Zoological Studies最新文献

Two new troglobitic species of pseudoscorpion genus Pseudochthonius are described from Bahia State, Brazil. Detailed morphological descriptions, diagnostic features, and illustrations of Pseudochthonius cesarioensis sp. nov. and Pseudochthonius gonssaloensis sp. nov. are provided. Additionally, we discuss future research directions for these species and provide a key to distinguish the Brazilian Pseudochthonius species.

A new genus, Supraguinea gen. nov. Cumberlidge, Mvogo Ndongo, and Fitch, is established to accommodate four species of freshwater crabs from West Africa that were previously included in Liberonautes Bott, 1955 s. l. (Liberonautinae). These are: Supraguinea lugbe (Cumberlidge, 1999) comb. nov., S. constantini (Cumberlidge, Fitch and Clark, 2023) comb. nov., S. rubigimanus (Cumberlidge and Sachs, 1989) comb. nov., and S. nimba (Cumberlidge, 1999) comb. nov. This new genus is defined based on previously-published molecular evidence (Mvogo Ndongo et al., 2024: fig. 8) that indicated the presence of a deep phylogenetic split within Liberonautes s. l., and on a set of distinctly different morphological characters of the carapace, third maxillipeds, and chelipeds. The species included in the new genus are found in Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, and Guinea, and are here compared with, and distinguished from, other freshwater crabs occurring in this part of West Africa. The removal of these four species from Liberonautes s. l. leaves the latter genus with eight species, L. latidactylus (De Man, 1903), 1989, L. paludicolis Cumberlidge and Sachs, 1989, L. chaperi (A. Milne-Edwards, 1887), and L. grandbassa Cumberlidge, 1999, L. kasonko Mvogo Ndongo, von Rintelen, Clark and Cumberlidge, 2024, L. njala Mvogo Ndongo, von Rintelen, Clark and Cumberlidge, 2024, L. schubarti Mvogo Ndongo, von Rintelen, Clark and Cumberlidge, 2024, and L. sugarloaf Mvogo Ndongo, von Rintelen, Clark and Cumberlidge, 2024, which are all compared with the new genus. Identification keys to the four species of Supraguinea gen. nov. Cumberlidge, Mvogo Ndongo, Fitch and to the six genera now included in the Liberonautinae are provided.

Among the mechanisms of insecticide resistance, knockdown resistance (kdr), causes alterations in the functioning of the voltage-gated sodium channel (Nav), which is the target site for pyrethroids (PYs) and dichloro diphenyl chloroethane (DDT). In Aedes aegypti, 13 kdr mutations associated with PYs resistance have been identified, with V₄₁₀L, V₁₀₁₆I, V₁₀₁₆G, and F₁₅₃₄C being the most reported mutations in the literature. To assess global and temporal trends in the allelic frequencies of these V₄₁₀L, V₁₀₁₆I/G and F₁₅₃₄C mutations, a PRISMA-guided systematic review was conducted to analyzed their distribution and frequency, incorporating new genotyping data from five southeastern Brazilian populations. Genotyping in these populations was performed using allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR), thereby complementing the findings of the review. The results revealed that, out of a total of 187 studies, the F₁₅₃₄C mutation is the most studied (144 studies) and has the widest geographical distribution (47 countries, 4 continents), followed by the V₄₁₀L, V₁₀₁₆I, and V₁₀₁₆G mutations. In southeast Brazil, resistant alleles were detected both individually and in co-occurrence (e.g., V₄₁₀L + V₁₀₁₆I + F₁₅₃₄C), and were associated with PY resistance. These mutations alter Nav, reducing insecticide binding affinity and leading to high-level resistance-particularly when specific genotypic combinations are present. Their global spread poses a significant threat to A. aegypti control efforts, as PYs remain a cornerstone of public health interventions. Urgent, systematic monitoring of kdr allele frequencies and their synergistic effects is essential to optimize insecticide rotation strategies and prevent operational failures. This calls for coordinated international efforts to develop adaptive control strategies.

