Zoological StudiesPub Date : 2024-11-11eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.6620/ZS.2024.63-27
Xerach Hernández-Aguiar, Antonio Rodríguez, Jose-Luis Nieves-Aldrey, Carlo Polidori, Jose F Gómez, Diego Gil-Tapetado
{"title":"Global Geographical Patterns on the Historical Species Description Process of Fig Wasps (Agaonidae).","authors":"Xerach Hernández-Aguiar, Antonio Rodríguez, Jose-Luis Nieves-Aldrey, Carlo Polidori, Jose F Gómez, Diego Gil-Tapetado","doi":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-27","DOIUrl":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-27","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fig pollinating wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Agaonidae) constitute a key ecological role since they are the only known pollinators to <i>Ficus</i> (<i>Moraceae</i>), founding complex food webs. Taxonomy of Agaonidae is relatively well known due to their ecological importance and their mutualistic closed relationship with <i>Ficus</i>. However, the spatial and temporal patterns that have influenced the agaonid distribution as well as the species description record of this family are yet unknown. Here, we aim to study the taxonomical and nomenclatural knowledge status of Agaonidae (following Burks et al. 2022) in each biogeographical region and globally. We analyse taxonomic factors, such as the number of described species or the amount of non-valid binominals, together with their historical description process. By retrieving and analysing all available geographical and nomenclatural data in fig wasps of the Universal Chalcidoidea Database, we have found that the diversity of Agaonidae is underestimated, exhibiting a high potential dark biodiversity, especially in the tropical areas where the highest diversity is observed. The species richness of Agaonidae varies depending on the biogeographical region, being more unknown in the Neotropical region, and higher and better represented other tropical areas such as the Afrotropical or Oriental realms. Our results indicate that there is a strong need for increasing sampling efforts and research for a better understanding of Agaonidae diversity and interspecific relationships, as well as inventory revisions to correct potentially redundant binominal names.</p>","PeriodicalId":49331,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Studies","volume":"63 ","pages":"e27"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12284404/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144700202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoological StudiesPub Date : 2024-11-11eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.6620/ZS.2024.63-30
Danial Hariz Zainal Abidin, Siti Azizah Mohd Nor, Ying Giat Seah, Mohd Sharol Ali, Jamsari Amirul Firdaus Jamaluddin, Masazurah A Rahim, B A, Nur Syafiqa Zulkifly, Min Pau Tan, Khaironizam Md Zain, Tun Nurul Aimi Mat Jaafar
{"title":"An Odyssey of Integrative Taxonomy Unveils Marine Fish Diversity, New Records and Cryptic Species in Malaysian Waters.","authors":"Danial Hariz Zainal Abidin, Siti Azizah Mohd Nor, Ying Giat Seah, Mohd Sharol Ali, Jamsari Amirul Firdaus Jamaluddin, Masazurah A Rahim, B A, Nur Syafiqa Zulkifly, Min Pau Tan, Khaironizam Md Zain, Tun Nurul Aimi Mat Jaafar","doi":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-30","DOIUrl":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-30","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study elucidates the species diversity of marine fishes in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Peninsular Malaysia (PM) using an integrative approach combining DNA barcoding and morphological identification. Our focus was on demersal surveys conducted on the east coast of PM in the South China Sea. We re-evaluated the diversity of 475 specimens across 93 putative species (92 barcoded morphospecies), from 16 orders and 41 families, including two IUCN vulnerable species. A total of two species - <i>Saurida isarankurai</i> and <i>Oxyurichthys auchenolepis</i> - are presented as new record, and three species - <i>Nemipterus balinensoides</i>, <i>Gymnothorax reevesii</i> and <i>Synodus hoshinonis</i> - as the first specimen-based records in Malaysian waters. Cytochrome <i>c</i> oxidase subunit I (<i>COI</i>) sequence analyses delineated 95 consensus Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs), exceeding morphological diversity. Interestingly, the barcode analysis revealed several MOTUs delimited within one morphologically identified fish species, with both intraspecific and interspecific genetic divergences exceeding 2%, indicating substantial intraspecific genetic divergence within species groups or the existence of morphologically cryptic species within our dataset. These findings highlight the complexity of species delimitation and the value of genetic methods. Our study provides valuable insights into marine fish diversity from the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia and enhances our understanding of genetic diversity, distribution, and conservation needs of ecosystems through DNA barcoding. By integrating DNA barcoding with morphology, we present a comprehensive framework for future research to develop conservation and management strategies for Malaysia's marine biodiversity. The expansion of the genetic barcode database generated in this study will facilitate future molecular taxonomy research.