Explore the vast range of titles available.

Former Natural History Museum (London) paleontologist Fortey gives us the stories of those plants, animals, and other creatures that have survived from Earth's early days--the planet's \"true marathon runners.\"

The most current and comprehensive manual for collecting, indentifying, rearing, examining, and preserving insects and mites.

This text describes effective methods and equipment for collecting, identifying, rearing, examining, and preserving insects and mites, and for storing and caring for specimens in collections. It also provides instructions for the construction of many kinds of collecting equipment, traps, rearing cages, and storage units, as well as updated and illustrated keys for identification of the classes of arthropods and the orders of insects. Such information not only aids hobbyists and professionals in preparing insect collections, but it has become essential in documenting and standardizing collections of entomological evidence in forensic as well as pest management sciences.

Arthropods are the most numerous and diverse group of animals and studying them requires the use of specialized equipment and specific procedures. This text describes effective methods and equipment for collecting, identifying, rearing, examining, and preserving insects and mites, and explains how to store and care for specimens in collections. It also provides instructions for the construction of many kinds of collecting equipment, traps, rearing cages, and storage units, as well as updated and illustrated keys for identification of the classes of arthropods and the orders of insects. Such information not only aids hobbyists and professionals in preparing insect collections, but it has become essential in documenting and standardizing collections of entomological evidence in forensic as well as pest management sciences. * Over 400 professionally drawn illustrations * Identification keys to find arthropod orders * Comprehensive reading list * Detailed glossary of terms

This study provides an integrative analysis of Helicopsychidae biodiversity in the New World (NW), examining their distribution patterns, environmental gradients, biodiversity hotspots, and biodiversity knowledge shortfalls. We estimated species richness, delineated potential distribution, and identified areas of priority for research/conservation efforts. Our estimates indicate that up to 75% of NW Helicopsychidae species remain undescribed, with a notable Linnean shortfall at the subgenus level: approximately 50% of H. (Cochliopsyche) species and up to 77% of H. (Feropsyche) species are yet to be described. Knowledge of semaphoronts is also limited, with immature stages documented for only 15% of H. (Feropsyche) species and 6% of H. (Cochliopsyche). Distributional records are concentrated in the Brazilian subregion (between 0°-24°S), and most species have a short environmental distribution gradient. Based on currently known, priority conservation areas are in the Antilles and the Tropical Forest. For H. (Feropsyche), priority areas include low-altitude and coastal regions with low-order streams, whereas H. (Cochliopsyche) conservation priorities lie in the large river basins, especially in the Amazon and Atlantic Forests. Future research efforts should focus on H. (Feropsyche) in the Chaco and high-altitude areas of the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Caatinga domains, as well as on H. (Cochliopsyche) across South America's high order river (e.g., Amazon, Orinoco, Paraná, and São Francisco Rivers). Here, highlights recent advances in the taxonomy and distribution cataloguing of NW Helicopsychidae, despite significant progress, marjory of species remain undescribed, emphasizing the need for continued research. Although well-sampled regions like the Antilles, south Central America, Amazon coastal areas, and Central Atlantic Forest Ecological Corridor should be prioritized for conservation, vast areas such as the Amazon lowlands, northeast and southwest Atlantic Forest, and transition areas of Atlantic Forest and Dry Diagonal remain underexplored. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents one of first empirical analysis of environmental gradients for Trichoptera species. It establishes a foundation for understanding biogeographic patterns, environmental gradients, and the identification of biodiversity hotspots and potential distribution areas for Helicopsychidae in the New World. This work will guide future research and conservation efforts for Helicopsychidae and other Trichoptera groups in the region.

