Diversity and complexity of arthropod references in haiku.

Haiku are short poems, each composed of about 10 words, that typically describe moments in nature. People have written haiku since at least the 17th century, and the medium continues to be popular with poets, amateurs, educators, and students. Collectively, these poems represent an opportunity to understand which aspects of nature-e.g., which taxa and biological traits-resonate with humans and whether there are temporal trends in their representation or the emotions associated with these moments. We tested this potential using a mix of linguistic and biological methods, in analyses of nearly 4,000 haiku that reference arthropods. We documented the taxa and the life history traits represented in these poems and how they changed over time. We also analyzed the poems for emotion and tone. Our results reveal a mix of predictable trends and compelling surprises, each of which stand to potentially inform engagement strategies. At least 99 families of arthropods, in 28 orders, are represented in these haiku. The eight most commonly referenced taxa, from highest to lowest number of references, include: Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, Araneae, Orthoptera, Hemiptera, and Odonata. Several common, conspicuous orders were never referenced, including Trichoptera, Plecoptera, and Megaloptera. The most commonly referenced traits relate to ecology (especially habitat, phenology, time of day), behavior (especially sound production), phenotype (especially color), and locomotion (especially flight). The least common traits in haiku relate to arthropod reproduction and physiology. Our analyses revealed few obvious temporal trends in the representations of taxa, biological traits, or emotion and tone. The broader implications of these results and possible future directions are discussed.

INFLUENCE OF GROOMING ON PERMANENT ARTHROPOD ASSOCIATES OF BIRDS: CATTLE EGRETS, LICE, AND MITES.

Birds have a diverse community of "permanent" arthropods that complete their entire life cycle on the body of the host. Because some of these arthropods are parasites that reduce host fitness, birds control them by grooming, which consists of preening with the beak and scratching with the feet. Although preening is the primary component of grooming, scratching is essential for controlling arthropods on the head and neck, which cannot be preened. Several unrelated groups of birds have evolved comb-like pectinate claws on the middle toenail of each foot. We tested the role of these claws in the control of arthropods by experimentally removing teeth from the claws of captive western cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) infested with chewing lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera), feather mites (Acari: Sarcoptiformes), and nasal mites (Acari: Mesostigmata). After a period of 4 mo, we compared the abundance of arthropods on experimental birds to that of control birds with intact teeth. We used video to quantify the grooming rates of the captive birds, which groomed twice as much as wild birds. Experimental and control birds did not differ significantly in grooming time. Both groups virtually eradicated the chewing lice, but not feather mites or nasal mites. We found no support for the hypothesis that pectinate claws increase the efficiency of arthropod control by grooming. Experiments with wild birds are needed to test the hypothesis further under conditions in which birds devote less time to grooming.

High-resolution vision in pelagic polychaetes.

High-resolution object vision - the ability to separate, classify, and interact with specific objects in the environment against the visual background - has only been conclusively shown to have evolved in three of the thirty-five animal phyla: chordates, arthropods, and mollusks (cephalopods)1. However, alciopid polychaetes (Phyllodocidae, Alciopini), which possess a pair of bulbous camera-type eyes, have also been hypothesized to achieve high acuity. In this study, we examined three species of night-active pelagic alciopids from the Mediterranean Sea. Our optical, morphological, and electrophysiological investigations show that their eyes have high spatial acuity and temporal resolution, supporting the notion that they are capable of active, high-resolution object vision. These results encourage interesting hypotheses about the visual ecology of these enigmatic polychaetes.

Community Structure and Water Quality Assessment of Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Hongze Lake.

