Research Articles (Zoology and Entomology)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/1740

A collection containing some of the full text peer-reviewed/ refereed articles published by researchers from
the Department of Zoology and Entomology

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Spodoptera frugiperda, a global threat to food security : a review on bioecology, genetics, and innovative control strategies
Kavallieratos, Nickolas G.; Wakil, Waqas; Gidari, Demeter Lorentha S.; Boukouvala, Maria C.; Filintas, Constantin S.; Ghazanfar, Muhammad Usman; El-Shafi, Hamadttu; Akutse, Komivi Senyo; Niassy, Saliou; Tonnang, Henri E.Z.; Samuels, Richard Ian; Silva, Gerson Adriano; Pecanha, Ludimila Simoes; Yusuf, Abdullahi Ahmed; Basit, Abdul; Liu, Tong-Xian; Shi, Wangpeng; Lu, Zhaozhi; Jurat-Fuentes, Juan Luis (Schweizerbart Science Publishers, 2026-07-09)
The fall armyworm (FAW) is a highly polyphagous pest native to the Americas that has become a global threat to food security through its rapid invasion across Africa, Asia, Oceania, and initial incursions in Europe. Feeding on > 350 plant species, FAW outbreaks have caused severe yield losses (~70% in some regions) and more than 13 billion USD in economic damage annually. This review synthesizes current knowledge of the biology, genetics, and ecology of FAW, emphasizing its remarkable adaptability, detoxification mechanisms, and resistance to insecticides. It outlines the complex global invasion pathways and the host strain-specific genetic variability. Management strategies, including microorganisms and combinations of microbials with chemicals are critically assessed. The high efficacy of these combinations vs. single treatments is highlighted further advocating integrated pest management. Emerging tools such as RNA interference, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, and microbial symbiont methods show promising potential. This review also underscores the impact of climate change on prediction of the expansion of FAW into new regions, thus triggering the establishment of effective management strategies.
Widespread polyandry in an invasive beetle species (Aethina tumida)
Palonen, Aura K.; Beaurepaire, Alexis L.; Schoch, Robine; Teixeira, Erica Weinstein; Williams, Geoffrey R.; Evans, Jay D.; Posada-Florez, Francisco; Pirk, Christian Walter Werner; Lawrence, Akinwande K.; Sorungbe, Adewale A.; Federico, Giovanni; Formato, Giovanni; Spooner-Hart, Robert; House, Clarissa M.; Neumann, Peter; Papach, Anna (Nature Research, 2026-07-07)
Biological invasions may induce adaptive shifts in traits that increase individual reproductive success, thereby accelerating population growth and amplifying ecological impacts. One such trait is polyandry, i.e. multiple mating by females, which may vary between endemic and invasive populations due to variation in demographic and environmental factors that alter the costs and benefits of multiple mating. Despite polyandry being widespread across taxa, comparative studies among multiple endemic and invasive populations of invasive species remain scarce. Here, we estimated the prevalence of polyandry in two endemic and five invasive populations of small hive beetle (Aethina tumida), a globally invasive parasite affecting bee health. Using DNA microsatellite genotyping of field-sampled females and their offspring to estimate mating frequencies, we show that polyandry varies in SHB populations and females mate with 1–13 males. However, the polyandry levels were not significantly different across the endemic and invasive populations compared. These results suggest that polyandry in SHB may be a stable reproductive trait rather than a plastic response to invasion-related factors. Our work supports further research on how multiple mating may improve both individual reproductive success and population viability in the context of biological invasions.
Metabolic acclimation to captivity in highveld mole-rats (Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae) is driven by sex-specific body mass increases
Thirkell, Jack E.; Bennett, Nigel Charles; Hart, Daniel William; Faulkes, Chris G.; Daley, Monica A.; White, Craig R.; Portugal, Steven J. (Company of Biologists, 2026-05)
Captivity represents a profound environmental shift that can induce physiological acclimation, yet its effects on metabolic rate remain poorly resolved, particularly in subterranean mammals. African mole-rats (Bathyergidae) are frequently studied under captive conditions, despite wide variation in acclimation periods prior to metabolic assessment. Here, we tested whether prolonged captivity alters resting metabolic rate (RMR) and related physiological traits in the highveld mole-rat Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae, and whether such changes are associated with body mass and sex. Using open-flow respirometry, we measured RMR, mass-specific RMR (msRMR) and respiratory quotient (RQ) in the same population of wild-caught animals assessed 7 days post-capture (wild) and again after 12 months in captivity (captive). Whole-animal RMR did not differ between wild and captive groups, nor between sexes. However, msRMR was 26.1% lower following captivity, coincident with a 28.1% increase in mean body mass. This mass gain was strongly sex specific: males increased body mass by 52.4%, whereas females showed no significant change. Despite this, sex did not independently explain variation in RMR or msRMR. Captive animals also exhibited lower RQ values than recently captured individuals, suggesting shifts in substrate utilisation or energetic state. Together, these results indicate that apparent reductions in msRMR following captivity are driven primarily by increases in metabolically inactive tissue rather than suppression of whole-animal metabolic rate. Our findings highlight the importance of accounting for captivity-induced changes in body mass and composition when interpreting metabolic data, and caution against direct comparisons between unacclimated and long-term captive animals.
