A researcher from the University of North Carolina Asheville has drawn on 20 years of collaborative fieldwork to create a single illustrated reference for scientists, conservationists and nature enthusiasts.
A researcher from the University of North Carolina Asheville has published the first comprehensive checklist of the native terrestrial reptiles of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), drawing on 20 years of collaborative fieldwork to create a single illustrated reference for scientists, conservationists and nature enthusiasts.
The study, led by Professor R. Graham Reynolds of UNC Asheville’s Department of Biology, is published in the open-access journal ZooKeys. It documents the 11 native reptile species across the archipelago’s Turks and Caicos Banks, eight of which are found nowhere else on Earth.
Two further species are represented in the islands by their own endemic subspecies. The checklist combines published research through 2026 with original field data collected by Dr Reynolds between 2006 and 2025, and includes original photographs, distribution information and conservation assessments for every species.
An adult male Turks and Caicos Anole (Anolis scriptus scriptus) watching his territory from the trunk of a tree. Big Ambergris Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands. Photograph by R. Graham Reynolds, UNC Asheville.
Dr Reynolds began studying the islands’ reptiles in 2006, in his first year of graduate school, working alongside Dr Glenn Gerber of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance:
“This quickly turned into a passion, and I have made studying these animals the focus of my career.
I conduct fieldwork several times a year on the islands, and this year is the 20th year of this work. In that time, I have published dozens of papers on the reptiles of the region and collected a huge amount of data, and I felt that, after two decades, it was time to produce something to showcase everything we’ve learned about these animals.”
Although information on the islands’ reptiles has existed scattered across books, online databases and journal articles, no single resource has previously combined photographs, distribution maps, natural history and conservation status for every species.
“Somewhat surprisingly, there has never been a comprehensive checklist for the terrestrial reptiles of the region.
“Portions of this are available elsewhere, such as distribution maps and some photographs on the online database CaribHerp, or island checklists and natural history information in a book chapter. But this is the first time that all of this information has been brought together to fully describe and illustrate the amazing terrestrial reptiles of the Turks and Caicos.”
Dr Reynolds
Seven of the 11 native species are of conservation concern. The Turks Island Skink is Critically Endangered and may now survive as a single protected population, while the Turks and Caicos Iguana, classified as Endangered, has been lost from around 90% of its historical range. Introduced predators, particularly feral cats and rats, are identified as the main cause of these declines, alongside habitat loss and road mortality.
An adult male Turks and Caicos Curlytail (Leiocephalus psammodromus apocrinus) perches on top of a Turks cap Cactus (Melocactus intortus). Big Ambergris Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands. Photograph by R. Graham Reynolds, UNC Asheville.
The study also revises the taxonomy of the Curly-tailed Lizard, recommending that six previously recognised subspecies be reduced to two, reflecting recent genetic evidence.
Original source
Reynolds RG (2026) An annotated checklist and species accounts of the native terrestrial reptiles of the Turks and Caicos Islands. ZooKeys 1290: 1-33. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1290.198843
For more articles on zoology, visit the ZooKeys website and follow the journal on BlueSky and Facebook.
When I arrived in the Galápagos in 1996, I never imagined that one of the most meaningful conservation projects of my career would begin inside an herbarium cabinet. At the Charles Darwin Research Station, I spent many hours working with herbarium collections assembled over more than a century by botanists who had explored the archipelago. Each specimen preserved a moment in time – a record of where a species had lived and the landscapes it once inhabited. Together, they formed a living archive of the Galápagos flora.
Two years later, in 1998, one specimen began to capture my attention. Collected near Caleta Tagus on northern Isabela Island in 1962, it belonged to Galvezia leucantha subsp. leucantha, a small shrub found nowhere else on Earth.
Every time I opened that cabinet, I found myself asking the same question: Does this plant still survive?
Herbarium specimen of Galvezia leucantha subsp. leucantha, collected near Caleta Tagus in 1962. More than six decades later, this historical record helped inspire and guide the restoration of one of the Galápagos’ rarest endemic plants. Courtesy of Patricia Jaramillo Díaz, CDS Herbarium.
At first, it was simply curiosity. Over the years, however, that question grew into something much larger. It inspired field expeditions, nursery experiments, ecological restoration and scientific research spanning almost three decades.
Historical herbarium records and botanical surveys led us to Playa Tortuga Negra, on the remote northern coast of Isabela Island, where the species had last been documented. In 2017, the Galápagos Verde 2050 (GV2050) restoration program began working to prevent the disappearance of this critically endangered population.
Reaching the site was never easy. After travelling by boat along the rugged coastline, we crossed extensive young lava flows under the equatorial sun, carrying equipment and supplies. When we finally located the plants, our excitement quickly gave way to concern. Only a handful of wild individuals remained, some growing from narrow cracks in the lava. Their resilience was extraordinary, but so was their vulnerability.
Standing beside those plants, it became clear that we were looking at much more than a rare shrub. These were the last representatives of a unique evolutionary lineage found nowhere else on Earth. Losing them would mean losing an irreplaceable part of the Galápagos’ botanical heritage.
Our question changed: instead of asking whether Galvezia leucantha still survived, we began asking how we could help ensure that it would continue to survive.
That question became the foundation of a long-term restoration program developed through collaboration among the Charles Darwin Foundation, the Galápagos National Park Directorate, researchers, park rangers, field assistants, students and volunteers.
Researchers and a Galápagos National Park ranger collecting and preparing Galvezia leucantha subsp. leucantha specimens for the CDS Herbarium at Playa Tortuga Negra, Isabela Island, during a collaborative field expedition across several islands of the Galápagos Archipelago in 2012. Photo: Rubén Heleno.
