Tag: taxonomy

Should we rely on journal impact factors in systematics and taxonomy?

Probably not, a new mycology-focused study finds.

Guest blog post by Henrik Nilsson.

Originally conceived as a means to compare university library holdings, the journal impact factor (IF) concept is a bibliometric measure that quantifies citations at the journal level, and is used for assessment and ranking.

Mushrooms growing on a tree branch. — Exploring fungal diversity in the Garden Route district, South Africa. Shown is a species of Lentinus. Credit: Breyten Van Der Merwe.

However, IFs are often gratuitously commandeered for use in ranking individual research papers and even researchers according to perceived impact and importance. Surely, goes the rationale, this must be a time-efficient and data-informed way to obtain an objective ranking in the matter at hand. Over time, the IF concept has come to enjoy a level of decisiveness and mystique not permitted to any other research performance indicator.

“But are impact factors really a good measure of past scientific performance and future potential?” asks mycologist Henrik Nilsson of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, the lead author of a study recently published in MycoKeys.

“Having served in one too many committees that handed out research funding to systematics and taxonomy on the primary, and sometimes exclusive, basis of impact factors, I felt that the time had come to find out. Simply taking IFs on faith as a performance indicator whose explanatory power is asserted by fiat alone seems deeply unsatisfactory and, frankly, not very scientific.”

Mushroom growing in a hole in the ground. — Mushroom growing in a hole made by the plateau pika on the Tibetan Plateau. Credit: Sten Anslan.

Co-author Kessy Abarenkov of the University of Tartu Natural History Museum, Estonia continues, “We brought empirical data to bear on the matter in the form of two data streams for the period 2000-2021: the discovery of fungal species using DNA sequences and the description of new species of fungi.

“These data allowed us to assess whether IFs scale to mycological discovery potential – for instance, are new species of fungi primarily discovered in high-IF journals? Do journals with low IFs really add little, and journals without IFs nothing, to systematic mycology? Because that is what is assumed when candidates are ranked according to IFs.”

The proportion of species hypotheses whose initial discovery was reported in a journal without a formal IF (red) or with an IF below the mycological median (orange) over time. Credit: Nilsson et al.

The study found no meaningful correlation between IFs and mycological discovery potential. On the contrary, for the last 10 years, the majority of new fungal species were discovered and described in journals with IFs well below the mycological median. Species discovered by molecular means were subsequently recovered in journals of increasingly higher IFs, suggesting that taxonomic results find broader, high-IF use in the mycological community and beyond in a way not usually considered when assessing the impact of taxonomic contributions.

To some extent, different groups of fungi were targeted in high-IF journals compared to low-IF journals, hinting that attempts at suppressing low-IF research are tantamount to advocating an intentionally incomplete view of the fungal kingdom.

Mushroom held in a hand in the foreground, and a small dog with a crouching person in the background. — Using a trained dog to pinpoint subterranean fungal diversity in south-eastern Sweden. Credit: Alexandra Dombrowski.

A person crouching with a small dog in a forest. — Using a trained dog to pinpoint subterranean fungal diversity in south-eastern Sweden. Credit: Alexandra Dombrowski.

“But what resonated the most with me,” co-author Christian Wurzbacher of the Technical University of Munich chips in, “was the large proportion of fungi that were discovered and described entirely outside the IF system. Various national and regional mycological societies and their outlets spring to mind.

“These journals are often dismissed or patronized when candidates and proposals are evaluated, but our study shows that they certainly punch far above their perceived weight. It feels good to lend voice to all the hard work that’s behind these journals and their studies but that is not accorded the clout that is should.”

The study submits that funding agencies and hiring committees that insist on upholding IFs as a central funding and recruitment criterion in systematic mycology should consider using indicators such as research quality, productivity, outreach activities, review services for scientific journals, and teaching ability directly rather than using publication in high-IF journals as a proxy for these indicators. Such an approach would clearly be much more time-consuming, a dilemma to which the study offers no other remedial measure than letting the evaluation step take the time that it needs.

A woman working with fungi in a lab. — Sampling aquatic fungal diversity in a peat lake in northern Germany. Credit: Alice Retter.

two people on a boat on a lake. — Sampling aquatic fungal diversity in a peat lake in northern Germany. Credit: Alice Retter.

Co-author Alice Retter of the Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology, Germany concludes, “I would say that IFs in systematic mycology demand more explanation than they provide. The trust reposed in IFs in systematic mycology seems largely misplaced and, in fact, often directly counterproductive. I hope that the mycological community will continue to break ranks and colour outside the lines, because for us, the IF concept is a performance indicator of the kind that impoverishes.”

Original source

Nilsson RH, Jansson AT, Wurzbacher C, Anslan S, Belford P, Corcoll N, Dombrowski A, Ghobad-Nejhad M, Gustavsson M, Gómez-Martínez D, Kalsoom Khan F, Khomich M, Lennartsdotter C, Lund D, Van Der Merwe B, Mikryukov V, Peterson M, Porter TM, Põlme S, Retter A, Sanchez-Garcia M, Svantesson S, Svedberg P, Vu D, Ryberg M, Abarenkov K, Kristiansson E (2024) 20 years of bibliometric data illustrates a lack of concordance between journal impact factor and fungal species discovery in systematic mycology. MycoKeys 110: 273-285. https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.110.136048

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The Shellowship of the Ring: two new snail species named after Tolkien characters

“You fool. No man can kill me,” said the Witch-king of Angmar.

“I am no man!” Éowyn replied, “I am a newly discovered freshwater snail species from Brazil!”

Okay, maybe that isn’t exactly how it goes – but it’s our way of letting you know that two newly discovered snail species have been named in honour of Éowyn and Meriadoc from The Lord of the Rings.

