Frontiers in Zoology最新文献

{"title":"Desert locust outbreaks: ecological and economic impacts and management strategies.","authors":"Diriba Fufa Serdo, Zoltán Németh","doi":"10.1186/s12983-026-00613-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12983-026-00613-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is the most destructive migratory pest in the world, threatening food security and livelihoods, particularly across Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia. This review examines historical outbreak trends, emphasizing their cascading ecological and socio-economic impacts, which extend from acute agricultural losses to long-term environmental harm from chemical control. Despite advances in early warning systems, biopesticides, and integrated pest management (IPM) frameworks, their effectiveness is systematically undermined by a persistent implementation crisis. This crisis is characterized by a critical warning-response gap-where delays in funding and coordination mismatch the rapid pace of locust breeding-and by widespread failures to apply established environmental and safety protocols during emergency campaigns. Consequently, the central challenge of contemporary locust management lies not in a lack of technical knowledge, but in the governance deficit that prevents its application. We argue that achieving sustainable control requires a decisive shift in focus toward the structural strengthening of the financial, institutional, and cooperative frameworks essential for rapid, safe, and ecologically sound intervention. Ultimately, desert locust management must be explicitly embedded within broader agendas for climate adaptation, food systems resilience, and biodiversity conservation, supported by robust regional cooperation, inclusive community engagement, and cross-sectoral governance.</p>","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13251092/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147846383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stability of short-term boldness personality under nutritional and disturbance stress in a social spider.","authors":"Bharat Parthasarathy, Klementien Friedrich, Jutta M Schneider","doi":"10.1186/s12983-026-00612-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12983-026-00612-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Consistent among-individual differences in behaviours, also known as animal personalities, are ubiquitous across the animal kingdom. At the same time, the expression of these behaviours may remain context- and time- dependent. Social spiders lack morphological castes and apparent dominant hierarchies, but show consistent among-individual differences in behaviours such as boldness and aggression. Previous studies have shown that these personality traits are not associated with task participation and that personality repeatability weakens over longer durations. In this study, we tested whether short-term boldness was stable across intrinsic (nutritional state) and extrinsic (disturbance) contexts in the Indian social spider, Stegodyphus sarasinorum. We subjected individuals to feeding or starvation and repeated disturbance or no disturbance treatments, and measured boldness over three consecutive days.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found that neither variation in nutritional state nor disturbance influenced the mean boldness scores or their repeatability. Our results show that boldness is robust to short-term changes in hunger and disturbance.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The ecological and social functions of the boldness personality trait remain unresolved in social spiders and further studies are warranted to understand how exactly among-individual variation in boldness influences colony productivity and demographic outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13154900/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147823504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dynamic changes in chromatin accessibility reveal the role of NF-Y targeting AURKB in mediating cell cycle during asynchronous oogenesis in the Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis).","authors":"Pengfei Li, Yuting Ni, Yue Wen, Xiaojing Cao, Jin Li, Yongkang Zhou, Pingsi Yi, Xiaobing Wu, Haitao Nie","doi":"10.1186/s12983-026-00611-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12983-026-00611-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The dynamics of chromatin accessibility that regulate oogenesis for the establishment of the female ovarian reserve in mammals have not been explored in reptiles with lifelong continuous oogenesis. Assays for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) were conducted to generate a chromatin accessibility landscape from gonadal samples from three critical stages of oogenesis in female Chinese alligators, which revealed a pronounced global decrease in chromatin accessibility across these developmental stages. Functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that differentially accessible regions were associated with genes involved in cell cycle regulation, meiosis, RNA binding, and cellular metabolism. Transcription factor footprinting identified krüppel-like factor (KLF) and specificity protein (SP) family members, POZ/BTB and AT-hook containing zinc finger protein 1 (PATZ1), and the nuclear transcription factor Y (NF-Y) complex (including subunits NFYA, NFYB, and NFYC) as core regulatory factors, with NF-Y binding sites exhibiting marked dynamic changes during development. Further analysis showed that NF-Y target genes are significantly enriched in critical processes such as cell cycle, mitosis, and meiosis, including key regulators Aurora Kinase A (AURKA) and AURKB. Experimental validation confirmed widespread ovarian expression of NFYA, NFYB, and NFYC, with AURKB expression strongly correlated with NF-Y protein levels. Dual-luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that NFYA significantly enhances AURKB promoter activity through two CCAAT-box elements near the transcription start site. This research depicts the chromatin accessibility dynamics during oogenesis of the Chinese alligator and pinpoints NF-Y as a crucial regulator of AURKB, thereby providing a mechanistic foundation for understanding reproduction and advancing conservation in this endangered species.