Mummichog

The mummichog ("Fundulus heteroclitus") is a small killifish found along the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada. Also known as Atlantic killifish, mummies, gudgeons, and mud minnows, these fish inhabit brackish and coastal waters including estuaries and salt marshes. The species is noted for its hardiness and ability to tolerate highly variable salinity, temperature fluctuations from , very low oxygen levels (down to 1 mg/L), and heavily polluted ecosystems. As a result, the mummichog is a popular research subject in embryological, physiological, and toxicological studies. It is also the first fish ever sent to space, aboard Skylab in 1973.
Taxonomy.
The genus name "Fundulus" comes from "", meaning bottom, from the fish's habit of swimming near muddy bottoms. The species name "heteroclitus" means irregular or unusual. The type specimen was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1766, from near Charleston, South Carolina. Other scientific names now considered synonyms for this species include "Cobitis heteroclita", "Fundulus fasciatus", "Fundulus pisculentus", and "Fundulus nigrofasciatus". The mummichog belongs to the order Cyprinodontiformes, and the family Fundulidae. There are two subspecies: "F. h. heteroclitus" (Linnaeus, 1766), in the south and "F. h. macrolepidotus" (Walbaum, 1792) in the north. As "Fundulus mudfish" this species was designated the type species of the genus "Fundulus" when he created the genus.
The name mummichog is derived from a Narragansett term which means "going in crowds", which reflects the mummichog's strong shoaling tendency. Colloquial names include mummy, killie, kelley, chub, salt water minnow, mud minnow, mud dabbler, marsh minnow, brackish water chub, gudgeon, and common killifish. Some of these terms may lead to confusion: the term minnow should be reserved for species of the family Cyprinidae, the mudminnows are members of the family Umbridae, and the name gudgeon is used for various bottom-dwelling species of cyprinid, eleotrid, and ptereleotrid fishes, none of which belongs to the same family as the fundulid mummichog.
Description.
The body of the mummichog is elongate but thick, with a deep caudal peduncle. Usual length is but a maximum length of up to is possible. The mouth is upturned and the lower jaw protrudes when the mouth is closed. Pectoral and tail fins are round. Mummichogs have 10-13 dorsal fin rays, 9-12 anal fin rays, 16-20 pectoral fin rays. Males have larger dorsal and anal fins than females. There is no lateral line on the body, but lateral line pores are present on the head. The colour is variable (and may even change in shade within the same individual when placed near different backgrounds) but is generally olive-brown or olive-green. There can be vertical bars on the sides that are thin, wavy, and silvery. Colors are more intense in males during the reproductive season, as they become dark olive-green on the back, steel-blue on the sides with about 15 silvery bars, and yellow or orange-yellow on the underside; the dorsal fin is mottled and a small eyespot may be present near the rear edge. Females tend to be paler, without bars or the intense yellow on the belly, and their dorsal fin is uniformly coloured.
Adults of the two subspecies can be distinguished based on slight morphological differences. and genomic Further, eggs of the northern subspecies have filaments (adhesive chorionic fibrils) that eggs of the southern subspecies lack. While the northern subspecies deposits eggs in the sand, the southern subspecies often deposits eggs inside empty mussel shells.
The mummichog is very similar to the banded killifish, "Fundulus diaphanus", and indeed the two species have been known to interbreed. The two species may overlap in their choice of habitat, but in general the banded killifish is more commonly found in freshwater, which is not the case for the mummichog. The banded killifish tends to have thin dark bars on a light side, whereas in the mummichog the bars are thin and light on a dark side. Internally, the banded killifish has 4-7 gill rakers, as opposed to 8-12 in the mummichog.
Distribution and habitat.
This species ranges along the Atlantic coast of North America, from Gaspé Peninsula, Anticosti Island and Port au Port Bay in the north to northeastern Florida in the south. It is present on Sable Island, southeast of the closest point of mainland Nova Scotia in the Atlantic Ocean. The approximate geographical division between the two subspecies lies in New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia.
Introduced populations have become established on the Atlantic coast of Portugal and southwestern Spain, starting in the 1970s and some have now reached the western Mediterranean basin. There may also be introduced populations in Hawaii and the Philippines. As bait fish, mummichogs are sometimes released in freshwater habitats, where they can survive, and there have been reports of individuals in New Hampshire ponds, as well as the upper Ohio River and Beaver River.
The mummichog is a common fish in coastal habitats such as salt marshes, muddy creeks, tidal channels, brackish estuaries, eelgrass or cordgrass beds, and sheltered shorelines. It can be found within coastal rivers but seldom beyond the head of tide. A few landlocked populations may exist in freshwater lakes close to shore, for example on Digby Neck, Nova Scotia.
Diet.
Mummichogs are omnivorous. Analyses of their stomach contents have found diatoms, amphipods and other crustaceans, molluscs, fish eggs (including their own species), very small fish, insect larvae, and bits of eelgrass.
Physiology.
This fish is well known for its ability to withstand a variety of environmental conditions. They can survive temperatures between ; even within the same tidal cycle they can tolerate rapid temperature changes from . They are among fish species most tolerant of salinity changes (euryhaline). Mummichog larvae can grow in salinities ranging from 0.4 to 100 parts per thousand, the latter being about three times the normal salinity of seawater. Adult mummichogs tolerate low oxygen levels down to 1 mg/L, at which they resort to aquatic surface respiration (breathing in the surface layer of water, richer in oxygen because of contact with air) to survive. They can even survive for a few hours in moist air outside of water, breathing air directly.
Populations have developed resistance to methylmercury, kepone, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyl, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. One study has looked at the genomic variation exhibited by mummichogs populations living in Newark Bay, New Bedford Harbor, and the Elizabeth River (Virginia) (in some areas heavily polluted with polychlorinated biphenyls and creosote, a complex mixture containing dioxin-like chemicals) and has found that about 20% of their genes were modified as compared to populations living in clean sites.
Behavior.
Mummichogs live in dense shoals that can include several hundred individuals.
During cold winter months in the northern parts of their range, mummichogs move to upstream tidal pools, where they burrow into the mud at depths up to to overwinter. They can also bury themselves in mud if they are caught in a drying tidal pool between spring tides. Alternatively, they can travel short distances on land to get back to the sea.
In the laboratory, mummichogs have yielded clear examples of free-running circadian rhythms, in both body colour and swimming activity. For the latter, clear rhythms were obtained in single individuals as well as in groups of 5 or 25 individuals. Evidence of free-running semi-lunar rhythms have also been obtained in mummichogs: in constant laboratory conditions, egg production peaked every 14.8 days for up to 5 months.
Reproduction.
Spawning takes place from spring through fall. In the southernmost populations, up to eight spawnings are possible in a season. Spawning takes place most often at high tide and when the moon is new or full. Maximal spawning occurs when high spring tides coincide with night, though spawning during the day remains possible.
During courtship, males may pursue females, and females may attract males by turning on their sides near the bottom and flicking their tails. A male and female may swim together for a while, after which the male crowds the female against a rock or a plant and clasps her: the male's larger dorsal and anal fins curve around the female's body. Fingerlike projections that develop on the male's scales behind and below the dorsal fin may help the male maintain contact with the female. The pair quivers vigorously and eggs and sperm are released.
The eggs are pale yellow, about in diameter, and strongly adhesive. During a spawning event, a female can deposit up to 740 eggs in separate clutches of 10 to 300 eggs at a time. The eggs adhere to plants, algal mats, empty mussel shells, sand, or mud at sites that are reached by water only at high spring tides. Eggs therefore develop while exposed to moist air, and they hatch when the next high spring tides reach them. The eggs cannot hatch in air, nor can they do so in moving water; hatching is initiated by a lack of oxygen, something that can happen in the boundary layer of relatively still water surrounding the metabolically active egg at high tide, but not in air or in moving water.
As opposed to their northern counterparts, the southern subspecies have eggs that lack filaments (adhesive chorionic fibrils) and they often deposit those eggs inside empty mussel shells. The two subspecies are also distinguished based on slight morphological and genomic differences.
Most mummichogs become sexually mature when two years old, around in length. Normal lifespan is four years.
Parasites.
Mummichogs are hosts to a parasitic fluke, "Homalometron pallidum", which has a complex lifecycle involving the aquatic snail, "Ecrobia truncata". Other parasite species reported in mummichogs include 10 protozoans, eight trematodes, one nematode, two acanthocephalans, and two crustaceans. A study in New Jersey found that mummichogs heavily infested with the digenean gill parasite "Ascocotyle phagicola", spent more time near the surface and exhibited conspicuous behaviors such as jerking, an example of a parasite affecting the behavior of its host in a way beneficial to the parasite, as conspicuous behaviors near the surface make the fish more likely to be noticed by predatory wading birds, the next host in the parasite's life cycle.
Interest to humans.
Mummichogs readily eat mosquito larvae and attempts have been made to use them as biocontrol agents of mosquito populations.
Fishing.
Mummichogs are sold as bait in sport fisheries for marine species such as summer flounder and bluefish, or even sometimes for freshwater species. They are the most popular baitfish species in the Northeast of America and traditionally when used as bait they were lip hooked and then dressed with a piece of squid.
Scientific utility.
Mummichogs are considered an important environmental model organism because of their ability to tolerate various extremes of chemical (pollution, etc.) and physical (temperature, salinity, oxygen, etc.) conditions. They are relatively abundant in nature and can be easily captured, transported and reared in laboratory facilities. They are commonly used in scientific studies of stress biology, thermal physiology and toxicology, and have also been studied in the contexts of evolutionary biology, developmental biology, endocrinology, cancer biology, and chronobiology (study of circadian rhythms). With the successful sequencing and assembly of the full killifish genome, they serve as a premier scientific model for studying biochemical and physiological responses to varying environmental conditions.
Their remarkable ability to tolerate various extremes of temperature and salinity has made them popular subjects in scientific studies of toxicology. For decades the killifish has been a useful laboratory model for toxicological studies that include exposures to single chemicals, chemical mixtures, and complex contaminated media. It is sometimes the only fish species found in severely polluted and oxygen-deprived waterways, such as the Elizabeth River in Virginia and, in New Jersey, the Hackensack River and the Arthur Kill. A 2008 Virginia Institute of Marine Science report stated that 38% of mummichogs from Elizabeth River had cancerous lesions, and "more than half had pre-cancerous lesions. That was largely due to high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons".
Killifish eggs are used in developmental studies and when teaching embryology because the eyes, the beating heart, and the different stages of ontogenesis can be easily examined. Embryos are also extremely durable and easy to manipulate in the laboratory.
Mummichogs were the first fish sent to space. In 1973 a couple of them were flown in a plastic bag aquarium aboard Skylab, during the Skylab 3 mission. In the absence of gravity the fish at first exhibited an unusual swimming behavior: they constantly pitched forward and therefore described tight circles. However, by day 22 of the mission they swam normally. Fifty eggs at an advanced stage of development had also been taken on board, and 48 of them hatched during the flight. The hatchlings swam normally. More experiments with mummichogs in space followed as part of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and as part of a biological package aboard the Bion 3 satellite.


