Zoological Studies最新文献

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.

Symbiotic relationships between polychaetes and marine invertebrates are well-documented, with echinoderms-primary starfish and sea cucumbers-as common hosts and sea urchins being more rarely involved. Although many sea urchins possess venomous spines that are effective defenses and make them suitable hosts for symbionts, the dense packing of these spines difficult hosting symbiotic polychaetes. In this study, we describe two new genera and species of polynoid polychaetes found in association with two different species of sea urchins, collected through dredging from Sagami Bay, Japan. Echinophilia gen. nov. is characterized by an elongated body, 12 pairs of elytra, subdistally inflated antennae and dorsal cirri. Paraechinophilia gen. nov., in contrast, has a non-elongated body, 12 pairs of elytra, not inflated antennae and dorsal cirri. Additionally, we provide insights into their phylogenetic relationships based on four gene sequences (COI, 16S, 18S, and 28S).

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.

Machine learning (ML) constitutes a division of artificial intelligence (AI) that aims to train computers how to perform specific tasks without explicit programming. Traditional ML tools are widely used for classification and identification of animals. However, these methods have some drawbacks because of the extensive manual reliance and the delay in data interpretation. To overcome this, Applied Deep Learning algorithms are used with Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Convolution Neural Network (CNN) models introduced to address species classification, characteristics detection, and pattern recognition tasks helping in accurate identification and classification of animals. In this paper, we have tried to compile and deliver a recent comprehensive information on latest available investigations in the field of life sciences particularly used for animal identification. We have also accentuated the diverse applications of machine learning models including other parameters like, features, accuracy gained, database used and their limitations. The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera; Tenebrionidae) is a prevailing and detrimental secondary insect pest of stored grains along with derived products causing 7% to 35% annual loss. Despite of that, nowdays it is also extensively considered as a model organism for genetic disease investigation. While using it in scientific research, exact sex identification of these insects becomes a crucial preliminary step. Generally, pupal stage is used to sort these insects according to their sex and needs expert humans. It is crucial to employ image processing and ML algorithms to quickly identify gender of this insect which is not done yet. We have used a CNN-based smart technique to recognize and categorize gender differences in T. castaneum using microscopic images in order to build an intelligent system for applied research. For this study, a dataset is created by taking 116 microscopic images of both the dorsal and ventral sides of pupae of two different sexes. In this algorithm, a 2D matrix of feature map is selected sequentially and the maximum value in the matrix is selected to generate a pooled feature map. The Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) activation function is used for the CNN. The classification model has an accuracy between 97 and 98% with an F-score of 0.67. These results demonstrate the robustness of the classification model, which does not rely heavily on manual intervention compared to traditional machine learning (ML) tools and automates the processes of feature extraction and gender classification regardless of the position of the pupae in the images.

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and Asiatic jackal (Canis aureus) are sympatric in many areas of their distribution range. Knowledge of the spatio-temporal niche segregation and habitat status of the species is important for effective conservation planning and management. In the current study, we investigated comparative spatio-temporal patterns of distribution and modeling habitat suitability of red fox and Asiatic jackal, in the Pothwar Plateau. Camera trapping, direct field sighting, recovering dead bodies, den sightings, scats and bioacoustics surveys were conducted from November 2018 to October 2020 to record data from four districts of the Plateau. The time of photos captured from camera traps was used to calculate the coefficient of temporal niche overlap using the overlap package in R software. To model the suitability of habitat, a total of twenty-six types of variables including 19 bioclimatic and seven other environmental variables were used. Results revealed a coefficient of temporal niche overlap between the two canid species as 4 = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.34-0.60. The red fox was found active during late night hours while the Asiatic jackal was found active during dawn and dusk, segregating their temporal niche. Habitat suitability modeling performed well in terms of AUC (0.840 and 0.824) and TSS (0.675 and 0.615) and identified land use and distance to poultry farms as major drivers of habitat suitability for both red fox and Asiatic jackal, respectively. Major factors determining habitat suitability of red fox and Asiatic jackal were land use cover and distance from poultry farms, respectively. Highly suitable habitats of red fox are present in the southern, central, and western parts of the study area while suitable habitat for Asiatic jackal is spread over the entire study area with few pockets of least suitable habitat. Furthermore, habitat suitability modeling revealed that 40.0% and 50.0% area of the Pothwar Plateau is highly suitable for red fox and Asiatic jackal, respectively. The study concludes that both canid species show temporal adjustments for their co-existence and suitable habitat for red fox is predominantly located on the southern side of the study area, whereas Asiatic jackal's suitable habitat is dispersed throughout the entire study area.

