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.
Although arthropods inhabiting Arnica montana capitula may affect both plant reproductive success and the quantity and quality of flower heads harvested for medicinal use, little is known about the composition of this assemblage. We used morphological sorting and COI DNA barcoding to identify arthropods collected from 115 capitula in a natural population managed under sustainable harvesting, with insects being the only group found. A total of 473 larvae, exuviae and adults were recovered, revealing a community largely dominated by the florivorous tephritid Tephritis arnicae , together with a smaller number of additional dipteran, hymenopteran, and hemipteran taxa. Molecular identification confirmed several previously reported associations and documented new capitulum-associated taxa, including Lasiomma sp. (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) and Melanostoma sp. (Diptera: Syrphidae). Preliminary results also suggested a reduced T. arnicae infestation in late-flowering capitula and in those from plants growing in open areas.
Lissomus arawak sp. nov . is described from montane mesic forest sites in Monseñor Nouel, Pedernales and Puerto Plata provinces of the Dominican Republic. This is the third species of the genus reported from the Greater Antilles and Hispaniola. It is distinguished by its highly convex and ovoid form, shining black integument, and appearing glabrous dorsally due to very short pubescence. Structurally it is more similar to Lissomus gagatinus Bonvouloir, 1859 and Lissomus impressifrons Bonvouloir, 1859 from Central America and South America indicating a probable second lineage of these beetles in the Greater Antilles.
Climate change is known to cause range shifts to higher elevations in mountainous regions. Butterflies are especially sensitive to changes in environmental conditions and their response to climate change has been extensively studied. However, the influence of habitats on the community composition and climate change responses of alpine butterflies has so far been widely neglected. In 2025, butterflies in the Swiss National Park (SNP) were surveyed using the semi-quantitative transect method. It was shown that habitat availability explained most of the variation in community composition, while elevation solely played a minor role and tended to act mostly in combination with habitats. Compared to previous butterfly surveys between 1998 and 2004 in the same area, the Community Temperature Index increased, indicating more warm-adapted communities, especially at the lower and medium parts of the examined elevational gradient. In 2025, species were found on average at an elevation 135 m higher than two decades earlier. The upward shift corresponded closely to the expected displacement of +140 m in elevation, suggesting butterflies keeping pace with local warming. The upslope displacement was especially pronounced for species restricted to a narrow range of habitats. The pronounced response of butterfly communities to global warming seems to cause a threat particularly to high-alpine species with a high degree of habitat specialisation. In this context, the habitat dependency of butterflies may have negative effects due to a mismatch of the elevational distribution of butterflies and their host plants and the ongoing transformation of alpine habitats but might as well be the basis for species conservation.
