The state of biodiversity in Kuwait

This report is based on extensive literature search to reveal the elements of animal and plan biodiversity in the State of Kuwait, and points out missing information on other little-known groups. Despite its small area, Kuwait enjoys a rich fauna, given its desert and marine habitats. Hundreds of published scientific papers and reference books were reviewied to amass all species, fauna and flora, that were reported from Kuwait. Conservation status for several groups according to the IUCN listing are included.

First finding of a fossilized Cantharidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) from the Middle Miocene deposits in Romania

The extraordinary fossil sites of Vlădiceni (Iaşi, Romania) recently discovered, with lithostratigraphy of Middle Miocene age, have uncovered a rich fauna especially of fishes, molluscs, amphipods and insects. This includes also the first fossil specimen of family Cantharidae from both this geological formation and from Romania: Malthodes (Malthodes) vladiceniensis sp. nov., which is illustrated and described and compared with living and fossil species of the genus.

Cultural and Identity Values of the Rugova Region in Function to Develop Tourism in Kosovo

Natural and socio-cultural heritage for the tourism development of a country or different countries of the world is a prerequisite for sustainable development. Monuments of nature and culture are part of the identity of a nation and important factors of its economic and social development. Monuments of nature and culture, handicrafts, cooking, etc., can be opportunities as an object of construction of tourist projects. Rugova region is known for a series of rich characteristics such as: Wild trees, forests, lakes, rich fauna and flora, mountain tourism, water resources, cultural values, especially in the category of Epic, folklore, toponyms, traditional Rugova man's clothing, woman and girl, white scarf as a special feature of the elderly inhabitants of the area, etc., which indicate a place that still produces traditional values. There is also a tradition of food, a tradition of towers, special architectural construction that enables the development and use of natural resources. The production and processing of medicinal plants also enables a contribution to mountain tourism. The research method was used to use all existing literature on cultural heritage and tourism development in the mountainous region of Rugova. Various studies and publications of local and foreign archaeologists, sociologists and scholars on cultural heritage and mountain tourism have been used.

Two turtles with soft tissue preservation from the platy limestones of Germany provide evidence for marine flipper adaptations in Late Jurassic thalassochelydians

Late Jurassic deposits across Europe have yielded a rich fauna of extinct turtles. Although many of these turtles are recovered from marine deposits, it is unclear which of these taxa are habitually marine and which may be riverine species washed into nearby basins, as adaptations to open marine conditions are yet to be found. Two new fossils from the Late Jurassic of Germany provide unusually strong evidence for open marine adaptations. The first specimen is a partial shell and articulated hind limb from the Late Jurassic (early Tithonian) platy limestones of Schernfeld near Eichstätt, which preserves the integument of the hind limb as an imprint. The skin is fully covered by flat, polygonal scales, which stiffen the pes into a paddle. Although taxonomic attribution is not possible, similarities are apparent with Thalassemys. The second specimen is a large, articulated skeleton with hypertrophied limbs referable to Thalassemys bruntrutana from the Late Jurassic (early Late Kimmeridgian) platy limestone of Wattendorf, near Bamberg. Even though the skin is preserved as a phosphatic film, the scales are not preserved. This specimen can nevertheless be inferred to have had paddles stiffened by scales based on the pose in which they are preserved, the presence of epibionts between the digits, and by full morphological correspondence to the specimen from Schernfeld. An analysis of scalation in extant turtles demonstrated that elongate flippers stiffed by scales are a marine adaptation, in contrast to the elongate but flexible flippers of riverine turtles. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that Thalassemys bruntrutana is referable to the mostly Late Jurassic turtle clade Thalassochelydia. The marine adapted flippers of this taxon therefore evolved convergently with those of later clades of marine turtles. Although thalassochelydian fossils are restricted to Europe, with one notable exception from Argentina, their open marine adaptations combined with the interconnectivity of Jurassic oceans predict that the clade must have been even more wide-spread during that time.

