In the present work, a new species, Resupinatus abieticola, is described as different but closely related to the North American Resupinatus americanus. The description of the new species is based on older Greek collections originally identified as Resupinatus alboniger, but also on more recently collected specimens. Resupinatus abieticola, found in Europe on Abies, is another Resupinatus species with dark coloured basidiomata, oblong and curved basidiospores, clearly distinct morphologically and molecularly from Resupinatus europaeus. Moreover, the presence of R. europaeus and the cyphelloid Resupinatus conspersus, a species previously reported almost exclusively from the Alps, is confirmed for the first time in Greece thus indicating its southern distribution in Europe. Molecular identity (ITS and LSU sequences) and phylogenetic placement are provided for the first time for R. conspersus. Detailed descriptions, ecological and phylogenetic data are provided for all three species.

Island systems provide valuable natural laboratories for investigating how ecological constraints drive physiological evolution. Although dietary shifts are known to influence morphological divergence in insular lizards, their consequences for digestive physiology remain insufficiently understood. Using 10 wild populations of the Skyros wall lizard (Podarcis gaigeae) across the Skyros Archipelago, we tested whether fine-scale variation in habitat and prey availability predicts divergence in digestive performance. We quantified arthropod abundance, gastrointestinal morphology, gut passage time, digestive enzyme activity and apparent digestive efficiency (ADE) under standardized laboratory conditions. Islet populations consistently exhibited slower gut passage, longer gastrointestinal tracts, higher protease and lipase activities, and greater ADE relative to populations on the main island of Skyros, indicating enhanced digestive performance in resource-limited environments. AICC-based model selection showed that prey availability and habitat type, rather than geographic distance or genetic relatedness, best explained patterns of digestive divergence among populations. These results demonstrate repeated and independent adaptive responses to resource scarcity and highlight digestive plasticity as a key mechanism facilitating persistence in insular habitats.

Wetlands are globally recognised as biodiversity refugia and critical climate regulators, yet they are increasingly threatened by human pressures. Although phytoplankton plays a foundational role in aquatic food webs, the ecological processes governing their community assembly, particularly the interplay between environmental filtering and dispersal limitation, remain underexplored. Here, we examine how geoenvironmental and anthropogenic drivers and dispersal processes shape phytoplankton communities across 24 small, shallow island wetlands of the Aegean archipelago (Mediterranean Sea), whose intrinsic mesocosm-like characteristics and varying degrees of human influence and biogeographic isolation provide an ideal natural experimental setup. We surveyed phytoplankton species composition and examined a suite of geoenvironmental variables (e.g. salinity, wetland area, nutrients) alongside indicators of human activities (e.g. inclusion of wetlands within protected areas, land cover, human footprint) as drivers of community assembly, using generalized linear and cumulative-link mixed-effects models. We then examined distance-decay relationships of assemblage similarity within and among islands to assess dispersal limitation. Salinity emerged as the dominant environmental filter shaping community composition. Protection status was also significant, with wetlands inside Nominally Protected Areas (NPAs) supporting assemblages distinct from those of unprotected sites. After accounting for these filters, phytoplankton similarity declined sharply with over-land distance among wetlands on the same island, indicating limited within-island dispersal. In con trast, similarity across islands remained uniformly low irrespective of distance, demonstrating that seawater imposes a strong barrier despite the theoretical capacity of phytoplankton for long-distance passive transport. Our findings support a hierarchical "triple insularity" framework, in which phytoplankton assembly is shaped by nested spatial filters: strong among-wetland environmental filtering, island-level dispersal limitation moderated by human accessibility, and cross-island isolation enforced by the sea. We propose that regionalism, typically reserved for macro-organisms, also governs phytoplankton biogeography in fragmented systems.

