Search Results (1,715)

Disturbance events and subsequent management practices significantly shape the ecological legacies of affected sites. This study evaluated the impacts of a 2022 derecho and the subsequent forest management on forest structure and arthropod diversity by comparing affected forests at Fogwell Forest Nature Preserve and Fox Island County Park with control forests at Blue Cast Springs and Hammer Wald Nature Preserves. Arthropod communities were sampled using pitfall traps, while forest structure was assessed through detailed surveys of understory, midstory, and overstory vegetation. Results indicated a decrease in overall arthropod diversity across all sites since 2016, variably attributed to forest maturation, climatic variability, and the 2022 disturbance, with some taxa showing declines, such as Formicidae and Curculionidae. Fogwell exhibited a significant decline in arthropod diversity, likely linked to the derecho, while Fox Island’s diversity aligned more closely with undisturbed control sites. Notable midstory reductions were observed across sites over time, especially at Fox Island, due to harvest and storm impacts. Meanwhile, overstory diversity varied between properties. Regression modeling revealed that forest management practices at Fox Island may have mitigated the disturbance’s effects, aiding arthropod recovery. All in all, these findings highlight the importance of forest management strategies in influencing biodiversity and ecological recovery post-disturbance. Full article

The increasing resistance of agricultural pests and disease-vectoring arthropods to synthetic pesticides underscores the urgent need for novel and sustainable biocidal agents. This study evaluates, for the first time, the insect antifeedant and ixodicidal activities of essential oils derived from ten Amazonian Piper species and their major constituents. Antifeedant effects were assessed against Spodoptera littoralis, Myzus persicae, and Rhopalosiphum padi, whereas ixodicidal activity was tested on Hyalomma lusitanicum. Additionally, the effects of these oils on the plant-parasitic nematode Meloidogyne javanica were investigated. Essential oils from Piper mituense (51.6% apiol) and P. sancti-felicis (76.1% apiol) exhibited the highest bioactivity, achieving more than 75% feeding inhibition across all insect species and 100% tick mortality. P. mituense consistently demonstrated greater potency, suggesting possible synergistic interactions among its minor constituents. Principal component analysis linked apiol-rich chemotypes with broad-spectrum activity. In contrast, oils rich in oxygenated caryophyllene derivatives, particularly those from P. casapiense, showed strong selective antifeedant effects against R. padi. Pure apiol displayed activity across all assays, whereas no nematicidal effects were observed. Molecular docking analyses supported these findings, indicating that apiol can interact with acetylcholinesterase in addition to its known effect on cytochrome P450 targets. Overall, these results identify complementary Piper chemotypes with promising potential as dual-purpose biopesticides for integrated pest management strategies. Full article

Mosquito control personnel work within health departments, public works, private companies, and other agencies. These essential outdoor workers have highly specialized training and are faced with a variety of potential health and safety hazards (e.g., arthropod bites and stings, exposure to insecticides and other chemicals, working with heavy equipment, noise, heat, solar ultraviolet radiation, slips, trips, and/or falls). Mosquito control personnel undergo employer-provided and other types of training on a variety of topics from regulatory updates to new surveillance and control techniques that are required for safety purposes and to maintain their applicator license. Here, an exploratory baseline survey was conducted among members of the North Carolina Mosquito and Vector Control Association (NCMVCA) and the Virginia Mosquito Control Association (VMCA). There was a 28% response rate so results should be interpreted with caution in this pilot study. Most respondents reported utilizing ultra-low volume insecticide application equipment for controlling adult mosquitoes. Backpack sprayers were utilized by less than half of respondents. Those who reported using respirators showed higher concern about insecticide-related health effects than those who did not use respirators. Outdoor workers encounter various potential hazards and utilize several forms of personal protective equipment to reduce risks. This baseline work can be considered a starting point for implementing and strengthening occupational safety and health awareness and preventive measures for mosquito control workers. Knowledge of health and safety hazards can reduce workplace risk. Full article

