- by Okahara, M., Niimi, T., Morita, S.Exaggerated insect traits often show positive allometry, yet nonlinear scaling can reflect either continuous curvature or discrete morphs. Distinguishing between these alternatives is important because they imply different developmental and evolutionary scenarios. Using cross-sectional data from 1,000 adult Oryctes rhinoceros, we analyzed the static allometry of nine traits with pronotum width as the primary body-size proxy and body length for sensitivity analyses. Cross-validated comparisons among linear, continuous nonlinear, and two-component mixture models showed that continuous nonlinear models improved predictive performance […]
- by Salas Morales, H., Ortega-Insaurralde, I., Armentano, M., Monteserin, A., Schilman, P. E., Barrozo, R. B.Feeding behavior in blood-sucking insects relies on gustatory evaluation to decide on sustained ingestion, yet quantifying this process from electromyogram (EMG) recordings is labor-intensive. Here we developed MyoRec, an automated computational framework employing machine learning to analyse EMG signals from the triatomine bug Rhodnius prolixus. Using recordings under appetitive and aversive conditions, a convolutional neural network detected ingestion events with 97.7% accuracy. Automated analysis revealed distinct feeding dynamics, with prolonged ingestion and higher pumping frequency under appetitive stimuli, compared to […]
- by Majewski, B., Castetter, J., Bilbrey, G., Denton, R. D.Locomotor endurance is a critical physiological trait dictating terrestrial dispersal and metapopulation connectivity, especially in amphibians. The unisexual Ambystoma complex is an ancient, all-female polyploid lineage that reproduces via kleptogenesis. This unique reproductive mode creates an evolutionary mismatch between a conserved mitochondrial genome and divergent nuclear subgenomes that are taken from sympatric, sexual species. This provides a compelling system for testing the physiological limits of polyploidy and how subgenome composition influences phenotypes. Previous locomotor assessments of this lineage demonstrate that […]
- by Gagnon, E. C., Rios-Orjuela, J. C., Pilon, L., Hentschel, P., Dansereau, A., Segre, P. S., Dakin, R.Locomotor performance often determines the outcome of interactions with competitors, predators, and prey. In flying animals, the asymptotic load-lifting assay measures maximal muscle power output in vertical flight. Previous studies of small birds have shown that load-lifting performance is linked to flight maneuverability and the outcome of competitive species interactions. Here, we quantify sources of performance variation within a species, namely repeatability, and determine the number of trials that accurately capture individual differences. We conducted 124 load-lifting trials on 13 […]
- by Rodgers, T. W., Salom-Perez, R., Arroyo-Arce, S., Viquez-Alvarado, E., Castillo-Caballero, P. L., Araya-Gamboa, D., Monteza-Moreno, C. M., Mooring, M. S., Vargas, M., Mock, K. E.The Clouded Tiger Cat Leopardus pardinoides is a recently recognized Neotropical species for which ecological and natural history data are sparse. Knowledge of species distribution and elevational range are largely based upon camera trap studies, and its diet has not been examined. The objective of this study was to better define the geographical and elevational distribution of the subspecies L. pardinoides oncilla in Central America using genetically confirmed records. We also provide the first diet analysis for L. pardinoides. We […]
- by moccia, v., Centelleghe, C., Zendrini, A., Tassoni, s., Ceolotto, L., Bouchard, B., Alvarez, E., Pesce, G., Bergese, P., Radeghieri, A., Mazzariol, S., Zappulli, V.Cetaceans are key sentinel species for environmental health monitoring. Although sampling from free-ranging animals is challenging, the analysis of cetacean blow offers a minimally invasive approach to assess their health status. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived nanostructures present in biological fluids and widely studied as disease biomarkers in humans. Despite the potential for similar uses, EVs have not been studied in cetacean blow to date . This proof-of-concept study aims to assess the feasibility of the isolation and characterization of […]
