Western rock nuthatch

The western rock nuthatch ("Sitta neumayer") (sometimes known simply as rock nuthatch) is a small passerine bird which breeds from Croatia east through Greece and Turkey to Iran. This nuthatch is largely resident apart from some post-breeding dispersal. The eastern rock nuthatch "Sitta tephronota" is a separate species, which occurs further east in south-central Asia.
The western rock nuthatch is a bird associated with habitats with bare rocks, especially in mountainous areas. Those at the highest altitudes may move lower down in winter.
It feeds on insects and spiders in summer, supplemented with seeds and snails in winter. It feeds on the ground, and will wedge larger items in rock crevices while it hammers them open with its strong bill. It will also flycatch.
The western rock nuthatch is 13.5 cm long, slightly smaller than Eurasian nuthatch, and has the typical nuthatch big head, short tail and powerful bill and feet. It is long-legged and long-billed compared to most of its relatives.
The race "S. n. neumayer" of southeast Europe is dark grey above, and has a long strong black eyestripe. It has a white throat and underparts shading to buff on the belly. Sexes are similar, and young birds are slightly duller versions of the adults. Two other races in the west of its Asian range are similar but less well marked.
"S.n. tschitscherini" of western Iran is paler grey above and has a much weaker eyestripe. "S.n. plumbea" of southern Iran resembles "tschitscherini", but has grey underparts.
This territorial species builds a flask-shaped nest from mud, dung and hair or feathers in a rock crevice, cave, or under an overhang on a rock face. Decorative items may be pushed into crevices and cracks near the entrance to the nest. The nest is lined with softer materials and the entrance is sealed with mud. 4-10 eggs are laid, and are white speckled with yellow.
The western rock nuthatch has a "tsik" call and a trilled "tui tui tui " song. It is common in suitable habitat in most of its range.
Pliny the Elder believed that it was these birds that inspired man to build homes of earth in imitation of the western rock nuthatch's nests.


Phyllocnistis baccharidis

Phyllocnistis baccharidis is a moth of the family Gracillariidae, known from Argentina. The hostplant for the species is an unidentified species of "Baccharis".


Palola viridis

Palola viridis, commonly known as the palolo worm, Samoan palolo worm, wawo or nyale, is a Polychaeta species from the waters of some of the Pacific islands, including Samoa, Vanuatu, and the islands of the Malaysian Archipelago (Indonesia and the Philippines).
Life cycle.
Reproduction involves mass spawning at night in spring or early summer (October – November in the Southern Hemisphere). The terminal parts of their bodies drop off and float over the surface of the water, releasing sperm and eggs. The mechanisms or triggers which induce spawning such that it occurs during nights of a waning moon, continuing for several nights, are not completely known. Exposure to sunlight destroys this "tail" part of the worm's body afterwards.
Taxonomy.
It is sometimes synonymous with "Palola siciliensis".
Distribution.
The palolo worm is found in tropical regions around various islands of the Pacific Ocean, including Samoa, Indonesia, Vanuatu, and some islands of the Philippines. They are variously known as the palolo worm, wawo or nyale (Indonesia).
Within these tropical regions, the palolo worms usually found in shallow water where there is coral rubble for them to take shelter in.
Cultural use.
Some Indigenous populations in regions where palolo occur use the reproductive portion of the worm as a food source. During their short-lived annual appearance in the last quarter of the moon in October and November, worms are gathered with nets or buckets, and are either eaten raw or cooked in several different ways.
In Samoa, the worms are revered as a great delicacy, with hunting for them taking place seven days after the first full moon in October. Often bright blue in colour, the flavour is said to resemble a cross between mussels, abalone and oysters. They are sometimes eaten fresh, but usually fried with butter and onions and served with taro or banana chips. The palolo harvest is part of the culture and tradition of Samoans, where the feast is shared with family and relatives, but in recent years has been sold in the markets of Apia and Salelologa for more than per kilogram.
On the island of Lombok in Indonesia, a traditional event called the Nyale Festival, or Bau Nyale (meaning "to catch the sea worms), is held between February and March. The event focuses on catching these worms, which are known as "wawo". In local legend, the nyale are believed to be the reincarnation of Princess Mandalika, who had jumped into the sea to drown herself.
The spawning event is so important to the inhabitants of the Torres and Banks Islands of Vanuatu that it is featured in their lunar calendar.


Alphinellus minimus

Alphinellus minimus is a species of longhorn beetles of the subfamily Lamiinae. It was described by Henry Walter Bates in 1881, and is known from Guatemala.


List of birds of Palau

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Palau. The avifauna of Palau include a total of 184 species, of which 12 are endemic, and 5 have been introduced by humans. 9 species are globally threatened.
This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of "The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World", 2019 edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Palau.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories.
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl.
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
Megapodes.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Megapodiidae
The Megapodiidae are stocky, medium-large chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet. All but the malleefowl occupy jungle habitats and most have brown or black colouring.
Pheasants, grouse, and allies.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowls, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowls and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.
Pigeons and doves.
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Cuckoos.
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.
Nightjars and allies.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.
Swifts.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Rails, gallinules, and coots.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Stilts and avocets.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
Plovers and lapwings.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.
Sandpipers and allies.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Pratincoles and coursers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards.
Skuas and jaegers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.
Gulls, terns, and skimmers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years.
Tropicbirds.
Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.
Northern storm-petrels.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
The northern storm-petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.
Shearwaters and petrels.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
Frigatebirds.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae
Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black and white or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have coloured inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.
Boobies and gannets.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.
Cormorants and shags.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white and a few being colourful.
Pelicans.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes.
Herons, egrets, and bitterns.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.
Ibises and spoonbills.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.
Osprey.
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae
The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.
Hawks, eagles, and kites.
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae
Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons and keen eyesight.
Owls.
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.
Kingfishers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.
Bee-eaters.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Meropidae
The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.
Rollers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Coraciidae
Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not.
Falcons and caracaras.
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.
Cockatoos.
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Cacatuidae
The cockatoos share many features with other parrots including the characteristic curved beak shape and a zygodactyl foot, with two forward toes and two backwards toes. They differ, however in a number of characteristics, including the often spectacular movable headcrest. .
Old World parrots.
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittaculidae
Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. In size they range from to in length. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.
Honeyeaters.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Meliphagidae
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium-sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea. They are nectar feeders and closely resemble other nectar-feeding passerines.
Cuckooshrikes.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Campephagidae
The cuckooshrikes are small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are predominantly greyish with white and black, although some species are brightly coloured.
Whistlers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pachycephalidae
The family Pachycephalidae includes the whistlers, shrikethrushes, and some of the pitohuis.
Woodswallows, bellmagpies, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Artamidae
The woodswallows are soft-plumaged, somber-coloured passerine birds. They are smooth, agile flyers with moderately large, semi-triangular wings.
Fantails.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Rhipiduridae
The fantails are small insectivorous birds which are specialist aerial feeders.
Monarch flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Monarchidae
The monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines which hunt by flycatching.
Shrikes.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Laniidae
Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey.
Reed warblers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Acrocephalidae
The members of this family are usually rather large for "warblers". Most are rather plain olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but it also ranges far into the Pacific, with some species in Africa.
Grassbirds and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Locustellidae
Locustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over.
Swallows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae
The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.
Bush warblers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Scotocercidae
The members of this family are found throughout Africa, Asia, and Polynesia. Their taxonomy is in flux, and some authorities place some genera in other families.
White-eyes, yuhinas, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Zosteropidae
The white-eyes are small and mostly undistinguished, their plumage above being generally some dull colour like greenish-olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast or lower parts, and several have buff flanks. As their name suggests, many species have a white ring around each eye.
Starlings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.
Thrushes and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae
The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.
Old World flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae
Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.
Waxbills and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Estrildidae
The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colours and patterns.
Old World sparrows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae
Old World sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.
Wagtails and pipits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Motacillidae
Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. They are slender, ground feeding insectivores of open country.
Old World buntings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Emberizidae
The emberizids are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns.


