Article
Biodiversity Conservation
A. J. Fleming, Norman Woodley, M. Alex Smith, Winnie Hallwachs, Daniel H. Janzen
Summary: This study is part of a taxonomic work that aims to describe new and known taxa of Tachinidae in Guanacaste Conservation Area in Costa Rica. The researchers describe 33 new species in the Belvosia genus, which were reared from wild-caught caterpillars of various families. Morphological descriptions, limited life history information, molecular data, and photographs are provided for each species. The authors also provide a redescription of the Belvosia genus and a key for identifying species in the Meso- and North-American fauna.
BIODIVERSITY DATA JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Shinichi Nakahara, Kaylin Kleckner, Eduardo P. Barbosa, Giselle M. Lourenco, Mirna M. Casagrande, Keith R. Willmott, Andre V. L. Freitas
Summary: A brief historical review of the type locality of Euptychia stigmatica suggests that the actual type locality is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, not northeastern Argentina. Therefore, E. stigmatica and its senior synonym E. cyanites are considered as two species-group names representing a taxon in the euptychiine genus Caeruleuptychia known from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. A lectotype is designated for E. cyanites. Additionally, two closely related species, Caeruleuptychia harrisi and C. aemulatio, occurring in the Amazonia region are named and described using an integrative approach of morphological and molecular evidence.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Thamara Zacca, Mirna M. Casagrande, Olaf H. H. Mielke, Blanca Huertas, Eduardo P. Barbosa, Andre V. L. Freitas, Gerardo Lamas, Marianne Espeland, Christian Brevignon, Shinichi Nakahara, Maria F. Checa, Keith R. Willmott
Summary: A systematic revision of Paryphthimoides, a satyrine genus widely distributed in Central and South America, was conducted based on an integrative approach. The study proposed a new taxonomic arrangement comprising 14 taxa for Paryphthimoides based on molecular and morphological evidence.
INSECT SYSTEMATICS & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alex W. Edwards, Xavier A. Harrison, M. Alex Smith, Maria Marta Chavarria Diaz, Mahmood Sasa, Daniel H. Janzen, Winnie Hallwachs, Gerardo Chaves, Roberto Fernandez, Caroline Palmer, Chloe Wilson, Alexandra North, Robert Puschendorf
Summary: Amphibians are the most threatened species-rich vertebrate group, with species extinctions and population declines occurring globally. Costa Rica, including ACG, has experienced rapid amphibian population declines and extinctions in the past three decades. Rainforests have the highest species richness, while Cacao has seen a decline of 45% in amphibian species richness.
Article
Biology
Jose Leonardo Chacon-Monge, Juan Carlos Azofeifa-Solano, Juan Jose Alvarado, Jorge Cortes
Summary: The study in the North Pacific of Costa Rica on marine biodiversity revealed a higher echinoderm richness in the Guanacaste Conservation Area than previously reported, reaching levels similar to other high diversity sites in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.
REVISTA DE BIOLOGIA TROPICAL
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
A. J. Fleming, D. Monty Wood, M. Alex Smith, Winnie Hallwachs, Daniel Janzen
Summary: The study revised the genus Metaplagia in northwestern Costa Rica, describing five new species and providing detailed descriptions of the new species, as well as a revised key to the genus and a new combination of a species within the genus.
BIODIVERSITY DATA JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Laura M. Phillips, Rachel Leihy, Steven L. Chown
Summary: This study focuses on the type locality criterion for area protection in Antarctica and reveals the inadequacy of the current protected areas network. By analyzing a comprehensive database of type localities, the study identifies numerous unprotected areas that should be considered for future conservation efforts. The authors propose alternative approaches to deploy the type locality criterion, such as systematic conservation planning and emphasis on species habitat.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Damian Martinez-Fernandez
Summary: The Guanacaste Conservation Area is an important marine habitat for pantropical spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, and humpback whales. Pantropical spotted dolphins and humpback whales exhibit higher proportions of foraging and traveling behaviors during the rainy season, while humpback whales are more frequently observed engaging in mother-calf association, social behavior, and traveling.
