Pensoft Editorial Team

Local scientists discover new species of cave pseudoscorpion named after Boulder, Colorado

A research associate with the Zoology Department at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, found the new pseudoscorpion along with his wife and son.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science researchers discovered of a new species of cave-dwelling pseudoscorpion near the Flatirons in City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks. David Steinmann, a research associate with the Zoology Department at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, found the new pseudoscorpion along with his wife Debbie and son Nathan. The newly discovered species, Larca boulderica named after Boulder, marks the sixth cave-adapted species of the Larca genus from caves in North America.

The new species of pseudoscorpion, Larca boulderica, on rocky substrate. — The new species of pseudoscorpion, Larca boulderica, inside the cave. Photo by David Steinmann

In 2008, the Steinmann family went looking for invertebrates in a small cave west of Boulder when David saw an unusual-looking pseudoscorpion clinging to the bottom of a jagged stone. Steinmann sent the specimens to Mark Harvey, a pseudoscorpion expert at the Western Australian Museum, and Harvey determined that the tiny animals represent a new species. Harvey and Steinmann described and named Larca boulderica in a paper recently published in ZooKeys. The specimen used in the species description will now be deposited in the arachnology collection at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

Dave and Debbie Steinmann at the barred entrance of a small cave. — Dave and Debbie Steinmann at a small cave where L. boulderica lives. Photo by Ryan Prioreschi

“Dave Steinmann’s discovery of new species of pseudoscorpions from Colorado’s cave systems demonstrates how much we still have to discover about this planet’s biodiversity,” said Paula Cushing, senior curator of invertebrate zoology at the Museum. “Dave’s work in these challenging and unique habitats is critical in such discoveries.”

About the size of a sesame seed with crab-like pincers, Larca boulderica survives in dry and dusty habitats such as packrat middens. Boulder is the only place in the world they are known to live. Pseudoscorpions have been around for millions of years, including when Tyrannosaurus rex roamed the planet.

A photo of the pseudoscorpion Larca boulderica under a microscope. — Larca boulderica as seen under a microscope. Photo by David Steinmann

“Pseudoscorpions are fascinating creatures. They look like tiny scorpions without a stinger. Few people encounter them, and even fewer find them in caves,” said Frank Krell, senior curator of entomology at the Museum. “David Steinmann has found many tiny creatures in Colorado caves that nobody has found before. The city of Boulder is now immortalized in the name of this new species.”

Research article:

Harvey MS, Steinmann DB (2024) A new troglomorphic species of Larca (Pseudoscorpiones, Larcidae) from Colorado. ZooKeys 1198: 279-294. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1198.120353

Press release originally published by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Republished with permission.

From science to literature: New arachnid taxa named after Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda

A taxonomic revision describes 22 new species, with two of the names honoring prominent figures of Chilean culture.

Guest blog post by Willians Porto and Abel Pérez González

The third-largest group of arachnids, in terms of number of known species, is the harvestmen, with nearly 7,000 described species, ranking just behind spiders and mites. Despite this number, a considerable portion of their diversity is unknown, and many species still remain undescribed.

An individual of Fresiax spinulosa in a natural setting. — Fresiax spinulosa. Photo by Abel Pérez-González

The harvestmen of the family Triaenonychidae comprise 404 known species and have a peculiar distribution. They are found in temperate regions of the southern hemisphere, with representatives in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Madagascar, and southern South America— a typical temperate Gondwana distribution. In the America continent, the diversity is concentrated in the Southern Cone of South America, mainly in the Chilean Valdivian Forest, where 26 species were previously recorded.

A map of Chile showing the distribution of 16 harvestman species. — Distribution maps for 27 harvestman species in Chile.

A map of Chile showing the distribution of Lautaria ceachei. — Distribution maps for 27 harvestman species in Chile.

