Historically, Pachycheles sculptus was considered a widely distributed species in Chinese waters with significant morphological plasticity. In this study, we describe a new species, Pachycheles nanhaiensis sp. nov. discovered in the coral reefs of the Xisha Islands, South China Sea. Based on an integrative taxonomic approach combining morphological examination and molecular analyses (COI, 16S, and Cytb), our results demonstrate that the Xisha population constitutes a distinct evolutionary lineage. Pachycheles nanhaiensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from its most similar congener P. sculptus by the straight and oblique anterior margin of the carpus proximal tooth (distinctly angled in P. sculptus), fewer setae on the ambulatory legs, and a non-anteriorly produced lobe on the cheliped merus. Molecular species delimitation consistently supports the validity of the new taxon. Currently, the new species appears to be restricted to the oceanic coral reefs of the Xisha Islands, while P. sculptus sensu stricto inhabits the mainland coastal waters.
This paper presents the description of three new species of aphids (Hemiptera, Aphidomorpha) belonging to the family Lachnidae: Lachnus miocaenicus sp. nov. L. fusus sp. nov. and Cinara cerasina sp. nov. based on fossils originating from Rubielos de Mora (Spain) and Vishnevaya Balka (Russia) deposits, dated from the Miocene. The discussion focuses on the reasons for the late appearance of fossil representatives of Lachnidae, mostly belonging to recent genera, in the context of molecular dating of this aphid group.
Understanding how Arctic ectotherms persist in the face of rapid environmental change requires integrating climatic, ecological, and microscale perspectives. Here, we integrate macroclimatic projections with field-based ecological observations by combining ecological niche modelling (ENM), field surveys, and fine-scale habitat observations to assess both regional climatic suitability and local environmental constraints for three Svalbard aphid species: the High Arctic endemics Acyrthosiphon svalbardicum and Macrosiphum calvulum, and the circumpolar, subterranean Pemphigus populiglobuli. These taxa represent contrasting life strategies – above-ground, host-specific, holocyclic specialists versus a soil-dwelling, anholocyclic generalist – providing a unique lens how climate change operates across ecological scales in polar ecosystems. At the macroecological scale, ENM projections reveal contrasting responses to future warming. Acyrthosiphon svalbardicum is predicted to lose much of its suitable habitat, consistent with a climate-driven “range squeeze”, M. calvulum to retain or modestly expand, and P. populiglobuli to broaden its potential distribution. Field observations, however, show that realized occurrences are far more restricted, underscoring the role of microscale heterogeneity. Acyrthosiphon svalbardicum persists only in thermally favourable Dryas octopetala tundra, M. calvulum in nutrient-enriched Salix polaris refugia, and P. populiglobuli in insulated soils limited by near-surface temperature and moisture. Due to their close association with host–plant phenology, soil microclimate, and moisture, these aphids serve as sensitive indicators of climate-driven environmental transitions in Arctic tundra ecosystems. Under continued Arctic warming, local habitat stability and phenological synchrony may increasingly limit species persistence, underscoring the importance of incorporating microscale processes into climate-impact assessments in high-latitude systems. Comparable interactions between regional climate forcing and fine-scale environmental heterogeneity are likely to govern invertebrate persistence across other Arctic and alpine regions, where strong climatic gradients operate over short spatial scales.
We present an integrative description (including extensive graphic data and DNA barcode) of a new species of the oribatid genus Phthiracarus, based on material recently collected in La Gomera island of Canarias Archipelago. A current list of ptyctimous oribatid mites recovered from La Gomera and the Canaries in general is presented. A phylogenetic hypothesis regarding the affinity of the new species within its genus is proposed and discussed based on molecular and morphological data. The newly described species is most probably endemic to Canarias and might have emerged due to the divergence of a locally migrated population of another, otherwise continental species. As similar (and parallel) processes were proposed for Azores and Madeira, it seems plausible that ptyctimous faunas of all three Atlantic archipelagos have been formed as a result of historically independent dispersal events.
Odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) are well-recognized indicators of freshwater ecosystems; therefore, they were used to describe the natural potential of man-made habitats, i.e. sand ponds, in terms of species, ecological patterns of the occurrence of both larval and adult assemblages, as well as environmental drivers. In total, 52 species (41 spp. as larvae and 51 spp. as imagines) were recorded in 10 sand-mine ponds in eastern Poland in 2018. The odonatofauna of the individual water body was highly diverse, and the species represented different ecological groups (eurytopes, spp. associated with astatic water bodies, tyrphophiles, limnophiles, rheophiles). The arrangement of the sites on NMDS diagrams for larvae and adults was consistent: it was ruled by the size of the pond and the close/open area gradient. CCA analyses revealed that both developmental stages were driven by very similar patterns of the groups of environmental variables: the sand pond structure and vegetation were the most important, whereas sediments and water properties had the weakest impact. We also analysed “special concern” species, as they reflect the natural values of the studied habitat type and can serve as indicators for conservation activities related to the management and protection of these habitats. The fact that 29% of all species identified belonged to this category confirms the high potential of anthropogenic aquatic environments in maintaining freshwater biodiversity in dynamically changing aquatic ecosystems. By managing some habitat features within sand mines and their ponds (e.g. both aquatic and riparian plants, their composition and structure, shoreline, shading, fish pressure), it is possible to create favourable conditions not only for aquatic insects but also for the entire biota. Thus, it is possible to maintain and promote high local biodiversity within these still underestimated man-made habitats.