Chinese scrub vole

The Chinese scrub vole, or Irene's mountain vole, ("Neodon irene") is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is endemic to mountainous parts of southern China and is very similar to the Sikkim mountain vole in appearance. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Description.
The Chinese scrub vole has a head-and-body length of between and a tail length of . The dorsal fur is greyish-brown, the underparts are dark grey and there is an intermediate strip of ochre-brown where the two colours meet. The upper surface of both fore and hind feet are brownish-white and the tail is bicoloured, being brown above and white below. The Chinese scrub vole is very similar in appearance to the Sikkim mountain vole ("Neodon sikimensis"), but it is slightly smaller and the two can be distinguished by examination of their dentition.
Distribution and habitat.
The Chinese scrub vole is endemic to China where it occurs in high mountains in the provinces of eastern Qinghai, southern Gansu, western Sichuan, northeastern Tibet Autonomous Region and northwestern Yunnan. It is usually found in Alpine meadows and on shrubby hillsides.
Behaviour.
Like other voles, the Chinese scrub vole feeds mainly on plant material. Little is known of its reproductive biology, but a female with three advanced-stage embryos has been found in August.
Status.
The Chinese scrub vole has a wide range and is assumed to have a large total population. It is present in several national nature reserves. The population trend is unknown, but no specific threats have been identified and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".


Dismorphia medorilla

Dismorphia medorilla is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found in Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru.
Subspecies.
The following subspecies are recognised:


Ciliellopsis oglasae

Ciliellopsis oglasae is a species of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies.
This species is endemic to Italy. Its natural habitat is temperate forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.


Pine warbler

The pine warbler ("Setophaga pinus") is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.
Description.
These birds have white bellies, two white wing bars, dark legs and thin, relatively long pointed bills; they have yellowish lines over their eyes. Adult males have olive upperparts and bright yellow throats and breasts; females and immatures display upperparts which are olive-brown. Their throats and breasts are paler.
The song of this bird is a musical trill. Their calls are slurred "chip"s.
Distribution and habitat.
Their breeding habitats are open pine woods in eastern North America. These birds are permanent residents in southern Florida. Some of them, however, migrate to northeastern Mexico and islands in the Caribbean. The first record for South America was a vagrant wintering female seen at Vista Nieve, Colombia, on 20 November 2002; this bird was foraging as part of a mixed-species feeding flock that also included wintering Blackburnian and Tennessee warblers.
Behavior.
They forage slowly on tree trunks and branches by poking their bill into pine cones. These birds also find food by searching for it on the ground. These birds mainly eat insects, seeds and berries.
Their nests are deep, open cups, which are placed near the end of a tree branch. Pine warblers prefer to nest in pine trees, hence their names. Three to five blotched white eggs are laid.


Adenomera lutzi

Adenomera lutzi is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. It is endemic to Guyana. First described from the upper Potaro River based on specimens collected before 1905, it is now known from a number of sites around the Pakaraima Mountains in west-central Guyana. The specific name "lutzi" honors Adolfo Lutz, a Brazilian medical entomologist and parasitologist and a pioneer of herpetology. Common names Lutz's tropical bullfrog and Lutz's thin-toed frog have been coined for the species.
Description.
Adult males measure and adult females in snout–vent length. The snout is sub-elliptical when seen above and rounded-acute in profile. The canthus rostralis is rounded. The tympanum is distinct. The toe tips are expanded into small discs but lack circummarginal grooves. The forearms bear tubercles, and the lower surface of tarsus has distinct, white-tipped tubercles. The dorsal coloration is highly variable, and there are five major forms: (1) dark brown, grey or black ground color without or with a barely discernible pattern, (2) light–medium grey ground color with a well-defined pattern (a strongly marked dark brown–black inter-orbital bar and post-orbital ridges; chevron between shoulders almost continuous with round lumbar spots and irregular dark brown–black markings on the back), (3) as (2) but light grey, brown or reddish brown ground color and lighter, smaller, and much less evident/absent markings on the back, (4) similar to (2) but with dark brown to black mottling instead of well-defined markings on the back, and (5) dark grey to black ground color with large orange–orangish brown oblique lateral stripe, possibly with discernible darker markings. Most specimens have a white stripe that passes from the eye to the arm insertion, sometimes partly encompassing the tympanum. A narrow, yellow mid-dorsal stripe is often present but may be intermittent. The posterior surfaces of thighs are black with distinct yellow, orange, or red spotting or mottling. Males have yellow to orangish yellow throats and bellies. Vocal sac is internal.
Reproduction.
Kok and colleagues hypothesize that males use their shovel-shaped snouts to excavate underground nesting chambers. Reproduction takes place during the wettest part of the year—excavation of egg chambers requires wet soils. The male advertisement call is a sequence of regular notes repeated about 17–23 times per minute. The dominant frequency is about 3300–3600 Hz. Female fecundity is 3–10 eggs.
Habitat and conservation.
"Adenomera lutzi" occurs lowland and montane tropical primary forests at elevations of above sea level. It is a primarily nocturnal that lives in and on leaf litter. Reproduction does not depend on bodies of water.
This species can be locally common. There are no known threats to it. It occurs in an area of undisturbed remote forest, and it is also known from the Kaieteur National Park.


