The large copper butterfly Lycaena dispar (Haworth, 1803; Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) has been categorized as a near-threatened species (NT) in South Korea from 2012 mainly due to limited distribution. In this study, we visited 36 sites spread across all South Korean provinces to verify the distributional range of the species and sequenced mitochondrial COI for 53 individuals from nine sites. We observed L. dispar at 15 sites in six provinces, including the two previously known provinces, indicating a southward range expansion. The in-field monitoring and genetic data collectively suggested that L. dispar does not have a limited distribution nor is it isolated, indicating that it should be reclassified as less vulnerable. Our study demonstrates that the combination of field and genetic data can provide a more reliable assessment of the stability of a species.

Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia, long from north to south, with temperate, subtropical, and tropical climates in different parts of the country. Based on the results of two years of insect surveys in the subtropical and tropical regions of Vietnam, we conducted a comparative analysis of the species diversity of the Noctuoidea (Insecta: Lepidoptera) in the two survey areas, Bach Ma National Park and Protected Forest in the Vạn Xuân region. In addition, the host flora of the identified moths were analysed to determine the differences in host communities.

Over 350 species of Stathmopodidae have been reported worldwide, but due to their morphological similarities, there are many difficulties in species identification. To address these issues, various methods including larval, behavioral ecology, molecular techniques, and others have been utilized. In this study, we compared the resistance to pressure based on wing venation, which has not been extensively covered before, to further elucidate the differences between species. Type species, and one species from the genus reported in Korea, this study utilized Fusion 360 to create 3D models and visually represented resistance under the same pressure with colors. Colors derived from simulation results are extracted for trend analysis using PCA (Principal Component Analysis), and differences between groups formed through K-means clustering are analyzed.

Bolivian tuber species like potato (Solanum tuberosum), native potato (Solanum sp), Oca (Oxalis tuberosa Molina), Olluco (Ullucus tuberosus Caldas), and Isaño (Tropaeolum turosum Ruíz & Pav.) hold extraordinary nutritional value and cultural significance, particularly within the Andean region. This study examined the mineral composition of Bolivian tuber species as an essential step toward understanding their nutritional significance and potential contributions to addressing dietary deficiencies. The research involved detailed analysis of diverse tuber cultivars, uncovering distinct mineral profiles across species. Native potato shows high levels of nitrogen (N), potassium (K), phosphorus (P), and magnesium (Mg) levels, alongside moderate micronutrients like iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn). Commercial potatoes exhibited prominence in N, P, and K, with moderate Fe, Zn, and manganese (Mn) levels. Oca, Isaño, and Papa Lisa displayed unique mineral concentrations, offering potential nutritional benefits. Intricate correlations and significant variances among elements highlighted the diverse mineral compositions among these tuber species. Multivariate analyses emphasized distinct mineral profiles unique to each species, revealing significant compositions of isaño and papa lisa's. The Multitrait Genotype- Ideotype Distance Index (MGIDI) identified isaño jaspeado, isaño and an unnamed native potato, AXT2, as promising ideotypes due to their exceptional mineral compositions. These findings provide comprehensive insights into Bolivian tuber species' various mineral compositions, underscoring their nutritional significance and potential in targeted breeding for improved dietary support and enhanced food security.

River estuaries are dynamic and productive ecosystems with high regional biodiversity. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has become a useful approach to assessing biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems. This study was conducted to investigate fish community characteristics and species diversity in two river estuary ecosystems, the Taehwa River and Changwon Stream. We further compared conventional and eDNA metabarcoding analyses of the fish communities. The conventional survey was performed in May, July, and October 2022, while the eDNA analysis was conducted only in May. We observed various fish species with different life histories, including carp, goby, and marine fish. We also found that migratory fish, such as dace Tribolodon hakonensis, sweetfish Plecoglossus altivelis, and eel Auguilla japonica, occurred in the Taehwa River, suggesting high river connectivity. Marine fish species were predominant in the Changwon Stream, as this river is located close to the sea. The diversity indices showed that the Taehwa River generally had higher species richness, evenness, and diversity values than the Changwon Stream. A total of 9-19 species were detected in the conventional survey for the three sites, whereas 11-18 species were found from eDNA analysis. The findings indicate that the sensitivity of eDNA was similar to or higher than that of the conventional method. Our study findings suggest the efficiency and efficacy of eDNA-based fish community monitoring, although with some shortcomings in applying the genetic marker to Korean fish, including no clear-cut distinction for Korean endemic species and/or genetically closely related species groups.

등에모기과(Ceratopogonidae)는 파리목(Diaptera)에 속하는 미소곤충이다. 이 중 사람과 반추류를 포함하는 척추동물을 흡혈하는 점등에모기속(Genus Culicoides)은 세계적으로 1,368종 이상이 보고되었으며 블루텅, 아프 리카 마역 등 60여개 이상의 질병을 매개하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 현재 국내에 서식하는 Culicoides는 37종이 보고되어있으며, 아카바네, 츄찬 등의 질병을 매개한 기록이 있다. 이에 기후변화에 따른 개체 발생양상과 분포 를 조사하고자 본 연구에서는 아열대화 및 해외유입을 고려하여 경상남도, 전라남도, 제주도 세 권역의 축사 15개 지역에서 5월부터 8월까지 유문등을 이용하여 채집하였다. 총 19종 103,365개체가 채집되었고 Culicoides arakaawae(83,922), Culicoides punctatus(11,184), Culicoides tainanus(3,298) 3종이 전체 채집량 중 95.2%를 차지하 였다. 각 샘플을 채집시기별, 종별, 지역별로 정리한 결과, 종다양성이 가장 높은 지역은 13종이 채집된 진주, 가장 낮은 곳은 3종이 채집된 제주5 지점이었다. 보관된 샘플은 유전자원 확보 및 바이러스보유검사 등의 추가실 험을 통해 국내 등에모기 연구를 위한 기초자료로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

