Article
Ecology
Ulysses Madureira Maia, Jose Eustaquio dos Santos Jr, Michele Molina, Juliana Stephanie Galaschi-Teixeira, Airton Torres Carvalho, Leonardo de Sousa Miranda, Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca, Guilherme Oliveira, Tereza Cristina Giannini
Summary: This study analyzed the genetic and morphological characteristics of Plebeia flavocincta populations in the Caatinga region of Northeast Brazil. The results showed that the species is genetically and morphologically diverse, with structured populations. The study suggests that this characterization is an important step in the conservation and management of local breeding efforts for this stingless bee.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Yu-Ran Li, Zheng-Wei Wang, Zong-Rong Yu, Richard T. Corlett
Summary: This study identified seven stingless bee species from four genera in Yunnan through extensive sampling. The morphological characters, genitalia characters, and multivariate morphometrics results of males supported the taxonomic classification. Further sampling in a wider range is needed to assess the full diversity of Chinese stingless bees.
Article
Entomology
Juan Tellez-Rendon, Lyda Esteban, Laura Rengifo-Correa, Hector Diaz-Albiter, Heron Huerta, Carolina Dale
Summary: This study describes a new species, Triatoma yelapensis sp. nov., from the Pacific coast of Jalisco, Mexico. Statistical support is provided for the morphological distinctiveness of this species, and an updated key of the Triatoma genus for species recorded in Mexico is also presented.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Tanasak Changbunjong, Tanawat Chaiphongpachara, Thekhawet Weluwanarak
Summary: This study investigated the effectiveness of landmark-based geometric morphometrics of wings to discriminate among three morphologically similar species of Stomoxys in Thailand. The results showed that geometric morphometrics can accurately distinguish the three species based on wing shape. Therefore, wing geometric morphometrics can be used along with traditional morphological methods to identify these flies as species.
Article
Ecology
P. P. Anand, S. Seena, P. Girish Kumar, Y. Shibu Vardhanan
Summary: The study investigated the taxonomic significance of wing phenotypic variations for classifying potter wasps. It analyzed the wing size and shape variations, asymmetry, sexual dimorphism, wing integration, and phylogenetic signal of Antodynerus species. The results showed unique size and shape variations, significant asymmetry and sexual dimorphism in wing characteristics, and high wing integration. Wing morphometric traits can be used for species delimitation. The study also revealed a shape-related phylogenetic signal in the forewing and the evolutionary constraint of forewing shape.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Carlos Ariel Yadro Garcia, Pedro Joao Rodrigues, Adam Tofilski, Dylan Elen, Grace P. McCormak, Andrzej Oleksa, Dora Henriques, Rustem Ilyasov, Anatoly Kartashev, Christian Bargain, Balser Fried, Maria Alice Pinto
Summary: DeepWings (c) is a software that uses machine learning to automatically classify honey bee subspecies by wing geometric morphometrics. It shows good performance in identifying subspecies, although it may have limitations in accurately distinguishing closely related subspecies due to genetic pollution.