Before restoring the species, however, we first had to learn how to propagate it. Very little information existed. There were no established protocols or published studies describing how to cultivate the species. Germination was inconsistent, seedlings were delicate and survival varied depending on growing conditions.
Through observation, experimentation and patience, we gradually refined propagation techniques, tested different substrates and identified conditions that improved germination and seedling development. The nursery became a living laboratory where research and practical conservation came together. Every healthy seedling represented months of work, from collecting seeds in the field to monitoring germination and growth.
Equally important was documenting what we learned. Developing a propagation protocol strengthened our restoration program while providing practical guidance for future conservation projects involving threatened island plants.
Producing healthy seedlings was only the beginning. Returning them to one of the youngest volcanic landscapes in the Galápagos presented an entirely different challenge. Every restoration campaign required months of preparation. Seedlings were gradually acclimated before transport, while strict biosecurity protocols ensured that no invasive organisms accompanied them into one of the world’s most protected ecosystems.
Moving hundreds of young plants across rough seas and unstable lava fields required close coordination between the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galápagos National Park Directorate. Once on site, every planting location was carefully selected to maximize the seedlings’ chances of survival.
Collection, sorting, disinfection, and laboratory germination trials of Galvezia leucantha subsp. leucantha seeds. Photos: Paúl Mayorga and Patricia Jaramillo Díaz.
Because northern Isabela experiences prolonged dry seasons and shallow volcanic soils retain very little moisture, we also evaluated techniques to improve plant establishment.
During the first restoration campaigns, hydrogel and the Groasis Waterboxx® were tested to reduce water stress during the most vulnerable stage of seedling development. Planting a seedling takes only a few minutes. Helping it become part of a self-sustaining population takes years. That is why restoration never ends when the last plant is placed in the ground.
Researchers Anna Calle-Loor and Nicolás Velasco surveying the restoration site at Tagus Cove, Isabela Island, before planting Galvezia leucantha subsp. leucantha. Photo: Carlos Espinoza/FCD.
Every year, our team returned to Playa Tortuga Negra to monitor the restored plants. We recorded their survival, growth, flowering and fruit production, always asking the same question: Could the population eventually recover on its own?
For several years, the answer remained uncertain. Although the restored plants survived, flowered and set seed, the clearest sign of recovery had yet to appear. Then, three years after the first reintroductions, during a monitoring expedition in 2021, everything changed.
While surveying the restoration site, Galápagos National Park rangers and researchers from the Galápagos Verde 2050 program noticed a tiny seedling emerging from a narrow crack in the lava. Only a few centimeters tall, it was easy to overlook. A closer look revealed something extraordinary: it was not one of the seedlings we had planted.
Galvezia leucantha in the lava crack. Photo credit to Jefreys Galápagos Verde 2050 team (GV2050).
Detailed images of Galvezia leucantha subsp. leucantha. Credit to Jaramillo Díaz, 2026.
It had germinated naturally from seeds produced by the restored population. After years of restoration efforts, we were witnessing the first evidence that Galvezia leucantha was once again reproducing in the wild. The discovery filled us with excitement, but also with scientific caution. One naturally established seedling was encouraging, yet we needed to know whether it represented the beginning of broader recovery.
Galvezia leucantha subsp. leucantha seedlings. Left: Monitoring and data collection. Right: Seedlings growing under protective mesh. Photos: Carlos Espinoza.
Subsequent monitoring confirmed that it was not an isolated event. By the end of the monitoring period, our team had recorded four naturally established seedlings, all resulting from natural recruitment rather than nursery-grown plants. They demonstrated that restored individuals were flowering, producing viable seeds and giving rise to a new generation without direct human intervention. They also provided the first clear evidence that restoration was rebuilding not only the population, but the ecological processes need for the species to persist over time.
Seedling of Galvezia leucantha. Credit to Díaz et al., 2026
Flowering Galvezia leucantha. Credit to Galápagos Verde 2050 team (GV2050).
Flowering Galvezia leucantha. Credit to Galápagos Verde 2050 team (GV2050).
True restoration begins when nature no longer depends on us.
As the project continued, another chapter brought me back to where everything had begun.
The herbarium specimen that inspired my original question once again became central to our work. Historical collections showed that Galvezia leucantha had once occurred near Caleta Tagus, where it had last been collected more than sixty years earlier. Those specimens, together with field observations and ecological assessments, helped identify suitable sites for restoring part of the species’ historical range.
In 2024, the restoration program expanded to Caleta Tagus, helping re-establish the species in part of its historical range for the first time in more than sixty years. Returning plants there felt like completing a circle.
Decades earlier, botanists had carefully preserved specimens documenting a disappearing population. Without knowing it, they had also preserved information that would later help guide its recovery. For me, this reinforced the extraordinary value of herbaria. They are far more than collections of dried plants; they are archives of biodiversity that connect the past with the future, helping us understand species distributions, identify restoration opportunities and guide conservation decisions.
The restoration of Galvezia leucantha also taught us that conservation does not end in the field. Sharing what we learn is just as important. In 2025, nearly three decades of experience came together in a scientific paper, a restoration plan and a propagation guide, ensuring that these lessons could support future restoration efforts.
Looking back today, I do not think first about the number of seedlings we planted or the kilometers we walked across lava fields. I think about the people: the park rangers who protected restoration sites, field assistants who carried plants across difficult terrain, nursery staff who cared for thousands of seedlings, researchers who designed experiments, and students and volunteers whose enthusiasm sustained this project over the years.
