Using host species traits to understand the Wolbachia infection distribution across terrestrial beetles.

Knowledge of Wolbachia prevalence with respect to its hosts is restricted mainly to taxonomic/phylogenetic context. In contrast, relations between infection and most host's ecological and biological traits are poorly understood. This study aimed to elaborate on relations between bacteria and its beetle hosts in taxonomic and the ecological contexts.

Flying between raindrops: Strong seasonal turnover of several Lepidoptera groups in lowland rainforests of Mount Cameroon.

Although seasonality in the tropics is often less pronounced than in temperate areas, tropical ecosystems show seasonal dynamics as well. Nevertheless, individual tropical insects' phenological patterns are still poorly understood, especially in the Afrotropics. To fill this gap, we investigated biodiversity patterns of Lepidoptera communities at three rainforest localities in the foothills of Mount Cameroon, West Africa, one of the wettest places in the world.

New insights into the karyotype evolution of the genus (Orthoptera, Tettigoniinae, Gampsocleidini).

Five species belonging to the genus Fieber, 1852 were analyzed using fluorescence hybridization (FISH) with 18S rDNA and telomeric probes, as well as C-banding, DAPI/CMA staining and silver impregnation. The studied species showed two distinct karyotypes, with 2n = 31 (male) and 2n = 23 (male) chromosomes. The drastic reduction in chromosome number observed in the latter case suggests multiple translocations and fusions as the main responsible that occurred during chromosome evolution.

Evaluation of the molecular variability and characteristics of Paramecium polycaryum and Paramecium nephridiatum, within subgenus Cypriostomum (Ciliophora, Protista).

Although some Paramecium species are suitable research objects in many areas of life sciences, the biodiversity structure of other species is almost unknown. In the current survey, we present a molecular analysis of 60 Cypriostomum strains, which for the first time allows for the study of intra- and interspecific relationships within that subgenus, as well as the assessment of the biogeography patterns of its morphospecies. Analysis of COI mtDNA variation revealed three main clades (separated from each other by approximately 130 nucleotide substitutions), each one with internal sub-clusters (differing by 30 to 70 substitutions - a similar range found between P.

Roads affect the spatial structure of butterfly communities in grassland patches.

Roads may have an important negative effect on animal dispersal rate and mortality and thus the functioning of local populations. However, road verges may be surrogate habitats for invertebrates. This creates a conservation dilemma around the impact of roads on invertebrates.

(Diptera)-an invasive species in Maritime Antarctica.

Antarctica, with its severe conditions, is poor in terrestrial fauna species. However, an increase in human presence together with climate change may cause an influx of non-native species. Here we report a significant increase in colonized area of one of the few known invasive species to date in Antarctica.

Genera of the Protura of the World: diagnosis, distribution, and key.

Protura are known all over the world with more than 800 described species belonging to three different orders (Acerentomata, Sinentomata, and Eosentomata) and seven families (Hesperentomidae, Protentomidae, Acerentomidae, Fujientomidae, Sinentomidae, Eosentomidae, and Antelientomidae). At present 76 genera are known worldwide. In this paper a description of the diagnostic characters of these genera and an updated key for their identification are reported.

Reconstructed historical distribution and phylogeography unravels non-steppic origin of (Gastropoda: Helicidae).

Existing data on the phylogeography of European taxa of steppic provenance suggests that species were widely distributed during glacial periods but underwent range contraction and fragmentation during interglacials into "warm-stage refugia." Among the steppe-related invertebrates that have been examined, the majority has been insects, but data on the phylogeography of snails is wholly missing. To begin to fill this gap, phylogeographic and niche modeling studies on the presumed steppic snail were conducted.

A key for the determination of European species of Berlese, 1909 (Protura, Eosentomata, Eosentomidae).

European species of are examined. A taxonomic key to identification of 61 species is provided based on body chaetotaxy, shape, and position of sensilla on the foretarsus and shape of sensilla on the maxillary palps. Biogeographically, 13 of the known European species are known only from their type localities.

Human-mediated dispersal of cats in the Neolithic Central Europe.

Archeological and genetic evidence suggest that all domestic cats derived from the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) and were first domesticated in the Near East around 10,000 years ago. The spread of the domesticated form in Europe occurred much later, primarily mediated by Greek and Phoenician traders and afterward by Romans who introduced cats to Western and Central Europe around 2000 years ago. We investigated mtDNA of Holocene Felis remains and provide evidence of an unexpectedly early presence of cats bearing the Near Eastern wildcat mtDNA haplotypes in Central Europe, being ahead of Roman period by over 2000 years.

Current state of knowledge on infection among Coleoptera: a systematic review.

Background: Despite great progress in studies on infection in insects, the knowledge about its relations with beetle species, populations and individuals, and the effects of bacteria on these hosts, is still unsatisfactory. In this review we summarize the current state of knowledge about occurrence and interactions with Coleopteran hosts.

Methods: An intensive search of the available literature resulted in the selection of 86 publications that describe the relevant details about presence among beetles.

Riparian Collembola (Hexapoda) communities of northern Moldova, Eastern Europe.

Collembola were studied in a well-preserved riverine section of the Prut River in the Republic of Moldova. The study was focused on species diversity and habitat preferences of the particular species at two localities. Riparian habitats of the Prut River near Branişte included open river bank, forest belt and meadow, and the shore of Lake Costeşti-Stânca included meadow, pasture and shrub vegetation.

Species delimitation within the Bothryorrhynchapion weevils: Multiple evidence from genetics, morphology and ecological associations.

Curculionidae is a hyperdiverse group of beetles, whose taxonomy and phylogenetics are still poorly understood, especially at the genus level. The latest work on the evolution of Apionini showed a noticeable "mess" in the subtribe Oxystomatina, where most of the morphology-based genera were found to be polyphyletic or paraphyletic. These discrepancies between classical taxonomy and molecular phylogenetics implied the need for further taxonomic revision of these groups.

