Taxonomic review of the family Throscidae Laporte, 1840 (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) in Korea, the description of a new species with new generic and species records.

The family Throscidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) is taxonomically reviewed from Korea. To date, the taxonomic study on Throscidae from Korea is insufficient, as only a single species has been reported in the fauna prior to this study. We newly recognized three species belonging to the genus Aulonothroscus, which is recorded for the first time from Korea.

Assessing the health of climate-sensitive trees in a subalpine ecosystem through microbial community dynamics.

Climate change has significantly affected the subalpine ecosystems, leading to mass die-offs of the Korean fir tree, a key climate-sensitive species in these environments. Proactive analysis of the phenotypic responses of these trees to climate change or the establishment of preemptive strategies for trees to adapt to these environmental changes remains a challenge. The current study aimed to investigate the impact of climate change on the health of Korean fir (Abies koreana) in the subalpine ecosystem of Jirisan Mountain, South Korea.

An extended novel approach of river health analysis using nonmetric scaling ordination of fish ecological entities and functional identity indices.

As river ecosystems continue to face environmental pressures, it is crucial to develop and apply new biologically relevant statistical tools to support river health assessments. This study aimed to test the potential significance of nonmetric ordination scores and multidimensional functional indices of fish communities for analyzing river ecological health linked to variations in environmental factors. We conducted a nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) to derive ordination scores based on twenty fish ecological entities (FEs) that we newly defined, along with their relative abundance (RA).

First detection of Bandavirus dabieense in ticks collected from migratory birds in the Republic of Korea.

The causative agent of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is Bandavirus dabieense, an emerging tick-borne zoonotic pathogen. Migratory birds have often been suggested as potential carriers of ticks that can transmit Bandavirus dabieense; however, their role remains unclear. The Republic of Korea (ROK) holds an important position as a stopover on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

Ecological river health assessments, based on fish ordination analysis of ecological indicator entities and the biological integrity metrics, responding to the chemical water pollution.

Evaluation of the ecological health of rivers requires a focused examination of how biological indicators respond to chemical stressors to offer key insights for effective conservation strategies. We examined the influence of stressors on aquatic ecosystems by analyzing various ecological entities and biotic integrity metrics of fish communities. A nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) approach was applied to determine scores based on 19 fish ecological entities (FEs) and a fish-based multi-metric index of biotic integrity (mIBI-F).

Marine debris ingestion by adults and fledglings of Swinhoe's storm petrels in the Republic of Korea.

Procellariiformes are highly vulnerable to marine plastic pollution due to their species-specific life histories. In particular, storm petrels are known to be one of the most vulnerable species with respect to plastic ingestion. In this study, we examined the plastic ingestion by adults and fledglings of Swinhoe's storm petrels on Chilbal Island, one of the largest breeding colonies for this species.

Predicting Suitable Areas for African Swine Fever Outbreaks in Wild Boars in South Korea and Their Implications for Managing High-Risk Pig Farms.

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious disease affecting domestic pigs and wild boars, with no effective vaccine or treatment available. In South Korea, extensive measures have been implemented to prevent ASF transmission between wild boars and ASF spillover from wild boars to pig farm sectors, including the search for ASF-infected carcasses in mountainous forests and the installation of fences across wide areas of these forests. To determine the priority search range for infected carcasses and establish pig farm-centered quarantine measures, it is necessary to predict the specific path of ASF outbreaks in wild boars and identify pig farms at high risk of ASF spillover from wild boars.

Comparative Analyses of Complete Chloroplast Genomes and Karyotypes of Allotetraploid and Its Putative Diploid Parental Species ( Series , Iridaceae).

The series in Korea comprises four species (, , and ), and the group includes some endangered species, owing to their high ornamental, economic, and conservation values. Among them, the putative allotetraploid, (2 = 4 = 50), is hypothesized to have originated from the hybridization of the diploids (2 = 2 = 22) and (2 = 2 = 28) based on morphological characters, chromosome numbers, and genome size additivity. Despite extensive morphological and molecular phylogenetical studies on the genus , little is known about Korean irises in terms of their complete chloroplast (cp) genomes and molecular cytogenetics that involve rDNA loci evolution based on fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Toxoplasma gondii and Rickettsia spp. in ticks collected from migratory birds in the Republic of Korea.

Migratory birds disperse ticks and associated tick-borne pathogens along their migratory routes. Four selected pathogens of medical importance (Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia spp., Francisella tularensis, and Toxoplasma gondii) were targeted for detection in 804 ticks (365 pools) collected from migratory birds at Hong and Heuksan Islands in the Republic of Korea (ROK) from 2010 to 2011 and 2016.

Comparative analysis of two Korean irises (Iris ruthenica and I. uniflora, Iridaceae) based on plastome sequencing and micromorphology.

Iris ruthenica Ker Gawl. and I. uniflora Pall.

Cytological Study of Thunb. (Orchidaceae Juss.): An Endangered Species from Korea.

