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This study determined the influence of teachers' vocabulary instruction practices on the reading comprehension skills of Grade 4 learners in the Schools Division of Nueva Ecija during the School Year …

This study determined the influence of teachers' vocabulary instruction practices on the reading comprehension skills of Grade 4 learners in the Schools Division of Nueva Ecija during the School Year 2025–2026. Specifically, it described the level of teachers' vocabulary instruction practices and learners' reading comprehension skills, examined the significant relationship between the two variables, identified the dimensions of vocabulary instruction practices that significantly influenced reading comprehension, and proposed a Vocabulary Instruction Enhancement Program based on the findings. The study employed a quantitative research approach using a descriptive-correlational research design. The respondents consisted of 60 Grade 4 teachers from selected public elementary schools in the Schools Division of Nueva Ecija. Data were gathered through a researcher-made questionnaire on vocabulary instruction practices and reading comprehension assessment results of the learners. Statistical tools used included weighted mean, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation, and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis. The findings revealed that teachers often implemented vocabulary instruction practices, with Morphological Awareness Instruction consistently practiced at a very high level. The reading comprehension skills of Grade 4 learners were generally high, with Inferential Comprehension and Vocabulary-in-Context Understanding demonstrating very high levels. The study further established a significant positive relationship between teachers' vocabulary instruction practices and learners' reading comprehension skills. Moreover, Morphological Awareness Instruction and Explicit Vocabulary Instruction significantly influenced the reading comprehension skills of Grade 4 learners. Based on the findings, the VOCAB+ (Vocabulary Optimization and Comprehension Advancement Program) was proposed to strengthen teachers' instructional practices and further enhance learners' reading comprehension. The study concluded that effective vocabulary instruction plays a vital role in improving the reading comprehension skills of Grade 4 learners. Strengthening evidence-based vocabulary instruction, particularly explicit vocabulary teaching and morphological awareness instruction, is recommended to further improve literacy outcomes in the Schools Division of Nueva Ecija.

The first molecular occurrence record of the Blacktip Reef Shark, Carcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824), is documented from Mantanani Island, Sabah, Malaysia, based on environmental DNA…

The first molecular occurrence record of the Blacktip Reef Shark, Carcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824), is documented from Mantanani Island, Sabah, Malaysia, based on environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding. Surface seawater collected from two seagrass sites on 9 May 2024 and analyzed using MiFish 12S rRNA primers. A single 155-bp operational taxonomic unit matching C. melanopterus with 100% identity to MitoFish reference sequences was recovered exclusively from one of the sampled sites (20,881 reads). No reads were detected at the other site or in negative controls. Sequence data are deposited in NCBI SRA (BioProject PRJNA1460790).

The crocodile newt Tylototriton koliaensis Poyarkov, Nguyen, Le, Le, Arkhipov, Gorin, Hernandez & Dufresnes, 2024 was recently described from northern Vietnam. Here, we report the first country re…

The crocodile newt Tylototriton koliaensis Poyarkov, Nguyen, Le, Le, Arkhipov, Gorin, Hernandez & Dufresnes, 2024 was recently described from northern Vietnam. Here, we report the first country record of this species from China, based on specimens from Bainan Township, Napo County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Both molecular and morphological evidence supports the identification of the Chinese specimens as T. koliaensis. This record improves our understanding of the diversity and distribution of Tylototriton Anderson, 1871 in Guangxi and highlights the need for further herpetological surveys in the biodiverse China–Vietnam border region.

Catastrophic events like climatic changes can lead to a drastic decline and loss of populations in widespread species. Small refugia can shield relict populations from extinction and are of great impo…

Catastrophic events like climatic changes can lead to a drastic decline and loss of populations in widespread species. Small refugia can shield relict populations from extinction and are of great importance for maintaining genetic diversity and for recolonization events. In the giant centipede Scolopendra cingulata Latreille, 1829, widely distributed along the Mediterranean Sea, the northern-most populations occur in isolated microrefugia in Austria and Hungary. The origin and relationships of these populations remain largely unknown. Here we describe a second, previously unknown, microrefugial population of S. cingulata from Austria and provide insights into the evolutionary history of the northern-most populations of the species based on molecular analyses (COI) of 16 populations. Our results show that the Austrian and Croatian populations are closely related, while genetically distinct from the Hungarian and Romanian representatives. Therefore, we conclude that the northern-most populations of S. cingulata are relicts from multiple independent post-glacial recolonization events from southern refugia.

Previous studies have indicated the polyphyly of Scincella modesta and reported a new record of Scincella vandenburghi in Qingdao, Shandong Province. Furthermore, the research highlighted significant …

