Opportunities and barriers for promoting biodiversity in Danish beef production.

Grazing at near-natural stocking rates is increasingly rare, whereas abandonment and overgrazing is common, despite both leading to loss of threatened species. Here, we evaluate a biodiversity-promotion strategy of a beef-producing company involving livestock grazing for conservation. Using field surveys, a national biodiversity map, and farmer interviews, we evaluate the conservation potential of farmers committing to a conservation grazing scheme.

Adaptive immunity of type VI CRISPR-Cas systems associated with reverse transcriptase-Cas1 fusion proteins.

Cas13-containing type VI CRISPR-Cas systems specifically target RNA; however, the mechanism of spacer acquisition remains unclear. We have previously reported the association of reverse transcriptase-Cas1 (RT-Cas1) fusion proteins with certain types of VI-A systems. Here, we show that RT-Cas1 fusion proteins are also recruited by type VI-B systems in bacteria from gut microbiomes, constituting a VI-B1 variant system that includes a CorA-encoding locus in addition to the CRISPR array and the RT-Cas1/Cas2 adaptation module.

A new species of colorful Platypelis (Amphibia: Microhylidae) from the Tsaratanàna and Bemanevika massifs in northern Madagascar.

Frogs of the genus Platypelis are known to have their center of species richness in the mountain massifs of northern Madagascar. We here formally describe a new species of Platypelis from this region. Platypelis saikamavo sp.

Nothochrysinae (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) from the early Eocene Fur Formation, Denmark, with description of a new genus.

Furochrysa alisae gen et sp. nov. is described, and Stephenbrooksia multifurcata Willmann, 1993 and Danochrysa madseni Willmann, 1993 are re-described based on their holotypes and additional specimens from the early Eocene Fur Formation of Denmark.

A new bot fly species of Cuterebra (Diptera: Oestridae) from Ecuador.

A new species of cuterebrine rodent bot fly, Cuterebra yanayacui sp. nov., is described from the cloud forest of Ecuador, and it is argued that the species mimics a range of aculeate hymenopterans, including euglossine orchid bees of the genera Eufriesea Cockerell and Eulaema Lepeletier and bumble bees of the subgenus Cullumanobombus Vogt.

A lesser giant millipede from Tanzania (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Spirostreptidae).

Archispirostreptus microgigas sp. nov. is described, based on a specimen from Tanzania, and compared with its congeners, especially A.

New data on the genus Supella Shelford, 1911 (Dictyoptera: Pseudophyllodromiidae) with description of female of S. eocenica Anisyutkin et Perkovsky, 2023 from Rovno amber.

The paper provides a detailed morphological description of a previously unknown female of Supella eocenica Anisyutkin et Perkovsky, 2023. The structure of the tegmina and wings of the type species of the genus Supella, S. longipalpa (Fabricius, 1798), is also redescribed.

DNA barcode polymorphism within a common widespread rove beetle Quedius molochinus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae).

Phylogenetic assessment of COI barcodes from 22 specimens identified as Q. molochinus based on external morphology and shape of the aedeagus revealed three non-sister clades within this recently revised species, with large molecular distance (6.3-7.

'Where there are many cattle' in the Eocene of Ukraine: Review of Ambositra Masner (Hymenoptera, Diapriidae, Ambositrinae) from Rovno amber, with the description of three new species.

Three species of the genus Ambositra: A. epicnemia sp. nov.

New and little-known Mantophasmatidae (Insecta: Mantophasmatodea) from European amber.

Two new species of gladiators are described from European amber, namely Raptophasma neli sp. nov. and Adicophasma hafniensis sp.

Two new rove beetle genera in Staphylininae that reduce "" and "" taxonomic wastebaskets (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae).

The here-provided description of the new genera and was necessitated by a phylogenetic study of Staphylininae (to be published separately), which will be used for the proper characterization of their respective new suprageneric lineages in an upcoming update of the higher classification of this subfamily. Both new genera are erected for species that had been previously described but misplaced in the highly polyphyletic "taxonomic wastebasket" genera (Amblyopinina) and (Quediina), resulting in the following new combinations: (Smetana, 1971), ex. ; (Smetana, 1971), ex.

Molecular methods for the detection and identification of parasitoids within larval wheat midges.