Grey-flanked cinclodes

The grey-flanked cinclodes ("Cinclodes oustaleti") is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae.It is found in Chile, adjacent western Argentina and Tierra del Fuego. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.


Ceratinia tutia

Ceratinia tutia, the tutia clearwing, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from southern Mexico to Brazil. The wingspan is about 52 mm. It is a highly variable species. The larvae of subspecies "Ceratinia tutia dorilla" have been recorded feeding on "Solanum" species, including "S. antillarum".


Phrynomedusa fimbriata

Phrynomedusa fimbriata, the spiny-knee leaf frog, is a presumably extinct species of tree frog. It was endemic to Brazil, where the only known specimen was discovered near Paranapiacaba in the state of São Paulo. The type locality was given as "Alto da Serra". While the species might still exist, having only been found once in the 1898, no trace of any individuals have been discovered in successive expeditions.
Description.
This species is only known from the holotype, an adult female measuring in snout–vent length. The specimen was collected in 1898 and is now in bad condition with completely faded colors. At the time of species description, the holotype was dorsally pale blue and ventrally reddish yellow.
"Phrynomedusa fimbriata" is a relatively robust frog for its genus. The snout is acuminate in dorsal view and markedly oblique in lateral view. The tympanum is visible, rounded, and has a visible tympanic annulus. The limbs are slender. The fingers and toes are slender and have reduced webbing and rounded adhesive discs.
Habitat and conservation.
The natural history of this species is unknown. Possibly it was a high-altitude stream-breeder. The reason for its disappearance are unknown. The area hosts some protected areas, namely the Serra do Mar State Park and Reserva Biológica do Alto da Serra de Paranapiacaba.


White-dotted skate

The white-dotted skate ("Bathyraja albomaculata") is a species of skate in the family Arhynchobatidae. It is found in the south-western Atlantic off the coast of Uruguay, Argentina and the Falkland Islands and uncommonly off Chile (Guamblin Island) in the south-eastern Pacific Ocean, at depths ranging from 55 to 861 metres. Males reach maturity at the age of about 11 years and females about 10 years. At maturity the total length of males is about 62.8 cm and females 65.3 cm. The oldest reported specimen was 17 years old. The maximum length has been estimated to be almost one metre. It is oviparous. Egg capsules are oblong having horned corners, the horns at the back end appear first and are longer, and thinner than the front ones. Capsules are barrel-shaped, quite smooth, yellow-brown when freshly laid, but they get darker. Egg laying has been observed year-round, but most frequently in autumn and winter. The animal eats mainly benthopelagic gammarids and polychaetes and also isopods. Juvenile white-dotted skates eat mostly gammarid amphipods, while adults eat mostly polychaetes.


Common vole

The common vole ("Microtus arvalis") is a European rodent.
Distribution and habitat.
The common vole is hardly restricted in means of distribution and habitat and inhabits large areas of Eurasia but, apart from the Orkney vole, not the British Isles. As "Microtus arvalis" followed human civilization, primary and secondary habitats can be distinguished. The primary habitats are everything but dense forests, such as meadows, heath lands, and fallow land. The secondary habitats are mainly agricultural fields, where shallow sloped areas are preferred. The natural food of the common vole is grass, but it also feeds on many agricultural crops (within secondary habitats) and here its reproduction is faster than in primary habitats.
Reproduction, demography, and predation.
After pregnancy of 16 to 24 days, females give birth to 3 to 8 juveniles, weighing between 1.0 and 3.1 g. Weaning is around the 20th day. Female juveniles can be impregnated from the 13th day after birth. Hence, first birth can be given from the 33rd day. During annual reproduction, which starts in March and ends in October, females usually have three reproductive cycles. The average life span is 4.5 months, which means that most animals die after the last reproduction in October, while the latest offspring in the year survives the winter and starts reproduction the following spring. Weights can reach 51 g in males and 42 g in non-pregnant females. Sex ratio at birth is equal, but becomes female-biased as the animals mature or with increasing population density when the ratio can level off to 3:1 or even 4:1 in favour of females. These ratios depict an intense competition for female mates, which leads to higher mortality and dispersal rates among the males. Population density varies seasonally and exhibits a considerable long-term fluctuation that shows typically three-year or five-year cycles. Densities can range from 100 individuals per ha (very low level) over 500 individuals per ha (medium level) up to 2000 individuals per ha in some years. As reaction females’ reproduction can decrease or even stop. Not only influenced by population level, reproduction rate can change with the amount and quality of food and light. Self-regulation (e.g. decrease of reproduction rate) has been addressed to be a response to increased population densities. However, "M. arvalis" is one of the main food sources of a considerable number of predators in Central Europe. Buzzard, kestrel, long-eared owl, tawny owl, and barn owl are some of the birds that feed on the common vole and so delimit population sizes. Ground-predators are mainly weasel, stoat, adder, polecat, fox and boar.
Territories and nests.
"M. arvalis" maintains aboveground runways, which expand like a railway-system through the entire home range. Voles are seldom seen outside these runways, which enable a faster and safer locomotion and easier orientation. The climbing ability of the common vole is very poor. Underground nests are dug 30 to 40 cm deep into the ground and are used for food storage, offspring raising, and as a place for rest and sleep. Nests can be shared and defended by up to five females with juveniles that are related in most cases. Females are territorial and an overlap of occupied areas does not occur. Hence, the number of colonies increases with individual number (i.e. population density). As common voles have a polygynous mating system the males do not maintain territories and move as so-called "floaters" between several females’ territories in order to mate as often as possible. They can show overlap in territories. These findings are supported by the different home range sizes of males (1200–1500 m2) and females (300–400 m2) that can decrease in both males and females as population density rises. Another response to population growth is to leave the original habitat and move towards another one. Males predominantly conduct dispersal, being most often caused by the competition for mates.