REVISTA DE BIOLOGIA TROPICAL
(2021)
Article
Entomology
John M. Burns, Daniel H. Janzen, Winnie Hallwachs, Nick V. Grishin
Summary: This article describes a new species of neotropical skipper butterfly called Ridens conservation internationalis. It provides information on the characteristics, behavior, and genomic data of this species. It also discusses the relationships between this new species and other described species of Ridens, as well as an undescribed species from Peru. Additionally, the article mentions the revision of the classification of some Ridens species.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elie Gaget, Alison Johnston, Diego Pavon-Jordan, Aleksi S. Lehikoinen, Brett K. Sandercock, Alaaeldin Soultan, Luka Bozic, Preben Clausen, Koen Devos, Cristi Domsa, Vitor Encarnacao, Sandor Farago, Niamh Fitzgerald, Teresa Frost, Clemence Gaudard, Livia Gosztonyi, Fredrik Haas, Menno Hornman, Tom Langendoen, Christina Ieronymidou, Leho Luigujoe, Wlodzimierz Meissner, Tibor Mikuska, Blas Molina, Zuzana Musilova, Jean-Yves Paquet, Nicky Petkov, Danae Portolou, Jozef Ridzon, Laimonas Sniauksta, Antra Stipniece, Norbert Teufelbauer, Johannes Wahl, Marco Zenatello, Jon E. Brommer
Summary: Protected areas in the European Union Natura 2000 network play a crucial role in helping bird communities respond to climate warming. This study found that sites with explicit designation for waterbird protection and management plans responded more quickly to climate warming compared to other sites. Additionally, sites funded under the LIFE program had lower climate-driven community changes.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Wendolyn Matamoros-Calderon, Minor Lara, Odalisca Breedy
Summary: This study discovered black coral forests at several sites in the north Pacific of Costa Rica, confirming the presence of two species: Myriopathes panamensis and Antipathes galapagensis. These findings emphasize the importance of the ACG as a marine biodiversity conservation site.
REVISTA DE BIOLOGIA TROPICAL
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Laura Kor, Mateo Fernandez-Lucero, Diego Arturo Granados Florez, Terence P. Dawson, Mauricio Diazgranados
Summary: This study evaluates the integration of scientific and local knowledge in the conservation of useful plants in Colombia using the Important Plant Areas (IPA) approach. The results show that working with local communities can enhance the understanding of useful plants for spatial conservation planning. Additionally, participatory approaches should go beyond community-based conservation and data collection to inform global conservation program design.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Chun-Ting Feng, Ming Cao, Fang-Zheng Liu, Yue Zhou, Jin-Hong Du, Li-Bo Zhang, Wen-Jie Huang, Jian-Wu Luo, Jun-Sheng Li, Wei Wang
Summary: Previous assessments of protected areas did not consider different human-pressure baselines, potentially underestimating their effectiveness. We developed a framework that considers baselines and changes in human pressure over time, and identified management measures to improve effectiveness and reduce threats to natural ecosystems. Our framework is useful for global assessments of protected areas.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Orion S. Mccarthy, Kanisha Contractor, Will F. Figueira, Arthur C. R. Gleason, T. Shay Viehman, Clinton B. Edwards, Stuart A. Sandin
Summary: Emerging technology, such as large-area imaging (LAI), has the potential to greatly enhance marine conservation efforts. LAI, which uses structure-from-motion photogrammetry to create 3-D environmental models, has been widely used in the field of marine science, but its application in marine conservation is limited. There is a need for more diverse and conservation-relevant research using LAI technology.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Omar Gatjens-Boniche, Marylin Sanchez-Valverde, Carla Trejos-Araya, Roberto Espinoza-Obando, Adrian A. Pinto-Tomas, Paul E. Hanson
Summary: This study conducted a detailed inventory of plant galls in the Guanacaste Conservation Area in Costa Rica, identifying one hundred thirty-one morphotypes. The majority of the recorded plant galls were new and unique, contributing significantly to the understanding of gall diversity in the region and globally.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Christoph Mayer, Lars Dietz, Elsa Call, Sandra Kukowka, Sebastian Martin, Marianne Espeland
Summary: Researchers have developed a target enrichment kit for obtaining nuclear loci data from museum specimens, revealing the phylogeny of Lepidoptera. The kit can generate comparable data and provide resolution for both deeper and shallower nodes.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Marianne Espeland
Summary: This study reveals that Catochrysops trifracta Butler, 1884 is actually a junior subjective synonym of the neotropical species Hemiargus hanno (Stoll [1790]), which is widely distributed in the old world as Euchrysops cnejus (Fabricius, 1798). To establish the taxonomic identity of Catochrysops trifracta Butler, 1884, a lectotype is designated.
