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Gveleshapia kvevri gen. et sp. nov . represents the first formally described species of Islamiinae from the Caucasus, extending the distribution of this subfamily far beyond its traditionally outlined Mediterranean range. The new taxon was discovered during fieldwork in 2021–2022 in Mandaeti village, Imereti, Georgia. Morphological examination of seven ethanol-preserved specimens and six empty shells, combined with phylogenetic analysis, confirms its distinct taxonomic status. The genus is characterized by an elongate-conical shell with up to 5.2 whorls, trilobate penis morphology, and the absence of a bursa copulatrix in the female reproductive system. Phylogenetic reconstruction places Gveleshapia kvevri sp. nov . within a highly supported clade as sister to Islamia valvataeformis (Möllendorff, 1873) and Alzoniella braccoensis Bodon & Cianfanelli, 2004. The species is known from two spring localities 1.7 km apart, confirming its critically restricted stygobiont distribution. The findings highlight the taxonomic instability of Islamiinae, which appears paraphyletic in molecular analyses; the Caucasian lineage of Gveleshapia kvevri sp. nov . further underscores the need for a comprehensive systematic revision. The localized distribution and anthropogenic pressures warrant conservation consideration.

We evaluated progress towards animal biodiversity research in Georgia, a key area in the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot. By reviewing recently (1990–2018) published articles in all areas of animal diversity research, we unmasked the trends in biodiversity inventory, ecological and biogeographical studies, and conservation issues in Georgia. We concluded that species inventory and biodiversity research in Georgia has significantly increased during the last ten years, however the rate and extent of investigation is far from satisfactory. Major gaps remain in all branches of animal diversity research in Georgia, and consequently existing knowledge is inadequate to address modern challenges related to species and ecosystem conservation. We urge local governmental authorities and international scientific societies to support development of stronger research facilities and cultivate interest in biodiversity inventory and research in Georgia as an important step towards maintaining globally important biodiversity in the Caucasus.

In the present study, we aim to provide an inventory of digenetic trematodes (Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea) from Georgia including records from the freshwater, marine and terrestrial realms. The checklist is based on a critical review of data from 109 papers, 11 monographs and four Ph.D. theses published between 1935 and 2019 and our new records. The checklist includes information on synonymy, the host species, site of infection, geographical distribution and bibliographical references. The present data will serve as a baseline for further studies on trematodes from Georgia focused on integrative taxonomy, life-cycle elucidation, parasite ecology and epidemiology. We compiled data on the digenean trematode fauna of Georgia, which is represented by 186 species (of these 173 identified to species level) belonging to 108 genera, 47 families and 17 superfamilies. This is the first checklist of the digeneans of Georgia. The majority of digenean species were recorded as adults (160 species), only a small fraction being found as cercariae (33 species) or metacercariae (24 species), in their first or second intermediate hosts, respectively. Predominantly, records of trematodes (62 species) from birds were found, followed by those parasitising fish (50 species, i.e. 32 species as adults and 18 as metacercariae), mammals (33 species) and amphibians (25 species, i.e. 23 species as adults and 2 as metacercariae), with the least number of species reported from reptiles (12 species, i.e. 9 species as adults and 3 as metacercariae). Adult digeneans recorded together with another life-cycle stage (metacercariae and/or cercariae) comprised 28 species, i.e. for 15% of the total trematode species number, a part of their life-cycle is known.