Described in the open-access journal Zoosystematics and Evolution, Idiopyrgus eowynae and Idiopyrgus meriadoci were named by fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic series (who happen to also be successful researchers).

Multiple scientific photographs of a snail shell with thorn-like protrusions. — *Idiopyrgus* *eowynae*.

Explaining the name Idiopyrgus eowynae, they said: “Éowyn exemplifies courage, resilience, and resistance against darkness, both internal and external, standing against Gríma Wormtongue and the Witch-king of Angmar.”

The discovered species are troglobitic and were found in a single limestone cave in the Serra do Ramalho karst area of Bahia state, northeastern Brazil. The gastropods belong to the family Tomichiidae, a group previously known for inhabiting surface freshwater environments but now shown to have adapted to subterranean ecosystems.

Both snails have unique periostracal hairs—thorn-like structures—on their shells, a feature uncommon among Brazilian freshwater snails. Their cave-specific adaptations include reduced pigmentation, fragile shells, and small size.

Photographs of a fprest area and a cave entrance. — The Gruna do Pedro Cassiano cave, area and entrance.

The Gruna do Pedro Cassiano cave, where the snails were discovered, is a fragile ecosystem threatened by water extraction, deforestation, and climate change. Due to the species’ limited habitat and environmental threats to their subterranean ecosystem, the authors recommend a ‘Vulnerable’ classification. The findings highlight the importance of protecting Brazil’s subterranean biodiversity and raise concerns about the impact of human activities on these delicate ecosystems.

These concerns played a part in the naming of Idiopyrgus meriadoci, as the researchers state: “Besides standing with Éowyn against the Witch-king in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Merry is also an example of the fight for nature conservation in Middle-earth, pushing the Ents into action and ultimately ending Saruman’s threat to Fangorn Forest.”

Multiple scientific photographs of a translucent snail shell. — *Idiopyrgus* *meriadoci*.

On his choice of Tolkien-inspired names for the new species, lead author Dr Rodrigo B. Salvador of the Finnish Museum of Natural History said: “I tend to use lots of pop culture references in my species names—from books, comics, Dungeons & Dragons, and video games. If we think about it, there is a long-standing tradition in taxonomy of using names from mythology and literature to name species.

“Granted, in the old days, those names mostly came from Greek and Roman myths and Shakespeare. Today, we have newer mythologies and literature classics, so in a way, we’re just continuing that tradition.”

Salvador was also resposible for naming a land snail after Shar of Dungeons and Dragons, and more recently Baldur’s Gate, fame. Read about it below!

Species new to science named after a ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ character

Original source

Salvador RB, Bichuette ME (2024) Idiopyrgus Pilsbry, 1911 (Gastropoda, Tomichiidae): a relict genus radiating into subterranean environments. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(4): 1543-1556. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.136428

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12 new Oriental weevil species discovered using advanced imaging tools

Two of these new species occur in Japan, including one species found in Yanbaru National Park, Okinawa.

Jake Lewis, an entomologist in the Environmental Science and Informatics Section at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), is fascinated by weevils, a diverse group of beetles that includes many species with elephant trunk-like mouthparts (called a rostrum). Weevils provide various ecosystem services such as pollination and decomposition, but some species are serious pests known to decimate crop fields and timber forests.

OIST entomologist and Insect Collection Manager, Jake Lewis, searches for weevils on Okinawa Island, Japan. He and his collaborators collected weevils from Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Malaysia, and discovered 12 new species. Photo credit: Merle Naidoo, OIST

Using x-ray microtomography, a 3D imaging technique that uses x-rays to visualize cross sections of the internal structure of objects, Lewis and his collaborators digitally removed scales that cover the cuticle of the weevils. They found that the underlying cuticle differs significantly between species and can therefore be used for taxonomic and classification purposes. Using this technique in combination with traditional light microscopy and DNA barcoding, they discovered, described, and named 12 new weevil species from Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan. These species range from 1.5 – 3.0 mm in length and are comparatively quite small weevils.

Two of these new species are present in Japan: Aphanerostethus magnus (Oo-daruma-kuchikakushi-zoumushi) and Aphanerostethus japonicus (Nippon-daruma-kuchikakushi-zoumushi). One of these, Aphanerostethus japonicus, is also found in Yanbaru National Park, Okinawa. This is the first time x-ray microtomography has been used to remove obscuring scales to examine underlying differences in morphology for taxonomic purposes. The findings from this study have been published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

Researchers have discovered, described, and named 12 new weevil species in Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan. *Aphanerostethus magnus* and *Aphanerostethus japonicus* are found in Japan, with the latter also found in Yanbaru National Park, Okinawa. Photo credit: Lewis et al., 2024

The researchers showed that removing scales using x-ray microtomography reveals significant morphological differences between species, which cannot be easily observed using other methods. Consequently, this technique may gain more popularity as a tool for identifying new insect species, especially those covered in scales or debris.

Lewis, OIST’s Insect Collection Manager and lead author of the paper, examined specimens from collections in Canada, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Netherlands. One of the primary goals was to investigate the use of x-ray microtomography as a tool in weevil taxonomy. The genus Aphanerostethus was poorly studied in the past, but many undescribed species were discovered in museum collections around the world, including the two new species from Japan.

X-ray microtomography generated 3D models of weevil species from the genus *Aphanerostethus* with the right elytron (forewing) removed, revealing differences in the length, width, and pattern of veins in the hindwing. A lateral view of the full body is shown below each closeup for reference. The red, blue, and yellow arrows indicate the base, midpoint, and apex of the hindwing, respectively. A: *Aphanerostethus bifidus*; B: *A. decoratus*; C: *A. japonicus*; D: *A. magnus*. Image credit: Lewis et al., 2024

Multiple methods to find new species

The researchers used traditional methods such as light microscopy and dissections to observe differences between species, including the scales along the elytra (back), leg spines, and the shape of the rostral canal (a canal that protects the rostrum). They also used DNA barcoding to analyze their genes and create a phylogenetic tree of eight of the species. Some species were not as easy to separate based on morphology alone, but as the gene sequences differ between species, the phylogenetic tree was informative and provided additional evidence of new species.