Although this story is written from my perspective, the recovery of Galvezia leucantha has always been the result of teamwork. When I first opened that herbarium cabinet nearly three decades ago, I could never have imagined where one preserved specimen would lead.
Today, nearly thirty years later, that question finally has an answer. Yes. Galvezia leucantha still survives.
Our work continues in the field and laboratory to support the recovery of this species and, we hope, keep sharing good news through 2050. Photos: Patricia Jaramillo Díaz, Paúl Mayorga, and Carlos Espinoza.
More importantly, it is no longer represented only by a few isolated shrubs growing from cracks in lava. Restored plants are flowering, producing seeds and giving rise to a new generation in the wild. The species still faces challenges, but its future is far brighter than it once seemed.
For us, that is the greatest lesson of this journey. Conservation begins with curiosity, advances through science and succeeds through collaboration. Sometimes, a single herbarium specimen is enough to inspire a question.
Sometimes, answering that question takes nearly thirty years, but the journey is worth every step.
Original source:
Jaramillo Díaz P, Charette C, Calle-Loor A, Espinosa-Ortega N, Mayorga P, Zambrano D, Chango R, Velasco N (2026) Advances in the recovery of Galvezia leucantha subsp. leucantha (Plantaginaceae): restoring a critically endangered species on northern Isabela Island, Galápagos. Nature Conservation 64: 111-133. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.64.177895
For decades, butterfly enthusiasts and lepidopterists across Italy have wondered: could the lost southern populations of the Southern Swallowtail still be out there?
Historical records of Papilio alexanor in Southern Italy were sparse and dated, often dismissed as stray individuals blown in by strong winds from Greece or the Balkans. But for many lepidopterists, alexanor represents a true holy grail – a majestic, bright-yellow species that is strictly protected.
Our research didn’t start in a lab, but with a smartphone screen.
Male Papilio alexanor on C. ruber. Picture by Stefano Meraglia.
In May 2023, a marine biologist kayaking along the rugged cliffs of Basilicata uploaded a brief video to iNaturalist. It captured an unmistakable female Papilio alexanorfluttering around a giant fennel (Ferula) stalk.
A year later, a second record appeared on iNaturalist: a pristine, freshly emerged female photographed by a German tourist in Campania. Together, these two sightings hinted that the species might be more than a mere vagrant here.
Papilio alexanor. Picture by Paolo Mazzei.
This is where the power of modern biodiversity platforms like iNaturalist, Observation.org, and the eBMS (European Butterfly Monitoring Scheme) shines: they act as distributed networks of eyes on the ground, catching subtle shifts in nature that a single research team could easily miss. Inspired by these community sightings, our team from the Italian Lepidopterological Association (ALI), in collaboration with the University of Turin, decided it was time to step in.
A 1,400 km Journey into the Wild
Obtaining research permits for a strictly protected species under EU law takes time, ethics, and rigor. With support from the University of Turin, we secured formal authorization from the Italian Ministry of Environment in early 2026.
Driven by passion, our team funded the expedition ourselves, driving over 1,400 km round trip to systematically survey the steep coastal cliffs and dry habitats along the Campania–Basilicata border.
Pupa of Papilio alexanor. Photo by Paolo Mazzei.
5th instar Papilio alexanor caterpillar. Picture by Stefano Meraglia,
Papilio alexanor caterpillars feeding F. glauca. Picture by Paolo Mazzei.
Papilio alexanor caterpillars of different instars, feeding on seeds of F. glauca. Picture by Stefano Meraglia.
Papilio alexanor on C. ruber. Picture by Andrea Baruzzi,
The thrill of discovery was immediate. Standing at a cliffside turnout, we watched the first bright-yellow male soar up from the ravine. Soon we spotted courting pairs feeding on red valerian (Centranthus ruber) and females in the act of ovipositing.
Encouraged, we started scouting similar spots nearby, and the hunch paid off. About 15 to 20 km away, we found a second active breeding colony.
Surprising Ecology: A New Host Plant for Italy
Female Papilio alexanor laying eggs on the flowers of F. glauca. Picture by Luciano Valeri.
First, the Northern Italian populations rely on host plants such as Ptychotis saxifraga or Opopanax chironium, but the southern caterpillars feed exclusively on Ferula glauca. This host-plant association was previously documented in Greece and the Balkans, but never before in Italy.
Second, the flight begins significantly earlier here than in northern populations, reflecting local adaptation to the semi-arid, thermo-Mediterranean climate.
Protecting the Future: Simple Actions for Big Impact
Finding a “lost” population is cause for celebration, but it also brings responsibility. These isolated coastal colonies remain vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, fire, climate extremes, and road infrastructure development.
Female Papilioalexanor on C. ruber. Picture by Andrea Baruzzi, 2026,
To help Papilio alexanor keep thriving here, effective conservation management should prioritise targeted monitoring, integrating structured transects through schemes like eBMS to track population trends over time; habitat protection, preserving coastal slope vegetation and preventing over-mowing or destruction of Ferula glauca stands during roadside maintenance; and responsible citizen engagement, encouraging nature lovers, hikers, and photographers to submit observations with precise geolocation, while ensuring that delicate breeding sites remain respected and undisturbed.
This story is a reminder that remarkable biological discoveries are still waiting to be made right under our noses. All it takes is a curious eye, a smartphone upload, and a community of passionate researchers ready to follow the trail.