- by Praulins, G., Mechan, F., Harvey, G., Brooke, B., Corbel, V., Duchon, S., Kaiser, M., Moore, S. J., Mpelepele, A. B., Oliver, S., Singh, H., Stevenson, j., Fotso Toguem, Y. G., Verma, V., Wondji, C. S., Lees, R. S.1In 2024-2025 a multi-centre study involving seven international laboratories was conducted with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO). The aim of the study was to establish and validate discriminating concentrations (DCs) in WHO bottle bioassays for monitoring susceptibility to broflanilide and isocycloseram in Anopheles gambiae s.s., An. funestus, An. stephensi and Aedes aegypti. The following values are recommended for adoption as DCs for broflanilide: 10 {micro}g/bottle for An. gambiae and Ae. aegypti, 15 {micro}g/bottle for An. funestus, and […]
- by Garibian, P., Rubleva, V., Burlakov, A., Valeyev, V., Kasatkina, A., Kirova, V.Intraspecific morphological variability presents a complex challenge for biological systematics and biomonitoring, particularly for organisms with high phenotypic plasticity, such as zooplankton. Morphological differences between individuals of the water flea species Bosmina longirostris (Crustacea: Cladocera) are difficult to distinguish visually, parthenogenetic females look morphologically uniform within the species; nevertheless, they demonstrate differences attributable to their geographic origin and developmental stage. A reference dataset of microscopic images was created for the study, including populations from two geographically separated regions (seven ones […]
- by Keene, D., Arya, S., Walker, B., Laumer, C. E.Molecular data have revolutionised taxonomic and ecological research on the hyperdiverse communities of aquatic benthic microinvertebrates known as meiofauna. However, reference sequence databases remain highly incomplete, with variable barcode genes or fragments studied from taxon to taxon. Furthermore, there is a typical tradeoff between universality of primers and phylogenetic resolution, with rRNA markers being robustly recoverable but failing to resolve species-level divergences, and mitochondrial markers showing the reverse trend. Here, we introduce Oxford Nanopore rRNA and COI amplicon sequencing (OrCa-seq), […]
- by Brocklehurst, R. J., Grossnickle, D. M., Bechara, J., Cohen, W., Santana, S. E., Vinyard, C. J., Taylor, A. B., Konow, N.Mammalian diet and feeding ecology are often reflected by craniofacial skeleton specializations, but feeding requires skeletal actuation by a complex suite of muscles with varying sizes, lines of action, and mechanical function. While muscles play a critical role in feeding mechanics, and hence diet, it remains unclear how well variation in jaw muscle morphology predicts diet in mammals. We quantified the evolutionary interplay between mammalian muscle morphology and diet using a large and taxonomically broad sample. We measured the relative […]
- by Ramamurthy, S. V., Stinnett, J. G., Kaulback, C. S., Berry, A. T., Oakley, T. H.Animal weapons are ecologically important traits that mediate contests over limiting resources and can strongly influence survival and reproduction. Weapon traits often exhibit substantial intraspecific morphological diversity, raising questions about the ecological drivers of this variation. Acrorhagi are weapons produced by sea anemones that are used in intraspecific territorial encounters. Although acrorhagial morphology varies widely within species, patterns of intraspecific variation remain poorly characterized, and the extent to which such variation reflects differences in local intraspecific competition is unclear. Here, […]
- by Streiferdt, C. S., Caspar, K. R.The evolution of eye coloration in mammals and its potential ecological significance remain understudied. Evidence from anthropoid primates suggests that photoprotective demands are crucial determinants of pigmentation in the peri-iridal tissues, which encompass the conjunctiva and portions of the sclera peripheral to the iris. However, it is unclear to what extent these findings can be generalized. Here, we quantify peri-iridal brightness in a photographic sample of 62 terrestrial non-primate mammal species (n = 930). Phylogenetically-controlled analyses revealed significant effects of […]
- by Lam, H., Lin, S., Xu, Z., Yau, C. S. T., Wu, L.For over four decades, the bivalve Anomalocardia flexuosa has been recorded in Hong Kong coastal waters. However, the known native distribution of this heavily exploited commercial species is restricted to the Atlantic coast of South America, raising questions about the biogeographical validity of the Hong Kong populations. By employing an integrative taxonomic approach combining morphological re-evaluations and molecular phylogenetic analysis of the COI gene, we confirm that the species in Shui Hau, Hong Kong, China, has been historically misidentified. The […]