Summary Neonicotinoids are now the most widely used insecticides in the world. They act systemically, travelling through plant tissues and protecting all parts of the crop, and are widely applied as seed dressings. As neurotoxins with high toxicity to most arthropods, they provide effective pest control and have numerous uses in arable farming and horticulture. However, the prophylactic use of broad‐spectrum pesticides goes against the long‐established principles of integrated pest management (IPM), leading to environmental concerns. It has recently emerged that neonicotinoids can persist and accumulate in soils. They are water soluble and prone to leaching into waterways. Being systemic, they are found in nectar and pollen of treated crops. Reported levels in soils, waterways, field margin plants and floral resources overlap substantially with concentrations that are sufficient to control pests in crops, and commonly exceed the LC50 (the concentration which kills 50% of individuals) for beneficial organisms. Concentrations in nectar and pollen in crops are sufficient to impact substantially on colony reproduction in bumblebees. Although vertebrates are less susceptible than arthropods, consumption of small numbers of dressed seeds offers a route to direct mortality in birds and mammals. Synthesis and applications. Major knowledge gaps remain, but current use of neonicotinoids is likely to be impacting on a broad range of non‐target taxa including pollinators and soil and aquatic invertebrates and hence threatens a range of ecosystem services. Major knowledge gaps remain, but current use of neonicotinoids is likely to be impacting on a broad range of non‐target taxa including pollinators and soil and aquatic invertebrates and hence threatens a range of ecosystem services.

Recent reports of local extinctions of arthropod species 1 , and of massive declines in arthropod biomass 2 , point to land-use intensification as a major driver of decreasing biodiversity. However, to our knowledge, there are no multisite time series of arthropod occurrences across gradients of land-use intensity with which to confirm causal relationships. Moreover, it remains unclear which land-use types and arthropod groups are affected, and whether the observed declines in biomass and diversity are linked to one another. Here we analyse data from more than 1 million individual arthropods (about 2,700 species), from standardized inventories taken between 2008 and 2017 at 150 grassland and 140 forest sites in 3 regions of Germany. Overall gamma diversity in grasslands and forests decreased over time, indicating loss of species across sites and regions. In annually sampled grasslands, biomass, abundance and number of species declined by 67%, 78% and 34%, respectively. The decline was consistent across trophic levels and mainly affected rare species; its magnitude was independent of local land-use intensity. However, sites embedded in landscapes with a higher cover of agricultural land showed a stronger temporal decline. In 30 forest sites with annual inventories, biomass and species number—but not abundance—decreased by 41% and 36%, respectively. This was supported by analyses of all forest sites sampled in three-year intervals. The decline affected rare and abundant species, and trends differed across trophic levels. Our results show that there are widespread declines in arthropod biomass, abundance and the number of species across trophic levels. Arthropod declines in forests demonstrate that loss is not restricted to open habitats. Our results suggest that major drivers of arthropod decline act at larger spatial scales, and are (at least for grasslands) associated with agriculture at the landscape level. This implies that policies need to address the landscape scale to mitigate the negative effects of land-use practices. Analyses of a dataset of arthropod biomass, abundance and diversity in grassland and forest habitats in Germany for the period 2008–2017 reveal that drivers of arthropod declines act at the landscape level.

Aim: The knowledge of biodiversity facets such as species composition, distribution and ecological niche is fundamental for the construction of biogeographic hypotheses and conservation strategies. However, the knowledge on these facets is affected by major shortfalls, which are even more pronounced in the tropics. This study aims to evaluate the effect of sampling bias and variation in collection effort on Linnean, Wallacean and Hutchinsonian shortfalls and diversity measures as species richness, endemism and beta-diversity. Location: Brazil. Methods: We have built a database with over 1.5 million records of arthropods, vertebrates and angiosperms of Brazil, based on specimens deposited in scientific collections and on the taxonomic literature. We used null models to test the collection bias regarding the proximity to access routes. We also tested the influence of sampling effort on diversity measures by regression models. To investigate the Wallacean shortfall, we modelled the geographic distribution of over 4000 species and compared their observed distribution with models. To quantify the Hutchinsonian shortfall, we used environmental Euclidean distance of the records to identify regions with poorly sampled environmental conditions. To estimate the Linnean shortfall, we measured the similarity of species composition between regions close to and far from access routes. Results: We demonstrated that despite the differences in sampling effort, the strong collection bias affects all taxonomic groups equally, generating a pattern of spatially biased sampling effort. This collection pattern contributes greatly to the biodiversity knowledge shortfalls, which directly affects the knowledge on the distribution patterns of diversity. Main conclusions: The knowledge on species richness, species composition and endemism in the Brazilian biodiversity is strongly biased spatially. Despite differences in sampling effort for each taxonomic group, roadside bias affected them equally. Species composition similarity decreased with the distance from access routes, suggesting collection surveys at sites far from roads could increase the probability of sampling new geographic records or new species.

