. nov. are new to science and are described. Three previously recorded species remained elusive and not seen during the survey.
Records of Odonata collected from Gunung Pueh and the surrounding area, in west Sarawak, in October 2012, are presented. 67 species were collected; two species were recorded in Borneo for the first time: Libellago stigmatizans and Copera ciliata. Othernotable records include Podolestes chrysopus, Telosticta gading, Agriocnemis mini-ma and Pseudagrion coomansi. Some additional, previously unpublished, records from the most western part of Sarawak are included in two appendices.
During three field trips in 2009-2010 to Xuan Son National Park in Phu Tho province in northern Vietnam, a total of 13 species of damselflies of the superfamily Calo-pterygoidea were recorded. These records are documented here with field photo-graphs of living damselflies. Observations on their biology and behaviour are also noted. Three of the species are reported from Vietnam for the first time: Rhinocypha arguta, an undescribed Matrona species and Vestalaria miao. The last species was first found in Huu Lien Nature Reserve in Lang Son province in June 2008.
The paper compiles records from four excursions to study the Odonata fauna of southern Guizhou, China. Between 2007 and 2010 in Xiaoqikong Park and Maolan National Nature Reserve, 104 taxa have been recorded. Some interesting species are discussed, compared with sibling taxa, and information on habitats and habits is given.
A glance at the Odonata of the Cambodian coastal mountainous regions : end of dry season in 2010
(2010)
During a visit to the coastal regions of Cambodia within the Provinces of Koh Kong, Kampong Saom, Kampot and Kep within April 12-23, 2010, 59 species of Odonata were found. Of these, 51 were identified, 2 preliminarily identified (1 by exuviae, 1 to a known species with the valid name unresolved), 1 dubious (Aciagrion cf. pallidum), 3 not identified (just visual observations) and 2 seemingly undescribed, namely Burmagomphus sp. and Microgomphus sp. Fourteen species were recorded for the first time for this country, namely Neurobasis chinensis, Dysphaea gloriosa, Euphaea masoni, Onychargia atrocyana, Copera marginipes, Copera vittata, Prodasineura autumnalis Prodasineura verticalis sensu Asahina, 1983, Lathrecista asiatica, Orthetrum chrysis, Rhyothemis obsolescens, Tramea transmarina euryale, Zygonyx iris malayana, Zyxomma petiolatum; taking the current checklist for Cambodia up to 83 species. Some features of the collected specimens relevant to their taxonomy are discussed. Brief field notes are provided and Odonata records enumerated. The habitats and community of Odonata at the Cardamon Mts. foothills at the end of dry season are discussed.
The Odonata fauna of the basin of the river Severskyi Donets in its middle current (Eastern Ukraine)
(2010)
A list of 57 Odonata species from 108 localities recorded in the basin of the river Severskyi Donets in its middle range (Eastern Ukraine) is provided. This compilation includes literature and museum data as well as results from field surveys realized between 2001 and 2009. Annotations to the history of regional odonate research are made. Brief descriptions of typical dragonfly habitats in the floodplain of Severskyi Donets are presented. Locality wise notes on the reproductive status for most of the species are made.
In early 2007, I was invited by Dr. Michael Lau, Head of the China Programme of Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden (KFBG), to write a simple guide to the Odo nata of Hainan, China. KFBG is a Hong Kong-based conservation charity orga- nization, with strong links to tropical southern China, and is conducting a project to produce a series of basic fauna and flora field guides for Hainan Island, to be published in English and Chinese, but primarily aimed at older schoolchildren in China. I previously conducted field surveys of Hainan Odona ta with KFBG (as an employee or volunteer) in 1998, 1999 (twice), 2002 and 2005. Results of the three surveys conducted in 1998-1999 (one if which was also attended by Keith Wilson) were published by Wilson & Reels (2001). The results of the 2002 and 2005 surveys will appear as a chapter in a KFBG book about Hainan’s Yinggeling Nature Reserve, to be published in 2010. I also published a very brief, informal account of the 2005 survey in Agrion (Reels, 2006). On the basis of these past experiences, I gladly accepted the op tunity to write a field guide for KFBG.
Based on the results of fieldwork and collecting in 2008 and 2009 and the evaluation of literature an updated national checklist of the Odonata of Kyrgyzstan is presented. The list comprises a total of 63 species, whereas 55 species were encountered in the field by the author, including five new for the country: Aeshna serrata, Onychogomphus lefebvrii, Orthetrum sabina, Crocothemis servilia, Selysiothemis nigra. 826 specimens of 49 species have been collected (dep. in coll. A. Schröter). All 55 species recorded in 2008 and 2009 are listed and annotated. Moreover, the unclear or controversial taxonomical status of several species is briefly debated. Interesting ecological observations include the emergence of Libellula quadrimaculata from running water and cleptoparasitism by Ischnura forcipata in spider webs.
Polillo is a small group of island (27 islands in total) east of central Luzon (Figure 1). It is made up of four main island viz. Polillo I, Patnanungan I, Jomalig I and Palasan I and several islets. This island group has relatively flat to gentle sloping terrain and the highest point is only 300 m asl (Mt. Maluhod) in Polillo Island (ca 700 km²) which is the largest in the group and the third largest island in greater Luzon biogeographic region.