Original source:
Meraglia S, Baruzzi A, Mazzei P, Valeri L, Zerunian Z (2026) First documented record of a reproducing population of Papilio alexanor Esper, 1800 (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae) in Southern Italy, with ecological notes. Nota Lepidopterologica 49: 157-170. https://doi.org/10.3897/nl.49.206084
New research expands the knowledge on chalcid wasps in Cyprus, with five new species described from the island. One was named after the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
Scientists have described five new species of parasitoid wasp from Cyprus, more than doubling the number of chalcid wasps known to be found nowhere else on the island. The wasps, all belonging to the family Pteromalidae, are small insects that play an important role as natural pest controllers, yet remain poorly studied across much of Southeastern Europe and the Middle East.
“Before the start of this study, our knowledge regarding the chalcid wasp fauna of the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area (SBA) and the rest of the island of Cyprus was extremely limited,” said Koutsoukos.
Chalcid wasps comprise a hyperdiverse group of insects that serve as biological controllers both in natural and manmade ecosystems, and as such it is crucial to enrich our knowledge, towards understanding their true extend of biodiversity, ecology, and their role in the various trophic webs they participate across different ecosystems.
Ablaxia makrisi, photo credit to Evangelos Koutsoukos.
Erythromalus makrisi, photo credit to Evangelos Koutsoukos.
“Each of the five new species was named with a story behind it. Two of the species [Ablaxia makrisi and Erythromalus makrisi] were named after Mr. Christodoulos Makris, prominent Cypriot entomologist, for his contributions on the Cypriot biodiversity, and for collecting the holotypes of these two species,” Koutsoukos explained.
Hemitrichusakrotiriensis. Photo credit to Evangelos Koutsoukos.
Hemitrichus akrotiriensis takes its name from the Akrotiri peninsula, described by Koutsoukos as “a protected area and one the greatest biodiversity hotspots in Cyprus, where the holotype was also collected from.” Another species, Ablaxia toxeftrae, was named after Toxeftra beach in the Akamas peninsula, where its holotype was found.
The final species carries perhaps the most evocative name of all:
Janssoniella aphrodite was named after the Greek Ancient Goddess Aphroditi, since the holotype of this species was collected in Yeroskipou area of Paphos, where the Goddess was worshipped during ancient times.
said Koutsoukos
Janssoniella aphrodite. Photo credit to Mircea-Dan Mitroiu.
Janssoniella aphrodite, Head, frontal view. Photo credit to Mircea-Dan Mitroiu.
Janssoniella aphrodite, fore wing. Photo credit to Mircea-Dan Mitroiu.
Before this study, only three chalcid wasp species were known to be unique to Cyprus. “Our collecting efforts yielded many more interesting specimens, which might represent new species as well,” said Koutsoukos, “and as such it is evident that these numbers are an underestimation of the true biodiversity of the island.”
“The outcomes of this project will contribute towards the enrichment of our knowledge of the biodiversity, not only of the island of Cyprus and the U.K. SBAs, but the whole region’s as well,” Koutsoukos said.
Original study:
Koutsoukos E, Mitroiu M-D (2026) Enriching inventories of rare genera: five new species of Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) from Cyprus. ZooKeys 1286: 1-16. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1286.196157
Researchers have discovered a new genus and species of underground earthworm eel living beneath the Indo-Gangetic Plain in Bihar, northern India. The small, colourless creature, named Gangaichthys indonepalicus, is the first subterranean fish to be recorded from the Gangetic Basin.
Close-up of Gangaichthys indonepalicus. Image credit: Ishan Agarwal.
The investigation began after a short video clip posted on TikTok in 2024 showed an unusual tiny fish emerging from a water borewell near the border between India and Nepal.
“The unique morphology of the fish in the video, and the fact that there are no known stygobitic fish known from the region, motivated us to track down the species to ascertain its identity.”
The Research Team
Securing physical samples required an intensive fieldwork effort in Bihar, where the scientists manually pumped thousands of litres of water from local handpumps.
“Procuring samples of this unusual fish was challenging. Identifying potential handpumps (borewells) and wells, and obtaining permission from their owners to extract water for the purpose of searching for the fish proved difficult. This became more intensive when we finally began manually pumping water.”
Akshay Khandekar, Thackeray Wildlife Foundation
Live and habitat photos Gangaichthys indonepalicus: NRC AA 9519, holotype, 40.6 mm SL: Dorso lateral view of: A. Full body; B. Head; C. Bore-well from which holotype and one (damaged) paratype was collected; D. Bore-well from where another damaged specimen was collected. Image credit: Akshay Khandekar et al., 2026.
The first specimen emerged after pumping approximately 2000 litres of water but sustained damage during the process and died immediately. The second and only intact specimen (later designated as the holotype of this species) was found from the same borewell after pumping an additional 500 litres of water.
Gangaichthys indonepalicus in a syringe. Image credit: Ishan Agarwal.
The newly described fish measures roughly four centimetres in length and features physical adaptations suited to life in total darkness, including reduced eyes covered by skin, an unpigmented translucent body, and an apparent absence of ribs.
Advanced micro-CT scanning and genetic analysis confirmed that it represents a completely distinct genus within the earthworm eel family Chaudhuriidae.
“Gangaichthys means fish of the Ganga. The Ganga or Ganges is one of the most important rivers in India, both as a source of fresh water, food and livelihood for millions of people; besides having an important role in the Hindu religion.
This is the first stygobitic fish from the Indo-Gangetic plains and from the Gangetic basin.”
Ishan Agarwal, Thackeray Wildlife Foundation
As for the naming of the species itself, Tejas Thackeray commented:
“As the species occurs on the border between India and Nepal we picked indonepalicus as the specific epithet, which reflects the distribution of the species.”
