LIB

#FunFact: Ailoscolex lacteospumosus occurs naturally only in the Pyrenees — making it a uniquely local piece of Europe’s hidden biodiversity.

→ doi.org/10.12688/ope...

@ergabiodiv.bsky.social

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Circular snail plot showing assembly statistics with 1,000 size-ordered bins representing 0.1% each of a 493 million base pair assembly, dark grey bars indicating sequence length distribution, concentric rings for scaffold count, scaffold length, longest scaffold, N50 and N90 lengths, a pie chart for BUSCO completeness, and a composition legend for GC, AT, and N content percentages.

High-quality genomes help us study evolutionary uniqueness, population history and conservation needs: A new ERGA–BGE reference genome for the Pyrenean “milky worm” sheds light on the evolution & conservation of little-known soil biodiversity. #LIBresearch

© Novo et al., CC BY 4.

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Closely related species living side by side — but using completely different ways to determine sex.
A fascinating example of how evolutionary mechanisms can help maintain species boundaries even when hybridisation occurs. #LIBresearch

#FunFact: Some snail teeth contain minerals like iron or silica, making them remarkably wear-resistant.

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The form and material of these microscopic teeth help species exploit distinct ecological niches and underpin their ecological success.

→ doi.org/10.1116/6.00...

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Snail with a patterned shell crawling on a rough, textured surface

How do snails scrape algae off rocks — without destroying their own teeth? A new review explores the radula, the specialized feeding organ of mollusks, whose teeth are finely adapted to different diets and habitats. #LIBresearch

© Adobe Stock, Macronatura. es

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Measures like diverse habitats in farmland, less pesticide use and better habitat connectivity can make a real difference.
Which actions do you see as most feasible in practice?

→ doi.org/10.1016/j.co...

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Diagram showing main drivers of insect biodiversity change with interconnected arrows between five labeled photos: invasive alien species with a sphecid wasp on a plant, land use change with agricultural machinery, natural resource extraction with a sandy landscape, climate change with clouds in the sky, and pollution with industrial smokestacks.

Why are insects declining — and what can we do about it? A new review synthesises current evidence: habitat loss, land-use change, climate change and pollutants are key drivers reshaping insect communities worldwide. #LIBresearch

© Scherber et al., CC BY 4.0 @cscherber.bsky.social

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We stand with our colleagues and students and remain committed to open exchange and collaboration.

We are concerned about recent developments affecting our partner, Ilia State University.
The strong reduction of academic fields runs counter to the principles of disciplinary diversity and international academic cooperation.

Understanding these roots helps us reflect on today’s research infrastructures — and how knowledge networks continue to influence biodiversity science.

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A new contribution revisits the work of J.F.G. Umlauff and the historical infrastructures that shaped how natural history collections and information circulated. #LIBresearch

→ doi.org/10.3897/rio....

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Historical letter head of the J.F.G. Umlauff natural history trading house, adapted for the Umlauff workshop programme in May 2025.

Scientific data infrastructures didn’t start digitally — they grew out of networks of collectors, dealers and institutions exchanging specimens and knowledge.
How has biodiversity knowledge been organised and shared?

© Bischoff et al., CC BY 4.0

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Great to see LIB research supporting global dialogue on sustainable wildlife management.
Exchanges like this are vital for linking science, policy and practice.

@dagmarazyla.bsky.social

Great to see this work describing new species and revisiting known diversity — a reminder how much there is still to discover about insect–ant interactions. #LIBresearch

Fun Fact: Some beetles living with ants avoid detection by copying their hosts’ chemical signals.

Spannend zu sehen, wie LIB-Forschung auch außerhalb der Fachcommunity aufgegriffen wird — danke an RiffReporter für das Feature!
Ein gutes Beispiel dafür, wie Infrastruktur unbeabsichtigt Tierbewegungen beeinflussen kann. #LIBResearch

Fossil insects in amber can be preserved with lifelike detail.
Great to see these new elcanid species highlighted — offering rare insight into the deep evolutionary history of grasshoppers and their relatives. #LIBresearch

Gecko adhesion relies on microscopic toe structures rather than stickiness or suction.
Great to see this research featured — revealing how diversity within gecko lineages helps us understand the evolution of this remarkable trait.

Interested in insects, spiders and trait-based biodiversity research? This PhD project at LIB and the University of Hamburg might be for you — or someone you know!

Snakes on a train? Deadly reptiles may be hopping railcars in India Trains may be transporting cobras and other venomous snakes to new parts of the country

This highlights how human infrastructure can reshape wildlife movement in unexpected ways — with consequences for both species and people. 🚆🐍

Recently highlighted by Science → www.science.org/content/arti...

#Biogeography #ConservationBiology #HumanWildlifeInteractions

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Snakes on Trains: Railways May Sway Goa's King Cobra Distribution Distribution of King Cobras (Ophiophagus kaalinga) across Goa, India, shows occurrence in climatically suitable forests and, notably, also along low-suitability railway corridors, suggesting that sna....

Rescue records and habitat models suggest railway corridors in India are associated with snake occurrences outside their normal range, raising new conservation and safety questions.
→ doi.org/10.1111/btp....
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Cobra snake with hood expanded hanging from metal bars of a train window overlooking green fields and railway tracks

Trains may be more than transport for people & goods — they might also be inadvertently moving vulnerable king cobras into habitats where they struggle to survive. #LIBresearch

© Parmar et al., CC BY 4.0 @droedder.bsky.social
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Good research data management is key for biodiversity and genomics research — great to see NFDI highlighting data practices and communities behind them.

Amber can preserve insects almost as if they died yesterday — making it a powerful window into deep-time biodiversity and evolution. #LIBresearch #paleontology

Pesticide residues affect more than crops – they alter soil ecosystems and biodiversity.
In the study discussed here, Christoph Scherber (LIB) helps put the findings into context, highlighting the key role of healthy soils for resilient ecosystems.

Without shared standards, robust data and dedicated infrastructure, biodiversity genomics in Europe will fall short of its potential. The new BGE policy roundtable report lays out why this matters — and what’s needed next. drive.google.com/file/d/1hc6p...

Stimmt — das Bild ist als Symbol gedacht. Einjährige Blühstreifen reichen nicht, entscheidend ist langfristige, vielfältige Vegetation.

Crop diversification — like intercropping and cover crops — supports productivity while helping suppress pests.
Diverse plant communities can act like a natural pest shield, helping crops thrive without extra chemicals.
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Global evidence that plant diversity suppresses pests and promotes plant performance and crop production - Nature Ecology & Evolution A global synthesis of >600 studies finds that across agro-ecosystems, grasslands and forests in temperate and tropical zones, increasing plant diversity has a consistently positive effect on plant ...

A global synthesis finds that higher plant diversity consistently reduces pest pressure and boosts plant growth and crop production across ecosystems from forests to grasslands and farmlands.
→ doi.org/10.1038/s415...
@cscherber.bsky.social
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