Rediscovery of the ‘extinct’ bee Hesperocolletes douglasi Michener, 1965 (Colletidae:  Colletinae: Paracolletini) in Western Australia and first description of the female

The second known specimen of the bee Hesperocolletes douglasi Michener, 1965 is here reported as a serendipitous find among a collection of insect pollinators from an isolated woodland remnant in the Southwest Floristic Region of Western Australia. The unique male holotype of this monotypic genus of bees was collected 80 years ago and officially gazetted as presumed extinct in 1994. With our collection of a female specimen in 2015, however, it now appears that H. douglasi may persist as an extant localised population. Follow-up efforts to find more specimens at the collection locality so far proved unsuccessful, indicating that the species is likely either very rare or inhabits an ecological niche that is yet to be discovered. Analysis of the pollen load carried by the female indicates that the species may be polylectic. We discuss the context of the rediscovery of the bee, provide a detailed description and illustrations of the female, and make observations about the unusual morphological characteristics of the species. The rediscovery of H. douglasi emphasizes the importance of conservation efforts for remnant woodlands in the region, both as potential habitat for the bee and as remaining habitat essential for other rare and threatened species in this global biodiversity hotspot.

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The longest-lived spider: mygalomorphs dig deep, and persevere

Pacific Conservation Biology ◽

10.1071/pc18015 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 203 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Leanda Denise Mason ◽

Grant Wardell-Johnson ◽

Barbara York Main

Keyword(s):

Population Study ◽

Western Australia ◽

Short Range ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Sustainable Living ◽

Life Styles ◽

Global Biodiversity

We report the longest-lived spider documented to date. A 43-year-old, female Gaius villosus Rainbow, 1914 (Mygalomorphae: Idiopidae) has recently died during a long-term population study. This study was initiated by Barbara York Main at North Bungulla Reserve near Tammin, south-western Australia, in 1974. Annual monitoring of this species of burrowing, sedentary mygalomorph spider yielded not only this record-breaking discovery but also invaluable information for high-priority conservation taxa within a global biodiversity hotspot. We suggest that the life-styles of short-range endemics provide lessons for humanity and sustainable living in old stable landscapes.

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Climate change, plant migration, and range collapse in a global biodiversity hotspot: the Banksia (Proteaceae) of Western Australia

Global Change Biology ◽

10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01559.x ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 14 (6) ◽

pp. 1337-1352 ◽

Cited By ~ 148

Author(s):

MATTHEW C. FITZPATRICK ◽

AARON D. GOVE ◽

NATHAN J. SANDERS ◽

ROBERT R. DUNN

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Western Australia ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Plant Migration ◽

Global Biodiversity

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Ecological niche modeling, niche overlap, and good old Rabinowitz’s rarities applied to the conservation of gymnosperms in a global biodiversity hotspot

10.21203/rs.3.rs-809204/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Paula Quiroga ◽

Cintia Souto

Keyword(s):

Habitat Suitability ◽

Ecological Niche ◽

Ecological Niche Modeling ◽

Niche Overlap ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Conservation Priorities ◽

Ecological Niche Models ◽

Endemic Plant ◽

Key Species ◽

Global Biodiversity

Abstract ContextBiodiversity hotspots harbor 77% of endemic plant species. Patagonian Temperate Forest (PTF) is a biodiversity hotspot, but over the past centuries, has been over-exploited, fragmented and replaced with exotic species plantations, lately plus the threat of climate change. ObjectivesOur aim is to better understand patterns of habitat suitability and niche overlap of nine endemic gymnosperm species, key elements of the PTF, complementing traditional approaches of biodiversity conservation. MethodsUsing R packages and 3024 occurrence data, we deployed ecological niche models (ENM) in MaxEnt via KuENM, and classified species according to Rabinowitz’s types of rarity. We then overlapped their niches calculating Schoener's D index, and considered types of rarity in a spatial ecological context. Finally, we overlay high species’ suitability and protected areas and detect conservation priorities using GapAnalysis. ResultsWe generated simplified ENMs for nine Patagonian gymnosperms and found that most niches overlap, and only one species displayed a unique niche. Surprisingly, we found that three species have divergent suitability of habitats across the landscape. We showed that the rarer a species is the smaller niche volume tend to have, that six out of nine studied species have high conservation priority, and that there are conservation gaps in the PTF. ConclusionOur approach showed that there are unprotected suitable areas for native key species at high risk in Patagonian forests. Suggesting that integrating habitat-suitability models of multiple species, types of rarity, and niche overlap, can be a handy tool to identify potential conservation areas in global biodiversity hotspots.

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Integrating Capabilities and Ecosystem Services Approaches to evaluate Indigenous connections with nature in a global biodiversity hotspot of Western Ghats, India

Global Ecology and Conservation ◽

10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01546 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. e01546

Author(s):

M Balasubramanian ◽

Kamaljit K Sangha

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Western Ghats ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Global Biodiversity

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The biodiversity-wind energy-land use nexus in a global biodiversity hotspot

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144471 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 144471

Author(s):

Vassiliki Kati ◽

Christina Kassara ◽

Zoi Vrontisi ◽

Aristides Moustakas

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Wind Energy ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Global Biodiversity

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Meta-analysis reveals severe pollen limitation for the flowering plants growing in East Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains region

BMC Ecology ◽

10.1186/s12898-020-00322-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Xianfeng Jiang ◽

Yanping Xie

Keyword(s):

Confidence Interval ◽

Pollen Limitation ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Flowering Plants ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Clear Relationship ◽

Hengduan Mountains ◽

Independent Data ◽

The World ◽

Global Biodiversity

Abstract Background Pollen limitation occurs widely and has an important effect on flowering plants. The East Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains region is a global biodiversity hotspot. However, to our knowledge, no study has synthetically assessed the degree of pollen limitation in this area. The present study aims to reveal the degree of pollen limitation for the flowering plants growing on East Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains and to test whether the reproductive features or the elevation is closely correlated with the degree of pollen limitation in this area. Results We complied data from 76 studies, which included 96 species and 108 independent data records. We found that the flowering plants in this area undergo severe pollen limitation [overall Hedges’ d = 2.004, with a 95% confidence interval (1.3264, 2.6743)] that is much higher than that of the flowering plants growing in many other regions around the world. The degree of pollen limitation was tested to determine the correlation with the capacity for autonomous self-reproduction and with the pollination pattern (generalized vs. specialized pollination) of plants. In addition, we found a clear relationship between elevation and the degree of pollen limitation, which indicates that plants might undergo more severe pollen limitation in relatively high places. Conclusions This paper is the first to address the severe pollen limitation of the flowering plants growing in East Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains region. Moreover, we reveal the positive correlation between elevation and the degree of pollen limitation.

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