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Ohio’s capital hosted two conferences of global significance when it comes to the study of insects, with Pensoft enjoying a front-row seat.
Earlier this month, the city of Columbus became a focal point for knowledge exchange, groundbreaking innovation and meaningful dialogue on the past, present and future of entomology, with Pensoft enjoying a front-row seat.
Pensoft Publishers at the 2026 ECN annual meeting.
More specifically, Ohio’s capital hosted two conferences of global significance when it comes to the study of insects. First came the annual meeting of the Entomological Collections Network (ECN), which took place on the 6th and 7th of November. A comprehensive two-day agenda delved into the many facets of the organisation’s core focus – existing and emerging best practices in the management of and research into museum collections with insect specimens.
For its part, Pensoft Publishers reaffirmed its support for the community by co-sponsoring the event and exhibiting its publication outlets and tools, including the highly relevant Natural History Collections and Museomics (NHCM) journal. Attendees who stopped by the company’s booth thus had the opportunity to discover this relatively new arrival in the company’s portfolio as well as a variety of other Pensoft-affiliated avenues for bridging the gap between their work and its intended audience.
Bill Clark, winner of Pensoft’s contribution to ECN2026’s silent auction.
Numerous researchers who are actively shaping Pensoft’s journals were also present, with two among them delivering important research updates to the Network’s members:
Torsten Dikow, Editor-in-Chief of ZooKeys, introduced a conveyor for entomological digitisation (developed by Picturae) and how this technology can help organise and optimise collections of pollinating insects
Davide Dal Pos, Subject Editor of ZooKeys and Deutsche Entomologishe Zeitschrift (DEZ), dived into his team’s vision for revitalising the Enns Entomology Museum and its extensive specimen collection, placing it “back on the map”
Pensoft also hosted a booth at Entomology 2026.
This year’s gathering of the Entomological Society of America, Entomology 2026, immediately followed ECN’s proceedings, lasting until 11 November. Yet again, it proved itself among the largest global meetings of insect experts, enthusiasts and businesses, attracting over 2,000 attendees. As in previous editions, Pensoft Publishers sported a booth on the exhibition floor, where a wide variety of journals that push open-access entomological studies forward were on display, including NeoBiota, the Journal of Orthoptera Research (JOR), Alpine Entomology, African Invertebrates, Nota Lepidopterologica, Bulletin of Insectology and the Journal of Hymenoptera Research (JHR).
Entomology 2026, ESA’s 74th Annual Meeting.
Notably, another recent addition to the list, Advances in Pollinator Research (APR), was in the spotlight at the stand, with its Editor-in-Chief Lars Straub and Subject Editor Priya Basu engaging with the conference’s participants on site to discuss how the journal could support pollination-centric research from various perspectives and at different scales.
APR editors Lars Straub and Priya Basu, ready to greet Entomology 2026’s attendees.
The wider selection of journals with relevance to insect-based studies was also featured in the display, represented by the long-established Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO), One Ecosystem, Nature Conservation, Frontiers of Biogeography, Metabarcoding & Metagenomics (MBMG) and the Biodiversity Data Journal (BDJ).
Pensoft’s journal portfolio on display.
In terms of Pensoft’s project portfolio, numerous entomological EU-funded initiatives were also introduced to the booth’s visitors – those were namely the pollination-centric PollinERA, WildPosh, VALOR and AGRI4POL as well as FORSAID, an endeavour to combat the spread of forest pests. Last but not least, Pensoft also seized this opportunity to showcase its latest innovations in communicating and disseminating science – the ARPHA publishing platform, the collaborative workspace ORPHO and the research project portal Scientiana.
Turning to Entomology 2026’s programme and the presentations delivered by some of the experts behind the company’s journals, some of the notable featured topics included:
The management of biodiversity informatics via innovative resources and tools for entomological research and collections, explored by Deborah Paul, the Editor-in-Chief of NHCM:
New frontiers in entomological informatics with Deborah Paul.
TaxonWorks, an integrated web-based workbench for biodiversity scientists, and its promise in pollinator studies, delivered by Matthew Yoder, Subject Editor for BDJ and author in JHR and ZooKeys:
Matthew Yoder with a flash survey on participants’ awareness of TaxonWorks.
Revising the taxonomy of more than 300 species of clown beetles (Histeridae), an ambitious research endeavour laid out by Michael S. Caterino, Subject Editor for and author in ZooKeys:
Clown beetles in focus in a showcase by Michael S. Caterino.
All in all, Pensoft’s presence at conferences of the calibre boasted by ECN2026 and Entomology 2026 remains as crucial as ever at a time when champions of open-science research are needed to usher in this concept’s prevalence on a global level.
Repeated attendances over the years, including that in 2026, have made clear the appreciation entomologists of all sub-disciplines express towards the company’s persistent and evolving pursuits of a truly FAIR standard for academic publishing.
Users of any journal or platform hosted on ARPHA will no longer need to remember, store, or update passwords to access their journal accounts.