In social insects, variations in worker behavior at both individual and group levels allow for rapid responses to environmental changes. The individual and group exploration behaviors of the tropical fire ant Solenopsis geminata were investigated in this study. Here we examined the time individual workers spent exploring four different food items, the types of food they discovered, and the dwell time (the duration spent on each food item). We also examined whether individual variations in exploratory behavior influence group-level exploratory behavior. In the individual exploration assay, there were significant effects of nest and food on the dwell time. The average exploratory time taken by workers in the group exploration assay showed no significant difference between experienced and inexperienced workers in Nest 1. However, a significant difference was found between the groups in Nest 2. Here, observations showed that S. geminata workers in the group could find the food more quickly than individual workers. Our work suggested that varying degrees of exploratory behavior exist among individual workers and groups, which may potentially impact foraging efficiency and resource utilization. The tropical fire ant, S. geminata, is a globally invasive species that has been introduced to Taiwan for over 40 years. Incorporating an analysis of exploratory behavior into the study of invasive species allows us to better understand the mechanisms driving their progression.

The increasing global introduction of alien species in recent decades underscores the need to understand the factors driving their establishment and spread in order to mitigate their ecological impacts. As alien species often thrive due to the absence of natural enemies (e.g., parasites), we investigated leech parasitism in freshwater turtles, focusing on an assemblage with over 10 years of co-occurrence between native species (Phrynops geoffroanus, Hydromedusa tectifera) and invasive sliders (Trachemys dorbigni, Trachemys scripta elegans). We used traps to capture 62 turtles to assess host characteristics (species, sex, body size, and body region) that influence leech prevalence and infestation intensity in southern Brazil. Our findings revealed that native turtles exhibited an 18-fold higher prevalence of hematophagous leech than invasive species, with T. dorbigni being the only species in which no leech infestation was observed. Infestation intensity also varied among species, with native turtles harboring more leeches. Probability of leech infestation increased with body size, and the hind limbs were significantly more infested. The diminished presence of ectoparasites on invasive Trachemys throughout this coexistence period supports the enemy release hypothesis, suggesting that the lack of natural enemies may be a potential driver facilitating their invasion success. These results provide baseline data for future studies exploring key factors in the success of the slider invasions.

Bark and ambrosia beetles are major pests in fruit tree orchards worldwide. In this study, we aimed to investigate bark and ambrosia beetle communities present in apple orchards in East Java, Indonesia. We sampled bark and ambrosia beetle communities using ethanol-baited traps in two different cropping systems, i.e., polyculture and monoculture. We collected 353 individuals representing four tribes, 13 genera, and 16 species of both beetles. The most abundant species was Xylosandrus morigerus (Blanford), indicating that this species may be well established in apple orchards. Bark and ambrosia beetle abundance and species richness in apple orchards were higher in the polyculture cropping system. Nevertheless, apple orchards surrounded by a high number of forest patches (in a radius of one kilometer) were more at risk of being invaded by bark and ambrosia beetles than those surrounded by a lower number of forest patches. Continued monitoring of bark and ambrosia beetles on apple orchards could play a significant role in the early detection and the development of proactive measures for sustainable pest management.

This study presents a comprehensive examination of a recently identified intertidal limpet species, Patelloida parva n. sp., utilizing a multidisciplinary approach that combines molecular analyses and detailed morphological investigations. Molecular analysis, involving mitochondrial (16S rRNA) and recently reported single nucleotide polymorphism markers, has been instrumental in distinguishing Patelloida parva n. sp. from its congeners. In addition to genetic divergence, this study provides a description of both morphology and species distribution, revealing key features that set Patelloida parva n. sp. apart from closely related Patelloida species found in Japan. Patelloida parva n. sp. is mainly distributed in the upper intertidal of the Pacific coasts of Wakayama and Kochi Prefectures, Japan, but morphological analysis suggests that there are also populations on the Ryukyu Islands. Furthermore, this study hypothesizes the tropical origin of Patelloida parva n. sp., attributing its distribution pattern to the influence of the Kuroshio Current. Genetic analyses indicate a closer sequence divergence (5%) to the tropical P. saccharinoides compared to the P. lanx (11%) co-occurring in intertidal rocky shores. This study not only contributes to the understanding of the species' ecology but also underscores the importance of considering both genetic and morphological aspects in the taxonomy of limpets within Patelloida.