Invertebrate biodiversity, especially in the freshwater realm, is severely underrepresented in conservation research and action, leading to an underestimation of current global extinction rates. Species differ in the biological traits that make them susceptible to extinction, and estimating extinction risk for freshwater species can aid conservation measures under limited available knowledge. Identifying traits as predictors of extinction risk may serve as a profile for each group of organisms and contribute to predicting which species will be at higher risk of extinction in the foreseeable future. Here we focus on European freshwater gastropods, a severely understudied taxon of high conservation priority due to many threatened species and high rates of species extinction. Our analyses showed that multiple factors such as body size, shell shape, breadth of habitat types, and even the type of habitat contribute to vulnerability to extinction. Species with smaller body size and narrower habitat breadths are facing greater extinction risk. Shell shape and habitat type may also play a role in extinction risk. Our analysis provides insight into why some gastropod species are more susceptible to extinction than others. This information can guide conservation assessment and action and help identify potentially threatened species lacking sufficient data for evaluation.

ObjectivesThe draft genome assembly was generated within the framework of a greater study aiming to investigate the differences in genomic features characterizing freshwater gastropod species differing in their threat status according to the IUCN assessments.Data descriptionMollusca is among the most species-rich animal groups, yet their genomes are underrepresented in genomic databases. Major drawbacks for this are the complexity of Mollusca genomes as well as the fact that due to the presence of mucopolysaccharides in their tissues, they tend to provide low quality DNA extracts. Therefore, the generation of high-quality Molluscan genome assemblies is a challenging issue. The A. crista draft genome of the present study will serve as an addition to the planorbid genomes assembled today representing three different genera (Anisus, Biomphalaria, Bulinus). Therefore, it will serve as an additional genomic asset in the effort to elucidate the ecology, evolution and taxonomy of the highly diverse taxon of Mollusca.

A new stygobiont hydrobiid genus and species is described from the Stymphalia karst basin (Peloponnese, Greece). Cyllena hermes gen. et sp. nov. is distinguished from other valvatiform or valvatiform-planorboid stygobiont hydrobiids by a unique combination of shell and anatomical characters, supporting the establishment of a new monotypic genus. It is currently known from a single karstic spring connected to the subterranean hydrological network of the Stymphalia polje, indicating a highly localized distribution. Following a precautionary approach, and in accordance with IUCN criteria, the species is here considered to qualify as Vulnerable (VU D2). The discovery of the new genus contributes to the documentation of subterranean aquatic gastropod diversity in Greece and emphasizes the need for further targeted exploration of karst ecosystems in the region.

Human activities are impacting the biosphere, driving unprecedented rates of species loss. Yet, little is known about the ranges of these threats and how they impact invertebrate species. Despite the extensive efforts to preserve biodiversity globally, most of the strategies are designed for vertebrates, whereas invertebrates are seriously underrepresented. European gastropod species, in particular, are a taxon of high conservation interest given the high number of threatened species and the high levels of endemism. Yet the distribution of their threats remains largely unmapped. In this study, we intersect individual ranges of European threatened and near-threatened gastropods with seven human pressure layers to estimate the cumulative overlap between each species and the pressure to which it is sensitive. We found that about one-fifth of the species have their entire distribution range overlapping with at least one relevant pressure, and about one-third of the species coexist with multiple pressures somewhere within their distributions. Our analyses unveil hotspots of impacted and coolspots of unimpacted gastropod biodiversity, providing information for future conservation planning.

The number of alien species continues to climb uninterrupted with a proportion of them becoming invasive, impacting native biodiversity and socioeconomic parameters. Many alien species are plants, transported outside their native range, sometimes alongside their associated insects hitching a ride to new destinations. Ficus microcarpa L. (Moraceae) is a common ornamental plant in the Mediterranean, which has been found to host a large ecological network of associated chalcid wasps (also called fig wasps). Amongst them, the plant’s pollinator Eupristina verticillata Waterston (Agaonidae), enhances the plant’s successful pollination and subsequent germination, thus allowing it to establish viable populations and even become invasive in some parts of the world. Other associated wasps, also called non-pollinating fig wasps, have likewise followed and these are parasitoids, inquilines or gallers. These species can be either beneficial or injurious to F. microcarpa, with some even proposed as potential biological control agents mitigating the plant’s spread. Seven fig wasp species have been reported from Greece, hitherto. Here, we present the first national survey of fig wasp fauna for Greece. We found 13 species, with six representing new records for the country (Eufroggattisca okinavensis Ishii, Micranisa degastris Chen, Philotrypesis okinavensis Ishii, Philotrypesis taiwanensis Chen, Odontofroggatia quinifuniculus Feng & Huang, Sycophila curta Chen) and two (O. quinifuniculus, S. curta) being reported outside their native range for the first time. Philotrypesis emeryi is removed from previous checklists upon molecular characterization of specimens as being Philotrypesis okinavensis. We discuss the distribution, introduction period and ecology of these fig wasps. Further, we present records of seedlings for F. microcarpa and discuss the potential implications of the fig wasp fauna for the establishment and control of this alien plant species.

