Butterflies exhibit high sensitivity to environmental changes. Consequently, they are widely recognized as effective bioindicator species. Assessing the diversity, richness, and community structure of species in urban and rural habitats is essential for gaining a comprehensive understanding of the environmental heterogeneity and habitat quality that influence butterfly assemblages. These comparative analyses are instrumental in understanding the impacts of anthropogenic disturbances and land-use changes on butterfly populations. The species diversity and richness along with community structure in the urban as well as rural sections of Ramnagar block in the Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal, India, were recorded, analysed, and compared in this paper. A total of 3433 individuals belonging to 64 species and 5 families were recorded during a one-year survey period. Pielou evenness index and Shannon diversity index were calculated. The species diversity and richness were higher (3.93 and 64) in rural areas compared to urban areas (3.44 and 41). The greatest number of species belonged to the Nymphalidae family (24 species), and the smallest to the Papilionidae family (8 species). Danaus genutia was the most dominant species, and Pelopidas conjuncta and Badamia exclamatonis were the least abundant species in rural areas, whereas Danaus chrysippus was the most abundant species and Lethe europa was the least abundant one in urban areas. Various anthropogenic activities like new constructions of lodges, hotels, buildings, widening of old roads, construction of new roads, deforestation, industrialisation, lack of natural water bodies and pollution may have caused disparities in the diversity and composition of butterfly populations in urban and rural areas.
Increasing urbanization in Algeria, particularly pronounced in northern regions such as Tizi Ouzou, is profoundly altering ecosystems and interactions between species. This study aims to characterize the diversity and dynamics of avian ectoparasites in urban environments through the examination of three model species: the Rock Dove (Columba livia), the Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) and the Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis). Sampling was carried out using captured individuals and nests collected from urban habitats. The results show that Mallophaga lice (Columbicola columbae, Companulotes compar) are strictly associated with pigeon, with an abundance of 52.90%. Conversely, nidicolous mites (Dermanyssus gallinae and Ornithonyssus maritimus) are concentrated in the nests of pigeons and Yellow-legged Gulls at rates of 15.86% and 9.30%, respectively. Cattle Egrets show lower and more sporadic infestations. Furthermore, the three bird species host significantly distinct parasite communities despite sharing parts of their habitat. Finally, the presence of the soft tick Argas persicus (0.38%), a known zoonotic vector, underscores the health significance of these results.
The largest part of shallow lakes in Latvia, including the focal Lake Saukas, corresponds to the European Union importance habitat Natural eutrophic lakes with Magnopotamion or Hydrocharition-type vegetation. The state of these Latvian lakes is assessed as unfavourable-inadequate, particularly regarding their structure and function. Therefore, the study aimed to determine the seasonal structure of functional groups in the zooplankton community, as an important part of freshwater food webs, in shallow Lake Saukas in relation to the littoral and pelagic zones. The study was conducted in the littoral and pelagic zones from May to November in 2020. The basic structure of zooplankton in Lake Saukas was formed by functional groups of cladocerans and copepods, with a low biomass (ranging from 0.81 to 0.26 g m-3). Life history effects, seasonal succession, top-down control, and lake trophic state are possible contributors to changes in zooplankton functional groups in Lake Saukas. The lowest rotifers guild ratio values were recorded in pelagic zones, dominated by microfilters, and the highest in littoral zones, dominated by raptors. Alterations in the guild ratio of rotifers were driven by the season and by competition with cladocerans in the pelagic zones. The zooplankton communities resemble a meso-eutrophic or slightly eutrophic state in Lake Saukas, as indicated by their low biomass and abundance and their diverse functional structure. These results improve our understanding of the functional structure and productivity of the shallow Lake Saukas ecosystem, thereby supporting the development of sustainable ecosystem-based management strategies and fisheries in the lake.
Amoebae species of the genus Cochliopodium are widespread in aquatic habitats and soils and exhibit limited morphological differentiation. Thus, the number of described species remains low. They are difficult to maintain in culture due to their nutritional and reproductive peculiarities. Today, accurate species identification requires modern light microscopy and DNA sequencing. GenBank contains a small number of 18S rRNA gene sequences of Cochliopodium. The aim of our study was to isolate species of naked amoebae from water bodies in Ukraine, identify them by morphological characteristics and 18S rRNA genome, and determine their phylogenetic position within Amoebozoa. From the waters of Ukraine, we identified the marine species Cochliopodium gulosum and the freshwater species Cochliopodium actinophorum (MZ079367), Cochliopodium minus (OK649264), and Cochliopodium sp. (MZ079368). They share morphological characteristics such as the locomotor form, the presence of extracellular integumentary structures of the tectum type, and a vesicular nucleus. In our analysis, naked amoebae belonging to the molecular clusters Tubulinea and Discosea form a clade within Amoebozoa. Within Tubulinea we recover species from the order Euamoebida, while within Discosea we recover Dactylopodida, Vannellida, Thecamoebida, Dermamoebida, Acanthamoebida, and Himatismenida. Representatives of the genera Cochliopodium and Gocevia are grouped in Himatismenida. One group is formed by sequences of the species Cochliopodium minus (OK649264, JQ271675, JQ271674), another group contains Cochliopodium actinophorum and Cochliopodium sp. (MZ079367, JF298250, MZ079368), and the third group, Cochliopodium kieliense and Cochliopodium larifeili (KJ569725, KJ569727, JF298253).
This study explores the Hymenoptera diversity from an uncultivated house yard in the mountain hamlet of Grashtitsa at an altitude of 1340 m in the Western Rhodope Mountains in southern Bulgaria. Additionally, data from the vicinity of the village of Patalenitsa (at the foot of the mountain) are also presented. A total of 5189 specimens from 74 species and 22 families were collected, and of them, 4695 individuals and 50 species were ants (Formicidae). In Grashtitsa hamlet, between September 2016 and April 2021, we collected 4326 ants from 36 species and 474 individuals from the other 21 Hymenoptera families, with only six pitfall traps. From the surroundings of the Patalenitsa village, between May and September 2016, we collected 369 ant individuals belonging to 26 species and 20 more individuals from 12 species of other seven hymenopteran families, with 16 pitfall traps. Some species of conservational or scientific interest were collected. Here, we give the first record of Bethylus cephalotes in Bulgaria and in the Balkan Peninsula, as for the first time, setae have been found on the facets of the compound eyes of this species. Interestingly, several species were established to expand their range – Embolemus ruddii, Lasioglossum anellum, Priocnemis confusor, P. hankoi, and P. hyalinata are here reported for the first time for the Western Rhodopes.