Dead Sea sparrow

The Dead Sea sparrow ("Passer moabiticus") is a species of bird in the Old World sparrow family Passeridae, with one subspecies breeding in parts of the Middle East and another in western Afghanistan and eastern Iran. The eastern subspecies "P. m. yatii" is sometimes considered a separate species known as Yate's sparrow.
Description.
At long it is one of the smaller species of its family, some shorter than the widespread house sparrow. Like most of its relatives, it is sexually dimorphic with males being more brightly and distinctively marked than females.
The male Dead Sea sparrow has a grey crown, rear neck and cheeks, and a small black bib. It has a pale supercilium shading to buff at the rear, and yellow neck sides. The upperparts are dark-streaked reddish brown, and the underparts are grey-white.
The female looks like a small house sparrow, with a streaked brown back, greyish head and buff-white underparts. She is paler and smaller billed than the house sparrow, and sometimes shows yellow on the neck sides.
The eastern subspecies "P. m. yatii" is sandier, and the male has a yellow wash to the underparts.
The chirping song resembles those of house and Spanish sparrows, but is softer. The flight call is a high-pitched "chi-wit". This species is often silent.
Distribution and habitat.
The range of this species is spotty in the Middle East, largely in corridors along the Jordan River and the Euphrates River, ranging from southern Turkey and Cyprus to the southwestern corner of Iran. The subspecies "P. m. yatii" breeds only in the Sistan region of southwestern Afghanistan and eastern Iran. While the species was initially recorded by scientists breeding only in a restricted range by the Dead Sea, hence the species' name, more populations were discovered further east and it expanded its known range over the second half of the 20th century. The species was first recorded on the island of Cyprus in 1973 and bred a few years later. Though changes to habitat reduced the size of this population soon after it is thought small numbers still breed in Cyprus. This species is migratory or dispersive away from its breeding season. The eastern subspecies winters in western Pakistan, but the regular wintering grounds of the western subspecies are largely unknown. Winter searches for the species near its western breeding range only find scattered flocks. It is possible they disperse widely in winter, as flocks have been found in winter further south and east than where they breed, including in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Genetic analysis of birds in Israel revealed high connectivity among different populations indicating migration of individuals between these populations. However, despite this gene flow there is latitudinal variation in wing length and body mass, with individuals in the north of Israel having longer wings and being heavier than those in the south suggesting local adaption in accordance with Bergmann's rule.
Behaviour.
This species feeds principally on seeds, like other sparrows. It breeds in dry lowlands with some shrubs, including tamarisk, and access to water. It builds a nest in a tree, and four to seven eggs are laid.


Argyrotaenia tucumana

Argyrotaenia tucumana is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in Tucumán Province, Argentina.
The length of the forewings is 5.1-7.1 mm for males and about 8 mm for females. The ground colour of the forewings is pale tan. The hindwings are pale cream grey, tinged with grey in the apical area. Adults have been recorded on wing in February.
Etymology.
The species name refers to the type locality, Tucumán Province.


Amphisbaena hiata

Amphisbaena hiata is a species of worm lizards found in Argentina.


Darevskia dahli

Darevskia dahli is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is found in Georgia, Armenia, and Ukraine.


Filetail fanskate

The filetail fanskate ("Sympterygia lima") is a species of fish in the family Arhynchobatidae. It is endemic to the Pacific coast of Chile. Its natural habitat is open seas.


Sumpigaster

Sumpigaster is a genus of flies in the family Tachinidae.


Stork-billed kingfisher

The stork-billed kingfisher ("Pelargopsis capensis"), is a tree kingfisher which is widely but sparsely distributed in the tropical Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India to Indonesia. This kingfisher is resident throughout its range.
It is a very large kingfisher, measuring in length. The adult has a green back, blue wings and tail, and olive-brown head. Its underparts and neck are buff. The very large bill and legs are bright red. The flight of the stork-billed kingfisher is laboured and flapping, but direct. Sexes are similar. There are 13 races or subspecies, differing mostly in plumage detail, but "P. c. gigantea" of the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines has a white head, neck and underparts. The call of this noisy kingfisher is a low and far reaching "peer-por-por" repeated about every 5 seconds, as well cackling "ke-ke-ke-ke-ke-ke".
The stork-billed kingfisher lives in a variety of well-wooded habitats near lakes, rivers, or coasts. It perches quietly whilst seeking food, and is often inconspicuous despite its size. It is territorial and will chase away eagles and other large predators. This species hunts fish, frogs, crabs, rodents and young birds.
Adults dig their nests in river banks, decaying trees, or tree termite nests. A clutch of two to five round white eggs is typical.
Taxonomy.
The first formal description of the stork-billed kingfisher was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in the 12th edition of his "Systema Naturae". He coined the binomial name "Alcedo capensis". Linnaeus based his description on Mathurin Jacques Brisson's "Le martin-pescheur du Cap de Bonne Espérance". Brisson believed his specimen had come from the Cape of Good Hope region of South Africa. The species does not occur in Africa and it was suggested that the specimen had been obtained on the Indonesian island of Java. The specimen is now known to have come from near Chandannagar in West Bengal, India. Linnaeus's specific epithet "capensis" denotes the Cape of Good Hope. The current genus "Pelargopsis" was introduced by the German zoologist Constantin Gloger in 1841.
Thirteen subspecies are recognised:
The insular forms "nesoeca" on the Nias and Batu Islands as well as "isoptera" on Mentawai Island are here subsumed within "sodalis". Prior to the change of type locality to Chandannagar, the birds in India were placed in the subspecies "gurial" but this race is now synonymized with the nominate race "capensis".


Strongylognathus arnoldii

Strongylognathus arnoldii is a species of ant in the genus "Strongylognathus". It is endemic to Russia.


Red-fronted coot

The red-fronted coot ("Fulica rufifrons") is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. At , it is a mid-sized species of coot.
It is found in Argentina, southern Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, southern Peru and Uruguay. There are also records from Bolivia and the Falkland Islands.
Its natural habitat is swamps and well-vegetated lakes and ponds. Fossils of this species are known from the Laguna de Tagua Tagua formation of Chile.


Micrurus altirostris

Micrurus altirostris is a species of coral snake in the family Elapidae.


