Map of Javan leopard distribution provides guidance for conservation efforts

Date: June 27, 2018

Source: PLOS

Summary:

The first robust estimate of the distribution of the Javan leopard offers reliable information on where conservation efforts must be prioritized to safeguard the Indonesian island's last remaining large carnivore.

The first robust estimate of the distribution of the Javan leopard offers reliable information on where conservation efforts must be prioritized to safeguard the Indonesian island's last remaining large carnivore. The findings were reported in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on June 27, 2018 by Hariyo Tabah Wibisono of the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, USA, and colleagues.

The critically endangered Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas) is one of the most threatened subspecies of leopard. Yet to date, it has received little conservation attention and its population status and distribution remain poorly known. To address this gap in knowledge, the researchers used species distribution modeling to predict the locations of suitable leopard habitats throughout Java, based on the most extensive Javan leopard occurrence dataset available.

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Newly discovered Xenomorph wasp has Alien-like lifecycle

Date: June 27, 2018

Source: University of Adelaide

Summary:

A student has discovered a new species of wasp, named Xenomorph because of its gruesome parasitic lifecycle that echoes the predatory behavior of the Alien movie franchise monster.

The new species, Dolichogenidea xenomorph, injects its eggs into live caterpillars and the baby wasp larvae slowly eat the caterpillar from the inside out, bursting out once they have eaten their fill. The wasp larvae then change into adult wasps and continue the hunt for more caterpillars in which to lay their eggs.

The wasp is one of three newly documented wasps that are parasitoids -- parasites which must kill their host to complete their lifecycle.

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Out of the darkness: A new spider found deep within an Indiana cave

Date: June 28, 2018

Source: Pensoft Publishers

Summary:

A small cave in southern Indiana turned out to be the one and only home of a new species of spider, now going by the name Islandiana lewisi. The dark, wet, muddy cave near the Ohio River was apparently the perfect match for this previously unknown sheet weaver. The spider measures about 2 mm in size.

     

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Outrage over alleged plan to export rare animals from Congo to China

Mountain gorillas and other endangered species from the Democratic Republic of the Congo are at risk of being taken from the wild and exported to Chinese zoos, conservation groups have alleged.

A leaked letter from the DRC’s environment minister to a Chinese company, apparently referring to a request for a number of rare species, has sparked outrage from wildlife charity Born Free and other organisations.

The correspondence, posted on Twitter by an environmental activist, refers to a request for a dozen mountain gorillas, 16 pygmy chimpanzees or “bonobos”, 16 chimpanzees, eight African manatees and 20 okapi. The animals, all of which belong to species threatened by extinction, were apparently requested for Taiyuan zoo, in the northern province of Shanxi, and Anji Zhongnan zoo in eastern China.

The DRC has no captive breeding programmes, so it is understood that any agreement would necessitate the animals being captured from the wild. Only 200 mountain gorillas are thought to remain in the DRC, while bonobos are endemic to the country.

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Reality Check: Are butterflies getting rarer?

By Reality Check teamBBC News

30 June 2018

It's been claimed that butterfly populations in the UK are falling rapidly. Do the figures back this up?

Their names are as varied and colourful as their wings.

The Duke of Burgundy, the Lulworth skipper, the chalk hill blue, the painted lady and the small pearl-bordered fritillary are among the 59 species of butterfly regularly found in the UK.

But, adored as they are, it's often claimed that the UK's butterflies are in trouble. Climate change, habitat destruction and hunting/collecting have all been blamed.

The naturalist Chris Packham recently tweeted his concern.

“I’ve been in my garden in Hampshire for the last couple of days . Sunny , plenty of wildflowers . Not a single butterfly . Not one . Nothing . And in the woods a handful of Speckled Woods . I think we are at a point of absolute crisis in our countryside .”

The statistics support his observation.

Government figures suggest that, since 1976, "habitat specialist" butterflies - the ones that tend not to fly far from their favoured landscapes, such as heathland or chalkland - have declined by 77%.

"Wider countryside" species - the ones that are better able to move around and adapt to different environments - have declined by 46% over the same period.

"It's worrying," says Tom Brereton, head of monitoring for the charity Butterfly Conservation. "When I started doing this, the concern was mainly about habitat specialists, but now all types seem to be struggling. We don't fully understand why that's happening."

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