Agarwal also reflected on the broader context of the find and the challenges of studying subterranean habitats:
“India is an incredibly diverse country, spanning huge gradients in climate and topography and multiple biogeographic regions. However, there is a huge gap in knowledge, both Linnaean and Wallacean shortfalls, with many more species yet to be discovered.
This exciting discovery is in some ways symptomatic of general biodiversity research in India, though sampling subterranean habitats is especially challenging.”
Original source:
Khandekar A, Thackeray T, He Y, Mohapatra A, Agarwal I (2026) Gangaichthys indonepalicus, a new genus and species of miniature stygobitic earthworm eel (Synbranchiformes, Chaudhuriidae) from alluvial aquifers in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, Bihar, northern India. ZooKeys 1289: 185-202. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1289.188089
For more articles on zoology, visit the ZooKeys website and follow the journal on BlueSky and Facebook.
An eight-year international research effort has produced the most comprehensive review of Honduras’ mammals since 1998, verifying 227 native species across 146 genera and 42 families, along with three introduced rodent species. The study, published in the open-access journal ZooKeys, also forecasts that as many as 28 further species could eventually be confirmed in the country, bringing the potential total to 258.
Manatee, photographed by Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske.
The research was led by Manfredo A. Turcios-Casco of the Asociación para la Sostenibilidad e Investigación Científica en Honduras (ASICH) and the Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz in Brazil, together with 14 co-authors from institutions across Honduras, the United States, Brazil, Guatemala and Costa Rica, including Panthera Honduras, the Smithsonian Institution and the Wildlife Conservation Society. The resulting work spans nearly 200 pages of species accounts, distribution data and conservation summaries.
The project began when Turcios-Casco was a master’s student researching the conservation status of Honduran xenarthrans:
“At that time, I realised something surprising: despite Honduras being one of the most biodiverse countries in Central America, its mammal fauna had not been comprehensively reviewed since 1998.
What began with a team of four researchers grew into a collaboration spanning museum curators, taxonomists, field biologists and conservation practitioners across multiple countries.”
Compiling the review meant verifying more than 300,000 records drawn from museum collections, scientific publications, technical reports and previously unpublished field observations dating back to the 1960s.
Mormoops megalophylla. Image credit: Manfredo A. Turcios-Casco.
“The greatest challenge was undoubtedly the verification process. Every record (and there were more than 300,000) had to be evaluated critically,” Turcios-Casco said, noting that shifting taxonomy meant the team was still updating species accounts just days before the manuscript’s final submission.
Among the review’s more unexpected findings was how little is known about some of Honduras’ most familiar mammals. “For some mammals, including squirrels, raccoons, and several small rodents, there were no modern distribution maps available,” Turcios-Casco noted. Even regionally widespread species, such as opossums and skunks, remain poorly documented within the country.
Nyctomys sumichrasti. Image credit: Manfredo A. Turcios-Casco.
Spilogale angustifrons. Image credit: Manfredo A. Turcios-Casco.
Caluromys derbianus. Image credit: Manfredo A. Turcios-Casco.
Alongside the species accounts, the review provides conservation summaries intended to guide research priorities and policy decisions:
“Because conservation begins with knowledge. One of the biggest challenges in biodiversity conservation is that we often want to protect species before we fully understand them.”
Turcios-Casco
Camera traps photos by Panthera-Honduras – White lipped peccaries.
Giant anteater.
Tapirs.
Puma.
The work also draws on cultural knowledge, incorporating common names used by Indigenous peoples and local communities alongside the scientific record.
“Rather than simply compiling species records, we tried to tell the story of Honduras’ mammals.”
Turcios-Casco
Looking ahead, the authors hope the review will serve as a foundation for the next generation of Honduran biologists.
“In that sense, the review is both a summary of what we know and a reminder of how much there is left to learn about the natural heritage of Honduras.
Turcios-Casco
Cover image:
Howler monkey, photographed by Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske.
Original source:
Turcios-Casco MA, Castañeda F, Wilson DE, Miller B, Gonzalez-Socoloske D, Ramos EA, King TW, LaVal RK, Ordóñez-Garza N, Ordoñez D, Graciolli G, Thornton D, Martínez M, Estrada-Andino NM, Ávila-Palma HD (2026) Taxonomy, natural history, and conservation of the mammals of Honduras. ZooKeys 1288: 1–193. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1288.129555
The 10th Symposium of the International Association for Lichenology took place in Trieste, where Pensoft showcased its plant science and mycology journal portfolio.
Held once every four years, the symposium is an important event for the global lichenology community, and this edition proved more popular than ever, drawing over 350 participants from around the world – more than double the number originally expected.
Lichenology is a wonderfully niche field, but IAL10 showed just how far-reaching and collaborative the community is. Delegates travelled from every corner of the globe to discuss taxonomy, lichen-associated microorganisms, biodiversity and conservation, ecophysiology, environmental biomonitoring, and cultural heritage preservation.
Pensoft’s stand at IAL10
Maria Kolesnikova, our Head of Marketing, Sales and Events, at the Pensoft stand at IAL10.