1. Scattered trees are thought to be keystone structures for biodiversity in landscapes world-wide. However, such trees have been largely neglected by researchers and their importance for biodiversity remains unclear. 2. We completed a global meta-analysis to quantify relationships between scattered trees and the species richness, abundance and composition of vertebrates, arthropods and plants. First, we tested whether areas near scattered trees support higher levels of species richness and abundance than nearby open areas. Second, we compared levels of species richness and abundance in matrix areas with scattered trees and areas embedded within nearby habitat patches. We also compared the composition of biological communities inhabiting habitat patches, open areas and areas with scattered trees. 3. A total of 62 studies contained suitable data for our quantitative analyses. The local abundance of arthropods, vertebrates and woody plants was 60%-430% greater and overall species richness was 50%-100% higher in areas with scattered trees than in open areas. Conversely, for herbaceous plants, there was no consistent relationship between species abundance and the occurrence of scattered trees, although species richness was, on average, 43% lower. 4. The abundance and richness of all taxonomic groups was similar in matrix areas supporting scattered trees and habitat patches, although the species richness of epiphytes was, on average, 50% higher in habitat patches. Communities inhabiting habitat patches were more similar in composition to the communities inhabiting areas with scattered trees, and less similar to the communities of open areas. 5. Synthesis and applications. Areas with scattered trees support greater levels of bio-diversity than open areas, as well as communities that are more similar to those inhabiting habitat patches. Scattered trees can be regarded as keystone structures for vertebrates, arthropods and terrestrial plants in landscapes world-wide. The maintenance of scattered trees may be compatible with livestock grazing in some agricultural landscapes. Greater management effort and targeted, long-term policies are needed to retain or re-establish scattered trees in many farming landscapes in both forest and non-forest biomes around the world.

Amber is fossilized tree resin, and inclusions usually comprise terrestrial and, rarely, aquatic organisms. Marine fossils are extremely rare in Cretaceous and Cenozoic ambers. Here, we report a record of an ammonite with marine gastropods, intertidal isopods, and diverse terrestrial arthropods as syninclusions in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. We used X-ray–microcomputed tomography (CT) to obtain high-resolution 3D images of the ammonite, including its sutures, which are diagnostically important for ammonites. The ammonite is a juvenile Puzosia (Bhimaites) and provides supporting evidence for a Late Albian–Early Cenomanian age of the amber. There is a diverse assemblage (at least 40 individuals) of arthropods in this amber sample from both terrestrial and marine habitats, including Isopoda, Acari (mites), Araneae (spiders), Diplopoda (millipedes), and representatives of the insect orders Blattodea (cockroaches), Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (true flies), and Hymenoptera (wasps). The incomplete preservation and lack of soft body of the ammonite and marine gastropods suggest that they were dead and underwent abrasion on the seashore before entombment. It is most likely that the resin fell to the beach from coastal trees, picking up terrestrial arthropods and beach shells and, exceptionally, surviving the high-energy beach environment to be preserved as amber. Our findings not only represent a record of an ammonite in amber but also provide insights into the taphonomy of amber and the paleoecology of Cretaceous amber forests.