In our latest work published in ZooKeys, we present the result of a taxonomic and systematic revision of the South American triaenonychids previously included in the mainly New Zealand genus Nuncia. After examining hundreds of specimens, we redescribed all the four previously known species and described 22 new ones. All these species were included in six genera─one resurrected and five new to science─regarding the genus Nuncia as exclusively to New Zealand. The new systematic arrangement was supported by a comprehensive new phylogenetic analysis based on molecular (UCE + Sanger) data.

An individual of Laftrachia robin in a natural environment. — Laftrachia robin, one of the new species described in the study. Photo by Abel Pérez-González

The proposed phylogenetic hypothesis reveals the relationships between South American Triaenonychidae and their counterparts from the rest of the world, indicating that the diversity of triaenonychids in the Southern Cone is polyphyletic, reflecting an ancient diversification predating the Gondwana breakup.

A brown spider in a natural environment. — A species of the newly described Nerudiella genus. Photo by Abel Pérez-González

A bust of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. — A bust of Pablo Neruda. Photo by Wally Gobetz under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license

Our work represents the most comprehensive contribution to the taxonomy and systematic of South American triaenonychids, almost doubling the number of previously known species. For naming the new taxa, we select names derived from geography, historical figures, and recognized intellectuals. Since most of the newly discovered fauna is distributed across various regions of Chile, the authors decided to honor two prominent figures of Chilean literature. The poet Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957), Nobel laureate in literature in 1945, was honored with the new genus Mistralia, and Pablo Neruda (1904-1973), Nobel laureate in literature in 1971, was honored with the new genus Nerudiella. In addition to tributes to globally renowned Chilean poets, the new species also include dedications to members of the arachnological scientific community and researchers who collaborated on this work.

The taxonomic revision includes hundreds of images that are extremely important for species identification. These images consist of various optical microscopy, stereomicroscopy, and numerous scanning electron microscopy micrographs.

Scanning electron microscope image showing detailed views of the male genitalia of Mistralia verrucosa. — Scanning electron microscope image showing various detailed views of the male genitalia of Mistralia verrucosa.

This work is one of the products of years of collaboration between the Arachnology Division of the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia (MACN) and the Giribet Lab in Harvard University and Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ). It also represents a continuation of the collaboration initiated in the 20th century by the late Argentinean arachnologist Emilio Maury (MACN) with the Chilean zoologist Tomás Nicolás Cekalovic (Museo de Zoología de la Universidad de Concepción) and the American Museum of Natural History.

Research article:

Porto W, Derkarabetian S, Giribet G, Pérez-González A (2024) Systematic revision of the South American “Nuncia” (Opiliones, Laniatores, Triaenonychidae). ZooKeys 1207: 1-149. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1207.120068

New clam species discovered in South Africa’s kelp forest

It was discovered while working on the 1001 Seaforest Species project, which focuses on raising awareness about the rich kelp bed ecosystems of South Africa.

A new study sheds light on the unexplored diversity of galeommatoidean bivalves, a little-known group of marine mollusks, from the western coast of South Africa. The research, led by Paul Valentich-Scott from the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, along with collaborators from the University of Cape Town, Sea Change Trust, Stellenbosch University, and the University of Colorado Boulder, offers a curious glimpse into the habitats, symbiotic relationships, and taxonomy of these interesting creatures.

An unusual galeommatid clam, Melliteryx mactroides, living in tidepools near Cape Town, South Africa. Video by Jannes Landschoff

Published in the scientific journal ZooKeys, the study focuses on four species of galeommatoidean bivalves collected from the Western Cape region of South Africa. Among these is one new species, Brachiomya ducentiunus. This small clam, which is only 2 mm (less than 1/8^th inch) in length, spends its life crawling between the spines of sea urchins.

The newly discovered species, *Brachiomya ducentiunus*, crawing on a sea urchin spine. Photo by Craig Foster

The new species has so far only been found in one locality in False Bay, South Africa, where it was found attached to the burrowing sea urchin Spatagobrissus mirabilis in coarse gravel at a depth of about 3 m. It has not been observed free-living, without the host urchin.

