Weeds and agro by-products for sustainable farming of edible field cricket, Gryllus madagascarensis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae).

Gryllus madagascarensis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) is a cricket species that shows promise to mitigate food insecurity and malnutrition. But whether this species will accept low- to no-cost weeds and agro by-products as feed, and how these feeds affect its performance, remains unknown. This study assessed the acceptability of 66 weed species and agro by-products (derived from a single plant species) by adult G.

Two new species of Diastatotropis Lacordaire from protected areas in central and east Madagascar (Coleoptera: Anthribidae).

Two new species, Diastatotropis lusti Trýzna, Blažej & Rakotonirina sp. nov. and Diastatotropis petulae Trýzna, Blažej & Rakotonirina sp.

A new species of Apatenia Pascoe (Coleoptera: Anthribidae) from central Madagascar, with a key to species, additions to the distribution of rare species of the genus, and general notes about threats to anthribid diversity.

A new species Apatenia kuntei Trýzna & Rakotonirina sp. nov. (Anthribidae: Anthribinae: Platyrhinini) from the Ambohitantely Special Reserve in central Madagascar is described.

A systematic review of using population-level human mobility data to understand SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 into a highly susceptible global population was primarily driven by human mobility-induced introduction events. Especially in the early stages, understanding mobility was vital to mitigating the pandemic prior to widespread vaccine availability. We conducted a systematic review of studies published from January 1, 2020, to May 9, 2021, that used population-level human mobility data to understand SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Male-based key to the subfamilies and genera of Malagasy ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).

The males of the family Formicidae of the Malagasy region, including the islands of the southwest Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Comoros, and Seychelles) are reviewed. A male-based synopsis of each subfamily and genera are provided. A richly illustrated male-based key to the eight subfamilies and 72 genera for which males are known are provided.

Linear Morphometry of Male Genitalia Distinguishes the Ant Genera and (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Madagascar.

Morphometric analyses of male genitalia are routinely used to distinguish genera and species in beetles, butterflies, and flies, but are rarely used in ants, where most morphometric analyses focus on the external morphology of the worker caste. In this work, we performed linear morphometric analysis of the male genitalia to distinguish and in Madagascar. For 80 specimens, we measured 10 morphometric characters, especially on the paramere, volsella, and penisvalvae.

Airborne DNA reveals predictable spatial and seasonal dynamics of fungi.

Fungi are among the most diverse and ecologically important kingdoms in life. However, the distributional ranges of fungi remain largely unknown as do the ecological mechanisms that shape their distributions. To provide an integrated view of the spatial and seasonal dynamics of fungi, we implemented a globally distributed standardized aerial sampling of fungal spores.

Temperature and water availability drive insect seasonality across a temperate and a tropical region.

The more insects there are, the more food there is for insectivores and the higher the likelihood for insect-associated ecosystem services. Yet, we lack insights into the drivers of insect biomass over space and seasons, for both tropical and temperate zones. We used 245 Malaise traps, managed by 191 volunteers and park guards, to characterize year-round flying insect biomass in a temperate (Sweden) and a tropical (Madagascar) country.

Global Spore Sampling Project: A global, standardized dataset of airborne fungal DNA.

Novel methods for sampling and characterizing biodiversity hold great promise for re-evaluating patterns of life across the planet. The sampling of airborne spores with a cyclone sampler, and the sequencing of their DNA, have been suggested as an efficient and well-calibrated tool for surveying fungal diversity across various environments. Here we present data originating from the Global Spore Sampling Project, comprising 2,768 samples collected during two years at 47 outdoor locations across the world.

Effect of Cricket Frass Fertilizer on growth and pod production of green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

Cricket Frass Fertilizer (CFF) was tested for its efficiency and potential as a fertilizer on the growth of green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in central Madagascar from April 2020 to October 2020. We grew green beans experimentally for 93 days with seven different fertilizer treatments: NPK 200 kg/ha (0.

Evidence of cospeciation between termites and their gut bacteria on a geological time scale.

Termites host diverse communities of gut microbes, including many bacterial lineages only found in this habitat. The bacteria endemic to termite guts are transmitted via two routes: a vertical route from parent colonies to daughter colonies and a horizontal route between colonies sometimes belonging to different termite species. The relative importance of both transmission routes in shaping the gut microbiota of termites remains unknown.

Description of the male of Bolton & Fisher, 2016 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).

The male of the myrmicine genus is described for the first time on the basis of two specimens of (Mayr, 1872) collected in northern Madagascar. We used COI barcoding to confirm the identification of the male specimens as conspecific with . We provide an illustrated male-based key to the four Myrmicinae tribes (Attini, Crematogastrini, Solenopsidini, Stenammini) and to the Solenopsidini genera (, , , and ) for the Malagasy region.