: Phylogenetic tree of eight *Aphanerostethus* species constructed by comparing genetic information to see how closely related different species are. This helped Lewis and his team verify their predictions about species classification by using DNA analysis instead of only physical traits. The colored, vertical bars represent different species and includes the two new species from Japan. Image credit: Lewis et al., 2024

Although the above methods are standard practice in taxonomy, the researchers’ use of X-ray microtomography was novel and was successfully used to examine the structure of not only the hidden cuticle, but also the hindwings. Aphanerostethus weevils have lost the ability to fly due to the gradual reduction of their hindwings, however the degree of reduction was shown to differ between species. Normally, specimens would have to be dissected to view the hindwings, but because x-ray microtomography allows for non-destructive examination of internal anatomy, it is invaluable when working with rare or precious specimens that cannot be dissected or altered.

X-ray microtomography generated 3D models of Aphanerostethus pronota with scales removed, revealing otherwise hidden differences in underlying puncture morphology A–C Aphanerostethus magnus D–F Aphanerostethus morimotoi. Image credit: Lewis et al., 2024

The presence of partially reduced wings in some species offers a fascinating glimpse into the ongoing process of evolutionary change: “Some species have almost completely lost their hindwings, while others still have non-functional half-wings with remaining vein patterns. The differing degrees in hindwing loss is not only useful for taxonomy and systematics, but also shows how different species within the same group can be at different stages of losing a historically highly important organ that played a crucial role in insect evolution,” Lewis explained.

Investing in Japan’s natural heritage

The discovery of new weevil species can be challenging for two main reasons. Firstly, weevils are incredibly diverse, making complete cataloging time consuming and tedious. Secondly, many weevil species are highly host-specific, may only inhabit very particular microhabitats, and may only be active for a short period of time as adults. For example, some species feed on a single tree species and may only occupy a certain part of a tree, such as the canopy. Furthermore, some species of weevils are strictly nocturnal and rarely observed during the daytime.

Episomus mori weevils. Photo credit: Jake H. Lewis

This extreme specialization and variation in natural history means that unless researchers investigate at night and day, across seasons, and focus on specific parts of many different plant species, they will inevitably overlook certain species.

Dr. Dan Warren, a research fellow at the Gulbali Institute for Applied Ecology and former leader of the Environmental Science and Informatics Section, emphasized the importance of investing in specimen collections: “These specimen collections are crucial for discovering new species and documenting biodiversity changes, both from human activities and natural cycles. They are essential tools for scientific research and conservation biology,” he stated. “Without proper support for them and the people who maintain them, we risk losing irreplaceable information on species and ecosystems, potentially before we even discover them.”

Euthycus weevils. Photo credit: Jake H. Lewis

“These new weevil species are part of Japan’s natural heritage, and although still poorly known ecologically, discovering and naming them is the first step towards an understanding of their biology,” Lewis added. Protected areas like Yanbaru National Park, home to the newly discovered A. japonicus, are essential to the protection of the island’s rich and endemic biodiversity.

Research article:

Citation: Lewis JH, Kojima H, Suenaga M, Petsopoulos D, Fujisawa Y, Truong XL, Warren DL (2024) The era of cybertaxonomy: X-ray microtomography reveals cryptic diversity and concealed cuticular sculpture in Aphanerostethus Voss, 1957 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae). ZooKeys 1217: 1–45. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1217.126626

Crustacean with panda-like coloring confirmed to be a new species

The newly classified Melita panda — named after the charismatic mammal — was first found in the 1990s.

Decades after it was first found in Japan, a species of crustacean with unique black-and-white coloring that resembles a panda has been confirmed to be new to science. Melitid amphipods are shrimp-like crustaceans found worldwide. The newly classified Melita panda — named after the charismatic mammal — was first found in the 1990s. Details of the discovery and morphological analysis were published in a ZooKeys article on 21 September.

A panda sitting on a rock outdoors, holding a bamboo branch

The discovery of the Melita panda highlights the importance of studying species taxonomy, which is the naming and classification of organisms, for conservation efforts. It is impossible to know if a species is in danger of disappearing if it hasn’t even been identified.

“Despite the fact that biodiversity conservation is a global issue, species diversity and other aspects of biodiversity are still not fully understood. As a first step toward species conservation, we conducted a taxonomic study of amphipod Crustacea, which boasts high species diversity around Japan,” said Ko Tomikawa, a professor at Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Hiroshima, Japan.

A new species of amphipod with a unique panda pattern was found in the intertidal zone of the Japanese coast. Photo credit: Ko Tomikawa/Hiroshima University

Before the discovery of Melita panda, there were 63 known species of Melita amphipods, with 16 of those found in Japan. Melita panda was found in intertidal waters in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. There are likely even more unidentified and undescribed species of Melita amphipods in Japan’s coastal waters.

“Study on the amphipod Crustacea in the coastal zone of Japan is lagging behind. In order to accurately assess species diversity, taxonomic studies are necessary. We hope the discovery of a new species of amphipod with the familiar coloring of the panda pattern will increase the public’s interest in biodiversity and taxonomy,” said Tomikawa.

