Chromosome-Level Assembly and Annotation of the Genome of the Endangered Giant Patagonian Bumble Bee Bombus dahlbomii.

This article describes a genome assembly and annotation for Bombus dahlbomii, the giant Patagonian bumble bee. DNA from a single, haploid male collected in Argentina was used for PacBio (HiFi) sequencing, and Hi-C technology was then used to map chromatin contacts. Using Juicer and manual curation, the genome was scaffolded into 18 main pseudomolecules, representing a high-quality, near chromosome-level assembly. The sequenced genome size is estimated at 265 Mb. The genome was annotated based on RNA sequencing data of another male from Argentina, and BRAKER3 produced 15,767 annotated genes. The genome and annotation show high completeness, with >95% BUSCO scores for both the genome and annotated genes (based on conserved genes from Hymenoptera). This genome provides a valuable resource for studying the biology of this iconic and endangered species, as well as for understanding the impacts of its decline and designing strategies for its preservation.

Niche analyses and the potential distribution of four invasive bumblebees worldwide.

The introduction of bees for agricultural production in distinct parts of the world and poor management have led to invasion processes that affect biodiversity, significantly impacting native species. Different Bombus species with invasive potential have been recorded spreading in different regions worldwide, generating ecological and economic losses. We applied environmental niche and potential distribution analyses to four species of the genus Bombus to evaluate the similarities and differences between their native and invaded ranges. We found that B. impatiens has an extended environmental niche, going from dry environmental conditions in the native range to warmer and wetter conditions in the invaded range. Bombus ruderatus also exhibited an extended environmental niche with drier and warmer conditions in the invaded range than in its native range. Bombus subterraneus expanded its environmental niche from cooler and wetter conditions in the native range to drier and warmer conditions in the invaded range. Finally, B. terrestris showed the most significant variation in the environmental niche, extending to areas with similar and different environmental conditions from its native range. The distribution models agreed with the known distributions for the four Bombus species, presenting geographic areas known to be occupied by each species in different regions worldwide. The niche analysis indicate shifts in the niches from the native to the invaded distribution area of the bee species. Still, niche similarities were observed in the areas of greatest suitability in the potential distribution for B. ruderatus, B. subterraneus, and B. terrestris, and to a lesser degree in the same areas with B. impatiens. These species require similar environmental conditions as in their native ranges to be established in their introduced ranges. Still, they can adapt to changes in temperature and humidity, allowing them to expand their ranges into new climatic conditions.

A New Species of Cryptocotyle (Digenea: Heterophyidae) Infecting Kelp Gull and a Galaxiid Fish in Patagonian Freshwater Environments: Morphological and Molecular Analyses.

Adults of a species of Cryptocotyle were found infecting the intestine of the kelp gull, Larus dominicanus Lichtenstein, 1823, and metacercariae were found in the fins and muscle of the galaxiid fish, Galaxias platei Steindachner, 1898 (local name "puyen grande"), in Nahuel Huapi National Park (Patagonia). Morphometrics and genetic markers of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (COI) and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) confirmed that adults and metacercariae were conspecific and represent a new species, Cryptocotyle dominicana n. sp. The only congener known from South America (Cryptocotyle thapari McIntosh, 1953) matures in river otters (Lutra spp. and Pteronura spp.) in Brazil and Bolivia and differs from the new species in the arrangement of the testes, which are located in tandem in the species from otters. Adults of the new species resemble Cryptocotyle lingua (Creplin, 1825) Fischoeder, 1903 from marine environments of the Northern Hemisphere, both species being characterized by having a linguiform body, oblique testes, and vitelline follicles that extend posteriorly to the level of the ventral sucker. Considering the morphological findings that differentiate the new species from other Cryptocotyle, as well as the molecular analysis that shows significant differences from C. lingua, we conclude that these specimens represent a new species, the first of the genus Cryptocotyle to be described from birds in South America.

Global decline of bumblebees is phylogenetically structured and inversely related to species range size and pathogen incidence.

Conservation biology can profit greatly from incorporating a phylogenetic perspective into analyses of patterns and drivers of species extinction risk. We applied such an approach to analyse patterns of bumblebee (Bombus) decline. We assembled a database representing approximately 43% of the circa 260 globally known species, which included species extinction risk assessments following the International Union fo Conservation of Nature Red List categories and criteria, and information on species traits presumably associated with bumblebee decline. We quantified the strength of phylogenetic signal in decline, range size, tongue length and parasite presence. Overall, about one-third of the assessed bumblebees are declining and declining species are not randomly distributed across the Bombus phylogeny. Susceptible species were over-represented in the subgenus Thoracobombus (approx. 64%) and under-represented in the subgenus Pyrobombus (approx. 6%). Phylogenetic logistic regressions revealed that species with small geographical ranges and those in which none of three internal parasites were reported (i.e. Crithidia bombi, Nosema spp. or Locustacarus buchneri) were particularly vulnerable. Bumblebee evolutionary history will be deeply eroded if most species from threatened clades, particularly those stemming from basal nodes, become finally extinct. The habitat of species with restricted distribution should be protected and the importance of pathogen tolerance/resistance as mechanisms to deal with pathogens needs urgent research.

How do cold-sensitive species endure ice ages? Phylogeographic and paleodistribution models of postglacial range expansion of the mesothermic drought-tolerant conifer Austrocedrus chilensis.

In view of global climate change, it is important to understand the responses of tree species to climate changes in the past. Combinations of phylogeographic analysis of genetic evidence, coupled with species distribution models (SDMs), are improving our understanding on this subject. We combined SDMs and microsatellite data from populations of the entire range of Austrocedrus chilensis, a dominant mesotherm (cold-sensitive) conifer of dryland forests of the southern Andes, to test the hypothesis of long-distance postglacial migration from northern and warmer refugia at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The SDM indicated suitable conditions for Austrocedrus in northern Chile (western) at the LGM and largely unsuitable conditions in Argentina (eastern). Population genetic diversity and effective population sizes within populations decreased southward along the Andes, consistent with the hypothesis of long-distance dispersal from a northern refugium. Results support the hypothesis of one (or a few) warmer (low latitude) refugia in Chile for Austrocedrus. On balance, the evidence suggests that in contrast to cold-tolerant tree taxa with the capacity to fast-track postglacial warming thanks to local refugia, cold-sensitive species might have undergone long-distance range expansion, lagging behind progressive climate change throughout the Holocene.

Oldies (but goldies!): extracting DNA from cryopreserved allozyme homogenates.

In this work, we describe a method that allows the extraction of plant genomic DNA from frozen enzyme homogenates. To test if reliable DNA was recovered from allozyme extracts, we compared these results with that obtained from fresh frozen and dried material. Sequencing and microsatellite fragments were analyzed for samples from 5 plant families in order to check for chloroplast and nuclear DNA quality. High-molecular weight DNA was recovered from frozen homogenates, and it was found that the quality was independent of storage time, which varied from 1 to 9 years. High-quality PCR products along with sequences and microsatellite fragments were obtained for nearly all analyzed samples. Frozen protein homogenates from previous population studies could thus be used for further phylogeographical and phylogenetic analyses using DNA molecular tools. This simple method provides an opportunity to take advantage of stored cryopreserved samples.