Brachiomya ducentiunus was discovered while preparing and working on the 1001 Seaforest Species project, a research and storytelling program aimed at increasing awareness of regional kelp bed ecosystems colloquially referred to as ‘the Great African Seaforest’.

Dozens of the new species crawling on the surface of a sea urchin. Photo by Charles Griffiths

“This study marks a significant advancement in our understanding of the biodiversity and ecological interactions of galeommatoidean bivalves,” says lead author Paul Valentich-Scott. “By uncovering the hidden lives of these small but ecologically important organisms, we hope to contribute to the broader knowledge of marine biodiversity and the conservation of these unique habitats.”

Co-author Charles L. Griffiths, emeritus professor at the University of Cape Town, says, “A large proportion of smaller marine invertebrates remain undescribed in western South Africa and almost any project that samples specialized habitats turns up many new records and species.”

The new clam species feeding between the spines of a sea urchin. Video by Craig Foster

In a similar vein, co-author Jannes Landschoff, marine biologist at the Sea Change Trust, says “Creating foundational biodiversity knowledge is a most important step to the humbling realization of how fascinating and uniquely diverse a place is. I see this every day through our work in the rich coastal waters of Cape Town, where an extensive underwater kelp forest, the ‘Great African Seaforest,’ grows.”

Research article:

Valentich-Scott P, Griffiths C, Landschoff J, Li R, Li J (2024) Bivalves of superfamily Galeommatoidea (Mollusca, Bivalvia) from western South Africa, with observations on commensal relationships and habitats. ZooKeys 1207: 301-323. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1207.124517

Biodiversity Research in Central America: a new special issue from Neotropical Biology & Conservation

The article collection highlights an array of contemporary research across this biodiverse region.

Guest post by Monika Lipińska, academic editor and contributing author of Biodiversity Research in Central America.

Central America, a region brimming with ecological richness and diversity, presents a unique and complex tapestry of life. From its dense tropical forests and majestic mountain ranges to its vibrant coastal ecosystems and intricate freshwater networks, Central America is a biological treasure trove. The region’s varied habitats support an incredible array of species, many of which are endemic and face critical conservation challenges.

Biodiversity Research in Central America is a special issue in the open-access journal Neotropical Biology and Conservation, consisting of articles that highlight the breadth and depth of contemporary research across this biodiverse region. Each article sheds light on different aspects of the flora and fauna, offering insights into the ecology, behavior, and conservation of various species and ecosystems. The research presented here not only enhances our understanding of Central America’s natural wealth but also underscores the urgent need for effective conservation strategies to preserve it.

The articles

Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) Breeding Effort and Productivity for Seasonal Tropical Forests on the Central Mexican Pacific

A still of two ocelots. taken from camera footage. One is circled.

The opening article examines the reproductive ecology of ocelots in a specific tropical forest, providing valuable data on their breeding success and the environmental factors that influence it.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e114194

New Records of Neogale frenata and Potos flavus from Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, Mexico

A long-tailed weasel beside a human hand.

New occurrences of these elusive species are documented, expanding our knowledge of their distribution and highlighting the importance of ongoing field surveys.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e117799

New Records of Two Marsupials (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) and Conservation Notes from Southern Mexico

A Central American woolly opossum on a man's shoulder.

Researchers present new findings on marsupial species, offering critical insights into their habitats and the conservation challenges they face in this region.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e119836

The Amphibians and Reptiles of Cusuco National Park: Updates from a Long-Term Conservation Programme

Years-long conservation efforts in Cusuco National Park, Northwest Honduras, are detailed in this article, showcasing the dynamic changes and conservation successes in this biodiverse area.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e120902

A Record of a Non-Fatal Attack of an American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in the ‘Rio Segovia’ on the Honduras-Nicaragua Border

Researchers provide a unique case study of human-wildlife interactions, emphasizing the importance of understanding and managing these encounters.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e120434

Trophic Ecology and Trophic Niche Overlap of Two Sympatric Species of Rhamdia (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) from Northeast Oaxaca, Mexico

