The African golden cat Caracal aurata is Africa's least known felid. This paper describes how C. aurata can be most readily identified in the field and reviews what is known about this species' distribution and conservation status in Kenya. Forty-six records for C. aurata from 38 sites were compiled. The Mau Forest is the only site in Kenya from which specimens of C. aurata have been obtained and remain available. Most of the records are for the four largest highland forests (Mount Elgon, Mau Forest, Aberdares Range, Mount Kenya). Other sites include Olorgesailie, Shompole Swamp, Pelewa Hills, Kaja, Tsavo West National Park, Tsavo East National Park, Maunga Hills, and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. The distribution of C. aurata in Kenya remains poorly known. There can be little doubt that C. aurata is one of Kenya's rarest mammals and that its population is now highly fragmented. An open-access database (‘GoldenCatBase’) has been established to help bring more attention to C. aurata in Kenya and to aid in the compilation of information on its distribution and conservation status.

Recently rediscovered in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, with more distributional records from several central and southern Eastern Arc Mountains, the servaline genet Genetta servalina Pucheran, 1855 remains a rarely recorded species in East Africa. Using camera traps, we document several locations for G. servalina in and around the Amani Nature Reserve, East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. These records extend the range of G. servalina to the northern part of the Eastern Arc Mountains.

A survey of the aquatic weed Hydrilla verticillata was conducted in selected Kenyan and Ugandan lakes, and emerging chironomid adults were collected from samples of Hydrilla and seven other aquatic macrophytes. Hydrilla was absent from Lake Victoria, in sites where it previously occurred. Hydrilla was found in four of nine lakes examined in Uganda, i.e. Bisina, Kyoga, Bunyonyi and Mutanda. From 7424 collected chironomid adults, 43 species were identified, 21 (49%) representing new Ugandan records. Thirty-nine (91%) of the species were found on Hydrilla. Three species represent probable undescribed taxa. At our primary site, Lake Bisina, the genera Tanytarsus and Dicrotendipes dominated the chironomid community, comprising 76% of emerged adults. A species accumulation curve for chironomid species associated with Lake Bisina macrophytes suggested that further plant sampling would uncover additional species. Polypedilum wittei, formerly considered for possible biological control of Hydrilla, was not specific to that plant, emerging from six of the seven other species of submersed macrophytes we sampled. A second candidate Polypedilum species, P. dewulfi, was not found in Uganda. No insectrelated damage to Hydrilla was observed. Chironomid data were compared between Uganda collections and those from a concurrent, similar study in lake Tanganyika. Alpha- and β-diversity values indicated that the chironomid communities on aquatic plants from Lake Bisina and Lake Tanganyika (Burundi) were markedly different. Studies of chironomids and other invertebrates associated with macrophytes in other African lakes will add significantly to knowledge of the natural history of these important aquatic environments.

The new generic taxon Calyptomastix is proposed to accommodate the type species Odontopyge kakandae Kraus, 1958, and, tentatively, Odontopyge dorsalis Carl, 1909, Haplothysanus leviceps Attems, 1909, and Spirostreptus pardalis Gerstäcker, 1873, all from Tanzania. This genus is defined by the broad basal separation of the male genitalia, the elongated basal whorl (torsion) of the gonopod telopodite, and the concealment of the solenomere within apical folds of the telopodite.

Diversity of tropical lichen-forming fungi, especially crustose lichens is currently poorly known. Since lichens are important bioindicators of air pollution, forest health, and climate change, we addressed the lichen diversity in Kenya. Our study focused on the diversity of lichen-forming fungi in the Mount Kenya montane forests, where we sampled corticolous lichens at ten localities in the Mount Kenya forest. The lichen diversity in the study area was very rich with fifty-nine species recorded for the first time from Kenya; 18 of them are new records for the African continent. Diagnostic features and distribution areas are given for each species reported. The crustose genera Auriculora, Candelariella, Clandestinotrema, Diorygma, Hemithecium, Lecanactis, Lepraria, Letrouitia, Megalospora, Mycoporum, Ocellularia, Placynthiella, Piccolia, Ramboldia, Tephromela and Thelotrema are reported here from Kenya for the first time. The majority of new records belong to pan- or palaeotropical species, in addition to cosmopolitan elements.

Herbarium specimens are underexploited sources of plant use information for conservation purposes. We assessed a total of 4717 specimens representing 293 species deposited at the National Herbarium of Ethiopia, belonging to families Rubiaceae (2505 specimens representing 109 species), Solanaceae (894/69), Cucurbitaceae (743/66) and Burseraceae (575/49) for information documenting their use. In addition, relevant volumes of Flora of Ethiopia and Erittea were examined for recorded traditional uses. Data were analysed to identify specimen and flora representations of locally useful species so as to detect anthropogenic influences against them. It was found that 34.5% (101 species) had documented ethnobotanical uses. About 10% (29 species) were found represented each with only single specimen, hence hardly possible to detect their conservation status. The presence of limited plant use information calls for an effort for future plant collections, label preparations and flora revisions. Moreover, prior attention has to be given for documentation and conservation of red listed endemic species that have traditional use reports.