Pseudorhabdosynochus regius

Pseudorhabdosynochus regius is a diplectanid monogenean parasitic on the gills of the mottled grouper ("Mycteroperca rubra").
Description.
"Pseudorhabdosynochus regius" is a small monogenean, about 600-1300 µm in length.
The species has the general characteristics of other species of "Pseudorhabdosynochus", with a flat body and a posterior haptor, which is the organ by which the monogenean attaches itself to the gill of is host. The haptor bears two squamodiscs, one ventral and one dorsal, which are small, with a length of 20-40 µm, and made up of only 10-11 rows of rodlets.
The sclerotized male copulatory organ, or "quadriloculate organ", has the shape of a bean with four internal chambers, as in other species of "Pseudorhabdosynochus". The vagina includes a sclerotized part, which is a complex structure, 26-35 µm in length. It exhibits a trumpet in continuity with the primary canal, a straight primary canal, and primary and secondary chambers included in a common sclerotised mass along the primary canal. The sclerotised vagina is the structure used by systematicians to differentiate species of "Pseudorhabdosynochus". The closest relatives of "P. regius", based on the structure of its sclerotised vagina, are species mostly found in the Mediterranean Sea and parasites on species of "Mycteroperca".
Hosts and localities.
The type-host of "Pseudorhabdosynochus regius" is the grouper mottled grouper ("Mycteroperca rubra") and the species has not been found in another host. The type-locality if off Dakar, Senegal. The monogenean has also been found on fish of the same species caught off Sfax, Tunisia and off Tripoli, Libya. Thus, "P. regius" is known from the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Atlantic.
Only 14 species of diplectanids parasitic on groupers are known in the Mediterranean Sea and "P. regius" is one of them.


Slender-billed parakeet

The slender-billed parakeet, also called the long-billed parakeet ("Enicognathus leptorhynchus"), is a medium size South American parrot. It belongs to the smaller long-tailed Arinae (macaws and parakeets). It is known by the local common name "choroy".
Distribution and habitat.
The slender-billed parakeet is endemic to southern Chile. Its natural habitat is temperate forests, and its range stretches from central Chile, at the level of Mount Aconcagua, down to the island of Chiloé and the continental section of the country. The birds are social and flock together in large numbers. They are not especially afraid of humans, and the sighting of flocks in urban areas is not uncommon.
The species is reported to be locally common and is in the IUCN Red list category Least Concern.


Sirocco (parrot)

Sirocco (hatched 23 March 1997) is a kākāpō, a large, flightless, nocturnal parrot, and one of the remaining kākāpō in the world. He achieved individual fame following an incident on the BBC television series "Last Chance to See" in which he attempted to mate with zoologist Mark Carwardine. Subsequent featuring of the incident on television channels around the world and on YouTube resulted in Sirocco becoming internationally known. In his home country of New Zealand, Sirocco has attracted thousands of people during "personal" appearances, and in January 2010 was given the title of Official Spokesbird for Conservation by Prime Minister John Key. In this role, Sirocco helps advocate for conservation through human intermediaries on social media sites and blogs.
Biography.
Sirocco was hatched on 23 March 1997 on the island bird sanctuary of Codfish Island off the west coast of Stewart Island, south of the New Zealand mainland. At three weeks old he suffered a respiratory illness, which led to him being removed from the care of his mother and hand-raised by Department of Conservation rangers.
Having been raised away from other kakapo, this led to his being imprinted on humans instead of on his mother. As an older bird, he still would not associate with other kakapo. This extends to the mating ritual of 'booming': Sirocco booms in the presence of humans, rather than female kakapo. Sirocco is therefore seen as unlikely to be successful at breeding. However, his affinity to human beings means he has become an effective advocate for the kakapo species.
As Codfish Island, a protected sanctuary, is closed to the public, Sirocco spends much time travelling away from his home. Since 2006 he has regularly appeared on Ulva Island as part of a 'kakapo encounter'; in September 2009 he travelled to Auckland Zoo, where he was visited by thousands of people. Sirocco appeared at Zealandia wildlife sanctuary in October 2011 and at Maungatautari Ecological Island in 2012. In 2015, he visited Zealandia again for another six-week residence.
Sirocco's radio transmitter went offline in late 2016 or early 2017. For months the team of scientists tasked with routine health checks conducted periodic searches for him using trained English Setters. They issued a public statement that Sirocco's whereabouts were unknown on 23 March 2017, his 20th "hatchday" . On 8 February 2018, a release from the Department of Conservation announced that Sirocco had been found and fitted with a new transmitter.
Sirocco's preference for head-mating and resistance to massage techniques has made it difficult to collect his semen. Scientists who work with him designed an "ejaculation helmet" for volunteers to wear while he attempted to mate with their heads. The dimpled, rubber headgear was ineffective due to the duration of the kakapo's mating period and was later donated to the Te Papa museum in Wellington.
"Last Chance to See" incident.
In 2009, zoologist Mark Carwardine and television presenter Stephen Fry visited Codfish Island as part of the TV series "Last Chance to See", focusing on endangered species around the world. While they were filming Sirocco, the bird hopped onto Carwardine's head and attempted to mate with him. The scene itself and Fry's commentary, "Sorry, but this is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. You are being shagged by a rare parrot", proved an instant television hit, being featured on news broadcasts around the world.
A video of the incident was uploaded to YouTube, where it received more than 700,000 views in the first week; , the clip had been viewed over 20.2 million times. Sirocco's Facebook page and Twitter account, set up after the screening, instantly attracted thousands of followers.
Other media appearances.
Indian wildlife filmmaker Ashwika Kapur's short "rags-to-riches" documentary "Sirocco – How a Dud Became a Stud" is based on his life and won the Wildscreen Panda Award in 2014.
Sirocco became the inspiration for the party parrot, a popular animated emoji frequently associated with the workflow application Slack.
Spokesbird.
Sirocco's fame, and awareness that the television incident had massively raised the profile of kakapo around the world, led to an unusual government appointment for the bird in January 2010.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key appointed Sirocco as Official Spokesbird for Conservation, to coincide with 2010 being the International Year of Biodiversity. Key commented "He's a very media savvy bird, he's got a worldwide fan base – they hang on every squawk that comes out of his beak. He'll be a great official spokesbird and a great ambassador for New Zealand."
While tongue-in-cheek, the appointment showed awareness of the ability of Sirocco, through his television and social network presence, to attract and engage with people around the world, thus highlighting the plight of the still-endangered kakapo.


Himalayan bent-toed gecko

The Himalayan bent-toed gecko ("Cyrtopodion himalayanus") is a species of gecko found in northern India (Jammu and Kashmir) and western Nepal. It is sometimes placed in the genus "Cyrtopodion".


