- by Perl, C. D., Escott, O., Reiss, G., Crump, A., Barrett, M.Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) have quickly become one of the most farmed animals in the world. However, little is known about how to monitor stress and welfare in these animals. The difficulty of welfare assessment is compounded by the fact that BSFL live in their feed and prefer darkness. This behaviour makes it challenging to observe potential welfare indicators without inducing stress via disturbing the larvae or moving them into the light. However, acoustic devices may be able to […]
- by Pinto, F., Lando, G., Cetrangolo, V., Felbel, K., Grimmer, E., Hejnol, A., Rimskaya-Korsakova, N.Symbiosis with photosynthetic microbes is widespread in marine animals, with various symbiont transmission modes and localisation within the host. Here, we characterise the association between the acoel Convolutriloba macropyga and its photosymbionts, identified as Tetraselmis green algae based on rbcL gene phylogenetic analysis. Symbionts are transmitted vertically to asexual offspring and acquired horizontally by juveniles after sexual reproduction. Embryos develop to aposymbiotic juveniles that ingest Tetraselmis through the mouth. Confocal microscopy shows an increase in algae number within juveniles and […]
- by Hargrove, J. W., Bruce, F., Van Sickle, J.Combining novel methodologies with ovarian dissection, we estimated life histories for ca. 90,000 individual female Glossina pallidipes and G. m. morsitans sampled from 1988-1999 in Zimbabwes Zambezi Valley. Using temperature-dependent development rates we stepped back through each flys life, fixing dates of successive pregnancies, adult emergence, pupal period, pregnancy and oogenesis. This enabled modelling of relationships between wing and egg lengths, and conditions prevailing when these lengths were being determined. Egg lengths increased with maternal wing length, were shorter in […]
- by Colognesi, V., Johansson, C.Aerodynamic performance in airplanes and flying animals can be controlled by changes in wing shape and size, but during flapping flight another key component is wing motion. Observations of free-flying animals reveal natural wing motions, but testing causal mechanisms requires controlled manipulation of flapping kinematics. In flapping wings, aerodynamic interactions between the two wings are expected to depend on wingbeat phase, wing proximity, and wing attitude. How these interactions influence force production remains unclear. Here we used a robotic flapping […]
- by Cybulska, L. C., Hamer, S. A., Teasdale, C., Johnson, G., Hamer, G., Grassman, J.Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in humans, is also known to infect animals including dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and cats (Felis catus). This study evaluated the efficacy of human COVID-19 rapid antigen and antibody tests in dogs and cats. Nasal/oral swabs from 60 animals (32 dogs, 28 cats) and serum from 40 animals (20 dogs, 20 cats) were tested. Rapid antigen tests used on respiratory swabs showed low-to-moderate sensitivity (75% dogs, 57% […]
- by Gordillo-Perez, M. J., Beenaerts, N., Sigwart, J., Backeljau, T., Vranken, T., Vilaso-Cadre, J. E., Heleven, M., Smeets, K., Vandamme, D., Reyes-Tur, B.Colour polymorphism in the Cuban painted snails Polymita picta and P. muscarum is striking, yet the pigmentary and structural bases remain unclear. We combined spectrophotometric screening, Raman micro-spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and LED transillumination to link pigments, ultrastructure and optics across shell morphs. Melanin standard (Sepia officinalis) yielded a robust linear calibration used to quantify total melanin pigments at 215 nm in pooled extracts. Melanin was detected in all samples with predominance in darker morphs. Raman spectra (785 nm) […]
- by Taengchaiyaphum, S., Buathongkam, P., Srisala, J., Wongklaluang, P., Wongpim, T., Phomklad, S., Kaewlok, K., Inkaew, J., Laiphrom, S., Powtongsook, S., FLEGEL, T. W., Itsathitphaisarn, O., Sritunyalucksana, K.Shrimp and other arthropods are capable of specific, adaptive immune responses to viruses based on viral copy DNA (vcDNA) fragments in the host genome called endogenous viral elements (EVE). These may produce negative sense RNA transcripts leading to an RNA interference (RNAi) defense response against cognate viruses. We first reported high-frequency-read sequences (HFRS) of white spot syndrome virus EVE (named WSSV-EVE 4,6,8) in a WSSV-free breeding stock of whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei). Here we describe screening for the same HFRS-EVE […]
