Incursion Preparedness, Citizen Science and Early Detection of Invasive Insects: The Case of Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae) in France.

We describe the process by which the quarantine whitefly, Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae), was detected in France. The initial observation was made by a volunteer who reported a picture of an adult in the Inventaire National du Patrimoine Naturel (INPN Espèces), a citizen science resource developed by l'Office Français de la Biodiversité and the French Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. The specimen was suspected to be A. spiniferus from this picture by one of the expert entomologists in charge of the Hemiptera group validation. Once the species was identified, it was mounted on a slide and the information was officially passed on to the ministry in charge of agriculture via a communication channel set up in advance for this type of situation. The ministry then triggered the regulatory actions planned in the event of the suspected detection of quarantine organisms. Sampling was quickly carried out and the specimens collected on this occasion were formally identified as belonging to the species A. spiniferus. This led to the formalization of an outbreak in France. This sequence of decisions took just two months from the first observation to the implementation of a management plan. This case presents how incursion preparedness contributes to a rapid response. Furthermore, this case exemplifies how citizen science can contribute to the early detection of invasive species and highlights the importance of informing both the general public and professionals about major environmental issues.

All taxa biodiversity inventory of the Bois de Bouis estate (Var, France): a 10-year public-private partnership.

Background: This data paper describes the results of a 10-year scientific investigation of a biodiversity-rich private golf estate in south-eastern France in partnership with PatriNat (Office français de la biodiversité/Centre national de la recherche scientifique/Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement). In total, 3,160 species and subspecies, including 1,796 arthropods and 1,049 flora, were inventoried and 65 habitat types were surveyed and mapped. This project is the first All taxa biodiversity inventory (ATBI) in a private property in France with all information available in open data. New information: The 20 datasets of fauna, flora, lichens and habitat types from the Bois de Bouis estate are now publicly available. Between 2012 and 2022, more than 22,000 occurrences were recorded, checked and published in the INPN information system. All this information is available in open access in the French portal OpenObs, operated by PatriNat and in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). This data paper provides an overview of the project, its main results and its contribution to the French National Inventory of Natural Heritage (INPN).This data paper presents a list eight species never previously recorded to France; three Hymenoptera: Charitopesleucobasis Townes, 1983 (Ichneumonidae), Dryinustussaci Olmi, 1989 (Dryinidae) and Sparasionmunitus Kozlov & Kononova, 1990 (Sparasionidae) and five Diptera: Clusiodesapicalis (Zetterstedt, 1848) (Clusiidae), Dicraeusvagans (Meigen, 1838) (Chloropidae), Stilponintermedius Raffone, 1994, Stilponsubnubilus Chvala, 1988 and Tachydromiaundulata (Strobl, 1906) (Hybotidae).It also includes a table comparing the project to 18 All-taxa biodiversity inventories in France and Belgium and published for the first time.

The nationwide 'ZNIEFF' inventory in France: an open dataset of more than one million species data in zones of high ecological value.

Background: In France, a 'natural zone of ecological, faunistic or floristic value' (Zone Naturelle d'Intérêt Écologique, Faunistique et Floristique - ZNIEFF) is a natural area, regionally known for its remarkable ecological characteristics. The ZNIEFF inventory is a naturalist and scientific survey programme launched in 1982 by the Ecology Ministry, with support from the French National Museum of Natural History (MNHN). New information: This paper describes the ZNIEFF national dataset, which comprises 1,013,725 data for various animal (38%), plant (59%) and fungal (2%) species in terrestrial and marine zones (May 2020). A total of 19,842 sites throughout continental France. as well as in the overseas Departments and territories (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, La Réunion, French Guiana, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon), are included in the ZNIEFF dataset (May 2020). This dataset is now available in open access.All data were collected by skilled naturalists using professional protocols over almost 40 years. They consist mainly of observations of rare, threatened or endemic species, all validated by regional experts. Data are updated twice a year after national validation in both national (INPN-OpenObs) and global (GBIF) biodiversity web platforms. Some of the observed species, the so-called 'trigger species' or 'determinant' species, are of central interest for a site to be designated a ZNIEFF (zone of high ecological value). This concerns more than 35,000 taxa, mainly angiosperms, insects, fungi, birds and fish.

The first large-scale All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory in Europe: description of the Mercantour National Park ATBI datasets.

Background: An All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) is a comprehensive inventory of all species in a given territory. In 2007, the French Parc national du Mercantour and the Italian Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime started the first and most ambitious ATBI in Europe with more than 350 specialists and dozens of technicians and data managers involved. New information: The ATBI datasets from the Parc national du Mercantour in France are now publicly available. Between 2007 and 2020, 247,674 occurrences were recorded, checked and published in the INPN information system. All this information is available in open access in the GBIF web site. With 12,640 species registered, the ATBI is the most important inventory in France. This data paper provides an overview of main results and its contribution to the French National Inventory of Natural Heritage. It includes a list of 52 taxa new to science and 53 species new to France, discovered thanks to the ATBI.

[Sampling effort and floristic atlases: survey completeness of localities and description of knowledge gaps]. / Effort d'échantillonnage et atlas floristiques - exhaustivité des mailles et caractérisation des lacunes dans la connaissance.

Floristic atlases have an important input to flora conservation planning even though their data quality varied greatly across countries. This study aimed to assess survey completeness of cells of floristic atlases. Then, a surveying guide is designed to overcome as efficiently as possible sampling biases. A review and analyses on a wide dataset were carried out to select an estimator of the true species richness of surveyed cells. The Jackknife 1, a non-parametric estimator, appeared as the best compromise for regional floristic atlases. The number of records in each cell was used as an estimator of sampling effort. The ratio between the observed species richness and the estimated species richness measures the completeness of inventories in each surveyed cell. Eighteen variables were selected to describe current inventories and design new surveys. These variables highlight locations, periods and species to be given priority in future studies.