Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ales Bucek, Menglin Wang, Jan Sobotnik, Simon Hellemans, David Sillam-Dusses, Nobuaki Mizumoto, Petr Stiblik, Crystal Clitheroe, Tomer Lu, Juan Jose Gonzalez Plaza, Alma Mohagan, Jean-Jacques Rafanomezantsoa, Brian Fisher, Michael S. Engel, Yves Roisin, Theodore A. Evans, Rudolf Scheffrahn, Thomas Bourguignon
Summary: This study inferred the phylogenetic tree of Kalotermitidae using mitochondrial genomes and revealed that early-diverging kalotermitid lineages had disjunctions predating the breakup of Gondwana. Most of the disjunctions between biogeographic realms occurred in the last 50 million years, indicating that transoceanic and human-mediated dispersals have driven the global distribution of Kalotermitidae. The study also suggests that early-diverging kalotermitids had the ability to forage among multiple wood pieces.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Tomonari Nozakil, Masaru Hojo, Toshihisa Yashiro, Kenji Matsuura
Summary: This study presents the first record of the termite Pericapritermes nitobei on the Motobu Peninsula of Okinawa Island, suggesting that termites can potentially be introduced outside their native ranges through human activities.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria Chiara Rosace, Martina Cendoya, Giulia Mattion, Antonio Vicent, Andrea Battisti, Giacomo Cavaletto, Lorenzo Marini, Vittorio Rossi
Summary: World trade has led to an increased risk of introducing non-indigenous pests. However, the lack of historical data on pest introductions poses a challenge. By collecting and compiling data from various sources, a comprehensive dataset on pest introductions in the EU has been created, providing a basis for understanding the factors associated with the likelihood of pest introductions.
Article
Ecology
Alok Bang, Franck Courchamp
Summary: The recent surge in the edible insect market has led to industrialization and intensification without adequate regulatory policies, potentially resulting in new biological invasions. It is necessary to strengthen monitoring and regulation to prevent this outcome.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Agnieszka Sendek, Marco Baity-Jesi, Florian Altermatt, Martin K. -F Bader, Andrew M. Liebhold, Rebecca M. Turner, Alain Roques, Hanno Seebens, Piet Spaak, Christoph Vorburger, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff
Summary: Non-native insect species are under-represented in freshwater habitats compared to terrestrial habitats. This pattern is consistent across different regions. Our study contributes to understanding the drivers and impacts of biological invasions.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Menglin Wang, Simon Hellemans, Jan Sobotnik, Jigyasa Arora, David Sillam-Dusses, Crystal Clitheroe, Tomer Lu, Nathan Lo, Michael S. Engel, Yves Roisin, Theodore A. Evans, Thomas Bourguignon
Summary: Termites, social cockroaches distributed in warm temperate and tropical ecosystems, have a distribution shaped by vicariance and overseas dispersal. Through studying the historical biogeography of three early diverging termite families, it was found that their distribution was influenced by over-water dispersals and land bridges.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jiaqiang Zhao, Ke Hu, Ke Chen, Juan Shi
Summary: This study analyzed the records of intercepted pests from wood packaging materials from 2003 to 2016 in the China Port Information Network (CPIN) database. It was found that the number of interceptions increased annually, with most pests originating from Asia, particularly xylophagous insects from Southeast Asian countries and nematodes from Korea, Australia, Mexico, and other countries. The findings suggest the need for continued improvement of inspection procedures and international trade policies to prevent the spread of exotic pests.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Fabiano Sillo, Matteo Garbelotto, Luana Giordano, Paolo Gonthier
Summary: In Italy, significant hybridization is occurring between the invasive North American fungal plant pathogen Heterobasidion irregulare and its Eurasian sister species H. annosum. The study sequenced and compared the whole genomes of nine natural hybrids with their parental species, revealing genetic relationships and levels of admixture. Findings suggest that hybridization can lead to adaptive introgression, increasing fitness in certain genotypes.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Carla Cristina Gestich, Geanne Conceicao de Souza, Clarissa Rosa, Marcelo Passamani, Erica Hasui, Rogerio Grassetto Teixeira da Cunha
Summary: Habitat loss, fragmentation, and invasive species are the main causes of biodiversity loss. In the Atlantic Forest, the native species Callithrix aurita is threatened by habitat modification and the invasion of the non-native species Callithrix jacchus. Landscape variables and the distance to roads influence the presence of both species, with C. aurita occurring in higher altitudes and less urbanized areas, while C. jacchus is found in urbanized areas, mostly in non-mountainous terrain. Conservation measures should focus on regions where C. aurita is more present and the negative influence of C. jacchus is still limited.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ewelina Zielinska, Urszula Pankiewicz, Monika Sujka
