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BMC Biology May 2024The female locust is equipped with unique digging tools, namely two pairs of valves-a dorsal and a ventral-utilized for excavating an underground hole in which she lays...
BACKGROUND
The female locust is equipped with unique digging tools, namely two pairs of valves-a dorsal and a ventral-utilized for excavating an underground hole in which she lays her eggs. This apparatus ensures that the eggs are protected from potential predators and provides optimal conditions for successful hatching. The dorsal and the ventral valves are assigned distinct roles in the digging process. Specifically, the ventral valves primarily function as anchors during propagation, while the dorsal valves displace soil and shape the underground tunnel.
RESULTS
In this study, we investigated the noticeable asymmetry and distinct shapes of the valves, using a geometrical model and a finite element method. Our analysis revealed that although the two pairs of valves share morphological similarities, they exhibit different 3D characteristics in terms of absolute size and structure. We introduced a structural characteristic, the skew of the valve cross-section, to quantify the differences between the two pairs of valves. Our findings indicate that these structural variations do not significantly contribute to the valves' load-bearing capabilities under external forces.
CONCLUSIONS
The evolutionary development of the form of the female locust digging valves is more aligned with fitting their respective functions rather than solely responding to biomechanical support needs. By understanding the intricate features of these locust valves, and using our geometrical model, valuable insights can be obtained for creating more efficient and specialized tools for various digging applications.
Topics: Animals; Female; Grasshoppers; Biomechanical Phenomena; Finite Element Analysis
PubMed: 38822347
DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01930-0 -
ELife May 2024To navigate their environment, insects need to keep track of their orientation. Previous work has shown that insects encode their head direction as a sinusoidal activity...
To navigate their environment, insects need to keep track of their orientation. Previous work has shown that insects encode their head direction as a sinusoidal activity pattern around a ring of neurons arranged in an eight-column structure. However, it is unclear whether this sinusoidal encoding of head direction is just an evolutionary coincidence or if it offers a particular functional advantage. To address this question, we establish the basic mathematical requirements for direction encoding and show that it can be performed by many circuits, all with different activity patterns. Among these activity patterns, we prove that the sinusoidal one is the most noise-resilient, but only when coupled with a sinusoidal connectivity pattern between the encoding neurons. We compare this predicted optimal connectivity pattern with anatomical data from the head direction circuits of the locust and the fruit fly, finding that our theory agrees with experimental evidence. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our predicted circuit can emerge using Hebbian plasticity, implying that the neural connectivity does not need to be explicitly encoded in the genetic program of the insect but rather can emerge during development. Finally, we illustrate that in our theory, the consistent presence of the eight-column organisation of head direction circuits across multiple insect species is not a chance artefact but instead can be explained by basic evolutionary principles.
Topics: Animals; Head; Grasshoppers; Neurons; Insecta; Models, Neurological; Drosophila melanogaster
PubMed: 38814703
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.91533 -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences May 2024Many theoretical treatments of foraging use energy as currency, with carbohydrates and lipids considered interchangeable as energy sources. However, herbivores must...
Many theoretical treatments of foraging use energy as currency, with carbohydrates and lipids considered interchangeable as energy sources. However, herbivores must often synthesize lipids from carbohydrates since they are in short supply in plants, theoretically increasing the cost of growth. We tested whether a generalist insect herbivore () can improve its growth efficiency by consuming lipids, and whether these locusts have a preferred caloric intake ratio of carbohydrate to lipid (C : L). Locusts fed pairs of isocaloric, isoprotein diets differing in C and L consistently selected a 2C : 1L target. Locusts reared on isocaloric, isoprotein 3C : 0L diets attained similar final body masses and lipid contents to locusts fed the 2C : 1L diet, but they ate more and had a ~12% higher metabolic rate, indicating an energetic cost for lipogenesis. These results demonstrate that some animals can selectively regulate carbohydrate-to-lipid intake and that consumption of dietary lipids can improve growth efficiency.
Topics: Animals; Dietary Carbohydrates; Grasshoppers; Dietary Fats; Diet; Energy Metabolism; Lipid Metabolism; Energy Intake; Herbivory
PubMed: 38807520
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0424 -
Food and Chemical Toxicology : An... Jul 2024In Western societies, reducing red meat consumption gained prominence due to health, environmental, and animal welfare considerations. We estimated the public health...