Exploring the dietary habits and ecological relationships between these catfish species, this article contributes to our understanding of aquatic ecosystems.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e119908

Interaction Intensity as Determinant of Geographic Range Overlap Between Ant-Following Birds and Army Ants

Researchers delve into the fascinating interactions between birds and their insect prey, revealing how these dynamics shape species distributions.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e117386

Ants in the Clouds: A Preliminary Checklist of the Ant (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) Fauna of a Honduran Cloud Forest Ecosystem, Featuring a Key to Country Genera

In this article, the diverse ant fauna of a cloud forest is cataloged, providing a foundation for future ecological and taxonomic studies.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e119775

The Poorly-Known Amblypygid Fauna (Arachnida, Amblypygi) of Honduras, Central America: An Overview

An overview of this lesser-studied arachnid group, highlighting their ecological roles and the need for further research.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e113507

Pollination of Guatemalan Orchids – State of Knowledge

A review of current understanding and gaps in the study of orchid pollination, emphasizing the intricate relationships between plants and their pollinators.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e119499

A Preliminary Assessment of Water Quality in Silvopastoral Systems of Panama’s Dry Tropical Forest

Researchers assess the impacts of land-use practices on water quality, providing insights into sustainable agricultural practices.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e111865

Dispersal Capacity as Assessed by Distance-Decay Relationships is Lower for Aquatic Shredder Insects than Aquatic Non-Shredder Insects in a Neotropical River Network

A map showing streams located in distinctive vegetation classes within Salinas, Cahabon.

The dispersal abilities of aquatic insects are compared in this paper, highlighting the factors influencing their distribution patterns.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e111865

The Trichoptera of Panama XXVII. The Third Benchmark—A Waypoint to the Future

This research marks a significant milestone in the study of caddisflies, summarizing progress and future directions in this field.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e113487

Gradual Change and Mosaic Pattern of Macrofaunal Assemblages Along Depth and Sediment Gradients in a Tropical Oceanic Island

A graph showing the association of macrofauna with environmental variables.

An exploration of the complex patterns of marine life distribution, providing insights into the factors shaping these communities.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e117876

Marine Nematodes of Costa Rica: State of the Art

Finally, this paper reviews the current knowledge of these important but often overlooked organisms, emphasizing their ecological significance and the need for further research.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.19.e115345

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Together, these articles represent a significant contribution to the field of biodiversity research in Central America. They underscore the importance of continued scientific exploration and conservation efforts to protect the rich natural heritage of this remarkable region. We hope that this special issue will inspire further research and action to preserve Central America’s biodiversity for future generations.

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New species, old threats: two hillstream suck-loaches discovered in China

The new-to-science fish face an uncertain future due to pollution and unsustainable harvesting.

All too often, researchers discover new species only to learn they are already at risk of extinction.

So when researchers from Shanghai Ocean University and Yunnan Agricultural University identified two new species from the upper Pearl River system in southwest China, they were likely unsurprised to find the fish facing major threats from pollution and overharvesting.

Three views of a flat-bottomed fish species with bumps on its head. — *Beaufortia* *granulopinna* holotype from Lizhou River, a stream tributary of Bo′ai River of the Pearl River basin, at Tianlin County, Guangxi Province, China.

The new species, Beaufortia granulopinna and Beaufortia viridis, are members of the family Gastromyzontidae, also known as hillstream suck-loaches. They are highly specialised, with compressed bodies, flattened bottoms, and greatly expanded paired fins forming suction cup-like structures. These adaptations enable them to adhere to rocky substrates, resisting currents while feeding on algae and invertebrates.

Researchers discovered the new species during surveys studying aquatic life in various waterways in Yunnan and Guangxi between 2022 and 2024. The study, led by Jing-Chen Chen, offers new insights into the taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of the Beaufortia pingi species group, of which the two discoveries are likely members.

