Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Carole L. Crumley
Summary: How can the disintegration of ecosystems be halted and rehabilitated? Scholars must increase expertise, gather disappearing data, analyze with new methods, and apply actionable science to policy. The historical ecology framework constructs evidence-validated narratives of ecosystem evolution and transformation.
Article
Biology
Vlad Dinca, Leonardo Dapporto, Panu Somervuo, Raluca Voda, Sylvain Cuvelier, Martin Gascoigne-Pees, Peter Huemer, Marko Mutanen, Paul D. N. Hebert, Roger Vila
Summary: Access to comprehensive DNA barcode libraries at continental scale is crucial for the study of global biodiversity. The assembly of a high-resolution reference library for European butterflies provides valuable insights into haplotype diversity and the need for further taxonomic research. This dataset opens up new opportunities for conservation, evolutionary studies, and understanding biogeographic patterns in European butterflies.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Oscar Gordo, Lluis Brotons, Sergi Herrando, Gabriel Gargallo
Summary: Research indicates that urban birds did not increase their probability of occurrence during the lockdown, but their detectability did increase, especially during the early morning. This suggests that urban birds have a high level of behavioral plasticity to rapidly adjust to novel environmental conditions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
C. Michael Wagner, Jason D. D. Bals, Gregory J. J. Byford, Anne M. M. Scott, Mikaela E. E. Feder
Summary: Understanding how invasive animals perceive and respond to predation threats is crucial to comprehend their successful invasion into new environments. In this study, we investigated the behavioral and olfactory responses of migrating sea lamprey to a conspecific alarm cue, and found that they exhibited threat-sensitivity in space-use by avoiding areas with higher concentrations of the alarm cue. The intensity of avoidance was greater in the field than in the laboratory.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
John H. Armstrong, Andy J. Kulikowski, Stacy M. Philpott
Summary: The study found that there is a substantial abundance and diversity of arthropods underneath ground-mounted solar arrays in urban area parking lots, and arrays integrated with vegetation have significantly greater arthropod abundance and more detritivores, parasitoids, and family richness.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martin J. Whiting, Brenden S. Holland, J. Scott Keogh, Daniel W. A. Noble, Katrina J. Rankin, Devi Stuart-Fox
Summary: The study found that Jackson's chameleons introduced to Hawaii experienced pronounced character release of color signals, displaying more conspicuous social color signals during male contests and courtship, being less cryptic in response to bird and snake predators, and showing greater change between display and antipredator color states.
Article
Ecology
Emily E. Leonard, Amanda M. Mast, Charles P. Hawkins, Karin M. Kettenring
Summary: This study examined the differences in arthropod assemblages between native and invasive vegetation in the Great Salt Lake wetlands, finding minimal differences between Phragmites and two native habitats, while significant differences were observed with the native pickleweed. Understanding the interactions between arthropods and different vegetation types is crucial for effective wetland management for bird habitat.
Article
Entomology
Gaylord A. Desurmont, Arnaud Blanchet
Summary: Flowers can serve as an important food source for leaf-feeding insects, including the invasive viburnum leaf beetle (VLB). In the absence of their preferred young leaves, VLB larvae are observed to feed on viburnum inflorescences. However, feeding solely on inflorescences negatively affects VLB larval performance, leading to decreased survival rate, reduced adult mass, and prolonged developmental time. These findings highlight the significance of dietary plasticity for herbivorous insects and suggest that the adoption of novel host plants may be facilitated by dietary flexibility.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Cristobal Briceno, Daniela Marcone, Matilde Larraechea, Hector Hidalgo, Fernando Fredes, Galia Ramirez-Toloza, Gonzalo Cabrera
Summary: Zoonotic Cryptosporidium meleagridis was found in invasive monk parakeets from Santiago, Chile. The presence of oocysts in nestlings' feces was confirmed, and the 18S ribosomal RNA gene was sequenced. This highlights the need for continuous pathogen monitoring in synanthropic species with global distribution.
ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yong Zhang, Yu-kun Zhang, Zhe Li
Summary: Productive cities are crucial for achieving urban sustainable development, and food production should be prioritized. Aquaponics, a safe and healthy green technology, has the potential to combine urban buildings and plant cultivation. In this study, a new aquaponics system model was proposed, which addressed the existing issues by adding macroalgae. The experiment showed that the system had a strong self-regulation ability.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Pablo Capilla-Lasheras, Megan J. Thompson, Alfredo Sanchez-Tojar, Yacob Haddou, Claire J. Branston, Denis Reale, Anne Charmantier, Davide M. Dominoni
Summary: Cities pose a major ecological challenge for wildlife worldwide. Recent meta-analysis of avian literature shows that urban populations have higher levels of phenotypic variation in reproductive traits, such as lay date and clutch size, compared to non-urban populations. Urban populations also reproduce earlier and have smaller broods than their non-urban counterparts.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jason A. Rothman, Kevin J. Loope, Quinn S. McFrederick, Erin E. Wilson Rankin
Summary: The study found that the invasive social wasp V. pensylvanica is associated with specific bacterial genera and endosymbionts in its microbiome, as well as bee-associated taxa. Additionally, the wasp commonly harbors Moku virus, but this infection does not correlate with microbial diversity in a meaningful way.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Claire Moen, J. Chadwick Johnson, Jennifer Hackney Price
Summary: The steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) controls molting in arthropods and its production is influenced by environmental factors. The relationship between 20E levels and spiderling development under different temperatures was examined in the Western black widow spider. It was found that high temperatures influenced 20E levels and had negative effects on spiderling development. Differential effects of temperature on pre-molt and intermolt 20E titers suggest distinct hormonal mechanisms underlying the physiological response to heat in spiders.
Article
Ecology
Monika Weber, Tim Diekoetter, Anke C. Dietzsch, Silvio Erler, Henri Greil, Tobias Juette, Andre Krahner, Jens Pistorius
Summary: This study found that flower-rich habitats in cities are beneficial for most wild bee groups, while impervious surface has a varying impact on different bee groups at a smaller scale. Future investigations should consider different scales and bee traits to assess urban habitat quality for bees effectively.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yingqiang Lou, Qingshan Zhao, Yunbiao Hu, Lijun Chen, Pengfei Liu, Yun Fang, Huw Lloyd, Yuehua Sun
Summary: In this study, the researchers investigate how a female bird's personality traits, such as activity and breathing rate, can influence nest site selection at different spatial scales. They also examine the impact of nest site characteristics and female personality traits on clutch size and nest success during incubation. The findings reveal that activity and breathing rate are not associated with large-scale nesting habitat variables. However, at a smaller scale, more active females tend to choose nest sites with better lateral concealment. Females with higher breathing rates lay smaller clutch sizes, while those with lower breathing rates have higher nest success during incubation. This research highlights the link between personality and nest site selection in birds, and emphasizes the important role of female personality traits in reproductive success.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emily R. Burdfield-Steel, Jutta M. Schneider, Johanna Mappes, Susanne Dobler
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Nelli Lissowsky, Simona Kralj-Fiser, Jutta M. Schneider
Summary: Variation in life-history traits within a population is influenced by genetic, maternal, and environmental factors. This study found that family-specific effects play a significant role in the variability of recorded life-history traits in females of the sexually size dimorphic spider Trichonephila senegalensis. Females from different habitats exhibited differences in development time and adult weight, and environmental conditions also affected life-history decisions made by females.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Biographical-Item
Psychology, Biological
Jutta M. Schneider
Article
Ecology
Simona Kralj-Fiser, Jutta M. Schneider, Matjaz Kuntner, Kate Laskowski, Francisco Garcia-Gonzalez
Summary: Genetic differences in aggression, activity, and exploration were found between sexes in a sexually size-dimorphic spider species, while no differences were observed in boldness. However, the high degree of uncertainty in the estimates prevents a robust conclusion on sex differences in genetic influences.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Moritz Gerbaulet, Anton Moellerke, Katharina Weiss, Satya Chinta, Jutta M. Schneider, Stefan Schulz
