Zoodiversity

Redescription and Biological Observations on Maximus strabus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)

2024-12-12T18:58:45+00:00

Biological observations of Maximus strabus (Gyllenhal, 1834) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) were conducted on two populations associated with two halophytic plants, Bassia hirsuta (L.) Asch. and Suaeda altissima (L.) Pall. in the Aras River valley. The species is redescribed and the diagnostic morphological characters, including variations, are compared with digital images. The species hibernates as an adult under stones and becomes active in early spring when it starts feeding on the rosettes of its host plants. The legless larvae are soil dwellers and feed on the roots of their host plants, including the lateral branches of the roots; the mature larvae form individual soil capsules and pupate inside. A new generation of adults emerges in late summer. The species is univoltine in the Aras River valley.

A New Species of the Genus Madahoplia (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae, Hopliini) from Madagascar

2024-12-12T18:58:42+00:00

An illustrated description and diagnosis of Madahoplia dolini sp. n. and an updated key to the species group III of Madahoplia Lacroix, 1998 are provided. The new species is similar to M. oculata Lacroix differing by the distinctly serrated pronotum, strongly elongated anterior angles and dorsum with whitish- and dark grey scales.

Urban Sky Roosts: The Unconventional Adaptation of Spot-billed Pelicans to Anthropogenic Structures

2024-12-12T18:58:49+00:00

The expansion of urban areas has raised significant concerns about its impact on the bird community, particularly wetland-dependent species. The transformation of natural habitats into urban areas presents unique challenges and alternatives for these species, requiring a reassessment of conventional conservation paradigms. Among these species, the Spot-billed Pelican (classified as 'Near Threatened' by the IUCN and listed under schedule-IV of the IWPA) is a wetland-dependent bird indigenous to India. Instead of preferring natural habitats (wetlands), it now prefers urban habitats for roosting and nesting. The species has also been observed to prefer telecom towers for roosting and courtship during the breeding season. This observation is one of the first to lead to an understanding of the behavioural plasticity of wetland bird species towards adaptation in an anthropogenic setting. This suggests an early warning sign of habitat degradation in their historical breeding and feeding grounds in neighbouring states. The likely reason for the congregation's selection of these anthropogenic structures may be related to resource availability, adjacent feeding grounds and/or habitat suitability. Records of this type should open up avenues for addressing the problem and developing strategies for careful management of breeding sites in artificial structures.

Four Species of Digeneans (Trematoda, Opecoelidae) of the Gilthead Seabream Sparus aurata (Teleostei, Sparidae) off the Algerian Coast in the Mediterranean Sea

2024-12-30T12:54:15+00:00

A study was conducted between May 2020 and April 2022, in an attempt to investigate the diversity of digeneans infecting the digestive tract of the gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Sparidae) off the Algerian coast. Four species belonging to the family Opecoelidae Ozaki, 1925 were collected: Macvicaria obovata (Molin, 1859) Bartoli, Bray & Gibson, 1989; Macvicaria maillardi Bartoli, Bray & Gibson, 1989; Macvicaria maamouriae Antar, Georgieva, Gargouri & Kostadinova, 2015 and Allopodocotyle pedicellata (Stossich, 1887) Pritchard, 1966. Algeria is a new geographical record for M. obovata and A. pedicellata, whereas M. maillardi has already been reported on the Algerian coast, but not from its type host S. aurata. In this paper, we provide a redescription of these species based on newly collected specimens which were identified using only morphological features such as the distribution of vitelline follicles and, uterus, the position and shape of the cirrus-sac, and the presence or absence of the metraterm. We also highlighted the morphometric variations between our specimens and those described. We also highlighted the intraspecific morphometric variation in comparison with published data. The epidemiological indices show that M. obovata has the highest values in both prevalence and abundance (33.3 % and 2.2 %, respectively).

Nestedness in a Carnivorous Mammal Assemblage in Forest Fragments of the Araucanía Region, Southern Chile

2024-12-12T18:58:43+00:00

Habitat fragmentation is one of the main factors threatening biodiversity, especially in regions where natural ecosystems are under anthropogenic pressure, such as the Araucanía region in southern Chile. This study explores the presence of nestedness patterns in the composition of carnivorous mammal species in six fragments along the southern part of the Coastal Range in the Araucanía region. Using scent stations and actively searched five species were recorder over a nine-month period: hog-nosed skunk, kodkod, cougar, gray fox, and culpeo fox. The analysis revealed that the nested pattern, with a temperature of 13.661 °C, suggests a risk of local extinction in smaller fragments (less than 14 ha). The hog-nosed skunk was detected in four fragments, including one of the smaller ones (3.1 ha), while the cougar and kodkod were more restricted, being recorded in three and two fragments, respectively. The culpeo fox and gray fox were present in only one or two fragments. These results support the island biogeography theory, highlighting that larger fragments sustain greater species diversity. This study highlights the importance of conserving larger forest fragments to maintain carnivore diversity, as specialized species rely on denser and more connected habitats. It is recommended to prioritize the preservation of continuous forest areas and restore connectivity between fragments to mitigate the negative effects of fragmentation.