Article
Ecology
Thomas J. Firneno, Justin R. O'Neill, Michael W. Itgen, Timothy A. Kihneman, Josiah H. Townsend, Matthew K. Fujita
Summary: In biology, the delimitation of species is crucial for assessing and managing organismal diversity. This study utilized an integrative approach with mitochondrial sequences, nuclear SNPs, morphology, and macroecological data to determine the best taxonomy for a complex of toads in Central America. The findings suggest that a three species taxonomy based on nuclear SNP haplotypes distribution offers the best explanation for the divergence and evolutionary relationships among these toads, highlighting the importance of a stable taxonomy for conservation efforts.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Gisel V. V. Gigena, Claudia S. S. Rodriguez, Federico G. G. Fiad, Maria Laura Hernandez, Ana Laura Carbajal-de-la-Fuente, Romina V. V. Piccinali, Paz Sanchez Casaccia, Antonieta Rojas de Arias, Patricia Lobbia, Luciana Abrahan, Marinely Bustamante Gomez, Jorge Espinoza, Florencia Cano, Julieta Nattero
Summary: The flight-related traits of the Triatoma guasayana population varied across different populations, with significant differences in wing shape and head size between the brachypterous population and the others. Geographic and climatic factors were associated with flight-related traits.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yujia Yang, Tao Zhou, Yang Liu, Changxu Tian, Lisui Bao, Wenwen Wang, Yu Zhang, Shikai Liu, Huitong Shi, Suxu Tan, Dongya Gao, Rex A. Dunham, Zhanjiang Liu
Summary: This study investigates the mechanisms of sex determination in channel catfish and identifies differentially methylated CpG sites and differentially expressed genes within the sex determination region (SDR). Methylation differences were primarily located at nucleotide position 14.0-20.3 Mb of the sex chromosome, suggesting a potential role of methylation modification in sex determination in channel catfish. These findings provide insights into the genetic and epigenetic factors involved in sex determination.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Peter Takacs, Gabor Maasz, Zita Zrinyi, Nora Boross, Zoitthl Vital, Dora Ildiko Kanaine Sipos, Balint Bano, Adam Staszny, Peter Saly, Balazs Kovacs
Summary: The taxonomic relations of Carpathian stream dwelling gudgeons were studied using genetic and morphological methodologies. The results revealed the presence of three distinct taxonomic groups in the area, which were supported by both geometric and distance-based morphometry.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tabitha Blackwell, Antonia G. P. Ford, Adam G. Ciezarek, Stephanie J. Bradbeer, Carlos A. Gracida Juarez, Alan M. Smith, Benjamin P. Ngatunga, Asilatu Shechonge, Rashid Tamatamah, Graham Etherington, Wilfried Haerty, Federica Di Palma, George F. Turner, Martin J. Genner
Summary: In this study, newly discovered evolutionarily significant populations of Korogwe tilapia from southern Tanzania are threatened by hybridization with invasive Nile tilapia. Genetic analysis shows distinct differences between southern and northern populations of O. korogwe, with evidence of hybrids in southern lakes. This highlights the need for conservation interventions to protect these unique genetic resources.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Tomasz Szara, Sokol Duro, Ozan Guendemir, Ismail Demircioglu
Summary: This study aimed to determine the sexual dimorphism of quail skulls using geometric morphometric methods. The analysis revealed the most significant differences in shape between male and female individuals in the dorsal aspect. Geometric morphometrics proved to be a better tool for analyzing sexual dimorphism compared to traditional morphometrics, with the shape differences best observed in the dorsal view.
Article
Biology
Xixi Li, Siyu Lin, Shutong Fan, Xiaoting Huang, Zhifeng Zhang, Zhenkui Qin
Summary: This study identified novel miRNAs involved in the regulation of sex-related genes during the initial sex differentiation in Zhikong scallop and explored the miRNA-mRNA networks underlying the posttranscriptional regulation. The findings provide important foundations for studying the sex differentiation mechanisms in bivalves and developing sex control techniques.
Article
Biology
Patrick T. Rohner, David M. Linz, Armin P. Moczek
Summary: The study found that gene networks associated with trait exaggeration are highly dependent on precise developmental contexts, and the doublesex gene shapes morphological exaggeration differently in different developmental contexts. The context-specific dsx-mediated trait exaggeration may diversify rapidly.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biology
Alvaro S. Roco, Adrian Ruiz-Garcia, Monica Bullejos
Summary: Hybrids, specifically those of the Xenopus genus, provide a valuable model for studying the evolution of sex-determining genes and sex chromosome systems, with different species exhibiting non-homologous sex chromosomes and sex-determining genes. The interaction between these independently evolving sex-determining pathways can be observed in vivo through interspecies breeding within this group. However, the dominance/recessivity relationships between these sex-determining loci in the context of different parental genomes remain largely unknown and require further investigation.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carolina S. Carvalho, Brenna R. Forester, Simone K. Mitre, Ronnie Alves, Vera L. Imperatriz-Fonseca, Silvio J. Ramos, Luciana C. Resende-Moreira, Jose O. Siqueira, Leonardo C. Trevelin, Cecilio F. Caldeira, Markus Gastauer, Rodolfo Jaffe
Summary: The study introduces a comprehensive landscape genomic approach for restoring moderately disturbed and highly degraded sites, using genomic data to identify adaptive genotypes for different plant populations. The research reveals that different restoration strategies should be adopted for sites with different degradation levels, helping to define site-specific provenancing strategies for restoration initiatives.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2021)
Article
Entomology
L. Costa, P. Nunes-Silva, J. S. Galaschi-Teixeira, H. Arruda, J. C. Veiga, G. Pessin, P. de Souza, V. L. Imperatriz-Fonseca
Summary: The study found that RFID tags did not affect the flight capacity of M. seminigra workers, but the landscape and time since colony relocation did impact their flight range and activity. M. seminigra workers fly approximately 1000 m from the colony and have a maximum flight range of 5000 m, taking more than 1 or 2 months to fully exploit a landscape in a new site.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Ana Laura Almeida, Tiago Mauricio Francoy, Marta Alvarez-Presas, Fernando Carbayo
Summary: The monotypic genus of land planarians Timyma is suggested to be a relict reflecting a pre-Tertiary connection between South America and Australia and New Zealand, with unique morphological characteristics. Research indicates that Timyma is more closely related to the Neotropical Geoplaninae subfamily and distantly related to the Bipaliinae subfamily in terms of phylogenetic relationships.