Siphonops annulatus

Siphonops annulatus, the ringed caecilian, is a species of caecilian in the family Siphonopidae from South America. It might have the broadest known distribution among terrestrial caecilian species.
Description.
Ringed caecilian measures in total length. The body is cylindrical and slightly wider than deep. It is bluish-black to slate in colour. The annular grooves that completely encircle the body (except the 3–4 posteriormost ones) are edged in white or cream.
A team of scientists from Brazil and the United States discovered that these organisms have oral venomous glands.
Distribution and habitat.
Widely distributed east of the Andes: originally discovered in Brazil, reported to exist in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, pastureland, plantations, rural gardens, and heavily degraded former forest.
Reproduction.
Nestlings are equipped with 44 spoon-shaped teeth to feed on the outer layer of their mother's skin. Young feed all at once for some seven minutes; then they all rest for three days as the female grows a new outer skin layer. This phenomenon is known as maternal dermatophagy. This practice and morphological similarities are shared with its African relative "Boulengerula taitana", suggesting it evolved over 100 million years ago.


Telmatobius edaphonastes

Telmatobius edaphonastes is a species of frog in the family Telmatobiidae.
It is endemic to Bolivia.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest and rivers.
It is threatened by habitat loss.


Polynesian wattled honeyeater

The Polynesian wattled honeyeater ("Foulehaio carunculatus") or the eastern wattled honeyeater, is a species of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. It was considered conspecific with the Fiji wattled honeyeater and the kikau.
The species is endemic to the islands of the Central Pacific, occurring on American Samoa, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Wallis and Futuna Islands.
Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests, tropical mangrove forests, and tropical moist montane forest.


Sibynophis sagittarius

Sibynophis sagittarius, commonly known as Cantor's black-headed snake after Theodore Cantor, is a species of snake endemic to South Asia.
Geographic range.
It is found in central and northeastern India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan. It is uncertain whether the species occurs or has occurred in Bangladesh.
Description.
Adults may attain 28 cm (11 inches) in total length, with a tail 6 cm (2⅜ inches) long.
As the common name implies, the dorsal surface of the head, including the nape of the neck, is black or dark brown, followed by a thin yellow nuchal collar. Also, there are two large elongate yellowish spots, one on each side of the back of the head. The upper surface of the body is pale brown, and the sides of the body are darker brown or gray. On each flank there is a thin black stripe separating the differently colored areas. A series of small black dots, widely separated, run down the vertebral row of dorsal scales. The underside is yellow, with a black dot at each outer end of every ventral.
The smooth dorsal scales, which lack apical pits, are arranged in 17 rows. Ventrals 205–228; anal plate divided; subcaudals 56–70, divided (paired).
Habitat.
"Sibynophis sagittarius" is found in forests.
Behavior.
It is not arboreal, but rather hunts by day on the forest floor.
Diet.
It feeds on insects, frogs, skinks, and snakes.
Reproduction.
An oviparous species, it lays a clutch of as many as six eggs.


Idastrandia

Idastrandia is a genus of jumping spiders endemic to Singapore. Its only described species is Idastrandia orientalis.
Kálmán Szombathy described a single male in 1915, which is about five millimeters long. There are drawings in the original description, and the male pedipalp and unusual serrate cheliceral tooth has been drawn by Proszynski in 1983. It has still not been attached to any of the current salticid groups.
Name.
The genus is probably named after a relative of first describer Embrik Strand.


Calosima medusae

Calosima medusae is a moth in the family Blastobasidae which is endemic to Costa Rica.


Phreatophasma

Phreatophasma is an extinct genus of synapsids from the Middle Permian of European Russia. It includes only one species, Phreatophasma aenigmatum, which is itself known from a single femur found in a mine near the town of Belebei in Bashkortostan. "Phreatophasma" comes from a fossil assemblage that is latest Ufimian to earliest Kazanian in age under the Russian stratigraphic scheme, correlating with the Roadian Age (earliest Middle Permian, about 270 million years ago) under the international stratigraphic timescale. Because the species is based on a single specimen with few diagnostic anatomical features, uncertainty remains as to where it belongs in tetrapod phylogeny; originally interpreted in 1954 as an enigmatic "theromorph" synapsid (hence its species name "aenigmatum") by Soviet paleontologist Ivan Yefremov, "Phreatophasma" was later described as a therapsid "incertae sedis" by American paleontologist Alfred Romer in 1956 and then as a member of a basal synapsid family called Caseidae starting with Everett C. Olson in 1962. Olson's classification was later supported by Canadian paleontologist Robert Reisz in 1986 and American paleontologist Robert L. Carroll in 1988. Ivakhneneko "et al." (1997) and Maddin "et al." (2008) both considered "Phreatophasma" an indeterminate synapsid.
Golubev (2000) hypothesized that "Phreatophasma" is not a synapsid but rather a leptorophine parareptile closely related to "Biarmica" and "Leptoropha" (both of which are now considered seymouriamorphs), as all three were found in the same fossil assemblage and are similar anatomically. Another line of evidence supporting close affinities was that all three were found in transitional marine deposits within the assemblage ("Phreatophasma" in a brachiopod- and bryozoan-bearing limestone and "Biarmica" and "Leptoropha" in lagoon and delta deposits), settings which are not typical for terrestrial synapsids but possible for semi-aquatic seymouriamorphs.
The most recent examination of "Phreatophasma" using up-to-date knowledge of the postcranial anatomy of synapsids rejected therapsid and seymouriamorph affinities. Phylogenetic analysis found this species to be a basal member of Caseidae, a position that had important implications for the evolution of this family. This is only the second example of a caseid from the palaeo-temperate region of Russia, and it is not closely related to the first ("Ennatosaurus tecton"), implying at least two distinct dispersal events from the palaeoequatorial to temperate latitudes. It also implies that a number of plesiomorphic characteristics of caseids, including small body size and a relatively long femur, were retained as late as the middle Permian, a time when caseids were otherwise represented by large herbivorous taxa.


Pristimantis mendax

Pristimantis mendax is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae.
It is endemic to Peru.
Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and moist montane forests.


Diploderma flaviceps

Diploderma flaviceps, the Szechwan japalure, is endemic to China.


Chloroclystis rectaria

Chloroclystis rectaria is a moth in the family Geometridae. It was described by George Hampson in 1903. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.


Cardiophorus elegans

Cardiophorus elegans is a species of click beetles. It is found in Chile.


Metopaulias

Metopaulias is a monotypic genus of fully terrestrial land crabs which do not need to go back to the sea to spawn. Metopaulias depressus is a reddish-brown crab about wide which lives in the pools of water that form in the leaves of bromeliads in Jamaica. The female lays about 90 eggs, then tends to her offspring, removing dead leaves that would deoxygenate the water and adding snail shells to the pool to provide high levels of calcium that they require, catching cockroaches and millipedes to feed them, and killing larvae of the damselfly "Diceratobasis macrogaster" which would otherwise eat them.