Masked booby

The masked booby ("Sula dactylatra"), also called the masked gannet or the blue-faced booby, is a large seabird of the booby and gannet family, Sulidae. First described by the French naturalist René-Primevère Lesson in 1831, the masked booby is one of six species of booby in the genus "Sula". It has a typical sulid body shape, with a long pointed yellowish bill, long neck, aerodynamic body, long slender wings and pointed tail. The adult is bright white with black wings, a black tail and a dark face mask; at long, it is the largest species of booby. The sexes have similar plumage. This species ranges across tropical oceans, except in the eastern Atlantic and eastern Pacific. In the latter, it is replaced by the Nazca booby ("Sula granti"), which was formerly regarded as a subspecies of masked booby.
Nesting takes place in colonies, generally on islands and atolls far from the mainland and close to deep water required for foraging. Territorial when breeding, the masked booby performs agonistic displays to defend its nest. Potential and mated pairs engage in courtship and greeting displays. The female lays two chalky white eggs in a shallow depression on flat ground away from vegetation. The chicks are born featherless, but are soon covered in white down. The second chick born generally does not survive and is killed by its elder sibling. These birds are spectacular plunge divers, plunging into the ocean at high speed in search of prey—mainly flying fish. The species faces few threats; although its population is declining, it is considered to be a least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Taxonomy.
The French naturalist René Lesson was a member of the crew on the "La Coquille" captained by Louis Isidore Duperrey on its voyage around the world undertaken between August 1822 and March 1825. In the multi-volume publication by Duperrey about the voyage, Lesson authored the ornithological sections. In his 1829 account of the visit to Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean, Lesson mentioned encountering masked boobies, and in a footnote proposed the binomial name "Sula dactylatra". Lesson subsequently provided a formal description of the masked booby in 1831. The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek "dactyl", meaning "finger", and the Latin "ater", meaning "black". "Black fingers" refers to the splayed wingtips in flight. The Swedish zoologist Carl Jakob Sundevall described the species as "Dysporus cyanops" in 1837 from a subadult collected in the Atlantic Ocean on 6September 1827. The species name was derived from the Ancient Greek words "cyanos", meaning "blue", and "ops", meaning "face".
The English ornithologist and bird artist John Gould described "Sula personata" in 1846 from Australia, the species name being the Latin adjective "personata", meaning "masked". Gould adopted the name "Sula cyanops" in his 1865 "Handbook to the Birds of Australia". Sundevall's binomial name was followed as Lesson's 1829 record did not sufficiently describe the species; however, in 1911, the Australian amateur ornithologist Gregory Mathews pointed out that although Lesson's 1829 account did not describe the bird, his 1831 account did, and thus predated Sundevall by six years, and hence "Sula dactylactra" had priority. The American Ornithological Union followed in the 17th supplement to their checklist in 1920.
"Masked booby" has been designated the official common name by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC). The species has also been called the masked gannet, blue-faced booby, white booby (for its plumage), and whistling booby (for its distinctive call). The Australian ornithologist Doug Dorward promoted the name "white booby" as he felt the blue coloration of its face was less prominent than that of the red-footed booby ("Sula sula").
The masked booby is one of six species of booby in the genus "Sula". A 2011 genetic study ("depicted below") using both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA showed the masked and Nazca boobies ("Sula granti") to be each other's closest relatives, their lineage diverging from a line that gave rise to the blue-footed ("Sula nebouxii") and Peruvian boobies ("Sula variegata"). The masked and Nazca boobies were divergent enough to indicate that the latter, formerly regarded as a subspecies of the former, should be classified as a separate species. Molecular evidence suggests they most likely diverged between 0.8 and 1.1 million years ago. Complex water currents in the eastern Pacific may have established an environmental barrier leading to speciation. Subfossil bones 14,000 years old belonging to the species have been found in deposits on St. Helena Island.
Intraspecific variation and subspecies.
There is a clinal change in size across the masked booby's range. Birds in the Atlantic are the smallest, with the size increasing westwards though the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, where the largest individuals are found. Genetic analysis using mtDNA control region sequences shows that populations in the Indian and Pacific Oceans greatly expanded around 180,000 years ago, and that these became separated from Atlantic populations around 115,000 years ago. Furthermore, within each ocean, there is evidence of reduced gene flow between populations that does not correspond with any physical barrier.
Four subspecies are recognized by the International Ornithologists' Union.
Description.
The largest species of booby, the masked booby ranges from long, with a wingspan and weight. It has a typical sulid body shape, with a long pointed bill, long neck, aerodynamic body, long slender wings and pointed tail. The adult is bright white with dark wings and a dark tail. The sexes have similar plumage with no seasonal variation, but females are on average slightly heavier and larger than males. The bare skin around the face, throat and lores is described either as black or blue-black. It contrasts with the white plumage and gives a mask-like appearance. The bill of the nominate subspecies is pale yellow with a greenish tinge, sometimes greyish at the base. Conical in shape, the bill is longer than the head and tapers to a slightly downcurved tip. Backward-pointing serrations line the mandibles. The primaries, secondaries, humerals and rectrices are brown-black. The inner webs of the secondaries are white at the base. The underwing is white except for the brown-black flight-feathers that are not covered by the white coverts. The legs are yellow-orange or olive. The iris is yellow.
The subspecies differ slightly in size and sometimes also in the colour of the irises, bill, legs and feet. The race "melanops" has an orange-yellow bill and olive-grey legs, the race "tasmani" has dark brown irises and dark grey-green legs and the race "personata" has olive to blueish-grey legs. For the subspecies "tasmani" and the nominate "dactylatra", during the breeding season, the leg colour of male birds contains more yellow-red than those of the females.
The juvenile is a streaked or mottled grey-brown on the head and upperparts, with a whitish neck collar. The wings are dark brown and underparts are white. Its bill is yellowish, face is blue-grey and iris a dark brown. Older immature birds have a broader white collar and rump, and more and more white feathers on the head until the head is wholly white by 14 to 15 months of age. Full adult plumage is acquired three to four months before the bird turns three years old.
The masked booby is usually silent at sea, but is noisy at the nesting colonies. The main call of male birds is a descending whistle; that of females is a loud honk.
The adult masked booby is distinguished from the related Nazca booby by its yellow rather than orange bill, larger size and less distinctive sexual dimorphism. The latter nests on steep cliffs rather than flat ground. The white morph of the red-footed booby is similar but smaller. Abbott's booby ("Papasula abbotti") has a more wholly black upperwing, and a longer neck and tail and larger head, while the Cape gannet ("Morus capensis") and the Australasian gannet ("Morus serrator") have a buff-yellow crown, shorter tail, white and a grey rather than yellowish bill. The juvenile masked booby resembles the brown booby ("Sula leucogaster"), though adults of that species have clearly demarcated brown and white plumage.
Distribution and habitat.
The masked booby is found across tropical oceans between the 30th parallel north and 30th parallel south. In the Indian Ocean it ranges from the coastlines of the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa across to Sumatra and Western Australia, though it is not found off the coast of the Indian subcontinent. Off the Western Australian coastline it is found as far south as the Dampier Archipelago. In the Pacific, it ranges from Brisbane eastwards. It is found in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean south to Ascension Island. In the eastern Pacific off the coast of Colombia and Ecuador, the masked booby is replaced by the Nazca booby. A vagrant was rescued in 2015 in Newport, Oregon.
In the Atlantic, Caribbean birds occasionally wander north to warm southern Gulf Stream waters off the eastern seaboard of the United States, with single records from Island Beach in New Jersey and New York. There are summer records from Delaware Bay, and Worcester County, Maryland, as well as waters off the coast of Spain.
During the monsoon season (midyear), the masked booby is an occasional vagrant along the western coast of India, with records from Kerala, Karnataka, and Maharashtra states. It is a vagrant to the Caroline Islands north of New Guinea.
Breeding colonies.
Breeding colonies are located on remote islands, atolls and cays. Lord Howe Island is the southernmost colony. Deep water nearby is important for feeding. As an example, waters around Raine Island, at the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, are anywhere from deep. On these landforms, masked boobies select sites of generally flat, bare or exposed open ground that lie above the high-tide level with access to the ocean. During the breeding season, the species remains near the colony. At other times, juveniles and some adults disperse widely, though some remain at the colony year-round. Most (but not all) birds return to breed at the colony of their birth; once they begin breeding at a site, they will return there annually.