In Western societies, reducing red meat consumption gained prominence due to health, environmental, and animal welfare considerations. We estimated the public health impact of substituting beef with house cricket (Acheta domesticus) in European diets (Denmark, France, and Greece) using the risk-benefit assessment (RBA) methodology, building upon the EFSA-funded NovRBA project. The overall health impact of substituting beef patties with insect powder-containing patties was found to be impacted by the amount of cricket powder incorporated in the patties. While using high amounts of cricket powder in meat substitutes may be safe, it does not inherently offer a healthier dietary option compared to beef. Adjustment of cricket powder levels is needed to yield a positive overall health impact. The main driver of the outcome is sodium, naturally present in substantial amounts in crickets. Moreover, the way that cricket powder is hydrated before being used for the production of patties (ratio of powder to water), influences the results. Our study highlighted that any consideration for dietary substitution should be multidimensional, considering nutritional, microbiological and toxicological aspects, and that the design of new food products in the framework of dietary shifts should consider both health risks and benefits associated with the food.
Topics: Animals; Risk Assessment; Gryllidae; Humans; Public Health; Red Meat; Cattle; Meat Products
PubMed: 38797314
DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2024.114764 -
Primates; Journal of Primatology May 2024Platyrrhines consume many species of arthropods in the order Orthoptera. Some species of orthopterans can produce chemical defenses that render them toxic or unpalatable...
Platyrrhines consume many species of arthropods in the order Orthoptera. Some species of orthopterans can produce chemical defenses that render them toxic or unpalatable and thus act as predator deterrents. These species include the stick grasshoppers (family Proscopiidae), which are widely distributed in the Caatinga biome in northeastern Brazil, which comprises part of the distribution of capuchin monkeys. Capuchin monkeys are omnivores and consume a wide variety of foods, including unpleasant-tasting, potentially toxic items, which they need to learn how to process. We describe the processing of stick grasshoppers (Stiphra sp.) by wild capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) that live in Serra da Capivara National Park, Brazil, and compare how individuals of different age classes handle these potentially toxic food items. S. libidinosus predominantly avoided consuming the digestive tract, which contains toxic compounds, when feeding on stick grasshoppers. Immatures took longer than adults to process the stick grasshoppers, indicating that capuchins need to learn how to process the toxic digestive tract of these prey to avoid consuming it.
PubMed: 38795206
DOI: 10.1007/s10329-024-01133-9 -
Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Insects, renowned for their abundant and renewable biomass, stand at the forefront of biomimicry-inspired research and offer promising alternatives for chitin and... (Review)
Review
Insects, renowned for their abundant and renewable biomass, stand at the forefront of biomimicry-inspired research and offer promising alternatives for chitin and chitosan production considering mounting environmental concerns and the inherent limitations of conventional sources. This comprehensive review provides a meticulous exploration of the current state of insect-derived chitin and chitosan, focusing on their sources, production methods, characterization, physical and chemical properties, and emerging biomedical applications. Abundant insect sources of chitin and chitosan, from the Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Dictyoptera, Odonata, and Ephemeroptera orders, were comprehensively summarized. A variety of characterization techniques, including spectroscopy, chromatography, and microscopy, were used to reveal their physical and chemical properties like molecular weight, degree of deacetylation, and crystallinity, laying a solid foundation for their wide application, especially for the biomimetic design process. The examination of insect-derived chitin and chitosan extends into a wide realm of biomedical applications, highlighting their unique advantages in wound healing, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and antimicrobial therapies. Their intrinsic biocompatibility and antimicrobial properties position them as promising candidates for innovative solutions in diverse medical interventions.
PubMed: 38786507
DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics9050297 -
Studies in Health Technology and... May 2024In the fields of food science and technology, sensory evaluation is extensively studied to assess personal perception and acceptability. However, studies on Thai...
BACKGROUND
In the fields of food science and technology, sensory evaluation is extensively studied to assess personal perception and acceptability. However, studies on Thai consumers' personal perceptions of and acceptability of food products containing crickets have not been conducted.
OBJECTIVES
The overall goal of this study was to find out how well-liked two food products containing house crickets were by Thai customers in good health regarding their sensory qualities.
METHODS
The 3-point Just-About-Right (JAR) scale measured the foods' sensory characteristics, including thickness, color, odor, sweetness, and saltiness. Food product approval among consumers was assessed using the 9-point Hedonic scale. Nutrient density was measured using the nutrient-rich foods (NRF) index, highlighting the potential health benefits of these products.