Summary: Emerging evidence suggests that spiders have structurally more diverse cuticular and silk lipids compared to insects, and these lipids may serve as signals. The wasp spider has the most well-studied chemical communication system in spiders, and kin-recognition in this species is mediated through cuticular compounds consisting of hydrocarbons and wax esters. Chemical profiles of male and female spiders differ, with tridecyl 2,4-dimethyl-C17-19 alkanoates being the major component in males and slightly longer tridecyl 2,4-dimethyl-C19-21 alkanoates in females.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mateusz Glenszczyk, David Outomuro, Matjaz Gregoric, Simona Kralj-Fiser, Jutta M. Schneider, Dan-Eric Nilsson, Nathan Morehouse, Cynthia Tedore
Summary: The research demonstrates that female jumping spiders have maximal sensitivity to ultraviolet and green colors, but lack sensitivity to red. The results indicate that red patches are barely distinguishable from black to females, but may differ from low-luminance green. Additionally, an iridescent UV patch was unexpectedly discovered.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katharina Weiss, Jutta M. Schneider
Summary: The study shows that female A. bruennichi spiders increase their pheromone release as they age and approach oviposition, which may be a strategic behavior to attract males. The release of pheromones is also dependent on the condition of the females, indicating the presence of physiological costs. Male spiders use the quantity of pheromones as the sole predictor of female attractiveness.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Katharina Weiss, Jutta M. Schneider
Summary: Sex pheromones are important for species and sex recognition as well as mate assessment and choice. Only high-quality individuals should be able to produce high-quality sexual signals according to honest signalling theory. In this study, the authors tested this prediction in female wasp spiders and found that food stress significantly reduced the amount of pheromone produced.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alfonso Aceves-Aparicio, Donald James McLean, Zoe Wild, Jutta M. Schneider, Marie E. Herberstein
Summary: This study provides the first detailed description of the novel retreat building strategy of the tree trunk jumping spider, Arasia mullion. These spiders build silk retreats on the exposed surface of tree trunks and decorate them with bark debris. These findings contribute to our understanding of the ecological role of tree trunk jumping spiders in challenging habitats.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Bharat Parthasarathy, Michelle Mueller, Trine Bilde, Jutta M. Schneider
Summary: Task specialization is important for social success, but in social spiders, individual traits do not determine specific task participation. Instead, hunger state is the key factor influencing prey capture.
Article
Biology
Peter M. Kappeler, Sarah Benhaiem, Claudia Fichtel, Lutz Fromhage, Oliver P. Hoener, Michael D. Jennions, Sylvia Kaiser, Oliver Krueger, Jutta M. Schneider, Cristina Tuni, Jaap van Schaik, Wolfgang Goymann
Summary: In species with separate sexes, females and males often have different characteristics and behaviors that are linked to reproductive competition, mate choice, and parental care. The variation in adult sex ratio (ASR) is found to be a key factor influencing sex roles within and across species. This article discusses the historical emergence of the sex role concept, reviews the different sex ratios with a focus on ASR, and examines the causes and consequences of biased ASRs on various aspects of animal behavior and physiology, emphasizing the sensitivity of animals to local ASR variation on short timescales.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bharat Parthasarathy, Michelle Bouchard, Jutta M. Schneider
Summary: Extended phenotypes engineered by animals can improve safety and foraging. This study examines the trade-off between safety and foraging in spider extended phenotypes and finds that starved spider colonies trade-off retreat silk investment for capture web investment.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alfonso Aceves-Aparicio, Ajay Narendra, Donald James McLean, Elizabeth C. Lowe, Marcelo Christian, Jonas O. Wolff, Jutta M. Schneider, Marie E. Herberstein
Summary: This article focuses on the behavioral analysis of the Australian ant-slayer spider Euryopis umbilicata, which is capable of capturing larger and defended Camponotus ants on vertical tree trunks. The study reveals that this spider exhibits a high level of acrobatic ability and ritualized hunting steps, resulting in an exceptionally high prey capture success rate.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bharat Parthasarathy, Marlis Dumke, Marie E. Herberstein, Jutta M. Schneider
Summary: Cooperation should only occur when the benefits outweigh the costs. The subsocial spider Australomisidia ergandros exhibits consistent cooperation and defection strategies during foraging. Cooperative individuals share prey, while defectors do not. By constructing experimental kin-colonies, it was found that pure cooperative groups had higher success in hunting and lower mortality compared to pure defector groups. Male spiders were found to cooperate more frequently than females.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Katharina Weiss, Jutta M. Schneider
Summary: This study examined kin recognition behavior in the orb-weaver spider and found a chemical signal-based mechanism for kin recognition. Males showed a preference for mating with sisters over leaving, possibly due to the ability to recognize relatives through specific cuticular substances.