The faunistic diversity of the spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of the Waterberg District in the Limpopo Province of South Africa
Dippenaar-Schoeman, Ansie S.; Munyai, T. Caswell; Bird, Tharina L.; Foord, Stefan H. (Pensoft Publishers, 2026-07-03)
The South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) has conducted surveys in the Waterberg District of the Limpopo Province, South Africa, over more than 40 years. The first annotated checklist for the Waterberg District is provided here, along with the global distributions, endemicity and conservation assessments for each species, as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria. A total of 54 families, 292 genera and 600 species were recorded. The study highlights species of special conservation concern, as well as the nine species endemic to the Waterberg District. Salticidae (95 species), followed by Thomisidae (80 species), Araneidae (53 species) and Gnaphosidae (48 species), are the most species-rich families. In contrast, single species represent 14 families. Most species (546; 91.2%) are widely distributed, with no known threats and are classified as being of Least Concern, whereas 34 species (5.6%) are still listed as Data Deficient. Seven species (1.2%) are of special concern and 11 species were not evaluated due to unresolved taxonomy. The Waterberg District has a rich spider fauna, accounting for 66.3% of the known spider fauna of the Limpopo Province, 25.6% of the total spider fauna of South Africa and with nine species endemic to the District.
Odour information enables African elephants to detect differences in food quantity from afar
Fourie, Tasmin; Finnerty, Patrick B.; Shrader, Adrian M. (Royal Society Publishing, 2026-01)
African elephants (Loxodonta africana) can rely on olfactory cues to guide foraging decisions. While odour can play a key role in indicating food quality, the potential for elephants to use odour to discriminate between food quantities from distance is unknown. Using a giant Y-maze, we examined the extent to which four captive elephants could use odour cues to discriminate between patches containing between 100 and 1000 g of food from 9.5 m away. As food quantities in the two patches became similar (proportional difference declined, ratios increased), the elephants’ ability to discriminate between them declined. In line with Weber’s Law, the elephants were only able to select the greater food amount when the absolute (>600 g) and proportional (>0.86) differences (i.e. discrepancy) were large, and the ratios were small. Previous research suggests that 600 g corresponds to approximately 6–10 trunk loads of grass or 16–29 trunk loads of woody vegetation leaves. Our findings suggest that African elephants could use olfactory cues to facilitate between-patch foraging decisions based on relatively fine-scale differences in food availability. Understanding this and linking it to patch selection may provide broader insight into elephant impacts on plant communities.
Exploring the influence of insect honeydew on plant physiology and health : bridging the gap in current understanding
Ali, Jamin; Chen, Rizhao; Danish, Mohammad; Riyazuddin, Riyazuddin; Dardouri, Tarek; Yusuf, Abdullahi Ahmed; Conti, Eric; Bayram, Ahmet (Wiley, 2025-11)
Honeydew, a sugary excretion from sap-feeding insects, significantly influences plant-insect interactions. While extensive research has examined honeydew's composition, regulation, and role in insect-plant relationships, its direct effects on plant physiology and health remain understudied. This review synthesizes current knowledge about the effects of insect honeydew deposition on plant physiology and health, focusing on both beneficial and detrimental effects. Adverse impacts include sooty mold development, increased pathogen susceptibility, and reduced photosynthetic capacity due to surface occlusion. Beneficial effects encompass enhanced flowering, strengthened direct and indirect plant defense mechanisms, and improved soil fertility through indirect pathways. This review examines the relationship between honeydew composition and its effects on plants, while highlighting critical knowledge gaps in molecular mechanisms and long-term plant responses. This synthesis based on a comprehensive literature search provides a foundation for future research on honeydew's role in plant health and ecological interactions.
Allometric scaling and social modulation of resting metabolic rate in a eusocial mammal (Heterocephalus glaber)
Thirkell, Jack E.; Faulkes, Chris G.; Merchant, Hana N.; Gilbert, James D.; Bennett, Nigel Charles; Hart, Daniel William; Daley, Monica A.; Portugal, Steven J. (Company of Biologists, 2026-06)
Resting metabolic rate (RMR) underpins energy allocation to survival, reproduction, and longevity, yet its drivers in highly structured social systems remain unclear. We measured RMR in 76 naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber) from five colonies to test effects of body mass, sex, reproductive status, age, social rank, and colony stability in this eusocial mammal. Body mass was the strongest predictor of RMR. Nevertheless, absolute RMR values were far below those predicted for mammals of similar mass, confirming metabolic suppression in this strictly subterranean species. Social factors produced subtler patterns. Among non-breeders, males had slightly higher (but not significantly so) RMR than females despite similar body mass. Breeding females showed elevated RMR relative to non-breeding females, but not significantly so. Age and dominance rank did not influence RMR once body mass was controlled. Colony identity explained little variation overall, although one colony showed altered metabolic scaling after social conflict, suggesting colony-level metabolic plasticity associated with hierarchical instability.
Classifying avian drinking behaviour : ecological insights and implications in a changing world
Conradie, Shannon R.; Freeman, Marc Trevor (Wiley, 2026-08)
Water is a fundamental currency of life, and its availability significantly influences animal behaviour, physiology and distributions. However, our knowledge around the dependence on water for drinking and the direct and indirect mechanisms driving related behaviours remains partial in the context of changing climates. Here, we review patterns and classifications of avian reliance on water consumption and the role of abiotic and biotic factors in drinking habits. We bring to light the void of information regarding drinking habits in relation to thermal physiology, and then review existing literature related to the behaviour of drinking. We attempt to highlight misconceptions related to the typical classification of drinkers versus non-drinkers and direct future research efforts to improve our understanding of the dynamic relationship between water availability, acquisition, and maintenance under climate change. We conclude that despite the common dichotomous use of drinking versus non-drinking classifications in climate vulnerability assessments, this trait is highly flexible and occurs along a continuum from specialist non-drinking species to highly dependent drinking species driven by abiotic and biotic pressures. While some recent assessments continue to apply binary traits, our gradient-based approach advances ecological relevance by accounting for context-dependent flexibility. Consequently, previous approaches assessing drinking versus non-drinking species may not be as ecologically relevant as previously thought. Improving our understanding of the spatial and temporal trends in how species acquire or use water for drinking, along with sound empirical data, will continue to shape our theoretical understanding of this trait. We emphasise that understanding drinking as a trait is critically important for comprehending species vulnerabilities to anticipated future climates, especially given predicted changes and increased variability in water availability.