- by Adams, D. M., Williamson, S. A., Evans, R. G., Reina, R. D.Sea turtles exhibit environmental sex determination and face risks of over-feminization, heat-induced embryonic failure, and hatchling mortality due to rising global temperatures. Mitigating these impacts of climate change may necessitate interventions to reduce sand temperature. One proposed strategy is to irrigate nests with seawater, but uncertainties exist regarding turtle egg tolerance to saline nest sand. To test the hypothesis that sea turtle embryos can tolerate a regimen of irrigation with seawater at a management-relevant scale, we investigated the impact of […]
- by Kon, T., Kon-Nanjo, K., Nihei, S., Zang, L., Simakov, O., Shimada, Y.Garra rufa, commonly known as the doctor fish, is a small freshwater cyprinid notable for its exceptional tolerance to high temperatures, surviving even at around the human body temperature of 37 {degrees}C, and has emerging potential as a novel laboratory model for human cancer xenotransplantation and infectious disease research. To establish a foundation for its experimental use, we conducted comprehensive anatomical and histological analyses across major organ systems. The overall body organization and tissue architecture of G. rufa are broadly […]
- by Alves, G., Marques, C., Marcet, P., Chipepa, V., Fedorova, A., Sutcliffe, A., do Rosario, J., Calles, D., Troco, A. D., Chissanga, M. S., Espalhado, F., Nobrega, T., Sousa, C., Pinto, J., Cani, P. J., Martins, J. F., Yoshimizu, M., Torres Gutierrez, C.BACKGROUNDAngola ranks among the five countries with the highest malaria burden globally. The Ministry of Health in Angola has consistently partnered with international donors to sustain entomological surveillance and vector control strategies in a context of high malaria burden. METHODSVector surveillance was carried out in Luanda, Benguela, Namibe and Cuanza Sul provinces from 2016-2022. Collected adult mosquitoes were tested to assess the presence of Plasmodium parasites and determine blood sources. Larvae collections provided live material to test insecticide susceptibility in […]
- by Iwaszkiewicz-Eggebrecht, E., Granqvist, E., Nowak, K. H., Valdivia, C., Buczek, M., Srivathsan, A., Hartop, E., Miraldo, A., Roslin, T., Tack, A. J. M., Lukasik, P., Meier, R., Ronquist, F.1. DNA metabarcoding–high-throughput sequencing of barcode regions from bulk samples–has become a key tool for insect biodiversity assessment. Yet, how methodological choices affect the accuracy of metabarcoding data remains insufficiently explored. In this paper, we ask: (1) How does the lysis method (non-destructive lysis vs. destructive homogenization) affect community recovery? (2) How comprehensively does metabarcoding capture species richness? (3) To what extent can spike-ins improve abundance estimates? (4) How accurately can species abundances be estimated? 2. We evaluated the accuracy […]
- by Techer, M. A., Santana, V. A. P., Woo, B., Marquess, R., Brennan, C., Mechti, A. M. C., Linde, J. B., Behmer, S. T., Sword, G. A., Song, H.This protocol generates gregarious and solitarious density-dependent phenotypes in multiple Schistocerca species under controlled environmental conditions. It describes cage setup, feeding, animal handling, and sterile dissection workflows to isolate nervous, chemosensory, gut, fat body, and female reproductive tissues from nymphs and adults. It emphasizes rapid tissue stabilization and RNase-control practices for downstream single-tissue DNA and RNA analyses. Graphical abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=136 SRC="FIGDIR/small/705994v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (43K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@dd50bforg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1e05305org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@6a994eorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@770eab_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG
- by Dubjelova, N., Hadravova, T., Ivanov, M., Horacek, I.The European Pleistocene populations of the narrow-headed vole (Stenocranius gregalis), an index species of the Palearctic glacial communities, were recently found to differ from the extant Asian species by a deep genetic divergence and are to be considered a separate species, Stenocranius anglicus, which had to persist through the interglacial stages in local European refugia. Here, we analyze over 2000 first lower molars from 14 stratified localities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, spanning the Middle Pleistocene to Holocene, employing […]