The South Caucasus Region and Georgia, in particular, is a biodiversity hotspot and characterised by high diversity of landscapes and ecosystems, as well as high levels of endemism. At the same time, diversity of freshwater organisms in the region remains poorly studied, including fishes. The freshwater fish fauna of the South Caucasus Region consists of 119 fish species, of which 13 species belong to the order Gobiiformes. It should be noted that gobies are amongst the poorly studied taxa in Georgia and probably unknown/undescribed species still living in the Georgian freshwater ecosystems which requires further research. Ponticola alasanicus , a new species is described from the Alazani River, western Caspian Sea Basin, Georgia. It is distinguished from its congeners in the Caspian and Black Sea Basins by having the following features: dorsal fin with VI-VII spines and 15½-16½ branched rays, anal fin with 10½-12½ branched rays; lateral line with 48-55 scales; laterally compressed body with dark brown and black blotches - scales ctenoid; first and second dorsal fins almost touching with dorsal fins bases; head large, depressed, wider than deep, its length approaches almost 3.4th of standard length; nape scaled completely; cycloid scales cover upper part of opercle, cheeks noticeably swollen; snout longer than eye, eye diameter 4.5 times its head length; lower jaw slightly protruding; upper lip is uniform; pelvic disc short, elongated and flat, not reaching the anus; the pectoral fins extends vertically through first branched dorsal fin; caudal fin rounded. Ponticola alasanicus sp. n. belongs to P. syrman group and it is separated by a minimum Kimura 2-parameter distance of 3.5, 3.6 and 4.8% from P. syrman , P. iranicus and P. patimari , respectively.

Due to anthropogenic influences, habitat degradation and a continuous loss of biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems are occurring on a large scale, while these ecosystems constitute invaluable natural resources. Therefore, it is essential to study and monitor freshwater ecosystems to guide conservation efforts. Freshwater ecosystems are one of the less-studied fields in Georgia. Studies about the species distribution of many taxa and/or regions carried out during the last century have not been updated for decades. Here, we report the results of an environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding exercise, based on samples collected from the Rioni River, a tributary to the Black Sea and a crucial aquatic ecosystem regionally and globally. The only comprehensive review of the fish of the Rioni River dates back to 1956. We compared the eDNA-based taxonomic composition to the known faunal composition within the Rioni River and found that the eDNA-based taxonomic coverage approached 75% of the expected total fish fauna. A number of new species occurrences were also found, including the first detection of three invasive alien species ( Carassius gibelio , Pseudorasbora parva , Rhinogobius lindbergi ) in the Rionis River Basin and a new country record of the ninespine stickleback (genus Pungitius ) for Georgia. In spite of the usefulness of the eDNA metabarcoding approach, the sparsity of the fish DNA barcode reference library for the region emerged as a limitation to this study. However, our findings still represent a great leap forward in updating fish status on the Rioni River and testing the effectiveness of the eDNA sampling for aquatic species.

Abstract Forest degradation worldwide stimulates efforts to restore forests. In particular, in mountain areas, where livestock agriculture and grazing have led to deforestation and a strong decrease in forest ecosystem services over centuries, it is necessary to develop sustainable strategies for the restoration of multifunctional forest ecosystems. We investigate the case study of the Javakheti Highland in the Southern Caucasus (Georgia), which is largely deforested because of long-lasting agricultural land use. We take into consideration the natural potential of forest development, the multifacetted potential of forest use, and those stakeholders directly and indirectly, respectively, involved in forest restoration. We show that neither the natural ecological site factors nor the potential of forest use, considering traditional and modern use, pose a limitation on forest restoration. Traditional ecological knowledge is still present, however hardly activated nowadays. However, social, cultural, and political obstacles have to be addressed for the development of a sustainable forest-management policy, which is rooted in the local communities. Environmental policy favoring forest development in Javakheti Highland should integrate national forest development policy with the perception, requirements, and traditions of local people.

In Georgia, investigations of bat species using caves have been conducted since the beginning of the 20 th century. However, robust knowledge is still largely unavailable, as only about 15% of the roughly 2,000 underground sites have been surveyed for bats. The primary objective of this article was to document the use of underground habitats by various bat species. To achieve this, we consolidated field observations with existing data from literature and assessed potential threats to these underground habitats, specifically focusing on caves that harbor significant bat colonies. In this study, we considered underground sites across Georgia where at least one bat species has been documented. In total, twenty out of the thirty bat species recorded in Georgia were found in these underground sites. We characterize the spatial distribution, elevational range, usage of underground habitat, and colony size for these species. These twenty species belong to three families and ten genera. Three of these species have conservation status on the Georgian Red List, and one species is on the Red List of Threatened Species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). We also report the spatial and elevational distribution of bat species richness and frequency of records in order to rectify conservation priorities in this important biodiversity hotspot.