</p>","PeriodicalId":49331,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Studies","volume":"63 ","pages":"e30"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12301093/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144734929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoological StudiesPub Date : 2024-11-11eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.6620/ZS.2024.63-29
Olga M Korn, Darya D Golubinskaya, Svetlana N Sharina, Christoph Noever, Henrik Glenner
{"title":"Rhizocephalan Barnacle <i>Briarosaccus hoegi</i> sp. nov. - a Parasite of the Stone Crab <i>Hapalogaster dentata</i> (De Haan, 1849) from Peter the Great Bay (Sea of Japan).","authors":"Olga M Korn, Darya D Golubinskaya, Svetlana N Sharina, Christoph Noever, Henrik Glenner","doi":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-29","DOIUrl":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-29","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Molecular and morphological methods are used to describe the rhizocephalan <i>Briarosaccus hoegi</i> sp. nov<i>.</i> from Russian waters of the Sea of Japan, parasitizing the stone crab <i>Hapalogaster dentata</i> (De Haan, 1849). <i>Briarosaccus hoegi</i> sp. nov<i>.</i> has minor differences by gross morphology from the closely related species <i>B. tenellus,</i> parasitizing <i>H. mertensii</i> in British Columbia and Alaska. <i>Briarosaccus hoegi</i> sp. nov. and <i>B. tenellus</i> are identified as distinct species by genetic markers. These two species have different hosts and different areas of distribution. Moreover, nauplii of <i>Briarossacus hoegi</i> sp. nov. have naupliar eyes not present in <i>B. tenellus</i> larvae. The presence/absence of larval eyes may be a clear character separating the two species. The prevalence of <i>Briaroaccus hoegi</i> sp. nov. on <i>H. dentata</i> in Peter the Great Bay is about 6%<i>.</i></p>","PeriodicalId":49331,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Studies","volume":"63 ","pages":"e29"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314535/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144776734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoological StudiesPub Date : 2024-11-11eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.6620/ZS.2024.63-35
Ricardo Clark-Tapia, Victor Aguirre-Hidalgo, Juli Pujade-Villar, Cecilia Alfonso-Corrado, Felipe Tafoya
{"title":"Hole Size Matters: An Indirect Method for Measuring Gall Wasp Community Emergence?","authors":"Ricardo Clark-Tapia, Victor Aguirre-Hidalgo, Juli Pujade-Villar, Cecilia Alfonso-Corrado, Felipe Tafoya","doi":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-35","DOIUrl":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-35","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Quantifying the abundance and diversity of small insects, especially those with specific environmental associations or hidden habitats, can be challenging using direct methods. Galls are specialized microhabitats that host a wide range of interactions between species. However, assessing their abundance and associated community diversity takes time and effort. In this study, we propose an indirect approach using the size of gall emergence holes to estimate the abundance of gall wasps (Cynipini) and their associated wasp species. We examined eight different types of gall structures collected in the temperate forest of Mexico. We identified every gall-emerging individual, classifying them as gall inducer, inquiline, or parasitoid. Kruskal-Wallis tests, correlation analysis and a mixed linear model (LMM) were used to evaluate differences between mesosoma size and gall hole size for each emerged species in each gall type. Our results showed that mesosoma and hole size significantly differed between Cynipini wasps and their associated wasp species. LMM showed a significant relationship between the size of the mesosoma and the diameter of the emergence hole among the analyzed wasp species. Upon validating the method, a low emergence rate and low abundance of the studied Cynipini wasps were observed, attributed to negative interactions and inadequate development of the wasps. We emphasize the potential of gall emergence hole size as an indicator of species abundance and emergence rates within Cynipini gall complexes. Furthermore, strategies are discussed to improve their effectiveness and reliability in future studies to increase our understanding of the ecological dynamics and evolutionary processes of gallforming wasps.