The genus Pedinus Latreille, 1796, a member of the tribe Pedinini in the family Tenebrionidae, has not yet been studied thoroughly. The latest taxonomic revision recognizes three subgenera: Pedinus, Blindus Mulsant & Rey, 1853, and Colpotus Mulsant & Rey, 1853. The subgenera Pedinus and Colpotus are distributed in Greece. This study is the first attempt to address the phylogeny of Pedinus in the Greek area. We conduct molecular phylogenetic and geometric morphometric analyses on seven morphologically delimited species of the subgenus Pedinus, native in Greece. Sequence data from the mitochondrial genes cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S ribosomal DNA and the nuclear gene muscle protein 20 (Mp20) are used. The main areas of study are mainland Greece and Crete and some of its surrounding satellite islands. The reconstructed phylogeny untangles the evolutionary relationships of the lineages under study and proposes a scenario regarding the time frame of their differentiation. The geometric morphometric analyses reveal that the variation in shape of Pedinus specimens is related to their phylogeny, indicating that body shape is probably an effective species-specific discriminating character, at least for some of the studied taxa. None of the approaches implemented validates the subspecies of Pedinus affinis Brull & eacute;, 1832.

The genus Pseudamnicola Paulucci, 1878, is commonly found throughout the Mediterranean region. The genus displays considerable levels of endemism, accompanied by notable systematic and taxonomic ambiguity. However, the application of molecular data has proven highly effective in clarifying taxonomy and unveiling the diversity of cryptic species within the genus. Therefore, we employed all cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequence data available and generated new ones from Greece to infer the phylogeny of the genus throughout its Mediterranean range and estimate the divergence times as well as the ancestral area of diversification. Our phylogenetic and time-estimate analyses demonstrate that with 36 to 38 extant Pseudamnicola species and genetic divergences across species ranging from 0.5% to 11.9% on average, the genus underwent relatively recent diversification during late Miocene (6.53 Ma), and the primary speciation events occurred during Plio-Pleistocene. The Italian Peninsula and Islands and the Ionian Drainages as defined by the Freshwater Ecoregions of the World are the ancestral regions of the genus following two different dispersal routes. Our study contributes to deepening our understanding of Pseudamnicola phylogeny by using data from throughout its range for the first time. This phylogeny provides evidence and confirms previous studies that relatively recent habitat isolation, followed by founder and dispersal events, has been one of the primary reasons for the evolution of the genus Pseudamnicola in the Mediterranean basin.

Ectotherms are vastly affected by climatic conditions as they rely on external sources of heat to regulate their body temperature, and changes in their habitat thermal quality could seriously affect their overall biology. To overcome the problems of a thermally unfavorable habitat, lizards need to either adjust their thermoregulatory behavior or respond to directional selection and shift their preferred body temperatures. To assess the impact of habitat thermal quality on the thermoregulatory profile, we studied multiple islet and ‘mainland’ populations of the Skyros wall lizard Podarcis gaigeae, an endemic lacertid to Skyros Archipelago, Greece. We evaluated the effectiveness of thermoregulation (E) using the three main thermal parameters: body (Tb), operative (Te), and preferred (Tpref) temperatures. We first hypothesized that the spatial homogeneity, the scarcity of thermal shelters, and the exposure to higher winds on islets would result in more demanding climate conditions. Second, we anticipated that islet lizards would achieve higher E in response to the lower thermal quality therein. As hypothesized, thermal parameters differed between populations but not in the expected manner. Skyros ‘mainland’ habitats reached higher temperatures, had more intense fluctuations, and were of lower thermal quality. As a result, lizards showed higher accuracy, precision, and effectiveness of thermoregulation. Noteworthy, we found that lizards from different populations have shifted their thermal profile and preferred body temperatures to cope with the particular conditions prevailing in their habitats. The latter supports the labile view on the evolution of thermoregulation.