To identify the Melita panda, researchers did both a morphological study and molecular phylogeny using genomic DNA. The morphological description of Melita panda found unique features including its panda-like colors and other physical characteristics, while molecular phylogeny is used to identify how closely related the Melita panda is to other Melita amphipods. This information is used to create a phylogenetic tree or evolutionary tree of the known Melita amphipods. Phylogenetic trees are diagrams that show the evolutionary relationships between species.

A line drawing of *Melita Panda*‘s gnathopod 1.

The molecular phylogeny found that Melita panda is closely related to two other Melita amphipods, the Melita nagatai and Melita koreana. The panda-like coloring distinguishes Melita panda from these two other amphipods, along with other physical differences. Its gnathopods, which are claws that extend from the second thoracic segment, sit more forward than other Melita amphipods, covering another one of its appendages. Its setae, which are hair-like structures that look like bristles, are also distinguishable from other Melita amphipods. Together, the Melita nagatai, Melita koreana, and newly discovered Melita panda form a monophyletic group. This means they have a common evolutionary ancestor. In this case, it is the Melita hoshinoi.

Looking ahead, researchers will continue to study the Melita panda.

“Hopefully, a detailed study of the ecology and behavior of Melita panda will reveal the reason for its panda pattern,” said Tomikawa.

Beyond Melita panda, Tomikawa emphasized that there is still more to study.

“Further taxonomic studies on amphipods in uninvestigated areas are expected to lead to the discovery of additional new species. Continued taxonomic studies are expected to elucidate the biodiversity in the coastal environments of the Japanese archipelago and provide important basic data for species conservation,” he said.

Other contributors include Shigeyuki Yamato of Shirahama Katata in Wakayama, Japan, and Hiroyuki Ariyama at the Osaka Museum of Natural History in Osaka, Japan.

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI grants supported this research.

Research article:

Tomikawa K, Yamato S, Ariyama H (2024) Melita panda, a new species of Melitidae (Crustacea, Amphipoda) from Japan. ZooKeys 1212: 267-283. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1212.128858

Original article from Hiroshima University.

Cyber catalogue and revision of the nematode genus Enchodelus

All available information on Enchodelus species is brought together. This will contribute to a more complete assessment of species diversity and distribution.

Guest blog post by Milka Elshishka and Vlada Peneva

The order Dorylaimida is the most diverse nematode group, with over 2640 valid species and more than 260 valid genera, with new taxa being described each year. They are the richest nematode order in number of species in natural soils. Dorylaims are often regarded as good environmental bio-indicators since the number of species/specimens drastically decreases following any significant disturbance in their habitat.

In our study, published in the Biodiversity Data Journal, we examined one intriguing free-living dorylaimid nematode taxon: the genus Enchodelus which is considered to have conservation value. The genus currently includes 28 species, which display a distinct distributional pattern, being spread mainly in high altitudinal enclaves of the Northern Hemisphere (with the exception of E. brasiliensis, only known to occur in Brazil). Its representatives are often associated with mosses and cliff vegetation. Although their feeding habits have not been studied with experimental protocols, it is traditionally assumed that they are omnivorous.

The genus Enchodelus has not been recently revised; the descriptions of many ‘old species’ (that have been described long ago and have not been reported since their original discovery) are of poor quality, hardly discoverable, and do not conform to today’s taxonomical standards.

Actually, information available from databases often is limited to some of the species and usually incomplete as relevant data are missing. Consequently, a comprehensive compilation and analysis of literature data is indispensable to reach new insights into the taxonomy of the genus and to elucidate its evolutionary relationships.

Our work provides a cyber catalogue of Enchodelus species, where all available data for the species are accessible and collected in one place, which will greatly facilitate future research. It compiles available information from key European Research Infrastructures, such as TreatmentBank, the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics Literature Services (SIBiLS), the Catalogue of Life (CoL), the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) and the Biodiversity Literature Repository (BLR). Data about their distribution (geographical records and habitats) are incorporated too and all brought together. It is completed with discussion and notes for some species, along with information on species distributions and microhabitats.

Here, all available information on Enchodelus species is brought together. This will contribute to a more complete assessment of species diversity and distribution and support further biogeographical and ecological research.

The type species Enchodelus macrodorus is the most widely spread and reported Enchodelus species. It is a typical member of Palearctic nematode fauna, recorded in a myriad of countries and habitats and very sporadically recorded in Nearctic and Indomalayan enclaves. In our study we add new morphological and molecular data for this species collected from Spain.

Additionally, type material of Enchodelus vestibulifer, belonging to Edmond Altherr’s collection, deposited at the Museo Cantonale di Storia Naturale di Lugano (Switzerland), is re-examined.

This species was described by the Swiss nematologist Edmond Altherr in 1952 on the basis of a single female from Switzerland and no later record of it exists. The re-examination of this material revealed that several relevant traits are not compatible with those characterising the genus Enchodelus and we considered it as incertae sedis.

In our study we also present one new species, Enchodelus enguriensis. It was collected from moss on stone (Tortellasquarrosa) in Caucasus, Georgia (Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Region, Bogreshi, Enguri River, Tower of Love). The description of the new species was supported by a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis based on D2-D3 of 28S rRNA. When naming the new taxon, we selected the name of the place from which the material was collected, namely the River Enguri; it was recovered from the stone next to the Tower of Love on the bank of the river.

We are grateful for the support the BiCIKL project, Grant No 101007492.

Research article:

Elshishka M, Mladenov A, Altash S, Álvarez-Ortega S, Peña-Santiago R, Peneva V (2024) Cyber catalogue and revision of the nematode genus Enchodelus (Dorylaimida, Nordiidae). Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e126315. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e126315

Celebrating 10 years of Open Access: Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift

Founded in 1857 as the Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift (DEZ), stands as one of the world’s oldest continuously published entomological journals. Throughout its 166-year history, DEZ has weathered significant challenges, navigating two world wars and internal societal divisions, consistently re-emerging to contribute to insect systematics.

