Search Results (259)

Among the life forms that have adapted to the harsh Antarctic environment, springtails and mites are the most abundant arthropod groups of the terrestrial ecosystem, both in continental and maritime Antarctica. The study of the systematics of these organisms originates at the beginning of the last century and, in recent years, has received considerable contributions. The taxonomy of springtail species from continental Antarctica has undergone more systematic revisions by way of the integration of modern morphological characters and molecular techniques, the latter of which prompted us to further investigate the morphology of supposed “cryptic species” within the springtail Cryptopygus terranovus from Victoria Land, Antarctica. In this study, a careful morphological analysis was conducted to parse these strongly divergent genetic lineages in order to characterize, from a morphological point of view, these new taxonomic entities. Results from our investigation reveal consistent morphological differences that strongly coincide with geographic and previously reported molecular evidence. With this, we have described two new species, C. fratii sp. nov. and C. dallaii sp. nov., bringing the total number of species of Cryptopygus within continental Antarctica to six. Full article

Camphora officinarum (syn. Cinnamomum camphora) is an ecologically, medicinally, and economically important tree species widely known for its essential oils (EOs), timber, and long history of use in traditional medicine. In recent years, renewed interest in this species has been driven by taxonomic revision, the discovery of chemically distinct chemotypes, and advances in genomics, metabolomics, and biotechnological processing. This review summarizes current knowledge on the botany, distribution, phytochemistry, biological properties, agro-industrial value, and biotechnological potential of C. officinarum. Particular attention is given to the genetic and metabolic basis of terpene diversity, especially the role of terpene synthase (TPS) gene expansion in the formation of camphor-, linalool-, borneol-, cineole-, and citral-type profiles. We also discuss developments in essential oil extraction, the utilization of non-volatile constituents such as flavonoids and lignans, and the nutritional value of seed kernel oil rich in medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs). In addition, recent progress in tissue culture, multi-omics analysis, metabolic engineering, and nano-enabled delivery systems is reviewed. The paper also considers important safety and ecological issues, including the dose-dependent toxicity of camphor and the contrasting status of the species as a protected native resource in East Asia and an invasive plant in some introduced regions. Overall, this review provides an updated and balanced overview of C. officinarum, identifies key knowledge gaps, and highlights future prospects for sustainable utilization, conservation of native genetic resources, and exploitative control of invasive populations. Full article

Gephyrocharax atracaudatus is a rare freshwater fish in Panama. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the mitochondrial genome of G. atracaudatus, highlighting its gene composition, codon usage, evolutionary pressures, and phylogenetic relationships. The findings reveal unique evolutionary patterns and divergence times of G. atracaudatus that enhance the understanding of the genetic diversity within Characiformes. The increasing availability of genomic data has prompted taxonomic revisions for numerous Characiformes species, encompassing corrections to species names, subfamily, and family classifications. This study reconfirmed the classification of G. atracaudatus as “Gephyrocharax, Stevardiinae, Stevardiidae, Characiformes”. A cross-analysis model for species differentiation and tracking was established using divergence time comparison and phylogenetic analysis. The results show that G. atracaudatus, Hyphessobrycon roseus and Pristella maxillaris converge on one branch, indicating that the genetic relationship may be the most similar, and it occurred approximately 90.45 Mya in the Cretaceous. This study establishes a robust model framework for understanding the evolution of G. atracaudatus, and correctly determines the biological classification status of G. atracaudatus, providing basic data support for clarifying the evolution mode of Characiformes. Full article

The genus Morpheis Hübner, [1820] (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) represents a taxonomically challenging group within Zeuzerinae, characterised by uniform, simply structured genitalia and significant intraspecific variability in external morphology, specifically in wing pattern, body colouration, and size. The taxonomic status and phylogenetic placement of many Morpheis taxa remain uncertain. Our study provides the first comprehensive taxonomic revision of Morpheis, based on detailed morphological analysis, examination of type specimens, assessment of distribution records, and molecular data. As a result, here we provide the first complete taxonomic list with updated diagnoses and distribution maps, based on 1247 specimen records and 191 publicly available observations. We describe the female genitalia of Morpheis for the first time and provide illustrations of imagoes for all currently recognised species, as well as of available type specimens. Additionally, we describe the immature stages and summarise the trophic associations of known Morpheis species. Based on morphological and molecular data, we recognise 11 valid Morpheis species. We applied molecular-based species delimitation methods, which uncovered far more candidate species within the genus than are recognised by traditional taxonomy, suggesting overlooked cryptic diversity that morphology alone cannot detect. We conclude that the integrative approach used here provides a powerful tool, especially valuable for understudied Zeuzerinae groups with high intraspecific variability in traditional characters. Full article