In a new upgrade, ARPHA, the scholarly publishing platform, developed by scholarly publisher and technology provider Pensoft, improves user experience across its entire portfolio of around 100 open-access peer-reviewed journals, conference outputs and preprint publication venues.
Users of any journal or platform hosted on ARPHA will no longer need to remember, store, or update passwords to access their journal accounts. By adopting passwordless log-in, signing-in is now seamless, faster, and significantly more secure.
How to sign in?
Whether you are submitting a manuscript, reviewing a paper, or managing an editorial workload, getting into your account takes just a few clicks:
Magic link: Enter your email address on the log-in page. You will receive an email titled “Sign in to [Journal Name]” containing a single-click Sign-in button.
Cross-device 6-digit code: If you request sign-in on your computer but open the email on another device, the email will display a 6-digit code. Simply enter this code into your browser to log in.
Google or ORCID: You can also sign in instantly using your Google or ORCID account.
How to register as a new user?
New users register using the exact same streamlined process. They simply need to enter their email address to get started. Alternatively, they can sign up by either filling out the form or using their ORCID account.
Why ditch passwords?
Password-based authentication is quickly becoming an outdated security standard. Moving away from passwords offers major benefits for researchers and editors:
No password risks: Weak, reused, or compromised passwords are the leading cause of online account breaches. Removing passwords eliminates this vulnerability entirely.
Resistance to phishing: Phishing pages can no longer capture user credentials because no passwords exist on our platform.
Verified communication: Every log-in re-verifies ownership of your email address, keeping user profiles accurate and active.
Proven standard: This approach follows modern authentication standards trusted by the majority of trusted platforms worldwide.
How does it improve security?
This upgrade adds multi-layered protections to keep your data safe:
Single-use & time-sensitive access: Magic links expire in 15 minutes, and 6-digit codes expire in 10 minutes. Requesting a new sign-in email instantly invalidates previous links.
Browser-bound verification: Verification codes are bound specifically to the original browser session. Even if someone gets hold of the link or code, they cannot use it from an unauthorised device.
Attempt & rate limits: Sessions lock automatically after 5 incorrect code entries. There are also limits on how many emails can be requested over a short timeframe.
Cryptographic hash storage: ARPHA does not store raw passwords, links, or codes, which ensures that user data remains fully secure.
Safe from automated email scanners: Enterprise security software and email scanners won’t accidentally trigger or invalidate your link; log-in requires an explicit user click.
What to keep in mind?
Because account access is linked directly to your email, your account security depends on how secure your inbox is. We strongly recommend enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) on your personal/institutional email provider.
Scientists use a synchrotron to reveal the first formally described puppet beetle from France’s Oise amber.
Preserved in amber for about 53 million years, a beetle has been described as a new species by researchers in Spain and France. Named Cnopus twentyonepilotorum, it is the first puppet beetle (family Aderidae) to be formally described from the Oise amber of northern France. The findings are published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.
†Cnopus twentyonepilotorum sp. nov., holotype C05038. Habitus of the holotype in dorsal view. Scale bars: 250 µm. Credit: Ferreira et al. 2026, ZooKeys.
Puppet beetles, also known as ant-like leaf beetles, are small insects with about 1,000 living species found on every continent except Antarctica. Despite this reach, their biology is poorly known and their fossil record is sparse. The Oise amber, from Le Quesnoy near Creil, is one of the oldest Cenozoic ambers in Europe and preserves the fauna of a warm, humid forest from the early Eocene.
“Aderidae had already been reported from this amber, but none had ever been formally described. Our specimen offered the opportunity to fill this gap and to better understand the evolutionary history of the family.”
– Jules Ferreira
To study the fossil without damaging the amber, the team used synchrotron X-ray microtomography at the ALBA Synchrotron, which allowed them to reconstruct a detailed 3D model of the fossil beetle and compare it with living species. The beetle belongs to Cnopus, a genus that still exists today. Until now, its oldest fossils of this genus came from the Baltic and Bitterfeld ambers, around 38 to 34-million-years-old.
†Cnopus twentyonepilotorum sp. nov., holotype C05038. 3D renderings. Credit: Ferreira et al. 2026, ZooKeys.
This discovery shows that this beetle lineage was already established in Western European forests in the early Eocene, roughly 15 million years earlier than previously documented. Some internal structures normally used to distinguish living species were not preserved, so the fossil cannot be fully compared with all its modern relatives. Its age, however, makes it very unlikely to belong to a species still alive today.
“What surprised us most was how little the external morphology of this lineage has changed over time. Despite more than 50 million years of evolution, major climatic changes and the transformation of European forests, the overall external morphology of these tiny beetles has remained remarkably stable.”
– Jules Ferreira
The species name honours the band Twenty One Pilots. The authors say the dedication acknowledges the group’s contribution to raising awareness of mental health and to reducing the stigma around anxiety, depression and personal hardship.
The team is now studying other puppet beetles from the Oise amber and hopes to learn which beetle groups persisted in European forests between the early and late Eocene.
