Pensoft blog - Part 10

New Study Outlines How Countries Can Build Effective DNA Barcoding Networks

New research in Metabarcoding and Metagenomics provides a blueprint for building a robust, globally adaptable network of DNA barcoding practitioners.

Aligning with the International Day for Biological Diversity‘s theme of “Acting locally for global impact,” researchers have released a comprehensive blueprint for building a robust, globally adaptable network of DNA barcoding practitioners.

Heat map illustrating the heterogeneity in the number of available DNA barcode records with species assignment. Data were retrieved from the BOLD Systems data portal in November 2025. Credit to Kaitetzidou et al., 2026.

DNA barcoding has become a cornerstone for modern species identification and biodiversity monitoring, proving vital for applications ranging from ecological research to conservation and environmental policy. Since its inception, the DNA barcoding community worldwide has been convening under the aegis of the International Barcode of Life (iBOL), which provides necessary global coordination. To implement barcoding at scale, build local capacity, and translate scientific advances into actionable practice, iBOL national nodes have been established since the 2010s

Published in the open-access journal Metabarcoding and Metagenomics, the article “Empowering national capacity for a DNA-based approach to species identification and biodiversity monitoring” by E. Kaitetzidou et al. provides strategic advice on establishing iBOL national nodes.

Drawing on a survey and workshop conducted under the Horizon Europe Biodiversity Genomics Europe project, this research synthesises experiences from 20 countries, including 17 in Europe, and examines how national nodes are initiated, governed, and sustained. Common challenges included defining scope, securing sustainable funding, harmonising methodologies, and engaging stakeholders. For example, a particularly striking finding was how rarely node coordinators sought guidance from established networks before setting up their own.

The decision-making process and steps taken were almost entirely based on intuition and the experience from other within-country activities, as well as their perceptions of the activities of other nations’ barcoding nodes,
the researchers note.

Countries are highlighted whose representatives of a national initiative responded to the questionnaire (yellow), attended the workshop (green) or both (yellow–green stripes). Peru and South Africa are not displayed on the map; however, representatives of their national nodes took part in the survey and the workshop, respectively. Credit to Kaitetzidou et al., 2026.

Central to the paper are ten practical recommendations to ensure the establishment and long-term success of national DNA barcoding nodes. The authors emphasise several key priorities, primarily the construction of comprehensive DNA barcode reference libraries and the critical need to align scientific activities with practical biomonitoring requirements.

Furthermore, they strongly advocate for promoting FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) and CARE data principles, alongside implementing focused strategies for capacity building, methodological standardisation, communication, and diverse stakeholder engagement.

Stronger national infrastructures will enhance Europe’s capacity for DNA-based biodiversity monitoring and support metabarcoding and metagenomic research. Building on milestones such as the establishment of iBOL Europe in 2022, these local efforts add up to real progress on species discovery, conservation, and environmental management worldwide.

This paper has been published with the support of the Biodiversity Genomics Europe project, funded through Horizon Europe, the UK Research & Innovation Fund and the Swiss Confederation (https://biodiversitygenomics.eu/).

Original source:

Kaitetzidou E, Gadawski P, Goodall-Copestake WP, Dankova G, Gkagkavouzis K, Holak S, Rewicz T, Bącela-Spychalska K, Mamos T, Fantoni K, Jabłońska A, Tończyk G, Trębicki Ł, Aravanopoulos FA, Bruschini C, Bonchev G, Dagher Kharrat MB, Čiampor F, Costa FO, Dapporto L, Ekrem T, Ferreira S, Geiger M, Hausmann A, Hebert PDN, Kalamujić Stroil B, Kamenova S, Kautmanova I, Keskin E, Kučinić M, Lipinskaya T, Mutanen M, Papakostas S, Price B, Ramírez R, Rougerie R, Rulik B, Szucsich N, Van Der Bank M, Triantafyllidis A, Hollingsworth PM, Grabowski M (2026) Empowering national capacity for DNA-based approach to species identification and biodiversity monitoring. Metabarcoding and Metagenomics 10: e183268. https://doi.org/10.3897/mbmg.10.183268

A new PollinERA policy brief proposes regional budget system for pesticide management for Europe

The brief proposes assigning ecological regions an annual toxic-unit (TU) budget linked to environmental carrying capacity.

A new policy brief from the PollinERA project calls for a major shift in EU pesticide regulation, arguing that current assessments of individual substances fail to address the cumulative environmental impacts of pesticide use across landscapes, and that many pesticide bans are unnecessary if the scale of use is managed.

The brief, “A Regional Budget System for Pesticide Management: Systems-first environmental risk assessment: the case for change,” proposes assigning ecological regions an annual toxic-unit (TU) budget linked to environmental carrying capacity. Farmers would register pesticide applications digitally, with approvals dependent on available regional budget capacity.

The authors, Christopher John Topping, Johan Axelman and James Henty Williams, argue that the approach would better align pesticide regulation with EU environmental obligations under the Water Framework Directive, Natura 2000 and the Nature Restoration Law. The brief also outlines key advantages, including environmental protection, regulatory simplification, resistance management, improved farmer access, fair access, and stronger market incentives for lower-impact products.

The brief also proposes implementation through three targeted amendments within the current EU Omnibus process: linking pesticide use conditions under Regulation (EC) 1107/2009 to regional ecological limits; introducing Regional Pesticide Management Plans under the Sustainable Use Directive (2009/128/EC); and aligning regional budget calibration with Water Framework Directive and Nature Restoration Law targets. According to the authors, no new legislative framework would be required.

The policy brief is accompanied with a commentary for further reading, “Pesticide Regulation and the Omnibus Process: A systems-based regional management approach: operational framework, fair access, and market incentives.” Both the policy brief and technical support document are available on the Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO) journal, in PollinERA’s open-access collection, as well as on PollinERA’s website.

Read the policy brief here.

