Article
Entomology
Alessia Farina, Giuseppe Eros Massimino Cocuzza, Pompeo Suma, Carmelo Rapisarda
Summary: To control the invasive whitefly pest and reduce its damage to vegetable crops and ornamental plants, the release of natural enemies has become an important method of biological control. This study evaluated the impact of the mirid predator on the morphology and physiology of eggplants in the presence of whitefly infestations. The results showed that the presence of the predator mitigates the damage caused by whitefly infestations and helps to understand the multitrophic relationships between plants, pests, and natural enemies.
Article
Entomology
Peng Liang, Jie Ning, Wenlu Wang, Pu Zhu, Lianyou Gui, Wen Xie, Youjun Zhang
Summary: This study found that the antioxidant enzymes in Bemisia tabaci MED can help the insect adapt to long-term and short-term high temperatures by eliminating excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Article
Ecology
Pooja Singh, Iker Irisarri, Julian Torres-Dowdall, Gerhard G. Thallinger, Hannes Svardal, Emily Moriarty Lemmon, Alan R. Lemmon, Stephan Koblmueller, Axel Meyer, Christian Sturmbauer
Summary: Cichlid fishes of the tribe Tropheini are an important case of adaptive radiation, showing multiple trophic transitions between herbivory and carnivory in sympatry with other established cichlid lineages. Through a study of the genetic data of 21 Tropheini species, we divided them into seven monophyletic genera and discovered one genus with multiple origins. We found evidence of gene flow among algae grazing genera and among algae browsing genera, but gene flow was restricted between herbivorous and carnivorous genera. Our research highlights Tropheini cichlids as an important model for studying the evolution of trophic specialization and its role in speciation.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhenqi Tian, Chao Ma, Yan Zhang, Hongsong Chen, Xuyuan Gao, Jianying Guo, Zhongshi Zhou
Summary: Low temperatures affect the establishment of newly introduced species, but increased cold tolerance can promote their adaptability. This study found that cold stress improves the accumulation of cryoprotectants and cold tolerance in Ambrosia artemisiifolia, an invasive alien species. Furthermore, feeding on cold-hardened A. artemisiifolia enhances the cold tolerance of its biological control agent, Ophraella communa.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Claire Couch, Justin Sanders, Danielle Sweitzer, Kristen Deignan, Lesley Cohen, Heather Broughton, Sheanna Steingass, Brianna Beechler
Summary: This study describes the bacterial and macroparasite communities in fecal samples from Pacific walruses and found correlations between diet and bacterial community structure, as well as the presence of a specific cestode genus. This suggests that diet plays a role in shaping the parasite and microbial communities of walruses.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Di Li, Heng-Yu Li, Jing-Ru Zhang, Yi-Jie Wu, Shi-Xing Zhao, Shu-Sheng Liu, Li-Long Pan
Summary: This article summarizes the current knowledge on plant defenses against the whitefly Bemisia tabaci and approaches to engineer plant resistance. Physically, plants use trichomes and acylsugars to restrict nutrient extraction by the whitefly. Chemically, toxic secondary metabolites like terpenoids confer resistance to the whitefly in plants. Additionally, the jasmonate (JA) signaling pathway appears to be a major regulator of whitefly resistance in many plants.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tofazzal Islam, Rojana B. Azad, Shamfin H. Kasfy, Arin A. Rahman, Tasnim Z. Khan
Summary: The recent discovery of horizontal gene transfer from plant to whitefly has opened up new possibilities for studying the coevolutionary arms race between plants and insects. This forum focuses on potential biotechnological applications of this discovery.
TRENDS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Jian Hou, Haobo Feng, Menghan Wu
Summary: This study reviews and summarizes the factors that affect biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) and discusses the current gaps in research on the effects of these factors on BEF. A new conceptual model, the generating-presentation model, is introduced to understand how different factors affect BEF systematically. The model demonstrates that the correlation between biodiversity and ecosystem functions involves a cascade process and emphasizes the importance of considering integrated features in BEF-related research.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yan-Bin Wang, Ce Li, Jin-Yang Yan, Tian-Yu Wang, Ya-Lin Yao, Fei-Rong Ren, Jun-Bo Luan
Summary: This study demonstrates the critical role of autophagy in regulating the metabolic interactions between whitefly and two intracellular symbionts. The symbionts evade autophagy in whitefly bacteriocytes by activating the TOR pathway through providing essential nutrients. The findings also provide insights into the cellular basis of bacteriocyte evolution and symbiosis persistence in the whitefly.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andreas Harer, Daniel Bolnick, Diana J. Rennison
Summary: The study investigated genomic signatures of divergence across populations of threespine stickleback that adapted to benthic or limnetic ecological niches. They found that the magnitude and repeatability of genomic signatures of ecological divergence highly depend on the geographic context, with some candidate regions identified to be important for adaptation to benthic and limnetic niches.
Article
Plant Sciences
Hui Du, Hong-Xing Xu, Fang Wang, Li-Xin Qian, Shu-Sheng Liu, Xiao-Wei Wang
Summary: This study investigated the molecular mechanisms of Armet protein secreted by whitefly in mediating insect-plant interactions. The researchers found that BtArmet interacted with the tobacco anti-whitefly protein NtCYS6, promoting whitefly performance on tobacco plants through counteracting the negative effects of NtCYS6. These findings provide new insights into whitefly-plant interactions.
