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Insects May 2024A total of 281 coleopteran species from 41 families were recorded from different sites of an abandoned cut-over peatland designated as the Carbon Measurement Supersite...
Ecological Groups of Coleoptera (Insecta) as Indicators of Habitat Transformation on Drained and Rewetted Peatlands: A Baseline Study from a Carbon Supersite, Kaliningrad, Russia.
A total of 281 coleopteran species from 41 families were recorded from different sites of an abandoned cut-over peatland designated as the Carbon Measurement Supersite in Kaliningrad Oblast. This beetle assemblage is considered a baseline (pre-impact) faunal assemblage for further investigations during the 'before-after' (BA) or 'before-after control-impact' (BACI) study on a peatland that is planned to be rewetted. The spontaneously revegetated peatland has a less specialised beetle assemblage than at an intact raised bog. Tyrphobiontic species are completely absent from the peatland, while some tyrphophiles (5.3% of the total beetle fauna) are still found as remnants of the former raised bog communities. The predominant coenotic coleopteran group is tyrphoneutral generalists from various non-bog habitats (72.9%). The species composition is associated with the vegetation structure of the disturbed peatland (fragmentary cover, lack of open habitats, and widespread birch coppice or tree stand), which does not correspond to that of a typical European raised bog. The sampled coleopteran assemblage is divided into several relative ecological groups, whose composition and peculiarities are discussed separately. Possible responses to the rewetting measurements in different coleopteran groups are predicted and briefly discussed. A complex assemblage of stenotopic peatland-specialised tyrphophiles (15 spp.) and the most abundant tyrphoneutral generalists (31 spp.) were assigned as indicators for the environmental monitoring of peatland development.
PubMed: 38786912
DOI: 10.3390/insects15050356 -
Insects May 2024Despite being the most widespread blister beetle subfamily, Nemognathinae is unfairly understudied in China. In this study, a new genus and species, Pan, from northern...
Despite being the most widespread blister beetle subfamily, Nemognathinae is unfairly understudied in China. In this study, a new genus and species, Pan, from northern China is described and illustrated. The antennae, elytra, hind wings, and claws of the new genus form a truly unique set of characteristics never observed in other genera of Nemognathini Laporte de Castelnau, 1840. Three species from China are newly recorded and illustrated: (Tauscher, 1812), (Fairmaire 1889), and Aksentjev, 1978. The genus Tan, 1981, is transferred from the tribe Meloini Gyllenhal, 1910, to Nemognathini based on an examination of the types. Aiming to test the morphology-based placement of the new genus, we conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses using two mitochondrial (, ) and three nuclear markers (, , ). The results confirm our tribal assignment of the new genus and support a clade that consists of , Pan and Bologna, 2018, cf. , and cf. .
PubMed: 38786894
DOI: 10.3390/insects15050338 -
Insects Apr 2024spp. (Oleaceae) have become invasive species in the US and negatively affect native plant diversity and richness in forests. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is considered...
spp. (Oleaceae) have become invasive species in the US and negatively affect native plant diversity and richness in forests. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is considered a potential biological control agent in the US because adults feed on the foliage and larvae are seed-feeders of spp. To discover the relationships between . and spp., fruit dissections or rearing and field observations are required. In the current research project, novel PCR primers were developed to rapidly detect the DNA of . in molecular analyses without rearing and observation. The developed PCR primers worked even with 0.01 ng of DNA and did not amplify the DNA of the other five curculionid species tested. When the novel primers were tested with three spp. species common in the southeastern US, the DNA of . was detected from all three species. We expect that the novel primers will be utilized to find out the presence and impact of . on spp rapidly and accurately.
PubMed: 38786876
DOI: 10.3390/insects15050320 -
Insects Apr 2024We evaluated the persistence and efficacy of two different, in granulometry and content of diatoms, diatomaceous earth (DE) formulations (i.e., DE5 and DE6), against two...
