Review
Entomology
Thomas Hesselberg, Kieran M. Boyd, John D. Styrsky, Dumas Galvez
Summary: In nature, many invertebrates interact and associate with plants, but our knowledge of spiders and their plant associations is limited. This review focuses on web-building spiders and provides an overview of their interactions with plants. Specifically, it examines the notable interactions of both non-web-building and web-building spiders with plants, and discusses specific associations of web-building spiders with plants, such as the Acacia-Eustala association in Panama. The review also explores mechanisms for host plant location and suggests future research directions.
Article
Ecology
Radek Michalko, Ondrej Kosulic, Prasit Wongprom, Chaowalit Songsangchote, Venus Saksongmuang, Yongyut Trisurat
Summary: The study found that different forest types can complexly affect predator-prey interactions in forest understories, including impacting spider density and specific prey capture efficiency. However, reforestation has not restored natural predator-prey relationships, suggesting conservation management in tropical regions should focus on establishing protected areas rather than relying on reforestation. Additionally, food-web models need to consider predator hunting strategies, not just body sizes, to improve predictive abilities.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Florent Figon, Ilse Hurbain, Xavier Heiligenstein, Sylvain Trepout, Arnaud Lanoue, Kadda Medjoubi, Andrea Somogyi, Cedric Delevoye, Graca Raposo, Jerome Casas
Summary: Pigment organelles of vertebrates, represented by melanosomes, belong to the lysosome-related organelle (LRO) family, but their catabolism remains poorly understood. By studying crab spiders, researchers found that pigment organelles share ultrastructural and chemical characteristics with LROs, and their catabolism likely involves intracellular degradation and removal of content through lysosomal mechanisms. This suggests that the endolysosomal system is fully functionalized for within-cell turnover of pigments, supporting the hypothesis of intracellular turnover of pigments originally formulated for human eye melanosomes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Yubing Ma, Zeyuan Hua, Aijia Mao, Daiqin Li, Shichang Zhang
Summary: The occurrence of male opportunistic mating was found to be positively correlated with the intensity of female sexual cannibalism, providing evidence that this mating strategy may have evolved in response to the selection pressure posed by female sexual cannibalism.
Article
Biology
David Ortiz, Stano Pekar, Julia Bilat, Sepideh Shafaie, Nadir Alvarez, Jeremy Gauthier
Summary: Using hyRAD technique, we reconstructed the phylogeny of Zodarion and estimated the evolution of body size and colour. The study revealed a highly dynamic evolution of these traits with multiple transitions and convergences across the group. This research is important for understanding the adaptations of species to ant specialization.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
J. Harry Caufield, Tim Putman, Kevin Schaper, Deepak R. Unni, Harshad Hegde, Tiffany J. Callahan, Luca Cappelletti, Sierra A. T. Moxon, Vida Ravanmehr, Seth Carbon, Lauren E. Chan, Katherina Cortes, Kent A. Shefchek, Glass Elsarboukh, Jim Balhoff, Tommaso Fontana, Nicolas Matentzoglu, Richard M. Bruskiewich, Anne E. Thessen, Nomi L. Harris, Monica C. Munoz-Torres, Melissa A. Haendel, Peter N. Robinson, Marcin P. Joachimiak, Christopher J. Mungall, Justin T. Reese
Summary: KG-Hub is a platform for constructing, exchanging, and reusing knowledge graphs. It provides standardized construction processes, easy integration of biomedical ontologies, cached data sources, version control, and automatic updating. Current projects using KG-Hub cover various domains such as COVID-19 research, drug repurposing, microbial-environmental interactions, and rare disease research. KG-Hub also offers tools for analyzing, manipulating, and integrating machine learning into the graphs.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonas O. Wolff, Kaja Wierucka, Gabriele Uhl, Marie E. Herberstein
Summary: By studying the evolutionary rates of body morphology in spiders that build and do not build structures, the research found that variation in morphology evolution is poorly explained by artifact use. Natural selection directly acting on body morphology is the main driver of phenotypic diversity.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Julio M. G. Segovia, Stano Pekar
Summary: The relaxed selection hypothesis suggests that predators avoid mimics with lower resemblance to highly noxious models, due to the high cost of mistakenly attacking such models. Research on ant-mimicking spider species and their models supported this hypothesis by showing a negative correlation between model noxiousness and mimetic accuracy. However, factors other than model noxiousness also play a role in influencing the evolution of mimetic accuracy.
EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Mairenn C. Attwood, Jess Lund, Chima J. Nwaogu, Collins Moya, Claire N. Spottiswoode
Summary: Parasitic birds face a trade-off when the highest quality hosts are resistant to exploitation. In this study, it was found that mimicry of hawks by African cuckoos did not deter aggressive defenses from their host, the fork-tailed drongo. However, the benefits to the cuckoos' offspring outweighed the costs of parasitizing an aggressive host.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Petr Vesely, Juraj Dobrovodsky, Roman Fuchs
Summary: The study demonstrates that myrmecomorph spiders successfully mimic ants and maintain an equivalent level of defense against ant-eating animals, even though the attacked myrmecomorphs are usually consumed, indicating that their mimicry is effective against avian predators and operates in a Batesian manner.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Samantha Straus, Angelica L. Gonzalez, Philip Matthews, Leticia Aviles
Summary: Metabolic scaling may apply to group-living organisms as group size increases. The study suggests that larger spiders have relatively smaller investment in silk per unit mass than smaller ones, but more complex webs contain more silk. The cooperative maintenance of complex webs by group-living spiders may contribute to a positive energy budget in social species.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Carlos E. Munoz-Amezcua, Horacio Tapia-McClung, Dinesh Rao
Summary: Flies and moths often mimic the appearance of jumping spiders to evade predators. This partial mimicry involves spider-like patterns only in certain parts of the body and is only visible from specific angles. Through experiments using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks, it was found that the mimics were more likely to be mistaken as jumping spiders. This type of mimicry may be influenced by the signaling angle and orientation of the mimics, as well as the probability of predators relying on cognitive shortcuts to identify prey. Further research on the visual system of predators would enhance our understanding of the evolution of partial mimicry.
BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Stano Pekar
Summary: The study revealed that in Batesian mimicry, accurate mimics are more difficult to identify while moving, while inaccurate mimics are more easily recognized in motion. The movement speed has a significant impact on the identification of mimetic species.
Article
Ecology
Martin J. Ramirez, Jonas O. Wolff, Peter Jaeger, Martina Pavlek, Abel Perez-Gonzalez, Ivan Magalhaes, Peter Michalik
Summary: This study documents the geometric regularity and repetitive elements in the webs of non-orb-weaving spiders for the first time. Parallel lines spaced regularly were observed in the webs of Calileptoneta helferi, Sulcia sp., and cf. Pinelema sp., similar to orb weavers. The hypothesis of a single sweep of spinnerets was tested and found to be invalid based on the spacing between parallel lines, absence of expansible membranes in spinnerets, and cemented junctions of parallel lines.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Daniela Scaccabarozzi, Klaus Lunau, Lorenzo Guzzetti, Salvatore Cozzolino, Adrian G. Dyer, Nicola Tommasi, Paolo Biella, Andrea Galimberti, Massimo Labra, Ilaria Bruni, Giorgio Pattarini, Mark Brundrett, Monica Gagliano
Summary: The Australian orchid Diuris brumalis attracts bee pollinators by mimicking the UV reflecting patterns of its model, the rewarding pea plant Daviesia decurrens. The visual stimuli of the orchid, which emphasize the floral UV signaling, have a greater impact on pollinators' visitation at an optimal distance from the model. This study reveals the functional role of salient UV flower signaling in visual floral mimicry and its ability to mediate plant pollinia removal at larger spatial scales.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Entomology
B. Mainali, A. S. Andrew, P. W. Taylor, P. Rempoulakis
Summary: The study examined the use of stable isotope ratios to distinguish between laboratory-reared and wild Queensland fruit flies. Results showed high variability in delta N-15 values, making it ineffective for discriminating between sterile and wild flies, while measurements of delta C-13 values resulted in 100% correct classification of wild flies and 96.88% correct classification of released flies.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Md. Jamil Hossain Biswas, Bishwo Mainali, Jess R. Inskeep, Sushil K. Gaire, Dominic Cross, Lloyd D. Stringer, Phillip W. Taylor, Polychronis Rempoulakis
Summary: The study showed that a 5-day pre-release holding period along with provision of yeast hydrolysate (YH) in the diet significantly increased the abundance of mature male Queensland fruit fly. This suggests that providing YH and sugar as pre-release diet, along with a 5-day post-eclosion holding period, is beneficial for the success of SIT programmes targeting the species.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Anne E. Wignall, Marie E. Herberstein
Summary: Male spiders generate shudder vibrations in the female's web to reduce the risk of being mistaken for prey by females during courtship. These vibrations also delay female aggression towards real prey in the web. The structure of shudder vibrations varies among distantly related spider species, indicating the influence of female preferences on courtship signals. Male courtship in web-building spiders serves multiple functions, including reducing the risk of sexual cannibalism. Shudder vibrations are highly conserved across web-building spider species, but there are variations in their structure.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Jason Shadmany, Siu F. Lee, Thu N. M. Nguyen, Phillip W. Taylor
Summary: This study investigates patterns of sperm use in Queensland fruit flies by observing the effects of multiple mating on paternity, shedding light on the species' reproductive biology and patterns of sperm usage. Comparison with other tephritid fruit flies provides insights into the reproductive biology of this species and implications for Sterile Insect Technique (SIT).