In 2014, the journal transitioned to Open Access publishing under the auspices of Pensoft. Through this partnership, DEZ embraced a publishing model dedicated to transparency and global accessibility, making its content freely available to anyone, anywhere in the world.

As we celebrate 10 years of Open Access for the journals of Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN), we look at some of the most interesting insect research published in the journal in the past decade.

Read our blog post celebrating 10 years of Open Access for all of Museum für Naturkunde Berlin’s journals here.

Caribbean pygmy jumping leaves

Published in 2023, one of DEZ’s most popular recent papers discusses the Caribbean pygmy jumping leaves, a tribe of pygmy grasshoppers called Choriphyllini. Their taxonomy has been historically confusing, with many unrelated but similar-looking tetrigids (pygmy grasshoppers) being grouped together. Authors Josip Skejo and Niko Kasalo call this group of leaf-resembling insects “a lovable mess,” referring to their confused taxonomy.

The amazing diversity of the Caribbean pygmy jumping leaves

With common names such as “Jamaican Bitten Jumping Leaf” or “Old Cuban Dancing Leaf”, these insects are attractive to both researchers and laypeople.

Brown 'pygmy jumping leaf' grasshopper. — *Valalyllum folium*, a member of the tribe Valalyllini, subfamily Cladonotinae.

“We can only guess what the future holds for these neglected animals,” the authors said, concluding their paper. Will we see another paper in DEZ dealing with pygmy jumping leaves?

Research paper: Skejo J, Yong S, Bogić D, Kasalo N (2023) Caribbean pygmy jumping leaves (Tetrigidae, Cladonotinae, Choriphyllini). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 70(1): 129-141. https://doi.org/10.3897/dez.70.98982

Barcoding Taiwanese leaf litter beetles

Another important study published in DEZ focused on beetles found in Taiwan’s leaf litter. Researchers Martin Fikácek and Fang-Shuo Hu said that leaf litter is like an underwater coral reef, in that they support a huge amount of life that we don’t know much about. This is what motivated the Taiwanese Leaf Litter Beetles Barcoding project, a research effort aiming to create a DNA barcode library for the beetles that inhabit the forest floor in Taiwan.

Hidden biodiversity underfoot: DNA barcoding of Taiwanese forest beetles

As a rule, studying leaf litter beetles presents a number of challenges due to their vast numbers, diminutive size, and high endemism, but the DNA barcoding approach allows for faster, easier species identification. In their 2024 study in DEZ, the researchers reported the publication of 953 DNA barcodes of forest leaf litter beetles from central Taiwan, in total representing 334 species of 36 beetle families.

Research paper: Hu F-S, Arriaga-Varela E, Biffi G, Bocák L, Bulirsch P, Damaška AF, Frisch J, Hájek J, Hlaváč P, Ho B-H, Ho Y-H, Hsiao Y, Jelínek J, Klimaszewski J, Kundrata R, Löbl I, Makranczy G, Matsumoto K, Phang G-J, Ruzzier E, Schülke M, Švec Z, Telnov D, Tseng W-Z, Yeh L-W, Le M-H, Fikáček M (2024) Forest leaf litter beetles of Taiwan: first DNA barcodes and first insight into the fauna. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 71(1): 17-47. https://doi.org/10.3897/dez.71.112278

Revising Tropopterus

Having received more than 33,000 views, the paper titled “Revision of Tropopterus Solier: A disjunct South American component of the Australo-Pacific Moriomorphini (Coleoptera, Carabidae)” is the most popular DEZ article of the last decade.

Sole author Dr James K. Liebherr of Cornell University has published numerous important papers on beetle taxonomy in the journal, garnering close to 100,000 total views.

Research paper: Liebherr JK (2019) Revision of Tropopterus Solier: A disjunct South American component of the Australo-Pacific Moriomorphini (Coleoptera, Carabidae). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 66(2): 147-177. https://doi.org/10.3897/dez.66.38022

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In these ten years of Open Access, DEZ has published 155 articles, contributing to the advancement of open entomology. As we look forward, we hope for a bright future for Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift that reflects its rich and inspiring history.

Don’t forget to follow DEZ on X and Facebook, and subscribe for its newsletter from the journal’s website!

Follow the #openaccess_mfnberlin hashtag on X (formerly Twitter) to join the conversation around the anniversary!

A decade of Open Access: Zoosystematics and Evolution celebrates 10 years with Pensoft

2024 marks an important anniversary for the Museum für Naturkunde journal.

For a journal with more than 125 years of history, a single decade may seem like a mere drop in the ocean. However, the last ten years have been significant for Zoosystematics and Evolution (ZSE) as they have seen the historic Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN) journal transition to an open-access publishing model.

Established in 1898 as Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin Zoologische Reihe, ZSE is one of the oldest zoological journals in Europe. But far from falling behind the times, the journal partnered with Pensoft in 2014 to make their research available and free to all. The move marked the beginning of a new era, enhancing the journal’s global reach, accessibility, and influence.

Here we take a look back and celebrate some of the publications that have defined Zoosystematics and Evolution’s decade of Open Access with Pensoft.

Read our blog post celebrating 10 years of Open Access for all of Museum für Naturkunde Berlin’s journals here.

Salazar’s pit viper

ZSE’s most popular article, “A new species of green pit vipers of the genus Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 (Reptilia, Serpentes, Viperidae) from western Arunachal Pradesh, India” has been viewed more than 47,000 times at the time of writing.

Published in 2020, the article drew major mainstream attention due to the scientific name of the new species, Trimeresurus salazar, which was inspired by Salazar Slytherin of the Harry Potter franchise.

Spectacular pictures of the species accompanies the article, undoubtedly contributing to the success of the Indian researchers’ publication.