This study investigated the species, density, biomass and physicochemical factors of benthic macroinvertebrates in Hongze Lake from 2016 to 2020. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to analyze the relationship between physicochemical parameters and the community structure of macroinvertebrates. Macroinvertebrate-based indices were used to evaluate the water quality conditions in Hongze Lake. The results showed that a total of 50 benthic species (10 annelids, 21 arthropods and 19 mollusks) were collected. The community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates varied in time and space. The dominant species were Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri (L.hoffmeisteri), Corbicula fluminea (C.fluminea), Nephtys oligobranchia (N.oligobranchia). In 2016, arthropods such as Grandidierella sp. were the dominant species of benthos in Hongze Lake while annelids and mollusks dominated from 2017 to 2020, such as L.hoffmeisteri, N.oligobranchia, C.fluminea. The benthic fauna of Chengzi Lake and Lihewa District were relatively abundant and showed slight variation, while the benthic macroinvertebrates of the Crossing the water area were few and varied greatly. RDA showed that changes in benthic macroinvertebrate structure were significantly correlated with dissolved oxygen (DO), Pondus Hydrogenii (pH) and transparency (SD). The Shannon Wiener, Pielou, and Margalef indices indicate that Hongze Lake is currently in a moderately polluted state. Future studies should focus on the combined effects of various physicochemical indicators and other environmental factors on benthic communities.

Evidence for cryptic molting behavior in the trilobite Toxochasmops vormsiensis from the Upper Ordovician Katian Kõrgessaare Formation, Estonia.

Documentation of cryptic trilobite behavior has presented important insights into the paleoecology of this fully extinct arthropod group. One such example is the preservation of trilobites inside the remains of larger animals. To date, evidence for trilobites within cephalopods, gastropods, hyoliths, and other trilobites has been presented. Importantly, most of these interactions show trilobite molts, suggesting that trilobites used larger animals for protection during molting. To expand the record of molted trilobites within cephalopods, we present a unique case of a Toxochasmops vormsiensis trilobite within the body chamber of a Gorbyoceras textumaraneum nautiloid from the Upper Ordovician Kõrgessaare Formation of Estonia. By examining this material, we present new insights into the ecology of pterygometopid trilobites, highlighting how these forms used large cephalopods as areas to successfully molt.

Microscopic Menaces: The Impact of Mites on Human Health.

Mites are highly prevalent arthropods that infest diverse ecological niches globally. Approximately 55,000 species of mites have been identified but many more are yet to be discovered. Of the ones we do know about, most go unnoticed by humans and animals. However, there are several species from the Acariformes superorder that exert a significant impact on global human health. House dust mites are a major source of inhaled allergens, affecting 10-20% of the world's population; storage mites also cause a significant allergy in susceptible individuals; chiggers are the sole vectors for the bacterium that causes scrub typhus; Demodex mites are part of the normal microfauna of humans and their pets, but under certain conditions populations grow out of control and affect the integrity of the integumentary system; and scabies mites cause one of the most common dermatological diseases worldwide. On the other hand, recent genome sequences of mites provide novel tools for mite control and the development of new biomaterial with applications in biomedicine. Despite the palpable disease burden, mites remain understudied in parasitological research. By better understanding mite biology and disease processes, researchers can identify new ways to diagnose, manage, and prevent common mite-induced afflictions. This knowledge can lead to improved clinical outcomes and reduced disease burden from these remarkably widespread yet understudied creatures.

Seasonal fluctuations of litter and soil Collembola and their drivers in rainforest and plantation systems.

Rainforest conversion and expansion of plantations in tropical regions change local microclimate and are associated with biodiversity decline. Tropical soils are a hotspot of animal biodiversity and may sensitively respond to microclimate changes, but these responses remain unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, here we investigated seasonal fluctuations in density and community composition of Collembola, a dominant group of soil invertebrates, in rainforest, and in rubber and oil palm plantations in Jambi province (Sumatra, Indonesia). Across land-use systems, the density of Collembola in the litter was at a maximum at the beginning of the wet season, whereas in soil it generally varied little. The community composition of Collembola changed with season and the differences between land-use systems were most pronounced at the beginning of the dry season. Water content, pH, fungal and bacterial biomarkers, C/N ratio and root biomass were identified as factors related to seasonal variations in species composition of Collembola across different land-use systems. We conclude that (1) conversion of rainforest into plantation systems aggravates detrimental effects of low moisture during the dry season on soil invertebrate communities; (2) Collembola communities are driven by common environmental factors across land-use systems, with water content, pH and food availability being most important; (3) Collembola in litter are more sensitive to climatic variations than those in soil. Overall, the results document the sensitivity of tropical soil invertebrate communities to seasonal climatic variations, which intensifies the effects of the conversion of rainforest into plantation systems on soil biodiversity.