“Amber is exceptional in this respect. It sometimes preserves several organisms trapped together, offering rare snapshots of ancient ecological associations. Each new fossil adds a piece to this puzzle and helps us better understand how beetle communities were assembled and how they changed through time.”
– Jules Ferreira
The holotype is held in the palaeontological collection of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris.
Original source:
Ferreira J, Spiessberger EL, Nel A, Patera A, Peris D (2026) First fossil species of puppet beetles (Coleoptera, Tenebrionoidea, Aderidae) from the lowermost Eocene Oise amber (France), with a review of the fossil record of Aderidae. ZooKeys 1297: 153-180. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1297.210120
For more articles on zoology, visit the ZooKeys website and follow the journal on BlueSky and Facebook.
Release of Rhizophagus grandis in Georgia, France, the United Kingdom, and Turkey to control the bark beetle Dendroctonus micans, a major forest pest.
Guest blog post by Jean-Claude Grégoire
The bark beetle Dendroctonus micans Kug. (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) attacks spruce (Picea spp.) and occasionally pine (Pinus spp.). It has spread westward from eastern Siberia, and reached the limits of the natural and planted range of spruce in Europe by the beginning of the 21st century, causing substantial damage along the way.
Distribution range of Dendroctonus micans (EPPO), and an adult beetle (photo: Gilles San Martin)
Its natural enemy, a specialised predatory beetle, Rhizophagus grandis has partly followed it west and keeps the pest in check wherever it has become established. However, landscape fragmentation and geographic barriers have slowed or prevented the expansion of R. grandis into areas where the pest had been introduced via timber transport.
To deal with this problem, biological control was implemented through mass rearing and releases of R. grandis, beginning in Georgia (1963), France (1978), Great Britain (1983) and Türkiye (1985). This method worked and led to lasting control.
Why is this case unique?
This case results from the interaction of two uncommon features: the bark beetle isparasitic and the predator ishighly specific.
Parasitic bark beetles
Development of Dendroctonus micans. Egg gallery with adult female (A1); eggs (A2); young larvae (A3); larvae feeding gregariously in the phloem (B); pupae in individual niches dispersed in the frass (C). Photos: J.-C. Grégoire
Contrasting with the numerous saprophagous bark beetle species (colonising dead trees) and tree-killing species (mass-attacking and killing living trees), the parasitic bark beetles, represented by only a few species (D. micans, D. punctatus, D. murrayanae), do not need to kill their living hosts because they are tolerant to the tree’s chemical and physical defences.
One or a few solitary females, each fertilised by a brother in their natal nest, settle alone on a living tree. Their gregarious larvae feed on the living phloem (the inner bark), probably to build a fast feeding front that outruns the tree’s defensive reactions. Because these parasitic bark beetles do not attack en masse and are not regularly associated with tree-killing fungi, the tree stays alive. This allows for a slow life cycle of up to three years, and several generations can succeed one another on the same tree. Because attacks are solitary, competition between broods is rare or absent.
Furthermore, the hostile environment of a fully defended tree also protects parasitic bark beetles against competition from other phloeophages (organisms that feed on the pholem) and against most bark-beetle natural enemies.
So, the causal chain [sib-mating + resistance to tree defences => no mass attack + no pathogenic fungi => tree survives => long life cycle] characterises the parasitic bark beetles.
A highly specific predator
Only one specific predator, Rhizophagus grandis, has adapted to D. micans‘ peculiar ecology.
It tracks its prey very efficiently, by following chemical cues (oxygenated monoterpenes emitted by the larval frass), even where prey is scarce. The female R. grandis, lays her eggs right inside the prey’s brood chambers, and both adults and larvae feed on every immature stage of the prey.
Rhizophagus grandis. Adult (A); larvae feeding gregariously on a prey (B); mature larva in an almost completely consumed prey larva (C). Photos A, C: J.-C. Grégoire; photo B: Kent Daane.
Like D. micans and unlike more generalist natural enemies of bark beetles, it is highly resistant to the chemical defences of the host trees. The protracted life cycle of D. micans makes it vulnerable to discovery by R. grandis over an extended time window, so that the proportion of prey broods discovered and colonised increases over time, reaching 90% even in Belgian forest stands that have low densities of D. micans. Once in a brood chamber, the predator finds the clustered prey larvae an easy meal.
Highly specific predatory insects are uncommon
Such narrow prey specificity is rare, found in only a few ladybirds (coccinellids), lacewings (chrysopids) and tooth-necked fungus beetles (derodontids), in addition to R. grandis. These species display one common trait: the adults generally secure resources for their larvae, behaving very much like parasitoids (insects whose young develop on a host and eventually kill it), by depositing their eggs inside the prey’s concealed, defended microhabitat.
Mass-producing natural enemies: a constant challenge
In theory, a specialised predator should need only a small release: a few individuals would spread through the forest and find their prey on their own (also known as inoculative biocontrol).
