Little is known of the normal seasonal variation in redox state and biotransformation activities in birds. In long-distance migratory birds, in particular, seasonal changes could be expected to occur because of the demands of migration and reproduction. In this study, we measured several redox parameters in the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica L.) during the annual cycle. We captured the wintering barn swallows before spring migration in South Africa, and we captured the barn swallows that arrived in spring, bred in summer, and migrated in autumn in Finland. The redox status and biotransformation activities of barn swallows varied seasonally. Wintering birds in South Africa had high biotransformation activities and appeared to experience oxidative stress, whereas in spring and summer, they showed relatively low redox (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], and glutathione reductase [GR]) and biotransformation enzyme activities. Autumn birds had very low biotransformation enzyme activities and low indication of oxidative stress but high activity of some redox enzymes (GR and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase [G6PDH]). High activities of some redox enzymes (SOD, GR, and G6PDH) seem to be related to migration, whereas low activities of some redox enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GR) may be associated with breeding. Barn swallows in South Africa may experience pollution-related oxidative stress, which may hamper interpretation of normal seasonal variation in redox parameters.

1. Pleistocene climate changes played a significant role in the speciation of temperate insects. Cold-adapted species responding to past climatic events, however, remain rarely investigated in most groups of insects.2. We assessed the evolutionary history and speciation of the cold-adapted scorpionfly Cerapanorpa brevicornis (Hua and Li), endemic to the Qinling-Bashan Mountains and adjacent regions (QBMARs), based on one nuclear and three mitochondrial DNA gene markers.3. Two distinctly divergent lineages were found in C. brevicornis dating back to 0.56 Ma, approximately coinciding with the extra-long interglaciation (0.48-0.62 Ma) during the middle Pleistocene. Lineage I is widely distributed in the QBMARs, and Lineage II is confined to the 'sky islands' of the eastern Bashan Mountains (EBMs). The patch of 'alpine archipelagos' in the EBMs seems to function as interglacial microrefugia. In contrast, interglacial macrorefugia are located in the Qinling Mountains.4. These findings may highlight the essential role of postglacial warming in the speciation and generation of neo-endemic species through range contraction in cold-adapted species and may provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the high endemism and species richness in the QBMARs.5. This study suggests that Lineage II can be treated as a good species acting as an indicator of climate change, and the 'sky islands' of the EBMs might be a high-priority region for alpine biodiversity conservation under global warming.

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The genus Cerapanorpa Gao, Ma & Hua, 2016 is taxonomically revised. Cerapanorpa is confirmed to be endemic to the mountain regions in central China. Nineteen species are recognized in the genus, including four new species: Cerapanorpa baimaensis sp. nov., Cerapanorpa xuebaodinga sp. nov., and Cerapanorpa yanggashana sp. nov. from the Minshan Mountains, and Cerapanorpa taizishana sp. nov. from the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Six species are transferred from Cerapanorpa back to Panorpa Linnaeus, 1758. An updated key to species is presented.

Given that species is the fundamental unit in systematic biology, rigorous species delimitation is crucial for taxonomic studies, yet routine species delimitation remains an ongoing challenge in the taxonomic practice of insects. The two-horned scorpionfly Dicerapanorpa is a small genus in Panorpidae (Mecoptera) endemic to the Qinling-Bashan and Hengduan mountains, a biodiversity hotspot. However, species of Dicerapanorpa are difficult to delineate owing to marked intraspecific variation and interspecific similarity. Here, we investigate the diversity and species boundaries of Dicerapanorpa using an integrative approach based on DNA barcoding, morphological, geometric morphometric and molecular phylogenetic analyses. This integrative analyses confirmed the 13 described species of Dicerapanorpa and revealed three new species: Dicerapanorpa lativalva sp. nov., Dicerapanorpa hualongshana sp. nov. and Dicerapanorpa minshana sp. nov. Most molecular operational taxonomic units are in congruence with morphological clusters. Possible reasons for several discordances in Dicerapanorpa are tentatively discussed.