The BALA project: A pioneering monitoring of Azorean forest invertebrates over two decades (1999-2022).

Globally, there is a concerning decline in many insect populations, and this trend likely extends to all arthropods, potentially impacting unique island biota. Native non-endemic and endemic species on islands are under threat due to habitat destruction, with the introduction of exotic, and potentially invasive, species, further contributing to this decline. While long-term studies of plants and vertebrate fauna are available, long-term arthropod datasets are limited, hindering comparisons with better-studied taxa. The Biodiversity of Arthropods of the Laurisilva of the Azores (BALA) project has allowed gathering comprehensive data since 1997 in the Azorean Islands (Portugal), using standardised sampling methods across islands. The dataset includes arthropod counts from epigean (pitfall traps) and canopy-dwelling (beating samples) communities, enriched with species information, biogeographic origins, and IUCN categories. Metadata associated with the sample protocol and events, like sample identifier, archive number, sampled tree species, and trap type are also recorded. The database is available in multiple formats, including Darwin Core, which facilitates the ecological analysis of pressing environmental concerns, such as arthropod population declines and biological invasions.

Genetic underpinnings of arthropod community distributions in Populus trichocarpa.

Community genetics seeks to understand the mechanisms by which natural genetic variation in heritable host phenotypes can encompass assemblages of organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and many animals including arthropods. Prior studies that focused on plant genotypes have been unable to identify genes controlling community composition, a necessary step to predict ecosystem structure and function as underlying genes shift within plant populations. We surveyed arthropods within an association population of Populus trichocarpa in three common gardens to discover plant genes that contributed to arthropod community composition. We analyzed our surveys with traditional single-trait genome-wide association analysis (GWAS), multitrait GWAS, and functional networks built from a diverse set of plant phenotypes. Plant genotype was influential in structuring arthropod community composition among several garden sites. Candidate genes important for higher level organization of arthropod communities had broadly applicable functions, such as terpenoid biosynthesis and production of dsRNA binding proteins and protein kinases, which may be capable of targeting multiple arthropod species. We have demonstrated the ability to detect, in an uncontrolled environment, individual genes that are associated with the community assemblage of arthropods on a host plant, further enhancing our understanding of genetic mechanisms that impact ecosystem structure.

Interspecific insect relationships on Terminalia argentea (Myrtales: Combretaceae) trees in the Cerrado biome.

Terminalia argentea Mart. (Combretaceae), native to Brazil, is used in habitat restoration programs. Arthropods are bioindicators because their populations reflect changes in the environment. We evaluated the recovery of a degraded area by using ecological indices and analyzing arthropod interactions on T. argentea plants. The richness and diversity of sap-sucking Hemiptera and the abundance of tending ants and Sternorrhyncha predators increased with the number of T. argentea leaves. The correlation of the abundance of tending ants and Sternorrhyncha predators was positive with that of the sap-sucking Hemiptera, and the abundance of Sternorrhyncha predators was negative with that of tending ants and sap-sucking Hemiptera. The positive correlation between the abundance, richness, and diversity of insect groups and numbers of T. argentea leaves is an example of the bottom-up regulation mechanism, with the population dynamics of the lower trophic levels dictating those of higher trophic levels. The contribution of T. argentea, a host plant of many arthropods, to the recovery of ecological relationships between organisms in degraded ecosystems is important.

The plant virus transmissions database.

Plant viruses are transmitted mechanically or by vegetative propagation, and by vectors such as arthropods, fungi, nematodes, or parasitic plants. Sources to access available information regarding plant virus transmissions are scattered and require extensive literature searches. Here, a recently created plant virus transmission database is described. This was developed to provide access to the modes of transmission and vectors of over 1600 plant viruses. The database was compiled using over 3500 publication records spanning the last 100 years. The information is publicly accessible via https://library.wur.nl/WebQuery/virus and fully searchable by virus name, taxonomic position, mode of transmission or vector.

Tick hemocytes have a pleiotropic role in microbial infection and arthropod fitness.