In practice, however, large numbers of individuals must be released in many sites and, when possible, several times in each site, to compensate for forest fragmentation, unpredictable weather and possible bad timing relative to the prey (for example, when the prey are pupae dispersed in the frass, or pre-emergent adults, which are harder to attack).
In addition, some rearing batches can be contaminated by insect-killing fungi, such as Beauveria bassiana, or show unexplained prolonged dormant phase before pupation or an inability to fly.
Log-rearing. Photos: H. Alkan Akıncı. A. A slit in the phloem, on top de the log, contains prey larvae. It is sealed with wax; B. Each log is deposited on a layer of moist sand in a basin; the prepupae will pupate in the sand; C. Basins and logs are stored on shelves and visited daily.
In total, 4,000,000 R. grandis were produced and released in Georgia, 800,000 in France, 250,000 in Britain and 10,880,000 in Türkiye.
Predator mass production relies either on D. micans-infested spruce logs in all four countries or, later, on a semi-artificial technique in plastic boxes in France and Britain.
Oviposition in polystyrene boxes. Prey larvae are enclosed with pieces of fresh phloem and rehydrated phloem powder. Photos: J.-C. Grégoire
Larval rearing and pupation boxes. Photos: J.-C. Grégoire. A. Three feeding boxes in a pupation container; B. Rhizophagus grandis larvae feeding on artificial medium;
C. R. grandis prepupae in the sand in a pupation container; D. The feeding and pupation containers can be easily stored and inspected.
How successful were the releases?
In all four countries, after six to eight years, the releases resulted in a significant drop of the pest populations, as measured by the numbers of infested trees in the treated stands, by the proportions of brood chambers colonised by the predators and by the predator/prey ratios in the brood chambers. Dendroctonus micans did not totally disappear from the treated stands but remained at very low densities, with more than 90% of the broods colonised by R. grandis as observed in France. Temporary pest upsurges are occasionally observed, after a dry year or on severely stressed trees.
Why has biocontrol largely failed against tree-killing bark beetles?
In a global review, Goundar et al. (2026) highlight the partial or total failure of biocontrol attempts against other bark beetle species. This may be related to the much more eruptive population dynamics of these pests, which are very much influenced by bottom-up forces such as host stress linked to site and climate. In addition, most species targeted so far complete one or more generations per year, leaving natural enemies little time to find and exploit their broods.
The take-home message here may be that a careful preliminary assessment of the nature of a target pest and of its known or likely relationship to a candidate biocontrol agent could spare time and effort.
Original source:
Grégoire J-C, Alkan Akıncı H, Burjanadze M, Evans HF, Fielding N, Mayer F (2026) Successful bark-beetle biocontrol. A review of the only case in history Releasing Rhizophagus grandis in Georgia, France, Britain and Türkiye against Dendroctonus micans. NeoBiota 109: 271-313. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.109.205672
Guest blog post by Narmin Sadigova
Wetlands, river valleys, meadows and coastal habitats support a remarkable diversity of plant life. Among the plant groups found in these environments is Cyperaceae, a family of flowering plants that occurs across a range of ecological conditions and includes many species associated with different levels of soil moisture.
Although this plant family may receive less attention than some other groups, its members are important components of natural ecosystems. Understanding where they occur, which habitats they occupy and how their ecological characteristics relate to environmental conditions can improve our knowledge of regional plant diversity.
Azerbaijan’s location on the world map. Credit to Ibadullayeva et al., 2026
Azerbaijan has a diverse landscape, extending from lowland plains and river valleys to foothills, mountains and coastal areas. Investigating the distribution and ecological characteristics of Cyperaceae in this setting provides an opportunity to connect traditional botanical research with modern geospatial analysis.
Our recent study, published in Biodiversity Data Journal, examines the taxonomic diversity, ecological characteristics and spatial distribution of Cyperaceae in Azerbaijan using botanical information, climate data and geographic information systems (GIS).
115 taxa across Azerbaijan’s diverse landscapes
Our research identified 115 taxa belonging to 14 genera of Cyperaceae in Azerbaijan. These taxa were recorded across eight of the country’s 11 main landscape types, demonstrating that the family occurs in a variety of environmental settings.
Main landscapes where the Cyperaceae Juss. family is distributed. Credit to Ibadullayeva et al., 2026
The distribution of Cyperaceae is particularly relevant in habitats where soil moisture and hydrological conditions influence plant growth. Marshes, meadows, coastal areas and river valleys provide important environments for different members of this family.
Examining their distribution across different landscape types helps reveal the ecological diversity of Cyperaceae and provides a foundation for further research into the relationship between plant occurrence and environmental conditions.
What can ecological groups tell us?
One of the key aspects of our study was the assessment of the ecological groups represented within Cyperaceae.
Percentage of ecological groups according to their water regime. Credit to Ibadullayeva et al., 2026
According to our findings, mesophytes—plants associated with moderately moist conditions—accounted for 58% of the identified taxa. Hygromesophytes, associated with moist environments, represented 21%, while hygrophytes, typically linked to wet habitats, accounted for 16%. Xerophytes, adapted to comparatively dry conditions, made up the remaining 5%.