About PollinERA
PollinERA (Understanding pesticide-Pollinator interactions to support EU Environmental Risk Assessment and policy) is a four-year Horizon Europe project that aims to move the evaluation of the risk and impacts of pesticides and suggestions for mitigation beyond the current situation of assessing single pesticides in isolation on honey bees to an ecologically consistent assessment of effects on insect pollinators.

You can follow RIO Journal on Facebook, Bluesky and LinkedIn.

Pensoft Celebrates International Tea Day with Fascinating Discoveries in Camellia

Camellia species are famous for their tea properties, providing the leaf buds and young branches used to manufacture black, green, and oolong tea.

At Pensoft Publishers, we are proud to support the open-access dissemination of botanical knowledge through our journal PhytoKeys. On International Tea Day, we invite you to spill the tea on the captivating world of the genus Camellia. While most people recognise these plants as the source of their morning brew, the genus is incredibly diverse and economically significant.

Camellia species are famous for their tea properties, providing the leaf buds and young branches used to manufacture black, green, and oolong tea. Beyond the teapot, these evergreen shrubs and trees are valued for their oil-producing seeds and their stunning ornamental flowers in horticulture. Despite their global fame, we are still discovering new members of this family, often in the remote forests of East and Southeast Asia.

One of the most dramatic stories recently published in PhytoKeys concerns Camellia hekouensis, a tree native to Hekou in Yunnan, China. For a time, the botanical community feared the species was lost forever after the last known living tree died at the end of 2024 due to bark destruction.

However, a dedicated effort by the staff of the Dawei Mountain National Nature Reserve saved the species from the brink. They successfully protected 11 wild trees and propagated 32 others ex-situ. This species is particularly interesting because its chemical profile challenged previous scientific claims. While earlier researchers suggested it lacked certain purine alkaloids, new analysis shows the leaves actually contain 1.18 mg/g of theobromine.

*Camellia* *hekouensis*. Image credit: Dongwei Zhao et al.

Read more: Zhao D, Zhang G, Yang S (2025) Phylogenetic position, supplementary description and phytochemical analysis of Camellia hekouensis (Theaceae), a critically endangered tree native to Hekou, Yunnan, China. PhytoKeys 256: 185-195. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.256.149481

Further research in Yunnan has revealed another unique relative of the common tea plant named Camellia yangii. Discovered in the forests of Malipo County, this species is a true member of the tea section, yet it stands out for being remarkably hairy. It bears a red or purplish red terminal bud that is densely pubescent, making it a rare and visually striking germplasm resource.

Lead researcher Dongwei Zhao of Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, found that while most Camellia species have five sepals, Camellia yangii typically bears only three. It also follows its own schedule, flowering about a month later than other tea plants in the vicinity. This late flowering phase is a natural barrier that prevents it from hybridising with other species, keeping its genetic line distinct. With fewer than ten individuals known in the wild, its discovery is a call to action for urgent protection.

*Camellia* *yangii*. Image credit: Dongwei Zhao.

Read more: Zhao D (2025) Camellia yangii (Theaceae), a new species of tea plants (Camellia section Thea). PhytoKeys 257: 247-256. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.257.152000

Botanical science sometimes involves correcting the records of the past, as seen in the reinstatement of Camellia angustifolia. This species from Guangxi, China, was originally described in 1981 but was later dismissed as a mere synonym of another variety in 1992.

Recent field investigations proved that this was a mistake. Researchers from the Guangxi Research Institute of Tea Science discovered that the original type specimen was actually a misidentified bellflower from a completely different family. Once the correct specimens were examined, the differences became clear – unlike its shrubby relatives that grow only a few meters tall, Camellia angustifolia is a majestic tree that can reach heights of 20 meters.

*Camellia* *angustifolia*. Image credit: Shixiong Yang.

Read more: Deng H, Liao X, Yu X, Liu Z, Yang S (2025) Reinstatement of the independent specific status of Camellia angustifolia, a tea plant (Camellia sect. Thea, Theaceae) from Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys 267: 1-8. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.267.174664

Our journey through recent tea-related discoveries concludes in the striking Danxia landscape of Guangdong Province. Here, researchers identified Camellia shangshii, a new species endemic to the red sandstone formations of Danxiashan Mountain. This species bears smaller leaves and flowers than its closest relatives. One of its most defining features is that its white petals are fused together at the base for several millimeters.

This tree notably thrives in a unique microclimate where specialised soils and environmental contrasts drive the evolution of distinct species. It is named in honour of Dr. Shangshi Wu, a scientist who pioneered the study of these geological landscapes.

*Camellia* *shangshii*. Image credit: Shiyang Wang, Yinyu Wu and Xiaowei Yi.

Read more: Wang S, Liu H, Tan S, Shen L, Chen Z, Chen F, Fan Q (2026) Camellia shangshii (Theaceae), a new species endemic to danxia landscape from Guangdong Province, China. PhytoKeys 270: 13-23. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.270.172597

As we celebrate International Tea Day, these discoveries remind us that our knowledge of the natural world is still growing. Every new species found and every historical error improves our understanding of the biological heritage of our favorite beverages. At Pensoft, we will never stop be-leafing in the power of new species to inspire conservation and science!

Make sure to follow PhytoKeys on Facebook and Bluesky for more interesting articles on plants.

“Invasional Mutualism” Between Honey Bees and Myrtle Rust Pathogen

New research from NeoBiota uncovers an invasional mutualism between Western honey bees and myrtle rust, with potentially troubling consequences for Australia’s native ecosystems.

Every year on May 20th, the world celebrates World Bee Day, a date chosen to honour Anton Janša, an 18th-century pioneer of modern beekeeping who was born on this day in Slovenia, a country where beekeeping has been a cherished tradition for centuries. This year’s theme, “Bee Together for People and the Planet,” puts the spotlight on the partnership between humans and bees, and how collaboration, tradition, and innovation can help secure a sustainable future for both.