</p>","PeriodicalId":49331,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Studies","volume":"63 ","pages":"e35"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12304418/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144745806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoological StudiesPub Date : 2024-09-04eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.6620/ZS.2024.63-24
Alda
{"title":"Form Alternation of the Gonopod and Chela from Breeding to Non-breeding Season in Males of the Crayfish <i>Cambaroides dauricus</i> (Decapoda: Cambaroididae).","authors":"Alda","doi":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-24","DOIUrl":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The occurrence of cyclic morphological alternation in male crayfish of the family Cambaridae following molting is widely acknowledged. However, there remains a contentious issue within the genus <i>Cambaroides</i>: Some previous studies have proposed that male <i>Cambaroides</i> exhibit a pair of noncorneous Form II gonopods during the non-breeding season, while others argue that these species lack Form II in adult males. This study examined the color and shape of the corneous tips on the gonopod to determine its form. Additionally, morphometric methods were utilized to distinguish between Form II adults and juveniles. The results of the study confirm the presence of Form II adults in <i>Cambaroides dauricus</i> and <i>Cambaroides similis</i>. The Form I gonopod is characterized by four golden-colored corneous terminal elements, whereas the Form II gonopod features blunt, non-corneous terminal elements, on which the color is the same as that of the surrounding surface. Furthermore, cyclic dimorphism on the gonopod of <i>C. dauricus</i> was observed seasonally, and distinct morphological differences in the chela were noted between Form I and Form II adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":49331,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Studies","volume":"63 ","pages":"e24"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11659819/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142878321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoological StudiesPub Date : 2024-09-04eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.6620/ZS.2024.63-26
Yurika Hirose, Sen-Lin Tang, Hideyuki Yamashiro
{"title":"Arrangement and Development of Spicules in the Coral-killing Sponge, <i>Terpios hoshinota</i>.","authors":"Yurika Hirose, Sen-Lin Tang, Hideyuki Yamashiro","doi":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-26","DOIUrl":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Terpios hoshinota</i> Rützler & Muzik, 1993 is a poriferan species that competes with corals and is known as a coral-killing sponge. However, limited information is available on its biology, including morphological traits. This study aims to examine the arrangement and development of spicules in various body parts of the sponge, including settled larvae. Spicules were found to appear on the second day after settlement and were present in all individuals on the fifth day. The spicules in the thread-like tissue of the growth portion were oriented in the direction of growth, with their pointed tips facing forward to support the elongated pioneer tissue. Furthermore, the spicules in the surface layer of the sponge tissue were perpendicular, with outward-facing tips associated with collagens. The study indicates that the spicules of <i>T. hoshinota</i> are arranged to support both encrusting basal tissue and pioneering tissue to colonize corals.</p>","PeriodicalId":49331,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Studies","volume":"63 ","pages":"e26"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11659815/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142878358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoological StudiesPub Date : 2024-09-04eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.6620/ZS.2024.63-25
Jenny Neuhaus, Katrin Linse, Saskia Brix, Pedro Martínez Arbizu, James Taylor