Plants can provide natural enemies with alternative food resources that enhance their performance in addition to prey consumption. Extrafloral nectaries attract beneficial insects by supplying nectar in exchange for pest suppression, although other arthropods may also benefit. This study aimed to characterize the extrafloral nectar composition of bottle gourd, Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley (Cucurbitaceae), a host plant of Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae), and to evaluate the effects of its carbohydrate profile on key biological parameters of this predator. Extrafloral nectar was chemically characterized for carbohydrate and amino acid composition, and laboratory bioassays were conducted to assess the effects of a sugar solution of the extrafloral nectar carbohydrate profile when provided with two factitious food sources, Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs and Artemia sp. (Anostraca: Artemiidae) cysts. Female egg production, nymphal development and food source consumption were evaluated. Chemical analysis revealed that bottle gourd extrafloral nectar consisted primarily of glucose, fructose, sucrose and melezitose, while serine was the dominant amino acid. Four essential amino acids were also detected. Sugar supplementation did not affect nymphal development rate but significantly reduced factitious food consumption. Significant differences in egg production were observed among feeding regimes. Sugar supplementation did not affect egg production when E. kuehniella eggs were provided, but significantly increased egg production when Artemia cysts were used as food source. These results indicate that extrafloral nectar carbohydrates can function as effective supplementary nutritional resources for N. tenuis, particularly when lower-quality factitious food sources are used. These findings enhance our understanding of plant–predator nutritional interactions and suggest that extrafloral nectar-derived components warrant further evaluation for incorporation into mass rearing protocols. Full article

Temperate broadleaved forests support diverse arthropod communities, but canopy-dwelling insects in European lime (Tilia cordata Mill.) stands are still poorly known. We surveyed light-attracted canopy insects in six T. cordata Genetic Conservation Units and related protected stands across Lithuania. One modified, solar-powered UV light trap was installed in the canopy (10–15 m) at each site and operated twice per month from June to August in 2023 and 2024. We used diversity metrics, similarity indices, multiple regression, and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) together with PERMANOVA to examine the structure of insect communities and assess the influence of environmental factors. In total, 6031 individuals representing 295 insect species were recorded, with higher abundance, species richness and Shannon diversity in 2024 than in 2023. Across both years and all sites, Shannon H diversity index ranged from 3.21 to 3.92. Sørensen indices indicated moderate species similarity among sites and distinct species composition at the Ukmergė genetic reserve. The 20 most abundant taxa comprised over 60% of all individuals, and dominance structure changed markedly between years: Serica brunnea dominated in 2023 but was nearly absent in 2024. Regression revealed a significant positive effect of air temperature on insect abundance (about a 31% increase per 1 °C), while precipitation had no significant effect on insect abundance. NMDS and PERMANOVA showed strong spatial structuring, with sites explaining most of the variation, and weaker but significant temporal and site-by-year effects. Overall, insect diversity metrics showed non-significant correlations with T. cordata genetic diversity parameters. Results demonstrate that mature T. cordata forest stands are important reservoirs of canopy insect diversity and highlight pronounced spatial heterogeneity, interannual dynamics, and temperature sensitivity of canopy assemblages in Lithuanian forests. Full article

During phytosanitary monitoring of ornamental conifers conducted across multiple regions of Serbia, two species of spider mites, Eotetranychus libocedri (McGregor, 1936) and E. thujae (McGregor, 1950), were recorded for the first time. Eotetranychus libocedri was found on Platycladus orientalis L. (Franco), Thuja occidentalis L., and Cupressus × leylandii A.B. Jacks & Dallim, while E. thujae was detected on T. occidentalis. These records extend the distribution area of these two allochthonous species in Europe. Monitoring alien arthropod species in Europe is crucial, as they pose a risk to native flora and fauna and can cause significant economic losses. Together with previous findings, the number of registered species of the family Tetranychidae in Serbia now totals 47 across 10 genera. Full article