Regeneration strategies and forest resilience to changing fire regimes: Insights from a Goldilocks model.

Disturbances are ubiquitous in ecological systems, and species have evolved a range of strategies to resist or rebound following disturbance. Understanding how the presence and complementarity of regeneration traits will affect community responses to disturbance is increasingly urgent as disturbance regimes shift beyond their historical ranges of variability. We define "disturbance niche" as a species' fitness across a range of disturbance sizes and frequencies that can reflect the fundamental or realized niche, that is, whether the species occurs alone or with other species.

Revision of the Malagasy Camponotus subgenus Myrmosaga (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) using qualitative and quantitative morphology.

The CamponotussubgenusMyrmosaga from the Malagasy region is revised based on analysis of both qualitative morphological characters and morphometric traits. The multivariate analysis used the Nest Centroid (NC)-clustering method to generate species hypotheses based on 19 continuous morphological traits of minor workers. The proposed species hypotheses were confirmed by cumulative Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA).

Molecular Phylogeny Reveals the Past Transoceanic Voyages of Drywood Termites (Isoptera, Kalotermitidae).

Termites are major decomposers in terrestrial ecosystems and the second most diverse lineage of social insects. The Kalotermitidae form the second-largest termite family and are distributed across tropical and subtropical ecosystems, where they typically live in small colonies confined to single wood items inhabited by individuals with no foraging abilities. How the Kalotermitidae have acquired their global distribution patterns remains unresolved.

A taxonomic revision of the Malagasy endemic subgenus Mayria of the genus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) based on qualitative morphology and quantitative morphometric analyses.

The subgenus Mayria of the genus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is revised. The subgenus is endemic to Madagascar where it occupies a broad range of habitats, from deciduous and dry forest to rainforest. A taxonomic review is provided of this subgenus, integrating multiples lines of evidence including qualitative morphology and quantitative morphometry.

Insect morphometry is reproducible under average investigation standards.

Morphometric research is being applied to a growing number and variety of organisms. Discoveries achieved via morphometric approaches are often considered highly transferable, in contrast to the tacit and idiosyncratic interpretation of discrete character states. The reliability of morphometric workflows in insect systematics has never been a subject of focused research, but such studies are sorely needed.

Diversity and Use of Edible Grasshoppers, Locusts, Crickets, and Katydids (Orthoptera) in Madagascar.

Madagascar has a long history of using Orthoptera as food and feed. Our understanding of the biological diversity of this resource, its contemporary use, and its future potentials in Madagascar is extremely limited. The present study contributes basic knowledge of the biological diversity and local uses of edible Orthoptera in Malagasy food cultures.

Taxonomic revision of the Malagasy Camponotus subgenus Mayria Hymenoptera, Formicidae) using qualitative and quantitative morphology.

The Camponotus subgenus Mayria is revised based on the analysis of both qualitative morphological characters and morphometric traits. The multivariate analysis combined the Nest Centroid (NC)-clustering method and Partitioning Algorithm based on Recursive Thresholding (PART) function to generate species hypotheses based on 19 continuous morphological traits of minor workers. The proposed species hypotheses were confirmed by cumulative Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA).

Taxonomic revision of imitating carpenter ants, Camponotus subgenus Myrmopytia (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Madagascar, using morphometry and qualitative traits.

The ant genus (Mayr, 1861) is one of the most abundant and species rich ant genera in the Malagasy zoogeographical region. Although this group is commonly encountered, its taxonomy is far from complete. Here, we clarify the taxonomy of the Malagasy-endemic Camponotus subgenus Myrmopytia (Emery, 1920).

Taxonomic revision of the Malagasy and species groups (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) using qualitative and quantitative morphology.

The Camponotus grandidieri species group and Camponotus niveosetosus species group of the Malagasy region are revised. Species delimitation was inferred from the evidence of both qualitative morphological analysis and multivariate morphometry. The multivariate method combined the Nest Centroid (NC)-clustering method and Partitioning Algorithm based on Recursive Thresholding (PART) function to generate hypotheses about species boundaries (clusters) based on 19 continuous morphological traits of minor workers.

Revision of the Malagasy species group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Formicinae): integrating qualitative morphology and multivariate morphometric analysis.

The Malagasy species group is revised based on both qualitative morphological traits and multivariate analysis of continuous morphometric data. To minimize the effect of the scaling properties of diverse traits due to worker caste polymorphism, and to achieve the desired near-linearity of data, morphometric analyses were done only on minor workers. The majority of traits exhibit broken scaling on head size, dividing workers into two discrete subcastes, minors and majors.