Article
Mathematics
Toni Bakhtiar, Ihza Rizkia Fitri, Farida Hanum, Ali Kusnanto
Summary: In this paper, the role of biological control in suppressing pest populations is examined under the framework of integrated pest management. The study develops a nonlinear ordinary differential equations model and explores different strategies for releasing sterile insects and natural enemies to minimize pest density. The results show that proportional release of sterile insects and constant release of natural enemies is the most cost-effective strategy in controlling pest insects, resulting in a 35% reduction in pest population and a 13% increase in plant density.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hanbo Zhao, Hangwei Liu, Yipeng Liu, Chan Wang, Baiwei Ma, Mengjun Zhang, Yan Zhang, Yang Liu, Bin Yang, Sen Wang, Fan Jiang, Hengchao Wang, Anqi Wang, Dong Xu, Guirong Wang, Wei Fan
Summary: In this study, high-quality chromosome-level genome assemblies were generated for two important pests, Mythimna separata and Mythimna loreyi. The analysis revealed the presence of Z and W chromosomes, with fewer genes and more transposable elements found on the W chromosome. The study also identified a recent expansion of long interspersed nuclear elements and a tandem repeat expansion of a-amylase genes in Mythimna. Furthermore, the synthesis pathways of sex pheromones were inferred, providing insights into pheromone communication and promoting the development of a new pest control strategy involving pheromone traps.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Huanhuan Pan, Hongyi Zhao, Likun Ai, Jian Huang, Yang Chen
Summary: This review summarizes research on the structure confirmation, field application, and chemical synthesis of the sex pheromones of the potato tuber moth, proposing an efficient synthesis strategy for the two pheromones.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
J. Christopher D. Terry, Jinlin Chen, Owen T. Lewis
Summary: The study experimentally tested the role of a generalist enemy in promoting the coexistence of competing insect species and found idiosyncratic impacts, without evidence of an overall trade-off between reproductive rate and susceptibility to enemies. Modern coexistence theory proved valuable in multi-trophic contexts, but unable to easily predict the overall impact of generalist natural enemies. The Bayesian approach highlighted the separability issues in model parameters and demonstrated the utility of using the full posterior parameter distribution for understanding species coexistence.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Mathematical & Computational Biology
Mingzhan Huang, Shouzong Liu, Xinyu Song
Summary: This paper proposes a two-sex mosquito population model with stage structure and impulsive releases of sterile males to study large-scale time control and limited-time control of mosquito population in a field. Important conclusions are obtained regarding optimal release timing control being superior to optimal release amount control, while simultaneous optimal selection of release amount and release timing leads to the best control performance.
MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jocelyn G. Millar, Yunfan Zou, David R. Hall, Sean Halloran, Juan A. Pajares, Laura Ponce-Herrero, Tessa Shates, Houston Wilson, Kent M. Daane
Summary: The leaffooted bugs Leptoglossus zonatus and L. occidentalis cause significant damage to tree nut crops in North America and pine seed orchards in North America and Europe, respectively. Males of both species produce a unique sesquiterpene called leptotriene, which attracts both sexes.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Sara Straffon Diaz, Luca Carisio, Aulo Manino, Paolo Biella, Marco Porporato
Summary: The study found that the exotic bee, Megachile sculpturalis, may compete with native bee species for nesting resources and block the emergence of native bees within tunnels. Additionally, the local population of M. sculpturalis showed a male-biased sex ratio, indicating suboptimal reproductive trends. Presence of natural enemies also affected the development of the exotic bee's brood.
Article
Entomology
Jin Miao, Pei Guo, Yunhui Zhang, Xiaoling Tan, Julian Chen, Yaofa Li, Yuqing Wu
Summary: Interspecies competition plays a crucial role in the distribution, quantity, and community structure of insects. This study investigates the effects of high temperature and natural enemies on the competition between two wheat pests in China, revealing their varying growth rates and competitive advantages. The results provide valuable insights into the interspecific competition and ecological mechanisms of dominant species in wheat fields.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Xavier Mesmin, Marion Maret, Marie Vincent, Loic Daniel, Pauline Gardin, Julien Raitif, Vincent Faloya, Anne-Marie Cortesero, Anne Le Ralec
Summary: Ground dwelling predators and parasitoids play a significant role in natural pest control for broccoli pests, reducing pest populations by 37% and 22% respectively. Agricultural practices favoring ground dwelling predators could lead to fewer damage and losses for farmers.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Haoxiang Zhao, Nianwan Yang, Hongkun Huang, Juan Shi, Xiaoqing Xian, Fanghao Wan, Wan-xue Liu
Summary: Plant invasion poses a significant threat to biodiversity, ecosystems, the environment, and human health. Classical biological control is a safer and more environmentally friendly method than chemical controls for managing invasive alien plants. However, the impact of climate change and the importance of climate matching in biocontrol efficiency are often underestimated. This study explores the overlapping areas and ecological niches between Ambrosia artemisiifolia (a common invasive plant) and its two natural enemies under climate change in China. The study reveals that temperature and human influence variables significantly influence the potential habitats of the natural enemies and the invasive plant. Moreover, the control efficiency of the natural enemies against A. artemisiifolia is expected to increase in future climates. The findings provide a new approach for evaluating control efficiency and identifying potential release areas for natural enemies without the need for field release or experimentation. Furthermore, the study has important implications for the classical biocontrol of invasive alien plants worldwide.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jos Kafer, Nicolas Lartillot, Gabriel A. B. Marais, Franck Picard
Summary: The SDpop method is able to infer sex-linkage caused by recombination suppression on sex chromosomes by modeling allele and genotype frequencies. It allows detection of sex chromosomes and sex-linked genes, as well as inference of haplotype and nucleotide polymorphism for gametologous sequences. The method demonstrates robust predictions with 5 to 10 individuals per sex in most cases when tested with simulated and real data from different species.
