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ZooKeys 2024A contribution to the knowledge of the malachiine genus Pascoe, 1866 from China is given. Two new species groups: group and group are defined and described. A new...
A contribution to the knowledge of the malachiine genus Pascoe, 1866 from China is given. Two new species groups: group and group are defined and described. A new species, Wang & Liu, , of the group is described from Hainan Province. (Wittmer, 1982) and Asano, 2015 are redescribed based on new materials collected in mainland China. A key to species groups of the genus Pascoe, 1866 in China is provided.
PubMed: 38836190
DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1202.115935 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Working forests comprise a large proportion of forested landscapes in the southeastern United States and are important to the conservation of bats, which rely on forests...
Working forests comprise a large proportion of forested landscapes in the southeastern United States and are important to the conservation of bats, which rely on forests for roosting and foraging. While relationships between bat ecology and forest management are well studied during summer, winter bat ecology remains understudied. Hence, we aimed to identify the diet composition of overwintering bats, compare the composition of prey consumed by bat species, and determine the potential role of forest bats as pest controllers in working forest landscapes of the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain. During January to March 2021-2022, we captured 264 bats of eight species. We used DNA metabarcoding to obtain diet composition from 126 individuals of seven bat species identifying 22 orders and 174 families of arthropod prey. Although Coleoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera were the most consumed orders, we found that bats had a generalist diet but with significant differences among some species. We also documented the consumption of multiple insect pests (e.g., Rhyacionia frustrana) and disease vectors (e.g., Culex spp). Our results provide important information regarding the winter diet of bats in the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain and their potential role in controlling economically relevant pest species and disease vectors.
Topics: Animals; Chiroptera; Seasons; Southeastern United States; Forests; Diet; Predatory Behavior
PubMed: 38834684
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63062-3 -
Nature Communications Jun 2024Canopy openings are increasing in Europe's forests, yet the contributions of anthropogenic and ecological agents of disturbance to this increase remain debated. Here we...
Canopy openings are increasing in Europe's forests, yet the contributions of anthropogenic and ecological agents of disturbance to this increase remain debated. Here we attribute the root cause of all stand-replacing canopy disturbances identified for Europe in the period 1986-2020 from Landsat data (417,000 km²), distinguishing between planned and unplanned canopy openings (i.e., disturbance by human land use versus by wind, bark beetles, and wildfire). We show that canopy openings by humans dominate the European forest disturbance regime, accounting for 82% of the area disturbed. Both planned and unplanned canopy openings increased in the early 21st century (+24% and +30% relative to the late 20th century). Their changes are linked, with simultaneous increases in planned and unplanned canopy openings on 68% of Europe's forest area. We conclude that an important direction for tackling disturbance change in policy and management is to break the link between planned and unplanned canopy openings in Europe's forests.
Topics: Forests; Europe; Humans; Conservation of Natural Resources; Animals; Trees; Wildfires; Wind; Coleoptera; Forestry
PubMed: 38834542
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49116-0 -
PeerJ 2024Previous difficulties in arthropod taxonomy (such as limitations in conventional morphological approaches, the possibility of cryptic species and a shortage of...
Previous difficulties in arthropod taxonomy (such as limitations in conventional morphological approaches, the possibility of cryptic species and a shortage of knowledgeable taxonomists) has been overcome by the powerful tool of DNA barcoding. This study presents a thorough analysis of DNA barcoding in regards to Pakistani arthropods, which were collected from Lahore's Jinnah Garden. The 88 % (9,451) of the 10,792 specimens that were examined were able to generate DNA barcodes and 83% (8,974) of specimens were assigned 1,361 barcode index numbers (BINs). However, the success rate differed significantly between the orders of arthropods, from 77% for Thysanoptera to an astounding 93% for Diptera. Through morphological exams, DNA barcoding, and cross-referencing with the Barcode of Life Data system (BOLD), the Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) were assigned with a high degree of accuracy, both at the order (100%) and family (98%) levels. Though, identifications at the genus (37%) and species (15%) levels showed room for improvement. This underscores the ongoing need for enhancing and expanding the DNA barcode reference library. This study identified 324 genera and 191 species, underscoring the advantages of DNA barcoding over traditional morphological identification methods. Among the 17 arthropod orders identified, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera from the class Insecta dominated, collectively constituting 94% of BINs. Expected malaise trap Arthropod fauna in Jinnah Garden could contain approximately 2,785 BINs according to Preston log-normal species distribution, yet the Chao-1 Index predicts 2,389.74 BINs. The Simpson Index of Diversity (1-D) is 0.989, signaling high species diversity, while the Shannon Index is 5.77, indicating significant species richness and evenness. These results demonstrated that in Pakistani arthropods, DNA barcoding and BOLD are an invaluable tool for improving taxonomic understanding and biodiversity assessment, opening the door for further eDNA and metabarcoding research.