Three views of a flat-bottomed fish species witha green and brown colouration. — *Beaufortia* *viridis* holotype from Wuming River, a stream tributary to the You River of the Pearl River basin, at Wuming District, Nanning City, Guangxi Province, China.

Although research on the Beaufortia pingi group is mostly in its initial stages, the situation is far from optimistic. These species have become popular ornamental fish in China, and aquarium trade operators reap substantial profits through their capture and sale. Among them are those who act with disregard for sustainability, using destructive harvesting practices.

Given the loaches’ preference for fast-flowing water, projects that obstruct rivers can easily lead to regional extinction. Their low pollution tolerance and sensitivity to changes in water quality also contribute to the significant reductions in population that many species are suffering.

Landscape image of a river and trees. — Collection site of *Beaufortia* *viridis* from Wuming River, a stream tributary to the You River of the Pearl River basin, Wuming District, Nanning City, Guangxi Province, China. Photographed by Jing-Chen Chen.

In the habitat of B. viridis, Wuming District, Nanning City, most small tributaries have been modified into step-like reservoirs for water storage, and those near agricultural irrigation areas are polluted, rendering these areas unsuitable for their survival. Interestingly, however, a stable population was discovered inside a commercial eco-camping site left untouched to satisfy consumers’ pursuit of “pristine nature.”

The researchers suggest that future efforts should focus on increasing attention to these species, conducting fundamental research, and further exploring their scientific and economic potential. Simultaneously, it is crucial to enhance habitat conservation awareness, scientifically plan, and develop sustainably, ensuring harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

Original source

Chen J-C, Li J-J, Tang W-Q, Pu X-R, Lei H-T (2024) Taxonomic resolution of the hillstream suck-loach Beaufortia pingi species group (Cypriniformes, Gastromyzontidae) and two new species from Southwest China– Beaufortia granulopinna and Beaufortia viridis. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(3): 941-963. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.124370

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Low-cost, high-volume imaging for entomological digitization

The flexibility of the imaging rig could benefit many potential users who are looking for an accessible method for larger collections of specimens

Guest blog post by Corey Feng and Dirk Steinke

The demand for the digitization of natural history collections has increased with the advancement of imaging technologies. Large collections composed of millions of insect specimens are exploring efficient strategies and new technologies to digitize them. However, many of these new systems are quite elaborate and expensive, creating a need for more affordable and easy-to-use equipment.

75-by-47-cm foam platform with pinned insects in dorsal and lateral positions.

Creating a digital image for every specimen is an essential part of the DNA barcoding workflow at the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics (CBG). A newly designed imaging rig has enabled the CBG to quickly and efficiently image specimens at high quality while controlling the specimen’s orientation to emphasize key morphological characters. This system allowed the CBG to take some 190,000 images over the past year.

The SLR rig is placed on a heavy-base table to minimize vibration. The inset shows the actual rig area with specimens on the styrofoam base.

Our new ZooKeys study describes this imaging rig, which was mainly created for pinned specimens. It is inexpensive and easy to install as it uses a camera mounted to a CNC machine rig to photograph specimens at high capacity. By using a foam board to array specimens, the user can choose their orientation, which contrasts some existing methods that do not provide such flexibility. This setup produces 95 high quality images within half an hour.

Panel of example images taken with the SLR rig.

The flexibility of the imaging rig could benefit many potential users who are looking for an accessible method for larger collections of specimens. By alternating various parameters, such as the distance between the camera and specimens or the type of camera and lens used, users can adapt their system to specimens of varying sizes. With further changes to the array, the imaging rig can also be adapted to support imaging specimens on slides, within vials, or other storage solutions.

Research article:

Steinke D, McKeown JTA, Zyba A, McLeod J, Feng C, Hebert PDN (2024) Low-cost, high-volume imaging for entomological digitization. ZooKeys 1206: 315-326. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1206.123670

Bridging culture, cuisine, and urban planning: new book explores the connections between food and urban spaces

The researchers suggest that urban green space can be used to improve food production efficiency, absorption, and processing, promoting the circulation of both food and culture

Agriculture, fishing, hunting, and gathering— through thousands of years of urbanization, these ways of acquiring food, which were deciding factors in settlement landscape patterns in the primitive society, have gradually been replaced by the manufacturing, financial, and service industry. Nowadays, urban planning seems to have lost its connection with food.