At Pensoft, we’re marking the occasion by shining a light on a threat that often goes unnoticed: the destabilisation of pollination networks. As ecosystems change and pathogens spread, sometimes carried by the very pollinators we rely on, the delicate web of relationships between plants and their pollinators is under pressure. Understanding bees and other pollinators as potential carriers of invasive plant diseases is becoming an increasingly important piece of the conservation puzzle.

Surprising Interaction

Apis mellifera and myrtle rust fungus invasional mutualism — Apis mellifera on leaves with myrtle rust. Photo credit to Geoff S Pegg.

New research published in NeoBiota has found that the Western honey bee – an introduced species to Australia – and the devastating, invasive plant fungus known as myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) may have formed a mutually beneficial relationship known as an “invasional mutualism.”

Myrtle rust is notorious for devastating ecologically and culturally significant native plants in the Myrtaceae family, putting 17% of Australia’s endemic vegetation at risk. While rust fungi generally rely strictly on wind to spread, researchers discovered that bees may actively forage on the bright yellow fungus spores, packing them into their pollen baskets and carrying them back to the hive just as they would regular pollen.

Researcher taking samples from a beehive. Photo credit to Caroline Hauxwell.
Beehive in the forest. Photo credit to Caroline Hauxwell.

Through a series of experiments, the team made three significant findings. Firstly, the rust spores proved to be quite nutritious. They contained over 22% protein and all 10 essential amino acids, meeting the threshold required for bee colonies to survive. In fact, the fungus matched the nutritional quality of high-value floral pollen, like willow pollen.

In laboratory feeding trials, larvae raised on a diet of myrtle rust spores grew up perfectly healthy, developing at the same speed and reaching similar body weights as bees raised on a traditional high-quality pollen diet. As the researchers explain:

These findings suggest that spore foraging may not be an aberration, but a viable foraging strategy for honey bees.

And perhaps the most alarming discovery is that the myrtle rust spores remain viable and capable of causing new plant infections for at least nine days inside a beehive which could pose significant biosecurity risks

A Devastating Ecological Feedback Loop

Beehive samples taking — Taking samples from a beehive. Photo credit to Caroline Hauxwell.

This discovery challenges the assumption that invasive species always act independently, and it carries major environmental consequences. As myrtle rust kills off keystone taxa in the Myrtaceae family, such as eucalypts, paperbarks, and other ecologically and culturally significant species, particularly in Australia, fewer flowers and less pollen become available for bees to forage on. Beyond the direct biodiversity loss, as the fungus kills these plants, fewer flowers and less pollen are available for the bees.

Under such conditions, bees may increasingly turn to alternative protein sources, such as fungal urediniospores,
the researchers explain.

This could set off a devastating ecological feedback loop.

“Over time, this dynamic may destabilise plant-pollinator networks and forest regeneration, particularly in regions with high Myrtaceae endemism.” They add: “While generalist foragers like A. mellifera may buffer their colony health by switching to spores or non-Myrtaceae pollen sources, the long-term ecological cost could be substantial, especially for specialist pollinators that lack such flexibility.“

The risks extend beyond ecosystems. Because spores remain viable inside a hive for over a week, commercial beehives – regularly transported across the country over three to seven days to pollinate crops – now represent a significant pathway for human-assisted spread of the pathogen.

As the lead author, Sacchi Shin-Clayton (University of Cambridge) emphasises:

Apis mellifera is an introduced species used as a commercial pollination agent worldwide, and shifting honey bee colonies between agricultural sites to boost pollination has become a standard practice. This reliance on honey bee colonies and shifting between multiple sites is quite concerning, given the demonstrated interaction between A. mellifera and myrtle rust, and its longevity within colonies.

Despite this, current biosecurity strategies for managing myrtle rust do not account for the movement of commercial beehives, leaving a critical gap in disease management approaches.

We propose that honey bees be explicitly considered in both epidemiological models and the formulation of management and containment strategies,
the researchers urge.

Recognising pollinators as potential vectors of invasive plant pathogens is an essential next step – one that could prove critical for protecting Australia’s vulnerable native forests.

This World Bee Day is a timely reminder that our relationship with bees is more complex than it might seem. Protecting them and the ecosystems they move through will require us to understand that complexity better.

Original source:

Shin-Clayton S, Mortensen AN, Beggs JR, Buxton MN, Hauxwell C, Bateson MF, Jochym M, Pegg GS, Pattemore DE (2026) Honey bees as potential vectors of the invasive rust pathogen Austropuccinia psidii: nutritional mutualism and implications for pathogen spread. NeoBiota 106: 75-90. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.106.169027

For more interesting research, follow NeoBiota on Bluesky and Facebook.

Revealing the Invisible: A New Baseline for Salish Sea Diatoms Answers a Global Call

A new checklist published in the Biodiversity Data Journal sheds light on the diversity of diatoms in the Salish Sea.

Invisible to the naked eye, phytoplankton play a critically important role at the base of marine food webs, yet their diversity continues to be underestimated. Recently, the UN Global Compact released “The Plankton Manifesto,” highlighting how these microscopic organisms are crucial for addressing the “triple planetary crisis” of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Diatoms, a major group of photosynthetic microalgae, are particularly powerful in driving roughly 20% of global photosynthesis and forming the very base of marine food webs.

Yet despite their monumental importance, microalgal ecosystems remain largely unexplored and poorly mapped. That is why a recent major scientific undertaking in the Northeast Pacific is so significant.

A First-of-its-Kind Baseline in the Salish Sea

sample locations from the Salish Sea — Map of sampling locations. A Distribution of sampling sites throughout the Salish Sea (green markers).Red frame: area of enlargement around Galiano Island (1B); B Sampling sites around Galiano Island (green markers). Map credit to Webber et al., 2026.

