The impact of sequencing depth and relatedness of the reference genome in population genomic studies: A case study with two caddisfly species (Trichoptera, Rhyacophilidae, ).

Whole genome sequencing for generating SNP data is increasingly used in population genetic studies. However, obtaining genomes for massive numbers of samples is still not within the budgets of many researchers. It is thus imperative to select an appropriate reference genome and sequencing depth to ensure the accuracy of the results for a specific research question, while balancing cost and feasibility.

Fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages reveal extensive degradation of the world's rivers.

Rivers suffer from multiple stressors acting simultaneously on their biota, but the consequences are poorly quantified at the global scale. We evaluated the biological condition of rivers globally, including the largest proportion of countries from the Global South published to date. We gathered macroinvertebrate- and fish-based assessments from 72,275 and 37,676 sites, respectively, from 64 study regions across six continents and 45 nations.

Establishing the relationship between benthic macroinvertebrates and water level fluctuation in subtropical shallow wetlands.

Wetland water level fluctuations often influence benthic macroinvertebrate communities through changes in water quality, substrate, and macrophytes and, hence, affect the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. However, there is lack of understanding on how water level fluctuations affect the structure and composition of benthic macroinvertebrates in subtropical shallow wetlands in Nepal. Here, we assessed the changes in benthic macroinvertebrate community composition in response to water level fluctuations and identified indicator taxa sensitive to such fluctuations.

Climatic and Catchment-Scale Predictors of Chinese Stream Insect Richness Differ between Taxonomic Groups.

Little work has been done on large-scale patterns of stream insect richness in China. We explored the influence of climatic and catchment-scale factors on stream insect (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera; EPT) richness across mid-latitude China. We assessed the predictive ability of climatic, catchment land cover and physical structure variables on genus richness of EPT, both individually and combined, in 80 mid-latitude Chinese streams, spanning a 3899-m altitudinal gradient.

Phylogeographic analysis elucidates the influence of the ice ages on the disjunct distribution of relict dragonflies in Asia.

Unusual biogeographic patterns of closely related groups reflect events in the past, and molecular analyses can help to elucidate these events. While ample research on the origin of disjunct distributions of different organism groups in the Western Paleartic has been conducted, such studies are rare for Eastern Palearctic organisms. In this paper we present a phylogeographic analysis of the disjunct distribution pattern of the extant species of the strongly cool-adapted Epiophlebia dragonflies from Asia.