Digest: Sexual selection may shape species' range limits.

In a recent study, Tschol et al. (2024) present a model that investigates how 2 different forms of sexual selection, selection for traits that increase mate encounters and selection for traits that enhance one's ability to compete for mates, affect geographical range limits. The model demonstrates that range limits expand in response to selection on mate-encountering traits and contract when selection acts on reproductive competitiveness. When traits coevolve, range limits depend on the mating system. This study demonstrates the importance of accounting for sexual selection and intraspecific interactions when investigating eco-evolutionary dynamics of geographic range limits.

Impact of female contraception for population management on behavior and social interactions in a captive troop of Guinea baboons (Papio papio).

As part of a population management strategy for a troop of Guinea baboons (Papio papio) at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, adult females were given a Suprelorin contraceptive implant. There was no information on the effect of contraception on behavior in this species, so behavioral data were collected before and after implant placement to determine any impact on the troops' welfare. Social interactions, affiliative, agonistic, and self-directed displacement behaviors (SDBs) in all adults were monitored via focal sampling. Preimplant data were collected in August/September 2019 before Suprelorin placement on November 2019, and postimplant data were collected in August/September 2020, allowing for comparison while controlling for seasonal differences in behavior. We found a significant reduction of SDBs after intervention, suggesting that contraception has a positive impact on group welfare, as SDBs are key behavioral indicators of stress and anxiety in nonhuman primates. Additionally, the rate of substate change per hour (i.e., the number of times the baboon changed their behavior), duration of sentry behavior, and the frequency of agonistic bouts were significantly lower postimplant, further suggesting improvements in welfare. There were also no significant decreases in the duration of positive social interactions, such as allogrooming and play. The results show that Suprelorin did not have a detrimental impact on the behavior of adults in the troop and may have even improved welfare. The use of Suprelorin in females could be considered as an effective population management strategy for primates existing in similar social systems.

Integrative taxonomic revision of the Metarctia Walker, 1855 subgenus HebenaWalker, 1856, with descriptions of six new species and one new subspecies(Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Syntomini).

A revision of the subgenus Hebena Walker, 1856 of the syntomine genus Metarctia Walker, 1855 is given based on integrative taxonomic analyses. Six new species (Metarctia (Hebena) manfredi sp. n., M. (H.) elleni sp. n., M. (H.) brigitta sp. n., M. (H). lukaszi sp. n., M. (H.) smithi sp. n., and M. (H.) haraldsulaki sp.n.) and one new subspecies (M. (H.) smithi transvallesiana ssp. n.) are described. Metarctia (H.) kelleni (Snellen, 1886) stat. rev. is reinstated from synonymy with M. (H.) rubra (Walker, 1856) and Metarctia (H.) subincarnata Kiriakoff, 1954 syn. n. is synonymised with M. (H.) henrardi Kiriakoff, 1953 and Metarctia cinnamomea (Wallengren, 1860) syn. n. with M. (H.) rubra (Walker, 1856). DNA barcodes were obtained for 116 specimens representing 7 taxa, and genetic analyses were performed using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference approaches; a DNA barcode tree resulting from the latter is illustrated. Pairwise distances of barcodes between taxa are provided where available. The adults and genitalia of all taxa, their habitats and distribution are illustrated in 19 colour plates and 5 distribution maps.

An updated review of the genus Strigivenifera Hering, 1937 (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea: Chrysopolomidae) with the description of a new species.

Following on from a recent revision by Kurshakov Zolotuhin (2013), the genus Strigivenifera Hering, 1937 is reviewed based on recently-collected material held at the African Natural History Research Trust. Investigation of genital morphology and newly-generated barcodes suggested that the diagnoses provided for the species in the previous revision were not entirely reliable for all taxa and as a result, a surplus of names exist in respect to valid species. The following taxonomic changes are implemented: S. livingstonei Kurshakov Zolotuhin, 2013 syn. n. and S. cruisa Kurshakov Zolotuhin, 2013 syn. n. are synonymised with S. albidiscalis (Hampson, 1910), S. ocellaris Kurshakov Zolotuhin, 2013 syn. n. is synonymised with S. eborea Kurshakov Zolotuhin, 2013 and S. tatooifera Kurshakov Zolotuhin, 2013 syn. n. is synonymised with S. bartschi Kurshakov Zolotuhin, 2013. A new species previously confused with S. ocellaris is described from the Western Area Peninsula in Sierra Leone: S. smithi sp. n. The intraspecific variability of the species together with appropriate diagnostic characters for identification are discussed and illustrated and an updated list of the valid species of the genus is provided.