Informing elephant management through demographic snapshots
Huang, Ryan M.; Pimm, Stuart L.; Louw, Cornelius J.; Guldemond, Robert Abraham Rene (Wiley, 2026-07)
Understanding a species' demography is central to its conservation and management. For some species, surveying populations is a costly and labor-intensive endeavor. Here, we present a cost-effective sampling methodology for measuring age structures of savannah elephant populations across southern Africa. We utilize aerial imagery to measure back lengths and generate demographic snapshots that inform management strategies. We test four hypotheses. First, provisioning supplementary water sources results in populations with a higher proportion of young individuals; second, it mitigates the effects of episodic periods of low rainfall. Third, we show density-dependent effects on lower fecundity, with populations at higher densities exhibiting longer calving intervals. Fourth, when applied with sufficient coverage, immunocontraceptives have a strong effect on the proportion of newborns within a population. These four impacts should be monitored closely to achieve the intended outcomes. Regardless of the management strategies employed, conservationists will need rapid, cost-effective approaches to monitoring the demography of savannah elephants across Africa.
Concentrations of pesticides in water and sediment in sub-Saharan Africa and the implications for honey bees
Kruger, Annika; Du Rand, Ezette E.; Pirk, Christian Walter Werner (Academy of Science of South Africa, 2026-07-29)
The global challenge of inadequate access to clean and safe drinking water affects over a billion individuals, of whom more than 800 million are in sub-Saharan Africa. Evaluation of water quality is an integral part of effective and sustainable management of water sources that ensures its suitability for human consumption and environmental stability. Agrochemicals are a major source of surface water contamination. Long-term water quality monitoring is essential to track changes in water quality across time and space to make informed decisions regarding water management practices that protect the water sources in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, we demonstrate the alarming fragmented nature and lack of long-term water quality monitoring data for sub-Saharan Africa by reviewing the level of contamination of water sources with pesticides that are widely used in the cultivation of the staple crop maize, specifically, atrazine, glyphosate, imidacloprid and metolachlor. Honey bees and beehive products are excellent indicators of environmental contamination and provide both qualitative and quantitative data. Long-term environmental monitoring programmes using managed honey bees as biomonitors have proven to be highly successful. We discuss the toxicity of atrazine, glyphosate, imidacloprid and metolachlor to honey bees and the feasibility of using honey bees as a bioindicator species for early detection of pesticide contamination of water sources in remote and rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa. SIGNIFICANCE : Water is essential for life, yet millions of people across sub-Saharan Africa lack access to safe water. Long-term water quality monitoring is an essential part of water management practices that protect water sources and prevents deterioration of water quality. This review illustrates a lack of standardised and long-term water quality monitoring data in sub-Saharan Africa. Existing data provide a limited view of water quality in this region, potentially leading to an inaccurate perception of the true level of contamination. We suggest a low-cost, sustainable sampling model for remote, rural areas as part of developing an efficient, long-term water quality monitoring programme.
Constitutive foliar metabolite variation in conifers shapes their susceptibility to the invasive herbivore Lymantria dispar asiatica
Cui, Mingming; Iyiola, Ebenezer A.; Chen, Chen; Hammerbacher, Almuth; Audet, Pierre; Blackburn, Gwylim S.; Keeling, Christopher I.; Stoehr, Michael; Bird, Keith; Degner, Jonathan; El-Kassaby, Yousry A.; Bernier, Louis; Keena, Melody; Porth, Ilga M. (Canadian Science Publishing, 2026-05-28)
Forest ecosystems are increasingly threatened by invasive pests due to global trade and changing environmental conditions. Improving tree resilience through selective breeding represents an effective management strategy. We used a combination of Lymantria dispar asiatica insect rearing, host metabolomic profiling, and full-sib family effect parameter evaluation of metabolites to identify defenses with greatest genetic potential. Among conifers studied for larval development, coastal Douglas-fir was the most and Norway spruce the least favorable host. Phenolics in foliage grouped conifer species phylogenetically, whereas terpenes reflected feeding behavior of the larvae better. Analysis of Douglas-fir full-sib families revealed moderate to high family effects of phytochemicals, suggesting potential for direct improvement of resistance. However, terpene profiles of nursery versus field grown Douglas-fir and Norway spruce were highly dissimilar, illustrating environmental and ontogenetic variability of biochemical traits. Insect bioassays thus need to be directly linked to terpene profiles of tested trees and data cannot be extrapolated to the species level. This integrated framework proposes a way for identifying targeted defenses and assessing their genetic potential, supporting evidence-based strategies for developing pest-resistant forest trees under increasing biological invasions. Follow-up work is needed to enhance phenotyping capacities of targeted resistance traits and obtain breeding values for these.
Shifting soils : the characteristics and dynamics of termite soil sheeting in a savanna
Bunney, Katherine; Robertson, Mark P.; Eggleton, Paul; Parr, Catherine Lucy (Elsevier, 2026-01)
Termites build two kinds of above-ground biogenic structures: mounds and sheeting. Sheeting is constructed to protect foraging termites against desiccation and predation while they consume the organic material that the sheeting covers. The movement of soils by termites profoundly affects soil turnover rates and modifies the patterns of water and chemical movement in soils. Despite this, the characteristics and dynamics of soil sheeting are not yet well understood. Within a broadleaf mesic (650 mm p.a.) South African savanna, we found that the fungus-growing genus Odontotermes dominated both horizontal and vertical sheeting production. In terms of quantity, there were approximately two tonnes of soil sheeting per hectare present across both the soil surface and the trees of the mesic savanna at each survey time. We found that horizontal sheeting is produced year-round while vertical sheeting is more frequent in dry seasons and in dry years. Termites are selective builders: the physical and chemical composition of horizontal and vertical sheeting differed from each other and from the matrix soils. Termites select medium-sized sand particles, silt and clay particles for the construction of horizontal sheeting and small sand particles for the construction of vertical sheeting. Horizontal sheetings was significantly enriched in nitrogen, sodium and phosphorus, while vertical sheetings was enriched in nitrogen. In savannas, primary production is strongly limited by nitrogen. These nutrient differences likely give rise to the creation of nutrient rich patches, on a finer scale than those created by termite mounds, with potentially important consequences for savanna spatial dynamics.