NOTA LEPIDOPTEROLOGICA
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Mukta Joshi, Marianne Espeland, Vlad Dinca, Roger Vila, Mohadeseh S. Tahami, Lars Dietz, Christoph Mayer, Sebastian Martin, Leonardo Dapporto, Marko Mutanen
Summary: By comparing data obtained from different genomic methods, we identified a genetically distinct Balkan lineage in the parapatric species Melitaea butterflies and recommended consistently classifying parapatric taxa as subspecies or complete species to maintain taxonomic stability.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Si-Yao Huang, Li-Juan Zhu, En-Yong Chen, Yong-Qiang Xu, Min Wang, Xiao-Ling Fan, Zhao-Hui Pan, Marianne Espeland
Summary: This study presents new information of the genus Agalope from mainland China, including descriptions of three new species and a new species within a new species-group. It corrects previous errors in species classification and provides an updated checklist of the genus.
Article
Zoology
Shinichi Nakahara, Alberto Zilli, John V. Calhoun, Marianne Espeland, Pablo Sebastian Padron, Nick V. Grishin
Summary: In this study, we address the oversight in the application of the name Papilio marcus Fabricius, 1787 and propose new taxonomic information for the related species. By designating a lectotype and conducting genomic sequencing, we determine that the species is distinct from others and provide a new combination name.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
John H. Boyle, Marianne Espeland, Szabolcs Safian, Robert Ducarme, Alan J. Gardiner, James W. Coleman, Alan Heath, Stewart Fisher, Steve C. Collins, Dino J. Martins, Kwaku Aduse-Poku, Michel Libert, Even Dankowicz, Akito Y. Kawahara, David J. Lohman, Naomi E. Pierce
Summary: The Poritiinae is a subfamily of lycaenid butterflies, consisting of the Asian endemic tribe Poritiini and the African endemic tribe Liptenini. The Liptenini are known for their lichenivorous diet and non-mutualistic ant associations. This study presents the first molecular phylogeny of this subfamily, based on data from 14 gene regions, and identifies the division of the subfamily into two tribes and rearranges the Liptenini tribe into six subtribes. The study also suggests the likelihood of the common ancestor of Poritiini being Asian and the common ancestor of Liptenini being African, with subsequent range narrowing in several lineages.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Lars Dietz, Jonas Eberle, Christoph Mayer, Sandra Kukowka, Claudia Bohacz, Hannes Baur, Marianne Espeland, Bernhard A. A. Huber, Carl Hutter, Ximo Mengual, Ralph S. S. Peters, Miguel Vences, Thomas Wesener, Keith Willmott, Bernhard Misof, Oliver Niehuis, Dirk Ahrens
Summary: Species recognition is crucial for science and society, and molecular methods have become popular for animal species identification. In this study, genomic data from nine animal lineages were used to explore the use of metazoan-level universal single-copy orthologs (metazoan USCOs) for species delimitation. The results showed that USCOs outperformed classical mitochondrial DNA barcoding in distinguishing closely related species and accurately assigning samples to different taxonomic levels.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Isabel C. Kilian, Marianne Espeland, Wolfram Mey, Daisy Wowor, Renny K. Hadiaty, Thomas von Rintelen, Fabian Herder
Summary: This study assessed the Trichoptera diversity in and around Mount Halimun Salak National Park in West Java, Indonesia using molecular and morphological approaches. The results revealed a high diversity of Trichoptera in the area and demonstrated the potential of Trichoptera as bioindicators for water quality assessment. The study also highlighted the importance of improving DNA barcode reference libraries for Trichoptera in the Oriental region.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Marianne Espeland, Shinichi Nakahara, Thamara Zacca, Eduardo P. Barbosa, Blanca Huertas, Mario A. Marin, Gerardo Lamas, Mohamed Benmesbah, Christian Brevignon, Mirna M. Casagrande, Christer Fahraeus, Nick Grishin, Akito Y. Kawahara, Olaf H. H. Mielke, Jacqueline Y. Miller, Ichiro Nakamura, Vanessa Navas, Brooke Patrusky, Tomasz W. Pyrcz, Lindsay Richards, Denise Tan, Stephanie Tyler, Angel Viloria, Andrew D. Warren, Lei Xiao, Andre V. L. Freitas, Keith R. Willmott
Summary: This article emphasizes the importance of taxonomy research on the Neotropical subtribe Euptychiina and presents the most complete phylogenetic tree to date through analyzing genetic sequences of 1280 specimens. The study reveals widespread paraphyly and polyphyly among the group, highlighting the need for a robust classification system to support taxonomic revisions at the species level.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Si-Yao Huang, Yu-Long Zhang, Kiyoshi Horie, Marianne Espeland
Summary: A new species, Eterusia sinoraja Huang & Horie sp. n., was discovered in western Sichuan Province, China. It was compared with E. raja Moore, 1859 from northeastern India. The study provides illustrations of the adult insects and their genitalia.