On his decision to publish with ZSE, lead author Zeeshan Mirza of the Max Planck Institute for Biology Department of Integrative Evolutionary Biology said: “Zoosystematics and Evolution is a reputed journal of the Museum Für Naturkunde, and I was happy that my work was published in it. I like the simple and excellent layout and the smooth experience throughout the article’s publication process.”

Research paper: Mirza ZA, Bhosale HS, Phansalkar PU, Sawant M, Gowande GG, Patel H (2020) A new species of green pit vipers of the genus Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 (Reptilia, Serpentes, Viperidae) from western Arunachal Pradesh, India. Zoosystematics and Evolution 96(1): 123-138. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.96.48431

Losing a medical leech

Two leeches on two frogs. — Two adult, free-living *H. medicinalis* in the process of sucking blood from an edible frog (*Rana esculenta* L.). Credit: Kutschera et al.

One of the first articles published by Pensoft on behalf of MfN was an exploration of the morphology and occurrence of the European medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis.

Now, ten years since its publication, the 2014 article has garnered almost 30,000 views, cementing it as a major research paper for the journal.

Featured in the 2020 European Union publication, ‘Potential impacts of bioenergy developments on habitats and species protected under the birds and habitats directives’, the paper suggests that the loss of natural freshwater ecosystems is largely responsible for the decline of the species in Northern Europe.

Research paper: Kutschera U, Elliott J (2014) The European medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis L.: Morphology and occurrence of an endangered species. Zoosystematics and Evolution 90(2): 271-280. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.90.8715

Explaining image editing for scientific publications

It is no surprise that the ‘Guide to image editing and production of figures for scientific publications with an emphasis on taxonomy’ by Marcus Bevilaqua of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, is one of ZSE’s most viewed publications with almost 30,000 views.

A fantastic resource for researchers, the guide published in 2020 focuses on digital photo editing and the production of figures using Adobe Photoshop to produce publication-quality figures for scientific publications.

“One picture is worth ten thousand words”, and Zoosystematics and Evolution presents a guide to image editing and production of figures for scientific publications with an emphasis on #taxonomy.

🔓Guide: https://t.co/1KwEZtZien #Scicomm #OpenScience #AcademicJournals pic.twitter.com/1JE4eon59e
— Zoosystematics and Evolution (@Zoosyst_Evo) May 5, 2020

Research paper: Bevilaqua M (2020) Guide to image editing and production of figures for scientific publications with an emphasis on taxonomy. Zoosystematics and Evolution 96(1): 139-158. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.96.49225

A new catfish genus

The most cited research published in ZSE is the 2018 article, ‘Multigene analysis of the catfish genus Trichomycterus and description of a new South American trichomycterine genus (Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae)’.

With 59 citations, the paper is an important analysis of an elusive genus that has attracted wide attention from fellow researchers.

Asked about the success of the paper, lead author Axel Makay Katz of the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro said: “I believe that since it is one of the first attempts to organise a taxonomically challenging genus, many authors see that as a big step in solving a problematic genus.”

Research paper: Katz AM, Barbosa MA, de Oliveira Mattos JL, da Costa WJE (2018) Multigene analysis of the catfish genus Trichomycterus and description of a new South American trichomycterine genus (Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae). Zoosystematics and Evolution 94(2): 557-566. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.94.29872

A ‘cute but deadly’ discovery

Recent years have seen an influx of media attention for research published in ZSE. A fantastic recent example of this came when a newly discovered velvet worm species was published in the journal.

More than 20 years in the making, the 2024 discovery represented the first study of Ecuadorian velvet worms for over 100 years. The cute appearance and fascinating behaviour of the species attracted plenty of attention from news outlets and social media users.

Describing the study, Diego Cisneros-Heredia, one of the authors and director of the USFQ Museum of Zoology, Ecuador said: “The research on this new species took several decades. I discovered the first individual of this new species in 2001, and we finally managed to describe it as part of Jorge Montalvo’s graduation thesis.

“To complete the description, we used not only macromorphological descriptions but also high-magnification images obtained with a scanning electron microscope.”

Research paper: Montalvo-Salazar JL, Bejarano ML, Valarezo A, Cisneros-Heredia DF (2024) A new species of velvet worm of the genus Oroperipatus (Onychophora, Peripatidae) from western Amazonia. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(3): 779-789. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.117952

The League of Legends crab

While this crab discovered in coral reefs of the South China Sea may seem unassuming, it gained hundreds of thousands of views, likes and shares when it was published just a few months ago.

The surge of popularity came from its name, Gothus teemo, which references the popular character Teemo from the video game League of Legends.

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In a perfect example of the global reach of open-access publishing, the paper was shared extensively on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, and even resulted in Riot Games sending the lead author a goodie bag!

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

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Much of the popularity and success of these articles can be attributed to Museum für Naturkunde Berlin’s decision to move their journal to an open-access publishing model with Pensoft. By making research available to all, the potential reach of research increases exponentially, allowing for greater accessibility and collaboration.

As we celebrate a decade of partnership between Pensoft and Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, we look forward to many more years of Open Access!

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Don’t forget to follow ZSE on X and Facebook, and subscribe for its newsletter from the journal’s website!

Follow the #openaccess_mfnberlin hashtag on X (formerly Twitter) to join the conversation around the anniversary!

Botany from above: drone discovers new plant species in Hawaii

The carnation is the first plant identified and collected using drone technology.

A new-to-science carnation species from Hawaii is likely the first plant to be identified and collected using drone technology.

Check out the video below to see how it happened!

Video by Ben Nyberg.

Published in the open-access journal PhytoKeys, the discovery was facilitated by the National Tropical Botanical Garden‘s (NTBG) botanical drone program, which deploys unmanned aircraft to explore remote cliff environments.

