- by Maille, A., Garcia, C., Colchero, F., Lemaitre, J.-F., Pavard, S.Most zoo animals are exposed daily to human visitors, which could be a major disturbance on reproduction. Although few studies have examined the relationship between number of births and crowd size by comparing high and low visitor days, the effect of zoo visitors on animal reproduction over longer timescales has been overlooked. We assessed whether number of births in 34 social mammal species hosted in zoos from 23 European countries differed after prolonged periods of closure to the public (COVID-19 […]
- by Burgin, C. J., Zijlstra, J. S., Becker, M. A., Handika, H., Alston, J. M., Widness, J., Liphardt, S., Huckaby, D. G., Upham, N. S.The Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) is an open-access resource providing up-to-date taxonomic, nomenclatural, and geographic data for global mammal species. Since its launch in 2018, the MDD has transformed the traditionally static process of updating mammalian taxonomy into regular online releases reflecting the latest published research. To build on this foundation, we here present version 2.0 of the MDD (MDD2), which catalogues 6,759 living and recently extinct mammal species, representing net increases of 4.1% and 24.8% over MDD version 1.0 […]
- by Zenzal, T. J., Anderson, A. N., LeBlanc, D., Dobbs, R. C., Geary, B., Waddle, J. H.Restoration of barrier island and headland habitats can alter existing and create new habitats, which may impact wildlife occupying these areas such as the threatened Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus). We used resight data from banded birds to develop minimum convex polygon (MCP) and kernel density estimates (KDE) of individual Piping Plover home ranges to investigate whether changes in habitat use resulted from restoration activities at Whiskey Island and Caminada Headland, Louisiana. We quantified home range areas for each season and […]
- by Mulemena, J. A., Sichamba, P., Muleya, W., Mubemba, B., Chitanga, S., Simulundu, E., Changula, K.Surveillance of bat coronaviruses (CoVs) is of public health importance, as accumulating evidence suggests that bats are hosts of the three significant pandemic viruses, namely Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and SARS-CoV-2. Studies focused on identifying different species of bat CoVs may have information cardinal for effective prevention and control of emerging zoonotic diseases. We conducted a systematic review using selected keywords (Surveillance, detection, identification, discovery, isolation, characterization, molecular methods, and Bat coronaviruses) […]
- by Floquet, S., Fuior, A., Colin-Duchevet, L., Cebotari, V., Noel, A., Ribaud, I., Gerard, I., Garbuz, O., Fregnaux, M., Lopez, J., Larcher, V., Shestopalov, M. A., Solovieva, A. O., Pozmogova, T. N., Gliga, O., Railean, N., Cochard, P., Poirot, B., Charistos, L., Hatjina, F., Somogyi, A., Medjoubi, K., Gaumer, S., Gulea, A., Toderas, I., Sandoz, J.-C.In this study, we evaluated the impact of supplementing honey bee feed with molybdenum-based compounds. Among a dozen of dinuclear Mo(V) complexes, we first selected the most stable and non-toxic complexes, which were tested as food supplements in an extensive eight-year campaign involving more than 700 beehives across various environmental conditions in Moldova, France, Greece and USA. This unprecedented field campaign revealed that a few milligrams of compounds Na-Mo2O4-EDTA or Li-Mo2O4-EDTA provided in spring or autumn, increased queen fecundity, hygienic […]
- by Muschick, M., Ruber, L., Matschiner, M.Lophichthys boschmai, the only member of the family Lophichthyidae, is an elusive lophiiform fish whose phylogenetic associations are debated. This family is among the last three vertebrate families lacking DNA sequence data, primarily due to the species rarity, lack of fresh material and challenges associated with sequencing formalin-treated museum specimens. In this study, we provide mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences obtained from two museum specimens of Lophichthys boschmai. Employing ancient DNA techniques, we successfully extracted and analyzed the degraded and […]
- by Ho, S. C. L., Chan, J. C., Lee, W. H., Sung, Y. H., Liew, J. H.The global ornamental fish trade presents significant challenges to conservation of biodiversity. Here we explore patterns in the freshwater ornamental fish market in Hong Kong, a major wildlife trading hub. Weekly surveys over three-months in the primary aquarium district documented 540 freshwater fish species from 73 families. We found that species occurrence in the market was largely price-driven, and minimum retail price was the strongest predictor of their frequency of occurrence. Along the occurrence-price gradient, we found that potentially undescribed […]
- by Güney, G., Cedden, D., Scholten, S., Rostas, M.The cabbage stem flea beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala, CSFB) is a significant pest of winter oilseed rape crops in northern Europe. CSFB adults aestivate during the summer to protect themselves from heat and desiccation stress. Trehalose, the primary hemolymph sugar, has been linked to energy homeostasis and stress resilience, but its regulation and function during aestivation remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the roles of two trehalose transporters, Tret-1 and Tret-2, in modulating trehalose dynamics across different adult stages in CSFB. […]
- by Frühholz, K., Kuba, K., Pitz, M., Windl, J., Keller, A., Brehm, G., Rasmussen, C., Leonhardt, S. D., Mendes Diniz, U.The proboscis length of bees is a key morphological trait shaping communities, pollination networks, and likely their responses to habitat loss. Despite its importance, it is rarely considered in ecological studies because of logistic limitations in obtaining accurate measurements across many different species. In two previous studies, the proboscis length of temperate bee species was estimated based on body size and bee family. However, bee taxa partially occurring in the tropics might deviate from this allometric relationship due to different […]
- by Chabry, M., Zuberbuehler, K., Koella, J., Hobaiter, C.Toxoplasma gondii is a unicellular parasite that can infect most warm-blooded animals. In humans, it is linked to schizophrenia and other neurological disorders. It is also responsible for congenital toxoplasmosis, which can be lethal or cause severe neurological damage in the developing foetus. More subtle behavioural effects have been observed in various species, including humans, in particular increased risk-taking, which is thought to increase the parasites transmission to feline predators, the definitive hosts. We investigated the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii […]