Pseudocalotes flavigula

Pseudocalotes flavigula, the Malaya false bloodsucker, yellow-throated forest agamid, or yellow-throated false garden lizard, is a species of agamid lizard. It is found in Malaysia.


Brignoliella scrobiculata

Brignoliella scrobiculata is a species of spiders of the genus "Brignoliella". It is endemic to Sri Lanka,


White-headed marsh tyrant

The white-headed marsh tyrant ("Arundinicola leucocephala"), also known as simply the marsh tyrant, is a small passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family, the only species of the genus Arundinicola. It breeds in tropical South America from Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad south to Bolivia, Argentina and Paraguay.
Description.
The adult white-headed marsh tyrant is 12.7 cm long and weighs 15 g. The male is entirely brown-black, apart from the relatively large white head and yellowish lower mandible. The female has brown upperparts and wings and a black tail. Her underparts, sides of the head and forecrown are dull white. This is a quiet species, but the call is a sharp "sedik".
This species is found in marshy savannahs, reedbeds and the edges of mangrove swamps.
Diet.
White-headed marsh tyrants wait on an exposed low perch in marsh vegetation or a branch near water, occasionally sallying out to feed on insects, their staple diet, before returning to the perch. They often pick off insects from the vegetation, but more frequently out of mid-air and even from shallow water.
The nest is a feather-lined oval ball of grasses and other plant material, with a porched side entrance. It is placed at the end of a branch near or over water. Both sexes incubate the typical clutch of two or three creamy-white eggs, which are marked with a few brown spots. Cowbirds often parasitise the nest.
This bird is not considered threatened by the IUCN. Local populations may disappear however due to declining habitat quality.


Elachista madridensis

Elachista madridensis is a moth of the family Elachistidae that is endemic to Spain.


Eospalax

Eospalax is a genus of rodents in the family Spalacidae. It contains these species:


Agapanthia persicola

Agapanthia persicola is a species of beetle in the subfamily Lamiinae endemic to Iran. The species is in length, and are blue coloured. The flight time is from May to June, with a life cycle of one year.


Cyligramma magus

Cyligramma magus is a moth of the family Noctuidae first described by Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville in 1844. It is found in most of Sub-Saharan Africa.


Anasaitis

Anasaitis is a genus of jumping spiders that was first described by E. B. Bryant in 1950. The name is derived from the salticid genus "Saitis".
Species.
 it contains twenty-one species and one subspecies, found in the Caribbean, the United States, Colombia, and Panama:


Spilarctia yukikoae

Spilarctia yukikoae is a moth in the family Erebidae. It was described by Yasunori Kishida in 1995. It is found in Nepal.


Black-spotted casque-headed tree frog

The black-spotted casque-headed tree frog ("Trachycephalus nigromaculatus") is a species of frog in the family Hylidae endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, rural gardens, and heavily degraded former forests.
It is threatened by habitat loss.


Filodes costivitralis

Filodes costivitralis, the window pearl, is a moth of the family Crambidae. It is found in Réunion, Madagascar, Mauritania and central, southern and eastern Africa.
The larvae feed on "Hibiscus" species and "Thunbergia" species, including "Thunbergia grandiflora".
Occasionally the adults drink tear liquid from cattle, and can be a vector of animal diseases.


Ceramida dinizi

Ceramida dinizi is a species of beetle in the Melolonthinae subfamily that is endemic to Portugal.


Porthidium nasutum

Porthidium nasutum is a venomous pitviper species found in southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Description.
Adults are usually less than in total length, and rarely more than . Females are considerably larger than males. Moderately stout and terrestrial.
Geographic range.
Found in southern Mexico southward through Central America to western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador in South America. Inhabits the Atlantic lowlands from Mexico (Tabasco and Chiapas) through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica to eastern Panama and northwestern Colombia. In the Pacific lowlands, it occurs in southwestern Costa Rica, central and eastern Panama, continuing on to northwestern Ecuador. It is found in mesic lowland broadleaf or rainforest from sea level to elevation of about . The type locality given is "Pansos [Panzós], sur les bords du Polochic [Alta Verapaz] (Guatémala)."
Conservation status.
This species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is a widespread and moderately common species that is not facing major threats.


Campo flicker

The campo flicker ("Colaptes campestris") is a species of bird in the woodpecker family. It is found in a wide range of open and semi-open habitats in eastern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and northeastern Argentina, with isolated populations in Amapá and southern Suriname. Though it frequently can be seen in trees or bushes, it is among the very few woodpeckers that spends a significant portion of its life on the ground. It breeds in holes in trees, termite mounds or earth banks. It is generally common and therefore considered to be of least concern by IUCN.
The southern population has a white throat (instead of a black throat) and is sometimes considered a separate species, the pampas flicker ("Colaptes campestroides").
References.
Length: 11.02-12.20 in. (28-31 cm) / Weight: 0.31 lb-0.42 lb (145-192 g)


Scopula ablativa

Scopula ablativa is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was described by Paul Dognin in 1911. It is endemic to Argentina.


List of mammals of Romania

There are ninety mammal species in Romania, of which one is critically endangered, one is endangered, fourteen are vulnerable, and four are near threatened.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:
Order: Rodentia (rodents).
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to .
Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs).
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though they can resemble rodents, and were classified as a superfamily in that order until the early twentieth century, they have since been considered a separate order. They differ from rodents in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.
Order: Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures).
The order Erinaceomorpha contains a single family, Erinaceidae, which comprise the hedgehogs and gymnures. The hedgehogs are easily recognised by their spines while gymnures look more like large rats.
Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons).
Shrews are insectivorous mammals. They closely resemble mice while the moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
Order: Chiroptera (bats).
The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.
Order: Cetacea (whales).
The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.
Order: Carnivora (carnivorans).
There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates).
The even-toed ungulates are ungulates whose weight is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes, rather than mostly or entirely by the third as in perissodactyls. There are about 220 artiodactyl species, including many that are of great economic importance to humans.


Bolitoglossa cataguana

Bolitoglossa cataguana, the Cataguana salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Honduras and known from near Cataguana in the Marale municipality, Francisco Morazán Department.
Description.
The type series consists of the holotype, which is an adult female measuring in snout–vent length, three sub-adult and adult females between , a sub-adult male measuring , and two juveniles. There are 13 costal grooves. The sub-digital pads are well-developed and the toe tips are bluntly rounded. The tail, measuring in the holotype, is constricted basally and appears "swollen" after the constriction.
Habitat and conservation.
The type series was collected in lightly disturbed, mixed cloud forest on the edge of the Montaña de Yoro National Park at elevations of above sea level. Individuals were found active in vegetation up to 3 metres above the ground or resting during the daytime under a log. Coloration may vary by time of the day; during the daytime, the holotype was dorsally gray-brown with pale ocher cast and scattered dark brown punctations, whereas at the night it was pale grayish tan with pale pink cast.
Because of its limited distribution and threat of habitat loss, Townsend and colleagues suggested that the species should be classified as "Critically Endangered", following the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.