Topics: Animals; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; Pakistan; Biodiversity; Arthropods; Gardens
PubMed: 38832046
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17420 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Invasive Anoplophora glabripennis recently became established in Japan and has caused heavy damage to several street-tree species. Overseas, A. glabripennis infests...
Invasive Anoplophora glabripennis recently became established in Japan and has caused heavy damage to several street-tree species. Overseas, A. glabripennis infests trees of the genera Acer and Populus as common host plants, and Malus, Pyrus, and Prunus (Rosaceae), including apple, pear, and plum trees; it therefore poses a potential risk to the production of economically valuable fruits in Japan. Fruit farms in areas already invaded by A. glabripennis are now threatened with tree infestation. We aimed to determine the potential damage to major fruit species in Japan. In the laboratory, we determined if the adult beetle is attracted to the odor of each of these tree species' branches; two confirmed host plant species and five Rosaceae fruit species, as well as its feeding preferences among branches of one host plant and the five fruit trees and its oviposition preferences among them. Among the fruit species, cherry branch had the highest rate of odor orientation by males. The feeding-preference assay showed that, besides the host plant, Japanese pear was the most consumed among the fruit trees. The potential risk of A. glabripennis laying eggs on fruit-tree branches was high for Japanese pear and above zero for plum, apple, and cherry branches.
Topics: Animals; Japan; Fruit; Coleoptera; Trees; Male; Female; Oviposition; Introduced Species; Rosaceae
PubMed: 38830943
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63548-0 -
Biodiversity Data Journal 2024, a new species of Synchroidae Lacordaire, 1859, is described and illustrated, based on a single male collected from Mêdog, Xizang, China. This new species is close to...
BACKGROUND
, a new species of Synchroidae Lacordaire, 1859, is described and illustrated, based on a single male collected from Mêdog, Xizang, China. This new species is close to Nikitsky, 1999 and Lewis, 1895, but could be distinguished by the elongated antennae and elytra, the apically narrowed prosternal process and the stout parameres.
NEW INFORMATION
The new information of this new species provided in this paper include: description, type information, distribution and comparison amongst sp. nov., and .
PubMed: 38827586
DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e122792 -
Ecology and Evolution Jun 2024Costa Rica emerged from the seas as a new geological territory during the Miocene as an insular archipelago. It later became part of a continental area once it became a...
Costa Rica emerged from the seas as a new geological territory during the Miocene as an insular archipelago. It later became part of a continental area once it became a segment of Central America. Two dung beetle genera that colonized this new territory from South and North America, and (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), are here studied, in the first analysis of a volcanic paleo-archipelago, colonized from its emergence, and then later becoming . To assess their biodiversity distribution patterns, we analyzed the effect of biogeography, ecosystem origins, and body size on their altitudinal distribution patterns in three geographic basins of Costa Rica. Based on 32 years of collecting representing more than 158,000 specimens from 1017 localities, we undertook Generalized Linear Models of the two dung beetle genera to assess the effects of biodiversity and biogeographical distribution patterns. and species ranged from 0 to 3000 m a.s.l., with an abrupt diversity decline at altitudes above 1500 m. Endemic species tended to show a higher altitudinal mean with a narrow altitudinal band distribution than non-endemic dung beetle species. Although there was a trend of decreasing species body size with the increase in altitude, such a trend depended on the distribution pattern of the species group. This possible insular-mediated endemicity mechanism has generated baffling biodiversity levels, considered the highest worldwide per unit area. Costa Rica is an expanse represented by a geographic overlap of two or more temporally disjunct areas and is not part of a natural transition zone. The effect of the insular Miocene origin of Costa Rica still pervades today, reflected by different insular syndromes shown by the dung beetle fauna. The importance of geological origins in generating biodiversity seems to have been an underrated criterion for conservation biology practices and should be considered ex officio.