Via drone photography, researchers spotted Schiedea waiahuluensis growing on steep, inaccessible cliffs in the Waiahulu region of the island of Kauai. To gather samples, they suspended ‘the Mamba’ – a remote plant collection device – from a drone and used it to grab, cut, and collect the plant for study.

Plant-cutting drone attachment above forested mountains. — Collecting arm hanging from drone. Photo by Ben Nyberg.

The new species belongs to a well-studied Hawaiian lineage in the carnation family. Its genus, Schiedea, consists of 36 species spread across the Hawaiian Islands, with 12 species found only on Kauai.

Schiedea waiahuluensis grows only on the dry cliffs of Waiahulu, with an estimated population of around 345 individuals, primarily growing on bare rock surfaces in small pockets of soil.

Macro image of light-green flowers. — Flower of drone collected specimen. Photo by KR Wood.

Their fragile habitat is under threat from invasive plant species and feral goats, making conservation efforts crucial. Researchers are planning further studies to assess the full distribution and conservation needs of the species.

“S. waiahuluensis has a combination of traits that would have been very difficult to predict, and upended our notions about diversity in Schiedea, even after decades of research on this genus.”
Authors Stephen Weller and Ann Sakai from the University of California

Following more than 40 years of research on Schiedea on Kauai, this finding demonstrates the potential for future discoveries of native plants across the Hawaiian Islands through drone technology, and highlights the burgeoning role of drones in advancing conservation efforts and preventing plant extinctions.

Steep mountain landscape with a green plant growing out of rock cracks. — *Schiedea waiahuluensis* habitat. A) Waiahulu branch of Waimea Canyon, drone photo. B) non-collected individual, drone photo. Photos by Ben Nyberg.

“The new development of the NTBG drone program provides a major new tool in biodiversity research that has allowed for better assessment of species distribution and status as shown by drone missions on the inaccessible cliffs of the major canyons on Kauai.

It has revealed populations of species presumed extinct such as the recent rediscovery of Hibiscadelphus woodii, a relative of Hibiscus, mapped populations of Schiedea waiahuluensis, and collected seeds via drone for establishment of a conservation collection of this species.”
Lead author Warren Wagner, a research botanist at the Smithsonian Institution

While drone-technology innovators were not likely thinking about botany, Schiedea waiahuluensis serves as a reminder that science can benefit from technologic advancements from seemingly unrelated fields.

For another ‘miraculous’ discovery, read our blog on Amalophyllon miraculum, an incredible little plant from Ecuador!

¡Que Vive Centinela! A tiny new plant species reaffirms the “miraculous” survival of Western Ecuador’s ravished biodiversity

Original study:

Wagner WL, Weller SG, Sakai AK, Nyberg B, Wood KR (2024) Schiedea waiahuluensis (Caryophyllaceae), an enigmatic new species from Kaua’i, Hawaiian Islands and the first species discovered by a drone collection system. PhytoKeys 247: 111-121. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.247.130241

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New species of clearwing moth from Guyana discovered in Wales

It was discovered after two Welsh specimens were accidentally brought into Europe in a boot bag brought back from a photography trip to Guyana.

A new species of clearwing moth, Carmenta brachyclados, has been found in Port Talbot, Wales, and described by Natural History Museum scientists
Not a native to the UK, the moth is a denizen of the tropical jungles of South America
The two Welsh specimens had been accidentally brought into Europe, in a boot bag brought back from a photography trip to Guyana

Carmenta brachyclados. Photo by Mark Sterling

A new species of moth has been described far away from home following a cross-continent detective journey that included Natural History Museum scientists from separate fields, a budding young ecologist with a knack for community science, a globe-trotting photographer, and two moths new to science which travelled over 4,500 miles from their native country.

An individual of Carmenta brachyclados on the finger of Daisy Cadet. Photo by Daisy Cadet

The species is a clearwing moth and has been named Carmenta brachyclados, in reference to a characteristically short hindwing vein. Despite having never been catalogued in its native country, Guyana, a surprising sequence of events led to its being described after being spotted flying around a home in Port Talbot, Wales.

In February this year, the new species was spotted flying around the home of ecologist Daisy Cadet and her mother, Ashleigh, a professional photographer. Captured by the moth’s striking appearance, which stood out as being out of the ordinary for a house moth in the UK during winter, Daisy uploaded an image to social media which set the chain of events into motion.

Daisy was referred to Natural History Museum lepidoptera experts, Mark Sterling and David Lees, having been advised she had stumbled upon something out of the ordinary by social media users. Mark and David started seeking a match of the Wales specimens in terms of appearance to the clearwing collection contained within the 13.5 million Lepidoptera specimens housed at the NHM – the world’s largest and most diverse collection.

Taking the investigation a step further, Sterling and Lees aided by the museum’s Jordan Beasley, carried out DNA sequencing on the moth and found that its closest match was a group of seed-feeding clearwing moths, Carmenta, which occur in Central America and South America. This finding prompted Daisy to look inside Ashleigh’s bag, which had accompanied her on a photography assignment in Guyana.

Two delicate pupal casings, still intact, were found among the mud from the boots she’d worn on the trip along with a small piece of woody vegetation with what looked like bore holes made by the caterpillars of the moths.

Mora excelsa plant fragment from which clearwings emerged with 50 p piece. Photo by Mark Sterling

Mark Sterling, a Scientific Associate at the Natural History Museum, commented: “Clearwing moths are notoriously difficult to find, even by professional entomologists. They are even more difficult to rear from larvae or pupae, which usually dry out or go mouldy within a few days of collection.

“The chances of two clearwing moths from the Neotropics successfully emerging in South Wales, over three months after they arrived, in cold Welsh winter, and being preserved in good condition, is extraordinary.”