</p>","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13274144/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147789637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Persistent conflict in palaeognath phylogeny revealed by quartet-based and ML analyses.","authors":"Patrick Kück, Alexander Suh","doi":"10.1186/s12983-026-00599-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12983-026-00599-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The evolutionary relationships among palaeognath birds remain contentious despite extensive phylogenomic analyses. While the ostrich is consistently identified as the earliest diverging lineage, the relationships among non-ostrich palaeognaths remain unresolved, with conflicting topologies and low support across different genomic datasets. In this study, we reanalyzed three genomic marker sets (CNEEs, UCEs, and INTRONs) using alternative maximum-likelihood (ML) approaches and the quartet-based SeaLion method, which assesses phylogenetic signal by evaluating split-pattern information in polarized quartets.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our results strongly support ostrich as the first split and reinforce ratite paraphyly. However, non-ostrich relationships remain ambiguous, with different best-supported trees emerging across datasets. Among them, the UCEs dataset provided the strongest signal, consistently supporting a \"tinamou-first\" scenario with the clade tinamou + moa emerging as sister clade to all other non-ostrich palaeognaths while rhea and kiwi form the most distinct sister-pair. Despite applying quartet-based filtering to reduce phylogenetic noise, substantial conflict persisted, indicating that weak internal branch signal rather than methodological biases alone underlies the lack of resolution.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results suggest that the unresolved relationships among non-ostrich palaeognaths are driven by intrinsic data limitations rather than analytical shortcomings. Very short internal branches and extensive incomplete lineage sorting indicate that these divergences may reflect a true polytomy. While this scenario is proposed for Neoaves, a similar process may underlie the persistent uncertainty in palaeognaths. Future progress will depend on expanding comparative frameworks with additional high-quality outgroup genomes, providing a stronger basis for quartet-based phylogenetic inference.</p>","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13182139/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147789612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A striking difference: biomechanics of the impaling hunting strategy of a moss mantis.","authors":"Fabian Bäumler,Stanislav N Gorb,Sebastian Büsse","doi":"10.1186/s12983-026-00610-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-026-00610-9","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUNDBiological catapults as power amplification systems are widespread across diverse taxa, known for their evolutionary significance and effectiveness in various ecological contexts. Although praying mantises are renowned for their predatory behavior, typically involving a directly muscle-driven, grasping-like motion to capture prey, a strongly altered movement sequence is observed in Haania orlovi. The moss mantis exhibits a spear-like foreleg morphology and a significantly different ultrafast impaling hunting strategy.RESULTSThis system generates a mass-specific power output, surpassing the limits of direct muscle contraction. Through comprehensive morphological analysis (micro-computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy), combined with high-speed videography and force measurements, we provide evidence for a latch-mediated spring actuation (LaMSA) system, enabling this ballistic motion. The mechanism involves elastic energy storage in the deformed cuticle of the proximal trochanter, supported by latch-like interlocking. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed specialized cuticle composition in the trochanter, facilitating energy storage. For further validation, we developed a 3D-printed proof-of-concept model, incorporating a deformable spring-like double-spiral structure, demonstrating the functional advantage of the LaMSA system in generating high-speed movements.CONCLUSIONThis study not only elucidates a novel predatory mechanism in mantises but also contributes to our understanding of evolutionary adaptations in predator-prey interactions. Illustrating the essential mechanical components in a physical model, and the compact, load-responsive dual functionality of the described power amplification system, potentially serves as inspiration for advancements in bio-inspired engineering solutions. Our findings highlight the importance of integrated biomechanical analysis in uncovering novel biomechanical mechanisms, demonstrating potential for significant functional shifts through seemingly minor morphological modifications.","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"135 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147648977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: Hidden diversity in Senegalese bats and associated findings in the systematics of the family Vespertilionidae.","authors":"Darina Koubínová, Nancy Irwin, Pavel Hulva, Petr Koubek, Jan Zima","doi":"10.1186/s12983-026-00609-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12983-026-00609-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13067579/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147655533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What drives population fluctuations of European ground squirrels in Hungary?","authors":"Csongor István Gedeon,Olivér Váczi,Felix Knauer,Mátyás Árvai,Franz Suchentrunk","doi":"10.1186/s12983-026-00608-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-026-00608-3","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUNDUnderstanding and predicting the dynamics of rodent populations, particularly for endangered or pest species, requires knowledge of potential background factors. We collected long-term data on the abundance of European ground squirrels, Spermophilus citellus, in 64 colonies as part of the Hungarian Biodiversity Monitoring System to investigate the abiotic factors that could explain the spatial and temporal dynamics of populations in Hungary. We used information theory-based modelling and multi-model inference to investigate the effects of environmental and climate variables on relative population densities, using monitoring records of burrow counts as proxies for density collected annually between 2000 and 2018. We examined data carefully for any clues of inconsistencies, errors, or missing data, which resulted in 57% of the complete dataset.RESULTSOur generalised additive models (GAM) with splines