Article
Ecology
Philippe S. Munyandamutsa, Wilson L. Jere, Daud Kassam, Austin Mtethiwa
Summary: Local adaptation to the littoral and pelagic zones in two cichlid haplochromine fish species from Lake Kivu was investigated using morphometrics. Cranial variation, inferred jaw mechanics, kinematic transmission of the anterior jaw four-bar linkage, and inferred bite force were all found to exhibit habitat-specific differences. Additionally, sex-specific differences in craniofacial morphology were observed, with males showing longer heads than females in both habitats. Further studies on other Lake Kivu fish species are recommended to explore the observed trophic patterns and their genetic basis of divergences.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Amanda Lopes Ferreira, Josias Correa de Faria, Matheus da Costa Moura, Antonia Lopes de Mendonca Zaidem, Carolina Senhorinho Ramalho Pizetta, Elinea de Oliveira Freitas, Gesimaria Ribeiro Costa Coelho, Jose Francisco Arruda e Silva, Jose Alexandre Freitas Barrigossi, Lucia Vieira Hoffmann, Thiago Livio Pessoa Oliveira de Souza, Francisco Jose Lima Aragao, Patricia Valle Pinheiro
Summary: Common beans are staple food in Brazil. Virus diseases transmitted by whiteflies cause significant crop losses. This study developed genetically modified common bean lines with resistance to whiteflies, which resulted in high mortality rates for the insects. The transgenic plants did not affect non-target organisms. This research provides a foundation for the development of whitefly-tolerant common bean cultivars.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Angelos Amyntas, Emilio Berti, Benoit Gauzens, Georg Albert, Wentao Yu, Alexandra S. Werner, Nico Eisenhauer, Ulrich Brose
Summary: Species-rich communities exhibit higher levels of ecosystem functioning compared with species-poor ones, and this positive relationship strengthens over time. One proposed explanation for this phenomenon is the reduction of niche overlap among plants or animals, which corresponds to increased complementarity and reduced competition. Our findings reveal that increased niche complementarity of plants can steepen the diversity-function relationships, while increasing complementarity among animals during community assembly can also have a positive effect but with considerable variability.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Henry C. Holm, Helen F. Fredricks, Shavonna M. Bent, Daniel P. Lowenstein, Justin E. Ossolinski, Kevin W. Becker, Winifred M. Johnson, Kharis Schrage, Benjamin A. S. Van Mooy
Summary: Global-scale surveys using lipidomics techniques have provided important insights into the functioning of ocean ecosystems. This study analyzed 930 lipid samples from the global ocean and revealed previously unknown characteristics of planktonic lipidomes. The results showed that the unsaturation of fatty acids is constrained by temperature and predicted substantial declines in essential fatty acids in the future, which could have serious effects on fisheries.
Article
Entomology
Jonathan Rodriguez, James Montoya-Lerma, Zoraida Calle
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2015)
Article
Soil Science
S. Montoya-Molina, C. Giraldo-Echeverri, J. Montoya-Lerma, J. Chara, F. Escobar, Z. Calle
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
(2016)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sayra Yady Mina Mejia, Jonathan Rodriguez, James Montoya-Lerma
BIOCONTROL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Viviana Marcela Aya, James Montoya-Lerma, Claudia Echeverri-Rubiano, J. P. Michaud, German Vargas
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2019)
Article
Entomology
Juan Sebastian Gomez-Diaz, James Montoya-Lerma, Vanessa Munoz Valencia
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sandra Milena Valencia-Giraldo, Karen Castano-Quintana, Carolina Giraldo-Echeverri, Inge Armbrecht, James Montoya-Lerma
BIOCONTROL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Diana Carabali-Banguero, James Montoya-Lerma, Arturo Carabali-Munoz
Article
Entomology
Kriss D. Pantoja-Pulido, Jonathan Rodriguez, Jose H. Isaza-Martinez, Margarita Gutierrez-Cabrera, Ana J. Colmenares-Dulcey, James Montoya-Lerma
Article
Entomology
S. Sandoval-Arango, H. Cardenas Henao, J. Montoya-Lerma
Article
Entomology
Vanessa Munoz-Valencia, Kirsi Kahkonen, James Montoya-Lerma, Fernando Diaz
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2020)
Book Review
Entomology
Anderson Arenas-Clavijo, James Montoya-Lerma
REVISTA COLOMBIANA DE ENTOMOLOGIA
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Bryan Ospina-Jara, Jonathan Rodriguez, James Montoya-Lerma
Summary: The study found that the small cockroach Attaphila paucisetosa parasitizes in nests of the leafcutter ant Atta cephalotes, recognizes the odor of the ant colony, and uses its small size and attachment abilities to avoid being killed by the ants.
JOURNAL OF INSECT BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Entomology
K. M. Cotazo-Calambas, Andrea Nino-Castro, S. M. Valencia-Giraldo, J. S. Gomez-Diaz, J. Montoya-Lerma
Summary: This study found that medium workers of Atta cephalotes prioritize the removal of contaminants from their bodies over the interaction with the mutualist to minimize the risk to colony's productivity.
JOURNAL OF INSECT BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jefferson Cupitra-Rodriguez, Lorena Cruz-Bernate, James Montoya-Lerma
Summary: Urban expansion affects predation on artificial caterpillars, with higher predation rates in urban areas compared to suburban areas. Predation rates also vary depending on the type of substrate, with higher rates observed on leaves compared to stems.
JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
G. Sotelo, D. S. Ortiz-Giraldo, J. Rodriguez, J. Montoya-Lerma