Motivation: Butterflies represent a model in biology and a flagship group for invertebrate conservation. We provide four new resources for the Western Palaearctic butterflies: (1) an updated checklist comprising 552 species; (2) a curated dataset of 32,126 mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences for 532 species, including a de novo reference library for the Maghreb (Morocco, northern Algeria and Tunisia) and Macaronesia (Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands); (3) seven indexes of intraspecific genetic variation (IGV): observed and expected number of haplotypes, haplotype and nucleotide diversity, two fixation indexes and maximum p-distance; and (4) species-level maps illustrating the distribution of COI variability and haplotype networks. The updated checklist will be fundamental for any application dealing with butterfly diversity in the Western Palaearctic.The IGV indexes provide measures for genetic polymorphism and spatial structure and represent proxies for dispersal capacity. These resources will facilitate comparative studies of macrogenetics, foster integrative taxonomy and aid conservation strategies. Main types of variables contained:A complete species checklist in table format, 32,126 mitochondrial DNA barcodes provided with metadata (species membership, WGS84 coordinates and sequence length) and a book in PDF format, including the IGV atlas and indexes, are provided. Spatial location and grain:The checklist encompasses Europe up to the Urals in the east, north Macaronesia (the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands) and the Maghreb (Morocco, northern Algeria and Tunisia). COI sequences have been retained in the geographical interval of −31.3 to 67.5° of longitude and 27.5-71.2° of latitude.

Although the Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) has thoroughly been studied, the foraging behaviour of this species is still not completely known. In the present paper we studied the diurnal feeding behaviour of ducks. We monitored the annual cycle of birds through two fieldtrips per month. The instantaneous behaviour of birds was recorded in regular 30-minute intervals from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., amounting a total of 456 observation hours. Food searching activity corresponds to a quarter of the total diurnal time budget of the Ferruginous Duck. Foraging behaviour was classified into five categories dominated by the “diving”, which is almost 45.61% of the total search time. Foraging activities at the water surface considered to be secondary activities, including feeding by “bill”, “neck and head”, and “beak and head” in a rate of 19.86%, 14.53%, and 13.98%, respectively. The “toggle” remains a minor activity and represents only 5.99% of foraging time. The feeding behaviour of this species correlated to several environmental parameters (rainfall, temperature and wind velocity), and linked to the group size of ducks visiting the lake. Regarding the food intensity, our results show the highest values for “bill and head” behaviour. “Diving” has the longest feeding interval (16.16±14.1 minutes), while foraging by “bill” has the shortest (0.69 ± 0.48 minutes).

During the past two centuries, few studies have been conducted on biometrics of North African Blackbirds. Several of these studies were carried out during the latter part of the 19th and in the early 20th centuries. As a result, two subspecies were recognized namely Turdus merula algira inhabiting northern regions of North Africa and some localities in southwestern continental Europe and T. m. mauritanicus inhabiting central western Morocco and southern Algeria and Tunisia (to the end of arid climatic regions). In this study we provide morphological data from the northeastern Algerian population of Blackbird. Results reveal no differences between sexes in any of the measurements (small sample size). Comparison of morphological data of specimens collected in the northern region of North Africa and from the southern region of Maghreb countries (Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco) show morphometric differences only in wing length. These results are consistent with the existence of multiple subspecies in North African populations of Blackbird. Our findings support the assumptions of previous researchers in considering T. m. algira as typical of northern areas of Maghreb countries and T. m. mauritanicus typical of southern areas of the region.

  The Mediterranean stripe-necked terrapin is a freshwater turtle widely distributed in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa, but whose natural history is little known. In this study we investigated the ecology of a population in northern Algeria (Reghaïa Lake Ramsar Reserve), with special emphasis on its phenology, demographic structure and diet, based on capture and recapture methods. Our results indicated that there is a short inactivity period in January and possibly the activity is also reduced during the month of August. The best Jolly-Seber model indicated that the population within the survey station had a minimum size of 653 specimens. The population contained a higher proportion of males (0.68 - 0.76) and a proportion of juveniles between 0.02 - 0.16. Females were larger and relatively heavier than males. Analysis of stomach contents showed that M. leprosa feeds with high frequency on aquatic arthropods. Specifically, we found insects: Diptera (Chironomidae, Culicidae, Dixidae, Syrphidae), Heteroptera (Corixidae, Notonectidae) and Coleoptera (Dytiscidae), crustaceans (Branchiopoda, Ostracoda), plant matter (Typha angustifolia), fish (Gambusia holbrooki), and unidentified materials.

To date, Algeria has twenty-two wetlands designated as Important Bird Areas (IBA). However, other wetlands are also eligible for this network but have not yet been classified due to a lack of comprehensive studies demonstrating their ornithological importance. In this study, we are interested in the Boussedra marsh, located on the Algerian coast in the far northeast. IBA categories A1 and A4i were found to be significant, confirming the international importance of this wetland for waterbirds. Five species inhabiting the site are listed as globally threatened on the IUCN red list, namely, Oxyura leucocephala (Endangered), Aythya nyroca (Near Threatened), Vanellus vanellus (Near Threatened), Aythya ferina (Vulnerable) and Marmaronetta angustirostris (Vulnerable). Interestingly, Oxyura leucocephala was recorded with more than 10% of the world's population. Overall, the avian community of Boussedra inventoried between September 2015 and August 2018, has reached a diversity of 42 species, i.e., one-third of the national aquatic avifauna, consisting mainly of surface ducks, Rallids, waders, gulls and raptors, making it one of the ten most diverse wetlands in the country. Although the monthly numbers of waterbirds in the marsh are low compared to the large Algerian sites (< 5000 individuals), they are still among the most important locally. Boussedra is a real wintering area, but it is also home to a diverse nesting population of 20 species, including four that are globally threatened according to the IUCN Red List, making it one of the most important nesting areas for waterbirds in Algeria.