Individual specialization and temporal changes in Antarctic fur seal trophic ecology from a multi-tracer approach
Friscourt, Noemie; Walters, Andrea; Wotherspoon, Simon; Wege, Mia; Chapman, Christopher C.; Brewer, Elizabeth A.; De Bruyn, P.J. Nico; Oosthuizen, W. Chris; Cherel, Yves; Arthur, Benjamin; Lea, Mary-Anne (Wiley, 2026-06)
Substantial individual variation in diet and foraging strategies can exist within populations. These differences can enhance individual foraging efficiency, reduce intraspecific competition, and provide fitness advantages that increase the resilience of a population. Understanding the extent and stability of individual variation, and its contribution to population niche dynamics, is therefore important for interpreting ecological responses, particularly under changing environmental conditions. We used bulk and compound-specific stable isotope analyses together with tracking data to assess individual- and population-level variation in the foraging strategies of adult female Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) from Marion Island (southern Indian Ocean), during the winter migration period, over a decade (2008–2018). We aimed to (1) determine the existence and degree of individual specialization within the population, (2) identify foraging strategies and assess potential influences of body size, and (3) evaluate the temporal stability of foraging strategies, trophic position, and the population isotopic niche, considering potential changes in isotopic baselines. Isotopic data from 129 whiskers from 80 individuals revealed four main foraging strategies, with individuals ranging from extreme specialists to generalists. Corresponding tracking data highlighted differences in the use of oceanographic features niches among these groups, notably in the time spent south or north of the Polar Front. Observed foraging patterns were not explained by body size but instead likely reflect a combination of intrinsic (e.g., energetic costs, experience, genetic legacy) and extrinsic factors (e.g., intra- and interspecific competition and environmental variability). Interannual fluctuations in the population's isotopic niche were also detected, potentially linked to changes in environmental conditions, highlighting the population's adaptability to ecosystem changes. Foraging strategies appear to be temporally stable, as 61% of the 31 females sampled over multiple years showed fidelity to foraging areas, and 74% in their resource use. This suggests that while the population exhibits adaptability to environmental variability, individual seals may consistently employ specific foraging behaviors to limit the potential costs of shifting foraging area and diet. Given the accelerating impacts of climate change on the Southern Ocean, this study underscores the value of stable isotope analysis of whiskers as a powerful, minimally invasive tool for long-term ecological monitoring.
The ecology and evolution of cues and signals in animal interspecies cooperation
Dunkley, K.; Cantor, M.; Afan, A.I.; Ahlibi, D.S.; Allen, S.J.; Amphaeris, J.; Atkins, S.; Attwood, M.C.; Bankhead, K.; Blair, C.J.; Bronstein, J.L.; Camargo, Y.R.R.; Carvalho, S.; Channer, L.W.; Cuthill, R.R.T.; Das, J.; Daura-Jorge, F.G.; Deb, A.K.; Dixit, T.; Dounias, E.; Dyble, M.; Farine, D.R.; Freymann, E.; He, P.; Hoffmann, L.S.; Isack, H.A.; Ilha, E.B.; Kilawi, A.O.; Kamboe, W.-B.W.; Kingston, A.; Laltaika, E.A.; Lloyd-Jones, D.J.; Lund, J.; Machado, A.M.S.; McGarvey, K.; M'manga, G.M.; Mphetlhe, R.; Moreno, I.B.; Ngcamphalala, C.A.; Nhlabatsi, S.O.; Nwaogu, C.J.; Pierotti, R.; Reeves, I.M.; Robinson, E J.H.; Samad, I.; Sanda, M.; Serpa, N.B.; Simoes-Lopes, P.C.; Spottiswoode, C.N.; Soma, T.; Sridhar, H.; Tun, T.; Uomini, N.T.; Valle-Pereira, J.V.S.; Van Holstein, L.; Wood, B.M.; Cram, D.L.; Van der Wal, J.E.M. (Elsevier, 2026-07)
Mutualistic interactions have played a central role in generating biodiversity and are often facilitated by an exchange of information between participating parties. Cues and signals are likely to be particularly crucial in animal interspecies cooperation, a specific form of mutualism that depends on real-time, interactive behavioural coordination to secure mutual benefit. Yet, despite the taxonomic breadth and ecological significance of these interactions, our understanding of the roles of cues and signals in animal interspecies cooperation remains relatively underexplored compared to their well-documented roles in other mutualisms, intraspecies cooperation and interactions involving collective behaviour. Here, we examine the ecology and evolution of cues and signals in animal interspecies cooperation. Drawing on diverse natural history examples, we first assess the ecological functions, benefits and costs of cues and signals, and discuss how the information they convey about partner identity, motivation and reliability informs decisions about whether, when and how to cooperate with heterospecifics. Second, we outline the evolutionary origins, variation and heritability of cues and signals, and discuss the potential for coevolution between signallers and perceivers. Third, we draw on relevant insights from broader mutualisms and cooperation within species to highlight key similarities and differences in the use of cues and signals across interaction types. Overall, our review clarifies how information underpins animal interspecies cooperation, highlights key gaps in the scientific literature, and identifies promising avenues for future research on its ecological and evolutionary significance. HIGHLIGHTS • Interspecies cooperation relies on cues and signals for real-time coordination. • This information helps attract partners, start cooperation and maximize benefits. • Expression is shaped by sensory limits, environment, risk and information needs. • Signals can be inherited genetically or culturally and may coevolve in some cases. • Signals in interspecies cooperation parallel intraspecies cooperation and mutualism.