Copa spinosa

Copa spinosa, is a species of spider of the genus "Copa". It is endemic to Sri Lanka.


Oxyrhopus guibei

Oxyrhopus guibei is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to South America. It is often called the false coral snake, but this common name can refer to any of a long list of other species, genera, and even entire families of snakes. Many nonvenomous snakes have evolved coloration that mimics that of venomous true coral snakes, a trait which helps them avoid predation.
Etymology.
The specific name, "guibei", is in honor of French herpetologist Jean Guibé.
Geographic range.
"O. guibei" is native to central sections of South America, in parts of Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
Conservation status.
The species "O. guibei" has been described as common to abundant.
Description.
"O. guibei" can reach to in total length (including tail). Females can reach much larger sizes than males.
Habitat.
The preferred natural habitat of "O. guibei" is forest, including forest edges and open areas. The snake is sometimes seen near human activity and habitation, for example, on farms and in backyards.
Behavior.
"O. guibei" is mostly nocturnal, but is sometimes out basking during the day. It spends most of its time on the ground, but it will climb trees at times.
Diet.
The diet of "O. guibei" includes rodents, lizards, and other small animals. Rodent prey items include rats ("Rattus" sp.), the hairy-tailed bolo mouse ("Necromys lasiurus"), the house mouse ("Mus musculus"), the small vesper mouse ("Calomys laucha"), the delicate vesper mouse ("Calomys tener"), and hocicudos ("Oxymycterus" sp.). It will eat the lizard "Tropidurus itambere" and it has been observed taking white-tipped dove nestlings ("Leptotila" sp.). Lizards it will swallow alive, but rodents it often constricts first.
Reproduction.
The female "O. guibei" lays eggs year-round, but male and female reproductive activity slows around the end of the rainy season. Clutch sizes range from about 3 to 20, with an average size of about 11. Longer females lay more eggs. Eggs are laid in nest sites such as cavities in rock piles and abandoned rabbit burrows. The female abandons the eggs once they are laid.
Enemies.
Predators of the species "O. guibei" include the laughing falcon ("Herpetotheres cachinnans"), a bird which specializes in snakes, and "Erythrolamprus aesculapii", another species of false coral snake. It has also been observed in the diet of the maned wolf ("Chrysocyon brachyurus"), which readily eats snakes, including venomous species.
Defensive behavior.
"O. guibei" performs defensive behaviors when threatened, such as "brusque" thrashing, staying still or rushing to escape, compressing or inflating its body, coiling, hiding its head, or producing a cloacal discharge.


Codringtonia parnassia

Codringtonia parnassia is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Helicidae, the typical snails.
Geographic distribution.
"C. parnassia" is endemic to Greece, where it occurs in the central part of the country.


Plush-crested jay

The plush-crested jay ("Cyanocorax chrysops") is a jay of the family Corvidae (which includes the crows and their many allies). It is found in central-southern South America: in southwestern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina, including southern regions of the Amazon Basin river systems bordering the Pantanal.
Description.
It is an elegant medium-sized bird, dark plumaged with a cream-yellow breast; the bulky tail is also cream colored, top and underneath, for the lower half.
Distribution.
The range of the plush-crested jay extends from the Southern Region, Brazil with Uruguay and approaches the South Atlantic coast, but avoids the coast, approximating a 400 to 150 km coastal strip; the coastal-inland range extends 3500 km from São Paulo south to Rio Grande do Sul bordering Uruguay. The inland range continues in northwestern Uruguay and extends northwest through northern Argentina, Paraguay–Bolivia, and through the Pantanal at the southern Cerrado; the range extends in two arms, to the northwest to northern Bolivia, and northeastwards to headwaters of the Amazon Basin Tapajós River.
In the Amazon Basin, central Bolivia is the northwest range limit, the headwater tributaries to the north-northeast flowing Madeira River; the next range skips the Guaporé River, (a northwest-flowing tributary to the Madeira), eastwards on the Brazil–Bolivia border, and is next found at the headwaters of the Tapajós River, and joins on the east the extreme headwaters of the Xingu River.
A disjunct range occurs downstream on the Tapajós and east towards the Xingu River, a block . Two other localized populations occur in the Amazon Basin, one on the Amazon River, the other on the downstream Madeira River.


Epermenia afghanistanella

Epermenia afghanistanella is a moth in the family Epermeniidae. It was described by Reinhard Gaedike in 1971. It is found in Afghanistan.


Craugastor lineatus

Craugastor lineatus, also known as the Montane robber frog, is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is native to Guatemala and southern Mexico (Oaxaca and Chiapas). It lives in lower montane evergreen forests.


Argulus ambystoma

Argulus ambystoma is a species of branchiuran parasitic on the Lake Patzcuaro Salamander, "Ambystoma dumerilii", sharing that species' very limited range in Lago de Pátzcuaro, Mexico.
The male has a total length of 3–4 mm with 2 dark triangular marks on the dorsal surface of the carapace and large dark patches marking the location of the testes. The larger (4–6 mm) female is generally mottled without large dark areas. It lives among the external gills of its neotenous host, only occasionally straying from this hiding place during darkness. This retiring nature may explain why this animal remained undiscovered until recently.


Holcocera poetae

Holcocera poetae is a moth in the family Blastobasidae which is endemic to Costa Rica.


Black-faced pitta

The black-faced pitta ("Pitta anerythra") is a species of bird in the family Pittidae. It is found on Buka Island in Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.


