DNA Barcode for the Parthenogenetic Surinam Cockroach Pycnoscelus surinamensis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Blattodea: Blaberidae) from India

DNA Barcoding is one of the emerging tools in molecular identification of faunal diversity, specifically insect fauna. The Surinam cockroach, Pycnoscelus surinamensis is the only known roach to be obligatorily parthenogenetic, with reported haplotypes. P. surinamensis is well established in Indomalayan, tropical and subtropical regions and substantially documented from India with a phenetic approach. Herewith we report the first set of mt DNA barcode from a vouchered collection for the species from southern Western Ghats India. Discussions are made on the identity of two sequences each of Blatteria species and Pycnoscelus species reported from USA.

Cessation of grazing causes biodiversity loss and homogenization of soil food webs

There is widespread concern that cessation of grazing in historically grazed ecosystems is causing biotic homogenization and biodiversity loss. Here, we used 12 montane grassland sites along an 800-km north-south gradient across the United Kingdom, to test whether cessation of grazing affects local ɑ- and β-diversity of belowground food webs. We show that cessation of grazing leads to strongly decreased ɑ-diversity of both soil microbial and faunal diversity. In contrast, the β-diversity varied between groups of soil organisms. While soil microbial communities exhibited increased homogenization after cessation of grazing, we observed decreased homogenization for soil fauna after cessation of grazing. Overall, our results indicate that grazer exclusion from historically grazed montane grasslands has far-ranging consequences for the diversity and composition of belowground food webs, and underscore the importance of grazers for maintaining the diversity of belowground communities, which play a central role in ecosystem functioning.

A DNA barcode library for mangrove gastropods and crabs of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area reveals an unexpected faunal diversity associated with the intertidal forests of Southern China

Background Mangroves are tropical and subtropical intertidal forests colonising sheltered coasts across the world. They host a unique faunal community, dominated by brachyuran crabs and gastropods. These invertebrates strongly contribute to the functionality of the entire forest. The reliable assessment of mangrove faunal diversity is, thus, a crucial step for efficient management and conservation plans, but it is hindered by difficulties in species identification. Here we provide a verified DNA barcode library for brachyuran crabs and gastropods inhabiting the mangroves of the Greater Bay Area, Southern China. In particular, we collected and morphologically identified 1100 specimens of mangrove associated brachyuran crabs and gastropods. The partial sequences of the mtDNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene were obtained from 275 specimens. Barcode sequences were then used to delineate Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs), employing three different delimitation methods: the automatic barcode gap discovery (ABGD) method, the general mixed Yule coalescent (GMYC) model and a Bayesian implementation of the Poisson tree processes (bPTP) model. Results By integrating DNA barcodes with morphology, we identified 44 gastropod species and 58 brachyuran species associated with Hong Kong mangroves, with five and seven new records, for gastropods and crabs, respectively, for the Greater Bay Area. The delineation of MOTUs based on barcode sequences revealed a strong congruence between morphological and molecular identification for both taxa, showing the high reliability of the barcode library. Conclusions This study provides the first reference barcode library for mangrove-associated macrobenthic fauna in the Greater Bay Area and represents a reliable tool to management and conservation plans. Our molecular analyses resolved long lasting taxonomic misidentifications and inconsistencies and updated the knowledge on the geographical distribution of Asian mangrove associated fauna, ultimately highlighting a level of biodiversity higher than previously thought for Southern China.