We were pleased to have our own stand at the symposium, where we showcased our journals in plant science and mycology, including:
MycoKeys: publishes papers on the monophyletic kingdom Fungi containing taxonomic or ecological data on any taxon of any geological age from any part of the world with no limit to manuscript size;
IMA Fungus: considers contributions from all areas of mycology expected to be of interest to the wider mycological community, from basic research to applications
PhytoKeys: publishes papers in systematic Botany containing taxonomic/floristic data on any taxon of any geological age from any part of the world
Italian Botanist: publishes original research covering all fields of Botany in its wider sense, including Mycology, ranging from molecular to ecosystem studies
Biodiversity Data Journal: publishes papers in biodiversity science containing taxonomic, floristic/faunistic, morphological, genomic, phylogenetic, ecological or environmental data on any taxon of any geological age from any part of the world
Vegetation Classification and Survey: publishes original papers that develop new vegetation typologies as well as applied studies that use such typologies, for example, in vegetation mapping, ecosystem modelling, nature conservation, land use management or monitoring
Pensoft’s journals in plant science and mycology.
It was a great opportunity to speak directly with researchers and students about publishing their work, and to reconnect with authors and editors already part of our community.
Garima Singh – Subject Editor and Author in MycoKeys.
Muhammad Usman, Author in MycoKeys.
Edyta Mazur – Author in Mycokeys.
Pier Luigi Nimis – Subject Editor and Reviewer in MycoKeys.
Talks that caught our attention
Among the many excellent presentations at IAL10, two in particular stood out to us:
Juri Nascimbene presenting his talk at IAL10 – Historical lichen collections as a time capsule.
Juri Nascimbene at Pensoft’s stand.
Juri Nascimbene, a subject editor and author at MycoKeys and an author for Italian Botanist, Vegetation Classification and Survey, and Biodiversity Data Journal, presented on the historical lichen collections held at the University of Bologna’s herbarium (BOLO). His talk explored how these collections, some dating back to the work of Ulisse Aldrovandi in the sixteenth century, allow researchers to track species distributions across centuries.
Using material such as Antonio Bertoloni’s Hortus Siccus Florae Italicae, which contains 850 georeferenced lichen specimens, Nascimbene’s team has been able to trace the long-term presence of species such as Lobaria pulmonaria in the chestnut groves of the Northern Apennines, and the disappearance of cold-adapted species such as Alectoria ochroleuca from high-altitude sites.
It was a fascinating look at how historical herbaria can inform our understanding of global change today!
Martin Grube presenting his talk at IAL10 – Lichens in motion.
We also attended a talk by Martin Grube, a reviewer and author at MycoKeys, who challenged the common perception of lichens as slow-growing organisms. His presentation examined the hygroscopic movements lichens undergo as they take up and lose water, and the mechanical stresses this creates within their thalli.
Grube introduced tools for measuring these mechanical properties and discussed what they might reveal about the evolution and function of lichen structures, thus offering a compelling primer on comparative thallus mechanics.
A new special issue in MycoKeys
While at IAL10, we were pleased to announce a new special issue in MycoKeys: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference of the International Association for Lichenology (IAL10), edited by Mauro Tretiach, Fabio Candotto Carniel, and Lucia Muggia. The special issue will bring together original research articles and short communications covering the full breadth of lichen symbiosis research. We look forward to seeing the community’s latest work published there.
Announcement of a special issue in MycoKeys at IAL10.
Celebrating the award winners
Congratulations to all of this year’s IAL10 award winners:
Group photograph of the award winners at IAL10.
Best Posters
Honorata Wacławek, “Phylogenetic insights into freshwater Gyalidea (Gomphillaceae, Graphidales) from the high Andes of Bolivia”
Ariel Sebastián Udaeta Sanchez, “First axenic cultures of saxicolous lichens from Tucumán (NW Argentina): growth timelines and representation of under-studied neotropical lineages”
Best Flash Talks
Ciaran Kelly, “Comparative genomic analyses of antimicrobial proteins encoded by lichen-forming fungi”
Anna Pasinato, “The metabolic divide: fungal genomes reveal an unequal distribution of biosynthetic gene clusters”
Best Oral Presentations
Victoria K., “Hidden cohabitants: metagenomic insights into global occurrence patterns of black fungi associated with lichens”
Diego Garfias Gallegos, “Central metabolism and development are rewired in lichenized cyanobacteria”
Until next time
IAL10 was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with the lichenology community, and we were delighted to meet so many authors from our journals in person. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stand, attended a talk with us, or simply shared a conversation about lichens.
We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Italian Lichenological Society and seeing you all again at the next symposium.
Between 26-31 July, Pensoft Publishers joined more than 2,600 ecologists, researchers, and conservation professionals in Salt Lake City for the 111th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America (ESA2026).
Pensoft Publishers joined more than 2,600 ecologists, researchers, and conservation professionals in Salt Lake City for the 111th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America (ESA2026) between 26-31 July.
This year’s conference theme, “Ecology in an Era of Uncertainty,” could not have felt more timely. Uncertainty is nothing new to ecological research – it’s built into measurements, mechanisms, and predictions.
But new sources of uncertainty are now reshaping the field: the rise of artificial intelligence, post-pandemic shifts in career development, and growing instability in research funding. Throughout the week, the ESA community came together not only to share cutting-edge ecological research, but also to think collectively about how to navigate these emerging challenges – trading multidisciplinary, creative solutions to keep the field resilient in the face of what’s next.
The Opening Session
The Grand Ballroom was packed for the opening session, where Conference Chairs Daniel Stover and Andrea Swei welcomed attendees. Despite a challenging year for funding and travel, the 111th annual meeting of ESA 2026 hosted 2,600 registered attendees 330 sessions and 884 posters,
The opening address was delivered by Diane Pitaki, Chief Scientist and Vice President for Science at the National Wildlife Federation, who spoke about ecology standing at a crossroads amid the biodiversity crisis and shifting political headwinds, urging the community to actively “defend conservation science.”