Review
Ecology
Chiara Benvenuto, Maria Cristina Lorenzi
Summary: Traditionally, dominant breeders were believed to have control over the reproduction of other individuals, but individuals also have the ability to regulate their own reproduction. By shifting perspectives and taking a multitaxon approach, a framework based on signaling rather than control is proposed to resolve reproductive skew conflicts.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Qunwei Wang, Lei Li, Jiasen Sun
Summary: Ports have a strong impact on regional economic growth, and the development of the regional economy also contributes to the strength of the port. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the efficiency of the port-region system. This study proposes a two-stage network performance model that considers the linkage between ports and regional systems, and provides valuable insights and suggestions for improvement.
COMPUTERS & INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Qunwei Wang, Lei Li, Jiasen Sun
Summary: Ports have a significant impact on regional economic growth, and the prosperity of the regional economy contributes to the development of ports. This study evaluates the efficiency of the port-region system using a two-stage network performance model, which addresses the issue of underestimation of efficiency. The empirical analysis of provincial port-region systems in China reveals the potential for improvement in management and technical levels, and provides suggestions for performance enhancement.
COMPUTERS & INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Chen Zhang, Quan-Quan Liu, Ying-Jie Huo, Xu Zhao, Dan Shang, Yun Yang, Li-Sheng Zhang, Hui Dong, Jin-Cheng Zhou
Summary: Intersex is a sexually aberrant condition in which individuals display both female and male characteristics. This study investigates the causes of intersex occurrence in Trichogramma spp. egg parasitoids and finds that it is closely related to the symbiotic bacteria, Wolbachia. The study reveals that the frequency and masculinized level of offspring intersex in Trichogramma are quantitatively dependent on the Wolbachia titer.
ENTOMOLOGIA GENERALIS
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Jan Supina, Jindriska Bojkova, David S. Boukal
Summary: The study shows that indirect ecological feedbacks and food quality, rather than the direct effects of a stressful environment, may play a dominant role in influencing the reproductive output of acid-tolerant species like Leptophlebia vespertina in freshwater habitats.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pavel R. Soukup, Joacim Naslund, Johan Hojesjo, David S. Boukal
Summary: Habitat complexity influences aquatic ecosystems at multiple levels but there are research gaps and limitations hindering a full synthesis of its effects. High-resolution studies and consideration of ecological feedback are needed to better understand the role of habitat complexity in aquatic communities and ecosystems. Future research should focus on non-linear responses and incorporate multi-level experiments and monitoring to improve our knowledge in this area.
WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-WATER
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Martin Smid, Ludek Berec, Lenka Pribylova, Ondrej Majek, Tomas Pavlik, Jiri Jarkovsky, Jakub Weiner, Tamara Barusova, Jan Trnka
Summary: The effectiveness of vaccines and post-infection immunity against the Omicron variant is lower than against the Delta variant. Recent vaccination still brings substantial protection against severe outcomes for the Omicron variant.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ludek Berec, Rene Levinsky, Jakub Weiner, Martin Smid, Roman Neruda, Petra Vidnerova, Gabriela Suchoparova
Summary: This study examines the impact of delaying the second vaccine dose on the COVID-19 epidemic, and finds that a 21-day inter-dose period is preferable in the early stage of infection, while a 42-day interval is more favorable in the late stage of infection.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jan Kodada, David S. Boukal, Peter Vdacny, Katarina Goffova, Kamila Ondrejkova
Summary: Describes a new species of riffle beetle (Coleoptera, Elmidae) discovered in Kelabit Highlands and Sapulut environment, discusses its differences from other species and its systematic position based on phylogenetic analysis.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TAXONOMY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Ludek Berec, Jan Smycka, Rene Levinsky, Eva Hromadkova, Michal Soltes, Josef Slerka, Vit Tucek, Jan Trnka, Martin Smid, Milan Zajicek, Tomas Diviak, Roman Neruda, Petra Vidnerova
Summary: This study developed an age-structured epidemic model to analyze the first wave of Covid-19 in the Czech Republic. The findings suggest that implementing a lockdown four days earlier could prevent half of the confirmed cases by the end of the lockdown period. Personal protective measures, such as wearing face masks, are more effective than reducing social contacts. The strategy of only protecting the elderly is not effective, and keeping schools open is risky.