These findings illustrate the range of moisture requirements represented within the family. Although many members of Cyperaceae are associated with moist environments, the group is not ecologically uniform.
Light requirements also revealed a clear pattern: heliophytes, or plants associated with well-lit conditions, accounted for 82% of the taxa, while sciophytes, which tolerate or favour shaded conditions, represented 18%.
Together, these ecological characteristics help us better understand the environmental settings in which Cyperaceae occurs across Azerbaijan.
Bringing botany and GIS together
Traditional botanical research provides essential information about plant identity, ecology and distribution. Geographic information systems, however, allow these observations to be examined in a spatial context.
In our study, we used ArcGIS Pro to analyse and visualise spatial patterns, combining botanical information with environmental datasets. Climate indicators from WorldClim and elevation data obtained through OpenTopography supported the geographical assessment.
This approach makes it possible to examine plant distribution alongside landscape characteristics and selected climatic variables. Maps can help researchers identify spatial patterns, compare different areas and formulate questions for future field investigations.
GIS does not replace botanical expertise or field observations. Instead, it provides an additional analytical framework through which botanical records and environmental information can be studied together.
For botanists, this integration is particularly valuable because the distribution of a plant taxon is not simply a point on a map. It is part of a broader ecological context involving habitat, moisture, elevation and other environmental conditions.
Examining climate indicators: what can a short-term comparison show?
Our study also examined selected climatic indicators for 2020 and 2024. The results showed differences between the two years in the temperature indicators considered, while precipitation patterns varied across the study area.
Average annual temperature indicators for the years 2020-2024. Credit to Ibadullayeva et al., 2026
These observations provide an environmental context for examining the distribution of Cyperaceae. However, a comparison between two individual years cannot, on its own, establish a long-term climate trend or demonstrate that climate change has caused a shift in the geographical distribution of this plant family.
Longer time series, repeated field observations and more detailed species-level distribution data are needed to investigate these relationships more thoroughly.
This distinction is important when interpreting ecological maps: they help us identify patterns and develop research questions, but the causes of those patterns must be evaluated using appropriate evidence.
Why does mapping plant diversity matter?
Reliable information about plant diversity and distribution is an important foundation for biodiversity research and environmental monitoring.
For plant groups associated with wetlands, meadows and other moisture-dependent habitats, spatial information can help researchers document their occurrence and identify areas that merit closer ecological investigation.
A GIS-based approach also offers opportunities to integrate botanical records with future environmental observations. As additional field data and longer climatic records become available, researchers can build on existing assessments to investigate changes in plant distribution and habitat conditions over time.
In Azerbaijan, where several major landscape types occur within a relatively compact geographical area, combining floristic knowledge with spatial analysis can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of plant diversity.
Our research provides a regional assessment of Cyperaceae and demonstrates how botanical knowledge, ecological classification and geospatial tools can be brought together to investigate plant distribution.
The next step is to strengthen this foundation through continued field research, improved distribution records and longer-term environmental monitoring.
Read the full study
Ibadullayeva, S.J., Sadigova, N.I., Mammadova, Z.J., Movsumova, N.V., Shiraliyeva, G. & Khudaverdiyeva, S.F. (2026). Climate-driven spatial distribution and ecogeographical analysis of Cyperaceae using GIS and remote sensing.Biodiversity Data Journal, 14: e194618. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e194618
Charon’s pygmygoby, named for the golden “coins” on its tail, is known from just two specimens.
Researchers have described a new species of fish from the northern Red Sea, found at the entrance to a cave on a steep reef slope. Charon’s pygmygoby (Trimma charon) is a small, translucent fish with a broad orange-red stripe, golden spots on its tail, and an unusual four-part eye. The two known specimens measure just 12 and 17 millimetres.
The species is named after Charon, the ferryman of Greek mythology who carried the dead across the river into the underworld. The dead were traditionally buried with a coin to pay for the crossing.
“One of the most striking features of the new species is the golden spots scattered across its tail fin. They cover most of the fin and resemble small gold coins.”
– Viktor Nunes Peinemann
The name also reflects where the fish may live. The team suspects the species is more common on deep “mesophotic” reefs below 30 metres, which remain largely unexplored.
“These dark, deeper, unexplored reefs could be viewed as a kind of ‘underworld’ beneath the shallow, well-lit, and better studied reefs most of us are more familiar with.”
Freshly collected Trimma charon sp. nov., paratype, live, ROMI118237, 12.1 mm SL. Photograph: V.N. Peinemann.
A clue to deeper discoveries
The fish was collected in May 2023 at Walih Island, at 30 metres, the maximum depth of the team’s scientific diving. Despite extensive searches of similar habitats since, it has not been seen again. “So far, the entire species is known from only a single encounter and two specimens,” said Peinemann. The team suggests it may simply be the shallow edge of a species that mostly lives deeper. “Red Sea reefs below that depth almost certainly hold more undiscovered gobies.”