Historical fungaria serve as critical repositories for documenting fungal diversity and establishing historical baselines, particularly in biodiversity hotspots. This study presents a systematic revision of the mycological collection of Odoardo Beccari, gathered during expeditions to Southeast Asia and Oceania (1865–1878). While part of this collection was examined by Vincenzo Cesati in 1879, a substantial portion remained unstudied at the Natural History Museum, University of Florence, for over 150 years. We conducted a morphological examination (macro- and microscopy) and catalogued 153 fungal specimens. Taxonomic identities were assigned following current nomenclatural standards and cross-referenced with modern databases, including the Checklist of Fungi of Malaysia and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Of these, 84 specimens were identified to species level and 36 to genus level. The collection also includes four specimens corresponding to material used for the original description of species (type material). Nearly 50% of the taxa collected exclusively in Borneo are absent from modern regional checklists, highlighting significant gaps in current knowledge of mycobiota. GBIF data confirm Beccari as the earliest documented collector of fungal specimens in the rainforests of Sarawak. By documenting taxa not recollected in over a century, this study establishes a crucial historical baseline for fungal diversity in Borneo and provides valuable historical data for Sumatra. All specimen data are now publicly available through GBIF. Full article

Ongoing studies on the Lepidoziaceae in East Indochina have yielded new information on the distribution and morphology of a number of family representatives. This study aimed to provide new data in this regard. The latter task looks quite justified, taking into account the fact that East Indochina houses a notable portion of the worldwide Lepidoziaceae diversity, especially in the genus Bazzania. The materials for the paper were 48 specimens collected throughout East Indochina. The cited specimens contain 18 taxa, discussed in respect of their ecology, distribution, and morphology. All the taxa discussed in this paper are supplemented with illustrations, and their morphological descriptions based on the Indochinese materials are also included in most cases. One taxon (Bazzania appendiculata subsp. cambodiana subsp. nov.) is described as new-for-science. Six species are new to Indochina, three species are new to East Indochina, one species is new to Vietnam, and three species are new to Cambodia. A comparison of the currently known taxonomic diversity with that of Malaysia, which borders East Indochina, reveals that the diversity of Lepidoziaceae in East Indochina is still clearly understudied, and further research is likely to yield new discoveries. The final target in this field is the creation of a thorough taxonomic revision of the family in this region in the future. Full article

Although central reference units in biology, taxa remain difficult to integrate coherently across scientific and digital frameworks because they are repeatedly created, destroyed, or redefined through taxonomic revisions. To address this problem, we develop a conceptual and ontological analysis of taxonomic practice that distinguishes taxa from biological lineages, phylogenetic clades, names, and individual taxonomic treatments. We show that a taxon is a historically continuous object of knowledge instituted by a formal taxonomic act, whose identity is carried by a taxonomic temporal string, whose changing content is its taxonomic substance, and whose published interpretative history is its taxonomic trajectory. This framework is constrained by empirical properties of taxonomic practice, including persistence, historical continuity, irreversibility, revisability without destruction, traceability, and variable operability through time. Within this model, splitting, lumping, synonymy, and redefinition are interpreted as redistributions or reconfigurations of taxonomic substance rather than the creation or destruction of taxon identities. The framework also clarifies the articulation between taxonomy, phylogeny, and biological data by separating stable reference objects from the hypotheses that inform them. Because taxa originate only through unique code-compliant formal acts, they are intrinsically suitable for persistent identifiers (PIDs), enabling unambiguous and interoperable digital integration of systematic knowledge for biodiversity. Full article

Boletellus is a morphologically distinctive genus within the family Boletaceae, characterized by basidiospores with longitudinally striate ornamentation. Although the species diversity of this genus in China has been well documented in recent years, several historically described species published by early Chinese mycologists have been largely overlooked. To clarify the taxonomic identities of these historic Boletellus species from China, this study applied a genome-skimming approach to perform next-generation sequencing (NGS) on the historical type specimens of B. serpentipileus and B. vulgaris. The integration of NGS data with Sanger sequencing and morphological re-examination enabled a comprehensive taxonomic reassessment, which revealed that B. serpentipileus and B. vulgaris are not members of Boletellus, but belong to Leccinum and Austroboletus, respectively. Accordingly, the new combination Leccinum serpentipileum is proposed, and B. vulgaris is further synonymized with A. fusisporus. These findings resolve long-standing taxonomic uncertainties and contribute to a more accurate understanding of bolete diversity in China. Full article