Uncovering the complexity of systems in non-model organisms is critical for understanding arthropod immunology. Prior efforts have mostly focused on Dipteran insects, which only account for a subset of existing arthropod species in nature. Here we use and develop advanced techniques to describe immune cells (hemocytes) from the clinically relevant tick Ixodes scapularis at a single-cell resolution. We observe molecular alterations in hemocytes upon feeding and infection with either the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi or the rickettsial agent Anaplasma phagocytophilum. We reveal hemocyte clusters exhibiting defined signatures related to immunity, metabolism, and proliferation. Depletion of phagocytic hemocytes affects hemocytin and astakine levels, two I. scapularis hemocyte markers, impacting blood-feeding, molting behavior, and bacterial acquisition. Mechanistically, astakine alters hemocyte proliferation, whereas hemocytin affects the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway in I. scapularis. Altogether, we discover a role for tick hemocytes in immunophysiology and provide a valuable resource for comparative biology in arthropods.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of Spirobolus grahami (Diplopoda: Spirobolidae) with phylogenetic analysis.

Diplopoda is one of the most diverse and important groups of soil arthropods, but little research has been done on their phylogenetic relationship and evolution. Here, we sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial genomes of Spirobolus grahami. The total mitogenome of S. grahami was typical circular, double-stranded molecules, with 14,875 bp in length, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs, and one control region. Base composition analysis suggested that the mitochondrial sequences were biased toward A and T, with A + T content of 58.68%. The mitogenomes of S. grahami exhibited negative AT and positive GC skews. Most of the 13 PCGs had ATN as the start codon, except COX1 start with CGA, and most PCGs ended with the T stop codon. The dN/dS values for most PCGs were lower than 1, suggesting that purifying selection was likely the main driver of mitochondrial PCG evolution. Phylogenetic analyses based on 13 PCGs using BI and ML methods support the classification of genus Spirobolus and Tropostreptus. Glomeridesmus spelaeus is distantly related to the other Diplopoda species.

The plasticity of immune memory in invertebrates.

Whether specific immune protection after initial pathogen exposure (immune memory) occurs in invertebrates has long been uncertain. The absence of antibodies, B-cells and T-cells, and the short lifespans of invertebrates led to the hypothesis that immune memory does not occur in these organisms. However, research in the past two decades has supported the existence of immune memory in several invertebrate groups, including Ctenophora, Cnidaria, Nematoda, Mollusca and Arthropoda. Interestingly, some studies have demonstrated immune memory that is specific to the parasite strain. Nonetheless, other work does not provide support for immune memory in invertebrates or offers only partial support. Moreover, the expected biphasic immune response, a characteristic of adaptive immune memory in vertebrates, varies within and between invertebrate species. This variation may be attributed to the influence of biotic or abiotic factors, particularly parasites, on the outcome of immune memory. Despite its critical importance for survival, the role of phenotypic plasticity in immune memory has not been systematically examined in the past two decades. Additionally, the features of immune responses occurring in diverse environments have yet to be fully characterized.

Acanthocephala Species of Mammals in Türkiye and A New Species Record from Foxes.

Acanthocephaliasis is a zoonotic parasitic infection of vertebrates. The phylum Acanthocephala contains nearly 1500 acanthocephalan species. The Archiacanthocephala class is observed in terrestrial habitats and usually has a large, spineless trunk. Acanthocephalans are parasitic worms that use insects as intermediate hosts in their two-host life cycles. Insects, millipedes, and crustaceans in terrestrial areas serve as intermediate hosts and birds and mammals as definitive hosts. Acanthocephalans collected from the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) found dead on the road to Sarikamis-Kars in 1995 and stored in formaldehyde were kept in Ondokuz Mays University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Parasitology Laboratory Museum until 2023 after our parasitological study found an infected red fox with Pachysentis sp. This study provides the anatomy of the acanthocephalans and the laboratory practice necessary for a good and reliable diagnosis. This study reports a new species, Pachysentis sp., of acanthocephalan (thorny-headed worm) found in red foxes for Türkiye. On the basis of relevant articles, we have created a key to Acanthocephala species occurring in mammals.

