Long-term ecological surveys (LTES) and historical species inventories are essential for assessing changes in biodiversity. However, comparisons over time may be heavily biased if they disregard the evolution of taxonomic knowledge. To investigate, at a later date, changes in the distribution of aquatic species over the last 50 years, we revisited the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) species inventory conducted by Pierre Lavandier in the 70’s in the Estaragne, a subalpine and alpine catchment area in the French Central Pyrenees. In 2022, we sampled the same twelve stream sites during three seasonal campaigns, collecting both aquatic (larvae, nymphs and pupae) and aerial (imago) stages. Taxa were identified morphologically by EPT experts and cross-validated by external specialists for challenging species. Molecular analyses were performed to barcode unreferenced species and examine uncertain species affiliations. Finally, we proposed an approach to assess the autochthony of EPT species at the twelve sites. We thus updated the EPT species inventory performed by Lavandier according to advances in taxonomic knowledge, providing a 2022 inventory with detailed justification of taxa assignment. Of the 55 EPT taxa (52 at the species level) validated in the 70’s inventory, only 64% retained an unchanged taxonomic status; 36% required modifications, including reassignment (70%), revision (15%), and reduction to a higher taxonomic level (15%). In 2022, we validated 80 EPT taxa (65 at the species level), although several affiliations may change as taxonomic knowledge advances. Here, we provide detailed comments on our taxonomic assignments and distribution observations for 44 challenging and/or poorly known taxa. This reveals historical taxonomic errors, uncertain affiliations, potential undescribed, complex, or cryptic species, and highlights significant gaps in taxonomic knowledge for these aquatic insect orders, which are among the most widely studied in Europe. Based on current taxonomic knowledge, 70 EPT taxa collected in 2022 can be compared with the 55 updated EPT taxa collected in the 70’s. Our study demonstrates that LTES critically depend on transparent and revisable taxonomy. We therefore advocate for aquatic inventories that document species autochthony, preserve reference specimens from all life stages, and provide FAIR taxonomic datasets, including complete sampling metadata and the taxonomic references used for morphological identification. Finally, this work underscores the pivotal role of taxonomy in biodiversity science and LTES.
A new species of the family Coccinellidae from Chile, Eriopis maricunga González & Tello, sp. nov., is described from the Chilean Andes of the Atacama Region, including both adult and larval records. The species appears to be abundant in the vicinity of high-altitude Andean salty lagoons and has been observed at Laguna Santa Rosa, on the margins of Salar de Maricunga (3,700 m a.s.l.), and at Laguna Verde (4,300 m a.s.l.). It represents the southernmost coccinellid species recorded above 4,000 m a.s.l. in South America.
ABSTRACT Although primates are typically considered arboreal, tree use varies widely. Among great apes, gorillas are the largest‐bodied and generally the most terrestrial, yet arboreal behavior varies within and between species. We investigated arboreal behavior in one group of wild western gorillas ( n = 1831.2 h of focal observation; 334 individual‐days from 1 male and 4 females) at Mondika Research Center, Republic of Congo, to determine how tree strata use, activity, and food choice vary among individuals and fruit seasons. Compared with published studies, this group spent less time above ground than western gorillas at Loango, more than Virunga mountain gorillas, and approximately the same amount as Bwindi mountain gorillas. The four females were more arboreal than the male and spent proportionally more of their arboreal time resting/socializing than he did. Overall arboreality did not vary by season, but tree‐strata use did, with seasonal patterns differing among individuals. Although less arboreal, the male frequently used high strata when in trees. As fruit availability increased, gorillas used lower strata more frequently and shifted from feeding primarily on leaves/bark toward fruit/flowers. These findings show that gorilla arboreal behavior reflects resource availability, forest structure, and individual characteristics, emphasizing that comparisons of vertical space use across primate populations must account for local ecology and within‐population variation. Moreover, our results emphasize the importance of incorporating complex climbing structures into captive enclosures to support the health and welfare of western gorillas.
ABSTRACT As a Critically Endangered primate species endemic to China, the Hainan gibbon ( Nomascus hainanus ) represents a conservation priority requiring urgent research attention. A study of its reproductive parameters can provide a scientific basis for the population recovery of this species. From October 2010 to December 2025, we recorded information on female reproduction and infant survival of the Hainan gibbon populations through direct observation. Meanwhile, we also integrated previously published reproductive data from November 2002 to June 2013. Based on 48 births of gibbons, we quantitatively analyzed reproductive seasonality, infant mortality, and interbirth interval. The results showed that gibbons reproduce throughout the year, and most births occur from November to March. Four infant deaths (i.e., within the first 2 years of life) were recorded, accounting for 8% of the total births during the 15‑year study period. Infants of primiparous females had 50% mortality, whereas the infant mortality of multiparous females was only 3%. The average interbirth interval was 29 months. Infant death resulted in a shorter subsequent interbirth interval. The year‐round breeding patterns and relatively short interbirth intervals in female gibbons indicate that the current population has a moderate reproductive potential. However, emergency plans should be formulated to address the risk of infant mortality in females' first reproduction, so as to maximize the survival rate of infants and facilitate the population recovery of Hainan gibbons.
ABSTRACT Reproduction imposes substantial energetic costs on female mammals, yet how females that show reduced overall energy expenditure adjust foraging to meet these demands remains incompletely understood. We examined two dimensions of behavioral response in female mantled howler monkeys ( Alouatta palliata ): feeding time (how much of the day, and how often, females feed) and foraging performance (the rate of dry matter intake when feeding occurs). We tested three hypotheses: (H1) females maintain stable feeding time and stable intake rate across reproductive states; (H2) females maintain stable feeding time but elevate intake rate during gestation and lactation; (H3) females reduce feeding time and do not elevate intake rate. Using 3,765 focal observations from 11 females across ten years, we classified reproductive state as cycling, gestating, early, mid, or late lactation, or concurrent gestation with lactation. Feeding time declined during reproduction: early lactating, mid‐lactating, and concurrent females allocated approximately 15, 16, and 29 fewer minutes per day to feeding than cycling females, and the probability of feeding during a focal sample fell by 6.1 and 7.4 percentage points in early and mid lactation. Foraging performance did not vary: when females fed, intake rate, total intake, and diet composition were comparable across states. These results support H3. Combined with parallel evidence from this population that lactating females increase resting rather than feeding time and show no elevation of dry matter intake during lactation, our findings suggest that female mantled howlers meet reproductive costs primarily by drawing on capital reserves rather than through behavioral compensation.