“The improbability of this event defies rational explanation. However, whilst in Guyana, Ashleigh was told that if she left an offering of tobacco to the jungle spirits she would be shown something beautiful from the jungle, so that is what she did. We conclude in the paper that it must have been very good tobacco.”

Dr David Lees, Senior Curator for Microlepidoptera at the Natural History Museum, added: “To add to the improbability of this story is the fact that due to the incredible piece of community science from Daisy, we have photographs of a living holotype (an original specimen which forms the basis of the name and description of that species), which is highly unusual.”

A live female individual of Carmenta brachyclados. Photo by Daisy Cadet

Along with now having a country of origin for this new species, they also had a small piece of the host plant on which the larvae had evidently fed. The plant fragment was sent to Natural History Museum botanist, Sandy Knapp, who advised it was likely to be a seed pod of a species of Mora, a suggestion confirmed by DNA sequencing by Jordan. A large leguminous tree, Mora excelsa grows in the jungles of Central America and South America.

Map of Guyana showing the most likely sampling positions (white circles: Turtle Mountains and Iwokrama Forest/Iwokrama River Lodge) for the seedpod of *Mora excelsa* with the two live pupae of *Carmenta brachyclados* inside. Credit: Google Earth/Landsat/Copernicus/Rivers_Guyana.mkl/Guyana regions english.png (CC by 2.5).

The final step was to compare Daisy’s moth specimens to the vast number of species within the Carmenta genus – where only half of the 100 described species have been DNA barcoded. Using analyses of DNA and the specimens’ body plan compared to others on record, Mark and David concluded that this was indeed an undescribed species.

This paper ‘A success for community science: Carmenta brachyclados sp. nov. (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae, Synanthedonini), a clearwing moth from Guyana discovered with its hostplant indoors in Wales (United Kingdom)’ was published in Nota Lepidopterologica and can be accessed here https://nl.pensoft.net/issue/4736/

Research article:

Sterling MJ, Cadet DT, Beasley J, Lees DC (2024) A success for community science: Carmenta brachyclados sp. nov. (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae, Synanthedonini), a clearwing moth from Guyana discovered with its hostplant indoors in Wales (United Kingdom). Nota Lepidopterologica 47: 201-218. https://doi.org/10.3897/nl.47.130138

Forgotten species: the crucial role of taxonomy and natural history collections in saving lost biodiversity

As a growing number of species face extinction, both researchers and the general public tend to focus on attractive, well-known and charismatic fauna and flora. But what about the species that have disappeared from scientific recognition altogether?

Research published in our open-access journal Nature Conservation sheds light on how historic taxonomic errors and misinterpretations have led to the disappearance of many species from science’s radar, highlighting the crucial role that taxonomy and natural history collections (NHCs) can play in rediscovering and conserving biodiversity.

Research paper: ‘Lost species, neglected taxonomy, and the role of natural history collections and synonymization in the identification of the World’s forgotten biodiversity’ by Spartaco Gippoliti, Simone Farina and Franco Andreone.

Forgotten species and taxonomic inertia

Many species that were described long ago have been overlooked due to erroneous synonymisation, a process whereby one species is mistakenly classified under another’s name, generally because of the scarce number of specimens available. These species, the authors now refer to as ‘long-lost synonymised species,’ can fall out of awareness for decades, even centuries.

The 20th century saw a general trend of ‘lumping’ species together, reducing the number of recognised taxa, especially within well-known vertebrate groups. Taxonomic inertia – the persistence of outdated classifications – has caused many species to remain under-recognised, with their conservation statuses too often overlooked. This problem is described among better-known vertebrates, but is also likely present in some of the best studied invertebrates.

The importance of natural history collections

More than simply relics of the past, natural history collections provide a contemporary and essential resource for taxonomists working to untangle these historical errors. Museum specimens allow scientists to re-examine old classifications, using modern tools and methods to correct mistakes and uncover new taxa. Recent advances in ‘museomics’ – the study of genetic material from museum specimens – have opened new possibilities for species identification and conservation.

A 'Geoffroy's cat' laying in grass. — *Leopardus geoffroyi*. Credit: diegocarau via iNaturalist.

Such breakthroughs have led to the revalidation of the Neotropical genus Leopardus and the African wolf, Canis anthus, which had been synonymised for decades. Without natural history collections and the associated holotypes, the nomenclature of these species might have remained obscured, and their conservation needs unmet or delayed.

Natural History Collections and Museomics

Pensoft recently launched a new journal titled Natural History Collections and Museomics (NHCM).The publication comes at a pivotal moment in which taxonomists face the challenges of dwindling resources and fewer scientists entering the field. Through the publication of important open-access research, the journal aims to play a crucial role in bridging the gap between traditional taxonomy and modern conservation efforts.

New Diamond OA journal Natural History Collections and Museomics launches on ARPHA Platform

Furthermore, by highlighting the essential role of taxonomy and natural history collections, NHCM will support the rediscovery of species long lost to science and help to conserve the world’s forgotten biodiversity. As the field of museomics grows, so too does the hope of rediscovering species that have been hidden in plain sight. The new journal already benefits from a competent and varied editorial board, including two of the authors of the Nature Conservation paper, Franco Andreone and Spartaco Gippoliti.

If the scientific community rally behind taxonomy and natural history collections, ensuring these vital tools are integrated into future biodiversity assessments, we can hope to preserve not just the species we know, but those we have forgotten.

Original source:

Gippoliti S, Farina S, Andreone F (2024) Lost species, neglected taxonomy, and the role of natural history collections and synonymization in the identification of the World’s forgotten biodiversity. Nature Conservation 56: 119-126. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.56.132036