오대산국립공원의 고등균류 다양성 및 분포 특성을 시기별, 고도별, 임상별로 조사하여 비교하였다. 오대산국립공원 내 계방산, 소금강, 월정사지 구 일대에 임상별 6개씩 총 18개의 고정조사구에서 고등균류를 채집한 결과, 542점의 표본을 채집하였으며, 동정한 결과 81속, 256종으로 확인되었 고 최신분류체계로 분류한 결과 2문, 6강, 19목, 56과로 확인되었다. 부생성 균류가 62.9 %로 가장 높은 비율을 보였으며, 다음으로는 공생성 균류 36.2 % 기생성 균류 0.9 % 순으로 조사되었고, 우점종은 맑은애주름버섯(Mycena pura)과 굽은꽃애기버섯(Gymnopus dryophilus)으로 확인되었다. 해발고도에 따른 고등균류의 분포는 200∼677 m 조사구에서 109종, 700∼999 m에서 109종, 1000∼1400 m에서 118종이 조사되었 으며, 채집 시기별 고등균류의 분포는 9월에 132종으로 가장 많이 조사되었고, 6월 33종, 7월 75종, 8월 99종으로 조사되었다. 임상별로는 혼효림에서 124종, 활엽수림 121종, 침엽수림에서 가장 낮은 105종이 조사되었다. 고도별, 시기별, 임상별 모두 부생성 균류가 가장 높은 비율로 분포하였다. 종다양도는 9월에 2.00, 혼효림에서 2.04로 가장 높았고, 고도별로는 유사한 종다양도를 나타냈다(1.93∼1.99). 종 균등도는 고도별, 시기별, 임상별로 비슷한 수준을 나타냈다(0.94∼0.97). 공통 발생 종은 모든 시기에 2종, 전체 고도에서 7종, 침엽수, 활엽수, 혼효림에서 14종이 확인되었다.

Through sample-size-based rarefaction analyses, we tried to suggest the appropriate degree of sample concentration and sub-sample extraction, as a way to estimate more accurate zooplankton species diversity when assessing biodiversity. When we collected zooplankton from three reservoirs with different environmental characteristics, the estimated species richness (S) and Shannon’s Hʹ values showed different changing patterns according to the amount of sub-sample extracted from the whole sample by reservoir. However, consequently, their zooplankton diversity indices were estimated the highest values when analyzed by extracting the largest amount of sub-sample. As a result of rarefaction analysis about sample coverage, in the case of deep eutrophic reservoir (Juam) with high zooplankton species and individual numbers, it was analyzed that 99.8% of the whole samples were represented by only 1 mL of sub-sample based on 100 mL of concentrated samples. On the other hand, in Soyang reservoir, which showed very small species and individual numbers, a relatively low representation at 97% when 10 mL of sub-sample was extracted from the same amount of concentrated sample. As such, the representation of sub-sample for the whole zooplankton sample varies depending on the individual density in the sample collected from the field. If the degree of concentration of samples and the amount of subsample extraction are adjusted according to the collected individual density, it is believed that errors that occur when comparing the number of species and diversity indices among different water bodies can be minimized.

본 연구는 남부 산림지역 고등균류의 임상별 분포 특성 및 다양성을 구명하기 위해 수행되었다. 경상도와 전라도 일대에 임상별 8개씩 총 24개의 고정조사구에서 고등균류를 채집한 결과, 868점의 표본을 채집하였으며, 2문, 6강, 17목, 61과, 134속, 367종으로 동정되었다. 부생성 균류가 62.44%로 가장 높은 비율을 보였으며, 다음으로는 공생성 균류 35.03% 기생성 균류 2.53% 순으로 조사되었고, 우점종은 구름송편버섯 (Trametes versicolor)과 맑은애주름버섯(Mycena pura)으로 확인되었다. 해발고도에 따른 고등균류의 분포는 299m 이하의 조사구에서 74종, 300∼499m에서 299종, 500m 이상에서 153종이 조사되었으며, 채집 시기별 고등균류의 분포는 7, 8월에 각각 190, 152종으로 가장 많이 조사되었 다. 임상별로는 활엽수림에서 192종으로 가장 많이 조사되었고, 혼효림 177종, 침엽수림이 149종으로 조사되었고, 지역별, 고도별, 시기별, 임상별 모두 부생성 균류가 가장 높은 비율로 분포하였다. 종다양도는 300∼499m의 활엽수림에서 7월에 2.2로 가장 높았고, 종 균등도는 고도별, 시기별, 임상별로 비슷한 수준을 나타냈다(0.93-0.97). 본 연구를 통해 얻어진 남부 산림지역 내 고등균류 분포 특성 및 다양성 결과들은 향후 수행될 고등균류 분야 연구의 기초자료로 활용될 것으로 기대된다.