We evaluated the persistence and efficacy of two different, in granulometry and content of diatoms, diatomaceous earth (DE) formulations (i.e., DE5 and DE6), against two major beetle species of stored products, i.e., (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae). The formulations were applied as powders in soft wheat and maize in two doses of 500 and 1000 mg kg (ppm). Samples of the treated grains were taken on the day of application and every 30 days until completion of the six-month period of storage. Adults of and were exposed to the treated grains at 25 °C and 55% relative humidity, and the mortality was measured after 7, 14, and 21 days of exposure. survival was not affected by any combination of DE formulation, dose, and commodity. Contrariwise, the DEs caused significant adult mortality of , in most of the cases tested. We observed that DE6 was equally effective in both wheat and maize, and no considerable variations were observed in mortality during the 6-month experimental period. Furthermore, DE6 was more effective against than DE5, a difference that could have potentially contributed to the variations in the diatom granulometry between these two DEs. Thus, a DE treatment of 1000 ppm was shown to provide long-term protection of wheat and maize against , but this is strongly dependent on the DE formulation, commodity, and insect species. Overall, such natural resource-based inert silicaceous deposits could be used with success in stored-product protection with only some minor modifications, such as sieving and drying of the raw deposit.
PubMed: 38786875
DOI: 10.3390/insects15050319 -
Insects Apr 2024Dramatic land-use changes in urban landscapes can drive water colour darkening by washing compounds, such as organic matter and iron, from terrestrial ecosystems into...
Dramatic land-use changes in urban landscapes can drive water colour darkening by washing compounds, such as organic matter and iron, from terrestrial ecosystems into urban blue space, consequentially affecting aquatic communities. Here, I studied how pond water colour changes along an urban gradient and how diving beetles (Dytiscidae) respond to the water colour gradient in 11 ponds with fish and 15 ponds without fish in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland. I found that the pond water colour exhibited a non-significant decreasing pattern along the urban gradient, indicating that urbanisation may not necessarily drive brownification in urban ponds. Dytiscid species richness and abundance exhibited significant positive correlations with increasing water colour in ponds with fish but no significant correlation in ponds without fish. Some species, such as spp. and spp., appeared tolerant to highly coloured water, whereas some species, such as and spp., tended to occur in clear water, indicating that brown water may provide dytiscids with prey refuges, but some species are intolerant to brown water. The study highlights the importance of urban pondscape heterogeneity to meet the needs of aquatic invertebrates that prefer different water colours and for the multifunctioning of urban ponds.
PubMed: 38786864
DOI: 10.3390/insects15050308 -
Insects Apr 2024This work attempts to find the reasons for the rather limited range of occurrence of in Poland, based on soil properties, which affects both the plant cover and the...
This work attempts to find the reasons for the rather limited range of occurrence of in Poland, based on soil properties, which affects both the plant cover and the entomofauna. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of soil enzyme activity on the occurrence of in xerothermic grasslands in Southern Poland. The sites inhabited by the beetle were most often extensively grazed by farm animals or had recently been cleared of bushes. The control plots were in wasteland. The soils of most sites with were characterized by significantly higher activity of the tested enzymes and higher content of total organic carbon and total nitrogen, as well as lower pHKCl compared to the control sites. The higher enzymatic activity of soils in sites with the beetle than in the control sites may indicate the dependence of the occurrence of this beetle on the presence of patches of extensively grazed xerothermic grasslands. Grazing influences the behavior of preferred host plant species. Therefore, when planning active protection of xerothermic grasslands inhabited by , changes in the biochemical properties of the soil and vegetation structure should be taken into account.
PubMed: 38786863
DOI: 10.3390/insects15050307 -
Insects Apr 2024Several species of lady beetle native to North America have declined in abundance in the last few decades, often accompanied by contractions in their geographic ranges....
