Volcanic monitoring in Antarctica provides dual benefits by facilitating the study of highly volcanically active yet underexplored regions and by serving as an essential tool for maintaining the safety of both national and international Antarctic bases. Deception Island, one of the most volcanically active areas on the Antarctic continent, is now equipped with an enhanced monitoring system, modernized by the Spanish National Geographic Institute (IGN), which assumed its management in September 2020, pursuant to a protocol established between the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility, and Urban Agenda and Ministry of Science and Innovation. In order to meet the challenging conditions of the polar region, six permanent stainless-steel shelters have been installed over the course of the last four Spanish Antarctic campaigns. Each shelter is outfitted with batteries, solar panels, Wi-Fi and data acquisition systems for seismic and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations. This monitoring network also comprises a station dedicated to measuring temperature within a thermal located where there is the anomaly on the island, a visual surveillance camera, seven seismic stations and six GNSS stations. All data collected are transmitted in real time to IGN headquarters in Madrid through Gabriel de Castilla Base, operated by the Spanish Army. Due to the growing volume of recorded data, it became necessary to upgrade transmission systems, leading to the installation of a next-generation satellite telemetry system during the 2023–2024 campaign. All seismic information is continuously and immediately analysed by the IGN’s National Seismic Network and is stored at the National Polar Data Center, housed within the Marine Technical Unit of the Spanish National Research Council, in accordance with the guidelines of the Spanish Polar Committee. The establishment of this infrastructure on Deception Island delivers a robust operational model that can be replicated in other polar settings, thereby contributing to the advancement of volcanic monitoring across the continent.

The current state of Arctic research and its community continues to exhibit high levels of political polarization and fragmentation by establishing a number of questions regarding the societal relevance of the process and its results for the benefit of present and future generations. The ASSW2025 (Arctic Science Summit Week) conference devoted to the ICARP IV (International Conference on Arctic Research Planning) process took place in Boulder, Colorado (March 2025), and had special importance in this regard. The conference was a summary meeting of the Arctic research planning process for the next 10 years and set the foundation for the upcoming IPY-5 (International Polar Year). The Summit, attended by nearly 1200 international scientists and researchers, Indigenous Knowledge holders, and community members from across the Arctic and beyond, exhibited the lowest ever attendance of Russian Arctic scientists representing Russian science organizations. This group studies and advocates for almost half of the Arctic’s social and human capital (roughly 2.4 million people live in Arctic Russia). In order to preserve scientific discourse and guarantee the societal and environmental benefits of science for the fragile socio-ecological systems of polar regions and their delicate geopolitics, effective transition strategies and approaches should be taken into consideration where possible.

Numerous fish microremains, including diverse chondrichthyans, have been recovered for the first time in the Carboniferous–lower Permian of the Naqing, Narao, and Shanglong deep-water sections from Guizhou Province, South China, as well as in the Serpukhovian–lower Bashkirian of the Sholaksay section from Kazakhstan. The richest assemblage was found in the Bashkirian strata of the three South China sections. These findings are the first reliable record of Pennsylvanian fishes in China. The fish assemblage from the Sholaksay section and the Bashkirian of China closely resemble those from the same interval in the Aksu section, Uzbekistan. All studied fish faunas from these three Asian regions are associated with the Paleotethys. Notably, while Bashkirian chondrichthyan faunas generally exhibit low taxonomical diversity in many regions of the world, the deep-water fish assemblages from South China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan are characterized by high taxonomical diversity. The fish fauna includes widely distributed chondrichthyan taxa; however, Gissarodus occurs only in these three Asian regions.

Determining factors that regulate insect–plant interactions is of great interest in tropical forest ecology. However, our understanding of these factors across vertical stratification in tropical rainforests remains limited. We examined the effects of seasonality, microclimate, and leaf traits on insect herbivory and arthropod dynamics across vertical forest stratification in a weakly seasonal tropical rainforest in Papua New Guinea. We surveyed insect herbivory and arthropods on seven dominant tree species at 5 m increments from 1 m to 30 m, three times during both dry and wet seasons. We assessed insect herbivory on 9,425 leaves and collected 3,445 arthropods from 407.07 m2 of foliage. Herbivory decreased non-linearly with forest height and was highest during the wet season. Herbivorous arthropod density mirrored this pattern, peaking at the onset of the rainy season and remaining low at the start of the dry season and the end of the wet season. Predatory arthropod densities peaked in the canopy at the beginning of the wet season. Temperature, leaf dry matter content, and leaf toughness increased with forest height, while specific leaf area decreased. We conclude that forest stratification and seasonality play vital roles in mediating the rate of insect herbivory and arthropod community dynamics in the tropical lowland rainforest of Papua New Guinea.