This study reports the presence of Tricholomopsis flammula and T. sulfureoides in Greece, providing additional data on the morphology, phylogeny, distribution, and rarity of these species.

There is a growing body of literature on the use of molecular methods for the ecological assessment of rivers based on benthic macroinvertebrates. Previous research has established the benefits of the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to assess benthic macroinvertebrate communities as being more efficient, less subjective, and non-invasive compared to traditional methods. The aim of this review is to synthesize the existing knowledge on eDNA sampling, extraction, amplification and sequencing methods regarding river benthic macroinvertebrate metabarcoding studies. Literature searches were performed using two online databases, and following a screening process, 46 papers published between 2012 and 2022 met the eligibility criteria to be included in the review. Since the use of river macrobial eDNA in ecology is a fast-evolving field, the results showed that the methodologies used vary considerably among studies. A variety of filters are used for capturing eDNA from water or preservative ethanol and different sources of eDNA (i.e., sediment, biofilm) are also explored. This review identified 12 different extraction methods and 15 different primer pairs that were used more than once in benthic macroinvertebrate eDNA metabarcoding studies. Therefore, there is a need for standardization of some key steps of the eDNA metabarcoding process to increase the comparability of the results and the robustness of the methods for further implementation into large-scale monitoring programs.

In the present work, several scorpion populations assigned to Euscorpius concinnus (C.L. Koch, 1837) and Euscorpius catpathicus niciensis (C.L. Koch, 1841) are reconsidered on a phylogenetic, morphological, and geographical basis. Three new species are described, E. latinus sp. nov., E. stefaniae sp. nov., and E. trejaensis sp. nov., while E. niciensis stet. nov. is elevated to species status. Ecological and biogeographical data are provided for the revised taxa. Following these taxonomic changes, the number of species comprising the subfamily Euscorpiinae has increased to 90. The scorpion species present in Italy increased to 27, with one species belonging to the family Buthidae, one species to Belisariidae, and 25 species to Euscorpiidae.

Two new scorpion species are described from Skyros and Andros Islands (Greece), Euscorpius triantisi sp. n. and E. simaiakisi sp. n. respectively, based on morphological and molecular evidence. Identity and level of divergence of these taxa are confirmed by a phylogeny based on multiple DNA markers (Parmakelis et al., 2013 b). Euscorpius triantisi sp. n. forms a sister clade to E. mylonasi Fet et al., 2014 from Euboea; the new species is characterized primarily by higher trichobothrial numbers (Pv = 8 and Pe-et = 6). E. simaiakisi sp. n. forms a sister clade to E. kritscheri Fet et al., 2013 from Tinos; the new species is primarily characterized by lower trichobothrial numbers (Pv = 7 and Pe-et = 5).

Iuridae is a family of scorpions that exhibits a highly complex biogeographic and taxonomic history. Iuridae taxa are mainly found in Turkey and Greece, whereas a single species is found in northern Iraq. Several taxonomic revisions have been conducted on this family that initially comprised two genera. The latest taxonomic review, based on morphological and anatomical features, raised the number of Iuridae genera to four, and the number of species to 14. Sequence data from three molecular markers (COX1, 16S rDNA, ITS1) originating from numerous Iuridae taxa were analyzed within a phylogenetic framework. Divergence time-estimate analyses, species delimitation approaches and estimation of ancestral areas were implemented in order to: (1) reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of the Iuridae taxa, (2) evaluate the morphological classifications, and (3) obtain insights into the biogeographic history of the family in the East Mediterranean. The multi-locus phylogeny clearly confirms an ancient division into two clades, Calchinae and Iurinae. Ancient patterns of isolation and dispersal are revealed. Both subfamilies are largely confined to the Anatolian peninsula and its few coastal islands; only the most derived genus Iurus has dispersed westward to Crete and Peloponnese. Based on our findings, three new genera of Iurinae (Metaiurus, Anatoliurus, and Letoiurus) are established. The genus Neocalchas emerges as one of the most ancient scorpion clades, with divergence time about 27 mya.