- by Mohammad, A., Hongsu, H., Ali, A., Zhao, J., Wu, Y., Alam, U., Dai, J., Zhao, C., Zhao, T., Hui, Z., Zhihua, S.Ticks are ectoparasitic arthropods that play a significant role in transmitting pathogens to humans and animals. This study aimed to address the research gap in understanding the morphological diversity and distribution of tick species in Swabi, Mardan, and Charsadda districts of Pakistan, where tick-borne diseases are prevalent but poorly documented. The primary objectives were to identify tick species, document their morphological characteristics, and map their distribution patterns across different habitats. Field surveys were conducted over nine months, collecting tick specimens […]
- by Brownstein, C. D., Andriotis, K., Haynes, C. B., Sturm, N. D., Kuhajda, B. R., Near, T. J.Southeastern North America harbors the richest freshwater biodiversity hotspot in the northern hemisphere and is home to numerous species with extremely narrow ranges. Among these are the six species of the Etheostoma chermocki species complex, which exclusively inhabit small streams spanning fewer than 100 square kilometers in Alabama, USA. One of these species, the Birmingham Darter Etheostoma birminghamense, was described in April 2025 from Valley Creek and its associated tributaries, which extend into the urban core of Birmingham, AL, and […]
- by Chai, Y.Parthenogenesis, clonal propagation by only female, is a common asexual reproduction model. Without sexual gene recombination, it is hypothesized that the deficiency of genotypic variation and accumulation of deleterious mutations reduce the fitness of parthenogenetic lineages confronted with environmental fluctuations, which is also regarded as evolutionary dead end. There should be specific life-history strategies to explain why parthenogenesis has been existing successfully. We constructed a family pedigree for rotifer spanning six generations, comprising 1200 individuals with identical genetic background in […]
- by Iwanicki, T., Maximenko, N., Dunn, C., Church, S. H., Goodwin, D. S., Helm, R. R.Organismal mirror asymmetry is common in nature, where an individual may have either a left- or right- handed form; however, the causes and consequences of this asymmetry have long fascinated and perplexed biologists. The cnidarian by-the-wind sailor jelly Velella is globally distributed, floating on the sea surface and harnessing the wind with a protruding fleshy sails that develop either a left-handed or right-handed orientation. For over 60 years, scientists have postulated that this handedness is related to wind-sorting, and enables […]
- by Toth, A. G., Bende, A., Hornok, S., Wagenhoffer, Z., Szulyovszky, B., Galla, V., Voroskoi, P., Keve, G.Lipoptena fortisetosa is a louse fly of East Asian origin that is considered a potential vector of several pathogenic bacteria and is most commonly associated with deer (Cervidae). The species has been detected in multiple countries in Europe; however, its exact distribution range is unknown. A single individual was detected on a dog at a veterinary clinic in Budapest, Hungary, a country where the presence of L. fortisetosa has not yet been confirmed. After acquiring information regarding the recent whereabouts […]
- by Drewes, S., Wyszkowska, J., Jaromin, E., Hajduk, J., Onik, I., Konczal, M., Lach, K., Bober-Sowa, B., Baliga-Klimczyk, K., Sadowska, E. T., Ulrich, R. G., Koteja, P.Bank voles (Myodes glareolus syn. Clethrionomys glareolus) are frequently used as an animal model in ecological and biomedical studies, and are important reservoir of viral and bacterial zoonotic pathogens, e.g. of Puumala hantavirus (PUUV). Here we describe an accidental PUUV outbreak in a large bank vole laboratory colony by incursion of infected wild-trapped bank voles, and a successful eradication of the virus. The eradication plan was based on results of previous studies, which showed that maternal antibodies (MatAb) protect the […]
- by Baisla, B. R., Verma, T., Rana, A., Sen, R., Raychoudhury, R.External genitalia play a crucial role in the successful copulation of conspecific partners in insects. Due to their structural specificity, external genitalia have often been used for distinguishing closely related species in different insects. However, in the young Pteromalid species complex Nasonia, these structures have not received much attention. Nasonia is a genus of parasitoid wasps, that lays eggs and completes its life cycle in dipteran pupae. All behavioral studies (including this study) conducted on this genus indicate that varied […]
- by Ens, G., Lewin, A. R., Zaada, D. S. Y., Doron, J., Gilan, Z., Livne, A., Ordan, E., Papathanos, P. A.Female mosquitoes must feed on blood to produce eggs, a natural behavior that also drives disease transmission. Vector biology research and the development of novel control tools depend on reliable methods for blood feeding of laboratory-reared mosquitoes. Artificial membrane feeders have provided a practical alternative to live animals for decades. However, commercial systems are typically expensive, difficult to repair and are tethered to external water baths or bench-top power supplies. Their limited capacity, usually only a few cages at once, […]
- by Humanski, K., Facchini, G., Croce, J., Kołbuk, D., Dubois, P., Gorzelak, P.Echinoderm endoskeleton has a unique trabecular microstructure known as stereom, which can exhibit highly ordered geometries. A particularly striking example of these geometries is the recently discovered "diamond-type" stereom, characterized by a diamond triply periodic minimal surface (D-TPMS) geometry and distinguished by its exceptional mechanical and structural properties. Despite its promising features for engineering applications, the morphogenesis of this microarchitecture remains poorly understood, notably due to its uniqueness in the natural world. Here, we applied a multimodal imaging and labeling […]
- by Iwasaka, M.Lymphatics and secondary circulation systems of teleost exist in the skin layer where chromatophore cells coexist. This work reveals that in the skin of three species of Atherinidae, an extremely rapid flashing iridophore acts as fluid pressure sensor and visualizes micro-circulations in the layer. The fish has a capillary network propagating fluid pressure from the primal circulation systems. Complex of xanthophore, iridophore and micro-circulation network forms the twinkling spot that change light reflection intensity in 100 ms. The movement of […]