The unequivocal identification of species helps us understand and organize life and assess the humanmediated impacts on biodiversity, allowing for an easier way to communicate biological information. However, identifying vertebrates at the species level is sometimes tricky for several reasons; therefore, compiled information and illustrative tools may help tackle this challenge. Even with questionable records, amounting to about 89 species, the state of Rio de Janeiro boasts a rich ophidiofauna with similar species in external morphology, many of which are only known from a few specimens and bear lengthy and complicated taxonomic histories. Here, we present an identification key comprising the snakes in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro and a photographic catalogue for Colubridae and Dipsadidae, the most challenging families to identify due to their high richness and interspecific similarities. Due to the ongoing uncertainty about the richness and composition of snake in Rio de Janeiro, we are presenting an updated checklist of the species found in the state, along with notes on their geographical distributions. We found two species of Anomalepididae, one Typhlopidae, one Leptotyphlopidae, one Tropidophiidae, three Boidae, 15 Colubridae, 62 Dipsadidae, four Elapidae and eight Viperidae, adding up to 97 species. We then provide notable data for Drymarchon corais, Erythrolamprus almadensis, Mesotes rutilus, Oxyrhopus rhombifer, and Tantilla cf. melanocephala. This study makes distinguishing all species ascribed to Rio de Janeiro easier and offers summarized characteristics accessible to academic zoologists, wildlife managers, eco-tourists, and environmental consultants. As a result, our research adds to the efforts of numerous researchers who, in a pioneering and collaborative manner, work together to gather knowledge about this ophidiofauna.

We present the first description of female adult and larva of Phyllocycla basidenta Dunkle 1987 (Anisoptera: Gomphidae), collected in northwestern Argentina. The female and larva are described in detail, with diagnostic features that differentiate P. basidenta from other species like P. argentina and P. viridipleuris. Larvae of P. basidenta inhabit sandy-bottomed rivers alongside P. argentina. Additionally, we predict the potential distribution of both species using Ecological Niche Models under current and future climate scenarios. The models suggest that suitable habitats may shift to higher altitudes under moderate climate change, but significant losses are expected under severe warming scenarios. Climate change may threaten Phyllocycla basidenta and P. argentina as its suitable habitats could shift to higher elevations. Conservation strategies should prioritize areas projected to become suitable under future conditions.

The diversity of functional traits can be evaluated by analyzing an individual's morphological, physiological, and behavioral attributes, revealing the effect of environmental filters on communities. However, the role of different spatial scales in environmental evaluation over ecological attributes is complex and poorly studied in tadpole communities. Here, we investigated the association between micro (local) and macro (landscape) variables and the morphological traits of tadpoles in the southern region of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We sampled 28 waterbodies (ponds and streams) and evaluated 2861 individuals of 22 anuran species. Our sampling reached a wide geographic area across three states in southern Brazil. We measured the physicochemical characteristics of the water, as well as microhabitat and landscape environmental descriptors. Eighteen morphological traits were evaluated in individuals for each tadpole species. We performed RLQ and fourth-corner analyses to determine the patterns of trait-environment relationships and the local and landscape variables that influence the morphological characteristics of tadpoles. We found that morphological traits are mainly associated with physicochemical and microhabitat attributes and are distinct between ponds and streams. In ponds, tadpole traits exhibited greater association with water depth, pH, and the presence of vegetation, whereas in streams they were driven by several water physicochemical components and microhabitat composition. Our results indicate that local components of habitat (water characteristics and microhabitat) have a greater influence over functional traits of tadpoles than landscape in both ponds and streams. Furthermore, we also found possible adjustments in the functional traits of tadpoles related to the physicochemical characteristics of the water and microhabitat.

The Smallscale Croaker, Boesemania microlepis, is a valuable fishery resource in the Mekong River basin that lacks clear biological data to understand its basic ecology and conservation management priorities. This species is common in the southernmost floodplain of the Mekong which extends from Tonlé Sap in Cambodia to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. This floodplain is of particular biodiversity conservation concern because of the many upstream dams that restrict water flow in an ecology that relies heavily on a flood-pulse cycle. The literature regarding the biology B. microlepis in this region contains conflicting ideas that populations are both highly localized and exhibit extensive migratory behavior. We used restriction-site associated DNA to test the hypothesis that localized populations exist in the southernmost floodplain of the Mekong basin. Our data indicates high connectivity among seven sites sampled in this region supporting overall panmixia. Our results suggest a potential upstream source of propagules for this floodplain and the need for further research to clarify mechanisms driving gene flow.