The largest masked booby colony is on Clipperton Island in the eastern Pacific Ocean, a desert atoll southwest of Mexico. In 2003, 112,000 birds were counted, having recovered from 150 individuals in 1958. The population had suffered from the introduction of feral pigs in the 1890s. These pigs preyed on the crabs that ate the vegetation. After the elimination of pigs in 1964, the crab population rose and vegetation largely disappeared. This was beneficial to the boobies, as they prefer open ground. Clipperton is on a narrow ridge surrounded by deep water. The colony on Lord Howe Island numbered in the thousands at the time of the island's discovery in 1788, but has declined to under 500 pairs—mostly on offshore islets with the remainder on two hard-to-access headlands—by 2005. Hunting by humans is thought to have played a role; although rats were introduced to the island in 1918, there has been no evidence they are able to kill chicks or eggs—possibly due to the size of the adult boobies. The masked booby was first recorded breeding on Philip Island off Norfolk Island in 1908, with devegetation by feral animals creating the open ground preferred by the species. By 2007, an estimated 300 pairs were breeding over the island, though the island flora's regeneration after the removal of feral animals might begin to limit suitable nesting sites. In 2006, two pairs nested in a brown booby colony on Morros del Potosí (White Friars Rocks) near Zihuatanejo in southern Mexico.
Major nesting areas in the Atlantic include Rocas Atoll off the coast of Brazil, Ascension Island in the south Atlantic, and five islands of the Campeche Bank in the Gulf of Mexico. The species attempted to nest at Dry Tortugas in the Gulf of Mexico over 1984 and 1985; 19 pairs were recorded there in 1998.
Behaviour.
The masked booby generally flies at least in height, and at speeds of up to . It alternates between gliding and active flying with strong periodic wingbeats. It is often encountered alone, or in a small group when returning to its colony.
Regarding the masked booby's longevity, a bird tagged at Nepean Island (off Norfolk Island) in September 1979 was recovered and released after being caught in fishing gear 24 years and 9.9 months later some away off the Isle of Pines, New Caledonia in July 2004. The longest distance travelled is ; a bird tagged at Raine Island in the Great Barrier Reef in December 1981 was picked up and released at Phillip Island (off Norfolk Island) in December 1986.
Breeding and courtship.
The masked booby begins breeding by around four or five years of age, though can occasionally do so at three years old. Adults form monogamous relationships with many pairs remaining together over multiple breeding seasons. Highly territorial when nesting, single males and mated pairs engage in agonistic displays to mark their ground against neighbours and interlopers. The male advertises his territory to females by "flight circuiting"—making a short flight and holding his wings in a 'V' shape and making a call as he lands. The mated pair engages in "outposting" as other boobies fly overhead, stretching their necks out and forward. More direct trespassers are confronted with a "yes-no headshaking", in which the booby shakes its head from side to side or up and down and ruffles its head feathers to make its head look bigger and facial markings more prominent. It may cock its tail and hold its wings up away from its body. Neighbouring boobies may escalate by jabbing and lunging at each other. In the "pelican posture", a bird tucks the tip of its bill into its chest, possibly positioned to avoid injury to others. This posture is used against intruders or as advertising for a mate.
There are several displays related to the establishment and maintenance of pair-bonding. The male initiates "sky-pointing" when a female approaches or leaves his territory. In this display, he paces slowly with his neck and bill pointed upwards—between vertical and 45 degrees—with wings partly raised and whistling faintly with an open bill. In a "gazing" display, one bird stares at another of the opposite sex; this generally leads to other displays. Pairs engage in a (mostly) gentler form of jabbing display, and allopreening. In an "oblique headshake", a bird flings its head vigorously. The male may also parade in front of the female, walking with an exaggerated high-stepping gait and intermittently tucking his head in his breast, after collecting nesting material and before the pair begins laying. The male presents small sticks and debris as nesting material in a gesture of symbolic nest-building, which leads to copulation. Afterwards, the pair engages in more symbolic nest-building. The twigs and debris are cleared away later as none is actually used in adorning the nest while in use.
Breeding takes place at different times of year throughout its range. On the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, egg-laying takes place from January to July, peaking in June, with juvenile birds from April to December. On Moulter Cay in the Coral Sea, breeding takes place year-round, with egg-laying peaking from September to early November, while on nearby Raine Island birds begin laying in or after August, likely peaking September to early November. Eggs are laid between May and September on Lord Howe Island, and early July to early January (peaking in September) on Phillip Island.
In the northern hemisphere, egg-laying on Kure Atoll can be any time from January to early July, peaking in February and March. On Clipperton Island, egg-laying peaks in November to coordinate with peak fish productivity of the surrounding waters in January (for growing chicks). Masked boobies lay at any time in the Caribbean, peaking between March and September.
The nest is a cleared area in diameter, within which is a clearly demarcated shallow ( deep) depression. A clutch of two chalky white eggs is laid, with an interval of five to eight days between the laying of each egg. Occasionally nests with three eggs are reported; these are probably due to an egg from another nest rolling downhill into the nest. The eggs have an average size of and weigh . They are incubated by both adults for 45 days. Parents incubate the eggs by resting on their and wrapping their webbed feet over the eggs, with the outermost toes resting on the ground. Their feet are more vascular at this time. When first hatched, the chicks are about long and weigh around , with a sparse covering of white down over their grey to pinkish-grey skin. Altricial and nidicolous, their eyes are open at birth. Their down thickens as they age, and the chicks are quite fluffy by week 5–6. The primaries and rectrices appear by week 8, and appear by week 10. They begin losing their down from week 12 onwards, until they are wholly covered by juvenile plumage by week 15 or 16, and fledge at around 120 days (17 weeks) of age. After leaving the nest, young birds are dependent on their parents for 3–4 weeks before dispersing out to sea.
Although two eggs are often laid, the younger chick almost always perishes within a few days. This has been observed widely across the species' range. Dorward suspected siblicide on Ascension Island. Siblicide has been observed in the Nazca booby on the Galapagos Islands, and is assumed to occur in the masked booby as well.
Feeding.
The masked booby is a spectacular diver, plunging vertically or near-vertically from heights of anywhere from —but more commonly —above the water into the ocean at high speed, to depths of up to in search of fish. It generally swallows its catch underwater. Fieldwork at Clipperton Island showed that masked boobies flew on average to from their colony, with a maximum range of , while feeding their chicks. They did not rest at sea at night, though part of their return trip was at night time for longer expeditions. The masked booby forages with the white-bellied storm petrel ("Fregetta grallaria") and Bulwer's petrel ("Bulweria bulwerii") at times. Frigatebirds often harass the species until they disgorge their catch and steal their food.
Fish, particularly flying fish, up to long (rarely up to ) form the bulk of its diet, along with cephalopods. Species eaten include various species of flying fish such as blue flyingfish ("Exocoetus volitans"), mirrorwing flyingfish ("Hirundichthys speculiger"), sailfin flyingfish ("Parexocoetus brachypterus"), glider flyingfish ("Cheilopogon atrisignis") and Atlantic flyingfish ("Cheilopogon melanurus"), other fish such as yellowtail amberjack ("Seriola lalandi"), skipjack tuna ("Katsuwonus pelamis"), mackerel scad ("Decapterus macarellus"), pompano dolphinfish ("Coryphaena equiselis"), mahi-mahi ("Coryphaena hippurus"), brown chub ("Kyphosus bigibbus"), redbarred hawkfish ("Cirrhitops fasciatus"), snake mackerel ("Gempylus serpens"), frigate tuna ("Auxis thazard"), Pacific saury ("Cololabis saira"), ribbon halfbeak ("Euleptorhamphus viridis"), flat needlefish ("Ablennes hians") and mullet of the genus "Mugil", and the purpleback flying squid ("Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis").
Predators and parasites.
Silver gulls ("Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae") and buff-banded rails ("Gallirallus philippensis") prey on eggs and young. On some islands such as Ascension and Saint Helena, feral cats have been a threat to masked boobies. The tick species "Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) muesebecki" was described parasitising nesting blue-faced boobies off the Arabian coast. The argasid tick "Ornithodoros capensis" and the ixodid tick "Amblyomma loculosum" have also been recorded as parasites, the latter possibly spreading piroplasmosis caused by "Babesia" among boobies. On Raine Island and Pandora Cay, nests have been destroyed by green sea turtles ("Chelonia mydas") as they pass through booby colonies and dig their own nests in large numbers. Rats prey on eggs and young of many seabirds, though the size of masked boobies probably prevents direct predation. On Clipperton Island, rats prey on the crab that eats vegetation.
Relationship with humans.
The Taíno ate masked and red-footed boobies that nested on Grand Turk Island around 1000 years ago. The two species subsequently vanished from the Turks and Caicos Islands. A booby yielded around 1–2 kg (2–5 lb) of meat. European sailors in the area also caught and ate tame boobies. Masked booby young and eggs were eaten by the crew of on Lord Howe Island.
Conservation status.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the masked booby as a species of least concern, though the population worldwide is decreasing. At Clipperton Island, the colony was benefitted by the presence of yellowfin tuna ("Thunnus albacares"), which drove their prey item—flying fish—to the surface, facilitating predation by boobies. It may be that overfishing of tuna adversely impacts the availability of fish there. In 2005, 508 young masked boobies at the colony suffered from "angel wing", a congenital deformity of one or both wings resulting in flightlessness. This coincided with a season of high nestling mortality that was likely related to low numbers of yellowfin tuna due to possible overfishing at a crucial time in the breeding season. The warm phase (El Niño) of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation in 1982 and 1983 negatively impacted breeding on Christmas Island as the higher water temperatures reduced food supply. Where usually 1500 pairs nested, no young were observed over this period; 50–60 pairs were observed breeding in October 1983. The Australian government has rated both subspecies occurring in Australian waters as vulnerable to climate change. The low-lying colonies of subspecies "personata" are at risk from rising sea levels, and the rising sea temperatures are calculated to reduce food productivity, which may impact on breeding success of both subspecies.