Phrynocephalus persicus

Phrynocephalus persicus, commonly known as the Persian toad-headed agama, is a small diurnal desert lizard of the family Agamidae. It is the westernmost representative of the Central Asian genus of toad-headed agamas "Phrynocephalus" and is only known from deserts and semideserts of Iran and possibly Azerbaijan.
Taxonomy.
Phylogeny within the genus "Phrynocephalus" is not well understood yet. There is a lack of data and controversy between opinions regarding both phylogenetic relationships and species vs. subspecies status of the different forms "Phrynocephalus helioscopus" and "Phrynocephalus persicus", also called the "helioscopus-persicus complex".
There is an ongoing scientific debate about the phylogeny and the taxonomic format of "Phrynocephalus persicus". Recent studies suggest existence of at least two distinct subspecies: the Persian toad-headed agama ("Phrynocephalus persicus persicus" De Filippi, 1863) from northern and central Iran, and Horvath's toad-headed agama ("Phrynocephalus persicus horvathi" Mehely, 1894) from Armenia, Azerbaijan, NW Iran and NE Turkey. The IUCN considers "P. persicus" and "P. horvathi" as two distinct species, and classifies the "Phrynocephalus persicus" as Vulnerable, while "Phrynocephalus horvathi" is Critically Endangered. This usage has been followed here.
Description.
The snout-vent length of the body and weight ranges between 2.3 cm and 0.4 g in newborns and 7 cm and 7.8 g in adults. There is a sexual dimorphism in morphology (size, color) and behavior. Females are slightly larger than males. "P. persicus" appears to have a shorter tail compared to "P. horvathi".
Like its relatives, the species does not have visible ear-drums. Head and body are wide and covered with small scales. There is no large shield on the head as in Lacertidae lizards. Coloration is cryptic and usually corresponds to the color of the surrounding substrate, which makes the lizard almost invisible. Scales of different size, shape and color associated to create a mosaic pattern, which serves as camouflage allowing the lizard to blend in with a sandy substrate. Accumulations of conical scales create more or less symmetrically distributed dark spots of the color pattern. The dorsal pattern consists of transverse series of dark dots which form pronounced dark areas on the shoulders and the lumbar region of the body. The center of the back may carry 1–3 latitudinally spread groups of dark spots, or may be free of any pattern. There are usually 2–3 prolonged red surrounded by blue areas on the neck. Color of these areas serves as a "pregnancy indicator". In gravid females red coloration turns bluish-grey and areas become blue. Belly is white with bright orange wash in the rare (abdominal) part. Tail usually carries latitudinally striped pattern form dark and white segments. Ventral surface of the tail in lizards from Armenia is dark grey in males and yellowish in females.
Distribution and habitat.
The species occurs in fragmented populations in the northwestern and western parts of the Central Plateau in Iran. Reports from Azerbaijan have not been confirmed in the past 50 years. The species inhabits semi-desert on plateaus at an elevation of up to 1,150m.
Ecology.
The life span of "P. persicus" is 2.5–3 years. Juveniles become adults at an age of less than one year. The species feeds on a variety of arthropods including ants, small spiders, beetles and orthopterans and even venomous arthropods such as spiders, bees and wasps.
"P. persicus" is oviparous, i.e. a female lays eggs to reproduce. Females may make 1–3 clutches of 2–4 small eggs, depending on the duration of the warm season, which, in its turn, heavily depends on elevation of the local terrain. The female lays the eggs into a narrow around 30 cm deep burrow she has dug into the sand. During the period of gravidity, females demonstrate a specifically aggressive behavior towards conspecifics and other invaders as well. This behavior includes walking on extended rear limbs with an inflated abdomen, collateral rotations of the curved end of the tail, tail-markings on the sand, and open mouth attacks.
Conservation.
The species is fairly common in suitable habitat but patchily distributed. It is currently classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Its geographic range does overlap with areas of intense land use, making large scale habitat loss a major threat. Overgrazing, uncontrolled collection, road mortality as well as predation by larger animals have been documented. Habitats of the lizard are preserved as small islets of semi-desert surrounded by agrarian lands. Despite positive experience in captive breeding of "P. horvathi", no stable captive colonies exist.


Centruroides marcanoi

Centruroides marcanoi is a species of scorpion in the family Buthidae.


Plectrohyla matudai

Plectrohyla matudai (common name: Matuda's spikethumb frog) is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It is found along the Pacific slopes from southeastern Oaxaca, Mexico, through Chiapas and south-central Guatemala (Las Nubes range); also in the Grijalva Depression in western Guatemala and on Cerro Azul in northwestern Honduras.
Etymology.
Norman Hartweg named this species after Eizi Matuda, Japanese–Mexican botanist and his host in Chiapas.
Description.
The type series consists of three males (including the holotype) and two females. Males measured and females in snout–vent length. The head and dorsal surface of body are dark grayish brown, while the sides are lighter but posteriorly mottled with black. Males have bifurcate, rudimentary prepollex (the "spikethumb").
Habitat and conservation.
Its natural habitats are pine-oak, cloud, and tropical rain forests at elevations of above sea level. It is typically found in low vegetation with abundant leaf litter along small mountain streams.
"Plectrohyla matudai" is locally common, and in Guatemala it is one of the most common stream-breeding frogs. It is threatened by habitat loss and disturbance. Chytridiomycosis is also a potential threat, although it seems relatively resistant to it, at least as an adult. Its distribution includes several protected areas.


Camellia yunnanensis

Camellia yunnanensis is a 1.3–7 m tall shrub or small tree.
Its leaves are elliptic to broad-elliptic or ovate-elliptic, bluntly acute. They are deep green.
Its flowers is white, perulate and solitary.
Distribution.
It is distributed in Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces, China.
The plants was introduced to Japan after 1979 in the form of seeds and scions for grafting.


List of butterflies of Samoa

This is a list of butterflies of Samoa and American Samoa.


Acalyptris terrificus

Acalyptris terrificus is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is only known from the Pacific Coast in the Oaxaca region in Mexico.
The habitat consists of secondary forests.
The wingspan is about 4.2 mm. Adults are on wing from November to December.


Pritha garfieldi

Pritha garfieldi is a species of araneomorph spiders in the family Filistatidae.
Distribution.
This species is endemic to Tehran Province, Iran.
Description.
The male holotype measured 2.37 mm and the female paratype measured 4.48 mm.
Etymology.
This species was named after actor Andrew Garfield, who has played the role of comic book superhero Spider-Man in two movies.


Bromeliad tree frog

The bromeliad tree frog ("Bromeliohyla bromeliacia") is a species of frogs in the family Hylidae.
It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and southern Mexico. In Spanish, this frog is known as "rana arborícula de bromelia". This frog used to be classified as "Hyla bromeliacia" before it was moved to the newly formed genus "Bromeliohyla" in 2005.
Males measure 24.1–29.5 mm and females 32.0–36.0 mm in snout–vent length.
Distribution.
The bromeliad tree frog is found in premontane and lower montane wet forests on the Atlantic side of Chiapas State in Mexico, in the Maya Mountains of Belize and Guatemala, in central Guatemala and in northwest Honduras at elevations of above sea level.
Biology.
These frogs lay their eggs in the water-filled rosettes of bromeliads or other temporary, water-filled crevices in the canopy, such as the leaf sheaths of banana leaves. The tadpoles complete their development in these small pools.
Fungal infection.
A study was undertaken in Honduras to discover whether these frogs were infected by the chytrid fungus, which is causing devastation among amphibian populations worldwide. One-third of the individuals tested were found to be infected. These frogs spend their lives in the canopy and breed in the ephemeral, water-filled bromeliad rosettes, and are unlikely ever to come into contact with streams or pools which might be sources of infection. The researchers surmised the fungus might be spread by insects or birds, or by raindrops, but further research needs to be undertaken to establish how it is dispersed.
Status.
The bromeliad tree frog is listed as "Least Concern" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. While it is a relatively rare species, it has quite large distribution area. However, it has declined at higher altitudes, possibly due to chytridiomycosis. In addition to chytridiomycosis, deforestation and pollution are believed to threaten this species. In Guatemala and Honduras, it occurs in several national parks, where it should be free of these threats.