{"title":"Population Genetics of the Deep-sea Acorn Barnacle <i>Bathylasma hirsutum</i> (Hoek, 1883) and the First Report of its Affiliation with a Hydrothermal Vent Field.","authors":"Jenny Neuhaus, Katrin Linse, Saskia Brix, Pedro Martínez Arbizu, James Taylor","doi":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-25","DOIUrl":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-25","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Confined by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the European continental shelf, the deep-sea acorn barnacle <i>Bathylasma hirsutum</i> (Hoek, 1883) lives in the northeast Atlantic deep sea, where it has been frequently reported in high current areas. Cemented to a solid substrate during its entire adult life, the species can only disperse by means of planktotrophic nauplius larvae. This study reports on the occurrence, ecology and genetic connectivity of <i>B. hirsutum</i> from four sites within the northeastern Iceland Basin and presents the first record of the species living affiliated with hydrothermal vent field on the Reykjanes Ridge axis. Vent-associated specimens were found to differ extrinsically from their naturally shaded conspecifics by a prominent brown-black shell precipitate. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy revealed ferromanganese oxides to be the main component of these shell precipitates. Morphometric measurements of shell plates revealed specimens from the vent-associated habitat to be smaller compared to non-venting sites. Molecular species delimitation based on the mitochondrial <i>COI</i> and nuclear EF1 genetic markers aided species identification and revealed a low intraspecific genetic variability. Our findings suggest a pronounced genetic connectivity of <i>B. hirsutum</i> within the studied region and provide a first step towards a biogeographic study. As such, habitats of hydrothermal influence along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge are discussed as possible niches, as are deep-sea basins in the western Atlantic. In light of the reported affiliation with hydrothermal activity, we elaborate on the potential for the sister species <i>Bathylasma corolliforme</i> (Hoek, 1883) and <i>Bathylasma chilense</i> Araya & Newman, 2018 to utilise equivalent habitats in the Antarctic and Pacific Ocean, respectively. Our record of the unacquainted ecological niche occupation for <i>B. hirsutum</i> emphasises the need for further research on bathylasmatid acorn barnacles along the extensive Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where many biological communities remain to be discovered.</p>","PeriodicalId":49331,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Studies","volume":"63 ","pages":"e25"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11659818/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142878366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoological StudiesPub Date : 2024-09-04eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.6620/ZS.2024.63-23
Mahmoud Mamaghani-Shishvan, Vahid Akmali, Cene Fišer, Somayeh EsmaeiliRineh
{"title":"Two New Species of Stygobiotic Amphipod <i>Niphargus</i> (Amphipoda: Niphargidae) and their Phylogenetic Relationship with Other Congeners from Iran.","authors":"Mahmoud Mamaghani-Shishvan, Vahid Akmali, Cene Fišer, Somayeh EsmaeiliRineh","doi":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-23","DOIUrl":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Two new amphipod species from Iran, <i>Niphargus sahandensis</i> sp. nov. and <i>Niphargus chaldoranensis</i> sp. nov., are described based on their morphological characteristics and molecular analyses. Bayesian inference analyses of <i>COI</i> and 28s rDNA sequence data provided evidence for the validity of the two species and their placement in the <i>Niphargus</i> genus. <i>N. sahandensis</i> sp. nov. primarily differs from similar species by having more than two hook-like retinacles on the inner surface of pleopods I-III, the presence of two spines at the base of uropod I and rectangular-shaped propodi in both gnathopods. <i>N. chaldoranensis</i> sp. nov. is distinguished by the trapezoidal-shaped propodi in gnathopods I to II, the equal sizes of pereopods V and VI, and the proportional size of periopod VII in relation to the total body (60%). Morphological descriptions with illustrations of the new species, as well as a DNA-based phylogeny generated from analyses of a multigene dataset, are provided to better understand species relationships.</p>","PeriodicalId":49331,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Studies","volume":"63 ","pages":"e23"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11659820/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142878373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoological StudiesPub Date : 2024-07-16eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.6620/ZS.2024.63-22
Yu-Hsiang Ho, Hou-Feng Li, Mei-Ling Chan
