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Species introductions are widely reported as a major threat to biodiversity conservation in Natura 2000 sites. Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus was introduced in Europe in the late 19 th century and is currently listed as Invasive Alien Species of Union concern. To assess its potential impact on the native freshwater communities of Cyprus, we investigated pumpkinseed distribution and diet within 21 Natura 2000 sites. Pumpkinseed occurred in 15 out of the 22 surveyed reservoirs (68.2%), while it was recorded in only four of the 26 investigated rivers (15.4%), likely due to water availability, habitat constraints and physical barriers. Overall, this non-native fish was recorded in 12 Natura 2000 sites (57.1%). Diet analysis showed a preference for chironomid larvae, molluscs, and crustaceans, with evidence of ontogenetic dietary shifts. Fish were a minor prey, while there was no evidence of predation on reptiles or amphibians, suggesting that the impact of pumpkinseed on the conservation of native aquatic vertebrates may be negligible. Surveys also allowed to record several non-native fish species, including some predators, e.g. largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides , pikeperch Sander lucioperca and channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus , the diet and potential impact of which should be carefully assessed. This study highlights the importance of monitoring to mitigate the spread of non-native fish and support conservation within protected areas.

Mosquitoes are vectors of pathogens, causing human and animal diseases. Their ability to adapt and expand worldwide increases spread of mosquito-borne diseases. Climate changes contribute in enhancing these “epidemic conditions”. Understanding the effect of weather variables on mosquito seasonality and host searching activity contributes towards risk control of the mosquito-borne disease outbreaks. To enable early detection of Aedes invasive species we developed a surveillance network for both invasive and native mosquitoes at the main point of entry for the first time in Cyprus. Mosquito sampling was carried out for one year (May 2017–June 2018), at bimonthly intervals around Limassol port. Morphological and molecular identification confirmed the presence of 5 species in the study region: Culex. pipiens, Aedes detritus, Ae. caspius, Culiseta longiareolata and Cs. annulata. No invasive Aedes mosquito species were detected. The Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression were used to compare number of sampled mosquitoes and weather variables for three most numerous species (Cx. pipiens, Ae. detritus and Ae. caspius). The population densities of the most numerous species were highest from February to April. Number of Cx. pipiens (−0.48), Ae. detritus (−0.40) and Ae. caspius (−0.38) specimens sampled was negatively correlated with average daily temperature. Monthly relative humidity showed positive correlation with the numbers of the species sampled, Cx. pipiens (0.66) Ae. detritus (0.68), and Ae. caspius (0.71). Mosquito abundance of Cx. pipiens (0.97) and Ae. detritus (0.98) was strongly correlated to seasonal precipitation as well. Our work is a stepping stone to further stimulate implementation of International Health Regulations and implementation of early warning surveillance system for detection of invasive Aedes mosquitoes, native mosquitoes and arboviruses they may transmit. A network for the surveillance of both invasive and native mosquito species at the main point of entry for the first time in Cyprus was developed. Number of mosquitoes sampled was correlated with weather factors to identify parameters that might predict mosquito activity and species distribution to the prevention of international spread of vector mosquitoes and vector-borne diseases.

More than half of the world’s rivers dry up periodically, but our understanding of the biological communities in dry riverbeds remains limited. Specifically, the roles of dispersal, environmental filtering and biotic interactions in driving biodiversity in dry rivers are poorly understood. Here, we conduct a large-scale coordinated survey of patterns and drivers of biodiversity in dry riverbeds. We focus on eight major taxa, including microorganisms, invertebrates and plants: Algae, Archaea, Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa, Arthropods, Nematodes and Streptophyta. We use environmental DNA metabarcoding to assess biodi- versity in dry sediments collected over a 1-year period from 84 non-perennial rivers across 19 countries on four continents. Both direct factors, such as nutrient and carbon availability, and indirect factors such as climate influence the local biodiversity of most taxa. Limited resource availability and prolonged dry phases favor oligotrophic microbial taxa. Co-variation among taxa, parti- cularly Bacteria, Fungi, Algae and Protozoa, explain more spatial variation in community composition than dispersal or environmental gradients. Thisfinding suggests that biotic interactions or unmeasured ecological and evo- lutionary factors may strongly influence communities during dry phases, altering biodiversity responses to global changes.

This report presents the outcome of the joint work of PhD students and senior researchers working with DNA-based biodiversity assessment approaches with the goal to facilitate others the access to definitions and explanations about novel DNA-based methods. The work was performed during a PhD course (SLU PNS0169) at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala, Sweden. The course was co-organized by the EU COST research network DNAqua-Net and the SLU Research Schools Focus on Soils and Water (FoSW) and Ecology - basics and applications. DNAqua-Net (COST Action CA15219, 2016-2020) is a network connecting researchers, water managers, politicians and other stakeholders with the aim to develop new genetic tools for bioassessment of aquatic ecosystems in Europe and beyond. The PhD course offered a comprehensive overview of the paradigm shift from traditional morphology-based species identification to novel identification approaches based on molecular markers. We covered the use of molecular tools in both basic research and applied use with a focus on aquatic ecosystem assessment, from species collection to the use of diversity in environmental legislation. The focus of the course was on DNA (meta)barcoding and aquatic organisms. The knowledge gained was shared with the general public by creating Wikipedia pages and through this collaborative Open Access publication, co-authored by all course participants.

Aquatic macroinvertebrates are often identified based on morphology, but molecular approaches like DNA barcoding, metabarcoding and metagenomics are increasingly used for species identification. These approaches require the availability of DNA references deposited in public databases. Here we report the mitochondrial genomes of 11 aquatic macroinvertebrates species from Cyprus, a European Union island country in the Mediterranean. Only three of the molecularly identified species could be assigned to a species name, highlighting the need for taxonomic work that leads to the formal description and naming of species, and the need for further genetic work to fill the current gaps in reference databases containing aquatic macroinvertebrates.