A review of the genus Pachymerium C. L. Koch, 1847 (Geophilomorpha: Geophilidae) from Romania.

Based on the review of the original descriptions of Pachymerium antipai Cpue, 1968, P. atticum Verhoeff, 1901 and P. tabacarui Cpue, 1968 from Romania and the direct study of the external anatomy of P. ferrugineum (C. L. Koch, 1835) and Geophilus flavus (De Geer, 1778) from Romania, Egypt, Italy and Russia, P. antipai and P. aticum sensu Cpue (1968) are proposed as junior subjective synonyms of P. ferrugineum, while P. tabacarui is proposed as a junior subjective synonym of G. flavus. The presence of P. atticum in Romania is hereby considered doubtful. Revisions to the diagnosis of Pachymerium are proposed to help differentiate it from other geophilid genera. A discussion of the relative suitability of different morphological characters for distinguishing species within Pachymerium is also included.

The millipede genus Iulidesmus Silvestri, 1895 in Colombia (Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae, Catharosomatini).

The paradoxosomatid genus Iulidesmus Silvestri, 1895 in the fauna of Colombia is shown to presently contain nine species. Three of them are still obscure, two of which could be revised based on type (I. alacer (Attems, 1944)) or new material (Orthomorpha proxima Silvestri, 1898), one is a nomen dubium (Strongylosoma glabrum Peters, 1864), while further six are described as new here: Iulidesmus garciae n. sp., I. minerus n. sp., I. florezi n. sp., I. sabaneta n. sp., I. icni n. sp., and I. jeekeli n. sp. A key to all six new species of the genus and their distribution map are provided.

The first record of the giant pill-millipede genus Prionobelum Verhoeff, 1924 from Thailand, with the integrative description of two species (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Zephroniidae).

Thailand hosts a very rich but underexplored giant pill-millipede (Sphaerotheriida) fauna, with 11 of its 13 species described in the last three years. Currently, all known Thai giant pill-millipedes belong to the genera Zephronia Gray, 1832 (nine species) and Sphaerobelum Verhoeff, 1924 (four species). Here we describe the first two species of the genus Prionobelum Verhoeff, 1924 (previously restricted to Vietnam and China), Prionobelum inthanonense n. sp. and P. naevium n. sp. from Thailand. The species occur at Thailands highest mountain (2500 m) Doi Inthanon and the lowland rainforests at Bang Lang National Park touching the border with Malaysia. Both species are described integratively, utilizing light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy as well as DNA barcoding. Both new species of Prionobelum differ from other Zephroniidae species, as well as from one another, by more than 20% p-distance in the COI barcoding gene suggesting that potential closer related species are still awaiting discovery.

A new dwarf schendylid centipede (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha: Schendylidae) with a low number of legs from Serbia, Balkan Peninsula.

Schendyla antici sp. nov., a dwarf geophilomorph from the Mt. Medvednik (Western Serbia, Balkan Peninsula), is described and illustrated based on the specimens extracted from the soil samples. A detailed comparison with all species within the genus is provided. The new species has the lowest number of leg-bearing segments within the genus Schendyla Bergse & Meinert, 1866, and one of the lowest in the order Geophilomorpha in general.

A new canopy-dwelling species of the genus Alloscopus Brner (Collembola: Orchesellidae: Heteromurinae) from Mt. Makiling, Philippines.

A new species of Alloscopus Brner, 1906 (Orchesellidae: Heteromurinae), A. arborealis sp. nov., is herein described from Mt. Makiling, Laguna, Philippines. The new species is distinct from its blind congeners by the combination of: 7+7 macrochaetae on head An series and 1+1 on M series; 13+13 macrochaetae on thorax II (vs. 912) and 7+7 central on thorax III (vs. 6+6); absence of the microsensilla on abdomen I; abdomen IV with four sensilla (vs. three); and ventral tube with a small number of chaetae on its posterior face (45 vs. 1123) and lateral flap (7 vs. 916). The complete body chaetotaxic pattern of the new species and a revised key to the world fauna of Alloscopus are also provided.