The new species looks similar to the pallid pygmygoby (Trimma anaima), which is found from East Africa to the Pacific but has never been recorded in the Red Sea. Genetic data suggest the two are close relatives, though further work is needed to confirm this. “While one species seems to have spread across much of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, its closest relative appears to have stayed in the Red Sea and evolved separately for millions of years,” said Peinemann.
Trimma avidori – an abundant Red Sea species. Photograph: V.N. Peinemann.
A field guide for hard-to-spot fishes
With this discovery, 11 Trimma species are known from the Red Sea, making it the most species-rich goby genus in the region. At least nine appear to be found nowhere else in the world. The paper also provides an illustrated identification key to all 11 species, along with photographs and field notes on where each lives.
In situ photographs of Red Sea Trimma species. A. T. avidori; B. T. filamentosus; C, D. T. barralli; E. T. sheppardi; F. T. quadrimaculatum. All photographs taken in the Red Sea. Photographs by V.N. Peinemann (panels A, D); by F. Krasovec (panel B); by S.V. Bogorodsky (panels C, E, F).
“Knowing which species are present, how to accurately identify them, and where they live, is the most foundational step to building a stronger understanding of these species and ecosystems. They still have many secrets and deserve much more attention.”
– Viktor Nunes Peinemann
Photo collage of each Red Sea species of Trimma. Photographs by V.N. Peinemann.
Original source
Peinemann VN, Bogorodsky SV, Tietbohl Talas MD, Berumen ML (2026) Trimma charon, a new species of pygmygoby (Teleostei, Gobiidae) from the Red Sea with a key to the Red Sea species of the genus. ZooKeys 1293: 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1293.204097
For more articles on zoology, visit the ZooKeys website and follow the journal on BlueSky and Facebook.
As part of the REALISE consortium, Pensoft contributes to the project with services and know-how in scholarly publishing and project branding
Pensoft is taking part in the newly launched EU-funded project REALISE (Responsible Evaluation and Assessment Leading to Inclusive Scholarly Excellence), as a leader of Work Package 2: Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation of project progress and results.
REALISE focuses on building evidence for research assessment reform to ultimately develop pathways across the European Research Area to more inclusive and reasonable practices.
The Project
REALISE is dedicated to leading the way in research assessment reform by delivering evidence-based insights and actionable guidance.
The project has outlined several objectives to reach its goals, including:
Creating a knowledge base of synthesised evidence: REALISE is to combine cutting-edge evidence and framework conditions for the practical application of valid and thorough research assessment reform.
Investigating novel assessment tools and methods: the consortium is to conduct research activities to explore a broader range of new tools and methods for research assessment.
Investigating novel reform methods: the project is to carry out research activities to analyse new approaches, based on both theory and methods, to reform, institutional changes and culture.
Reflect and recommend: the consortium is to combine project findings and co-create a coherent roadmap for future developments.
Exchange, engage and valorise: REALISE is to co-create studies to explore new research assessment tools and methods.
The goals are aligned with theEuropean Commission’s vision and recommendation for an extensive set of innovations and metrics to modernise research assessment.
Pensoft’s role in REALISE
As the leader of Work Package 2, Pensoft will reinforce the project’s visibility and long-term impact. Key activities under this work package include:
Unique brand identity: Pensoft will create a distinctive and recognisable visual identity for the project, including a logo, brand manual, promotional materials and a website to serve as a hub for project updates and content.
Social media: To ensure community engagement and visibility, Pensoft will create and manage the project’s social media profiles, fostering an active and inclusive social media presence.
Communication, dissemination and exploitation plan: Pensoft will prepare a plan for sharing project updates and results with key audiences and stakeholders. The plan will be implemented in the early stages of the project.
Stakeholder mapping and engagement: Pensoft will contribute to the in-depth stakeholder analysis led by the coordinating institution.
The listed efforts, and more, aim to ensure that project results are widely accessible and reusable by all relevant and targeted groups within and beyond the research community.
International Consortium
REALISE brings together nine institutions across eight European countries operating in various sectors:
Together, the consortium is dedicated to providing evidence for research assessment reforms and developing pathways to more inclusive and responsible practices in research assessment.
Over the next few months, REALISE will focus on providing an ambitious research agenda dedicated to creating a systematic evidence base for research assessment reform, leveraging strong existing links to key initiatives.
The collaboration began in 2020, when ARPHA took over the hosting and publishing of EASE’s official journal, European Science Editing (ESE), and moved it to an online open-access diamond open access model, free for both authors and readers. The move marked a turning point: ESE evolved from what was essentially a newsletter for Association members into a fully fledged, peer-reviewed academic journal.
Since then, ESE has been indexed in Scopus and Web of Science and has received its first Impact Factor – 1.6, with the journal positioned in the 2nd quartile of the Library and Information Science category. Its growth shows what a strong publishing partnership can achieve for a society journal.