- by Uchida, T., Yamashita, H., Shimada, G., Shoguchi, E., Shinzato, C.Photosymbiosis with dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae enables giant clams to thrive in oligotrophic coral reef environments. However, mechanisms by which clams utilize algal-derived biomolecules remain largely unexplored. Using newly available genome resources for photosymbiotic bivalves (Tridacna and Fragum), we conducted a comparative genomic analysis to identify positively selected genes from these photosymbiotic bivalve lineages, that are potentially involved in symbiotic adaptations. Among candidate genes, we focused on sulfoquinovosidase (SQase), an enzyme that hydrolyzes sulfoquinovose (SQ) from sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol (SQDG), […]
- by Caspar, K. R., del Marmol, D., Gerdes, L., Zockoll, A., Schülpen, S., Begall, S.It has been hypothesized that subterranean mammals have evolved increased skin elasticity to reduce friction when moving through their underground tunnel systems. This trait is commonly believed to be mediated by greatly elongated hyaluronan (HA) polymers in the dermal extracellular matrix, which have been reported from different distantly related burrowing mammals. However, replicating these findings has proven difficult, and a mechanism by which HA polymer size could modify skin elasticity has not been proposed. In fact, experimental data on skin […]
- by Kuo, P.-C., Benson, R., Field, D. J.In birds, the quadrate bone serves as a hinge articulating with the lower jaw and the skull, playing an important mechanical role in the feeding apparatus. Avian cranial kinesis is dependent on the streptostylic quadrate transferring force from the adductor muscles at the back of the skull toward the beak, as part of a four-bar mechanical linkage to elevate and depress the bill. The complex morphology of the bird quadrate has led to authors adopting a range of alternative terminologies […]
- by Biswas, A., Karanth, P.Physical barriers are well known to restrict gene flow and generate population structure, yet what drives genetic differentiation in the absence of such barriers remains less understood. In these cases, long-term climatic fluctuations may shape genomic variation by altering habitat connectivity through time. The Western Ghats mountains in Peninsular India, marked by high endemism and in-situ radiations, provide a compelling natural laboratory to understand how historical climate change can shape genetic diversity. While the role of topographic barriers in generating […]
- by Kerr, A. M., Papeschi, S.We present new distributional records of Argiope spiders in India, based on more than 10,000 digital images of the genus from the region curated by iNaturalist (www.inaturalist.org). Notable range expansions to India are documented for three species: A. chloreides Chrysanthus, 1961, A. mangal Koh, 1991, and A. sector (Forssk[a]l, 1776). Second, previously unrecorded field characters, updated distributional data, and a re-examination of published descriptions of type material, support the resurrection of A. undulata Thorell, 1887 as a valid species, long […]
- by Albaina, A., Lanzen, A., Miguel, I., Rendo, F., Santos, M.The recovery of amplifiable DNA from formaldehyde{square}fixed (FF) zooplankton samples has long been considered unfeasible. Nevertheless, advances in DNA sequencing and methods for retrieving highly degraded genetic material have demonstrated that even million{square}year{square}old samples and FF museum specimens can yield usable DNA. To access the biological information preserved in long{square}term zooplankton time series, we assessed methodologies for extracting amplifiable DNA from community samples stored for up to 28 years in formaldehyde at room temperature. On one hand, we report the […]
- by He, Y., Xi, X., Zeng, S., Wang, K., Li Richter, X., Wang, D.O_LIStudying the reproduction process, which is a key determinant of individual and population fitness in endangered species, is challenging but urgently needed. The crested ibis (Nipponia nippon), a flagship endangered species recovering from an extreme population bottleneck, provides a valuable opportunity to examine how life-history strategies shape reproductive success and inform future conservation practices. C_LIO_LIWe monitored 176 breeding pairs of crested ibis over three consecutive breeding seasons and investigated the effects of three key life-history traits, namely breeding timing, clutch […]
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