Adelpha nea

Adelpha nea, the Nea sister, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It was described by William Chapman Hewitson in 1847. It is found from south-eastern Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica to Venezuela and southern Peru, the Guianas and Amazonian Brazil.
The larvae feed on "Miconia" species.


Trichorhina mulaiki

Trichorhina mulaiki is a species of woodlouse in the family Platyarthridae.
Distribution.
"T. mulaiki" was found near Chilapa de Álvarez, Guerrero, Mexico, where it lives in humus in montane forests.
Taxonomic history.
The species was first described by Karl Wilhelm Verhoeff in 1933, as "Mexicostylus squamatus". "M. squamatus" was the only species in the genus Mexicostylus, but that genus was later synonymised with the genus "Trichorhina". Since that genus already contained a species "T. squamata", a new name had to be provided, and so the species became "Trichorhina mulaiki".


Lipinia inexpectata

Lipinia inexpectata is a species of skink. Prior to its description, it was confused with "Lipinia quadrivittata". It is endemic to Borneo and is found in both Indonesian and Malaysian parts of the island.


Micropterix aureocapilla

Micropterix aureocapilla is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae that was described by Heath in 1986, and is known only of the type locality El Hadjar in Algeria.


Botia dario

Botia dario (Bengal loach or queen loach) is a species of fish in the loach family Botiidae found in the Brahmaputra and Ganges basins in Bangladesh, Bhutan and north India. The species is overall common in widespread.
In Bangladesh, these fish are threatened by pesticide used in the cultivation of rice. Since 1997, the Bangladesh government has enforced strict penalties against polluters, with specific rules about the pollution of streams and waterways, so at least some preservation work is afoot.
In Bangladesh, "B. dario" can be found in the creeks and streams of the northern and eastern regions of the country (bordering India and Myanmar, respectively). The fish most likely populates the streams that supply the Bengal section of the Ganges river. "B. dario" is also reported in Bhutan, but only in the Gaylegphug river, which eventually drains into the far north of Bangladesh.
In the aquarium.
Botia Dario are good fish to have in tropical aquariums, quickly taking care of pest snail populations and less shy than "Botia striata". They get as long as 6" and should be kept in groups of 4 or more. They are omnivores, and thus should be fed sinking pellets as well as algae wafers. They also enjoy fresh vegetables, such as cucumber, zucchini, and frozen foods like bloodworms and brine shrimp. Also, make sure to provide plenty of caves for hiding in.


Amphimallon nigrum

Amphimallon nigrum is a species of beetle in the Melolonthinae subfamily that is endemic to Spain.


List of amphibians and reptiles of Saba

This is a list of amphibians and reptiles found on the island of Saba, a Dutch municipality in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles.
Amphibians.
There is one species of amphibian on Saba.
Reptiles.
Including marine turtles and introduced species, there are 11 reptile species reported on Saba. One species, the Saban Anole ("Anolis sabanus"), is endemic to Saba.


Black-eared squirrel

The black-eared squirrel ("Nannosciurus melanotis") is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is monotypic within the genus Nannosciurus. This tiny squirrel is found in forests in Borneo, Sumatra and Java. Except for its striking whitish and black facial markings, the black-eared squirrel resembles the least pygmy squirrel.


Epidelaxia albostellata

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Epidelaxia albostellata, is a species of spider of the genus "Epidelaxia". It is endemic to Sri Lanka.


Gyralina hausdorfi

Gyralina hausdorfi is an extinct species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Pristilomatidae.
"Gyralina hausdorfi" is considered to be extinct.
Distribution.
This species was endemic to Greece.


Dynamine racidula

Dynamine racidula, the racidula sailor, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Brazil and Venezuela.


Aponoeme amazonica

Aponoeme amazonica is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by U. R. Martins in 1985. It is known from the state of Amazonas, Brazil.


Micrurus latifasciatus

Micrurus latifasciatus is a species of elapid snake, native to southern Mexico and Guatemala. There are no recognized subspecies.


Morpho telemachus

Morpho telemachus is a Neotropical butterfly.
Description.
"Morpho telemachus" is a large butterfly. The upperside of the forewings is a silver grey and blue green with a very wide black-brown outer edge. This is also on the posterior wings and can even cover almost all of the hindwings and forewings. There is a black band on half of the costal edge from the base.
The underside is copper brown with a line of black white and orange ocelli black white and orange, in an arc on both the hindwings and forewings.
Behaviour.
In 1913, Hans Fruhstorfer wrote:
"According to Michael "perseus" [synonym for "telemachus"] is never seen fluttering round flowers, nor do the butterflies seem to require food or drink. They prefer rather to soar through the spaces of the illimitable forests like "Morpho hecaba" or to float along in unrestricted flight over the tops of the trees in a deep valley. According to Hahnel "perseus" is one of the highest-flying Morphids and on account of its brown under surface, which looks very dark against the light sky, it gives the impression, when flying at a height of 8-10 m, of a black coloured species. Hahnel says that the butterflies, which in spite of their lively, jerky movement through the air scarcely flap the wings appreciably, present a charming spectacle, particularly when half a dozen or more meet and engage in a sham fight. Almost the whole morning such scenes are repeated, for only towards midday, after they have been flying over their wide domain for 2 or 3 hours, do their pinions become weary and they settle again in the shade of the branches on some large leaf, the back turned towards the dark and the eyes towards the open. One rarely finds even a single insect flying in the afternoon and then probably only when unfavourable weather has hindered its doing so in the morning. The butterflies occasionally dart down on to yellow "Papilio" females drinking on the ground, undoubtedly taking them for their own females which are also frequently yellow, and Dr. Hahnel took advantage of this by fastening pieces of yellow paper in his net, which actually deceived the "perseus" males."
Etymology.
The species is named in the classical tradition for Telemachus, a figure in Greek mythology, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, and a central character in Homer's "Odyssey".


Rufous-naped ground tyrant

The rufous-naped ground tyrant ("Muscisaxicola rufivertex") is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae.
It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.


Lambaesia

Lambaesia is a genus of snout moths described by Hans Rebel in 1903. Its single species, Lambaesia caradjae, was described by the same author in the same year. It is found in Algeria.


Plocoscelus podagricus

Plocoscelus podagricus is a species of fly in the family Micropezidae. It is found in Brazil and Peru.


Himalayan white-browed rosefinch

The Himalayan white-browed rosefinch ("Carpodacus thura") is a true finch species (family Fringillidae).
Rages across the Himalayas, being found from Afghanistan in the west, eastwards across India to Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and temperate shrubland.


Acartauchenius planiceps

Acartauchenius planiceps is a species of sheet weaver found in Algeria. It was described by Bosmans in 2002.


Elachista bassii

Elachista bassii is a moth of the family Elachistidae that is found in the north of Nepal.
The wingspan is for males. One third of the forewing, beneath the costa, is occupied by a yellowish white fascia from which bronzy area starts. The ventral side of the wings is brilliant grey. The females are brachypterous.
Etymology.
The species is named for Dr. Graziano Bassi.


Nototriton gamezi

Nototriton gamezi is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is also known as the Monteverde moss salamander.
It is endemic to Cordillera de Tilarán, Costa Rica.
Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forests.


Celastrina huegeli

Celastrina huegeli, the large hedge blue, is a small butterfly found in India that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.
Taxonomy.
The alternate scientific name is "Celastrina huegelii". The butterfly was earlier known as "Lycaenopsis huegelii" Moore.
The spelling of the species taxon name is usually found in literature as "huegelii", except for the NHM's LepIndex site where it is recorded as "huegeli".
The species is considered to consist of the following subspecies:
Range.
It is found in Kashmir to Kumaon in India. Markku Savela's site gives range of the butterfly as Himalayas to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and northern Thailand, the extended range being due to the inclusion of "C. h. singalensis" and "C. h. dipora" as part of the "huegelii" species.


