Earthworms are an important ecological group, especially in agricultural regions in Northeast China. However, fewer studies focus on this group of organisms compared with other faunal groups. Here, we sequenced 15 new mitogenomes of Aporrectodea tuberculata Eisen, 1874, A. trapezoides Duges, 1828, Eisenia nordenskioldi Eisen, 1878 and Drawida ghilarovi Gates, 1969 in Northeast China using a high-throughput sequencing platform. These incomplete linear and double-stranded mitogenomes vary from 14,998 bp to 16,123 bp in size and include 37 genes and a putative control region. Intraspecific genetic divergence was quantified in the lumbricid species, and a control region in D. ghilarovi was reported for the first time by comparison to the mitogenomes of the congeners. Phylogenetic analysis based on coding genes and ribosomal DNA datasets using BI and ML inferences showed the non-monophyly of Aporrectodea and polyphyly of E. nordenskioldi. Future works should examine the taxonomy, phylogeny and population genetics not only of Lumbricidae but also the other earthworm families on the global scale using mitogenomic and nuclear data.

Collembola display a variety of feeding habits, and prey on many types of food at different trophic levels in the soil. In most cases, their feeding selections are widely varied. In the interest of the food preferences of E. proxima, we attempted to confirm how the Collembola utilize food when feeding on carrion (unusual sources). Four different soil animals (with different stable isotope values and increasing trophic levels) were used to examine whether collembolans can use dead insects as a food resource in specific manners, depending on food preference. Our results demonstrated that the food preference of a collembolan changed significantly after feeding on insects with different feeding habits for 60 days. We found that stable isotope values (δ¹³C) of Entomobrya proxima approached those of the food sources. A large proportion of the diet (more than 50%) should directly consist of insect body parts, with the remainder consisting of indirectly used, mixed microorganisms naturally growing on animal food, such as fungi (Rhizopus sp., Alternaria sp., Penicillium sp., and Aspergillus sp.) and bacteria (Bacillus sp1. and Bacillus sp2.). Based on this research, the food preference of collembolans is more focused on carcasses (dead insect bodies) than microorganisms during the animal-food decomposition process.

Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are critical drivers of ecosystem processes such as pest regulation and material cycling. However, their distribution patterns and the drivers influencing them along the elevational gradients remain unclear. This study investigated the diversity and distribution of EPF along a 300–2550 m altitudinal gradient on Changbai Mountain, focusing on their responses to vegetation belts and soil properties. A total of 21 genera and 35 EPF species were identified, with species diversity significantly declining with altitude (Shannon index, p < 0.05). High‐altitude communities (1200–2550 m) showed similar structures across coniferous forests, Erman's birch forests, and alpine tundra, whereas low‐altitude communities (300–1050 m) in broad‐leaved and mixed forests were compositionally similar. Narrow‐range species dominated, with many EPF being restricted to specific vegetation belts. Broad‐leaved forests supported the highest EPF diversity, with families such as Cordycipitaceae showing strong preferences for these habitats. Soil properties (e.g., nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, moisture content, and pH) and shrub diversity were key drivers of EPF distribution. For instance, the abundance of Metarhizium , Cordyceps , Beauveria , and Polycephalomyces was positively correlated with nitrogen and phosphorus but negatively correlated with sulfur. Shrub diversity positively influenced EPF diversity in broad‐leaved forests but negatively in coniferous forests. These findings highlight the interplay between altitude, vegetation, and soil conditions in shaping EPF communities, emphasizing the importance of preserving fungal diversity in alpine ecosystems to maintain ecological balance and support biological control strategies.

Flower-visiting insects have co-evolved with flowering plants. While it has been shown that floral traits and environmental factors influence insect visitation during the day, it is still unclear how these factors influence their visitation at night. We sampled a montane meadow located near Jilin in northeastern China in July and August of 2019, for 4 nights each month, and two time periods each night. We sampled 94 flower-visiting insect species in total and documented floral traits and ambient factors. We first allocated all the insects to three functional groups (pollination, predation, and herbivory). Most nocturnal insects exhibited predation behavior, and had the highest species turnover rate. We then focused on environmental factors and found that ambient temperature and relative humidity strongly influenced the diversity of flower-visiting insects. In addition, variation partitioning analysis suggested that ambient temperature had a stronger effect on the flower-visiting insects during the early night hours, whereas relative humidity had a stronger effect on them in the later night hours. Finally, focusing on floral traits, most insects preferred flowers with moderately sized corolla diameters (20 to 30 mm). Furthermore, display size had a strong linear correlation with flower-visiting insect species richness and frequency of presence. In sum, our findings suggest that ambient temperature, relative humidity and floral display size strongly regulate the behavior of nocturnal flower-visiting insects.

Flower-visiting insects have co-evolved with flowering-plants. While it has been shown that floral traits and environmental factors influence insects visitations during the day, it is yet unclear how these factors influence insects visitations at night. We sampled a montane meadow located near Jilin in northeastern China in July and August in 2019, 4 nights each month, and two time periods each night. We sampled 94 flower-visiting insect species in total and documented the floral traits and ambient factors. First, focusing on the insects functions, we allocated all insects into three functional groups (pollination, predation, and feeding). We found that most nocturnal insects exhibited predation behavior, and they had the highest species turnover rate. Second, focusing on the environmental factors, we found that ambient temperature and relative humidity strongly influence the diversity of flower-visiting insects. Variation partitioning analysis further suggested that ambient temperature has a stronger effect on the flowering-visiting insects at early night, while the relative humidity has a stronger effect on the flowering-visiting insects at late night. Third, focusing on floral traits, we found that most insects have a preference for flowers with moderately-sized corolla diameters (20 to 30 mm). Furthermore, display size had a strong linear correlation with flowering-visiting insect species richness and frequency of presence. In sum, our findings suggest that ambient temperature, relative humidity, and floral display size strongly regulate nocturnal flower-visiting insects.