Ranacris You & Lin, 1983, is a small genus in the subfamily Habrocneminae with an undefined phylogenetic position, exhibiting in previous molecular studies a distant relationship with the genera in the same subfamily but an extremely close relationship with the genus Menglacris Jiang & Zheng, 1994, in another subfamily, Catantopinae. In this study, a taxonomic revision of Ranacris was conducted based on the examination of types and non-type material and the comparison of qualitative and quantitative characters. A morphometric analysis was carried out to test the statistical significance of the quantitative distinguishing characters among Ranacris. A new junior synonym is proposed: R. yunnanensis Mao, Ren & Ou, 2011 = R. jinpingensis Zheng, Lin, Deng & Shi, 2015, syn. nov. Full article

Historic gardens are dynamic archives of biodiversity and cultural heritage, yet many have been lost or transformed, erasing their original floristic identity. This study reconstructs the experimental agricultural garden of Villa Santa Maria in Potenza (Southern Italy). The garden was founded in 1823 by the Società Economica di Basilicata as a provincial center for agronomic innovation. Through a multidisciplinary approach—archival research, iconographic analysis, and taxonomic revision—we analyzed the Catalogus Plantarum Horti Agrarii Lucani (1846), which listed 670 cultivated taxa, including 196 varieties. Updated nomenclature confirmed the presence of 450 plant taxa. The garden featured a clear functional zoning system integrating ornamental parterres, orchards, nurseries, artificial meadows, and experimental plots for industrial crops and forage species. Chorological analysis reveals a dominant Mediterranean component, along with significant Asiatic and American elements, and smaller Australian and African contributions, reflecting 19th-century plant exchange networks. The conservation assessment shows that many historically cultivated taxa are now nationally protected, and several endemics retain high ecological value. These results highlight the role of historic gardens as living laboratories for biodiversity conservation and cultural continuity. Reintroducing documented species and heritage cultivars within a conservation framework can strengthen urban resilience and identity. This case exemplifies how botanical memory can guide landscape planning by linking historical authenticity with contemporary ecological and educational objectives. Full article

Background/Objectives: Chloroplast genomes are essential for understanding the systematics and adaptive evolution of alpine plants, yet genomic data for high-altitude Delphinium species remain scarce. Delphinium densiflorum, a medicinal plant endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, exhibits notable high-altitude adaptations, but its plastome features and evolutionary position are still unclear. This study aims to assemble and characterize its complete chloroplast genome and clarify its phylogenetic placement within Delphinium. Methods: Using Illumina NovaSeq data, we de novo assembled the D. densiflorum plastome, annotated it with CPGAVAS2, and compared it with 12 published Ranunculaceae plastomes. We analyzed IR-boundary dynamics, genome-wide sequence variation, and codon-usage bias and constructed a maximum-likelihood phylogeny based on 69 shared protein-coding genes. Results: The plastome is 154,161 bp (GC 38.24%) with a canonical quadripartite structure, encoding 131 genes (87 CDS, 8 rRNA, 37 tRNA). An IR expansion into the SSC region yields the shortest SSC reported among the compared Delphinium species and produces unique structural variants. Photosynthetic genes are extremely conserved (nucleotide diversity Pi ≤ 0.01), whereas several loci (e.g., ycf1 and psaC) are highly divergent (Pi ≥ 0.05). Codon usage shows a strong bias toward AU-ending triplets. Phylogenetically, D. densiflorum forms a 100%-bootstrap clade with other high-altitude congeners, supporting the non-monophyly of Delphinium. Conclusions: This study delineates the plastome architecture and putative adaptive signatures of D. densiflorum, identifies robust candidate loci for DNA barcoding, and provides molecular evidence for taxonomic revision and conservation strategies in Delphinium. Full article

Shovel head worms (Annelida: Magelonidae) have long presented challenges to polychaete systematists due to their unique morphology and relative uniformity. This has been compounded by a lack of taxonomic work across key biogeographic regions. However, over the past few decades, a series of studies has progressively addressed these issues, refining our understanding of magelonid taxonomy and making taxonomic revisions of several regions. Whilst a standardised framework for morphological characters across the family has been produced, a worldwide review of taxonomic knowledge has been warranted. The information is herein presented alongside the first worldwide identification key in over 50 years. The much-needed key is presented in two formats: a dichotomous key divided by marine realms, and a pictorial key based on putative morphological groups. The key is additionally supplemented by the provision of an interactive map providing type locality data and links to taxonomic works. The pictorial key provides additional support for the unique terminology historically applied to the group. The genus Maea Johnston, 1865 is herein re-established for fifteen species possessing long rounded prostomia without horns, but possessing mucronate chaetae of the ninth chaetiger, and lateral abdominal pouches. Full article