Blacktailed red sheetweaver

Florinda, commonly called black-tailed red sheetweaver or red grass spider, is a monotypic genus of dwarf spiders containing the single species, Florinda coccinea. It was first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1896, and has only been found in Mexico, the West Indies, and the United States. It is common in the southeastern United States, inhabiting grasslands, lawns, and agricultural fields.
Description.
"F. coccinea" are bright red in color, with a black caudal tubercle. Adults typically grow to long, with females growing slightly larger than males. They have two rows of eyes; two on the top row and six procurved on the bottom.
Webs spun by "F. coccinea" consist of a horizontal sheet of non-sticky silk, and a tangle of stopping threads above. The stopping threads intercept flying prey and cause them to fall into the sheet below, where they are attacked by the spider.


Meladema imbricata

Meladema imbricata is a species of beetle in family Dytiscidae. It is endemic to Spain.


Xylodromus uralensis

Xylodromus uralensis is a species of beetle in the rove beetle family that is endemic to Russia.


Scopula scalercii

Scopula scalercii is a moth of the family Geometridae that can be found in central and southern Italy.


Nebria storkani

Nebria storkani is a species of ground beetle in the Nebriinae subfamily that is endemic to Greece.


Svalbard reindeer

The Svalbard reindeer ("Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus") is a small subspecies of reindeer found on the Svalbard archipelago of Norway. Males average 65–90 kg in weight, females 53–70 kg, while for other reindeer generally body mass is 159–182 kg for males and 80–120 kg for females.
The subspecies is endemic to the islands of Svalbard, where it has lived for at least 5,000 years, and has become well adapted to the harsh climate, being found on nearly all non-glaciated areas of the archipelago. By 1925 they had almost gone extinct due to over-hunting in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Over recent decades their population has increased. As of 2019 the total population across the archipelago is approximately 22,000. They are the only large grazing mammal in the European High Arctic, and this makes them exceptional for studies concerning the introduction of pollutants to changing ecosystems. During the short Arctic summer, Svalbard reindeer feed on a lush tundra vegetation of vascular plants, including grasses, herbs, sedges and deciduous shrubs in the lowland plains and valleys, to accumulate fat for the winter. The fur of Svalbard Reindeer contains elements and chemicals picked up from the vegetation they digest. They are relatively sedentary, and are thus highly vulnerable to changes in local conditions.
Compared to other reindeer, they are short-legged and have a small, rounded head. Their fur is also lighter in colour and thicker during winter. The thickness of the coat contributes to the short-legged appearance and makes even starved animals appear fat in the winter. The males develop large antlers during the period from April to July and shed the velvet during August–September. Males lose their antlers in early winter. Females develop antlers starting in June and they are usually retained for a whole year.
Some 200 reindeer were found starved to death in July 2019. Rain on snow early in the winter season formed thick layers of ice on the tundra, making grazing plants inaccessible, a result of the warmer temperatures due to climate change.


List of birds of Lithuania

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Lithuania. The avifauna of Lithuania include a total of 392 species, of which 5 have been introduced by human. 21 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 Lithuania.
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.
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 of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are 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.
Black-legged kittiwake, "Rissa tridactyla" (A)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 colored, and some are multi-colored. 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.
Old World orioles.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Oriolidae
The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds. They are not related to the 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 typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a 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 Paridae 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.
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 grayish-green to grayish-brown colors.
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, also called crests, are a small group of birds often included in the Old World warblers, but frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice.
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 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.
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, Prunellidae, which is completely endemic to the Palearctic. They are small, fairly drab species superficially similar to sparrows.
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.
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 arctic 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.


Holcocera dominae

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


Variable antshrike

The variable antshrike ("Thamnophilus caerulescens") is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae found widely in South America. It is, as its common name suggests, arguably the species of antbird with the most variable plumage.
Taxonomy.
The variable antshrike was described by the French ornithologist Louis Vieillot in 1816 and given its current binomial name "Thamnophilus caerulescens". Its highly variable plumage, some variations in the voice, and its unusual distribution have resulted in widespread speculations that it involves more than one species. Studies involving mtDNA and voice of the Bolivian populations, which is a meeting point for several of the distinctly different subspecies, did not support the theory of several species, instead suggesting that much of the vocal variation is clinal and geneflow between various populations remains uninterrupted. The taxa in north-eastern Brazil, which also are relatively distinctive, were not included in these studies, and it therefore remains unclear if they are worthy of species recognition. Another problem relates to the variations within subspecies. The subspecies "dinellii" and "cearensis", for example, are both variable, resulting in the description of additional subspecies for some sub-populations.
Description.
The variable antshrike is a thickset bird with a total length of approximately . The male has black wings with grey edging to the remiges (sometimes very narrow, and barely visible in the subspecies where the males are primarily black), and white wing-bars that may appear spotty, especially on the lesser wing coverts. The tail is black with white tips (best visible from below). In the eastern, central and southern subspecies, the chest and most of the head are grey, the back is grey with variable amounts of black (may be almost entirely black), a semi-concealed white interscapular patch, and the crown is black (black crown reduced in far north-eastern Brazil). The variation in the colour of the belly and crissum (the undertail coverts surrounding the cloaca) is highly complex, ranging from white in some subspecies, over grey in others, to deep cinnamon. The male of the western subspecies "melanochrous" from the Andes of Peru is strikingly different, being overall black except for the white in its wings and tail. The male of the subspecies "aspersiventer" of the Andes in north-western Bolivia and adjacent Peru approaches "melanochrous" in colour, but has dense white barring to the belly.
Females are equally variable. In most of this species range, their wings are blackish-brown with rufescent edging to the remiges, and white or buff wing-bars (often appears rather spotty). In north-eastern Brazil, however, the wing-bars are greatly reduced, and, in the population in Ceará, to the extent where it essentially is lacking. The tail resembles that of the males, but is often more brownish. The underparts are rich orange-cinnamon, in a few subspecies extending as far up as the chest, but in most the chest is pale brownish or grey. The back is brown and the head is pure grey or pale grey tinged brown, while most subspecies have a brown crown, which, however, is black in parts of central Brazil and in the Andean subspecies "melanochrous" and "aspersiventer". Both sexes of all subspecies have grey legs and a stubby bill that is grey below, blackish above. Some subspecies are easily confused with the slaty antshrikes, but these differ consistently in their broad white edging to the tertials.
Distribution and habitat.
The variable antshrike is found widely in eastern and southern Brazil, with disjunct populations in Ceará, Pernambuco and Alagoas. From southern Brazil, its range extends through Uruguay, Paraguay, northern Argentina, Bolivia, and along the eastern slope of the Andes in Peru, as far north as the Amazonas Region.
It occurs in a wide range of densely to lightly wooded habitats, ranging from the edge of humid forest to arid woodland. In large parts of its range it can be found in lowlands, but it is primarily found in foothills in north-eastern Brazil, and is restricted to highlands up to 2600 meters (8500 ft), locally to 3000 m (9800 ft), throughout a large part of its Andean range.
Behavior.
In terms of behavior, this is a typical "Thamnophilus" antshrike. It is generally found singly or in pairs at low levels, often within dense undergrowth. Consequently, it can often be difficult to see it well. It feeds primarily on insects and other arthropods. Seeds and fruits have also been reported. While foraging, it is regularly seen "dipping" its tail and flicking its wings. Breeding is seasonal, but exact timing depends on the region. The nest is a woven cup, generally placed rather low. Both sexes incubate the 2-3 eggs. In southeastern Brazil, breeding begins in October and continues through January. While predation is often the cause of nest failure, pairs can renest fairly rapidly and can also have more than one successful nest each season. Also, food abundance was shown, experimentally, to influence several measures of reproductive effort, including clutch size.
Status.
It is generally common and consequently considered to be of least concern by BirdLife International and IUCN. The subspecies "cearensis" in far north-eastern Brazil is limited to a region with extensive habitat destruction, and its status may give cause for concern.


Acanthodactylus nilsoni

Acanthodactylus nilsoni, commonly called Nilson's spiny-toed lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Iran.
Etymology.
The specific name, "nilsoni", is in honor of Swedish herpetologist Göran Nilson (born 1948).
Geographic range.
"A. nilsoni" is found in Kermanshah Province, western Iran.
Description.
"A. nilsoni" is medium-sized for its genus, with a maximum snout-to-vent length (SVL) of , and a maximum tail length of .
Reproduction.
"A. nilsoni" is oviparous.