Among the meeting’s standout moments was the plenary from Tanya Berger-Wolf, Professor of Computer Science and Ecology at Ohio State University and a leading figure in AI for ecology and biodiversity.
Notably, Berger-Wolf will be a keynote speaker at TDWG 2026 in Oslo (20-25 September) – where Pensoft Publisherswill once again be exhibiting, so stay tuned for future updates.
Situated right at the entrance of the exhibition hall, Pensoft’s booth revelled in attention from attendees throughout the week.
Pensoft’s team at ESA 2026 in Salt Palace Convention Center.
Pensoft’s busy stand at the 111th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America.
Pensoft’s busy stand at the 111th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America.
The beautiful Denitsa Peneva’s illustrations at ESA 2026.
A particular highlight was our trio of diamond open-access journals – free to publish in and free to read – that drew considerable interest from attendees:
Individual-Based Ecology promotes a distinctive individual-based perspective on ecology, aiming to bridge individual behaviour and broader ecological patterns.
Advances in Pollinator Research is designed as an innovative platform for the full spectrum of pollinator science, from pollination ecology and pollinator-plant interactions to molecular ecology, conservation, and more.
Agricultural and Environmental Modelling (AEM), meanwhile, offers an innovative approach to publishing, dedicated to advancing both the science and practice of modelling across agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and environmental sciences.
Brochure of the diamond open-access Individual Based Ecology Journal.
Close up photo of the Advances in Pollinator Research brochure at ESA 2026.
Nicole Nogoy, managing editor of Agricultural and Environmental Modelling at ESA 2026.
Attendees curious about AEM had the chance to speak directly with its Managing Editor, Nicole Nogoy, who was on site throughout the conference to discuss publishing opportunities and promote the journal’s search for Subject Editors.
We also introduced attendees to our newest addition, the diamond open-accessJournal of Regeneration. For those interested in sharing early-stage research or project outcomes, Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO) offered another avenue worth exploring, publishing everything from project proposals and data to policy briefs and null results.
Those looking for a new publisher or white-label solutions had the opportunity to exploreARPHA, Pensoft’s own publishing platform, which supports the full journey from manuscript writing and peer review to publication, dissemination, and archiving – all in one seamless workflow.
Combined brochure of EU-Funded project in which Pensoft participates.
Beyond the journals and publishing solutions, the team took the opportunity to spotlight some of Pensoft’s ongoing EU-funded projects, including our pollination initiatives and our continued work with eLTER.
This time around, our team created “Pensoft Species Quiz,” challenging booth visitors to identify the correct Latin name for a series of species beautifully illustrated by Denitsa Peneva. Being more than just a fun activity, it became a natural conversation starter – leading into deeper discussions about Pensoft’s journals, services, and potential collaborations with attendees.
Some of the winners from our quiz at ESA 2026.
Some of the winners from our quiz at ESA 2026.
Happy winners from our interactive quiz game at ESA 2026.
Attendees interacting with our fun quiz.
The Agricultural and Environmental Modelling Poster Award
AEM’s Managing Editor – Nicole Nogoy ran a poster competition at the meeting, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of our week. Three researchers stood out:
Julian Resasco (University of Colorado, Boulder) took home the prize for overall best presentation with a hand-drawn comic-book poster on climate change effects on Basque country thistles;
Gwendolyn Lloyd (Indiana University) impressed us with her research on arthropods and mites in agricultural soils;
Emily Redding (Fort Hays State University, KS) joined in with a poster on fire suppression’s effects on Juniper-dependent bird species, having been inspired to bring modelling into her own research.
We also took part in a raffle organised by ESA, to which each exhibitor contributed a prize.
Kanchana Balasubramanian one of the winners of Pensoft Publishers’ raffle prizes at ESA2026.
Elizabeth Afkhami Searcy received our book “Mapping Ecosystem Services” as part of the Ecological Society of America’s conference raffle.
ESA2026 was a strong reminder of just how much energy – and uncertainty – is currently shaping the ecology community. Between thought-provoking plenaries on AI and conservation science, engaging conversations sparked by our species quiz, and the enthusiasm we saw around the AEM poster competition, it was a week full of meaningful connections for Pensoft.
We’re already looking forward to the next time, and we hope you’re looking forward to it, too!
This study marks the first freshwater cave snail ever recorded in China, and it represents the highest-altitude distribution known among cave-dwelling species in the family Erhaiidae.
Recently published in the journal Subterranean Biology, the research marks a major milestone for the study of subterranean aquatic life in East Asia. Prior to this discovery, there were no records of freshwater cave snails within Chinese territory, and the region’s subterranean freshwater mollusks were generally poorly studied.
Mythological Namesake and Unique Adaptations
Perfectly suited to its pitch-black environment, Erhaia dijiang is a true troglobiont, having evolved without eyes entirely while its ocular structures show total degeneration. Its shell is small, conical, and highly translucent, while its body is delicate and unpigmented, with slender tentacles.
Natural habitats of Erhaiadijiang. Credit to He et al., 2026.
Fittingly, researchers named the species dijiang after “Di Jiang,” a mountain patron god from ancient Chinese mythology described as a faceless beast in the classic text Classic of Mountains and Seas (山海经). The name suits the animal’s habits: in laboratory observations, the snails proved highly photophobic, actively seeking out dark crevices beneath rocks to escape light.
Beyond its mythological namesake, the species is also notable for where it was found. Discovered at an elevation of 2,062 meters, Erhaia dijiang sets a new record for the highest-altitude distribution among all known cave-dwelling snails in Erhaiidae, evidence that freshwater cavesnails can survive in karst caves at altitudes exceeding 2,000 meters.