What the agreement means for ARPHA journals
Building on this success, ARPHA and EASE have agreed to extend the benefits of the partnership to the wider ARPHA community. The agreement is already in effect, and each journal hosted on ARPHA can nominate one representative, typically the editor-in-chief or another designated editor, to take advantage of the following:
A full EASE membership subscription, including access to the Association’s resources, regular webinars, the member newsletter, and discounted event rates; it also connects editors to a community of editing and publishing professionals across Europe and beyond
A free place in the EASE Editorial School for Journal Editors; EASE’s flagship training programme is a multi-part workshop that covers the editorial and peer-review workflow, and it normally carries a fee, though each ARPHA journal is entitled to one free place
Sharing knowledge with the wider community
In the spirit of open science and of supporting journals at every stage of development, ARPHA and EASE are also planning joint activities open to the whole scholarly publishing community. Pensoft is additionally looking forward to taking part in the 19th EASE Conference in Brighton, UK, in June 2027.
“We are delighted to deepen our relationship with Pensoft Publishers and are looking forward to welcoming ARPHA editors into our membership and to offer them a free place in our Editorial School for Journal Editors. Our partnership is important to us and I am sure it will flourish in the coming years as our journal grows its impact and influence.”
– Mary Hodgson, EASE Secretary
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About ARPHA ARPHA is a full-featured open access publishing platform for journals, books and data, with managed hosting services. Several other services (website design and setup, production, semantic markup, distribution, archiving, indexing, promotion, journal management and more) are available on choice. More at https://arphahub.com.
About EASE The European Association of Science Editors is a community of scholarly editors and communication professionals, dedicated to building trust in research by raising editorial quality. Through expert resources, practical guidance, and a strong international network, EASE drives excellence in every stage of the editorial process. More at ease.org.uk.
Pensoft is helping TETTRIX make taxonomic knowledge more accessible, connected, and valuable to the wider biodiversity community.
TETTRIX, a new €12 million EU project, aims to connect Europe’s taxonomic data, expertise and training to support biodiversity research and conservation. The four-year Horizon Europe project, coordinated by the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF), held its kick-off meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on 7-9 October 2026.
Structured around four complementary pillars – Integrate, Transform, Upskill and Demonstrate – the project will support innovation and collaboration across the European taxonomic community while expanding opportunities for external organisations to contribute to its objectives.
Pensoft’s role
Pensoft holds a keen interest in taxonomy and its role in biodiversity conservation. We have been collaborating with the taxonomic community for a long time now, and back in 2021, CETAF, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Pensoft worked together on the Red List of Insect Taxonomists project – a European Commission-funded initiative, which aimed to assess the available taxonomic expertise on insects across Europe and help identify insect taxa that are threatened by extinction.
Expanding from this interest and our extensive research in the field, in TETTRIX, Pensoft will help map the European taxonomic landscape using publication data and dynamic visualisations, and support the curation of expertise for the TETTRIX Marketplace, while advising on its functionality.
At Pensoft, we believe science has the greatest impact when it is accessible, shared and connected to the people who can use it. That’s why we’re excited to be part of TETTRIX and to help bring the project’s work to a wider audience, connect people and knowledge, and make sure the results don’t just stay within the project, but are shared, used, and built on by the wider community.
– Prof. Dr. Lyubomir Penev, CEO and Founder of Pensoft
In addition to our scientific work, Pensoft will also take part in the publicity and communication side of the TETTRIX project. As a coordinator of Pillar 3: Capacity building & knowledge transfer and a lead of WP9: Outreach and Knowledge Transfer, Pensoft will contribute to enhancing TETTRIX’s visibility, stakeholder engagement, and long-term impact by connecting taxonomic knowledge and project results with researchers, policymakers, stakeholders, and wider society.
This will include developing the project’s visual identity and website, producing promotional materials, and engaging audiences through social media, newsletters, and press releases. Pensoft will also communicate the outcomes of the Satellite projects – third-party initiatives, funded by TETTRIX, which will help research and respond to present-day issues in biodiversity – through targeted content and communication campaigns.
Throughout the project, Pensoft will upkeep the TETTRIs legacy of promoting Taxonomy Recognition Day, celebrated every year on 23 May, and continue developing the #NameItToSaveIt campaign for taxonomic action.
The TETTRIX consortium
Coordinated by CETAF (Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities), TETTRIX brings together 19 partnering organisations from 12 countries to help Europe better understand, protect, and sustainably manage nature.
Visit the TETTRIX project website at tettrix.eu, and make sure to follow the project’s progress via our social media channels on Bluesky, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
First individual-based model of basking sharks sheds light on what drives their aggregations.
Basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) are the second-largest fish in the world, and they’re largely solitary, following highly individual migration routes. Yet off the coast of Ireland, they sometimes gather at the surface in groups of up to 1,000. Researchers are not sure why as to why that is. Food appears to be an obvious explanation, but observations suggest it isn’t the whole story. These gatherings also put the sharks at risk of boat strikes, which makes understanding them a conservation priority.