Despite the lesser preservation of bat fossils compared to karstic sites, fluviolacustrine deposits are of crucial importance for assessing the local palaeodiversity of bats. This was confirmed by three faunas from the upper Miocene of Slovakia (Borský Svätý Jur, MN9; Studienka A, MN9; Krásno, MN11), which comprise seven species—Miostrellus cf. Miostrellus noctuloides (Lartet, 1851), Myotis cf. Myotis murinoides (Lartet, 1851), ‘Otonycteris’ sp. indet., Miniopterus sp. indet., Vespertilionidae gen. indet. sp. indet. 1, Vespertilionidae gen. indet. sp. indet. 2, and Rhinolophus cf. Rhinolophus grivensis Depéret, 1892. Bats represent ~ 1.40% of the small mammal remains from Borský Svätý Jur, ~ 0.25% of those from Studienka A, and ~ 1.78% of those from Krásno. The MN11 fauna from Krásno consists of six distinct species, which is unusual for a Miocene fluviolacustrine deposit. Most likely, this is the consequence of the relatively high frequency of bats in the taphocoenosis, therefore providing a more complete and more accurate picture of the Carpathian late Miocene bat faunas. This material encourages the study of fluviolacustrine deposits to unravel the cryptic diversity of Neogene taxa.

Recording the epiphytic lichen flora in Amsterdam on 576 trees distributed over eight common lane tree species shows that the urban epiphytic diversity alone is considerable, representing 15.2%, or 100 species, of the total lichen diversity in the Netherlands. The species recorded include many rarities and some that can be viewed as urban opportunists. Trees bear 15 lichen species on average but are greatly influenced by local factors. Species-specific bark qualities such as water-holding capacity, texture and bark-shedding, influence species richness greatly but are often overshadowed by dominant environmental factors. Tree species with a higher water-holding capacity and texture generally bear the highest species richness. Bark qualities are more indicative of species richness than tree species, showing few significant differences between species richness linked to tree species. Platanus × hispanica is the only observed species whose frequent bark shedding causes it to consistently have the lowest lichen species richness, regardless of environmental factors. In general, bark desiccation and eutrophication are the most dominant factors in influencing urban epiphytic lichen diversity, resulting in xerophytic and nitrophytic lichen species being the most common. Pollution is no longer observed to be the main limiting factor for urban lichen diversity as it was in the past. Instead, bark desiccation associated with the Urban Heat Island (UHI) and low air humidity (drought) is the most damaging factor in contemporary urban conditions in Amsterdam, but it rarely reduces species richness to zero or near zero levels. Areas in which eutrophication and desiccation are much less dominant were repeatedly observed. Such areas sometimes showed local dominance of acidophytes or other distinctive communities. In line with long-term improvements to Dutch air quality, the city now offers a niche to a wider range of species. Three ecological groups (acidophytic, lithophytic-minerotrophic, xerophytic-nitrophytic) are described in this context to characterize reoccurring lichen communities in the city that are indicative of contemporary urban conditions. The term ‘lithification’ is proposed in an ecological context to describe the frequently observed urban phenomenon of tree bark taking on the properties of rock and consequently bearing lithophytic communities. Additionally, we show the potential use of lichen species and ecological groups to monitor urban climate factors such as the UHI on a very local and accurate scale.