Article
Entomology
Md Jamil Hossain Biswas, Polychronis Rempoulakis, Maurizio Benelli, Saleh Mohammad Adnan, Andrew P. Allen, Phillip W. Taylor, Bishwo Mainali
Summary: Field studies on releasing mature male Q-flies held for 5 days with methoprene or RK supplements did not show improvements in abundance and dispersal compared to the control diet. Laboratory studies suggest that the doses of methoprene and RK used in field releases may reduce male longevity when sustenance is not provided, especially when released at 5 days of age.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Saleh Mohammad Adnan, Iffat Farhana, Polychronis Rempoulakis, Phillip W. Taylor
Summary: Juvenile hormone is crucial for the sexual development of insects. The use of methoprene can accelerate sexual maturation in insects, but it may also increase their vulnerability to starvation and desiccation.
JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Khandaker Asif Ahmed, Heng Lin Yeap, Gunjan Pandey, Siu Fai Lee, Phillip W. Taylor, John G. Oakeshott
Summary: In this study, we investigated the genetic variation in remating propensity of Queensland fruit fly. We found that strains from different locations showed significant inherited variation in the level of intra-strain remating inhibition, and this inhibition level decreased significantly during domestication. The strain differences were mainly influenced by the genotypes of females, with little effect of the initial male genotype.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Rajib Majumder, Phillip W. Taylor, Toni A. Chapman
Summary: The domestication process strongly affects the microbiome of Queensland fruit flies (Qfly). The changes in the microbiome have implications for the functional relationship between Qfly and its microbiome, as well as the performance of domesticated and mass-reared insects for sterile insect technique (SIT) programs.
Article
Entomology
Sushil K. Gaire, Saluna Pokhrel, Md Jamil Hossain Biswas, Bishwo P. Mainali, Vivian Mendez, Jeanneth Perez, Phillip W. Taylor, Polychronis Rempoulakis
Summary: This study investigated the effects of domestication on quality control parameters of old and young Queensland fruit fly colonies. The results showed that regardless of their origin, older colonies performed better in many parameters. The authors emphasized the importance of considering the effects of continued domestication on quality control measures when setting assessment standards for fruit fly strains used in SIT programs.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cynthia Castro-Vargas, Gunjan Pandey, Heng Lin Yeap, Michael J. J. Lacey, Siu Fai Lee, Soo J. J. Park, Phillip W. W. Taylor, John G. G. Oakeshott
Summary: This study used SPME GC-MS and GC-FID techniques to investigate the chemical composition of rectal gland volatiles in Queensland fruit flies, revealing previously unreported compounds and suggesting a more complex role of rectal gland volatiles in sexual interactions than expected.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vivek Kempraj, Soo Jean Park, Donald N. S. Cameron, Phillip W. Taylor
Summary: The compound 1-octanol in the headspace of weaver ants has been identified as the functional kairomone responsible for repellence and oviposition deterrence. This compound plays a significant role in the effectiveness of weaver ants as biological control agents in orchards.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Soo Jean Park, Jodie Cheesman, Donald N. S. Cameron, Stefano G. De Faveri, Phillip W. Taylor
Summary: This study reports the chemical profile of tar tree flowers, which contain 16- and 18-carbon fatty acids and their ethyl esters, as well as a trace amount of zingerone. The presence of zingerone explains the attraction of fruit flies to tar tree flowers.
AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Bernard C. Dominiak, Phillip W. Taylor, Polychronis Rempoulakis
Summary: The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is an effective control method for the Queensland fruit fly, and reliable insect marking techniques are necessary for successful SIT operations. Variation in fluorescent dye performance has been observed in past Qfly SIT release projects. This study reviews past experience and presents potential alternatives to fluorescent dyes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cynthia Castro-Vargas, Gunjan Pandey, Heng Lin Yeap, Shirleen S. Prasad, Michael J. Lacey, Siu Fai Lee, Soo J. Park, Phillip W. Taylor, John G. Oakeshott
Summary: This study found inherited intraspecific variation in sexual signalling in a fruit fly species, Bactrocera tryoni. The abundance of various compounds in male rectal glands showed significant variation among different lines, while no significant variation was found in female rectal glands. The differences in compound abundance were related to both domestication and collection regions, suggesting the involvement of multiple genes.
Article
Microbiology
Nonthakorn (Beatrice) Apirajkamol, Timothy Michael Hogarty, Bishwo Mainali, Phillip Warren Taylor, Thomas Kieran Walsh, Wee Tek Tay
Summary: The development of pest management strategies is crucial for protecting crops from the highly invasive pest Spodoptera frugiperda. This study discovered two highly virulent Beauveria fungal isolates that could serve as novel biological control tools against this pest.
ARCHIVES OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