Central European Woolly Mammoth Population Dynamics: Insights from Late Pleistocene Mitochondrial Genomes.

The population dynamics of the Pleistocene woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) has been the subject of intensive palaeogenetic research. Although a large number of mitochondrial genomes across Eurasia have been reconstructed, the available data remains geographically sparse and mostly focused on eastern Eurasia. Thus, population dynamics in other regions have not been extensively investigated.

Transcriptional profiling validates involvement of extracellular matrix and proteinases genes in mouse gonad development.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important scaffolding role in the establishment of organs structure during development. A great number of ECM components and enzymes (proteinases) regulating formation/degradation of ECM during organ remodeling have been identified. In order to study the role of ECM in the mouse gonad development, especially during sexual differentiation of the gonads when the structure of the testis and ovary becomes established, we performed a global analysis of transcriptome in three main cell types of developing gonad (supporting, interstitial/stromal and germ cells) using transgenic mice, cell sorting and microarray.

Comparative analysis of chromosomes in the Palaearctic bush-crickets of tribe Pholidopterini (Orthoptera, Tettigoniinae).

The present study focused on the evolution of the karyotype in four genera of the tribe Pholidopterini: Mařan, 1953, Mařan, 1953, Wesmaël, 1838, Mařan, 1953. Chromosomes were analyzed using fluorescence hybridization (FISH) with 18S rDNA and (TTAGG) telomeric probes, and classical techniques, such as C-banding, silver impregnation and fluorochrome DAPI/CMA staining. Most species retained the ancestral diploid chromosome number 2n = 31 (male) or 32 (female), while some of the taxa, especially a group of species within genus , evolved a reduced chromosome number 2n = 29.

A new species of Martynova, 1978 from northeast China, with a key to world species of the genus (Collembola, Onychiuridae).

A new species, , has been reported from Xiao Hinggan Mountains (northeast China). The new species is unique in having the pso formulae as 32/133/33332 dorsally and 0/000/0001(0) ventrally, and the ventral psx formula as 3/000/221000. A key to all known species of the genus is given.

Cell adhesion molecules expression pattern indicates that somatic cells arbitrate gonadal sex of differentiating bipotential fetal mouse gonad.

Unlike other organ anlagens, the primordial gonad is sexually bipotential in all animals. In mouse, the bipotential gonad differentiates into testis or ovary depending on the genetic sex (XY or XX) of the fetus. During gonad development cells segregate, depending on genetic sex, into distinct compartments: testis cords and interstitium form in XY gonad, and germ cell cysts and stroma in XX gonad.

Forewing structure of the solitary bee Osmia bicornis developing on heavy metal pollution gradient.

Wild bees in natural conditions can develop under various environmental stressors. Heavy metal pollution of the environment is one of the most widely studied stressors in insects, yet its effect is poorly described in bees. We have measured how pollution of the environment along a zinc, cadmium and lead contamination gradient in Poland affects bee development, using red mason bees (Osmia bicornis) as a model and their forewing asymmetry measures to assess possible developmental instabilities.

Repeated evolution of camouflage in speciose desert rodents.

There are two main factors explaining variation among species and the evolution of characters along phylogeny: adaptive change, including phenotypic and genetic responses to selective pressures, and phylogenetic inertia, or the resemblance between species due to shared phylogenetic history. Phenotype-habitat colour match, a classic Darwinian example of the evolution of camouflage (crypsis), offers the opportunity to test the importance of historical versus ecological mechanisms in shaping phenotypes among phylogenetically closely related taxa. To assess it, we investigated fur (phenotypic data) and habitat (remote sensing data) colourations, along with phylogenetic information, in the species-rich Gerbillus genus.

Uncovering the hidden biodiversity of natural history collections: Insights from DNA barcoding and morphological characters of the Neotropical genus Dognin (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).

We used a 227-bp fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I (DNA "barcode") in conjunction with morphological data to study specimens of the Neotropical genus Orthocomotis Dognin, 1906, acquired from natural history collections. We examined over 20 species of Orthocomotis from 17 localities in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The analysis identified 32 haplotypes among the 62 specimens and found no haplotypes shared among species.

Functioning grouped soil microbial communities according to ecosystem type, based on comparison of fallows and meadows in the same region.

Predicting the composition and function of microbial communities at a bio-geographical scale, across ecosystems, is challenging. We compared six abandoned fields to six meadows to see whether soil microbial community structure and activity are more similar within the ecosystem type than between the types. We implemented bacteria and fungi phylogenetic markers profiling, phospholipids analysis, fluorescence counts of total bacteria and algae and microscopy of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF).

The relationships within the Chaitophorinae and Drepanosiphinae (Hemiptera, Aphididae) inferred from molecular-based phylogeny and comprehensive morphological data.

The Chaitophorinae is a bionomically diverse Holarctic subfamily of Aphididae. The current classification includes two tribes: the Chaitophorini associated with deciduous trees and shrubs, and Siphini that feed on monocotyledonous plants. We present the first phylogenetic hypothesis for the subfamily, based on molecular and morphological datasets.

Paleozoic Nymphal Wing Pads Support Dual Model of Insect Wing Origins.

The appearance of wings in insects, early in their evolution [1], has been one of the more critical innovations contributing to their extraordinary diversity. Despite the conspicuousness and importance of wings, the origin of these structures has been difficult to resolve and represented one of the "abominable mysteries" in evolutionary biology [2]. More than a century of debate has boiled the matter down to two competing alternatives-one of wings representing an extension of the thoracic notum, the other stating that they are appendicular derivations from the lateral body wall.