{"title":"A Review of the Beetle Genus <i>Corticarina</i> of Taiwan, with Description of a New Species (Coleoptera, Latridiidae).","authors":"Yu-Hsiang Ho, Hou-Feng Li, Mei-Ling Chan","doi":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-22","DOIUrl":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-22","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The genus <i>Corticarina</i> in Taiwan was previously known to contain three species, <i>C. bhutanensis</i> Johnson, <i>C. clareae</i> Johnson, and <i>C. minuta</i> (Fabricius). <i>Corticarina bhutanensis</i> Johnson and <i>C. clareae</i> Johnson are known from the Palearctic, and <i>C. minuta</i> (Fabricius) is a cosmopolitan species. In this study, the genus <i>Corticarina</i> in Taiwan is reviewed for the first time, with three species being recognized, including two recorded species, <i>C. bhutanensis</i> Johnson and <i>C. clareae</i> Johnson, and a species new to science, <i>C. tenuis</i> sp. nov. The species <i>Corticarina minuta</i> (Fabricius) that had been recorded previously was not collected from Taiwan in this study. The description, habitus, and male genitalia of three species are provided, and the distributions and genetic distances of three species in Taiwan are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":49331,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Studies","volume":"63 ","pages":"e22"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11659816/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142878353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoological StudiesPub Date : 2024-07-16eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.6620/ZS.2024.63-19
Radovan Coufal, Veronika Horsáková, Tomáš Peterka, Julien Ryelandt, Grita Skujienė, Michal Horsák
{"title":"Ecology and Current Distribution of Three Habitat-Specialized Land Snail Species of the Genus <i>Vertigo</i> (Gastropoda: Eupulmonata) in Europe.","authors":"Radovan Coufal, Veronika Horsáková, Tomáš Peterka, Julien Ryelandt, Grita Skujienė, Michal Horsák","doi":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-19","DOIUrl":"10.6620/ZS.2024.63-19","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Our understanding of species distribution and ecology is critical to properly assess their conservation status. <i>Vertigo lilljeborgi</i>, <i>V. genesii</i>, and <i>V. geyeri</i> have the centre of their current distribution in northern Europe, where their occurrence is relatively frequent. However, to the south their occurrence is fragmented and restricted to sites of late glacial/early Holocene origin. In the last ~30 years, there has been an increase in records, connected with the listing of the latter two species in Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive (94/43/EEC). However, there is no comprehensive publication documenting their pan-European distribution. Therefore, we assembled all available data from online databases, books, and scientific literature and combined them with our unpublished records to create distribution maps. The results show a more frequent occurrence in temperate Europe than previously known, especially for <i>V. geyeri</i>. Analyses performed on data from 327 ecologically potentially suitable sites, covering the entire distribution range of the species, have improved our knowledge of their ecology. <i>Vertigo lilljeborgi</i> and especially <i>V. genesii</i> are restricted to areas with lower summer and winter temperatures, and therefore, their further decline is expected in the face of rising temperatures due to climate change. The preference of <i>V. geyeri</i> for higher temperatures, in comparison to the latter two species, may explain its relatively frequent distribution in temperate Europe. <i>Vertigo lilljeborgi</i> favors base-poor sites, while <i>V. genesii</i> and <i>V. geyeri</i> prefer calciumrich sites, with the latter being the most calcicolous. Their need for a stable water regime and lowproductive sites, known from previous studies, was not conspicuous in our results, probably due to the selection of sites well within the species range. Despite the increase in record frequency, these species are still endangered, especially in temperate Europe. Their sites should therefore be strictly protected as sites of high biological diversity and conservation value. Because of their relict nature, these land snails should be considered umbrella species and indicators of well-preserved groundwater-dependent ecosystems in temperate Europe.</p>","PeriodicalId":49331,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Studies","volume":"63 ","pages":"e19"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11629111/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142808373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}