Article
Biology
Stuart K. J. R. Auld, June Brand, Luc F. Bussiere
Summary: Epidemics can lead to declines in host population genetic diversity, and this can have long-term effects on the evolution of resistance and subsequent epidemic sizes. However, the loss of genetic diversity can also make hosts more vulnerable to future epidemics. The presence of diapausing life stages in many host organisms further complicates this relationship, as they allow for host dispersal through time and can affect host genetic diversity and future epidemics. In a study on Daphnia magna and its bacterial parasite Pasteuria ramosa, researchers found that early initiation of diapause led to increased host genetic diversity and reduced epidemic sizes in the following year, regardless of environmental disturbance.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Andre Guimaraes, Ricardo Vieira, Ana Vieira
Summary: This study examined gall development in a dioecious plant species in the neotropical region, finding that gall formation only occurred in male individuals and led to morphological changes in the leaf blades. The research also revealed sex-biased development in the plant, with variations in metabolic compounds like phenolics and flavonoids potentially inhibiting gall development in female individuals.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Chiara Bertoncello, Irene Amoruso, Ughetta Moscardino, Marco Fonzo, Mahendra Maharjan, Alessandra Buja, Vincenzo Baldo, Silvia Cocchio, Tatjana Baldovin
Summary: The study revealed a high IPI prevalence rate in rural Nepal, with school-age girls being more infected than boys. Gender discrimination, low school attendance, and heavy work in agriculture were factors contributing to the higher infection rate among young women.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Andre Morrill, O. K. Nielsen, U. Stenkewitz, G. R. Palsdottir, M. R. Forbes, K. Skirnisson
Summary: The study found that host traits and coinfecting parasites have significant impacts on parasitism by focal species, with the combination of both providing a more accurate explanation of parasitic variation. Spurious relations were identified, but were removed when considering concurrent parasitism. The effects of host traits and coinfecting parasites on focal parasitism varied depending on the focal parasite and its group.
Article
Entomology
Lauren Stead, Stephen B. Heard, Robert C. Johns
Summary: The spruce budworm is a significant pest in North American boreal forests, with females laying eggs on both balsam fir and black spruce. Parasitism rates and larval survival were shown to be higher on balsam fir than on black spruce, especially when larvae emerged synchronized with host budburst. This suggests that egg laying on both hosts may be a strategy to balance trade-offs between higher parasitism and foliage quality on different host species.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
August Danz, C. Alisha Quandt
Summary: Diatoms are important producers of oxygen and food in aquatic systems, while chytrids play significant roles in aquatic ecosystems. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding parasitism by chytrids on diatoms, and more research is needed to understand their interactions and impacts.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Macy J. J. Kailing, Joseph R. R. Hoyt, J. Paul White, Heather M. M. Kaarakka, Jennifer A. A. Redell, Ariel E. E. Leon, Tonie E. E. Rocke, John E. E. DePue, William H. H. Scullon, Katy L. L. Parise, Jeffrey T. T. Foster, A. Marm Kilpatrick, Kate E. E. Langwig
Summary: Demographic factors, such as age and sex, have a significant impact on infectious disease dynamics. In this study, we investigated the sex-biased infections in bats with white-nose syndrome and explored the potential mechanisms underlying the differences in infection between sexes. We found that females were more infected than males, and this may be due to sex-based differences in autumn mating behavior.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Patrick A. Clay, Michael H. Cortez, Meghan A. Duffy
Summary: The likelihood of an individual becoming infected depends on the community it is in, where host community composition can change host and parasite density as well as host exposure dose. Nonlinear relationships between exposure dose, infectivity, mortality, and parasite excretion affect the impact of host interactions on infectious propagule density and infection prevalence in multi-host communities.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Annika Herrero, Cornelya F. C. Klutsch, Katja Holmala, Simo N. Maduna, Alexander Kopatz, Hans Geir Eiken, Snorre B. Hagen
Summary: This study analyzed the dispersal patterns of Eurasian lynx in southern Finland, showing a male-biased dispersal and female philopatry. Female genetic structuring increased from west to east within the study area. Detection of male-biased dispersal was influenced by analytical methods, genetic structuring consideration, and population delineation.
