Biogeographia – The Journal of Integrative Biogeography

This study investigates the north-eastern distributional limits of four short-winged endemic Orthoptera from the north-western Alps: Anonconotus ghilianii, A. pusillus, Epipodisma pedemontana, and Stenobothrus ursulae. Their spatial and altitudinal distributions were addressed within the Special Protection Area (SPA) IT1202020 “Mont Avic and Mont Emilius”, including the Mont Avic Natural Park, representing the north-eastern biogeographical margin for A. pusillus, E. pedemontana, and S. ursulae. In contrast, A. ghilianii occurs in the area as a small and isolated population of particular biogeographical interest. For comparison, two additional short-winged species with broader European ranges, Bohemanella frigida and Podisma pedestris, were also examined. A total of 258 records collected during 2020–2021 allowed the reconstruction of fine-scale distribution patterns within the study area. Most records (91.5%) were obtained above 1,950 m, highlighting the strong altitudinal affinity of these taxa. Higher upper altitudinal limits were documented for E. pedemontana (2,842 m a.s.l.) and S. ursulae (3,074 m), while the other two endemic species were confirmed at their upper elevational thresholds, with occurrences recorded in this study at 2,482 m for A. ghilianii and 2,827 m for A. pusillus. The spatial and altitudinal patterns observed are discussed in a broader Alpine context, and the distribution ranges of the four endemic species are interpreted in relation to adjacent mountainous sectors. The discussion of the genus Anonconotus also includes two additional species distributed adjacent to the study area, A. alpinus and A. occidentalis. These findings contribute to a better understanding of peripheral range dynamics, high-altitude biogeographical structuring, and the biogeographical history of endemic short-winged Orthoptera of the north-western Alps.

The conditioning variables for the establishment of Amblypygi populations and their ecological interactions are currently poorly studied. Delving deeper into this can help to conserve this group of short-range distribution species, which are useful as a model in biogeographic research. In this study, we evaluated the distribution and overlapping patterns of ecological niche in six species of amblypygids (Phrynus araya, P. panche, P. pulchripes, Heterophrynus batesii, H. boterorum, H. cervinus) in the Andean and Amazonian ecosystems of Colombia, revealing a clear biogeographic segregation driven by environmental gradients: Phrynus species were associated with inter-Andean valleys with high thermal and water seasonality.  While the Heterophrynus occupied more stable and humid conditions of foothills and middle elevations. Overlap analyses showed significant divergence (e.g., D=0.105 between P. panche and H. batesii), with high unfilling values (up to 73.2%), indicating limited niche overlap and habitat specialization, although historical coexistence was detected in certain pairs of species (e.g., 99.1% stability between H. cervinus and H. boterorum). In the future, the integration of ecological niche modeling (ENM) with phylogeographic and behavioral approaches will be crucial for identifying niche partitioning mechanisms and optimizing conservation strategies for endemic taxa in complex tropical landscapes.

Macroinvertebrate communities in the Upper Loukkos basin (northern Morocco) exhibited marked spatio-temporal variability across contrasting hydrological phases, reflecting the dynamic nature of Mediterranean intermittent systems. Sampling at 18 sites, comprising both protected and impacted reaches, during post-flood and post-drought periods (2014–2015), revealed a total of 102 species. Assemblage composition changed across seasons and sites, largely driven by hydroseasonal dynamics, habitat connectivity, and environmental gradients. Chorological patterns showed a clear predominance of taxa associated with Mediterranean biogeographical affinities, with endemic species accounting for 25% of the assemblage. Protected headwater sites supported higher diversity and a greater proportion of specialist taxa, particularly under post-drought conditions, highlighting their role in maintaining community structure under hydrological variability. Some groups, notably Coleoptera, persisted under low-flow conditions, demonstrating both resistance and recolonisation capacity. Community structure was primarily shaped by interacting environmental and seasonal filters, with a noticeable decline in sensitive lotic taxa, especially during dry periods. Multivariate analyses showed a diffuse community structure across sites and seasons, reflecting the combined effects of hydroseasonal dynamics and environmental gradients on biotic assemblages. Our results indicate that the Upper Loukkos basin acts as a micro-reserve interface, where geographic position, historical context, and topographic complexity contribute to the maintenance of regionally distinctive biodiversity within the western Mediterranean. This highlights the need to integrate multi-scale environmental drivers into biomonitoring frameworks, particularly in intermittent systems where community dynamics remain closely constrained by hydrological variability and where disturbance-sensitive taxa appear especially vulnerable.

Ant mimicry is a key defensive strategy of Colobopsis ants in the West Palaearctic. The chameleon ant Colobopsis imitans was initially described as a Western Mediterranean species, differing from the widespread sister species Co. truncata by showing morphological and behavioural adaptations to mimic Crematogaster scutellaris instead of Dolichoderus quadripunctatus. Recently, it was discovered to extend its geographic range to the Eastern Mediterranean and to mimic additional species of ants, including D. quadripunctatus and Cr. ionia. Here, we report the presence of Co. imitans in Lebanon for the first time. Lebanese Co. imitans workers were observed living in close association and following the trails of Cr. ionia and belonged to the Cr. ionia-mimicking “dark” colour morph. The Lebanese record represents the first of the species from the Levant, while old Co. truncata records from the region should be considered dubious.

Sporadic sampling over the last decade in the Canary Islands has yielded three added non-native species. One new: Monomorium sahlbergi Emery, 1898 from Los Cristianos (Tenerife); and two recovered: Hypoponera ergatandria (Forel, 1893) from Caldera de Taburiente and Puntagorda (La Palma) and Trichomyrmex destructor (Jerdon, 1851) from San Andrés (Tenerife). In addition, Tapinoma cf. simrothi Krausse, 1911, recently recorded in Fuerteventura, was found in Gran Canaria and is proposed as a cryptogenic species. None currently appears to pose a significant invasive threat. A century after being collected there, and despite having been officially deleted from the BioCan Catalogue, T. destructor is still established at the Playa de las Teresitas (San Andrés; Tenerife). The number of non-native ant species in the Canary Islands has risen to 32, with an exponential trend in recent decades.

The microscopic meiofauna dwelling freshwater and limnoterrestrial habitats remain poorly documented, despite representing an important, yet unseen, part of those ecosystems. Here, we report the results of a faunistic survey workshop intended to improve our knowledge of meiofauna diversity and distribution in a protected area: the Lake District National Park, UK. The survey workshop provided 299 occurrence records of 209 distinct morphological taxa of meiofauna belonging to 46 families, 24 orders and 11 phyla. These records are made publicly available through a shared online dataset. The highest number of taxa belonged to Arthropoda (58 taxa; i.e. 28% of records), followed by Rotifera (33; 16%), heterotrophic unicellular eukaryotes (30; 14%), Nematoda (26; 12%), Annelida (20; 10%), Tardigrada (19; 9%), Gastrotricha (12; 6%), and Platyhelminthes (11; 5%). Moss samples returned the highest number of taxa occurrences (136), followed by periphyton (54), epipsammon (34), interstitial (25), plankton (17), peat bogs (16), forest litter (7), soil (6), epizoic lifestyle on crustaceans (2), and lichen (2). By documenting a wide range of habitats and taxonomic groups, this survey workshop contributes to filling knowledge gaps on the distribution of meiofaunal taxa in nearly pristine freshwater and temperate rainforest ecosystems. The second role of  the survey workshop was offering a 15-day field and laboratory training programme for a group of early career researchers, providing hands-on experience in morphotaxonomic identification, molecular barcoding techniques and finally in analysing and communicating the results in the form of the current publication.