A new book, Magical Foodscape: A Guidebook For Re-planning The Cities Base On The Culture, Food And The Built Environmentby Xiwei Shen of the University of Nevada, explores the many ways in which food and urban spaces are linked. “Under the COVID-19 epidemic, the common problem faced by different countries and regions—food shortage, inspired us to reflect on the place of food in urban life,” Shen says.

His research focused on four Chinese cities, Chengdu, Xi’an, Wuhan and Shanghai, all of them characterized by different and distinctive food culture. With a team of students from multiple cities, all working online collaboration during the pandemic, he explored the distribution patterns and potential of grain origin, delivery chains, processing chains and retailers in each of the four cities.

Urban green space, he believes, can be used to improve the efficiency of food production, absorption, and processing, promoting the circulation of both food and culture. This solution also has the potential to alleviate food problems in social crises and improve the cities’ ability to respond to social emergencies via what Shen calls “the foodscape.”

Magical Foodscape offers diverse planning guidelines based on the distinctive culture, food, and environment of the four iconic cities. It explores each city’s unique culinary landscape in detail, providing tailored strategies to address local challenges and opportunities. Available to download for free and published by Pensoft, Magical Foodscape offers useful guidelines to a wide range of actors. For example, it can serve as a gastronomical tourist guide, advise restaurant owners on the best place to open their establishments, or even inform the policy strategies of local and national governments. It also includes “food maps” for each city that invite readers to join the campaign and promote the positive development of cities through changes in their daily eating habits.

Chengdu: integrating traditional cuisine with urban efficiency

In Chengdu, terrace patches along rivers can be utilized to optimize the production-processing-supply chain of traditional cuisine, aiming to maximize profit while addressing significant waste issues. Three of Chengdu’s culinary highlights—hot pots, skewers, and teahouses—are facing serious waste problems. “As for hot pots, we proposed the concept of an ’urban farm,’ since traditional cooking methods provide conditions for the reuse of hot pot food waste; as for tea, we proposed to use waste tea as raw material for water purification devices and tea field fertilizers,” Shen says. “We found that the three types of restaurants with large passenger flow in Chengdu were mostly distributed along the terraces of the rivers. We combined the patches along the rivers with food production and food processing to improve the development of the high-efficiency cities.”

Xi’an: transforming food waste into cultural and ecological assets

The research team aimed to solve Xi’an’s food waste problem and use the resulting landscape as a medium to activate local culture. “We propose to establish the concept of ‘food funding’ and encourage ‘new means’ to turn the ecological problems caused by food waste or food packaging into opportunities to solve the existing ecological problems, build community gardens, and support the management of stray animals. At the same time, the resulting landscape activates the hidden special cuisine in Xi’an city and forms a food loop to meet the needs of tourists and residents for entertainment. On the city scale, the ‘food loop’ connects the cultural tourism within the city with the ecological tourism around the city as to promote urban development and optimize the ‘green pattern’,” says Shi.

Wuhan: enhancing urban resilience through green spaces and food

The study of Wuhan, the city of China’s earliest outbreak of COVID-19, reflects the lessons learned during the outbreak and uses geospatial data analysis to establish a scientific emergency mechanism. “Food production space and green space have similar functions in epidemic prevention and control,” Shi says. For example, arranging green spaces evenly helped shorten the distance for people to move, in order to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 disease in the early stage of the virus outbreak.

Shanghai: revitalizing traditional Chinese cuisine through urban planning

“We aimed to take the advantage of the processing methods and marketing models of Shanghai’s traditional gastronomy to revive Chinese restaurants by re-planning the city’s food pattern via the traditional Chinese cuisine,” Shi explains. His team studied catering efficacy, consumer efficacy and restaurant efficacy, combining their findings with geospatial data and mathematical modeling, to see how Shanghai’s vibrant culinary scene can help revive traditional Chinese restaurants through strategic urban planning.