Article
Immunology
Daisuke Mizushima, Yui Shintani, Misao Takano, Daisuke Shiojiri, Naokatsu Ando, Takahiro Aoki, Koji Watanabe, Takato Nakamoto, Hiroyuki Gatanaga, Shinichi Oka
Summary: This study prospectively assessed asymptomatic monkeypox virus infections among men who have sex with men in Tokyo, Japan, during the initial phase of the epidemic. The findings suggest that asymptomatic infections may have been underestimated and were comparable in magnitude to symptomatic infections, highlighting the need to improve testing accessibility among high-risk populations.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shuang Shan, Xuan Song, Adel Khashaveh, Shan-Ning Wang, Zi-Yun Lu, Khalid Hussain Dhiloo, Rui-Jun Li, Yong-Jun Zhang
Summary: This study discovered that the parasitoid wasp Microplitis mediator exhibits selective olfactory recognition behavior towards the sex pheromone of Agrotis segetum. Female wasps showed a specific attraction to key components of the host's sex pheromone. These findings have significant implications for enhancing the utilization of natural enemies and pest control.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher B. Zinck, Prasobh Raveendran Thampy, Ryan O. M. Rego, Dustin Brisson, Nicholas H. Ogden, Maarten Voordouw
Summary: This study compared the infection prevalence and spirochete abundance of different strains of Borrelia burgdorferi in a rodent host. The results showed variations in tissue infection and spirochete load among strains, with differences observed between male and female mice. Furthermore, the study suggests that laboratory-based estimates of pathogen abundance can predict the strain composition of this tick-borne pathogen in nature.
Article
Ecology
Constanti Stefanescu, Pau Colom, Jose Miguel Barea-Azcon, David Horsfield, Benjamin Komac, Adria Miralles, Mark R. Shaw, Andreu Ubach, David Gutierrez
Summary: Parasitism rates and parasitoid richness in the butterfly Aglais urticae were found to be highest in the north and lowest in the south of southwest Europe. The phenological differences in host populations were related to summer drought severity and host plant availability.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Milena Zduniak, Sarah Serafini, Aleksandra Wrobel, Rafal Zwolak
Summary: This study investigated the presence and potential causes of sex bias in ectoparasite infestations in yellow-necked mice. The results showed that male mice had a higher tick burden compared to females, but this difference was driven by their body mass rather than their sex. Additionally, the abundance of ticks and fleas infesting yellow-necked mice varied over time.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Natalia M. Souza, Simon A. Lawson, Helen F. Nahrung
Summary: Gonipterus genus causes significant impact on commercially grown eucalypts in southern Australia and Western Australia. This study surveyed the phenology, species composition, and trophic associations of Gonipterus in South East Queensland, identifying six species of Gonipterus and three species of egg-parasitoid wasps.
AUSTRAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mikael K. Sejr, Kim N. Mouritsen, Dorte Krause-Jensen, Birgit Olesen, Martin Emil Blicher, Jakob Thyrring
Summary: In a study of rocky intertidal communities in a sub-arctic Greenland fjord, physical drivers such as ice scour, wave exposure, and air temperature along with small scale modifying factors like tidal levels, substrate rugosity, and canopy forming macroalgae were found to have significant impacts on community structure and function. Understanding the interactions between these factors is crucial for predicting and managing the biological implications of anthropogenic activities and climate changes.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Gregory A. Kolbasov, Alexandra S. Petrunina, Niklas Dreyer, Andrey A. Prudkovsky, Jorgen Olesen, Benny K. K. Chan, Jens T. Hoeg
Summary: Through laboratory culture of plankton-caught specimens, the study revealed seven naupliar instars for the facetotectan species Hansenocaris itoi, instead of the previously assumed five. The naupliar development is characterized by an increase in size, cuticular plates and armament of the limbs. The presence of seven naupliar instars in Facetotecta challenges previous notions and is also unique in Thecostraca and Hexanauplia.
ORGANISMS DIVERSITY & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Benny K. K. Chan, Niklas Dreyer, Andy S. Gale, Henrik Glenner, Christine Ewers-Saucedo, Marcos Perez-Losada, Gregory A. Kolbasov, Keith A. Crandall, Jens T. Hoeg
Summary: This study presents a comprehensive revision and synthesis of the higher-level classification of barnacles to the genus level, with updated insights from recent phylogenetic studies. The resulting classification divides barnacles into three subclasses, containing a total of 2116 species within 14 orders, 65 families, and 367 genera. The taxonomy is accompanied by a discussion of major morphological events in barnacle evolution and justifications for the proposed rearrangements.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Olga M. Korn, Darya D. Golubinskaya, David J. Rees, Henrik Glenner, Jens T. Hoeg
Summary: A new rhizocephalan species, Lernaeodiscus kasyanovi, was described from Russian waters of the Sea of Japan, differing from another species found on the same host by molecular markers and morphological characteristics. It is the second known example of two rhizocephalan species infesting the same brachyuran species in Peter the Great Bay, with a prevalence not exceeding 2%.