Diatom records of the Salish Sea bioregion have historically been fragmentary, dating back to early inventories in the 1800s, and with only scattered surveys filling the gap across the 20th and 21st centuries. As Andrew Simon, PhD student at the University of Alberta, president of IMERSS, and one of the study’s researchers, puts it:

The Salish Sea has long been studied for its rich marine biodiversity. Yet, until now, the history of research on its primary producers has been fragmented, and we have lacked a consolidated baseline record.

Now, for the first time, researchers have taken a significant step toward closing that gap. A team of Canadian researchers — Mark Webber (University of Victoria; IMERSS), Elaine Humphrey (UVic; IMERSS), Arjan van Asselt (IMERSS), Alice Chang (UBC), Evan Morian (Hakai Institute; UBC), and Andrew Simon (IMERSS; University of Alberta) — has published a new checklist of 924 diatom taxa alongside a curated dataset of 11,469 records in the open-access journal Biodiversity Data Journal, providing a long-needed foundation for environmental monitoring across this region of the northeast Pacific Ocean.

Trigonium quinquelobatum, external valve view. SEM. Scale bar: 20 µm, Credit to Webber et al., 2026.
Cocconeis kerguelensis, SV. LM. Scale bar: 5 µm. Photo credit to Webber et al., 2026
Neocalyptrella robusta, live, girdle view. LM. Scale bar: 50 µm, Credit to Webber et al., 2026

The findings include some curious discoveries. Several taxa are reported for the first time on the Pacific coast of North America, including Trigonium quinquelobatum, while others, such as Cocconeis kerguelensis (previously known only from the Indian Ocean) and Neocalyptrella robusta (previously confined to California), suggest a range expansion into cooler waters.

Ecologically, the genus Tabularia stands out as a dominant presence on eelgrass and macroalgae, despite having few species. In contrast, genera like Auliscus, Biddulphia, and Mastogloia are surprisingly scarce in the Salish Sea compared to other regions, leaving open questions about what limits their occurrence there.

This dataset also directly answers a key recommendation from the UN Plankton Manifesto, which urges the scientific community to strengthen plankton research and develop comprehensive plankton atlases to biomonitor the health of marine ecosystems.

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Why Diatoms? Why Now?

Bacteriastrum hyalinium — *Bacteriastrum* *hyalinium*, valve view. LM. Scale bar 20 µm. Credit to Webber et al., 2026.

The Salish Sea — the traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples — is home to roughly nine million people and is experiencing rapid growth in urbanization, industrial activity, and marine shipping.

Because diatom populations respond quickly to changes in water quality and environmental conditions, they serve as highly effective early-warning bioindicators for shifts in ecosystem health and pollution levels.

Without a clear picture of what the base of the food web looks like today, it is impossible to understand the impact of tomorrow’s environmental changes.

Attheya longicornis — Attheya *longicornis*, girdle view. SEM. Scale bar: 10 µm. Credit to Webber et al., 2026.

“We are fortunate to have had a dedicated group of academic researchers and community scientists contribute to this work over many years,” says Mark Webber, IMERSS’ resident diatomist. “Drawing from the literature, microscope analysis, and molecular sequencing, we now have a better picture of the diatoms present in the Salish Sea. Diatoms are vital to the health of countless organisms — from shorebirds and shellfish to fish and mammals. This baseline provides a reference point for understanding changes that could ripple across the entire web of life.“

Local Research for Global Solutions

Actinoptychus adriaticus — *Actinoptychus* *adriaticus* var. *pumila*, exterior valve view. SEM. Scale bar: 5 µm. Credit to Webber et al., 2026.

The UN Plankton Manifesto stresses that understanding and managing plankton communities can unlock “Plankton-Based Solutions” to support fisheries, clean waters, and climate change mitigation.

Our work demonstrates how sustained collaboration between community scientists and research institutes can bridge these gaps, through partnering community expertise and observation with access to microscopy and molecular technologies,
the team concludes.

The new checklist and dataset will support researchers and policymakers in environmental assessments of the Salish Sea, as the team continues to refine and analyze the data to support ongoing regional research.

Original source

Webber M, Humphrey E, van Asselt A, Chang A, Morien E, Simon ADF (2026) Diatoms (Bacillariophyta) of the Salish Sea, Northeast Pacific: annotated checklist and new species reports. Biodiversity Data Journal 14: e189060. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e189060

About Institute for Multidisciplinary Ecological Research in the Salish Sea (IMERSS)

IMERSS, or the Institute for Multidisciplinary Ecological Research in the Salish Sea, is a non-profit society based in Galiano Island, British Columbia, Canada. IMERSS joins scientific researchers, citizen scientists, and Indigenous communities to conduct multidisciplinary ecological research, monitor biodiversity and the environment, and communicate results to better understand and respond to change in the Salish Sea bioregion.

For more interesting research, follow Biodiversity Data Journal,on Bluesky , Facebook and X.

New “Happy-Face” Spider Species Discovered in the Indian Himalayas

For over a century, this cheerful-looking creature was thought to be a unique resident of the Hawaiian Islands.

Vibrant, tiny, and sporting a bright red grin on its back, the Happy-Face spider is one of the most famous and recognisable arachnids in the world. For over a century, this cheerful-looking creature was thought to be a unique resident of the Hawaiian Islands, a biological curiosity found nowhere else on Earth.

When researchers from the Forest Research Institute and the Regional Museum of Natural History discovered a new species of spider with the same unmistakable smile in the montane mountains of Uttarakhand, India, they knew exactly what to call it: Theridion himalayana, the Himalayan Happy-Face Spider.

Mature male (left) and female (right) of *Theridion himalayana* sp. nov. Photo credit: Devi Priyadarshini and Ashirwad Tripathy.

“The discovery was accidental because our survey was [originally] on ants. But my co-author [Ashirwad Tripathy] kept sending me spiders from high altitude regions for identification.

So, one fine day, when he shared this image from the underside of a Daphniphyllum leaf, I froze in shock because I had seen the Hawaiian spider during my master’s programme itself, and I knew instantly we had a jackpot because of its striking resemblance.