Species of Erhaiadijiang. Credit to He et al., 2026.
According to the researchers, the species inhabits underwater gravel and crushed stone at depths of less than one meter, where cave water temperatures remain consistently near 20°C. While rapid water flow during the rainy season occasionally flushes a small number of snails out through the cave’s outlet, they are never found in nearby surface streams and stay strictly within two meters of the cave entrance. In the lab, the snails fed on diatoms growing on rock surfaces as well as artificially supplied fish food.
Urgent Call for Conservation
Erhaiadijiang. Credit to He et al., 2026.
However, despite marking a significant advance for the study of subterranean aquatic life in East Asia, the research team warns that the survival status of this newly discovered species is “far from optimistic.”
During their initial field survey in August 2025, the population density of Erhaia dijiang was found to be extremely low. The team was only able to locate three live adult individuals and a single empty shell in the shallow underground waters, and no juvenile snails were observed.
The researchers are urgently calling for extensive surveys of Chinese caves to improve our understanding of these complex ecosystems, along with the rapid formulation of conservation measures to protect these vulnerable, endemic mollusks.
Original study:
He Y-M, Xiang H-Q, Yang J-M, Zheng H, Yang S-Z, Zhou Y-F, Zheng J (2026) A new eyeless species in Erhaiidae (Gastropoda, Truncatelloidea) from a cave in Yuxi City, Yunnan, China. Subterranean Biology 56: 127-136. https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.56.188075
More than 100 shallow lakes stretching over 1,000 kilometers along the Atlantic coast of southern Brazil and Uruguay could become one of the world’s most important natural laboratories for understanding how climate change and human activities reshape freshwater ecosystems.
An international team of researchers reports that these largely overlooked subtropical lakes offer an unparalleled opportunity to monitor biodiversity, water quality, pollution, and ecosystem resilience in a rapidly changing world.
Published in One Ecosystem, the study is the first comprehensive assessment of the Southern American Coastal Shallow Subtropical Lakes, highlighting their global scientific importance and outlining a roadmap for long-term international monitoring.
The Tramandaí Lagoon estuary, located between the municipalities of Imbé (left side of the channel) and Tramandaí (right side of the channel) in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, connects a complex of more than 40 coastal lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Credit: CECLIMAR Collection (Photo credit: Acervo CECLIMAR).
“Most of what we know about lakes comes from the Northern Hemisphere,” says lead author Mariana Kluge of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).
These subtropical lakes fill a major gap in global freshwater research. They allow us to test ecological theories under very different environmental conditions while providing crucial insights into how subtropical freshwater ecosystems respond to climate change and increasing human pressures.
adds Prof. Renata Medina-Silva of Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS)
The lake network forms one of the largest continuous coastal shallow-lake systems on Earth. Despite its extraordinary size and diversity, it has received far less scientific attention than well-known freshwater systems elsewhere in the world. Yet the region is already experiencing many of the environmental challenges, expected to intensify in the coming decades – including a direct impact of the El Niño Southern Oscillation – alongside heavy urbanisation, which has driven eutrophication, agricultural and wastewater pollution, emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and microplastics, and increasingly frequent extreme rainfall and flooding events.
Overview of the environmental heterogeneity found across South America’s unique coastal lake systems. Credit: Kluge et al., 2026.
Christian Wurzbacher of the Technical University of Munich argues that these lakes can serve as “sentinel ecosystems“- natural observatories that reveal early signs of environmental change. By combining microbial ecology, environmental DNA, remote sensing, water chemistry, and long-term ecological monitoring, scientists hope to develop new indicators capable of detecting ecosystem stress before irreversible damage occurs.
Our vision is to establish an internationally coordinated monitoring network that not only benefits South America, but also improves our understanding of freshwater ecosystems worldwide. The microbial communities living in these lakes can act as highly sensitive biological sensors, helping us identify pollution, ecosystem degradation, and even emerging public health risks.
says Prof. Haig of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).
Despite their high ecological value, these lakes are under increasing pressure from eutrophication, urban growth, and competing human uses such as water supply, irrigation, navigation, fishing, recreation, and sewage disposal. Credit: Kluge et al., 2026.
The publication emerged from an international workshop held at two universities – PUCRS and UFRGS – in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil, bringing together researchers from Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, and Sweden to define future research priorities. The team identified four representative large-scale lake regions that together capture the broad environmental gradients across the system and offer ideal sites for coordinated long-term observation.
As climate change accelerates and pressures on freshwater resources continue to grow, the researchers believe that protecting and studying these remarkable lake systems will generate knowledge extending far beyond South America – informing global strategies for safeguarding biodiversity, improving water management, and strengthening resilience to environmental change.
Original source:
Kluge M, Shubeita A, Uchaikina A, Alonso C, Herrman B, Menegotto-Silva C, Lopes C, Pagani D, Marques D, Moreira-Silva E, Kristiansson E, Quintana I, Cavalcanti J, Fleck J, Ribeiro K, Varghaei L, Oliveira L, Rodrigues LR, Ramilo L, Crossetti L, Stockenreiter M, Cabezudo M, Lima M, Gonçalves NP, Mazzeo N, Schneider R, Utz LP, Bertilsson S, Wurzbacher C, They NH, Medina-Silva R (2026) Coastal subtropical Southern American shallow lakes as unique ecosystems for monitoring anthropogenic induced ecosystem changes. One Ecosystem 11: e186107. https://doi.org/10.3897/oneeco.11.e186107
