Pollinating species are in decline globally, with land use an important driver. However, most of the evidence on which these claims are made is patchy, based on studies with low taxonomic and geographic representativeness. Here, we model the effect of land-use type and intensity on global pollinator biodiversity, using a local-scale database covering 303 studies, 12,170 sites, and 4502 pollinating species. Relative to a primary vegetation baseline, we show that low levels of intensity can have beneficial effects on pollinator biodiversity. Within most anthropogenic land-use types however, increasing intensity is associated with significant reductions, particularly in urban (43% richness and 62% abundance reduction compared to the least intensive urban sites), and pasture (75% abundance reduction) areas. We further show that on cropland, the strongly negative response to intensity is restricted to tropical areas, and that the direction and magnitude of response differs among taxonomic groups. Our findings confirm widespread effects of land-use intensity on pollinators, most significantly in the tropics, where land use is predicted to change rapidly.

Millions of people rely on nature-rich farming systems for their subsistence and income. The contributions of nature to these systems are varied and key to their sustainability in the long term. Yet, agricultural stakeholders are often unaware or undervalue the relevance of those contributions, which can affect decisions concerning land management. There is limited knowledge on how farming practices and especially those that build more strongly on nature, including agroecological practices, may shape farmers’ livelihoods and well-being. We aim to determine the effect that farmer perception of contributions from nature, socioeconomic conditions, and farming practices, have on outcomes related to food security and human well-being. We conducted 467 household surveys in an agricultural growth corridor in rural Tanzania, which is also essential for nature conservation due to its high biodiversity and its strategic location between several protected areas encompassing wetland, forest, and grassland habitats. Results show that implementing more agroecological practices at farm scale has a positive effect on farmer well-being in the study landscape. Results also indicate that higher awareness of benefits from nature, as well as engagement with agricultural extension services, are associated with higher number of agroecological practices applied in the farm. This research confirms the relevance of capacity-building initiatives to scale up the uptake of agroecological practices in the tropics. It also shows, using empirical evidence, that farming practices taking advantage of nature’s contributions to people can positively affect food security and human well-being, even when those practices complement conventional ones, such as the use of synthetic inputs. Understanding the impact of agroecological farming on the well-being of smallholder farmers in the tropics paves the way for policy and program development that ensures global food demands are met in a sustainable way without compromising the well-being of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

Two species of the family Talitridae Rafinesque, 1815 are described from English Point Beach, Mkomani, Mombasa, Kenya. One new species Floresorchestia mkomani Bichang’a & Hou, sp. nov. is reported and Gazia gazi Lowry & Springthorpe, 2019 is redescribed. The new species is characterized by the five dentate lacinia mobilis on the left mandible in male and only four in female, pereopod IV dactylus thickened proximally and having a small protrusion towards the mid of its posterior margin, a sexually dimorphic pereopod VII, and the presence of vertical slits just above the ventral margin of epimera II and III. Detailed morphological characteristics, as well as comparisons with closely related species are provided. To ascertain the species delimitation, molecular evidence is availed in this paper. Type material is deposited in National Museums of Kenya (NMK).

Two new species of Telemidae from Kenya are described: Guhua kakamegaensis Zhao & Li, gen. et sp. n., Apneumonella taitatavetaensis Zhao & Li, sp. n. Holotypes are deposited in the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi, and all paratypes are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. A distribution map of Telemidae found in Kenya is presented.

The functional anatomy of the split compound eyes of whirligig beetles Dineutus mellyi (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae) was examined by advanced microscopy and microcomputed tomography. We report the first 3D visualization and analysis of the split compound eyes. On average, the dorsal and ventral eyes contain 1913 ± 44.5 facets and 3099 ± 86.2 facets, respectively. The larger area of ventral eyes ensures a higher field of vision underwater. The ommatidium of the split compound eyes is made up of laminated cornea lenses that offer protection against mechanical injuries, bullet-shaped crystalline cones that guide light to the photoreceptive regions, and screening pigments that ensure directional light passage. The photoreceptive elements, made up of eight retinular cells, exhibit a tri-tiered rhabdom structure, including the upper distal rhabdom, a clear zone that ensures maximum light passage, and an enlarged lower distal rhabdom that ensures optimal photon capture.

The monotypic genus Bucliona Benoit, 1977 (type Clubiona dubia O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1870 from Saint Helena Island), previously considered a junior synonym of Clubiona Latreille, 1804, is resurrected. Three species are assigned to the genus Bucliona: B. dubia comb. reval., B. kirilli sp. n. (♂, Kenya), and B. jucunda (Karsch, 1879) comb. n., ex Clubiona (♂♀, Far East Asia).