- by Osvath, G., Denes, A. L., Kovacs, Z., Birau, A. C., Papp, E., Jako, G. V., Zeitz, R.Romania represents one of the few European Union member states in which all four Old World vulture species historically maintained breeding populations: the Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus), Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus), Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) and Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus). Until the 2026 reintroduction efforts initiated by Foundation Conservation Carpathia and Rewilding Romania, Romania remained the last EU country whose former vulture guild had not been targeted for active recovery. Despite this exceptional significance in a European conservation context, no […]
- by Taylor, E. R., Kulkarni, I., Howe, D. K., Richart, C. H., Mc Donnell, R. J., Denver, D.Gastropods are a highly diverse and often overlooked taxonomic group of significant ecological and economic importance. Some terrestrial gastropods are critical pests of commercial agriculture and home gardens worldwide. Malacopathogenic nematodes offer an effective biological control method of managing pest slugs and snails as a natural enemy. Pellioditis (syn. Phasmarhabditis) hermaphrodita and Pellioditis (syn. Phasmarhabditis) californica are two species of biocontrol nematodes that have been commercialized, sold as Nemaslug(R) and Nemaslug(R) 2.0 respectively on three continents. Although there is interest […]
- by Kupchella, S. C., Kort, A. E., Phifer-Rixey, M.Cities are characterized by elevated temperatures, increased pollution, and high-density human populations which often are accompanied by changes in available resources, like food. These shifts have the potential to drive phenotypic divergence in urban wildlife. Functional morphological traits, like body size, can mediate interactions between wildlife and habitat and are closely tied to life history and fitness. While examples of functional morphological variation associated with urbanization are increasing, variation in such traits as a response to urbanization remains unexplored for […]
- by Hopkins, T., Nascimento, A., Santos, B. F., Hovorka, T., Sääksjärvi, I. E., Österman, E. M.The ichneumonid subfamily Eucerotinae has been thought to be almost absent from the tropics, with the only known Afrotropical species found in Madagascar. We report the subfamily to be present in the mainland Afrotropics, and describe a new species, Euceros species 1 from Uganda and Cameroon (name not yet shown in preprint). The subfamily had likely not been observed in the mainland Afrotropics before due to low abundances and insufficient sampling. More Eucerotinae likely remain to be discovered in tropical […]
- by Brehm, J., Rupprecht, M. M., Schwarzer, M., Liprandi, L., Ramsperger, A. F., Stuhr, L., Gasteiger, L., Bek, L., Umbach, J., Koch, J. K., Groeschel, L., Schott, M., Wagner, D., Roempp, A., Agarwal, S., Froehlich, T., Laforsch, C.Microplastics (MP) are widespread in aquatic ecosystems and pose a threat to freshwater biodiversity. While numerous studies examine physiological effects on aquatic organisms, less is known about how MP alter chemically mediated interactions that regulate predator-prey dynamics. Predator-induced defenses in Daphnia depend on detecting kairomones and represent an important form of adaptive phenotypic plasticity. Whether MP interfere with these responses, and through which mechanisms, remains unclear. Here, we show that polystyrene MP impair predator-induced defenses across Daphnia species by disrupting […]
- by Kauf, L., Vila-Farre, M., Ficze-Schmidt, F., Bakula, E., Rink, J., Bilandzija, H.The Dinaric karst of Croatia encompasses a network of over 10,000 caves and represents one of the worlds most important subterranean biodiversity hotspots. It is inhabited by remarkably diverse and often endemic species, including planarian flatworms, which are among the rarest macroinvertebrates encountered in cave habitats. Although the presence of cave planarians has long been known, no integrative research on this group has been conducted to date, and the evolutionary relationships between these animals and their surface water counterparts are […]
- by Galan-Sanchez, M. A., Rivera-Quiroz, F. A., Sumner-Rooney, L.Eye loss has long fascinated evolutionary biologists and occurs across the animal kingdom. Spiders have two parallel visual systems — two primary and six secondary eyes — but eye losses, leaving six, four, two, or no eyes, have occurred in multiple lineages. Despite their significance, reports of eye loss are scattered, limiting broader analysis. Here we present the first comprehensive analysis of eye loss across all known spider lineages. We show that eye loss occurs in [~]12% of extant species, […]
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