- by Martin, L. E., Barr, J. S., Cartailler, J.-P., Shrestha, S., Estevez-Lao, T. Y., Hillyer, J. F.BackgroundGlobal environmental temperatures are rising, which is increasing the body temperature of mosquitoes. This increase in body temperature is accelerating senescence, thereby weakening immune responses and reproductive processes, and shortening lifespan. To determine how warmer temperature and aging, individually and interactively, shape the transcriptome of the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, we conducted RNA-sequencing and network-analysis in naive and immune-induced mosquitoes that had been reared at 27C, 30C or 32C and were 1, 5, 10 or 15 days into adulthood. […]
- by Stokes, J. E., Fischer, B., Barrett, M. E.Research involving insects currently falls outside the scope of animal welfare legislation in the UK; however, many institutions in the UK require submission of procedures involving insects to their internal ethics review board. Here, we have surveyed UK institutions to assess what proportion require ethics applications for work with insects. Further, we surveyed entomologists working at UK institutions to understand when requirements first came about at their institution and (if applicable) their experiences with ethics review, including feedback received, resources […]
- by Desrochers, A., Desbordes, L.AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWConspecific attraction has often been hypothesized as a mechanism that could facilitate migration and territory acquisition. We studied conspecific attraction by songbirds during spring migration between 2019 and 2025 at the Dunes of Tadoussac, Quebec, Canada. This location is known to produce spectacular migration events with thousands of passerine birds flying at close range from the observers. We recorded sequences of individual birds moving just over the ground in a [~]20 m wide corridor along the edge of the St. […]
- by Perez Lozano, A., Taphorn, D. C.The Amazon basin contains a wide variety of commercially valuable fish species, with fishing being the main source of income for artisanal fishermen and riverside communities. After the decline in large catfish production in the late 1990s, Piracatinga emerged as an alternative to the local economy and was intensively exploited between 1996 and 2012. However, its capture became uncontrolled and was finally banned in 2015. Despite this, an assessment has never been conducted. The objective of this study was to […]
- by Navarrete-Carballo, J., Arisqueta-Chable, C., Bibiano-Marin, W., Palacio-Vargas, J., Lugo-Moguel, M., Torres-Castro, J., Huerta, H., Che-Mendoza, A., Correa-Morales, F., Vazquez-Prokopec, G., Ortega-Canto, J., Manrique-Saide, P.Aedes vittatus, an invasive mosquito competent for multiple arboviruses, has expanded far beyond its historical range. We report its first detection and urban establishment in mainland Americas, in Merida, Mexico. This underscores the urgent need to strengthen surveillance, risk assessment, and preparedness against invasive Aedes species across the region.
- by Watanabe, A., Kobayashi, T., Okamoto, A., Oka, D., Noguchi, T., Ozawa, R., Shirasuna, K., Matsuyama, M., Kuramoto, T.The genetic variant A2 beta-casein is associated with fewer digestive and absorption issues compared to A1 beta-casein, leading to increased global demand for A2 milk. However, contamination with the A1 variant during collection, transportation, or sterilization of A2 milk poses a risk, necessitating a verification test to ensure A2 milk does not contain A1 beta-casein. We developed an A1-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) and a general mAb that reacts with both A1 and A2 variants using the iliac lymph node method. […]
- by Brandler, O. V., Tukhbatullin, A. R., Kapustina, S. Y., Tembotova, F. A., Puzachenko, A. Y.The greater blind mole rat S. microphthalmus is the only species that differs in the number of chromosomes (2n = 60) from the other species (2n = 62) of the genus Spalax. It also has the largest range among them. The intraspecific genetic and morphological variability of S. microphthalmus has been poorly studied so far. Previously, animals with 2n = 62 were found in the North Caucasus. This was interpreted as a manifestation of intraspecific polymorphism in greater blind mole […]
- by Tan, J., Luong, T., Paluzzi, J.-P. V.Neuropeptide Y-related signaling, consisting of various neuropeptides and their receptors including, for example, the mammalian neuropeptide Y (NPY), pancreatic polypeptide (PP), and peptide YY (PYY) families, along with neuropeptide Y-like peptides in insects, is evolutionarily conserved across vertebrates and invertebrate organisms. Vertebrate NPY is known as an important regulator of energy homeostasis and feeding behaviour, while studies on one NPY-associated signaling system in arthropods, known as RYamide, have mainly focused on functions regulating feeding-related behaviours. The current study aimed to […]
- by Moreno, E. A., Garcia, A. B., Salazar-Buenano, F., Menendez, P., Poveda, E., Barragan, A., Donoso, D. A.Bumble bee diversity and distribution in the Tropical Andes remain insufficiently documented. Here, we provide the first comprehensive checklist of Bombus species for continental Ecuador, integrating data from regional museum collections, published literature, and online biodiversity databases. We further assessed Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcode variation in six species. In total, we documented 15 Bombus species occurring across 22 provinces of continental Ecuador. Relative to previous reports, we extend the known elevational ranges of B. transversalis and B. […]
- by Mancini, G., Cimatti, M., Tzivanopoulos, M., Thuiller, W., Di Marco, M.Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are a cornerstone of global biodiversity conservation, influencing international strategic plans and helping protect thousands of species. KBAs are identified through quantitative criteria, among which the most recent is Criterion E. KBA Criterion E uses Spatial Conservation Prioritization techniques to identify highly irreplaceable sites, representing a promising tool for effective expansion of the KBA network. However, it has rarely been tested or applied at large scales. Here, we carried out a continental application of KBA Criterion […]
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