identified geographical location, year, and principal components reflecting winter temperature, precipitation, and summer temperature to affect population densities. Contour plots derived from the best GAM model uncovered increasing density in the Kiskunság and Kisalföld meso-regions with favourable water management characteristics and decreasing densities in the northern and southern regions, which in fact, cover floodplain of River Tisza and other flash-flood regions. Ambient temperature and precipitation of the wettest and warmest months during hibernation and summer contributed most to counts fluctuations, though these factors were dwarfed by spatial effects. Increased temperatures and aridification in the Kiskunság, because of the warming Pannonian ecoregion, seemed to positively affect counts.CONCLUSIONSAnalysis of our reduced dataset indicated unidentified local factors or a spatial effect on demographic variability of ground squirrel populations. Those fluctuations underscore the necessity of research and management on local populations to identify the reasons of declines and adapt management accordingly to stop or change decreasing population trajectories.","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147636033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Choosing courtship over caution: male jumping spiders delay anti-predator responses.","authors":"Miriam Scriba,Jessy Auerswald,Linnea Lehnen,Jutta M Schneider","doi":"10.1186/s12983-026-00604-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-026-00604-7","url":null,"abstract":"Predation risk imposes fundamental trade-offs between survival and reproduction, often leading to sex- and age-specific differences in anti-predator behaviour. We investigated these trade-offs in the jumping spider Saitis barbipes, a species in which cryptic females and juveniles contrast with conspicuously coloured males that engage in courtship displays. Using high-quality in-focus and blurred predator images, we tested first behavioural responses and reaction distances of adult males, adult females, and juveniles. While all groups reliably recognised predator cues, adult males consistently approached stimuli more closely before showing anti-predator behaviour and frequently responded with courtship rather than defensive behaviours. In contrast, females and juveniles more often employed passive strategies such as freezing. Stimulus clarity had no effect on the type of response, whereas distance strongly influenced behavioural responses. These results indicate that predator recognition is innate, but response thresholds are context-dependent and shaped by sex, age, and reproductive role. Conspicuous adult males appear to suppress or delay anti-predator responses in favour of courtship, highlighting an evolutionary trade-off between reproductive effort and survival.","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"192 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147585868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of dopamine in the life history of bivalves: a review.","authors":"Nikishchenko Viktoria,Dyachuk Vyacheslav","doi":"10.1186/s12983-026-00607-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-026-00607-4","url":null,"abstract":"Dopamine is one of the best-known neurotransmitters found in most animals. Among the major roles that this mediator plays in many organisms is the regulation of motor skills, behavior, and feeding. Its localization in the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous systems (PNS) has been well studied mainly in vertebrate animals, but remains poorly understood in invertebrates such as mollusks of the class Bivalvia. Nevertheless, bivalves are of particular interest for their nervous system that has undergone a number of simplifications due to the sedentary lifestyle. As shown in the review, the key functions of dopamine have been retained in this group, with, however, a shift towards regulation of effector organs and physiological processes. The interaction between serotonin and dopamine, which regulates the degree of motor activity, nutrition, and locomotion, also deserves special consideration. There still remains a vast number of unresolved issues concerning the effects that dopamine exerts in the bivalve CNS, its role in the regulation of larval development and behavior of adults. This review summarizes the major known aspects of dopamine, including its localization and role in the life history of bivalves.","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147578349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Disruption of yellow-e3 impairs both adult molting and cuticular melanization in the honeybee (Apis mellifera).","authors":"Yunxi Fu,Qiufang Li,Yu Lai,Shengli Wu,Linyan Tian,Shiwen Zhou,Liqiang Liang,Shangning Yang,Yulu Yi,Ping Zhao,Zhiguo Li,Songkun Su,Hongyi Nie","doi":"10.1186/s12983-026-00606-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-026-00606-5","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUNDThe insect yellow gene family plays crucial roles in cuticle pigmentation, waterproofing, courtship, molting, and eggshell development. However, the specific physiological function of yellow-e3 remains unclear.RESULTSIn this study, we first generated yellow-e3 mutant drones using CRISPR/Cas9, achieving mutation rate of 87.4%, primarily (61.6%) comprising 5-bp deletions. But no discernible phenotypic differences were observed in these mutants. We therefore performed RNAi knockdown by injecting yellow-e3 siRNA into 2-day-old pupae, which significantly reduced eclosion rate (36.14 vs. 72.53% in controls). Individuals that failed to eclose were arrested during molting, unable to shed the pupal cuticle, and exhibited overall yellow cuticles. Eclosed adults, by contrast, showed normal cuticle coloration. Further analysis revealed that non-eclosed individuals had significantly upregulated expression of ecdysone signaling genes USP and E75, but downregulated E74, accompanied by markedly reduced expression of melanin synthesis genes (TH, yellow-y, and tan). These changes ultimately disrupted melanin deposition, leading to cuticular yellowing.CONCLUSIONSWe propose that genetic compensation may conceal phenotypic defects in CRISPR-generated mutants. This study provides the first evidence that silencing yellow-e3 in A. mellifera disrupts molting, reduces the eclosion rate, and inhibits cuticular melanization.","PeriodicalId":55142,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Zoology","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147524605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}