Article
Biology
Deepa Senapathi, Jochen Fruend, Matthias Albrecht, Michael P. D. Garratt, David Kleijn, Brian J. Pickles, Simon G. Potts, Jiandong An, Georg K. S. Andersson, Svenja Baensch, Parthiba Basu, Faye Benjamin, Antonio Diego M. Bezerra, Ritam Bhattacharya, Jacobus C. Biesmeijer, Brett Blaauw, Eleanor J. Blitzer, Claire A. Brittain, Luisa G. Carvalheiro, Daniel P. Cariveau, Pushan Chakraborty, Arnob Chatterjee, Soumik Chatterjee, Sarah Cusser, Bryan N. Danforth, Erika Degani, Breno M. Freitas, Lucas A. Garibaldi, Benoit Geslin, G. Arjen de Groot, Tina Harrison, Brad Howlett, Rufus Isaacs, Shalene Jha, Bjorn Kristian Klatt, Kristin Krewenka, Samuel Leigh, Sandra A. M. Lindstrom, Yael Mandelik, Megan McKerchar, Mia Park, Gideon Pisanty, Romina. Rader, Menno Reemer, Maj Rundlof, Barbara Smith, Henrik G. Smith, Patricia Nunes Silva, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Teja Tscharntke, Sean Webber, Duncan B. Westbury, Catrin Westphal, Jennifer B. Wickens, Victoria J. Wickens, Rachael Winfree, Hong Zhang, Alexandra-Maria Klein
Summary: The study found that higher pollinator diversity contributes to greater inter-annual stability in pollinator communities; temporal variation in pollinator abundance is primarily driven by the three-most dominant species; crops in tropical regions demonstrate higher inter-annual variability in pollinator species richness compared to crops in temperate regions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Claudineia Pereira Costa, Clycie Aparecida da Silva Machado, Tiago Mauricio Francoy
Summary: The study found that genetic variation in orchid bees was correlated with habitat rather than local abundance. While there were significant but low genetic differences among populations, a single mitochondrial DNA haplotype was found in all sequenced specimens. This suggests that orchid bees have high dispersal capacity and can maintain genetic similarity across wide geographical distributions.
CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Jailson N. Leocadio, Natalia P. Ghilardi-Lopes, Sheina Koffler, Celso Barbieri, Tiago M. Francoy, Bruno Albertini, Antonio M. Saraiva
Summary: The study found that citizen scientists and experts have similar perception and count of bee entrance and exit activity, but differ in their count of bees carrying pollen. However, when there was an agreement among groups, the pollen counts were similar, indicating the reliability of data collected by citizen scientists. The study highlights the importance of multi-dimensional approaches in assessing the quality of citizen science data for monitoring bee activity.
