Chromosome-Level Assembly and Annotation of the Genome of the Endangered Giant Patagonian Bumble Bee Bombus dahlbomii.

This article describes a genome assembly and annotation for Bombus dahlbomii, the giant Patagonian bumble bee. DNA from a single, haploid male collected in Argentina was used for PacBio (HiFi) sequencing, and Hi-C technology was then used to map chromatin contacts. Using Juicer and manual curation, the genome was scaffolded into 18 main pseudomolecules, representing a high-quality, near chromosome-level assembly.

Niche analyses and the potential distribution of four invasive bumblebees worldwide.

The introduction of bees for agricultural production in distinct parts of the world and poor management have led to invasion processes that affect biodiversity, significantly impacting native species. Different species with invasive potential have been recorded spreading in different regions worldwide, generating ecological and economic losses. We applied environmental niche and potential distribution analyses to four species of the genus to evaluate the similarities and differences between their native and invaded ranges.

The Oriental Hornet (Vespa orientalis L.): a Threat to the Americas?

Invasive alien species generate adverse ecological, economic and social impacts in the invaded area. This is particularly alarming as the establishment of alien species shows no sign of saturation worldwide. Among invasive alien species, social wasps of the Vespidae family are well known to negatively impact the biodiversity and economy in the invaded areas.

A regional study of the zoonotic broad tapeworm Dibothriocephalus spp. in Northwestern Patagonia (Argentina): origin of fishes and coastal cities as factors affecting infection in fishes.

Diphyllobothriosis was first recorded in humans in Argentina in 1892 and in introduced salmonids in 1952. The aim of this work is to assess factors influencing the values of prevalence and abundance of plerocercoids in fishes that could increase the risk of transmission of Dibothriocephalus spp. in Andean Patagonian lakes.

The ecosystem services provided by social insects: traits, management tools and knowledge gaps.

Social insects, i.e. ants, bees, wasps and termites, are key components of ecological communities, and are important ecosystem services (ESs) providers.

A New Species of Cryptocotyle (Digenea: Heterophyidae) Infecting Kelp Gull and a Galaxiid Fish in Patagonian Freshwater Environments: Morphological and Molecular Analyses.

Adults of a species of Cryptocotyle were found infecting the intestine of the kelp gull, Larus dominicanus Lichtenstein, 1823, and metacercariae were found in the fins and muscle of the galaxiid fish, Galaxias platei Steindachner, 1898 (local name "puyen grande"), in Nahuel Huapi National Park (Patagonia). Morphometrics and genetic markers of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (COI) and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) confirmed that adults and metacercariae were conspecific and represent a new species, Cryptocotyle dominicana n. sp.

Two new species of Gyrodactylus von Nordmann, 1832 (Monogenoidea: Gyrodactylidae) parasitizing introduced poeciliids in Patagonia.

Gyrodactylus superbus (Szidat, 1973) Popazoglo Boeger, 2000 was described from Corydoras paleatus (Jenyns) (Callichthyidae) and represents the only known viviparous gyrodactylid reported from the Parano-Platense basin of Argentina. We describe two new species of viviparous neotropical gyrodactylids parasitizing the introduced poeciliid, Cnesterodon decemmaculatus (Jenyns, 1842) (Poeciliidae), from southern Argentina: Gyrodactylus decemmaculati n. sp.

Host Switching of Zoonotic Broad Fish Tapeworm (Dibothriocephalus latus) to Salmonids, Patagonia.

Diphyllobothriosis is a reemerging zoonotic disease because of global trade and increased popularity of eating raw fish. We present molecular evidence of host switching of a human-infecting broad fish tapeworm, Dibothriocephalus latus, and use of salmonids as intermediate or paratenic hosts and thus a source of human infection in South America.

Global decline of bumblebees is phylogenetically structured and inversely related to species range size and pathogen incidence.

Conservation biology can profit greatly from incorporating a phylogenetic perspective into analyses of patterns and drivers of species extinction risk. We applied such an approach to analyse patterns of bumblebee () decline. We assembled a database representing approximately 43% of the circa 260 globally known species, which included species extinction risk assessments following the International Union fo Conservation of Nature Red List categories and criteria, and information on species traits presumably associated with bumblebee decline.

How do cold-sensitive species endure ice ages? Phylogeographic and paleodistribution models of postglacial range expansion of the mesothermic drought-tolerant conifer Austrocedrus chilensis.

In view of global climate change, it is important to understand the responses of tree species to climate changes in the past. Combinations of phylogeographic analysis of genetic evidence, coupled with species distribution models (SDMs), are improving our understanding on this subject. We combined SDMs and microsatellite data from populations of the entire range of Austrocedrus chilensis, a dominant mesotherm (cold-sensitive) conifer of dryland forests of the southern Andes, to test the hypothesis of long-distance postglacial migration from northern and warmer refugia at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM).

Genetic variability of the neogregarine Apicystis bombi, an etiological agent of an emergent bumblebee disease.

The worldwide spread of diseases is considered a major threat to biodiversity and a possible driver of the decline of pollinator populations, particularly when novel species or strains of parasites emerge. Previous studies have suggested that populations of introduced European honeybee (Apis mellifera) and bumblebee species (Bombus terrestris and Bombus ruderatus) in Argentina share the neogregarine parasite Apicystis bombi with the native bumblebee (Bombus dahlbomii). In this study we investigated whether A.

Oldies (but goldies!): extracting DNA from cryopreserved allozyme homogenates.

In this work, we describe a method that allows the extraction of plant genomic DNA from frozen enzyme homogenates. To test if reliable DNA was recovered from allozyme extracts, we compared these results with that obtained from fresh frozen and dried material. Sequencing and microsatellite fragments were analyzed for samples from 5 plant families in order to check for chloroplast and nuclear DNA quality.