Food as a catalyst for urban development

Magical Foodscape introduces food as a necessary element of urban planning. Moreover, it shows how food can be used to solve urban problems and optimize spatial structure in cities. “We hope that professional planners can rethink the role of food in guiding urban planning and promote the organic integration of city and food in different cities and revive the food industry,” Shi says in coclusion.

The research also highlights the relationship between food and urban resilience, particularly in the face of crises like COVID-19.

Original source:

Shen X (2024) Magical Foodscape: A Guidebook For Re-planning The Cities Base On The Culture, Food And The Built Environment. Advanced Books, Pensoft, Sofia, 1-148. https://doi.org/10.3897/ab.e129204

Scientists pay tribute to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer with new species named after them

The insects are parasitoid wasps 6 mm long with black, white, and orange colour patterns, and were found in major Thai national parks.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will go down in history as two of the greatest tennis players of our time, but their names have also been immortalized in science, as two new insect species were just named in honor of the athletes.

A team of insect scientists from the Integrative Insect Ecology Research Unit in Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University described two new wasp species named Troporhogas rogerfedereri and Troporhogas rafaelnadali in a tribute to the two tennis legends.

A specimen of Troporhogas rafaelnadali. — *Troporhogas rafaelnadali*. Photo by Marisa Loncle

“T. rogerfedereri and T. rafaelnadali are parasitoid wasps, whose larvae devour their hosts from the inside,” says Buntika Areekul Butcher, who led the study to describe the new insects. “As their names proclaim, they honour the tennis greats Roger Federer and Raphael Nadal, who although competitors on the court have been on the same doubles team too. Also, two of the authors are huge fans of both Roger and Rafa.”

*Troporhogas rogerfedereri*. Photo by Marisa Loncle

Both of the new wasps are 6 mm long, with black, white and orange colour patterns. They were found in two major Thai national parks, Khao Yai and Khao Sok, both of which are popular attractions for natural history tourists.

The scientists published their discoveries in a research article in the open-access zoology journal ZooKeys.

Research article:

Quicke DLJ, Ranjith AP, Loncle MK, Van Achterberg C, Long KD, Butcher BA (2024) Revision of Troporhogas Cameron (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Rogadinae) with six new species from India and Thailand. ZooKeys 1206: 99-136. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1206.120824

MAkiNg Technology work for moNitoring polliNAtors: Pensoft joins ANTENNA

Pensoft is to maximise the project’s impact by informing stakeholders about results and raising public awareness about pollinators.

Pensoft joins the newly funded Biodiversa+ project ANTENNA focused on making technology work for monitoring pollinators and is tasked with the communication, dissemination and exploitation activities.

The overarching goal of ANTENNA is to fill key monitoring gaps through advancing innovative technologies that will underpin and complement EU-wide pollinator monitoring schemes, and to provide tested transnational pipelines from monitoring activities to curated datasets and enhanced indicators that support pollinator-relevant policy and end-users.

The ANTENNA project answers the BiodivMon call, which was launched in September 2022 by Biodiversa+ in collaboration with the European Commission. The BiodivMon call sought proposals for three-year research projects to improve transnational monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystem change, emphasising innovation and harmonisation of biodiversity data collection and management methodologies, addressing knowledge gaps on biodiversity status and trends to combat biodiversity loss, and the effective use of existing biodiversity monitoring data.

Supporting the work of Work Package #5: “Project coordination, and communication”, Pensoft is dedicated to maximising the project’s impact by employing a mix of channels to inform stakeholders about the results from ANTENNA and raise public awareness about pollinators.

Pensoft is also tasked with creating and maintaining a clear and recognisable project brand, promotional materials, website, social network profiles, internal communication platform, and online libraries. Another key responsibility is the development, implementation and regular updates of the project’s communication, dissemination and exploitation plans, that ANTENNA is set to follow for the next four years.