During summer field work in 2005 and 2009 data on the distribution of dragonflies were obtained on the territory of Moldova. In August 2005, 9 species were recorded for the middle part of the Dniester river (surroundings of Sakharna). Between 28 June and 4 July 2009 dragonflies were studied in almost all parts of the country - 25 species were observed. Four species (Lestes macrostigma, Coenagrion ornatum, Coenagrion scitulum, Orthetrum brunneum) were recorded for the first time in Moldova. For many species the knowledge of their Moldovan distribution was improved. The habitats of every species were described, illustrated and preliminary maps of species distribution were prepared. Literature data were also analysed and a check list of Moldovan dragonflies was created containing 37 species. The presence of several species (including Nehalennia speciosa) in Moldova needs confirmation.
The odonate fauna of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is species rich but poorly studied. Geographic ranges, ecology, and thus conservation status of many species are unknown. In this study I provide an inventory of two sites within the largest formally protected forest area in PNG, the Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area. I sampled odonates for a total of 112 days in a pristine forest site and for 36 days in a traditional garden village, and worked with local communities to increase the awareness of dragonflies in the area. I found a total of 78 species (60 Zygoptera, 18 Anisoptera) from 13 families, including at least six currently undescribed species.
The pristine rainforest hosted more species (61) than the village (37), and a longer sampling period was required to reach an approximately equal level of the total species richness. I calculated species accumulation curves for both areas and found that 100 sampling days were required in the pristine forest, whereas 35 sampling days appeared sufficient in the modified forest. More than two-thirds of all species recorded in the pristine forest were observed in less than half of all the sampling sessions, indicating that species might be both rare and occur only during certain times of the year. The number of species recorded per sampling session indicated some seasonality in the odonate fauna of the pristine forest, which should be considered in future studies. The study suggests that modification of tropical rainforests will lead to a loss of species richness. Conservation of odonates in PNG is therefore dependent on the preservation of primary rainforests, which requires the education of native people living in these areas. Dragonflies were well known among local people inhabiting the study area, but did not play a major role in their culture. More work on dragonflies is needed to describe the diversity of the PNG odonate fauna.
The ecological and faunistic research of Odonata in Ukraine has been based on three main pillars. The first are investigations of species composition, habitat preferences, trophic connections, parasites and predators, behaviour patterns, and morphological and physiological peculiarities of dragonflies by expert-odonatologists. The second pillar is the collection and identification of adults for the survey of animals from different regions, especially rare and endangered species for the Red Lists and Red Data Book. Thirdly, there is the study of Odonata larvae as components of freshwater ecosystems, particularly as food of fish.
Some present Ukrainian regions belonged to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania before 1939-1945. Odonatological investigations were held up during the Second World War and the 12 years of post-war rebuilding.
The first data on Ukrainian Odonata were published in the second part of the 19th century (Belke, 1859, 1866). Since then, several Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Hungarian and Romanian scientists have made great contributions to the investigation of the odonate fauna and ecology. One of the most famous odonatologists, J. Dziêdzielewicz, worked in the western Ukraine from the end of the 19th to the early 20th century. At the same time G. Artobolevs’ky investigated the northern and central parts of Ukraine and the Crimea peninsula. A. Brauner and A. Bartenev carried out research in the southern Ukraine and Crimea.
R. Pavlyuk continued research in the western region of Ukraine. He carried out faunistic, ecological and parasitological investigations. A. Oliger studied faunistic and ecological aspects of dragonflies in the easternmost part of the Ukraine (Donets’k region). Recently, S. Gorb published many papers devoted to the functional morphology of dragonflies. He also provided a study of the species composition and ecological peculiarities of Odonata in northern Ukraine and a catalogue of the Ukrainian species. Today, several odonatologists are actively involved in odonatological research in Ukraine. N. Mathuskina works on the functional morphology of the ovipositor and dragonfly behaviour, L. Khrokalo on faunistics and ecology in the northeastern Ukraine and on aspects of nature conservation, O. Dyatlova on the faunistics in the southwest of the country and some aspects of morphology and behaviour. A. Martynov studies the faunistics in the eastern part of Ukraine.
Records of 33 species of Odonata from Ankarafantsika National Park are presented. Four additional species have been reported in the literature. Nineteen species are recorded from the site for the first time. The site is the largest remaining block of dry forest in Madagascar’s Western Region. While 80% of Madagascar Odonata species are endemic, only 40% of the species recorded in Ankarafantsika is endemic. Moreover, the endemics recorded are mostly common throughout the island. The dry forests are thus of relatively little importance for Madagascar’s diversity of Odonata.
65 species of Odonata are recorded from Mulanje and its slopes. Only eight species dominate on the high plateau. Among them are two relict species of conservation concern: The endemic Oreocnemis phoenix (monotypic genus) and the restricted-range species Chlorolestes elegans. The absence of mountain marsh specialists on the plateau is noteworthy. Mulanje’s valleys, of which Likabula and Ruo are best known, have a rich dragonfly fauna. The Eastern Arc relict Nepogomphoides stuhlmanni is common here.