Floral and Faunal Diversity in Sri Lankan Mangrove Forests: A Systematic Review

The paper gives a historical overview, and a summary of key findings from 70 previously published research papers giving scientific data over the years from 1980 to 2019. They concern the flora and/or fauna in the mangrove forests along the Sri Lankan coast, addressing diversity, taxonomy, distribution, and ecological interactions. A total of 28 mangrove floral species from 13 plant families have been reported so far. Similarly, faunal diversity studies have reported 99 invertebrates, dominated by Arthropoda (n = 55) and Mollusca (n = 26), and 214 vertebrates comprising Pisces (n = 112), Aves (n = 72), Reptilia (n = 13) and Amphibia (n = 2). Most studies have been concentrated on the Southwestern coast (nflora = 20, nfauna = 6). Negombo has been a hotspot for mangrove research, with a higher number of studies (nflora = 11, nfauna = 5). The majority of the mangrove studies were focused on mangrove floral diversity and taxonomy and were conducted over recent years (2010–2019). Scientific data on mangrove fauna is restricted to a certain geographical extent. This paper intends to identify the research gaps in the field of Sri Lankan mangroves regarding various aspects and suggests advancement in future studies. Overall, outputs from the present study would be helpful for upcoming researchers to focus more on filling the gaps in knowledge.

Ancient Faunal History Revealed by Interdisciplinary Biomolecular Approaches

Starting four decades ago, studies have examined the ecology and evolutionary dynamics of populations and species using short mitochondrial DNA fragments and stable isotopes. Through technological and analytical advances, the methods and biomolecules at our disposal have increased significantly to now include lipids, whole genomes, proteomes, and even epigenomes. At an unprecedented resolution, the study of ancient biomolecules has made it possible for us to disentangle the complex processes that shaped the ancient faunal diversity across millennia, with the potential to aid in implicating probable causes of species extinction and how humans impacted the genetics and ecology of wild and domestic species. However, even now, few studies explore interdisciplinary biomolecular approaches to reveal ancient faunal diversity dynamics in relation to environmental and anthropogenic impact. This review will approach how biomolecules have been implemented in a broad variety of topics and species, from the extinct Pleistocene megafauna to ancient wild and domestic stocks, as well as how their future use has the potential to offer an enhanced understanding of drivers of past faunal diversity on Earth.

Faunal diversity of orb-weaver spiders (Araneidae: Araneomorphae: Araneae: Arachnida) in India

This review deals with the species diversity of the orb-weaving spiders (Araneidae: Araneae: Arachnida) in different states of India and the union territories. A total of 256 species belonging to 49 genera of Araneidae were recorded in all states and the union territories of India except for Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, out of which 99 species (38.4%) were strictly endemic. Two genera of orb-weaver spiders are highly speciose, e.g. Araneus Clerck, 1757 (39 species) and Neoscona Simon, 1864 (36 species). About 119 species of these orb-weaver spiders were recorded from Maharashtra followed by 91 species from West Bengal, 81 species from Kerala, 79 species from Karnataka, 75 species from Gujarat, 71 species from Tamil Nadu, 65 species from Assam, 63 species from Uttar Pradesh, 58 species from Uttarakhand, 57 species from Madhya Pradesh, 47 species each from Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir, 41 species from Meghalaya, 34 species from Chhattisgarh, 32 species from Goa, 31 species from Rajasthan, 29 species from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 27 species from Andhra Pradesh, 24 species from Sikkim, 21 species each from Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Tripura, and less than 20 species were recorded from other states and union territories. Seven species are distributed in more than 20 states and union territories, viz. Argiope pulchella Thorell, 1881 (23 states, 3 union territories); Nephila pilipes (Fabricius, 1793) (24 states, 2 union territory); Neoscona mukerjei Tikader, 1980 (23 states, 1 union territory); Neoscona theisi (Walckenaer, 1837) (21 states, 3 union territories); Araneus mitificus (Simon, 1886) (21 states, 3 union territories); Argiope aemula (Walckenaer, 1837) (21 states, 2 union territories) and Eriovixia excelsa (Simon, 1889) (20 states, 2 union territories). Several species of Araneidae reported from India are recorded only from one state or from the type locality. Hence, intensive and extensive faunistic surveys for these spiders are required throughou

New records of nudibranchs and a cephalaspid from Kuwait, northwestern Arabian Gulf (Mollusca, Heterobranchia)

In this study five new records and two probably undescribed species of heterobranch sea slugs placed in four genera, three families, and two orders are reported from Kuwait, northwestern Arabian / Persian Gulf with details and photographs. The present study increases the heterobranch diversity in Kuwaiti waters from 35 to 40 species. The range of habitats in Kuwait provides a vital opportunity for further investigation to understand the actual faunal diversity.