In Georgia, currently, 30 species of bats are recorded from four families and eleven genera. Although the oldest record of bats is from 1835 and continues until today, there are no comprehensive data available for bat diversity and distribution in Georgia. Thus, we aimed to fill that gap and make complete, expertly curated literature and our own published data openly available (through GBIF) for researchers and conservationists. In this publication, out of 1987 records, 1243 (62.4%) are new and unpublished data. Generally, out of all records, 34% are literature and museum data and 66% are data collected by us. Additionally, for the first time in the history of the study of bats in Georgia, we initiated surveys in forested areas of the country.

This study provides the first attempt to investigate the molecular diversity of South Caucasian freshwater molluscs (Mollusca, Gastropoda) and lay down the first bricks to build up a DNA-barcode library. In total, 289 COI barcode sequences were obtained from 33 morpho-species belonging to 24 molluscan genera and 10 families that represent nearly 30% of known freshwater molluscan diversity of the South Caucasus region. DNA barcodes were analysed by means of the Barcode Index Number (BIN) and the other tools available in BOLD Systems. Results showed that the knowledge of freshwater molluscs diversity in the South Caucasus is far from comprehensive. For the studied 33 morpho-species, 289 barcodes were clustered into 40 BINs, from which unique BINs were defined for 12 species and five species were characterised with more than a single BIN. From the studied taxa, 60% were characterised larger than 2.2% sequence divergence indicating high genetic variation or cryptic diversity. Within our limited taxonomic coverage, we found one new species for the Republic of Georgia ( Galba schirazensis ) and at least three undescribed species belonging to the genera Stagnicola , Segmentina and Anisus . Uniqueness and high molecular diversity of the studied species emphasise the need for further intensive morphological and molecular investigations of the South Caucasian freshwater molluscan fauna.

Since 2020, the south-western Caucasus has been recognized as a hotspot of stygobiotic Mollusca diversity after revealing a large number of new, range-restricted species within the spring snail family Hydrobiidae, subfamily Sadlerianinae sensu Szarowska. Meantime, based on extensive material collected in the south-western Caucasus during the last decades, we studied members of another spring snail subfamily Belgrandiellinae Radoman, 1983. Modern integrative taxonomic work revealed hitherto unknown diversity within this subfamily in the region and further proved the importance of the south-western Caucasus as a hotspot of stygobiotic life. In particular, the subterranean environment and springs of Georgia were known to be inhabited by the genus Tschernomorica Vinarski and Palatov, 2019 with four nominal species. Our research, based on a morpho-anatomical study and genetic investigation of COI/H3 mitochondrial/nuclear markers, revealed additionally seven species and three genera new to science—Colchiella lugella gen. et sp. nov., C. nazodelavo gen. et sp. nov., C. shiksa gen. et sp. nov., C. dadiani gen. et sp. nov., Sataplia cavernicola gen. et sp. nov., Aetis starobogatovi gen. et sp. nov., and Tschernomorica kopidophora sp. nov. —to inhabit the Georgian part of south-western Caucasus. The full taxonomic description of each new taxa, along with the review of habitat characteristics and conservation status, is provided. Molecular genetics suggests that the ancestors of Caucasian Belgrandiellinae have migrated from south-western Europe, probably more than once during the late Messinian and early Pliocene periods. Later, Plio-Pleistocene climate oscillations, particularly the repeated rise and fall of the Black Sea water level, resulted in the isolation and radiation of various lineages within the Caucasus and Crimea.