List of birds of Bulgaria

This list of birds of Bulgaria includes all bird species which have been seen in the country. This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of "The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World", 2019 edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Bulgaria. It includes 428 bird species.
The varied natural habitat, relief and climate and relatively untouched environment are among the main reasons for the many bird species in the country. The numerous islands and wetlands along the Danube including the Persina Natural Park and Srebarna Nature Reserve, as well as the lakes and swamps along the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, support many species of diving and aquatic birds such as ducks, swans, pelicans, grebes, spoonbills and many others. The eastern Rhodopes are among the strongholds of birds of prey in Europe, with most of the species in the continent nesting in that area. The mild climate in the extreme south offers good conditions for many Mediterranean birds as well as for wintering species from the north.
The following tags highlight several categories of occurrence other than regular migrants and residents.
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl.
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
Pheasants, grouse, and allies.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.
Flamingos.
Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae
Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.
Grebes.
Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Pigeons and doves.
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Sandgrouse.
Order: PterocliformesFamily: Pteroclidae
Sandgrouse have small, pigeon like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails and a fast direct flight. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk. Their legs are feathered down to the toes.
Bustards.
Order: OtidiformesFamily: Otididae
Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays.
Cuckoos.
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.
Nightjars and allies.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.
Swifts.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Rails, gallinules, and coots.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Cranes.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged, and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".
Thick-knees.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae
The thick-knees are a group waders found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes, and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.
Stilts and avocets.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
Oystercatchers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
Plovers and lapwings.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.
Sandpipers and allies.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Pratincoles and coursers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings, and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.
Skuas and jaegers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.
Auks, murres, and puffins.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Alcidae
Alcids are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits. However, they are not related to the penguins and differ in being able to fly. Auks live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest.
Gulls, terns, and skimmers.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years.
Loons.
Order: GaviiformesFamily: Gaviidae
Loons, known as divers in Europe, are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Europe. They are the size of a large duck or small goose, which they somewhat resemble when swimming, but to which they are completely unrelated.
Shearwaters and petrels.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
Storks.
Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute, but bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory.
Boobies and gannets.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.
Cormorants and shags.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white, and a few being colourful.
Pelicans.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. They have webbed feet with four toes.
Herons, egrets, and bitterns.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills.
Ibises and spoonbills.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.
Osprey.
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae
The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.
Hawks, eagles, and kites.
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae
Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight.
Barn-owls.
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Tytonidae
Barn-owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.
Owls.
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.
Hoopoes.
Order: BucerotiformesFamily: Upupidae
Hoopoes have black, white, and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head.
Kingfishers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.
Bee-eaters.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Meropidae
The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.
Rollers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Coraciidae
Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not.
Woodpeckers.
Order: PiciformesFamily: Picidae
Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.
Falcons and caracaras.
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.
Old World orioles.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Oriolidae
The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds. They are not related to the similar-looking New World orioles.
Shrikes.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Laniidae
Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A shrike's beak is hooked, like that of a typical bird of prey.
Crows, jays, and magpies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Corvidae
The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers, and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.
Tits, chickadees, and titmice.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Paridae
The tits are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.
Penduline-tits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Remizidae
The penduline-tits are a group of small passerine birds related to the true tits. They are insectivores.
Larks.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Alaudidae
Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.
Bearded reedling.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Panuridae
This species, the only one in its family, is found in reed beds throughout temperate Europe and Asia.
Cisticolas.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cisticolidae
The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance found in open country such as grassland or scrub.
Reed warblers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Acrocephalidae
The members of this family are usually rather large for "warblers". Most are rather plain olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but it also ranges far into the Pacific, with some species in Africa.
Grassbirds and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Locustellidae
Locustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over.
Swallows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae
The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings, and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.
Leaf warblers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Phylloscopidae
Leaf warblers are a family of small insectivorous birds found mostly in Eurasia and ranging into Wallacea and Africa. The species are of various sizes, often green-plumaged above and yellow below, or more subdued with greyish-green to greyish-brown colours.
Bush warblers and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Scotocercidae
The members of this family are found mostly in Africa and Asia with a few species in Europe and Polynesia.
Long-tailed tits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Aegithalidae
Long-tailed tits are a group of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They make woven bag nests in trees. Most eat a mixed diet which includes insects.
Sylviid warblers, parrotbills, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sylviidae
The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. They mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent, Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs.
Kinglets.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Regulidae
The kinglets and "crests" are a small family of birds which resemble some warblers. They are very small insectivorous birds in the single genus "Regulus". The adults have colored crowns, giving rise to their name.
Wallcreeper.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Tichodromidae
The wallcreeper is a small bird related to the nuthatch family, which has stunning crimson, grey, and black plumage.
Nuthatches.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sittidae
Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails and powerful bills and feet.
Treecreepers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Certhiidae
Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees.
Wrens.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Troglodytidae
The wrens are mainly small and inconspicuous except for their loud songs. These birds have short wings and thin down-turned bills. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous.
Dippers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cinclidae
Dippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements.
Starlings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.
Thrushes.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae
The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.
Old World flycatchers.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae
Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.
Waxwings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Bombycillidae
The waxwings are a group of birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. In the Bohemian and cedar waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax and give the group its name. These are arboreal birds of northern forests. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter.
Accentors.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Prunellidae
The accentors are in the only bird family which is completely endemic to the Palearctic. They are small, fairly drab species superficially similar to sparrows.
Old World sparrows.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae
Sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown, or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.
Wagtails and pipits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Motacillidae
Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws, and pipits. They are slender ground-feeding insectivores of open country.
Finches, euphonias, and allies.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Fringillidae
Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.
Longspurs and snow buntings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Calcariidae
The Calcariidae are a family of birds that had been traditionally grouped with the New World sparrows, but differ in a number of respects and are usually found in open grassy areas.
Old World buntings.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Emberizidae
The emberizids are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns.


Inape saetiphora

Inape saetiphora is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae which is endemic to Peru.
The wingspan is . The ground colour of the forewings is brownish, although more grey in the apical third of wing and tinged whitish grey between the fasciae. The markings are dark brown with rust admixture. The hindwings are greyish cream, but pale basally and mixed brownish grey and spotted in the distal half.
Etymology.
The species name refers to the setose sacculus and is derived from Latin "saeta" (meaning seta) and Greek "phoreo" (meaning I carry).


Atelographus decoratus

Atelographus decoratus is a species of longhorn beetles of the subfamily Lamiinae. It was described by Monne and Monne in 2011, and is known from Brazil.