Wild canids and felids differ in their reliance on reused travel routeways
Fagan, William F.; Krishnana, Ananke G.; Fleminga, Christen H.; Ferreira, Elizabeth; Chia, Stephanie; Swain, Anshuman; Abrahms, Briana; Bracis, Chloe; Gurarie, Eliezer; Mueller, Thomas; Noonan, Michael J.; Oliveira-Santos, Luiz Gustavo R.; Tucker, Marlee A.; Anand, Gayatri; Liao, Qianru; Na, Sarah; Su, Steven; Liao, Daisy; Chilukuri , Varun; Ramulu, Shreyas; Diele-Viegas, Luisa Maria; Dougherty, Michael; Illingworth, David; Alexandrov, Dmitry Y.; Antunes, Pamela Castro; Azevedo , Fernanda C.; Barrett, Christina; Barroso, Matías Taborda; Behr, Dominik M.; Belant, Jerrold L.; Bellana, Steven; Berteaux, Dominique; Beyer, Dean E.; Bidner , Laura R.; Bishop, Jacqueline; Blount, J. David; Butler, Andrew; Carter, Andrew; Carvalho, Marina Motta; Chamberlain, Michael; Chistopolova, Maria D.; Clarkmm , Darren; Conner, L. Mike; Cotterill, Alayne; Cozzi, Gabriele; Cristescu, Bogdan; Cunningham, Calum X.; Çoban, Emrah; Darlington, Siobhan; Das Candeias, Ísis Zanini; DePerno, Christopher S.; Dekker, Jasja J.A.; Downs, Colleen T.; Dronova, Natalia; Drouilly, Marine; Eblate, Ernest; Ekwanga, Steve; Swingen , Morgan; Farhadinia, Mohammad; Ford, Adam T.; Frair, Jacqueline; Frank, Laurence; Fryxell, John M.; Fuller, Todd K.; Fyumagwa , Robert; Garthe, Stefan; Getz, Wayne Marcus; Palacios Gonzalez, Maria Jesus; Gooliaff, T.J.; Götz, Malte; Hamer, Rowena; Haberfeld, Mario; Hebblewhite, Mark; Hernandez-Blanco , Jose A.; Herrmann, Mathias; Heurich, Marco; Hodge, Karen E.; Houser, AnnMarie; Humphries, Bruce; López Iglesias, Miguel Ángel López; Isbell, Lynne A.; Jachowski , David; Jackson, Craig; Janssen, René; Jenks, Kate E.; Jiménez, Jaime E.; Jorge, Maria Luisa S.P.; Jorge, Rodrigo; Jubete, Fernando; Katna, Anjan; Kays, Roland; Kittle , Andrew M.; Klein, Rebecca; Kont, Raido; Kral, Michelle J.C.; Kusak, Josip; Lang, Johannes; Latham, Andrew David M.; Leimgruber, Peter; Lemos, Frederico G.; Levi, Taal; Lima , Caio F.M.; Lima, Edson; Lima, Fernando; Linnell, John D.C.; Macdonald, David W.; Mahoney, Peter; Männil, Peep; Masenga, Emmanuel; Mattisson, Jenny; May, Roel F.; McBride Jr., Roy T.; McDonald, Robbie A.; McNutt, J. Weldon; Miller, Karl; Minaev, Alexander; Miquelle, Dale G.; Moorman, Christopher E.; Morato , Ronaldo G.; Moreno, Ricardo; Mourão, Guilherme; Munkhtsog, Bariushaa; Munkhtsog, Bayaraa; Naidenko, Sergey V.; Nava, Teresa; Odden, John; Odden , Morten; Palomares, Francisco; Patterson, Brent R.; Patterson, Bruce D.; De Paula, Rogerio Cunha; Paviolo, Agustin; Petrunenko, Yury K.; Pkhitikov, Alim B.; Poyarkov, Andrey D.; Prugh, Laura R.; Rafiq, Kasim; Ramalho, Emiliano Esterci; Ramesh, Tharmalingam; Ranc, Nathan; Ranglack, Dustin H.; Ratnayaka, Anya; Roshier, David; Røskaft, Eivin; Rozhnov, Viatcheslav V.; Ruiz-Villar, Hector; Ruprecht, Joel; Samelius, Gustaf; Schwemmer, Philipp; Şekercioğlu, Çağan H.; Serieys, Laurel E.K.; Seryodkin, Ivan V.; Simon, Olaf; Songsasen, Nucharin; Sorokin, Pavel A.; Soutryina, Svetlana; Stent, Patrick; Stoner, David; Streicher, Jarryd; Tatler, Jack; Teichman, Kristine; Thaker, Maria; Thompsona , Katerina V.; Thompson, Jeffrey J.; Tortato, Marcos Adriano; Trinzen, Manfred; Van Der Weyde, Leanne; Vanak, Abi Tamim; Velilla, Marianela; Walton mmmmmm , fffff , sss , nnnnnn, , Zea; Wheeldon, Tyler J.; Tomas Willebrand; Williams, Terrie M.; Wilmers, Christopher C.; Wilson-Aggarwal , Jared; Wyson, Michael L.; Yachmennikova, Anna A.; Young, Julie K.; Calabrese, Justin M. (National Academy of Sciences, 2025-09-29)
Diverse factors, including environmental features and cognitive processes, can drive animals’ movements and space use, with far-reaching implications. For example, repeated use of individual-level travel routeways (directionally constrained but imperfectly aligned routes), which results in spatial concentration of activity, can shape encounter-based processes including predation, mate finding, and disease transmission. However, how much variation in routeway usage exists across species remains unknown. By analyzing GPS movement tracks for 1,239 range-resident mammalian carnivores—representing 16 canid and 18 felid species from six continents—we found strong evidence of a clade-level difference in species’ reliance on repeatedly used travel routeways. Across the global dataset, tracked canids had a 15% (±7 CI) greater density of routeways within their home ranges than did felids, rising to 33% (±16 CI) greater in landscapes shared with tracked felids. Moreover, comparisons within species across landscapes revealed broadly similar home range routeway densities despite habitat differences. On average, canids also reused their travel routeways more intensively than did felids, with hunting strategies and spatial contexts also contributing to the intensity of routeway usage. Collectively, our results suggest that key aspects of carnivore routeway-usage have an evolutionary component. Striking interspecific and clade-level differences in carnivores’ reliance on reused travel routeways within home ranges identify important ways in which the movement patterns of real-world predators depart from classical assumptions of predator-prey theory. Because such departures can drive key aspects of human-wildlife interactions and other encounter-based processes, continued investigations of the relationships between movement mechanisms and space use are critical.