Three species of cecidomyiid midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) cause significant yield losses on wheat in Europe: Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin), Contarinia tritici (Kirby) and Haplodiplosis marginata (von Roser). Eggs and young larvae may be parasitised by a complex of hymenopteran parasitoids belonging to the Pteromalidae and Platygastridae families which contributes to natural pest control. We have developed molecular tools for detecting and identifying seven parasitoid species previously encountered in Belgium inside individual wheat midge larvae.

First indisputable fossil Ilex (Aquifoliales: Aquifoliaceae) flower found in Baltic amber.

The genus Ilex (holly) in the monotypic family Aquifoliaceae contains more than 600 species distributed worldwide. Pollen fossils and macrofossils of fruits of Ilex are known from the late Cretaceous (90 Ma) and verified leaves from the upper Miocene (10 Ma), but until now only a few more or less incomplete flower fossils have been suggested as referable to this genus. This paper reviews the fossil flowers earlier attributed to Ilex and presents a complete and indisputable staminate Ilex flower from Baltic amber (34-38 Ma) examined in detail with synchrotron X-ray tomography.

Pathogen-specific social immunity is associated with erosion of individual immune function in an ant.

Contagious diseases are a major threat to societies in which individuals live in close contact. Social insects have evolved collective defense behaviors, such as social care or isolation of infected workers, that prevent outbreaks of pathogens. It has thus been suggested that individual immunity is reduced in species with such 'social immunity'.

The evolution of thermal performance curves in fungi farmed by attine ant mutualists in aboveground or belowground microclimates.

Fungi are abundant and ecologically important at a global scale, but little is known about whether their thermal adaptations are shaped by biochemical constraints (i.e. the Hotter is Better Model, HBM) or evolutionary tradeoffs (i.

Seeds of language-like generativity in bird call combinations.

Language is unbounded in its generativity, enabling the flexible combination of words into novel sentences. Critically, these constructions are intelligible to others due to our ability to derive a sentence's compositional meaning from the semantic relationships among its components. Some animals also concatenate meaningful calls into compositional-like combinations to communicate more complex information.

The role of noncoding RNAs in bacterial immunity.

The evolutionary arms race between bacteria and phages has driven the development of diverse anti-phage defense mechanisms. Recent studies have identified noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) as key players in bacteria-phage conflicts, including CRISPR-Cas, toxin-antitoxin (TA), and reverse transcriptase (RT)-based defenses; however, our understanding of their roles in immunity is still emerging. In this review, we explore the multifaceted roles of ncRNAs in bacterial immunity, offering insights into their contributions to defense and anti-defense mechanisms, their influence on immune regulatory networks, and potential biotechnological applications.

Comparative genomics unravels a rich set of biosynthetic gene clusters with distinct evolutionary trajectories across fungal species (Termitomyces) farmed by termites.

The use of compounds produced by hosts or symbionts for defence against antagonists has been identified in many organisms, including in fungus-farming termites (Macrotermitinae). The obligate mutualistic fungus Termitomyces plays a pivotal role in plant biomass decomposition and as the primary food source for these termites. Despite the isolation of various specialized metabolites from different Termitomyces species, our grasp of their natural product repertoire remains incomplete.

Functionally-Graded Serrated Fangs Allow Spiders to Mechanically Cut Silk, Carbon and Kevlar Fibers.

Before humans and allegedly any animal group, spiders developed "functionally graded toothed blades" that cut one of the toughest biological materials: silk. Here, this work reveals the importance of micro-structured serrations in spiders' fangs that allow these animals to cut silk and artificial high-performance fibers, such as carbon or Kevlar. The importance of serrations revolves around the stress concentration at the interface between the fang and the fibers, resulting in a cutting efficiency superior to that of a razor blade.

Two +ssRNA mycoviruses cohabiting the fungal cultivar of leafcutter ants.

Leafcutter ants are dominant herbivores in the Neotropics and rely on a fungus (Leucoagaricus gongylophorus) to transform freshly gathered leaves into a source of nourishment rather than consuming the vegetation directly. Here we report two virus-like particles that were isolated from L. gongylophorus and observed using transmission electron microscopy.

Insights into the ecology of the infant gut plasmidome.

Plasmids are small DNA molecules that enable bacteria to share beneficial traits, influencing microbial communities. However, their role within the human gut microbiome remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigate the gut microbiomes of 34 mother-child cohorts, employing a plasmid analysis workflow to understand the impact of plasmids on the gut microbiome.