Article
Ecology
Alfonso Allen-Perkins, Ainhoa Magrach, Matteo Dainese, Lucas A. Garibaldi, David Kleijn, Romina Rader, James R. Reilly, Rachael Winfree, Ola Lundin, Carley M. McGrady, Claire Brittain, David J. Biddinger, Derek R. Artz, Elizabeth Elle, George Hoffman, James D. Ellis, Jaret Daniels, Jason Gibbs, Joshua W. Campbell, Julia Brokaw, Julianna K. Wilson, Keith Mason, Kimiora L. Ward, Knute B. Gundersen, Kyle Bobiwash, Larry Gut, Logan M. Rowe, Natalie K. Boyle, Neal M. Williams, Neelendra K. Joshi, Nikki Rothwell, Robert L. Gillespie, Rufus Isaacs, Shelby J. Fleischer, Stephen S. Peterson, Sujaya Rao, Theresa L. Pitts-Singer, Thijs Fijen, Virginie Boreux, Maj Rundlof, Blandina Felipe Viana, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Henrik G. Smith, Riccardo Bommarco, Luisa G. Carvalheiro, Taylor H. Ricketts, Jaboury Ghazoul, Smitha Krishnan, Faye E. Benjamin, Joao Loureiro, Silvia Castro, Nigel E. Raine, Gerard Arjen de Groot, Finbarr G. Horgan, Juliana Hipolito, Guy Smagghe, Ivan Meeus, Maxime Eeraerts, Simon G. Potts, Claire Kremen, Daniel Garcia, Marcos Minarro, David W. Crowder, Gideon Pisanty, Yael Mandelik, Nicolas J. Vereecken, Nicolas Leclercq, Timothy Weekers, Sandra A. M. Lindstrom, Dara A. Stanley, Carlos Zaragoza-Trello, Charlie C. Nicholson, Jeroen Scheper, Carlos Rad, Evan A. N. Marks, Lucie Mota, Bryan Danforth, Mia Park, Antonio Diego M. Bezerra, Breno M. Freitas, Rachel E. Mallinger, Fabiana Oliveira da Silva, Bryony Willcox, Davi L. Ramos, Felipe D. da Silva e Silva, Amparo Lazaro, David Alomar, Miguel A. Gonzalez-Estevez, Hisatomo Taki, Daniel P. Cariveau, Michael P. D. Garratt, Diego N. Nabaes Jodar, Rebecca I. A. Stewart, Daniel Ariza, Matti Pisman, Elinor M. Lichtenberg, Christof Schueepp, Felix Herzog, Martin H. Entling, Yoko L. Dupont, Charles D. Michener, Gretchen C. Daily, Paul R. Ehrlich, Katherine L. W. Burns, Montserrat Vila, Andrew Robson, Brad Howlett, Leah Blechschmidt, Frank Jauker, Franziska Schwarzbach, Maike Nesper, Tim Diekoetter, Volkmar Wolters, Helena Castro, Hugo Gaspar, Brian A. Nault, Isabelle Badenhausser, Jessica D. Petersen, Teja Tscharntke, Vincent Bretagnolle, D. Susan Willis Chan, Natacha Chacoff, Georg K. S. Andersson, Shalene Jha, Jonathan F. Colville, Ruan Veldtman, Jeferson Coutinho, Felix J. J. A. Bianchi, Louis Sutter, Matthias Albrecht, Philippe Jeanneret, Yi Zou, Anne L. Averill, Agustin Saez, Amber R. Sciligo, Carlos H. Vergara, Elias H. Bloom, Elisabeth Oeller, Ernesto I. Badano, Gregory M. Loeb, Heather Grab, Johan Ekroos, Vesna Gagic, Saul A. Cunningham, Jens Astrom, Pablo Cavigliasso, Alejandro Trillo, Alice Classen, Alice L. Mauchline, Ana Montero-Castano, Andrew Wilby, Ben A. Woodcock, C. Sheena Sidhu, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Ioannis N. Vogiatzakis, Jose M. Herrera, Mark Otieno, Mary W. Gikungu, Sarah J. Cusser, Thomas Nauss, Lovisa Nilsson, Jessica Knapp, Jorge J. Ortega-Marcos, Jose A. Gonzalez, Juliet L. Osborne, Rosalind Blanche, Rosalind F. Shaw, Violeta Hevia, Jane Stout, Anthony D. Arthur, Betina Blochtein, Hajnalka Szentgyorgyi, Jin Li, Margaret M. Mayfield, Michal Woyciechowski, Patricia Nunes-Silva, Rosana Halinski de Oliveira, Steve Henry, Benno I. Simmons, Bo Dalsgaard, Katrine Hansen, Tuanjit Sritongchuay, Alison D. O'Reilly, Fermin Jose Chamorro Garcia, Guiomar Nates Parra, Camila Magalhaes Pigozo, Ignasi Bartomeus
Summary: This article introduces CropPol, a dynamic, open, and global database on crop pollination. The database contains records from 202 crop studies, covering 47,752 insect records from 48 commercial crops worldwide. This is the most comprehensive open global dataset on measurements of crop flower visitors, crop pollinators, and pollination to date.