Novel associations among insect herbivores and trees : patterns of occurrence and damage on pines and eucalypts
Stazione, Leonel; Corley, Juan C.; Allison, Jeremy D.; Hurley, Brett Phillip; Lawson, Simon A.; Lantschner, M. Victoria (Wiley, 2025-03)
Globalization has led to a significant increase in the establishment of forest plantations with exotic species and to the accidental introduction of forest insects worldwide. Cumulatively, these factors contribute to the increased occurrence of novel associations between phytophagous insects and trees, leading to new interactions between species that have not historically co-occurred. Here, we reviewed the patterns of novel associations between herbivorous insects and pines and eucalypts at a global scale and identified factors that could favor the occurrence of novel associations and their impacts on forestry. We recorded 766 novel associations of insects with pines and 356 with eucalypts, involving 852 species of herbivorous insects. Most of the novel associations occurred in the Neotropic, Austro-Pacific, and Palearctic regions. In all biogeographic regions, novel associations involved mostly native insects on exotic trees, except for the Nearctic, where exotic insects were dominant. Generalist insects were more frequently involved in novel associations, but specialist ones caused higher damage levels. Foliage feeders and wood and phloem feeders were the most frequent feeding guilds involved in new associations, while sap feeders, shoot feeders, and fruit and seed feeders were rare. For pines, non-native insects were more frequently associated with trees phylogenetically related to hosts in their native range, and native insects were more frequently associated with unrelated hosts. However, for both exotic and native insects, novel associations with eucalypts primarily involved hosts that are unrelated to hosts in their native range. The significance of extensive forest plantations with non-native species and the biogeographic context are emphasized as factors associated with the occurrence of novel associations between insects and trees. This study highlights the importance of international collaboration in forest insect monitoring and surveillance programs to facilitate the early detection of novel associations as an important first step toward minimizing their impact.
Ant brightness and size influence the seasonal vegetation use by ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in an Amazonia-Cerrado transition zone
Bochenski, Willian Schornobay; Vicente, Ricardo Eduardo; Bishop, Tom Rhys; Izzo, Thiago Junqueira (Wiley, 2025-12)
• Several factors influence species distribution within communities, with ecological filters playing a major role by shaping morphological, physiological and behavioural adaptations. Seasonal changes in environmental conditions—light incidence, temperature and humidity—can favour species capable of foraging under varying conditions or in different strata. • Ants are excellent models for studying how ecological filters structure communities throughout the year, as they exhibit traits that enable them to occupy a wide range of microhabitats. Two such traits that may reflect responses to environmental filters are body size and brightness. In this study, we investigated how ant distribution varies between soil and lower vegetation across two seasons, and how these patterns relate to ant morphology in an ecotonal area between the Amazon and Cerrado biomes. • Ants were sampled using pitfall traps placed on the ground and in the lower vegetation. We measured the size and brightness of representative individuals from each species. A total of 2659 occurrences were recorded, representing 237 species, 53 genera and 8 subfamilies. Species richness was higher during the dry season, especially in the soil. Species turnover was the main component of beta diversity, although this pattern varied with season. During the rainy season, many ground-dwelling ants shifted to the vegetation, increasing the nestedness component in cross-strata comparisons. Larger ants were more frequent in vegetation, while smaller ants predominated in the soil. Darker individuals were more common in vegetation during the dry season; however, this seasonal migration of ground ants to the vegetation led to a lighter-coloured ant community on average during the rainy season. • These findings show that ant community composition in the soil and lower vegetation is not stable year-round. Seasonal climatic conditions influence foraging activity and species presence, highlighting the importance of seasonal dynamics and vertical stratification in shaping community structure.
