The #fungus #Clitocybe #nebularis (#Basidiomycota), also known as #cloudedagaric, is a #holarctic and often common #soildwelling #species, mostly found in open, nutrient-rich #forest #soils. It is occasionally #parasitized by the fungus #Volvariella #surrecta (Basidiomycota). C. Hears et al. (2013) point to its #antagonistic effect against phytopathogenic #oomycetes (Stramenopiles) species of the genus #Phytophthora.
©#StefanFWirth Saarland 2025

Ref
dx.doi.org/10.4236/nr.2013.420…
#Photos
©S F. Wirth

Finland has submitted its latest official report to the European Commission showing a continued deterioration in the state of natural #habitats and #species.

According to the Finnish Environment Institute, most #habitat types remain in an unfavourable condition, particularly across southern and central regions.

The findings are part of Finland’s mandatory reporting under the EU’s #nature and #bird directives, covering the period 2019–2024.

The data show that more species and habitat types are deteriorating than improving, despite 30 years of legal obligations to protect #biodiversity.

The situation is most critical in the boreal zone, which covers the majority of #Finland.

There, three out of four habitat types assessed are considered to be in poor condition.

Only the alpine zone in the far north shows better outcomes, largely due to reduced human impact.

helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finla…

Finland reports sharp decline in habitats and species

Finland has submitted its latest official report to the European Commission showing a continued deterioration in the state of natural habitats and species.

^{Helsinki Times}

Living organisms are assumed to produce same-#species #offspring.

But this is not the case for Messor ibericus, an #ant that lays individuals from two distinct #species.

In this life cycle, females must clone males of another species because they require their sperm to produce the worker caste.

As a result, males from the same mother exhibit distinct genomes and morphologies, as they belong to species that diverged over 5 million years ago.

The evolutionary history of this system appears as sexual parasitism that evolved into a natural case of cross-species cloning, resulting in the maintenance of a male-only lineage cloned through distinct species’ ova.

#biology #evolution
nature.com/articles/s41586-025…

One mother for two species via obligate cross-species cloning in ants - Nature

In a case of obligate cross-species cloning, female ants of Messor ibericus need to clone males of Messor structor to obtain sperm for producing the worker caste, resulting in males from the same mother having distinct genomes and morphologies.

^Nature

#Sicklealfalfa #Medicago sativa L.subsp. #falcata is considered a #subspecies of lucerne, but is sometimes also seen as own #species of the M. sativa-#complex. It is native to #Eurasia and prefers deep, lime-rich #soils, here on Mount #Teufelsberg #Berlin with #Chorthippus cf.#mollis. K. Kaljund & V. Jaaska (2010) found a high genetic #diversity even in smaller #isolatedpopulations due to plant's biology, i.a.#autotetraploidy.

©#StefanFWirth 2025

Ref
doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2010.05.…

Photos
©S.F.Wirth

Still don’t think I’ve seen true uppers yet, but this nearly-there intermediate on Nepenthes kongkandana is the largest yet. And pretty well glows in the upper portions of the greenhouse.
A lot of the Indochinese species are starting to either vine or go nuts with new basals, so trimming may be in order for some soon…but dishearteningly, finally had one of them (Nepenthes rosea) produce a flower stalk for the first time, only to grow right into the freaking light and fry off before I knew it was there. It had better make another or I’m gonna remain pissed…

#nepenthes #nepentheskongkandana #tropicalpitcherplant #pitcherplant #species #carnivorousplants #indochina #strangeplants #rareplant #species #plants #tropical #indoorplants #exotic #nature #plantsathome #botany #plantsmakepeoplehappy #horticulture #botanical #gardening #carltoncarnivores

"Scientists discover #giraffes are four distinct #species, not just one, in a 'long-overdue decision'"

abc.net.au/news/2025-08-22/gir…

#nature #biology #zoology #science #taxonomy #giraffe

"This love for botanical rule-breaking has led Alisson to describe three new species of Bomarea — climbing plants in the Alstroemeriaceae family — using iNaturalist observations as the starting point for each discovery: “I come from a low-income background, so I had no personal transportation, nor funding for bus tickets. [...] iNaturalist gave me the opportunity to explore the world just from home.”"

inaturalist.org/blog/116058-ho…

#iNaturalist #Plants #Species #Discovery #Nature

How a researcher's passion for rule-breaking plants led to new species descriptions · iNaturalist

I learned about Alisson Fierro-Minda's (@alissonfm) work when I came across this paper describing a stunning, new-to-science plant species ...

^iNaturalist

A surprise find a couple nights ago: the chunkiest pitcher by a large margin on Nepenthes kongkandana that was hiding between the pots. It’s begun transitioning finally to uppers again so they’re getting smaller and slimmer once more, but it definitely showed off with this one.

#nepenthes #nepentheskongkandana #tropicalpitcherplant #pitcherplant #species #carnivorousplants #indochina #strangeplant #botany #rareplants #savagegarden #plants #horticulture #plantsathome #botanical #plantsmakepeoplehappy #bloomscrolling #carltoncarnivores #nature #gardening

Haven’t posted tuis one in a while, but a particularly nice pitcher was hanging out in the open from Nepenthes benstonei. This Peninsular Malaysian species is not common in the trade still, and often overlooked in favor of its relatives sanguinea or the Indochinese group (which it might be a link between). This clone at least is worth a look though, with blood red pitchers and similarly dark rusty leaves.

#nepenthes #nepenthesbenstonei #tropicalpitcherplant #pitcherplant #malaysia #carnivorousplants #species #strangeplants #red #rareplants #nature #plants #botany #plantsathome #horticulture #botanical #plantsmakepeoplehappy #educational #gardening #carltoncarnivores

'Cool' - #DailyPictureTheme

bobcat 'tween three trees
meadow shrouded in soft tears
muse human species

---
#vss365 - #tear
#WordedArt - #species
#BlueSkyRelay - #bobcat
#DailyHaikuPrompt - #meadow

#WritingCommunity #poetry #haiku

#KBFPhotography #MobilePhonePhotography #Photography

@dailyhaikuprompt
@vss365 @writingcommunity @poetry #haiku @photography

The #whitespotted #rosebeetle #Oxythyrea #funesta (#Cetoniinae) is a warmth-loving #Mediterranean #species, which was originally found only sporadically in southern Germany, but has now expanded its range to northern #Germany, apparently due to #globalwarming.
H. Hoffmann et al. (2021) examined the occurrence and #spread of O. funesta as a #citizensciencestudy.
#Biodiversity

© #StefanFWirth #Berlin 2025

Reference

H. Hoffmann et al.(2021):
doi.org/10.21248/contrib.entom…

#Photos

© S.F. Wirth 2025

Quiero recomendar un #blog. Si te interesan las nuevas especies que van describiéndose, Novataxa cumple fielmente desde hace más de una década. #especies #species

novataxa.blogspot.com/

via #EarthlyEducation

we are living through an #ExtinctionCrisis unlike anything in human history—over a million #species are at risk of disappearing in the coming decades. #ecosystems that have taken millions of years to evolve are unravelling before our eyes, driven by #HabitatDestruction, #climate chaos, #pollution, and endless #extraction. every species lost is a thread pulled from the web of life, and sooner or later, that web collapses. ⁠
⁠
Brilliant cartoon by @schloriancartoon

🐜