On 14-15 March 2024, ANTENNA held its official kick off meeting. Project partners came together in Halle, Germany for two days to outline objectives, discuss strategies, and set the groundwork for this venture.

Specifically, the combined expertise of the consortium will address the following objectives:

Advance automated sample sorting and image recognition tools from individual prototypes to systems that can be adopted by practitioners
Expand pollinator monitoring to under-researched pollinator taxa, ecosystems, and pressures
Quantify the added value of novel monitoring systems in comparison and combination with ‘traditional’ methods in terms of cost effectiveness
Provide a framework for integrative monitoring by combining multiple data streams and. The framework will also support the development of near real-time forecasting models as bases for early warning systems;
Upscale local demonstrations into the implementation of large-scale transnational pipelines and provide context-specific guidance to the use of policy-makers and other users who might need to select monitoring methods and indicators.

Consortium*:

Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Germany
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Netherlands
Aarhus University, Denmark
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain
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Top-lane crab: new species named after League of Legends character

The ‘furry’ crustacean is the latest discovery to be given a video-game-inspired name.

Species of the crab family Xanthidae go by many names: gorilla crabs, mud crabs, pebble crabs, rubble crabs – the list goes on. But when it was time to name a tiny, ‘furry’ new species from China, researchers drew unlikely inspiration from the video game League of Legends.

Gothus teemo was named after the character Teemo from the immensely popular MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) thanks to its distinctive appearance.

Two images of a small white-and-brown crab species besides Teemo from League of Legends. — *Gothus teemo* male holotype (left), Teemo (right).

Loosely resembling a raccoon, Teemo is small and fluffy with a brown and white intermingled fur coat. The new species’ small size, densely covered short setae (bristles), and brown-striped colouration quickly drew comparisons.

Published in the open-access journal Zoosystematics and Evolution, the discovery was made during an expedition to the coral reefs of the South China Sea. There researchers discovered the new species in the Xisha Islands (Paracel Islands) and Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands).

An illustration of the crab species Gothus teemo. It is black with brown patterning. — Illustration of *Gothus teemo* by by Fei Gao.

The team collected specimens while scuba diving, photographing them and conserving them for further study. The specimens are now housed at the Marine Biological Museum, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Qingdao, China.

This new-to-science crab represents not only a new species, but also an entirely new genus. Sticking to a theme, researchers named the genus after a game – albeit one created 2,500 years before League of Legends!

The boardgame Go. Black and white counters on a a wooden box with a grid pattern. — The ancient Chinese board game, Go.

They chose the name Gothus for the genus, drawing inspiration from the ancient Chinese strategy board game, Go. The name alludes to the intermingled black and white patterns on the carapace of Gothus species, beneath which lie circular granules resembling the pieces of the game.

As part of their study, the researchers suggested the reclassification of the species Actaea consobrina into the genus Gothus. This reclassification was based on both morphological and molecular evidence.

A white crab with balck and orange dots. — *Actaea consobrina*, proposed as *Gothus consobrina*.

Gothus teemo is by no means the only new species named after a video game character. Just last week, we shared a story from our Biodiversity Data Journal about a blind spider named after the Monster Hunter character Khezu – check out the story below!

Monster Hunter in real life: eyeless spider named after video game monstrosity

Gothus teemo is yet another reminder that countless unknown creatures are just waiting to be discovered. The coral reefs of the South China Sea continue to be a rich source of new and fascinating species. And, who knows, perhaps there’s a Gothus tristana out there, too.

Original source

Yuan Z-M, Jiang W, Sha Z-L (2024) Morphological and molecular evidence for Gothus teemo gen. et sp. nov., a new xanthid crab (Crustacea, Brachyura, Xanthoidea) from coral reefs in the South China Sea, with a review of the taxonomy of Actaeodes consobrinus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867). Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(3): 965-987. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.117859

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