Dengue is the most prevalent arthropod-borne viral disease, caused by infection with the dengue virus (DENV). Severe dengue is characterized by significant vasculopathy involving a proinflammatory and procoagulant state associated with increased vascular permeability. However, the host–virus interactions driving this process remain incompletely elucidated. Monocytes (Mø) are primary target cells during DENV infection and actively release extracellular vesicles, like microparticles (MPs), mediating intercellular communication, contributing to dengue pathogenesis. Here, we evaluated whether MPs released by DENV-infected monocytes represent a previously underappreciated mechanism contributing to dengue-associated vascular dysfunction. The vascular endothelium plays a determining role in the response to injury because it functions as a regulatory interface during hemostasis (coagulation–fibrinolysis–inflammation) and by preserving the endothelial barrier. We found that these vesicles transport viral proteins (E and NS1), exhibit a procoagulant profile that promotes thrombin generation, and enhance endothelial vascular cell (EVC) activation. DENV-infected THP-1 Mø MPs interaction induces a shift toward a procoagulant, proinflammatory, and proadherent phenotype, characterized by increased expression of PAR-1, TF, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1, reflecting the establishment of a sustained HMEC-1 EVC activation that compromises vascular barrier integrity. This leads to increased permeability, a hallmark of DENV-associated vasculopathy and a central event in the progression to severe dengue. Full article

Managed pollinators are essential to agricultural productivity, but there are concerns that overreliance on western honey bees (Apis mellifera) places this productivity at risk. Stingless bees (Apidae; tribe Meliponini) can supplement or replace honey bees as pollinators in some warm climate crops, but information is limited regarding the pests and diseases that they face. This paper reviews the existing research literature on the subject. We found 48 studies on arthropod pests and 28 on microbial diseases of stingless bees. There has been a relatively high research interest in mites (Acari) and small hive beetles (Aethina tumida); however, neither of these organisms are major pests of stingless bees. This high research interest likely results from their impact on honey bees and their novelty as newly arrived invasive species in many regions. Cleptoparasitic bees have also been highly researched. The most widely researched diseases were viruses. However, while many widespread honey bee viruses have been found in stingless bees, few studies examined whether these produced symptoms in stingless bees. For many suspected pests and pathogens, there is uncertainty regarding whether their relationship with hive collapse is causal or merely correlative. We conclude that pests and diseases of stingless bees are very under-researched compared to those of honey bees. This knowledge gap will need to be addressed if stingless bees are to serve an expanded role as managed agricultural pollinators. Full article

Same-sex sexual behavior in invertebrates includes interactions such as courtship, mounting, copulation, tandem running, and pair formation between individuals of the same sex. We conducted a systematic synthesis of 222 primary studies and 12 reviews and found published evidence of SSB in approximately 207 species spanning arthropods, mollusks, annelids, echinoderms, nematodes, and flatworms. Although most reports involved insects (approximately 89%), standardized reporting rates suggest this bias reflects research effort rather than true biological prevalence. Observations came from field studies, although several taxa, particularly Diptera and Hymenoptera, were disproportionately represented by laboratory work. Copulation-like interactions were the most frequently reported behavior, followed by courtship and mounting. Where authors proposed explanatory frameworks, mistaken identity or indiscriminate mating was the most invoked interpretation, although adaptive functions and socially mediated explanations were also recurrent. Direct measurements of fitness consequences were rare and yielded mixed outcomes, suggesting that the consequences of SSB are context dependent rather than uniformly beneficial or maladaptive. Overall, the available evidence supports the view that SSB in invertebrates is neither anomalous nor reducible to a single mechanism. Instead, it appears as a heterogeneous component of the behavioral repertoire whose expression is shaped by mating system, study type, and taxonomic history. Full article