I asked him to send all morphs that he found, and that led to the discovery in the next few months, from October 2023 onwards.”
Devi Priyadarshini, Regional Museum of Natural History, Bhubaneswar

Priyadarshini added that she was always interested in exploring high-altitude spiders because the landscape and vegetation are so different there than in the plains:

“This almost came across as a gateway to look at other polymorphic species from this region.”

Ashirwad also said that we could find more variations in the species if the surveys could be done extensively.

Nest architecture of *Theridion himalayana*. Photo credit: Devi Priyadarshini and Ashirwad Tripathy.

The species name, himalayana, serves as a tribute to the mountain range where the spider was found at elevations of over 2,000 meters above sea level.

“The name Himalayana was decided as the species name because we both wanted to pay our respects to the mighty Himalaya mountain ranges, which have been standing tall not just guarding our country but also holding a plethora of biodiversity within them.

Since this spider was the first polymorphic from this region, we decided to make it an ode to the amazing mountain ranges.”
Ashirwad Tripathy, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun

*Theridion himalayana* sp. nov. Photo credit: Devi Priyadarshini and Ashirwad Tripathy.

The research, published in the open-access journal Evolutionary Systematics, identified 32 different colour variations, or “morphs”, of the species collected from three locations in Uttarakhand: Makku, Tala, and Mandal. DNA analysis revealed a genetic variation of approximately 8.5% from the Hawaiian happy-face spider, confirming it as a separate lineage that evolved independently in Asia.

Different “morphs” of *Theridion himalayana* sp. nov. Photo credit: Devi Priyadarshini and Ashirwad Tripathy.

While the smiling patterns are striking, their exact purpose remains a mystery.

“The reason behind the expression of polymorphism is also very complex and unique.

These patterns definitely help them survive better in the wild, which is understood prima facie, but why do they resort to such patterns on their back, and what functional role in their life cycle does it exactly serve is yet to be deciphered. This is definitely indicative of a deeper genetic mystery.”
Priyadarshini

Ashirwad also mentioned that the spider species was surrounded by critters which had similar colour patterns on their body.

Subadult female with Psocid (booklice) prey. Photo credit: Devi Priyadarshini and Ashirwad Tripathy.

The study additionally noted that these spiders are frequently found on ginger plants (Hedychium species), mirroring the behaviour of their Hawaiian cousins. Since ginger is not native to Hawaii, the researchers are intrigued by the evolutionary connection.

“How did the spiders choose an invasive species and ginger exactly? If T. himalayana is an elder cousin of T. grallator, although discovered 125 years later!

Although this sounds like a tall claim now, it will be our further scope of work to establish any missing links, if at all, through Hedychium sps.”
Priyadarshini

Showing the prey of T. himalayana sp. nov. Video credit: Devi Priyadarshini and Ashirwad Tripathy.

Original source:

Tripathy A, Priyadarshini D (2026) On the discovery of a new polymorphic Happy-Face Spider (Araneae, Theridiidae) from the Western Himalayas, India, with notes on its natural history. Evolutionary Systematics 10(1): 63-84. https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.10.174338

For more from Evolutionary Systematics, follow us on Facebook and Bluesky.

Bridging Worlds Through Knowledge: Celebrating International Museum Day 2026

Pensoft Publishers is proud to celebrate International Museum Day and its 2026 theme: Museums Uniting a Divided World.

Pensoft Publishers is proud to celebrate International Museum Day and its 2026 theme: Museums Uniting a Divided World. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the International Council of Museums, which stresses the enduring necessity of institutions that serve as custodians of our collective memory. In alignment with this year’s focus on fostering dialogue and peace, we have curated a special “Best of the Archive” collection.

Here, we highlight recent research from a selection of open-access, museum-led journals that exemplify cultural diplomacy, repatriation, and the evolution of inclusive curation. These include Pensoft’s Natural History Collections and Museomics, Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa” and Annals of the Natural History Museum Vienna, alongside the ARPHA-supported Papahou: Records of the Auckland Museum and Tuhinga.

Empowering Communities in Mexico

In our journal Natural History Collections and Museomics, researchers from the Institute of Ecology in Mexico demonstrate how entomological outreach can transform scientific surveys into community connections. Focusing on dung beetle research in Oaxaca, Mexico, the authors moved beyond data extraction to prioritise ethical engagement with Indigenous communities. Specifically, they utilised a knowledge exchange approach known as intercambio de saberes, which integrated “Traditional Ecological Knowledge” into the scientific process. By donating outreach collections to local libraries and documenting names in Indigenous languages like Ayuujk and Tu’un Savi, the project created a shared space for cultural and scientific dialogue.

Examples of interactions with elementary school students using entomological outreach collections after workshop sessions in the communities of Tlaxiaco and Huajuapan de León. Image credit: Cruz-García et al.

Read more: Cruz-García BJ, Sandoval O, Cruz-García EJ, Escobar-Hernández F, Arriaga-Jiménez A (2025) From collections to connections: empowering communities through entomological outreach. Natural History Collections and Museomics 2: 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3897/nhcm.2.147417

Cultural Interaction in the Coral Sea

A review published in Tuhinga explores the “Connections across the Coral Sea” exhibition, which traces the movement of First Nations communities across Northern Queensland, the Torres Strait, and Papua New Guinea. This work, led by Safua Akeli Amaama of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, highlights a Cultural Interaction Sphere where about 100 cultural groups have traded resources and shared knowledge for centuries. The exhibition bridges geopolitical divides by showcasing shared cosmological stories, such as the star constellations known as Matariki in Aotearoa New Zealand and Usiam in the Torres Strait. This inclusive approach to curation honours the maritime technologies and spiritual connections that have long linked these diverse coastal regions.

Map of Northern Queensland coastline. Image credit: Safua Akeli Amaama.