Article
Zoology
Si-Yao Huang, Kiyoshi Horie, Xiao-Ling Fan, Min Wang, Marianne Espeland
Summary: A preliminary review of the genus Agalope is conducted, resulting in the establishment of two new genera: Rotundagalope and Paragalope. Another new genus, Agacysma, related to Agalope and Elcysma, is also established. Several new species and new combinations are described. A checklist of the mentioned species and genera is provided, along with illustrations of the newly described taxa.
Article
Ecology
Marianne Espeland, Nicolas Chazot, Fabien L. L. Condamine, Alan R. R. Lemmon, Emily Moriarty Lemmon, Ernest Pringle, Alan Heath, Steve Collins, Wilson Tiren, Martha Mutiso, David C. C. Lees, Stewart Fisher, Raymond Murphy, Stephen Woodhall, Robert Tropek, Svenja S. S. Ahlborn, Kevin Cockburn, Jeremy Dobson, Thierry Bouyer, Zofia A. A. Kaliszewska, Christopher C. M. Baker, Gerard Talavera, Roger Vila, Alan J. J. Gardiner, Mark Williams, Dino J. J. Martins, Szabolcs Safian, David A. A. Edge, Naomi E. E. Pierce
Summary: Africa underwent aridification over the past 20 million years, which may have influenced organisms and led to the evolution of life history adaptations. We tested the hypothesis that the adoption of living in ant nests and feeding on ant brood by phyto-predaceous larvae of Lepidochrysops butterflies was an adaptive response to the aridification of Africa, and this facilitated the radiation of butterflies in this genus. Our findings support the hypothesis that aridification during the emergence of Miombo woodlands selected for a phyto-predaceous life history in Lepidochrysops species, with ant nests providing caterpillars a safe refuge from fire and a food source when vegetation was scarce.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Michael F. Braby, Chris Mueller, Marianne Espeland
Summary: This study investigates the taxonomy of the Eirmocides helenita complex, which includes five species within the monophyletic lineage referred to as the E. helenita species-group. Four of these species, previously classified under Eirmocides helenita and characterized by iridescent turquoise coloration in males, are mainly distributed in different geographical areas. The fifth member of the group is sympatric with one of the species on mainland New Guinea. The taxonomic revision increases the recognized number of species in Eirmocides and the tribe Candalidini.
AUSTRAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Tomasz W. Pyrcz, Keith R. Willmott, Dorota Lachowska-Cierlik, Artur Mrozek, Klaudia Florczyk, Oscar Mahecha-J, Marianne Espeland
Summary: Analysis of a target enrichment molecular dataset confirms the monophyly of the Pronophila Westwood clade, a Neotropical montane butterfly group. The study identified three genera within the Pseudomaniola genus based on wing color patterns and genitalia characteristics. Differences were also observed in scale organization and morphology. Divergence time analysis suggests that Fahraeusia diverged from Pseudomaniola + Boyeriana around 12 Mya, and Pseudomaniola and Boyeriana separated around 5 Mya at the start of the Pliocene.
INSECT SYSTEMATICS AND DIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Elsa Call, Christoph Mayer, Victoria Twort, Lars Dietz, Niklas Wahlberg, Marianne Espeland
Summary: This study focuses on three moth families, including Epicopeiidae, and uses target enrichment to investigate their phylogenetic relationships. The results support Sematuridae as the sister group of Epicopeiidae + Pseudobistonidae.
INSECT SYSTEMATICS AND DIVERSITY
(2021)