Article
Entomology
Marcela de Matos Barbosa, Rodolfo Jaffe, Carolina S. Carvalho, Eder C. M. Lanes, Alessandro Alves-Pereira, Maria Zucchi, Alberto S. Correa, Milton C. Ribeiro, Vera L. Imperatriz-Fonseca, Denise A. Alves
Summary: Tropical landscapes are changing rapidly due to deforestation and agricultural expansion, which leads to the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats. Understanding how these changes affect the genetic diversity and gene flow of native pollinators is crucial for their survival and pollination services. This study investigated the influence of landscape features on genetic diversity and gene flow in Tetragonisca angustula, one of the most widespread species of stingless bees in the Neotropical region. The results showed that forest cover had a negative impact on heterozygosity at a 500-m scale, while inbreeding and gene flow were not affected by landscape features. Gene flow was mainly determined by geographic distance, indicating that T. angustula can disperse across different landscapes, including human-altered ones.
Article
Entomology
Vinicius Oliveira e Silva, Tiago Mauricio Francoy, Elder Assis Miranda, Cintia Akemi Oi, Katia Maria Ferreira, Marco Antonio Del Lama
Summary: In this study, wing Geometric Morphometrics was used to confirm the differentiation of eastern and western populations of Partamona rustica, and significant differences in wing size and shape were observed. The isolation by distance between morphometric and geographic distances indicates the need for further research on gene flow and colonization history of this stingless bee in the semiarid region.
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Ulysses Madureira Maia, Rafael Cabral Borges, Jose Eustaquio dos Santos-Junior, Victor Hugo Pedraca Dias, Airton Torres Carvalho, Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca, Guilherme Correa de Oliveira, Tereza Cristina Giannini
Summary: This study morphologically characterized Plebeia flavocincta workers and described the nest structure of the species. The nest structure of Plebeia flavocincta is similar to other species in the same genus, providing valuable information for management and conservation plans for the species.
Article
Entomology
C. A. Oi, R. A. Oliveira-Silva, T. M. Francoy, V. L. Imperatriz-Fonseca, M. A. Del Lama
Summary: This study investigated the populational diversity of Schwarziana quadripunctata bees in Brazil using geometric morphometrics and molecular analyses. The results showed differences among S. quadripunctata populations and a clear distinction between S. quadripunctata and S. mourei.
Review
Entomology
F. G. B. Bueno, C. F. dos Santos, A. Otesbelgue, C. Menezes, J. van Veen, B. Blochtein, R. Gloag, T. Heard, V. L. Imperatriz-Fonseca, D. A. Alves
Summary: Queens are crucial for the colonies of stingless bees, maintaining cohesion and ensuring the survival of matriarchal societies. However, there is still much to learn about their life cycles compared to their worker daughters.
Article
Entomology
P. Miranda-Pinto, L. T. D. Cappelini, Y. R. Diogo, T. M. Francoy, M. M. Morais
Summary: This study aimed to observe pollen storage behavior within stingless bee colonies to understand the fermentation process and aid in developing fermented feeds. Observations showed significant variability in handling pollen storage in Melipona quadrifasciata.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Celso Barbieri, Sheina Koffler, Jailson Nunes Leocadio, Bruno Albertini, Tiago Mauricio Francoy, Antonio Mauro Saraiva, Natalia P. Ghilardi-Lopes
Summary: In citizen science, training and evaluation play important roles in improving the effectiveness of projects. This study examines the impact of citizen scientists' profiles on their learning outcomes in multiple dimensions. The findings suggest that learning was observed in all dimensions, and profile variables such as gender, educational level, educational background, and prior experience influenced the learning outcomes. Participants showed high levels of nature connectedness, personal norms, pro-environmental behavior, and trust in science. The main motivations of participants were learning, conservation, and contributing to scientific knowledge production.