Previous models have captured long-range migration trends but struggled to reproduce behaviour at finer scales. Chlorophyll a, the usual stand-in for the sharks’ zooplankton prey, has also matched sightings data inconsistently.
Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus). Photo credit to Nigel Motyer. Photo via Irish Basking Shark Group.
A new study in Individual-based Ecology takes a different approach. Dr. Chelsea Gray of George Mason University and the Irish Basking Shark Group, with colleagues, built the first individual-based model of basking sharks. It simulates zooplankton directly, rather than relying on a proxy, and follows sharks around the Inishowen Peninsula in Co. Donegal from 1982 to 2018. The team tested four behavioural versions against three decades of public sightings: sharks seeking food only, sharks seeking other sharks only, sharks seeking both, and random movement as a control.
So what did 36 simulated years reveal, and what could it mean for protecting these animals? We reached out to Dr. Chelsea Gray to ask about her motivation, her biggest surprises from the simulations, and the insights the model could offer for conservation.
Basking shark. Image via Canva.
Pensoft (P): What motivated you to conduct research on basking sharks?
Chelsea Gray (CG): I am a member of the Irish Basking Shark Group and my previous research was focused on public perceptions of basking sharks as well as interest in basking shark tourism in Ireland. While completing that research, basking sharks were downgraded by the IUCN from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘endangered’. I was also interested in individual-based modelling.
I recognized that basking sharks, with their distinctive migratory and social behavior, were an ideal subject for an individual-based model (IBM), and that this kind of research could directly support conservation.
Ireland and other nations are currently developing or revising their ocean conservation strategies, so this is the right moment to build models and simulations that can inform policy. I have also carried out qualitative research on how to communicate IBM results to policymakers, so that this work can be put to practical use.
Basking shark. Photo credit to Nigel Motyer. Photo via Irish Basking Shark Group.
P: The model simulated sharks and their zooplankton prey over 36 years. What was the most surprising thing that happened when you ran the simulations, and did the random-movement sharks ever get close to behaving like the real ones?
CG: What surprised me most was how well the model replicated the boom-and-bust cycle of shark aggregations seen in the real world.
This is a complex model, and it took considerable trial and error to get it running and to find settings that produced realistic results. When I finally compared the time series, particularly those of the Food and Food/Social submodels under Test A, the match with real-world sightings data was striking.
The version in which sharks sought both food and each other matched the sightings data most closely, suggesting aggregations emerge from a combination of environmental and social drivers.
A video of the model interface itself. Note: the sharks are not to scale, but are enlarged specifically for the video. Credit to Gray et al., 2026
The random-movement sharks never behaved like real sharks, under any settings. Their aggregations never exceeded two or three individuals, and they formed noticeably fewer aggregations overall. Testing made it clear that the emergent behaviour in the Food and Food/Social submodels resulted from the sharks’ decision-making. This was reassuring, because it shows the model’s results could not have occurred by chance.
P: These gatherings happen at the surface, where boat strikes are a risk. Could this research help keep sharks safe? For example, could the model one day help predict when and where aggregations will form so that boat traffic can be managed?
CG: The model is still at an early stage. As our ability to measure the in-situ preyscape and to remotely sense phytoplankton and zooplankton improve, future iterations of the model will allow for more precise understanding of where the sharks are aggregating. In its current form, it can provide some insight into when (based on zooplankton availability) an aggregation might occur, but not where. It does, however, lay the groundwork for further development. It also serves as a proof of concept, showing that individual-based modelling is a valuable approach to simulating and understanding shark behaviour, even though it demands substantial effort up front.
Head of a basking shark. Credit to Irish Basking Shark Group.
The model also allows us to develop and test future scenarios, which is essential when considering climate change and marine protected areas. Currently, we don’t know much about the impact of climate change on shark migration, however we do have some evidence that their main prey (calanoid copepods) are shifting northwards.
Climate change could therefore impact the timing and location of future shark aggregations, and we will need to account for this when developing voluntary or statutory guidelines to reduce human threats such as ship strikes. Because the model is adaptable, it is particularly well suited to testing multiple scenarios of this kind.
P: Why did you choose Individual-based Ecology to publish this research?
Individual-Based Ecology (IBE) fills a very important niche when it comes to environmental research. When previously looking to publish this article, it was difficult to find a journal that would be interested in a proof-of-concept model, especially one that doesn’t quite have policy application. IBMs also remain underused in environmental research, which makes it hard to find editors equipped to assess both the model design and ecological merits of a study.
The model is freely available in the paper’s supplementary material, and Dr. Gray welcomes questions and ideas from researchers interested in developing or experimenting with individual-based models of basking sharks.
Read the full paper:
Gray C, Rothman DS, Peters-Burton E, Smith C, Parsons ECM, Garretson A (2026) An individual-based model of basking sharks in Ireland. Individual-based Ecology 2: e176474. https://doi.org/10.3897/ibe.2.176474
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