@article {6526, title = {A checklist of the dacine fruit flies (Diptera, Tephritidae, Dacinae) of Mozambique}, journal = {African Entomology}, volume = {31}, year = {2023}, month = {Aug-08-2023}, pages = {e15585}, abstract = {

Here we present a checklist of all records of dacine fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) from Mozambique, based on verified specimen records in natural history collections and literature records. In total, 57 Dacinae species are recorded from Mozambique, of which only one is considered endemic. This relatively low species diversity compared to other African countries appears to be related to incomplete sampling. For each species the localities from which it was recorded are given (including geocoordinates), or a general distribution is provided. The checklist is discussed briefly in terms of species richness, endemism and geographic distribution.

}, issn = {2224-8854, 1021-3589}, doi = {10.17159/2254-8854/2023/a15585}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2254-8854/2023/a15585}, author = {De Meyer, Marc and Bota, Luis and Daniel, Beatriz and Mussumbi, Mirene and Vandenbosch, Myriam and Canhanga, Laura and Cambula, Elias and Mansell, Mervyn and Cugala, Domingos and Virgilio, Massimiliano} } @article {6525, title = {Agroecological farming practices against fruit flies in Central Eastern Tanzania}, journal = {International Journal of Tropical and Subtropical Horticulture}, volume = {78}, year = {2023}, month = {Sep-08-2023}, pages = {1-12}, issn = {0248-1294, 1625-967X}, doi = {10.17660/th2023/010}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.17660/th2023/010}, author = {Bakengesa, J.A. and Kudra, A.B. and DE MEYER, M. and VIRGILIO, M. and Mwatawala, M.W. and Majubwa, R.O.} } @article {6522, title = {Developing the Protocol Infrastructure for DNA Sequencing Natural History Collections}, journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal}, volume = {11}, year = {2023}, month = {Oct-27-2023}, pages = {e102317}, abstract = {

Intentionally preserved biological material in natural history collections represents a vast repository of biodiversity. Advances in laboratory and sequencing technologies have made these specimens increasingly accessible for genomic analyses, offering a window into the genetic past of species and often permitting access to information that can no longer be sampled in the wild. Due to their age, preparation and storage conditions, DNA retrieved from museum and herbarium specimens is often poor in yield, heavily fragmented and biochemically modified. This not only poses methodological challenges in recovering nucleotide sequences, but also makes such investigations susceptible to environmental and laboratory contamination. In this paper, we review the practical challenges associated with making the recovery of DNA sequence data from museum collections more routine. We first review key operational principles and issues to address, to guide the decision-making process and dialogue between researchers and curators about when and how to sample museum specimens for genomic analyses. We then outline the range of steps that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of contamination including laboratory set-ups, workflows and working practices. We finish by presenting a series of case studies, each focusing on protocol practicalities for the application of different mainstream methodologies to museum specimens including: (i) shotgun sequencing of insect mitogenomes, (ii) whole genome sequencing of insects, (iii) genome skimming to recover plant plastid genomes from herbarium specimens, (iv) target capture of multi-locus nuclear sequences from herbarium specimens, (v) RAD-sequencing of bird specimens and (vi) shotgun sequencing of ancient bovid bone samples.

}, issn = {1314-2828, 1314-2836}, doi = {10.3897/bdj.11.e102317}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/bdj.11.e102317}, author = {Ferrari, Giada and Esselens, Lore and Hart, Michelle and Janssens, Steven and Kidner, Catherine and Mascarello, Maurizio and Pe{\~n}alba, Joshua and Pezzini, Fl{\'a}via and von Rintelen, Thomas and Sonet, Gontran and Vangestel, Carl and Virgilio, Massimiliano and Hollingsworth, Peter} } @article {6521, title = {Barcoding and traditional health practitioner perspectives are informative to monitor and conserve frogs and reptiles traded for traditional medicine in urban South Africa}, journal = {Molecular Ecology Resources}, volume = {Online}, year = {2023}, month = {Oct-16-2023}, abstract = {

AbstractPrevious literature suggests that Indigenous cultural practices, specifically traditional medicine, are commonplace among urban communities contrary to the general conception that such practices are restricted to rural societies. We reviewed previous literature for records of herptiles (frog and reptile species) sold by traditional health practitioners in urban South Africa, then used visual confirmation surveys, DNA barcoding and folk taxonomy to identify the herptile species that were on sale. Additionally, we interviewed 11 IsiZulu and SePedi speaking traditional health practitioners to document details of the collection and pricing of herptile specimens along with the practitioners\&$\#$39; views of current conservation measures for traditional medicine markets. The 34 herptile species recorded in previous literature on traditional medicine markets included endangered and non-native species. Spectrophotometry measurements of the DNA we extracted from the tissue of herptiles used in traditional medicine were an unreliable predictor of whether those extractions would be suitable for further experimental work. From our initial set of 111 tissue samples, 81 sequencing reactions were successful and 55 of those sequences had species-level matches to COI reference sequences on the NCBI GenBank and/or BOLD databases. Molecular identification revealed that traditional health practitioners correctly labelled 77\% of the samples that we successfully identified with DNA barcoding in this study. Our mixed methodology approach is useful for conservation planning as it updates knowledge of animal use in Indigenous remedies and can accurately identify species of high conservation priority. Furthermore, this study highlights the possibility of collaborative conservation planning with traditional health practitioners.

}, issn = {1755-098X, 1755-0998}, doi = {10.1111/1755-0998.13873}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13873}, author = {Phaka, Fortunate M. and Netherlands, Edward C. and Van Steenberge, Maarten and Verheyen, Erik and Sonet, Gontran and Hug{\'e}, Jean and du Preez, Louis H. and Vanhove, Maarten P. M.} } @article {6517, title = {Rediscovery, range extension, phylogenetic relationships and updated diagnosis of the Ornate Long-tailed Lizard Latastia ornata Monard, 1940 (Squamata: Lacertidae)}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {5296}, year = {2023}, month = {May-30-2023}, pages = {501-524}, abstract = {

The lacertid Latastia ornata was known to date only by its holotype collected in 1938 in Bafat\á, central Guinea-Bissau. We report new specimens and localities from Guinea-Conakry, a new country record and major range extension of 700 km SE of the type-locality. We provide an updated diagnosis of the species, including the first genetic and osteological data, and confirm that Latastia ornata is closely related to, but distinct from, L. longicaudata based on external morphology, cranial osteology, DNA data and zoogeography. \ 

}, issn = {1175-5334, 1175-5326}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.5296.4.1}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5296.4.1}, author = {O.S.G. Olivier and Sunandan Das and L. B. Camara and Laurent Chirio and Joseph Doumbia and C{\'e}dric d{\textquoteright}Udekem d{\textquoteright}Acoz and Sylvain Dufour and Nicolas Margraf and Gontran Sonet} } @article {6515, title = {Cypress terpenes in sawfly larva of Susana cupressi (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Tenthredinoidea)}, journal = {The Science of Nature}, volume = {110}, year = {2023}, month = {Mar-27-2023}, pages = {13}, issn = {0028-1042, 1432-1904}, doi = {10.1007/s00114-023-01841-0}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00114-023-01841-0}, author = {Boev{\'e}, Jean-Luc and Sonet, Gontran and Jacobson, Herbert R. and Angeli, Sergio} }