Changes in chromosome number and karyotype evolution are important to plant diversification, as they are both major drivers of speciation processes. Herein, chromosome number, karyotype, and genome size of the Korean lady's slipper orchid Thunb., an endangered species, were investigated in natural populations.

Complete plastid genome sequence of (Laurales: Lauraceae), an evergreen broad-leaved tree endemic to East Asia.

In this study, we sequenced the complete plastid genome (plastome) of , an evergreen broad-leaved tree endemic to East Asia, a woody component of East Asian warm-temperate and subtropical forests across China, Korea, and Japan. The plastome of is assembled as a single contig (152,722 bp). A large and a small single copy (93,785 and 18,795 bp, respectively) of the genome are separated by a pair of inverted repeats (20,071 bp).

Imaging characteristics of the eyes of cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus): morphology and comparative biometric measurement.

The aim of this study is to describe radiographic, ultrasonographic, and computed tomographic appearance of normal cinereous vulture's eye and to determine normal biometric values of intraocular structures. Twenty-six eyes of thirteen healthy cinereous vultures were examined. Under general anesthesia with isoflurane, ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT) and skull radiography were performed.

Plastic debris ingestion by seabirds on the Korean Peninsula.

Plastic ingestion studies in seabirds that analyse the frequency of occurrence and the characteristics of the plastics ingested by each species provide valuable information for marine environmental assessments by quantifying the impacts of marine debris on seabirds. We investigated the frequency of plastic ingestion from a sample of 387 individuals of 11 seabird species on the Korean Peninsula. We found evidence of plastic ingestion in red-breasted mergansers (Mergus serrator) (33.

Complex postbreeding molt strategies in a songbird migrating along the East Asian Flyway, the Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler .

Molt strategies have received relatively little attention in current ornithology, and knowledge concerning the evolution, variability and extent of molt is sparse in many bird species. This is especially true for East Asian species where assumptions on molt patterns are based on incomplete information. We provide evidence indicating a complex postbreeding molt strategy and variable molt extent among the Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler , based on data from six ringing sites situated along its flyway from the breeding grounds to the wintering areas.

Molecular Detection and Phylogenetic Analysis of and Species in Ticks Collected from Migratory Birds at Heuksan, Hong, and Nan Islands, Republic of Korea.

The extended distribution and potential introduction of exotic ticks and associated tick-borne pathogens along the northern and southern routes of migratory birds pose zoonotic tick-borne disease risks to wild and domestic animals and incidentally to humans. A knowledge of bird migratory patterns, species of attached ticks, and associated pathogens during their migrations to and from their feeding and nesting grounds is central to understanding associated tick-borne disease risks. Tick-borne disease surveillance was conducted from 2010 to 2011 and 2016 at Hong-do (do = island), Heuksan-do, and Nan-do, major stopovers for migratory birds in Republic of Korea (ROK), as part of the Migratory Birds Research Center bird-banding program for studying bird migration patterns in the ROK.

Rear-edge, low-diversity, and haplotypic uniformity in cold-adapted interglacial refugia populations.

The high genetic diversity of rear-edge refugia populations is predicted to have resulted from species repeatedly migrating to low latitudes during glacial periods over the course of Quaternary climate change. However, several recent empirical studies of cold-tolerant plants revealed the opposite pattern. We investigated whether current habitats of the cold-adapted and range-restricted in the Baekdudaegan, South Korea, and North Korea could be interglacial refugia, and documented how their rear-edge populations differ genetically from those of typical temperate species.

Genome Size and Chromosome Number Evolution in Korean L. Species (Iridaceae Juss.).

Chromosome numbers, karyotypes, and genome sizes of 14 L. (Iridaceae Juss.) species in Korea and their closely related taxon, , are presented and analyzed in a phylogenetic framework.

Recent Trends in Wasp Nest Removal and Hymenoptera Stings in South Korea.

To better understand the impact of social wasps on the health of people in South Korea, we analyzed requests to emergency services call centers for the removal of social wasp nests and the effect of Hymenoptera stings on human health between 2010 and 2014. There were 483,233 calls requesting removal of wasp nests and Hymenoptera stings caused 78,860 injuries and 49 deaths. The strong relationships between both the number of emergency calls and injuries, and urban density reflect the sensitivity of densely populated areas to potential threats from wasp and the increased awareness of the wasp nest removal service communicated by public education programs.

Intraspecific variation and phylogeographic patterns of the grey-capped greenfinch . (Passeriformes: Fringillidae).

To study the intraspecific variation of the grey-capped greenfinch (Passeriformes: Fringillidae), we sequenced complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of the prevalent in Ulleung Island, Republic of Korea. The full length of the genome is 16,812 bp, containing 37 genes (2 rRNAs, 13 proteins, and 22 tRNAs) with a putative control region (D-loop). A total of 98 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the full mt genome were retained for Ulleung Island population and these SNPs were greater than those of inland population compared to the reference China subspecies.