BULLETIN OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Letter
Immunology
Martin Smid, Ludek Berec, Jan Trnka
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Letter
Immunology
Martin Smid, Ludek Berec, Jan Trnka
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ludek Berec, Martin Smid, Lenka Pribylova, Ondrej Majek, Tomas Pavlik, Jiri Jarkovsky, Milan Zajicek, Jakub Weiner, Tamara Barusova, Jan Trnka
Summary: Studies in Czech Republic show that the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines declines after 7-8 months, with a decrease in protection against infection, hospitalization, and death. Boosters are found to restore the original vaccine effectiveness, and post-infection immunity also diminishes over time.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dilvin Yilcin, Gulce Yalcin, Boris Jovanovic, David S. Boukal, Lucie Vebrova, Derya Riha, Jelena Stankovic, Dimitrija Savic Zdrakovic, Melisa Metin, Yasmin Naz Akyurek, Deniz Balkanl, Nur Filiz, Djuradj Milosevic, Heidrun Feuchtmayr, Jessica A. Richardson, Meryem Beklioglu
Summary: The impacts of microplastics (MP) on freshwater lake ecosystems and food webs were examined. Results showed that the ingestion of MP by zooplankton was mainly limited to large-bodied Daphnia, leading to a decrease in biomass. Atrophic transfer of MP was observed through the presence of MP in the faecal pellets of odonate larvae. Despite the low impact on biomass transfer and emergence patterns, the experiment provided the first in situ observation of MP transfer to terrestrial ecosystems by emerging chironomids.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michaela Masilkova, David Boukal, Hayley Ash, Hannah M. Buchanan-Smith, Martina Konecna
Summary: Animal personality can affect reproductive performance, as demonstrated in captive common marmosets. Female personality traits significantly influence inter-birth intervals and fecundity rates, while male traits have limited effects on reproductive success.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sandip Tapkir, David Boukal, Lukas Kalous, Daniel Barton, Allan T. Souza, Vojtech Kolar, Katerina Soukalova, Claire Duchet, Milan Gottwald, Marek Smejkal
Summary: Invasive alien species, such as the Carassius gibelio, pose a serious threat to the native biodiversity, particularly the native crucian carp (Carassius carassius) in European waters. This study identified resource competition as a possible ecological mechanism for the rapid decline of the crucian carp, with the invasive species demonstrating better food utilization and competitive abilities. The research combined field studies and controlled experiments to compare the growth patterns and food utilization between the two species, providing novel support for the hypothesis that the decline of the crucian carp is caused by the introduction and spread of the Carassius gibelio.
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter Lenart, Julie Bienertova-Vasku, Ludek Berec
Summary: Genetic drift is a basic evolutionary principle that randomly changes allele frequencies, and it can be mitigated by learning or other processes to prevent loss of genetic diversity. This finding is important not only for basic evolutionary theory, but also for other fields.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Fabian M. Mollet, Katja Enberg, David S. Boukal, Adriaan D. Rijnsdorp, Ulf Dieckmann
Summary: Sexual size dimorphism is caused by differences in selection pressures and life-history trade-offs faced by males and females. Two mechanisms, namely male reproductive behavior and diminishing returns on male reproductive investments, can account for female-biased sexual size dimorphism in North Sea plaice. Observations suggest that higher investments in male reproductive behavior require increased energy acquisition, leading to a delay in maturation and contradicting male-biased sexual size dimorphism. However, diminishing returns on male reproductive investments alone can qualitatively explain the observed sexual size dimorphism, although the quantitative match is imperfect.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Samuel Dijoux, Noemie A. Pichon, Arnaud Sentis, David S. Boukal
Summary: This study investigates how species invasions affect the structure, diversity, and stability of simple communities, and predicts the factors influencing invasion success and consequences. The results suggest that warm and productive habitats are more susceptible to successful invasions, with smaller competitors, intraguild predators, and relatively small top predators being the most successful invaders. Additionally, successful invasions can either destabilize or stabilize community dynamics, depending on the environmental conditions and the trophic position of the invader.