RESULTS
For every attribute, the goodness-of-fit score of the cricket puffed rice (CPR) was higher than 70%. The cricket-galangal chili paste (CGCP) received a score of greater than 70% for color and odor, but the sweetness was required more since it had a JAR score of 53.3 percent. The customer acceptance scores of CPR and CGCP were 6.63-7.60 and 6.60-7.50 on the 9-point Hedonic scale. The NRF indices of the CPR and CGCP were 19.19 and 20.44 (intermediate levels).
CONCLUSION
There was no need for improvements in the cricket puffed rice product, but cricket-galangal chili paste should be improved. Further study on nutrition facts is required.
Topics: Humans; Consumer Behavior; Thailand; Male; Female; Health Promotion; Gryllidae; Adult; Nutritive Value; Taste; Food Preferences
PubMed: 38785024
DOI: 10.3233/SHTI240085 -
Biodiversity Data Journal 2024The InBIO Barcoding Initiative (IBI) Orthoptera dataset contains records of 420 specimens covering all the eleven Orthoptera families occurring in Portugal. Specimens...
BACKGROUND
The InBIO Barcoding Initiative (IBI) Orthoptera dataset contains records of 420 specimens covering all the eleven Orthoptera families occurring in Portugal. Specimens were collected in continental Portugal from 2005 to 2021 and were morphologically identified to species level by taxonomists. A total of 119 species were identified corresponding to about 77% of all the orthopteran species known from continental Portugal.
NEW INFORMATION
DNA barcodes of 54 taxa were made public for the first time at the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD). Furthermore, the submitted sequences were found to cluster in 129 BINs (Barcode Index Numbers), 35 of which were new additions to the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD). All specimens have their DNA barcodes publicly accessible through BOLD online database. is recorded for the first time for continental Portugal. This dataset greatly increases the knowledge on the DNA barcodes and distribution of Orthoptera from Portugal. All DNA extractions and most specimens are deposited in the IBI collection at CIBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources.
PubMed: 38784157
DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e118010 -
Nature Communications May 2024Parental experiences can affect the phenotypic plasticity of offspring. In locusts, the population density that adults experience regulates the number and hatching...
Parental experiences can affect the phenotypic plasticity of offspring. In locusts, the population density that adults experience regulates the number and hatching synchrony of their eggs, contributing to locust outbreaks. However, the pathway of signal transmission from parents to offspring remains unclear. Here, we find that transcription factor Forkhead box protein N1 (FOXN1) responds to high population density and activates the polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (Ptbp1) in locusts. FOXN1-PTBP1 serves as an upstream regulator of miR-276, a miRNA to control egg-hatching synchrony. PTBP1 boosts the nucleo-cytoplasmic transport of pre-miR-276 in a "CU motif"-dependent manner, by collaborating with the primary exportin protein exportin 5 (XPO5). Enhanced nuclear export of pre-miR-276 elevates miR-276 expression in terminal oocytes, where FOXN1 activates Ptbp1 and leads to egg-hatching synchrony in response to high population density. Additionally, PTBP1-prompted nuclear export of pre-miR-276 is conserved in insects, implying a ubiquitous mechanism to mediate transgenerational effects.
Topics: Animals; MicroRNAs; Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; Polypyrimidine Tract-Binding Protein; Grasshoppers; Female; Forkhead Transcription Factors; Ovum; Insect Proteins; Cell Nucleus; Oocytes
PubMed: 38773155
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48658-7 -
Nature Communications May 2024Neural circuits with specific structures and diverse neuronal firing features are the foundation for supporting intelligent tasks in biology and are regarded as the...
Neural circuits with specific structures and diverse neuronal firing features are the foundation for supporting intelligent tasks in biology and are regarded as the driver for catalyzing next-generation artificial intelligence. Emulating neural circuits in hardware underpins engineering highly efficient neuromorphic chips, however, implementing a firing features-driven functional neural circuit is still an open question. In this work, inspired by avoidance neural circuits of crickets, we construct a spiking feature-driven sensorimotor control neural circuit consisting of three memristive Hodgkin-Huxley neurons. The ascending neurons exhibit mixed tonic spiking and bursting features, which are used for encoding sensing input. Additionally, we innovatively introduce a selective communication scheme in biology to decode mixed firing features using two descending neurons. We proceed to integrate such a neural circuit with a robot for avoidance control and achieve lower latency than conventional platforms. These results provide a foundation for implementing real brain-like systems driven by firing features with memristive neurons and put constructing high-order intelligent machines on the agenda.
Topics: Robotics; Neurons; Animals; Neural Networks, Computer; Action Potentials; Models, Neurological; Gryllidae; Nerve Net; Artificial Intelligence; Avoidance Learning
PubMed: 38773067
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48399-7