Worldwide soundscapes : a synthesis of passive acoustic monitoring across realms
Darras, Kevin F.A.; Rountree, Rodney A.; Van Wilgenburg, Steven L.; Cord, Anna F.; Pitz, Frederik; Chen, Youfang; Dong, Lijun; Rocquencourt, Agnès; Desjonquères, Camille; Diaz, Patrick Mauritz; Lin, Tzu-Hao; Turco, Théophile; Emmerson, Louise; Bradfer-Lawrence, Tom; Gasc, Amandine; Marley, Sarah; Salton, Marcus; Schillé, Laura; Wensveen, Paul J.; Wu, Shih-Hung; Acero-Murcia, Adriana C.; Acevedo-Charry, Orlando; Adam, Matyáš; Aguzzi, Jacopo; Akoglu, Irmak; Amorim, M. Clara P.; Anders, Mina; André, Michel; Antonelli, Alexandre; Aparecido Do Nascimento, Leandro; Appel, Giulliana; Archer, Stephanie; Astaras, Christos; Atemasov, Andrey; Atkinson, Jamieson; Attia, Joël; Baltag, Emanuel; Barbaro, Luc; Basan, Fritjof; Batist, Carly; Baumgarten, Julio Ernesto; Bayle Sempere, Just T.; Bellisario, Kristen; Ben David, Asaf; Berger-Tal, Oded; Bertucci, Frédéric; Betts, Matthew G.; Bhalla, Iqbal S.; Bicudo, Thiago; Bolgan, Marta; Bombaci, Sara; Bota60 , Gerard; Boullhesen, Martin; Briers, Robert A.; Buchan, Susannah; Budka, Michal; Burchard, Katie; Buscaino, Giuseppa; Calvente, Alice; Campos-Cerqueira, Marconi; Carvalho Gonçalves, Maria Isabel; Ceraulo, Maria; Cerezo-Araujo, Maite; Cerwén, Gunnar; Chaskda, Adams A.; Chistopolova, Maria; Clark, Christopher W.; Cox, Kieran D.; Cretois, Benjamin; Czarnecki, Chapin; Da Silva, Luis P.; Da Silva, Wigna; De Clippele, Laurence H.; De la Haye, David; De Oliveira Tissiani, Ana Silvia; De Zwaan, Devin; Degano, M. Eugenia; Deichmann, Jessica; Del Rio, Joaquin; Devenish, Christian; Díaz-Delgado, Ricardo; Diniz, Pedro; Diógenes Oliveira-Júnior, Dorgival; Dorigo, Thiago; Dröge, Saskia; Duarte, Marina; Duarte, Adam; Dunleavy, Kerry; Dziak, Robert; Elise, Simon; Enari, Hiroto; Enari, Haruka S.; Erbs, Florence; Eriksson, Britas Klemens; Ertör-Akyazi, Pınar; Ferrari, Nina C.; Ferreira, Luane; Fleishman, Abram B.; Fonseca, Paulo J.; Freitas, Bárbara; Friedman, Nicholas R.; Froidevaux, Jérémy S. P.; Gogoleva, Svetlana; Gonzaga, Carolina; González Correa, José Miguel; Goodale, Eben; Gottesman, Benjamin; Grass, Ingo; Greenhalgh, Jack; Gregoire, Jocelyn; Haché, Samuel; Hagge, Jonas; Halliday, William; Hammer, Antonia; Hanf-Dressler, Tara; Haupert, Sylvain; Haver, Samara; Heath, Becky; Hending, Daniel; Hernandez-Blanco, Jose; Higgs, Dennis; Hiller, Thomas; Huang, Joe Chun-Chia; Hutchinson, Katie Lois; Hyacinthe, Carole; Ieronymidou, Christina; Iniunam, Iniunam A.; Jackson, Janet; Jacot, Alain; Jahn, Olaf; Juanes, Francis; Kanes, K.S. Jasper; Kenchington, Ellen; Kepfer-Rojas, Sebastian; Kitzes, Justin; Kusuminda, Tharaka; Lehnardt, Yael; Lei, Jialin; Leitman, Paula; León, José; Li, Deng; Lima-Santos, Cicero Simão; Lloyd, Kyle John; Looby, Audrey; López-Baucells, Adrià; López-Bosch, David; Louth-Robins, Tristan; Maeda, Tatiana; Malige, Franck; Mammides, Christos; Marcacci, Gabriel; Markolf, Matthias; Marques, Marinez Isaac; Martin, Charles W.; Martin, Dominic A.; Martin, Kathy; McArthur, Ellen; McKown, Matthew; McLeod, Logan J.T.; Médoc, Vincent; Metcalf, Oliver; Meyer, Christoph F.J.; Mikusinski, Grzegorz; Miller, Brian; Monteiro, João; Mooney, T. Aran; Moreira, Sérgio; Moreira Sugai, Larissa Sayuri; Morris, Dave; Müller, Sandra; Muñoz-Duque, Sebastian; Murchy, Kelsie A.; Nagelkerken, Ivan; Mas, Maria; Nouioua, Rym; Ocampo-Ariza, Carolina; Olden, Julian D.; Oppel, Steffen; Osiecka, Anna N.; Papale, Elena; Parsons, Miles; Pashkevich, Michael; Patris, Julie; Marques, João Pedro; Pérez-Granados, Cristian; Piatti, Liliana; Pichorim, Mauro; Pine, Matthew K.; Pinheiro, Thiago; Pradervand, Jean-Nicolas; Quinn, John; Quintella, Bernardo; Radford, Craig; Raick, Xavier; Rainho, Ana; Ramalho, Emiliano; Ramesh, Vijay; Rétaux, Sylvie; Reynolds, Laura K.; Riede, Klaus; Rimmer, Talen; Ríos, Noelia; Rocha, Ricardo; Rocha, Luciana; Roe, Paul; Ross, Samuel R.P.-J.; Rosten, Carolyn M.; Ryan, John; Salustio-Gomes, Carlos; Samarra, Filipa I. P.; Samartzis, Philip; Santos, José; Sattler, Thomas; Scharffenberg, Kevin; Schoeman, Renée P.; Schuchmann, Karl-Ludwig; Sebastián-González, Esther; Seibold, Sebastian; Sethi, Sarab; Shabangu, Fannie Welcome; Shaw, Taylor; Shen, Xiaoli; Singer, David; Širović, Ana; Slater, Matthew; Spriel, Brittnie; Stanley, Jenni; Sueur, Jérôme; Tavares, Valeria da Cunha; Thomisch, Karolin; Thorn, Simon; Tong, Jianfeng; Torrent, Laura; Traba, Juan; Tremblay, Junior A.; Trevelin, Leonardo; Tseng, Sunny; Tuanmu, Mao-Ning; Valverde, Marisol; Vernasco, Ben; Vieira, Manuel; Vital da Paz, Raiane; Ward, Matthew; Watson, Maryann; Weldy, Matthew J.; Wiel, Julia; Willie, Jacob; Wood, Heather; Xu, Jinshan; Zhou, Wenyi; Li, Songhai; Sousa-Lima, Renata; Wanger, Thomas Cherico (Wiley, 2025-05-06)
AIM : The urgency for remote, reliable and scalable biodiversity monitoring amidst mounting human pressures on ecosystems has sparked worldwide interest in Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM), which can track life underwater and on land. However, we lack a unified methodology to report this sampling effort and a comprehensive overview of PAM coverage to gauge its potential as a global research and monitoring tool. To address this gap, we created the Worldwide Soundscapes project, a collaborative network and growing database comprising metadata from 416 datasets across all realms (terrestrial, marine, freshwater and subterranean). LOCATION : Worldwide, 12,343 sites, all ecosystem types. TIME PERIOD : 1991 to present. MAJOR TAXA STUDIED : All soniferous taxa. METHODS : We synthesise sampling coverage across spatial, temporal and ecological scales using metadata describing sampling locations, deployment schedules, focal taxa and audio recording parameters. We explore