This inventory provides a comprehensive list of 286 agriculturally important insect species from cruciferous crops (bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, mustard, radish, rapeseed, and toria), spanning 10 orders: Coleoptera, Dermaptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Neuroptera, Odonata, Orthoptera, and Thysanoptera. These species belong to 53 families, with Coccinellidae comprising the most species (39), followed by Syrphidae (22) and Apidae (20). Functional diversity analysis highlights that foliage feeders dominate the pest category (52%), while nymphaladult predators make up the majority of natural enemies (45%). Larval parasitoids and pupal parasitoids account for 27% and 10%, respectively. Hymenoptera (51%) leads among pollinators, followed by Lepidoptera (21%) and Diptera (17%). This first-of-its-kind inventory serves as a valuable resource for field entomologists and other stakeholders in pest management and conservation strategies.

Predation of nests by a multitude of terrestrial predators is a major threat to sea turtle populations worldwide. Destruction of eggs decreases hatching success and reduces hatchling recruitment. The 43.5-km beach of Kyparissia Bay in Greece, hosting a large nesting population of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), is subject to heavy nest predation by canids. Over 50% of nests were annually depredated in the 1980s and this triggered in 1992 an intensive long-term nest protection program through which the predation rate was reduced to about 13%. Continuous beach monitoring over decades revealed that nest numbers started to increase after 17-20 years from the onset of nest protection and in recent years reached exponential dimensions. Similarly, yearly tagging of nesting turtles showed, in the last decade, a significant increase in the percentage of neophyte turtles, i.e., those considered to be nesting for the first time. We attribute this extraordinary increase of nests largely to the maturing of hatchlings saved due to the intensive nest protection, since the time lag of 17-20 years falls within the boundaries of the maturation time of Mediterranean loggerheads. Our conclusion is further discussed in relation to the evolution of nest numbers at the nearby predator-free Zakynthos rookery that over the same time frame shows no significant increase of nests, although both populations share the same foraging habitats, and exhibit low nesting interchange, similar temperature regimes and female mortalities.

The Proseriata (Platyhelminthes) order represents one of the most abundant meiofauna groups in swash zones. Predicting the diversity and distribution of these organisms is challenging due to the presence of cryptic species. For this reason, molecular data have been increasingly integrated into phylogenetic and population analyses to support reliable species identification. Here, we aimed to assess proseriates diversity along the Brazilian coastline and explore connectivity patterns within sandy beaches. To achieve this, we used partial sequences of the 28S rRNA gene from 32 Proseriata specimens collected in Brazil and Florida (USA). We then performed species delimitation and phylogeographic analyses, focusing on the Kata genus. The four delimitation methods were consistent, with slight variation in the number of evolutionary lineages, ranging from seven to eight. Molecular identification revealed species from the genera Nematoplana, Meidiama, Parotoplana, Kata, and Archotoplana present in the samples. Here, two species of Kata were identified in the Brazilian samples, corresponding to K. leroda Marcus, 1950, and a yet unidentified species. For both, the analyses revealed that despite the lack of a larval stage, there might be some gene flow across distant locations due to shared haplotypes among populations separated by ~900 km. Here, we provided the first population genetics study of Proseriata along the Brazilian coast. Our findings offer significant contributions to the molecular taxonomy field and our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics within this relatively understudied meiofauna group.