Read more: Akeli Amaama S (2024) Connections across the Coral Sea: a story of movement (Queensland Museum, Australia). Tuhinga 35: 11-13. https://doi.org/10.3897/tuhinga.35.132206

Citizen Science and Social Inclusion in Cyprus

The journal Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa” highlights the power of public participation in its report on the first records of the Giant water bug in Cyprus. This research relied almost entirely on data provided by biodiversity enthusiasts through social media networks. Validating findings from non-scientists allows for the museum to foster a sense of inclusion and empowers local citizens to contribute to national biodiversity monitoring. This collaboration represents an important bridge between professional researchers and the broader community, ensuring that scientific knowledge is a collective achievement rather than an isolated one.

Photographs of *Lethocerus sp.* in situ. Records from Facebook Groups (FBG) and
Personal Communication (PC).

Read more: Hadjiconstantis M, Tziortzis I, Kunt KB (2023) On the importance of citizen-science: first records of the Giant water bug Lethocerus patruelis (Hemiptera, Belostomatidae) in Cyprus. Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa” 66(2): 291-299. https://doi.org/10.3897/travaux.66.e94457

Digital Repatriation from Aotearoa to West Africa

In Papahou: Records of the Auckland Museum, an article examines how open cultural heritage practices connect Aotearoa New Zealand with West Africa. Through partnerships with Wikimedia, the Auckland Museum is facilitating digital access to Nigerian and Ghanaian artifacts for their source communities. This initiative addresses questions of authority and authorship by allowing local advocates in Ghana and Nigeria to shape how their heritage is represented online. Indeed, by adopting a policy of “open by default, closed by exception”, the museum balances the democratisation of knowledge with the need for cultural safety and Indigenous sovereignty.

“Ikorodu Lagos State Town Hall Nigeria 1972 Designed by Michael Olutusen Onafowokan Part Plan Of Gallery 024” (circa 1961–1983). Wikimedia Commons.

Read more: Selvadurai A, Bayel H, Petercan AL (2026) Open access from Aotearoa to West Africa. Papahou: Records of the Auckland Museum 60: 11-15. https://doi.org/10.32912/papahou.60.187681

Confronting Colonial History in Vienna

The Annals of the Natural History Museum Vienna contributes to cultural diplomacy by critically examining the provenance of osteological collections acquired during 19th-century naval expeditions. This interdisciplinary study investigates the ethical challenges of human remains collected from East Africa and Madagascar. It is becoming increasingly clear that the documentation of the circumstances of acquisition and the presence of colonial violence in the historical record is necessary to the adoption of better guidelines for future engagement and repatriation. This transparent approach to difficult histories is essential for building trust and understanding between European institutions and the communities whose heritage they hold.

Different assessments of trauma in the Tanzania and Madagascar Collection. Image credit: Schattke et al.

Read more: Schattke C, Wolf D, Berner M, Eggers S (2026) Ships and Bones: Violence contributing to and consisting in osteological museum collections. Annals of the Natural History Museum Vienna 127: 85-94. https://doi.org/10.3897/anhmw.182645

Conclusion

As we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the International Council of Museums, we reaffirm our understanding that museums act as bridges across cultural, social, and geopolitical divides. Through the articles highlighted here, we see museums actively fostering dialogue, understanding, inclusion, and peace within and between communities worldwide.

For more museum-led research, make sure to follow Pensoft’s journals on social media:

Natural History Collections and Museomics: Facebook and Bluesky
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How School Songs Shape Children’s Environmental Awareness: Lessons from Japan

New research reveals that schools with mountain-related lyrics in their anthems are significantly more likely to utilize nearby green spaces for environmental education.

The natural environment provides human society with essential non-material values – such as cultural symbolism and local attachment – known as “cultural ecosystem services.” But can these abstract cultural values actually influence how communities behave? According to a new study focusing on public schools in Hachioji City, Tokyo, the answer is yes.

In a study published in the journal Nature Conservation, researchers Kazuki Miyauchi and Associate Professor Takeshi Osawa from the Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences at Tokyo Metropolitan University investigated the relationship between nature-related vocabulary in school anthems and actual environmental education practices.

Why school anthems?

Empty classroom. Photo by 2y kang via Unsplash.

Lyrics serve as a vital medium for expressing nature within a cultural context. However, because popular or general songs are sung in many different places, their references to nature tend to be abstract and often lack a strong connection to a specific region.

In contrast, school anthems are deeply rooted in specific schools and communities and are characterized by being sung regularly and repeatedly. Consequently, how local nature is depicted in school anthems can provide insightful clues into the relationship between the school, the community, and the environment.

What the data showed?

Researchers analyzed the official anthems of all 104 public schools in Hachioji City, Tokyo – where the surrounding mountains and iconic Mt. Takao serve as powerful natural symbols – surveying them simultaneously about nature-based programs and use of local green spaces. Of the 63 schools that provided valid responses, a clear pattern emerged.

Distribution map of elementary and junior high schools in Hachioji City, and those that responded to the questionnaire. Credit to Miyauchi and Osawa, 2026
Mountain trail in Hachioji. Photo by Markus Winkler via Pexels.

Surprisingly, anthems referencing “高尾” (Mt. Takao) by name showed no significant correlation with nature-related programs, nor did lyrics correlate with broader outdoor school programs involving overnight trips to distant locations. But schools whose anthems included general mountain terms – such as “山” (mountain) or “峰” (peak) – showed a statistically significant tendency to utilize nearby green spaces for educational activities.

This finding suggests a potential link between symbolic cultural representations embedded in school traditions and the actual practice of nature-related education.
the researchers note in the study

Research Significance and Potential Impact

Schoolchildren on an environmental education trip — Schoolchildren on a trip. Photo by Stephanie Hau via Unsplash.

This research is highly significant because it demonstrates that natural expressions embedded in school culture – specifically through school anthems – may be linked to concrete actions in actual educational activities.