global trends in biological, anthropogenic and geophysical sounds based on 168 selected recordings from 12 ecosystems across all realms. RESULTS : Terrestrial sampling is spatially denser (46 sites per million square kilometre—Mkm2) than aquatic sampling (0.3 and 1.8 sites/Mkm2 in oceans and fresh water) with only two subterranean datasets. Although diel and lunar cycles are well sampled across realms, only marine datasets (55%) comprehensively sample all seasons. Across the 12 ecosystems selected for exploring global acoustic trends, biological sounds showed contrasting diel patterns across ecosystems, declined with distance from the Equator, and were negatively correlated with anthropogenic sounds. MAIN CONCLUSIONS : PAM can inform macroecological studies as well as global conservation and phenology syntheses, but representation can be improved by expanding terrestrial taxonomic scope, sampling coverage in the high seas and subterranean ecosystems, and spatio-temporal replication in freshwater habitats. Overall, this worldwide PAM network holds promise to support cross-realm biodiversity research and monitoring efforts.
Identification and full genome sequencing of previously unknown sandfly-borne phleboviruses using a newly established capture-based next-generation sequencing approach
Ogola, Edwin O.; Slothouwer, Inga; Rotich, Gilbert; Kopp, Anne; Bastos, Armanda D.S.; Getugi, Caroline; Melchert, Julia; Jones, Terence C.; Omoga, Dorcus Caroline Achieng; Sang, Rosemary; Torto, Baldwyn; Tchouassi, David P.; Junglen, Sandra (American Society for Microbiology, 2026-04)
Sandfly-borne phleboviruses cause febrile illness and neuroinvasive disease in humans. While infections are reported in the Mediterranean region, the discovery of previously unknown phleboviruses in sandflies from Kenya suggests a wider geographic distribution. Detection and characterization of novel phleboviruses are often hindered by low-quality and low-viral-load samples. We developed a capture-based target enrichment next-generation sequencing approach that showed a 99%-100% fold enrichment of viral genomes from primary material and provides a robust tool for generating complete genomes of both known and previously unknown viruses. From a collection of 15,652 sandflies in Kenya, we recovered seven complete coding sequences of Embossos, Bogoria, and Kiborgoch viruses, and of two previously unknown phleboviruses, which were named Sosoik and Shable viruses. Sosoik virus shared 83% amino acid identity in its RdRp gene with that of Bogoria virus, while Shable virus shared ca. 88% amino acid identity with viruses of the Salehabad serocomplex. Additionally, a reassortant of Shable virus was detected that possessed an M segment from an undescribed Ponticelli-like virus. DNA barcoding of blood-fed sandflies revealed several potentially novel Sergentomyia species and evidence of host-feeding on humans, livestock, and reptiles, suggesting possibilities for zoonotic transmission. Overall, our findings increase the known genetic diversity of Old World sandfly-borne phlebovirus species from 18 to 25 (by 38.9%), including the detection of viruses from all pathogenic sandfly-borne phlebovirus serocomplexes in East Africa, opening new horizons in disease ecology research. IMPORTANCEKnowledge of the genetic diversity of circulating pathogens is crucial for providing appropriate diagnostics and disease management. This study established a novel capture-based target enrichment next-generation sequencing approach that enabled the near-complete viral genome recovery from primary samples, while native NGS yielded negative or poor-quality results. In addition to the five recently discovered sandfly-borne phleboviruses in Kenya, two previously unknown phleboviruses were detected in sandflies from the same region. The viruses were detected in several sandfly species, which showed diverse host-feeding behaviors, including mixed feeding on humans and chickens. The study significantly advances the understanding of sandfly-borne phleboviruses by uncovering their broader geographic distribution and genetic diversity, particularly in East Africa, highlighting the importance of expanding surveillance efforts beyond traditionally studied regions.
Precocial weaning influences anxiety, social and maternal care but not cognition in African striped mice, Rhabdomys dilectus chakae
Oosthuizen, Maria Kathleen; Pillay, Neville (Wiley, 2026-03)
Weaning is a stressful stage in the lives of young mammals. Early weaning, in particular, can lead to long-lasting physiological and psychological changes. We investigated the effects of precocial weaning on anxiety, social behavior, cognition, and maternal behavior in adult African four-striped mice (Rhabdomys dilectus chakae). Mice weaned at 12 days exhibited higher anxiety levels and reduced exploratory behavior in a novel environment compared with those weaned at 16 and 20 days. Early-weaned mice also showed decreased allogrooming and body contact, and increased aggression during social interactions. Females weaned early, groomed, and huddled their pups less, although they spent more time in proximity without touching their pups. Spatial learning and memory were not affected by the age at weaning. Early weaning induces stress-related changes in anxiety, exploration, and social behaviors, all of which are of ecological relevance. Although precocious weaning did not affect cognition, R. d. chakae are likely to be anxious and poor mothers, which could also impact the fitness of their offspring. These effects manifested in behaviors of ecological significance, suggesting that early weaning may influence the fitness of the four-striped mouse

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