Arthropod natural enemies—encompassing predators and parasitoids—form the backbone of sustainable agriculture, delivering irreplaceable ecosystem services via biological pest suppression. Driven by global demand for eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic pesticides, research in this domain has grown sharply over the past decade. Here, we report a systematic bibliometric analysis of 6515 Web of Science Core Collection papers focused on arthropod natural enemies in biological control (2016–2025), with the goal of charting the field’s intellectual structure. Performance metrics confirmed an initial rapid increase from 2016 to 2019 followed by a plateau and a slight rise in 2025, with the US, China, and Brazil dominating output. Keyword co-occurrence networks pinpointed core themes, including conservation biological control, predatory mites, and integrated pest management (IPM). Temporal trends further revealed a pivot toward applied work on invasive pest systems. Co-citation analysis uncovered six foundational research clusters, while bibliographic coupling of 2021–2025 papers uncovered five active emerging subfields: landscape ecology and habitat manipulation, tri-trophic interaction mechanisms, high-impact invasive pest biocontrol, non-target risk assessment for introduced agents, and fall armyworm integrated management. We synthesize cross-cutting implications and outline future priorities—including AI-enabled rearing systems, functional biodiversity boosting, climate adaptation, and multifunctional landscape tuning. By consolidating historical progress and forward-looking directions, this framework empowers researchers, extension practitioners, and policymakers to scale sustainable pest management worldwide. Full article

This study investigated the behavioural responses of the arthropods Folsomia candida (springtails) and Porcellionides pruinosus (woodlice) to leachates released from additive-free plastic polymers. Avoidance behaviour was evaluated to assess potential reductions in soil habitat function, while aggregation status was investigated to highlight possible functional impairments in the woodlice population. Leachates from pristine and artificially aged low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polypropylene (PP) microplastics were tested at three different concentrations, ranging from environmentally relevant levels to a worst-case scenario of soil contamination. The distinct physicochemical structures of LDPE and PP led to different release compounds. The results revealed no statistically significant avoidance responses in arthropods for either treatment. Unlike PP, LDPE induced a statistically significant impairment of gregarious behaviour at the highest tested concentration (150 mg/kg d.w.). Furthermore, pristine LDPE induced more pronounced disaggregation than the aged one, suggesting that weathering may modulate behavioural responses depending on polymer type and endpoint. Therefore, it is recommended that high levels of plastic leachates can have an adverse effect on soil arthropods and that the aggregation behaviour of woodlice may be a more informative and sensitive biological endpoint than avoidance alone. Full article

Ticks are important arthropod vectors that transmit various pathogens to humans, livestock, and wildlife, thereby contributing significantly to the global burden of vector-borne diseases. The tick microbiome, consisting of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and other microorganisms, plays a crucial role in pathogen transmission dynamics and the emergence of new zoonotic diseases. This review examines the characteristics of tick vectors, the composition and dynamics of tick-associated microbiomes, and their implications for zoonotic disease transmission. We analyze current knowledge of tick-borne pathogens, including Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Rickettsia species, Anaplasma species, and Coxiella species, and highlight the potential for microbiome constituents to serve as reservoirs for emerging pathogens. The complex interactions between tick hosts, their microbiomes, and vertebrate hosts create opportunities for pathogen evolution and interspecies transmission. Recent advances in molecular techniques have revealed previously unknown microbial diversity within tick populations, suggesting that many potential zoonotic pathogens remain undiscovered. We discuss future research directions, including field screening methodologies for pathogen detection, microbiome-based risk assessment approaches, and the development of novel prevention strategies, including tick vaccines. Full article