Several species of lady beetle native to North America have declined in abundance in the last few decades, often accompanied by contractions in their geographic ranges. is a lady beetle native to North America that is an important predator of pests in various agroecosystems. Its reported range spans the eastern half of the USA, with no sustained decline in abundance or contraction of its range reported. Indeed, we recently collected several individuals of this lady beetle in central USA roughly 500 km beyond the western edge of its reputed range. We hypothesized that new records could indicate either that previous range characterization failed to include pre-existing collection records further west or that has recently expanded its geographic range. To test these hypotheses, we searched several institutional insect collections and digital databases for records and found many earlier records of beyond its reputed geographic range, clearly showing that the previous characterization of its geographic distribution in North America was substantially underestimated. In addition, we report a new state record of from Wyoming, USA, that further indicates its geographic range expansion in North America. We discuss new records of in light of declines in native coccinelline lady beetle species in North America.
PubMed: 38786861
DOI: 10.3390/insects15050305 -
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 -
Biology Apr 2024The use of organic compounds in different spheres of human activity is accompanied by their influx to and accumulation in the environment. The negative impact of those...
The use of organic compounds in different spheres of human activity is accompanied by their influx to and accumulation in the environment. The negative impact of those compounds can be one of the reasons for a decline in populations and biodiversity of aboveground invertebrates. Chemical compounds can potentially cause a variety of effects (attractant or repellent) on insects, including species of the Staphylinidae family. In a laboratory experiment, we identified repellent and attractant influence of 40 organic compounds and mixtures of compounds (acids, alcohols, ketones, phenols, aldehydes, aromatic carbohydrates solvents, and vehicle fuels) on Gravenhorst, 1802. The ambulatory responses of the males and females to the same chemical compounds most often varied. A strong repellent activity against both sexes of was caused by oleic acid, while hexane repelled the males. Acetic acid, 1-butanol, and ammonia solution were found to be strongly repellent against females. A moderate (average) repellent activity towards male was displayed by organic solvents and fuels, some alcohols (isopropanol, isoamyl alcohol, methanol, ethanol), acids (acetic, formic acid), aromatic carbohydrates (toluene, xylene), and formaldehyde. Female in general were less sensitive to the odors. The list of repellents with moderate activity against the females was much shorter: solvent 646, white spirit, toluene, isopropanol, isoamyl alcohol, citric and oxalic acids, and glycerol. Moderate attractant activity for was exhibited by some amino acids, alcohols, and fuel mixes: glycine and L-cysteine (for the males), and phenylalanine, methanol, and diesel fuel (for the females). The rest of the 40 chemical compounds we studied caused no ambulatory responses in . The difficulties we encountered in the interpretation of the results suggest a need for further experimental studies that would expand the knowledge of the chemoecology of insects.
PubMed: 38785775
DOI: 10.3390/biology13050294 -
EFSA Journal. European Food Safety... May 2024The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of (Voss, 1937) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), following the commodity risk assessment of bonsai plants...
The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of (Voss, 1937) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), following the commodity risk assessment of bonsai plants from China consisting of grafted on , in which was identified as a pest of possible concern to the European Union (EU). This categorisation refers to , which is the pest's current valid scientific name. It is native to China and has never been recorded in the EU. It completes from 2 to 3 generations per year. Eggs are laid in cracks and crevices of trunks and branches with bark thickness of approximately 0.6-1.2 cm. The pest overwinters as an adult or as a mature larva under the bark. Plants for planting, wood with bark and wood products provide pathways for entry. Although the weevil has been reported to carry the nematode it is not considered a vector. Climatic conditions and availability of host plants in some EU countries would allow to establish and spread. Impact on spp. is anticipated. Recognising that the weevil is reported to attack both weakened and healthy trees, there is uncertainty on the magnitude of impact. Its recorded capacity to attack non-Asian species also indicates its ability to adapt and expand the range of trees it can utilise as hosts, which could include European species. Phytosanitary measures are available to reduce the likelihood of entry and spread. meets the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for this species to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest.
PubMed: 38784846
DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8805