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) cause big crop losses globally. Safe/reliable methods for their durable management strategies can harness various beneficial relationships among the plant immune system and related microbiomes. Molecular mechanisms basic to these relations reveal wide arrays of significant roles for plant-healthy growth. This review focuses on such relations of microbiomes to prime and immunize plants against PPNs. It also highlights molecular issues facing PPN-resistant varieties with possible solutions such as genetic breeding/engineering, grafting, PPN-antagonistic root exudates, and novel resistant cultivars. These issues call for optimal uses of various widespread groups of microbiomes. Related plant signaling hormones and transcription factors that regulate gene expression and modulate nematode-responsive genes to ease positive/negative adaptation are presented. Exploring PPN-resistance genes, their activation mechanisms, and signaling networks offers a holistic grasp of plant defense related to biotic/abiotic factors. Such factors relevant to systemic acquired resistance (SAR) via plant–microbe interactions to manage PPNs are stressed. The microbiomes can be added as inoculants and/or steering the indigenous rhizosphere ones. Consequently, SAR is mediated by the accumulation of salicylic acid and the subsequent expression of pathogenesis-related genes. To activate SAR, adequate priming and induction of plant defense against PPNs would rely on closely linked factors. They mainly include the engaged microbiome species/strains, plant genotypes, existing fauna/flora, compatibility with other involved biologicals, and methods/rates of the inoculants. To operationalize improved plant resistance and the microbiome’s usage, novel actionable insights for research and field applications are necessary. Synthesis of adequate screening techniques in plant breeding would better use multiple parameters (molecular and classical ones)-based ratings for PPN-host suitability designation. Sound statistical analyses and interpretation approaches can better identify genotypes with high-level, stable resistance to PPNs than the commonly used ones. Linking molecular mechanisms to consistent field relevance can be progressed via dissemination of many advanced techniques. The CRISPR/Cas9 system has been effective in knocking out both the OsHPP04 gene in rice to confer resistance against Meloidogyne graminicola and the GhiMLO3 gene in cotton to minimize the Rotylenchulus reniformis reproduction. Its genetic modifications in crops synthesized “transgene-free” PPN-resistant plants without decreased growth/yield. Characterizing microbiome species/strains needed to prime and immunize plants requires better molecular tools for fine-scale taxonomic resolution than the common ones used. The former can distinguish closely related ones that exhibit divergent phenotypes for key attributes like stability and production of enzymes and secondary metabolites. As PPN-control strategies via tritrophic interactions are more sensitive to the relevant settings than chemical nematicides, it is suggested herein to test these settings on a case-by-case basis to avoid erratic/contradictory results. Moreover, expanding the use of automated systems to expedite detection/count processes of PPN and related microbes with objectivity/accuracy is discussed. When PPNs and their related microbial distribution patterns were modeled, more aspects of their field distributions were discovered in order to optimize their integrated management. Hence, the feasibility of site-specific microbiome application in PPN–hotspot infections can be evaluated. The main technical challenges and controversies in the field are also addressed herein. Their conceptual revision based on harnessing novel techniques/tools is direly needed for future clear trends. This review also engages raising growers’ awareness to leverage such strategies for enhancing plant resistance and advancing the microbiome role. Microbiomes enjoy wide spectrum efficacy, low fitness cost, and inheritance to next generations in durable agriculture. Full article

During a taxonomic revision on Caridina of East and Southeast Asia, a group of amphidromous and anchialine Caridina species, i.e., Caridina serratirostris, C. celebensis, C. rubella, C. troglodytes, C. magnovis, C. rintelenorum, and C. henriettae, widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region has been found to exhibit distinct and unique morphological characters, e.g., rostra moderately long and straight, armed with many dorsal teeth, at least six of them on the carapace; telson terminating in a posteromedian projection; stylocerite long, reaching to or beyond the end of the basal segment of the antennular peduncle; and preanal carina with a spine, and with slender walking legs. Genetically, the group forms a monophyletic clade, either alone or together with the genus Marosina. The clade is well-separated from other species/species groups of Caridina. By taking a conservative taxonomic approach, the genus Marosina is thus redefined to accommodate members of the C. serratirostris species group. The revised genus Marosina can be separated from the typical Caridina species (represented by Caridina typus species group) by the structure of the endopod of the male first pleopod, which does not have an appendix interna, and the long stylocerite, which reaches to or beyond the end of the basal segment of the antennular peduncle, and the high number of postorbital teeth on the carapace. The paper provides a revised diagnosis of Marosina, with a key to all species assigned to it. Diagnosis, taxonomic remarks, habitat, and distribution information for all species are provided. The ecology, biogeography, and conservation of the genus are briefly discussed. Full article