It is well-established that childhood experiences in nature exert a strong influence on a person’s future environmental awareness. The fact that local nature “lives” within school culture via anthems and correlates with outdoor curriculum suggests that embedding local ecology into cultural traditions can be a catalyst for children to learn to value their immediate surroundings.
the researchers added

While the study establishes a strong correlation, its scope was limited to mountain-related terms. The researchers point out that future studies should explore other natural elements, such as rivers, forests, and wildlife. The researchers also note that further investigation is needed to determine causality – whether the expressions in the anthems directly influence educational activities, or whether a region’s overall pro-nature orientation is simply reflected in both the community’s lyrics and its curriculum.

By expanding on these findings, we expect to provide new insights into how environmental education and regional development can leverage the powerful connection between culture and nature.

Original source:

Miyauchi K, Osawa T (2026) Are cultural ecosystem services expressed in school songs associated with nature-related educational activities? Nature Conservation 63: 237-245. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.63.180492

In Productive Ecosystems, Larger Animals Capture More Energy Per Species – but Human Pressure is Reshaping the Balance

A global analysis of more than 12,000 bird and mammal species reveals that ecosystems do not share energy evenly across body sizes and human activities influence this.

Guest blog post by Luis Camacho & Miguel Araújo

A global analysis of more than 12,000 bird and mammal species reveals that ecosystems do not share energy evenly across body sizes. Small species dominate in numbers, but in high-productivity regions their abundance is spread so thinly across many species that larger animals end up capturing more energy per species. Human activity compounds these patterns by selectively eroding large-bodied diversity.

How does an ecosystem distribute its energy across body sizes? A new study suggests the answer depends on where you are – and how much humans have altered the landscape. Analysing communities of birds and mammals worldwide, researchers show that larger-bodied species can, on average, capture more energy per species than smaller ones, particularly in highly productive environments. The work also reveals that human impacts restructure these patterns by disproportionately removing large-bodied species from local communities.

The research, led by Luis F. Camacho and Miguel B. Araújo is published in Frontiers of Biogeography, the journal of the International Biogeography Society.

Why body size matters for how ecosystems share energy

Workflow diagram to predict the individual density per km² of mammal and bird species across a one-degree cell grid globally. A. Global density of data points of empirical estimates of species abundance used for model training; B. Example of 80% training and 20% testing blocks used per fold in our modelling framework; C. Global maps showing the sum of predicted abundance per km² of all species across one-degree cells; D. Global estimations of species body mass-abundance relationships (MAR-SPP), individual mass distributions (IMD) and richness mass distributions (RMD). Credit to Camacho & Araújo, 2026.

Ecologists have long observed that larger species tend to have smaller populations: a bigger body requires more energy to sustain, so fewer individuals can be supported. A slope of −0.75 in the log–log relationship between body mass and abundance has been proposed as a null expectation – the point at which every species, regardless of size, commands an equal share of ecosystem energy. Yet testing this idea globally has been difficult because abundance data are patchy across regions and taxa.

This study tackles that limitation head-on. By combining large global datasets of abundance and distributions of species, the authors model local populations of birds and mammals across the planet and ask: is ecosystem energy concentrated in a few large organisms, or dispersed among many small ones – and how does that change from place to place?

What the team did

Using extensive abundance datasets and species trait information, the authors modelled population densities (individuals per km²) for 12,057 terrestrial bird and mammal species on a global grid at one-degree resolution. This enabled them to reconstruct community structure across environments and to examine three complementary signatures of how body size relates to energy and diversity within communities: the body mass–abundance relationship across species (how abundance declines with body size), the individual mass distribution (how individuals are distributed across body sizes regardless of species identity), and the richness mass distribution (how species richness is distributed across body sizes). They then related these patterns to two major global drivers: ecosystem productivity (net primary productivity) and human pressure (human footprint index).

Key findings

Relationship between species body mass and abundance (dark blue), individual mass distribution (light blue) and species-richness mass distribution (orange) in communities across one-degree cells as a function of global gradients of net primary productivity (NPP) (**A, C**) and human footprint (**B, C**). MAR-SPP, IMD and RMD slopes represent the exponent in power law relationships. Panel A shows the NPP effect on MAR-SPP, IMD and RMD values adjusted for human footprint and panel B shows the human-footprint effect adjusted for NPP. In A and B, the graph uses a boxplot format where the white central section represents the interquartile range between 25% and 75%, the central line denotes the median and the shaded areas indicate the whiskers. Outliers are omitted for clarity. The dashed line depicts a reference of slope = -0.75. Boxplots were calculated in intervals of 0.001 for NPP and every unit of human footprint raised to the 1/4 power. Lines were smoothed with a loess regression with a 0.06 span (α). The boxplots were drawn from the mean value per one-degree cell across 10 global datasets. In A and B, thicker lines represent the mean slopes of 10,000 general linear model (GLM) iterations (1000 iterations on 10 data sets), based on random samples of 20 one-degree cells. In C, GLM slopes are shown across the combined effects of NPP and human footprint. GLM slopes (thick lines in A and B and coloured areas in C) appear to depict non-linear relationships because of back-transformation of NPP and human footprint, which were squared-root and fourth-root transformed for GLM. Credit to

1. Productive ecosystems tilt energy capture towards larger species.

As productivity increases, the study finds that small-bodied species become more diverse without a matching rise in total abundance. Individuals are effectively “spread thinner” across more small-bodied species, reducing the average energy share per small-bodied species. Meanwhile, large-bodied species – fewer in number but less diluted by richness – end up capturing more energy on average. The body mass-abundance slope ranged from approximately −0.69 in the least productive environments to −0.35 in the most productive, consistently shallower than the −0.75 null expectation.

2. Human pressure reshapes community organisation, with lasting consequences.

Human activity produces a shift in these relationships that resembles – but is mechanistically distinct from – the productivity effect. Human impact operates primarily by reducing both the abundance and, more strongly, the species richness of large organisms. This likely reflects the well-documented disproportionate extirpation of large-bodied species by human activities, leaving a persistent imprint on how energy and diversity are distributed across body sizes.

