The genus Chaetostomella Hendel, 1927 (Diptera: Tephritidae) in the fauna of Morocco is reviewed based on integrative morphological and molecular analyses. Phylogenetic reconstruction using a 657 COI barcoding sequences strongly supports the monophyly of the genus and resolves Chaetostomella steropea as the basalmost lineage, sister to the recently radiated Chaetostomella cylindrica species complex. Two species, Chaetostomella kitaneasp. nov. (reared from Cynara scolymus and Carthamus pectinatus), and Chaetostomellamaroccanasp. nov. (reared from Mantisalca salmantica and Ptilostemon rhiphaeus) are described. Despite showing low genetic divergence from C. cylindrica, which indicates their evolutionary youth, both new species exhibit stable diagnostic morphological characters and geographic isolation. Chaetostomella steropea (Rondani, 1870) is redescribed based on specimens reared from Chamaeleon gummifer, representing its first record for North Africa. Tephritis algira Macquart, 1843 is considered a nomen dubium. A preliminary key to the species of Chaetostomella and remarks on the morphology, distribution and examined material of some little-known non-Moroccan species are provided.
Background. Naegleria fowleri, the causative agent of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), is a thermophilic free-living amoeba historically endemic to warm freshwater environments, particularly in the southern United States. While human infections remain exceedingly rare, they are almost uniformly fatal. Global climate change is hypothesized to expand the geographic range of thermotolerant pathogens, potentially introducing them into previously unaffected regions. Objective. This study aims to quantify the current and future habitat suitability for N. fowleri within the contiguous United States (US) and, critically, to project these models onto Europe, a continent traditionally considered low-risk, to identify regions of potential emergence under climate change scenarios. Methods. We employed a modeling approach using the machine learning algorithm Maxent, implemented via the `flexsdm` R package. We utilized 204 occurrence records from the contiguous US. We evaluated three environmental datasets (ENVIREM, Global Cloud Dynamics, Worldclim v.2), selecting Worldclim v.2 for its superior predictive performance. Future projections were generated for the 2041-2060 period under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) 2-4.5 (intermediate scenario). Variable importance was assessed using Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) to decouple the contribution of each Bioclimatic predictor and identify the key drivers of range expansion. Results. The Worldclim v.2 dataset provided the most robust model. The model accurately identified the southeastern US as the core current habitat, consistent with historical PAM case distribution. Crucially, when projected onto Europe, the model reveals extensive regions of currently low suitability that transition to moderate or high suitability by 2050, particularly across the Mediterranean basin, parts of Central Europe, and the Atlantic coastal fringes. SHAP analysis identified temperature-related variables, specifically Annual Mean Temperature, Mean Temperature of the Coldest Quarter, and Mean Diurnal Range, as the most influential predictors, followed closely by precipitation variables (Precipitation of Driest Quarter/Month and Precipitation Seasonality). Under the SSP2-4.5 scenario, the model projects a distinct northward and eastward expansion of suitable habitat, with Ukraine emerging as a region of particular concern, especially in light of recent anthropogenic hydrological changes to the Dnipro River basin. Conclusion. Our findings support the hypothesis that global warming will facilitate the geographic spread of N. fowleri, carrying this pathogen into uncharted European waters. The projections for Europe, and for Ukraine, in particular, suggest a non-negligible risk of future autochthonous PAM cases. These results warrant the proactive inclusion of this pathogen in public health surveillance programs and climate change adaptation strategies across the continent.
Національний природний парк «Залісся» (Київська область, лівобережжя Десни, Східне Полісся) є природоохоронною територією з водоймами як антропогенного (торфо-кар’єрного) походження, так і невеликими лісовими озерами.У ході іхтіологічних досліджень, проведених у 16 водних об’єк-тах Парку,виявлено 17 видів риб з 6 родин.Найбагатша іхтіофауна зафіксована в затоплених кар’єр-них водоймах Нижнє Мале (17 видів) та Верхнє Велике (11 видів); у інших ставках та озерах видове різноманіття обмежене 1–4 видами. До цінних видів, що підлягають охороні, належать карась зви-чайний Carassius carassius (категорія «Вразливий» Червоної книги України) та гірчак європейський Rhodeus amarus (Резолюція 6 Бернської конвенції), популяції яких перебувають у відносно стабіль-ному стані.Серед п’яти зафіксованих чужорідних видів найбільшу загрозу для аборигенної іхтіофа-уни становлятькарасьсріблястий Carassius gibelio та ротань-головешка Perccottus glenii.В озері Без-травне виявлено унікальну для України популяцію Perccottus glenii з широким віковим спектром, що становить особливий науковий інтерес як приклад потенційного моновидового угруповання. У малих лісових озерах переважають чужорідні види, що свідчить про вразливість таких ізольованих екосистем до інвазій. Першочерговими природоохоронними завданнями є моніторинг популяції ротаня-головешки в озері Безтравне, недопущення несанкціонованого зариблення та інформацій-но-роз’яснювальна робота щодо неприпустимості випуску риб у водойми Парку. Збереження при-родного гідрологічного режиму є базовою передумовою ефективності природоохоронних заходів.
This article analyzes the biodiversity of Ukraine with the aim of developing proposals for the inclusion of flora and fauna species, as well as natural habitat types, into the annexes of the EU Habitats and Birds Directives. Ukraine, as one of the largest countries in Europe, is characterized by a high level of species diversity, including a significant number of endemic species. As a result of a comparative analysis of species lists from the annexes of the Bern Convention, the EU Habitats and Birds Directives, and the Red Data Book of Ukraine, followed by a stepwise selection algorithm using open-access databases to verify species distribution and applying the selection criteria specified for the annexes of the aforementioned Directives, a list of 63 species of flora and fauna and 4 types of natural habitats was compiled. It is shown that a substantial proportion of the proposed species is associated with steppe and petrophytic ecosystems. Many of these species are characterized by restricted distribution ranges or are threatened with extinction, and are largely unrepresented within EU Member States. Particular attention is given to endemic species and Pontic–Caspian relict taxa, as well as to species that serve as characteristic representatives of rare habitat types requiring an integrated conservation approach. The proposed habitat types are also unique and not represented within EU countries. The results obtained can be used to support the harmonization of Ukraine’s environmental legislation with EU standards.
Four species of Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) are recorded from Chernivtsi Region based on revised collection material collected in 2008. The examined material includes records from both mountain and lowland localities of the Bukovynian Carpathians and adjacent areas. Two species, Ephedrus niger Gautier, Bonnamour et Gaumont, 1929 and E. plagiator (Nees, 1811), were previously known from the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, whereas representatives of the genera Trioxys Haliday, 1833 and Binodoxys Mackauer, 1960 remain comparatively poorly documented in the Ukrainian Carpathians. The present study provides the first verified record of the genus Trioxys s. str. for the Ukrainian Carpathians based on the record of Trioxys pallidus Haliday, 1833. The record of Binodoxys centaureae (Haliday, 1833) from a high-montane locality at 1,820 m a. s. l. is also of particular interest. The paper briefly discusses the current state of knowledge of Aphidiinae in the Ukrainian Carpathians and highlights the importance of revising collection material and critically analyzing previously published data for regional faunistic studies. 17 refs.