Previous studies have indicated the polyphyly of Scincella modesta and reported a new record of Scincella vandenburghi in Qingdao, Shandong Province. Furthermore, the research highlighted significant morphological similarities between the Qingdao population of S. vandenburghi and a branch of S. modesta from Hubei, leaving the taxonomic boundaries between these two species unclear. To better understand the relationship between S. modesta and S. vandenburghi, we conducted extensive sampling in the Dabie Mountains, which geographically lie between Qingdao, Ningbo and Yichang. Based on phylogenetic analyses and morphological comparisons, we identify an undescribed species of the genus Scincella from the Dabie Mountains, China and also discover the presence of a population of S. vandenburghi in the same region. Morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate that the new species is similar to S. vandenburghi, but clearly distinct from it and other congeners. The new species has the following characteristics: (1) slender body, small size, snout-vent length 24.47–40.60 mm; (2) supraciliaries 6 or 7; (3) midbody scale row counts 28–31; (4) dorsal scales smooth and slightly enlarged, paravertebral scale row counts 55–68, ventral scale row counts 55–64; (5) upper edge of lateral longitudinal stripes relatively wavy, lower edge irregular, covering 2–2.5 scale rows on the trunk; (6) black dorsolateral stripes from posterior corner of eye to lateral side of tail, six rows of dorsal scales in middle; (7) supralabials 7, infralabials 6 or 7; (8) tympanum diameters significantly smaller than palpebral disc diameters; (9) 9–12 enlarged lamellae beneath finger IV and 14–17 beneath toe IV; (10) 3–4 pairs of nuchal scales; (11) when the limbs are pressed down, toes and fingers touch or overlap. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the population from the Dabie Mountains in Anhui Province, China, represents a new species, with a 3% uncorrected genetic distance in 16S rRNA from its closest relative (S. vandenburghi). This discovery brings the total number of Scincella species in China to 19, identifying the known distribution of the genus. We have made preliminary progress in clarifying the relationship between S. vandenburghi and S. modesta; however, the polyphyletic issues surrounding S. modesta warrant further investigation in future research. Additionally, the distribution patterns and divergence times of the two Scincella species in the Dabie Mountains require further study to gain a more comprehensive understanding.

Three new wood-inhabiting fungi species, found on Pinus massoniana, are proposed, based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. Botryobasidium massonianae, belonging to Cant…

Three new wood-inhabiting fungi species, found on Pinus massoniana, are proposed, based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. Botryobasidium massonianae, belonging to Cantharellales, is characterised by fluffy, pellicular basidiomata, hypochnoid hymenophoral surface, generative hyphae simple septate, basidia with four to six sterigmata and basidiospores measuring 6.3–9.2 × 2.8–3.9 µm. Peniophorella crassibasidiata, belonging to Hymenochaetales, is characterised by soft coriaceous basidiomata, thick-walled generative hyphae, the presence of three types of cystidia, cylindrical basidiospores measuring 8.4–12.4 × 3.1–4.2 µm. Peniophorella variegata, belonging to Hymenochaetales, is characterised by farinaceous basidiomata, smooth hymenophoral surface, three types of cystidia, the presence of hyphidia and basidiospores measuring 7.9–10.8 × 3.9–5.1 µm. Phylogenetic analyses of the combined ITS+nLSU dataset using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference confirmed that one new species belongs to the genus Botryobasidium (Cantharellales), the other two new species belong to the genus Peniophorella (Hymenochaetales), respectively. Phylogenetically related and morphologically similar species to these three new species are discussed.

This paper reviews the Palaearctic species of the genus Syntomopus Walker, 1833. A new species, Syntomopus dzhanokmenia sp. nov., is described from Russia, Turkey, Kazakhstan and China. All available …

This paper reviews the Palaearctic species of the genus Syntomopus Walker, 1833. A new species, Syntomopus dzhanokmenia sp. nov., is described from Russia, Turkey, Kazakhstan and China. All available types are redescribed and illustrated. The species S. crassicornis (Szelényi, 1970) and S. incisus Thomson, 1878 are synonymised under S. thoracicus (Walker, 1833). Syntomopus thoracicus is recorded for the fauna of Uzbekistan for the first time and S. oviceps Thomson, 1878 for the fauna of Kazakhstan. An identification key for females and males of all Palaearctic Syntomopus species is provided.

Three new species of the genus Aspilota Foerster, 1863 s. str. (Braconidae: Alysiinae), are described and illustrated: A. angusticarinata sp. nov., A. ocellocarinata sp. nov., and A. laticlypeata sp. …

Three new species of the genus Aspilota Foerster, 1863 s. str. (Braconidae: Alysiinae), are described and illustrated: A. angusticarinata sp. nov., A. ocellocarinata sp. nov., and A. laticlypeata sp. nov. Additionally, A. aniva Belokobylskij, 2007 and A. chanka Belokobylskij, 2007 are recorded for the first time from South Korea. We also analyzed the barcode region of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) for those five species. In addition, we provided an identification key for the Aspilota species recorded from Korea.

Ophiorrhiza xinchengensis (Rubiaceae), a new species from the middle part of Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated on the basis of morphological evidence. This new species resembles Ophiorrhiza…

Ophiorrhiza xinchengensis (Rubiaceae), a new species from the middle part of Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated on the basis of morphological evidence. This new species resembles Ophiorrhiza longanensis in its densely pubescent stems, linear stipules, terminal or upper axillary inflorescences, but it can be distinguished by its elliptic or oblanceolate leaf blade, base attenuate (vs. oval, ovate to broadly ovate, base cuneate), its 2–3 mm long stipules (vs. 3.8–6.5 mm long), its 3–5 mm long bracteoles (vs. 6–10 mm long) its 10–12 mm long corolla tubes (vs. 2–3 mm long) and its filaments adnate at the middle of corolla tube, styles 12–15 mm long (vs. adnate to the base of corolla tube and styles ca. 3 mm long). The new species is currently known from a single population with approximately 60–100 mature individuals. Following IUCN Criteria, it is provisionally assessed as Critically Endangered. Photographs, an illustration and a distribution map are also provided.