3. Energy distribution and ecological opportunity vary independently.

Across the globe, patterns of energy flow across body sizes and the opportunities for diversification (how many species exist at each body size) can decouple. Interestingly, the distribution of species richness across body sizes was more stable across environments than the distribution of energy – yet it had a stronger influence on the body mass–abundance relationship. This helps explain why simple, one-size-fits-all expectations about body size and abundance often fail at large scales.

Why it matters

The authors argue that body mass–abundance–richness relationships can serve as a functional metric of ecological change – capturing not just how many species are present, but how ecosystems allocate individuals and energy across body sizes. This matters for biodiversity assessments because losing large-bodied diversity can reorganise ecosystems in ways that species counts alone cannot reveal. Specifically, these patterns may help improve biodiversity offset strategies and address the risk of underestimating the ecological importance of large-bodied species.

Small-bodied animals still dominate numerically, but in productive ecosystems they are divided among many more species. That dilution changes the per-species share of individuals and, by extension, energy.
Luis F. Camacho, first author

Human pressure does not just remove species; it reshapes the functional organisation of communities. Looking at body size, abundance, and richness together reveals structural changes that standard indicators miss.
Miguel B. Araújo, senior author

Original source:

Camacho LF, Araújo MB (2026) Body mass–abundance relationships reveal uneven global energy distribution across body size classes in vertebrates. Frontiers of Biogeography 19: e164408. https://doi.org/10.21425/fob.19.164408

Tiny Hitchhikers in a Big World: How pseudoscorpions travel on flies

A new study published in ZooKeys offers the most comprehensive synthesis of pseudoscorpion–Diptera phoresy, including new European records.

Guest Blog Post by Dr. Jana Christophoryová

Imagine living in a world where your home can disappear overnight.

For many tiny arthropods, such as pseudoscorpions, this is a reality. They inhabit ephemeral and unpredictable habitats – decaying organic matter, animal nests, or tree hollows – that can quickly vanish or become unsuitable. Without wings, escaping these disappearing habitats poses a serious challenge.

So how do they cope?

The answer lies in a fascinating strategy known as phoresy: hitchhiking on other, more mobile organisms. In the case of pseudoscorpions, these carriers are often flies.

Flies (Diptera) are particularly suitable transport hosts. They are highly mobile, capable of long-distance flight, and frequently visit the same types of transient habitats that pseudoscorpions depend on. By attaching themselves to a fly, pseudoscorpions can effectively outsource dispersal – reaching new habitats they could never access on their own.

Despite its importance, the relationship between pseudoscorpions and flies has remained largely underexplored. Comprehensive syntheses are more than two decades old, and much of the available knowledge has been scattered across individual studies, often published in different languages and difficult to access.

What began as a marginal aspect of our research gradually turned into a much greater effort. As we followed scattered records across the literature, it became clear that no up-to-date overview existed. This led us to examine hundreds of publications from different countries and time periods, critically reassessing old records while adding new data from our own material.

Altogether, we compiled 172 records spanning more than 250 years, from 1761 to 2025 – providing the most comprehensive overview of pseudoscorpion – Diptera phoresy to date now published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

New records of pseudoscorpion phoresy in Europe. Locality codes are given in Materials and methods. Country abbreviations: CZ – Czechia, FR – France, SI – Slovenia, SK – Slovakia. Image credit: Jana Christophoryová et al.

Our results show that pseudoscorpions have been recorded hitchhiking on at least 74 species of flies across 30 families, while the number of known pseudoscorpion travellers reaches 39 species from seven families. Several new host associations were identified, including seven fly species and three fly families not previously known to serve as carriers. We also documented 11 new cases of phoresy from Europe, including first national records for some species.

Cases of phoresy from Czechia, Slovakia, and Slovenia. A. *Ceroxys* *urticae* and *Lamprochernes* cf. *chyzeri* (locality 1); B. *Pherbellia* *annulipes* and *Pselaphochernes* *scorpioides* (locality 6); C. *Fannia* *canicularis* and P. *scorpioides* (locality 7); D. *Xylophagus* *ater* and *Chernes* *cimicoides* (locality 8); E. *Musca* *autumnalis* and L. cf. *chyzeri* (locality 9); F. *Lonchaea* *chorea* and L. cf. *chyzeri* (locality 10); G, H. *Limonia* *nubeculosa* and P. *scorpioides* (locality 11). Image credit: Jana Christophoryová et al.

Interestingly, most records are linked to a single, familiar species – the house fly (Musca domestica). However, this pattern is likely influenced by historical research bias, as earlier studies focused heavily on this easily observable association. This highlights an important challenge: understanding phoresy requires not only new data, but also careful re-evaluation of past identifications.

Beyond modern observations, fossil evidence preserved in amber reveals that these interactions are far from recent. Pseudoscorpions were already hitchhiking on flies tens of millions of years ago, indicating that this dispersal strategy has deep evolutionary roots.

Cases of phoresy from France. A, B. *Scatopse* *notata* and *Pselaphochernes* *scorpioides* (locality 2); C, D. *Physiphora* sp. and *Lamprochernes* *nodosus* (locality 3); E, F. *Neolimonia* *dumetorum* and P. *scorpioides* (locality 4); G, H. *Tipula* *vernalis* and *Dactylochelifer* *degeerii* (locality 5). Image credit: Jana Christophoryová et al.

Taken together, our findings show that phoresy is not just an occasional curiosity, but a widespread and long-standing ecological strategy. It allows these tiny, wingless predators to navigate a fragmented and ever-changing world – by quite literally catching a ride.

Original source:

Christophoryová J, Mathy V, Hörweg C, Vičanová L (2026) Hitchhiking across continents: phoresy of pseudoscorpions (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones) on Diptera, with new European records. ZooKeys 1276: 213-248. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1276.188186

For more articles on zoology, visit the ZooKeys website and follow the journal on BlueSky and Facebook.