MACROINFAUNA INTERMAREAL DAS PRAIAS ARENOSAS DO LITORAL DE ARACAJU, SERGIPE, REGIÃO NORDESTE DO BRASIL = INTERTIDAL MACROINFAUNA OF THE ARACAJU SANDY BEACHES, SERGIPE, NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

Praias arenosas são ambientes altamente dinâmicos que abrigam uma rica fauna adaptada às condições de instabilidade dos sedimentos. Nesse estudo, a estrutura e a composição da macrofauna de quatro praias arenosas do litoral de Aracaju (Sergipe, NE do Brasil) foram analisadas. As praias foram classificadas, em sua maioria, como dissipativas. O número total de espécies variou entre 14 e 17 espécies, enquanto que a densidade média total variou entre 65,50±9,29 e 169,50±30,52 indivíduos/m², sendo o bivalve Donax gemmula e os poliquetas Hemipodia californiensis e Orbinia sp. as espécies mais abundantes. Diferenças observadas na macrofauna provavelmente refletem os diferentes graus de urbanização e/ou intensidade de uso das praias analisadas. Quando comparado com outras praias do litoral sudeste e sul do Brasil, os valores de riqueza de espécies foram semelhantes, no entanto, os valores de densidade foram extremamente baixos, corroborando com o padrão latitudinal o qual prediz uma redução na abundância das espécies de zonas temperadas em direção à zona tropical.ABSTRACTSandy beaches are highly dynamics environments which harbor a rich fauna adapted to sediment instability. In this study, the number of species and the density of the intertidal macrofauna of the four sandy beaches of the Aracaju coast (Sergipe, NE Brazil) were analyzed. The beaches were classified as dissipative. The number of species ranged from 14 to 17 species, whereas total density ranged from 65.50±9.29 to 169.50±30.52 individuals/m². The bivalve Donax gemmula and the polychaete Hemipodia californiensis and Orbinia sp. were the most abundant species. Observed differences in the intertidal macrofauna probably reflect the different urbanization levels and/or intensity of use of the analyzed beaches. When compared to others beaches of the southern/south region of the Brazil, the number of species values were quite similar. However, density values were extremely lower, corroborating with previous latitudinal patterns, where decrease in the macrofauna abundance from temperate to tropical beaches are expected.

LITHOBIOTOPES OF THE NEMEGT GOBI BASIN

Three distinct but overlapping dinosaur-dominated faunas characterize the Upper Cretaceous Djadokhta, Baruungoyot and Nemegt formations of the Nemegt Basin of Mongolia. Documented faunal differences cannot be explained easily by temporal succession, but can be understood in the light of physical processes controlling life, death, and burial of taxa. The stratigraphy of the Gobi Desert region records tectonically driven geometries, clearly documenting preservational processes different than those acting in most other dinosaur-dominated beds worldwide. Small, asymmetric tectonic grabens were filled with Upper Cretaceous, dinosaur bearing deposits showing asymmetric distributions of facies, here termed Lithobiotopes. The water-lain fluvial and alluvial plain facies of the Nemegt Lithobiotope supported and preserved a fauna dominated by gigantic dinosaurs, but had a preservational bias against smaller animals. The Nemegt passed laterally into interdune facies of the Baruungoyot Lithobiotope, which represented a hostile environment for large species, but preserved smaller animals. This in turn passed laterally into the aeolianite facies of the Djadokhta Lithobiotope, which is characterized by remains of small dinosaurs and a rich fauna of other animals. The Nemegt Gobi Basin can be visualized as an oasis with a central pond supplied with water from ephemeral channels and surrounded by a semi-arid alluvial plain and dune fields.

Palaeoecological analysis of maximum flooding zones from the Tithonian (Upper Jurassic) of the Kachchh Basin, western India

The siliciclastic Jhuran Formation of the Kachchh Basin, a rift basin bordering the Malagasy Seaway, documents the filling of the basin during the late syn-rift stage. The marine, more than 700-m-thick Tithonian part of the succession in the western part of the basin is composed of highly asymmetric transgressive–regressive cycles and is nearly unfossiliferous except for two intervals, the Lower Tithonian Hildoglochiceras Bed (HB) and the upper Lower Tithonian to lowermost Cretaceous Green Ammonite Beds (GAB). Both horizons represent maximum flooding zones (MFZ) and contain a rich fauna composed of ammonites and benthic macroinvertebrates. Within the HB the benthic assemblages change, concomitant with an increase in the carbonate content, from the predominantly infaunal “Lucina” rotundata to the epifaunal Actinostreon marshii and finally to the partly epifaunal, partly infaunal Eoseebachia sowerbyana assemblage. The Green Ammonite Beds are composed of three highly ferruginous beds, which are the MFZ of transgressive–regressive cycles forming the MFZ of a 3rd-order depositional sequence. The GAB are highly ferruginous, containing berthieroid ooids and grains. GAB I is characterized by the reworked Gryphaea moondanensis assemblage, GAB II by an autochthonous high-diversity assemblage dominated by the brachiopods Acanthorhynchia multistriata and Somalithyris lakhaparensis, whereas GAB III is devoid of fossils except for scarce ammonites. The GAB are interpreted to occupy different positions along an onshore–offshore transect with increasing condensation offshore. Integrated analyses of sedimentological, taphonomic, and palaeoecological data allow to reconstruct, in detail, the sequence stratigraphic architecture of sedimentary successions and to evaluate their degree of faunal condensation.