Summary: Edible insects as a novel food source are being researched for their potential use in traditional products, with enriched muffins showing increased protein content, antioxidant capacity, and lower glycemic index. Consumers have positively accepted the enriched muffins, indicating a potential market for insect-fortified food products. Further studies are needed to explore the effects of insect addition on the biological activity of food in vivo.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Jakovos Demetriou, Christos Georgiadis, Angeliki F. Martinou, Helen E. Roy, James K. Wetterer, Lech Borowiec, Evan P. Economo, Kostas A. Triantis, Sebastian Salata
Summary: This article reviews the alien ant species found on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, which has significant biodiversity. The study highlights the severe consequences of invasive alien ants on native biodiversity and provides information on the species, their geographic origin, and their impact. The research emphasizes the importance of early detection, monitoring, and management efforts to mitigate the negative effects on biodiversity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luke Kemp, David C. Aldridge, Olaf Booy, Hilary Bower, Des Browne, Mark Burgmann, Austin Burt, Andrew A. Cunningham, Malcolm Dando, Jaimie T. A. Dick, Christopher Dye, Sam Weiss Evans, Belinda Gallardo, H. Charles J. Godfray, Ian Goodfellow, Simon Gubbins, Lauren A. Holt, Kate E. Jones, Hazem Kandil, Phillip Martin, Mark McCaughan, Caitriona McLeish, Thomas Meany, Kathryn Millett, Sean S. OhEigeartaigh, Nicola J. Patron, Catherine Rhodes, Helen E. Roy, Gorm Shackelford, Derek Smith, Nicola Spence, Helene Steiner, Lalitha S. Sundaram, Silja Voeneky, John R. Walker, Harry Watkins, Simon Whitby, James Wood, William J. Sutherland
Summary: Multiple national and international trends and drivers are reshaping the meaning of biological security for the United Kingdom. The UK Biological Security Strategy recognizes the importance of research in this field, and a structured approach involving expert elicitation has identified 80 policy-relevant research questions to guide future efforts in biological security.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kehui Huang, Hao Huang, Tiecheng Gu, Bo Wang, Chengwu Lou
Summary: Tropical cyclones can transport birds and insects from tropical regions to areas along their paths. A polarimetric radar was used to observe biological scatterers, likely birds and insects, in the eye of super Typhoon Lekima before landfall. The characteristics of these scatterers included low reflectivity factor, low correlation coefficient, large differential reflectivity, and widely distributed differential phase. This study's findings help us understand how typhoons can transport biological matter and affect ecosystems.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Clara Marino, Camille Leclerc, Celine Bellard
Summary: The study found that some insular vertebrates are threatened by IAS, with threatened amphibians hosting 50% of functional richness and birds hosting up to 29%. Groups threatened by IAS have higher functional richness compared to those threatened by other threats. Birds, lizards, and mammals are more likely to be terrestrial foragers, while amphibians are more likely to have larval development.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Jakovos Demetriou, Christos Georgiadis, Evangelos Koutsoukos, Lech Borowiec, Sebastian Salata
Summary: This article provides an updated overview of the alien ant fauna in Greece through extensive literature investigation and material examination. Alien ant species are mainly found in anthropogenic habitats, but a significant percentage has managed to spread into forest and semi-natural areas.
Article
Entomology
T. Konishi, K. Matsuura
Summary: Kings and queens play a key role in maintaining high aggression levels of termite workers and soldiers toward non-nestmate intruders, with colonies lacking royalty showing lower aggression levels. This suggests that social conditions, including royal presence, can influence intercolonial interactions.
Article
Entomology
Toshihisa Yashiro, Sachiyo Sanada-Morimura
Summary: The white-bellied planthopper, S. pacificus, is an important pest of crops and has recently appeared in Asia. This study reports the first record of S. pacificus in mainland Japan and confirms its identification through morphological and molecular analysis. Although crop damage in temperate regions has not been reported yet, monitoring of crops in Asia, including temperate regions, should be conducted due to the wide range of host plants and potential for future expansion of this species.
ENTOMOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Matthew T. Kamiyama, Kenji Matsuura, Toshimitsu Hata, Tsuyoshi Yoshimura, Chin-Cheng Scotty Yang
Summary: The study deployed fresh and frozen H. halys egg masses in Kyoto, Japan to determine the species composition, phenology, and efficiency of egg parasitoids in the native region. The results revealed insights on the abundance and parasitism rates of native H. halys parasitoids, with Trissolcus japonicus having the highest parasitism rate.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tomonari Nozaki, Shuji Shigenobu
Summary: It has been discovered that aphid bacteriocytes exhibit hyper polyploidy, with different ploidy levels observed in different developmental stages and sexes of aphids. This finding provides a foundation for understanding the functional roles and biological significance of insect bacteriocyte polyploidy.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Entomology
T. Inagaki, T. Nozaki, K. Matsuura
Summary: The symbiotic relationship between lower termites and their gut microbes changes dynamically during caste differentiation.
Article
Virology
Chih-Chi Lee, Hung-Wei Hsu, Chun-Yi Lin, Nicolas Gustafson, Kenji Matsuura, Chow-Yang Lee, Chin-Cheng Scotty Yang
Summary: In this study, a transcriptomic database was generated for the yellow crazy ant to identify RNA viruses and characterize their genomes. Multiple virus species were discovered, including the polycipivirus AgrV-3, which showed high genetic diversity and evolved following the quasispecies model. The viral pathogen hotspot of the ant was found in Southeast Asia, consistent with its native range, and multiple virus species were prevalent in field colonies, possibly linked to the ant's social organization.
Article
Ecology
Yasuyuki Komagata, Yu Fukasawa, Kenji Matsuura
Summary: There is a unique symbiotic relationship between subterranean termites and the sclerotium-forming fungus Athelia termitophila, where the fungus forms termite-egg-mimicking sclerotia called 'termite balls'. The research shows that Athelia termitophila is competitive against other wood-decay fungi at low temperatures. Further studies are needed to understand this relationship.
Article
Biology
Takao Konishi, Eisuke Tasaki, Mamoru Takata, Kenji Matsuura
Summary: Caste-based reproductive division of labour in social insects is based on asymmetries in resource allocation within colonies. Kings and queens consume limited resources for reproduction, while non-reproductive castes help reproductive castes. Studying the regulation of resource allocation is crucial for understanding insect sociality, although the molecular background is poorly understood.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Yuki Mitaka, Toshiharu Akino, Kenji Matsuura
Summary: Termites play an important role in the natural environment as decomposers. To establish a stable termite breeding method, it is necessary to develop a standard medium for each termite species. In this study, a standard medium called brown-rotted pinewood mixed cellulose (BPC) medium was developed for culturing the termite Reticulitermes speratus.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mamoru Takata, Takao Konishi, Shuya Nagai, Yao Wu, Tomonari Nozaki, Eisuke Tasaki, Kenji Matsuura
Summary: Overwintering is vital for species in cold regions. This study discovered an underground chamber used by termite kings and queens to survive the winter. The chamber is separate from their breeding chamber. The results revealed the survival strategies of termites at the latitudinal limits.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Y. Mitaka, E. L. Vargo
Summary: Termites are both decomposers in ecosystems and pests of wooden buildings. Researchers have developed two media for rearing American termite species, using winged elm and loblolly pine. The results show that these media can be used for colony foundation and rearing workers, and the BPC medium is more suitable for R. virginicus workers. These new media will contribute to the maintenance of termite colonies in the laboratory.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eisuke Tasaki, Yuki Mitaka, Yutaka Takahashi, A. S. M. Waliullah, Zinat Tamannaa, Takumi Sakamoto, Ariful Islam, Masaki Kamiya, Tomohito Sato, Shuhei Aramaki, Kenji Kikushima, Makoto Horikawa, Katsumasa Nakamura, Tomoaki Kahyo, Mamoru Takata, Mitsutoshi Setou, Kenji Matsuura
Summary: Society in eusocial insects is based on reproductive division of labor, with sterile members providing special food to kings and queens through discriminative trophallaxis. The composition of the special food differs between kings and queens. Analysis of food contents and digestive system structures reveals specific compounds and differences in digestive division of labor among castes. These findings shed light on the extraordinary reproduction and longevity of royals in eusocial insects.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tomonari Nozaki, Yuuki Kobayashi, Shuji Shigenobu
Summary: This study reports the first discovery of the cedar bark aphid in Japan, which is native to the East Mediterranean region and has been introduced to multiple countries. The researchers found that the Japanese populations of this aphid species have the same mitochondrial COI sequences as populations in the USA, Canada, and some European countries, and they also carry the same strain of Wolbachia. Additionally, it was observed that these aphids are capable of overwintering in Japan.
BIOINVASIONS RECORDS
(2022)