Chitin synthase (CHS) catalyzes the final polymerization step in chitin biosynthesis and is therefore central to cuticle formation in arthropods. In this study, a chitin synthase gene from the swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus (PtCHS) was identified and functionally characterized in relation to epidermal formation and molting. The open reading frame of PtCHS was 4731 bp and encoded a predicted protein of 1576 amino acids belonging to glycosyltransferase family 2. Domain prediction revealed multiple transmembrane helices, a conserved chitin-synthase catalytic region, a coiled-coil region, and the diagnostic EDR, QRRRW, and SWGTRE motifs. Phylogenetic analysis assigned PtCHS to the class A/CHS1 chitin synthase lineage, and two alternative splice variants, designated PtCHS1a and PtCHS1b were detected. PtCHS transcripts were broadly distributed across examined tissues, with comparatively high abundance in the Y-organ, midgut, ovary, and epidermis. During the molting cycle, epidermal PtCHS expression increased during premolt, reached its highest level in postmolt stages, and declined during intermolt. During embryonic development, PtCHS expression remained relatively stable until late embryogenesis and then increased sharply before hatching. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of PtCHS reduced the expression of key chitin-biosynthesis genes, decreased epidermal chitin content, prolonged the molting interval, and was associated with molting failure and increased mortality. Conversely, unilateral eyestalk ablation induced PtCHS and molting-related genes, increased epidermal chitin content, shortened the molting interval, and promoted histological features consistent with enhanced extracellular matrix deposition and epidermal biosynthesis. These findings indicate that PtCHS is indispensable for epidermal chitin deposition and successful molting in P. trituberculatus, and provide a molecular basis for understanding molting regulation in economically important portunid crabs. Full article

Most plant-based essential oil repellent products currently available on the market utilize a “green” approach based on the volatile properties of essential oils. In general, these essential oils contain terpenes, terpenoids, phenylpropanoids or benzenoids that can be used to either (1) eliminate a human’s scent through a process called odor masking, or (2) interfere with an insect’s ability to detect a person’s scent through interaction with both olfactory receptors and odorant binding proteins. Additionally, many of the essential oil blends that have been developed have been shown to exhibit antimicrobial and therapeutic properties. The primary drawback to using essential oil-based repellents is that their protection times vary widely, and typically last only a short period of time due to the volatile nature of the active ingredients, as well as differences in concentration and formulation among products. Encapsulation, nano-delivery systems, and rationally designed blend combinations are being proposed as potential methods to delay the release of the essential oil active ingredients, thus extending the duration of effectiveness of the repellent product. Since essential oils represent complex mixtures, there is a possibility that resistance to the repellent active ingredients could develop differently than it would for single-active agents. However, before such resistance can be assessed, the repellents must undergo extensive safety evaluations, along with standardized efficacy assessments against Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved repellent products, and ultimately, field trials must be conducted in areas where the repellents will be used to prevent vector-borne diseases. In addition to conducting these evaluations, the repellents must comply with existing state and federal pesticide regulations. Full article

Urban parks in rapidly expanding tropical cities function as novel ecosystems where habitat filtering, human-mediated dispersal, and management practices can shape arthropod assemblages. Spiders are useful indicators of these processes because they combine high taxonomic diversity, functional heterogeneity, and sensitivity to microhabitat structure. Here, we evaluated whether public urban parks in Chetumal, Mexico, sustain diverse spider assemblages while also showing signals of urban biotic mixing, functional filtering, and detectability biases in citizen-science records. We sampled 20 parks using two daytime techniques, look-up and look-down searching, and compared the results with citizen science observations. In total, we collected 4870 spiders belonging to 27 families, 100 genera, and 167 species. The richest families were Salticidae, Araneidae, and Theridiidae, whereas abundance was mainly driven by Tetragnathidae, Lycosidae, and Oecobiidae, indicating a highly uneven community structure. Inventory completeness was high according to rarefaction and coverage analyses. Nine introduced species were detected, representing about 18% of all individuals, which suggests urban mixing. Only one medically important species, Loxosceles yucatana, was recorded, and it was rare. Spider communities included all major hunting guild strategies, especially orb-web weavers and ground hunters, highlighting the ecological value of urban parks as biodiversity reservoirs in a rapidly urbanizing Neotropical region. Full article