Assessment of deep demersal fish fauna diversity of the Colombian Caribbean Sea

We compiled georeferenced records of deep demersal fishes from the Colombian Caribbean Sea in order to assess the level of survey coverage and geographic completeness of species richness inventories at a scale of 15 minutes by 15 minutes cells, in view of threats from fishing and oil and natural gas exploration. We identified a rich fauna with a minimum of 362 species registered. Areas with elevated observed and predicted species richness were identified. Survey coverage and geographic richness completeness resulted in being deficient with no cell reaching the status of well-sampled spatial unit and 83% of the Colombian Caribbean exclusive economic zone bottoms unexplored, in particular regarding depths beyond 1000 m. A plea is made for renewed survey efforts with a focus on the protection of the Colombian Caribbean deep-sea biota.

Splitting the leafmining shield-bearer moth genus Antispila Hübner (Lepidoptera, Heliozelidae): North American species with reduced venation placed in Aspilanta new genus, with a review of heliozelid morphology

The new genus Aspilantagen. n. is described to harbour Nearctic heliozelid moths with reduced venation, previously placed in Antispila Hübner, 1825, with type species Antispila oinophylla van Nieukerken & Wagner, 2012. The erection of this genus has become possible now that monophyly has been supported by a recent phylotranscriptomics analysis. Six species are combined in this genus: Aspilanta oinophylla (van Nieukerken & Wagner, 2012), comb. n., A. hydrangaeella (Chambers, 1874), comb. n., A. ampelopsifoliella (Chambers, 1874), comb. n., A. voraginella (Braun, 1927), comb. n., A. argentifera (Braun, 1927), comb. n., A. viticordifoliella (Clemens, 1860), comb. n. and two candidate species are recognised. DNA barcode COI sequences of Malaise trapped specimens suggest a rich fauna of Aspilanta in Central America. All are leafminers, with Vitaceae as main host family, and single species feeding respectively on Hydrangeaceae and Myricaceae. The species are briefly diagnosed, and data on biology, DNA barcodes and distribution are provided. To place the genus in context, a review of heliozelid morphology and phylogeny is presented and a key to Nearctic genera is given. The genus is confined to North and Central America, possibly also occurring in South America. Aspilanta oinophylla is also an invasive species on grapevine in Italy. The genus is sister to Coptodisca Walsingham, 1895. Another species is removed from Antispila: Heliozela eugeniella (Busck, 1900), comb. n., feeding on Eugenia (Myrtaceae), from Florida.

The application of sex attractant traps for studying the Zygaenidae (Lepidoptera) fauna of Albania

In Albania, the Zygaenidae family comprises a relatively rich fauna in the Balkans. They have been studied so far using specimens collected only by using entomological nets or by hand-picking. Two groups of sticky Delta traps baited with: 1) a synthetic sex pheromone compound of the Asian species Illiberis rotundata Jordan, 1907 and its opposite enantiomer, alone and in a mixture, and 2) known sex attractants and experimental lures of the genus Zygaena were used in the field in seven localities in southern Albania in 2017 for studying the Procridinae and Zygaeninae fauna, respectively. Four species belonging to the genera Zygaena, Adscita and Jordanita were captured and identified: Zygaena (Zygaena) filipendulae (Linnaeus, 1758), Zygaena (Agrumenia) carniolica (Scopoli, 1763), Adscita (Tarmannita) mannii (Lederer, 1853) and Jordanita (Tremewania ) notata (Zeller, 1847). A. mannii and J. notata were newly recorded in the Counties of Korçë and Gjirokastër. Z. filipendulae was recorded for the first time in the Gjirokastër County and in the municipalities of Prrenjas (Elbasan County) and Finiq (Vlorë County), while Z. carniolica was newly recorded in Prrenjas municipality. Some other sex attractants did not work for either the target species or for other related ones, which we discuss in relation to species cross attraction and geographical variation.