PubMed: 38826175
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11436 -
Yakugaku Zasshi : Journal of the... 2024Recently, feeding damage by the olive weevil Pimelocerus (Dyscerus) perforatus Roelofs, which utilizes olive trees (Olea europaea Linne) as a host plant, has become the...
Recently, feeding damage by the olive weevil Pimelocerus (Dyscerus) perforatus Roelofs, which utilizes olive trees (Olea europaea Linne) as a host plant, has become the biggest obstacle to olive cultivation in Japan. We previously identified several volatile plant-derived natural products that exhibit repellent activity against olive weevils. In this study, we conducted a pilot test of repellents in an olive orchard along with the use of insecticide. During three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023, the first year was the observation period, and the second and third years were set aside for a trial period for o-vanillin and geraniol as repellents, respectively. Using o-vanillin, the number of adult olive weevil outbreaks decreased to almost half a year in the experimental area, the use of geraniol then resulted in a drastic reduction of the number of individual olive weevils in the experimental area. In contrast, adults and larvae outbreaks increased in the control area without a repellent, despite the use of insecticide. These results indicate that the volatile repellents drove the olive weevils away and kept them at bay in the field. Based on the observations, we will be able to provide a new approach for the control of olive cultivation, including fruit and leaves used for commercial purposes, following integrated pest management (IPM) practices, such as reducing environmental poisoning from intense insecticides, and returning olive weevils to their original habitat outside of olive orchards.
Topics: Olea; Animals; Weevils; Insect Repellents; Pilot Projects; Acyclic Monoterpenes; Insecticides; Terpenes; Japan
PubMed: 38825476
DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.24-00031 -
Zoology (Jena, Germany) May 2024Compound eyes undoubtedly represent the widespread eye architecture in the animal kingdom. The insects' compound eye shows a wide variety of designs, and insects use...
Compound eyes undoubtedly represent the widespread eye architecture in the animal kingdom. The insects' compound eye shows a wide variety of designs, and insects use their visual capacity to accomplish several tasks, including avoiding enemies, searching for food and shelter, locating a mate, and acquiring information about the environment and its surroundings. Broad literature data support the concept that visual ability lies in the way the eyes are built. Since the resolution and sensitivity of the compound eye are partly determined by the density of the ommatidia and the size of the facets. Morphological parameters of the compound eyes could influence the function of the visual organ and its capacity to process information, also representing a sensitive indicator of different habitat demands. In this study, we compared compound eyes' parameters in four closely related species of tiger beetles to disclose differences arising from different habitats. Furthermore, to investigate whether there are consistent intersexual differences, we also compared the most relevant parameters of the eye in males and females of four selected species. Our results show sex-related and interspecific differences that occur in examined species.
PubMed: 38820711
DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2024.126173 -
Science Advances May 2024Island faunas exhibit some of the most iconic examples where similar forms repeatedly evolve within different islands. Yet, whether these deterministic evolutionary...
Island faunas exhibit some of the most iconic examples where similar forms repeatedly evolve within different islands. Yet, whether these deterministic evolutionary trajectories within islands are driven by an initial, singular divergence and the subsequent exchange of individuals and adaptive genetic variation between islands remains unclear. Here, we study a gradual, repeated evolution of low-dispersive highland ecotypes from a dispersive lowland ecotype of beetles along the island progression of the Galápagos. We show that repeated highland adaptation involved selection on multiple shared alleles within extensive chromosomal inversions that originated from an initial adaptation event on the oldest island. These highland inversions first spread through dispersal of highland individuals. Subsequent admixture with the lowland ecotype resulted in polymorphic dispersive populations from which the highland populations evolved on the youngest islands. Our findings emphasize the significance of an ancient divergence in driving repeated evolution and highlight how a mixed contribution of inter-island colonization and within-island evolution can shape parallel species communities.
Topics: Animals; Coleoptera; Chromosome Inversion; Ecuador; Ecotype; Biological Evolution; Genetic Variation; Phylogeny; Evolution, Molecular
PubMed: 38820159
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk7906