- by Shannon, B., Zhang, R., Marsh, L., Johnson, R. M.Beekeepers must manage Varroa destructor mites to maintain colony health. Large-scale beekeepers often use chemical treatments (miticides) to manage this pest. Miticide resistance drives a need for compounds with alternative modes of toxic action that can be used in a rotation as part of a Varroa management plan. This research aimed to determine the efficacy of oxalic acid, clove oil, and fenpyroximate when delivered in glycerin soaked in strips and combined with a range of bee-safe adjuvants. Adjuvants are a […]
- by Oruni, A., Arinaitwe, E., Adiga, J., Otto, G., Kyagamba, P., Okoth, J., Ayo, D., Asiimwe, J. R., Zedi, M., Rek, J., Walker, K. J., Braithwaite, A., Kayondo, J., Conrad, M. D., Bousema, T., Paine, M. J. I., Ismail, H. M., Krezanoski, P., Wondji, C. S., Kamya, M. R., Dorsey, G., Donnelly, M. J.A dramatic malaria resurgence occurred in areas of Uganda between 2020 and 2022 coincident with the switch to clothianidin-based formulations for indoor residual spraying. During the resurgence, Anopheles funestus numbers increased but when an alternative insecticide, pirimiphos methyl, was reintroduced in 2023, both malaria cases and An. funestus mosquito density fell. In this study, we investigated possible causes of the resurgence by assessing; 1) whether sufficient quantities of insecticide were sprayed; 2) the residual insecticide bioefficacy against wild mosquitoes and; […]
- by Pature, N., Pages, N., Rodrigues, V., MEYER, D. F.Ticks are ectoparasites that feed on the blood of animals and humans and are among the arthropods responsible for numerous human and animal diseases worldwide. The tropical bont tick, Amblyomma variegatum, is a significant natural vector of Ehrlichia ruminantium, the causative agent of heartwater. This disease is endemic in many countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa and certain Caribbean islands. Due to the potential of heartwater and its vector to pose an economic and health threats to non-endemic regions, they […]
- by Norris, D.This article critiques a recent study by Lacava et al. (2024) that suggests the population of Podocnemis expansa has recovered in Brazil due to an increase in hatchling releases. I argue that hatchling counts alone are insufficient to determine population trends. A new analysis of the original data, including temporal autocorrelation, only showed a sustained increase in hatchling releases at five of the eleven areas studied, which goes against the original claim that most areas showed population recovery. I propose […]
- by Renteria, E., Brehm, G.Bees play important roles in shaping ecosystems through processes like pollination. However, their populations are in decline due to habitat degradation and unsustainable agriculture. This study assesses the effectiveness of color traps for bee monitoring in two distinct yet geographically close habitats in "Jenaer Forst" natural reserve in Germany. Over a 23-week period in spring and summer 2023, we tested six trap colors (blue, yellow, white, violet, blue-yellow, and violet-white) and analyzed their performance in terms of bee abundance, diversity, […]
- by Perroux, T. A., McElligott, A. G., Hodgson, G. M. W., Flay, K. J.Phenotypes reflect how organisms adapt to their environments. Hong Kong (HK) feral cattle, a crossbreed of Bos taurus taurus and Bos taurus indicus, present an opportunity to study these adaptations in one of the very few global cattle populations not directly controlled by humans. These cattle are free-ranging since their release from farms in the 1970s. HK has a subtropical climate, characterized by high humidity and temperatures during the wet season, and scarce precipitation during the dry season. We studied […]
- by Reichard, D. G., Summers, K. V.Limiting stress during interactions between captive animals and humans is important for effective husbandry. One physiological change during the vertebrate stress response is the release of glucocorticoid hormones. Here, we measured plasma corticosterone in female domesticated budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) to test whether human presence, restraint, or removal and return of a newly stressed neighbor increases corticosterone. The presence of humans for 15 minutes at the beginning of the experiment did not significantly elevate corticosterone above baseline levels, suggesting that birds […]
- by Yang, J. C. C., Marshall, K. E.The bay mussel, Mytilus trossulus, is a bivalve commonly found in intertidal zones along the west coast of North America which risks freezing during low tides in the winter. Previous work has shown that despite their freeze tolerance, freezing can still cause damage. Yet little is known about the energetic consequences of these freezing events. Here we measured the oxygen consumption of mussels before and after single and repeated freezing exposures across three seasons. We compared these responses to hypoxia […]
- by McClure, J.Following existing work on odontocetes, an extensive survey of literature was conducted to summarize the growth and body mass of nine mysticete species along with analyses of adult size distributions using data from the International Whaling Commission catch database. Relationships uncovered between adult length parameters in mysticetes are combined with results previously obtained for odontocetes. On average, the mean adult length was 4% below the asymptotic size and its relative variation appeared to be very similar across most species (CV=4-5%), […]
- by Arcos, J.Citizen science platforms, such as iNaturalist, have become invaluable tools for biodiversity monitoring, allowing non-experts to contribute photo-based observations that are then identified by the user community. However, one of the major challenges of these platforms concerns the accuracy of these identifications, especially for taxa requiring specialized knowledge or more sophisticated means of identification. In this study, I assess the reliability of ant identifications in the Balearic Islands by comparing community-generated identifications with expert validations across multiple taxonomic levels. Based […]
Mass spectrometry websites, social media, journal feeds, and other links and items of interest to the mass spectrometry community.
