The Italian geographic region is characterized by complex and diversified biogeographic patterns and is represented by a high number of endemic species. Endemic species characterized by a limited distribution range should be a primary concern in conservation. This article aimed to investigate the phylogenetic and biogeographic relationships of 2 Italian endemic species of the wingless blister beetle genus Meloe Linnaeus, 1758: Meloe (Eurymeloe) apenninicus and Meloe (E.) baudii. Our inferences, based on morphological characters, 2 mitochondrial (16S and COI) and 2 nuclear (CAD and 28S) markers and the use of 3 species delimitation analyses approaches, pointed out the presence of a new Italian endemic species (M. (E.) digiuliorum sp. n.), here described, and 3 different patterns of phylogenetic and biogeographic affinities. M. digiuliorum is close to the Spanish endemic M. orobates comb. n., revealing a possible fragmentation of the ancestor range in the Pleistocene (ca. 0.84 Mya) followed by isolation in Italy and Spain. M. apenninicus is the sister species of the European-Anatolian M. rugous and M. cfr. rugosus, and this pattern originated around the Plio-Pleistocene boundary (ca. 2.83 Mya) likely influenced by the climatic fluctuations and the presence of the Alpine barrier. Finally, 2 subspecies were referred to M. baudii: the nominal one, endemic to Italy, and theTuranian-E European M. b. glazunovi stat. n., disclosing a third more recent (ca. 0.64 Mya) pattern of biogeographic disjunction.

The Eastern Arc Mountains (EAMs) in Tanzania and Kenya are renowned for their exceptional species endemism often restricted to isolated mountain blocks. Forest fragmentation during the Pliocene–Pleistocene played a significant role in shaping the EAMs' biodiversity by facilitating allopatric speciation between different mountains. However, only a few studies focused on species diversification within the same mountain block. In this article, we investigated the taxonomy and evolution of the dung beetle genus Grebennikovius, endemic to the Uluguru Mountains. Our goal was to unravel factors promoting allopatric speciation within a confined geographic area like the Ulugurus. We used an integrative taxonomic approach, combining phenotypic data and COI barcodes to delimit species and reconstructed a timetree of the genus. Molecular and morphological evidence consistently recovered 4 distinct Grebennikovius species, of which 3 are new to science: G. armiger n. sp., G. basilewskyi (Balthasar, 1960), G. lupanganus n. sp., and G. pafelo n. sp. Grebennikovius represents a rare case of microallopatry, with all species occurring in close proximity within different regions of the limited Uluguru forest (∼230 km²). We infer that speciation was driven by the interplay between climate fluctuations during the Miocene and mid-Pleistocene, Uluguru topography, and the stability of rainforest ecological conditions. The latter factor probably favored the loss of wings and a specialization for Uluguru microhabitats, reinforcing population isolation and divergence. This study highlights a unique instance of diversification resulting from small-scale speciation events, providing valuable insights into the evolution of Eastern African rainforest arthropods and underscoring the importance of microhabitats conservation.

Crescent butterflies of the Phyciodes tharos group have a long-standing reputation for taxonomic difficulty. We assessed species boundaries in the P. tharos group using genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data, focusing on sampling in western Canada, where 4 species (P. tharos, P. cocyta, P. batesii, and P. pulchella) have classically been recognized. Phylogenetic and cluster-based analyses confirm that there are indeed 4 species based on the maintenance of genomic integrity in the presence of occasional hybridization and low levels of gene flow. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) does not consistently distinguish species, with haplotypes extensively shared between species. Limited sampling of P. batesii indicates complex boundaries and interactions with other Phyciodes, especially with P. pulchella and P. cocyta.This study demonstrates the power of a genome-wide perspective to elucidate the integrity of boundaries between recently diverged species that remain capable of occasional hybridization.

Previous analyses have revealed deep divergences among populations of the relictual and enigmatic rove beetle, Dasycerus carolinensis Horn. New data from additional populations, molecular markers, and morphology unambiguously reveal this “species” to represent a complex of closely related species, distinguishable by characters of the male genitalia and corresponding closely to geographically coherent clades discovered by molecular analyses. Calibrated dating analyses show Appalachian Dasycerus to have been diverging in the region for more than 10 million years, yet largely respecting important biogeographic barriers in the region, such as the French Broad and Little Tennessee River drainages. In addition to discussing finer scale biogeographic patterns in the group, we formally recognize 9 new species from within what was formerly known as Dasycerus carolinensis: Dasycerus virginiensis sp. nov., Dasycerus tuckasegee sp. nov., Dasycerus pacolet sp. nov., Dasycerus chattooga sp. nov., Dasycerus itseyi sp. nov., Dasycerus unicoi sp. nov., Dasycerus nikwasi sp. nov., Dasycerus egwanulti sp. nov., and Dasycerus gadalutsi sp. nov. It was not, however, possible to assign all samples to one of these species, and specimens from some sparsely sampled outlying areas, northern Alabama and central Tennessee in particular, may represent additional species.

Climate change is disproportionately impacting the North, and northern arthropods are particularly vulnerable to disturbances. The Dempster Highway is a gravel road that crosses the northern Yukon Territory in Canada, and wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae) are the top arthropod predators on the tundra in this region. We investigated the effects of the Dempster Highway on subarctic tundra wolf spider abundance, phenology, and community composition by actively sampling 8 paired plots near (20 m) and far (200 m) from the road. Species richness did not differ with distance from the road, but total wolf spider abundance was much lower near the road, and this was driven by decreased abundance of the dominant tundra wolf spider species, Pardosa lapponica (Thorell, 1872). The overall proportion of females carrying egg sacs was higher near the road, suggesting advanced phenology in response to increased temperatures near the road. Together, these results indicate that the Dempster Highway impacts tundra wolf spider communities, which may have important consequences for food web dynamics and ecosystem function.

Les changements climatiques ont un impact plus important sur le Nord, et les arthropodes nordiques sont particulièrement vulnérables aux perturbations. La route Dempster est une route de gravier qui traverse le nord du territoire du Yukon au Canada, et les araignées-loups (Araneae: Lycosidae) sont d'importants prédateurs d'arthropodes de la toundra de cette région. Nous avons étudié les effets de la route Dempster sur l'abondance, la phénologie et la composition de la communauté des araignées-loups de la toundra subarctique en échantillonnant activement huit parcelles appariées proches (20 m) et éloignées (200 m) de la route. La richesse des espèces ne différait pas avec la distance par rapport à la route, mais l'abondance totale d'araignées-loups était inférieure près de la route, et cela peut être attribué à une diminution de l'abondance de l'espèce dominante d'araignées-loups de la toundra, Pardosa lapponica (Thorell, 1872). La proportion globale des femelles portant des cocons était plus élevée près de la route, suggérant une phénologie avancée en réponse à l'augmentation des températures près de la route. Ces résultats indiquent que, globalement, la route Dempster a un impact sur les communautés d'araignées-loups de la toundra, ce qui peut avoir des conséquences importantes sur la dynamique du réseau trophique et le fonctionnement de l'écosystème.