MARINE BIODIVERSITY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Niklas Dreyer, Pei-Che Tsai, Jorgen Olesen, Gregory A. Kolbasov, Jens T. Hoeg, Benny K. K. Chan
Summary: The invasion of novel habitats plays a significant role in promoting adaptive trait evolution in animals. Through studying coral barnacles, researchers found that larvae with spear-shaped antennules exhibit unique behaviors and morphologies during host invasion, which evolved independently in two coral barnacle clades. This adaptive evolution likely occurred over millions of years to overcome challenges associated with invading demanding coral hosts.
Article
Biology
Benny K. K. Chan, Yue Him Wong, Nathan J. Robinson, Jr-Chi Lin, Sing-Pei Yu, Niklas Dreyer, I-Jiung Cheng, Jens T. Hoeg, John D. Zardus
Summary: The epizoic sea turtle barnacle, Chelonibia testudinaria, has evolved the ability for self-directed locomotion as adults, moving up to 78.6 mm yr(-1) on turtle hosts. Their movements are not passively driven by external forces, primarily facilitating feeding, and involve complex mechanisms such as cement secretion and muscle contractions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Editorial Material
Parasitology
Christian Selbach, Kim N. Mouritsen, Robert Poulin, Bernd Sures, Nico J. Smit
Summary: The One Health framework emphasizes the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the environment but often overlooks the significance of aquatic parasites in understanding these interconnections, particularly in the context of environmental changes.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christian Selbach, Loic Marchant, Kim N. Mouritsen
Summary: Fear plays a crucial role in predator-prey interactions and can have cascading impacts on ecosystems. Recent research has shown that hosts and parasites can also exhibit fear effects, but empirical examples are lacking. This study tests whether bivalves can "learn to fear" the infective transmission stages of a parasite and if experienced mussels change their behavior accordingly. The results indicate that previous parasite experiences lead to reduced filtration activity in the presence of the parasite, resulting in lower infection rates.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kim N. Mouritsen, Nina P. Dalsgaard, Sarah B. Flensburg, Josefine C. Madsen, Christian Selbach
Summary: This study demonstrates that blue mussels reduce filtration activity and infection rates in response to the presence of infective stages of the trematode parasite. The parasite-specific avoidance behavior plays a significant role in regulating the ecosystem engineering function of blue mussels in coastal habitats.
Article
Ecology
Fook-Choy Yap, Jens T. Hoeg, Benny K. K. Chan
Summary: This study investigates the mechanisms of larval localization and settlement in the fire coral-associated barnacle Wanella milleporae. The study reveals that the larvae of W. milleporae use specialized antennules with attachment discs to explore and settle on the surface of the fire coral. Interestingly, the stinging polyps of the fire coral do not immobilize the larvae. After settlement, xenogeneic interactions occur between the fire coral and the newly metamorphosed barnacle, enhancing the survival rate of the barnacle.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Editorial Material
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Frederick R. Schram, Mark J. Grygier, Jens T. Hoeg
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Asami Kajimoto, Jens T. Hoeg, Kenji Kato, Yoichi Yusa
Summary: The rhizocephalan Peltogasterella gracilis produces offspring of different sexes in different seasons, possibly as an adaptation to the availability of hosts and conspecific females. The study found that P. gracilis releases female and male larvae based on the availability of unparasitized hosts and virgin externae.
JOURNAL OF CRUSTACEAN BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Gregory A. Kolbasov, Alexandra S. Savchenko, Niklas Dreyer, Benny K. K. Chan, Jens T. Hoeg
Summary: This study uses scanning electron microscopy to describe the fine morphological details of the enigmatic y-larvae of Facetotecta. The authors propose the erection of several new genera based on the presence of different external structural differences in the larvae. This research emphasizes the morphological limits of the genus Hansenocaris and the bauplan of cyprydiform larvae of Facetotecta.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Gregory A. Kolbasov, Alexandra S. Savchenko, Jens T. Hoeg
Summary: A new facetotectan species, Hansenocaris spiridonovi, was discovered in the plankton off Azores Islands. The fine-scale external morphology of this species was documented using scanning electron microscopy. The findings suggest a cosmopolitan distribution of facetotectan larvae and potential pelagic hosts.
ARTHROPODA SELECTA
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Igor S. Plotnikov, Nikolai Aladin, Jens Mossin, Jens T. Hoeg
Summary: The regression and salinization of the Aral Sea, largely caused by water diversion for irrigation, is among the most severe ecological disasters of the 20th century, with severe health and economic consequences for the local population. Introductions of alien species impacted the ecology of the system, leading to declines in native species and eventually the collapse of commercial fisheries due to severe salinization. Conservation efforts have enabled some recovery in the northern Small Aral Sea and resumption of commercial fishing.
ZOOLOGICAL STUDIES
(2021)