Yellow-billed cardinal

The yellow-billed cardinal ("Paroaria capitata") is a bird species in the tanager family (Thraupidae). It is not very closely related to the cardinals proper (Cardinalidae).
It occurs in Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay, and northern Argentina and has been introduced on the island of Hawai'i. It breeds in moist shrubland. The yellow-billed cardinal could be easily confused with the red-crested cardinal. The yellow-billed cardinal does not have a crest.


Gymnoglossa transsylvanica

Gymnoglossa transsylvanica is a species of tachinid flies in the genus "Gymnoglossa" of the family Tachinidae.


Stigmella hylomaga

Stigmella hylomaga is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to Argentina where it is found in Río Negro and Lake Correntoso.


Ayacucho antpitta

The Ayacucho antpitta ("Grallaria ayacuchensis") is a species of bird in the family Grallaridae. It is endemic to the Peruvian department of Ayacucho. The Ayacucho antpitta was formerly believed to be a population of chestnut antpitta, but in 2020 it was described as a new species by Peter A. Hosner, Mark B. Robbins, Morton L. Isler and R. Terry Chesser.
Taxonomy.
The Ayacucho antpitta was described as a new species on the basis of differences in plumage and vocalizations. The birds in the Ayacucho antpitta's range were formerly ascribed to "G. blakei".
Both its common name and the specific name, "ayacuchensis", come from the department of Ayacucho that contains the species' entire range.
Distribution and habitat.
The Ayacucho antpitta is confined the eastern slope of the Peruvian Andes and to the department of Ayacucho, however it may also appear in parts of neighboring Huancavelica. It is found at elevations of 2,500–3,700 m. It is found west of the Apurímac river and between the Mantaro and Pampas rivers. It inhabits humid montane forests and frequents the understory and forest floor.
It is separated from the closely related Oxapampa antpitta by the Mantaro river, and from the Urubamba antpitta by the Apurímac river.


Saint Helena crake

The Saint Helena crake ("Zapornia astrictocarpus") is an extinct bird species from the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, one of two flightless rails which survived there until the early 16th century.
After American ornithologist Alexander Wetmore described bones of the large Saint Helena rail ("Aphanocrex podarces") from Prosperous Bay, Saint Helena, in 1963, American paleontologist Storrs Olson found almost complete skeletons of the Saint Helena crake in the same region in 1973. These skeletons consist of bones which were smaller than the bones of "Aphanocrex podarces". Due to the peculiar shape of the carpometacarpus Olson named this species "Porzana astrictocarpus".
Olson proceeded on the assumption that the Saint Helena crake was a derivative of the Baillon's crake ("Zapornia pusilla"), which is widespread in Europe and Africa. As there were no predators on Saint Helena, it had lost its ability to fly. However, when Saint Helena was colonised around 1502, the settlers brought a lot of mammals to the island, leading to the out-competition and eventual extinction of the Saint Helena crake.


Dasyophthalma rusina

Dasyophthalma rusina is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Brazil, from Bahia to Santa Catarina. The habitat consists of high altitude areas (about 1,200 meters).
The larvae feed on "Geonoma schottiana", "Bactris tomentosa", "Euterpe edulis" and "Bambusa" species.


Pale-breasted thrush

The pale-breasted thrush ("Turdus leucomelas") is a species of bird in the family Turdidae.
It is found in a wide range of wooded habitats in eastern and northern South America, from Colombia to Uruguay, with localized population in the west.
This bird seems to have adapted to humans and is very common in human inhabited parts of its range, often nesting in garden shrubs and small trees. In Suriname it is locally known as "Boontjedief," which means "bean thief" in Suriname Dutch, presumably based on its habit of picking off legumes left out to dry in the sun. In proper Dutch it is called "Vaalborstlijster." It is also known as "Bonka" in Sranan tongo.
In appearance it is similar to the American robin in size and shape, but it lacks the red chest and is more uniformly brown. Its song and feeding habits are also very similar to its distant cousin. In most of its range, it is more likely to be confused with the creamy-bellied thrush. Unlike the creamy-bellied thrush, the pale-breasted thrush has a clear contrast between the head and mantle, and it lacks blackish lores.
It eats mostly fruits, but also worms, insects and lizards.


Anomaloglossus kaiei

Anomaloglossus kaiei is a species of frogs in the family Aromobatidae, sometimes known as the Kaie rock frog. It is endemic to Guyana where it is known from the Kaieteur National Park and the Pacaraima Mountains. However, as it is found along the Guyana–Brazil border, it is also possibly present in Brazil. This frog shows maternal care: female frogs can provide tadpoles with trophic eggs.
Description.
"Anomaloglossus kaiei" are relatively small frogs with males attaining maximum snout–vent length of about and females . In addition to the small difference in size, males differ from females in colouration, for example by having a cream-coloured belly (versus orangish yellow in females) and a light pink throat dotted with melanophores (pure orangish yellow in females). However, overall colouration is cryptic. Tadpoles are up to in length.
Reproduction.
Males are territorial and can be observed calling from on the ground or from elevated sites (e.g., boulders), mostly in morning and after rains. Courtship and ovipositioning behaviours are unknown. However, a male carrying a tadpole has been recorded (a common behaviour among aromobatids). Furthermore, females of this species can provide the tadpoles with trophic eggs. This appears to be a supplement rather than an essential part of their nutrition. Nevertheless, this behaviour probably allows the tadpoles to speed up their development (advantageous in presence of predators or if there is a risk of desiccation), and may lessen cannibalism among the tadpoles.
Habitat.
"Anomaloglossus kaiei" is mainly known from primary forest, and to lesser extent from disturbed forest, with one specimen found at the savanna edge. It is a terrestrial, diurnal frog, without close association with bodies of water.


Salmo macrostigma

Salmo macrostigma is a species of freshwater trout endemic to Algeria in northwest Africa. It can reach a length of TL.
The name "Salmo trutta macrostigma" (or "Salmo macrostigma") has previously been used of many populations also in other regions around the Mediterranean, but in recent years those have been split into separate local species.


Coleophora linoplecta

Coleophora linoplecta is a moth of the family Coleophoridae. It is found in Egypt.


Chedra delector

Chedra delector is a tiny moth placed in the family Batrachedridae. The Global Lepidoptera Names Index of the Natural History Museum in London classifies it in the family Coleophoridae based on the old classification given by Ron Hodges in the 1983 "Check List of the Lepidoptera of America North of Mexico". It is found in Chile. The holotype was collected by D. Bullock on 30 January 1941 at Angol, in the Malleco Province, central Chile, and is kept at the Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution. The species was described by Ron Hodges in 1966. The caterpillars feed upon the seeds of Cyperaceae.


Amphisbaena carli

Amphisbaena carli is a species of worm lizard in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to Brazil.
Etymology.
The specific name, "carli", is in honor of American herpetologist Carl Gans.
Habitat.
The preferred habitat of "A. carli" is forest. The holotype was collected in an area that had been recently deforested and replanted with pines.
Description.
"A. carli" is uniformly pink, both dorsally and ventrally.


Craugastor tarahumaraensis

Craugastor tarahumaraensis is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is endemic to Mexico and known from the Sierra Madre Occidental between the eastern Sonora and western Chihuahua in the north and Jalisco in the south. Its common name is Tarahumara barking frog. The type locality is Mojárachic, in the Tarahumara Mountains, Chihuahua.
Description.
"Craugastor tarahumaraensis" was described based on a single female, the holotype, measuring in snout–vent length. The head is wider than the relatively slender body. The tympanum is distinct, little wider than half width of the eye. The supra-tympanic fold is present. The skin of the dorsum has small pustules or granules. The legs are relatively long and slender. The fingers and toes are without webbing, but the toes are bordered by very narrow lateral folds or ridges.
Habitat and conservation.
The species inhabits pine-oak and pine forests at elevations around above sea level. It is a terrestrial species living under bark and leaves. The development is direct (i.e., without free-living tadpole stage).
The main threat for "Craugastor tarahumaraensis" is habitat loss and disturbance caused by logging and agriculture.