The dhole Cuon alpinus is a large canid that is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and at risk of global extinction. Information on the spatial distribution of suitable habitat is important for conservation planning but is largely unavailable. We quantified the spatial distribution of potential range as well as the relative probability of dhole occurrence across large parts of the species’ global range. We used the MaxEnt algorithm to produce a multi-scale environmental niche model based on 24 environmental variables and dhole occurrence data from 12 countries. We identified three regions where dhole conservation should be focused: western India, central India, and across the Himalayan foothills through Southeast Asia. Connectivity between suitable areas was poor, so coordinated action among these regions should be a priority. For instance, transboundary dhole conservation initiatives across the Himalayas from southern China, Myanmar, north-east India, Nepal and Bhutan need to be initiated. We also highlight the value of improving dhole population viability on unprotected land and increasing monitoring in the northern parts of its historic distribution, in particular in areas within mainland China.

Drosophila suzukii is a significant pest of soft- and thin-skinned fruit crops. Synthetic pesticides remain the primary control method; however, their use raises concerns about insect resistance and harmful pesticide residues in produce. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA), a plant growth regulator in the jasmonate family, plays a key role in plant defence against herbivores and has been identified as a repellent for arthropods of medical and veterinary relevance. This study examined the effect of MeJA on D. suzukii female oviposition and adult behaviour using two-choice bioassays. In a two-choice cage, doses above 1287.5 µg/filter paper deterred D. suzukii females from oviposition by more than 90% on artificial fruits. Using a two-choice planar olfactometer, MeJA also repelled both sexes with median repellent dose (RD50) values of 55.24 µg/filter paper for females, 55.03 µg/filter paper for males, and 55.14 µg/filter paper for total adults. Interestingly, MeJA demonstrated a dose-dependent dual effect: at 309.0 µg/filter paper, it functioned as a bio-repellent, while lower doses (3.86–15.45 µg/filter paper) acted as an attractant. This dual effect suggests that MeJA could serve as both a repellent and an attractant depending on its dose, with potential applications as a lure in traps.

Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), commonly known as the fall armyworm (FAW), is an invasive pest known for its rapid migration, strong adaptability, and wide host range. Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are a specific class of Hsps associated with the molecular mechanisms of insect growth and development and the response to abiotic stresses, such as extreme temperatures, ultraviolet (UV) rays, and pesticides. Herein, six sHsps, SfsHsp11.2, SfsHsp15.8, SfsHsp20.2, SfsHsp21.4, SfsHsp22, and SfsHsp26.6, were successfully cloned and identified from FAW. The six SfsHsps all have an α-crystallin domain in their amino acid sequences. Furthermore, we investigated the expression patterns of these six SfsHsps in different tissues and developmental stages of FAW using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Their expression levels in adult FAW were also analysed under extreme temperatures (36°C and 4°C) and UV-A stress for different durations (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min). Our findings revealed distinct expression profiles for the six SfsHsps in different FAW tissues and developmental stages. Notably, under temperature and UV-A stress, most SfsHsp genes were significantly upregulated in adults. Our findings strongly indicate that SfsHsps are crucial in the development and stress response of S. frugiperda.

This work describes and discusses Permian ammonoid faunas collected in two stratigraphic sections from the Las Delicias Formation of Coahuila state, northern Mexico. The taxa identified comprise 18 species, including Demarezites quirozii new species, as well as Mexicoceras smithi (Miller and Furnish, 1940), a variety of Mexicoceras guadalupense (Girty, 1908) here upgraded to specific status. The systematic analysis of the species found allowed us to recognize two middle Permian faunal zones, represented in ascending order by the Waagenoceras dieneri-Adrianites elegans Biozone from the Wordian and the Timorites schucherti-Cibolites uddeni Biozone from the Capitanian. Thus, the relative age of the Las Difuntas-18 section is established as Wordian (middle Guadalupian), whereas the Las Manuelas I section is Wordian–Capitanian (middle–upper Guadalupian). Both ammonoid zones are correlated with those recorded in Guadalupian outcrops from the southern USA, northeastern Japan, and southern China. This faunal resemblance between Mexican ammonoids and those taxa reported in these regions (USA, Japan, and China) supports the proposal that during the middle Guadalupian there was a marine corridor through the Panthalassa Ocean, which could have connected the Paleotethys and North American regions. It should be noted that ammonoids of both studied sections from the Las Delicias Formation were correlated better with West Texas (USA) and British Columbia (Canada) faunas, which are included in the North American Realm.

UUID: https://zoobank.org/60c6c43c-6536-4fbf-a372-c610bec86626