The Science of Nature最新文献

Many problems for a solo mother: maternal care efficiency of the ghost spider of new genus Eldar (Araneae: Anyphaenidae, Anyphaeninae) against new species Pseudogaurax Malloch (Diptera: Chloropidae) 孤母的诸多问题：灵蛛新属鬼蛛（蜘蛛目：麻蛛科，麻蛛科）对麻蛛新种（双翅目：绿蛛科）的护母效率

IF 2.1 3区生物学

The Science of Nature Pub Date : 2025-04-21 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-025-01982-4

German Antonio Villanueva-Bonilla, Luiz Fernando Moura de Oliveira, Antonio Domingos Brescovit, Paula Raile Riccardi, Lílian de Andrade Santiago, João Vasconcellos-Neto

{"title":"Many problems for a solo mother: maternal care efficiency of the ghost spider of new genus Eldar (Araneae: Anyphaenidae, Anyphaeninae) against new species Pseudogaurax Malloch (Diptera: Chloropidae)","authors":"German Antonio Villanueva-Bonilla, Luiz Fernando Moura de Oliveira, Antonio Domingos Brescovit, Paula Raile Riccardi, Lílian de Andrade Santiago, João Vasconcellos-Neto","doi":"10.1007/s00114-025-01982-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-025-01982-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div>Parental care in nature can present itself in different forms and vary in intensities and strategies, being maternal care one of the widely observed patterns in animals. In spiders, parental investment is carried out mainly by females. Despite this, newly hatched eggs can still be targets of a series of natural enemies. In a remnant of Atlantic Forest in Brazil, females of the spider Eldar galadrielae sp. nov., family Anyphaenidae, build nests at the forest’s edge by folding plant leaves. However, information about the plants chosen for nest, the importance of maternal care by females in offspring survival, and predators are completely unknown. In this study, we (1) presented new information about the nest built by females of Eldar galadrielae sp. nov.; (2) compared the predation rate on eggs of the spider Eldar galadrielae in nests with and without the presence of the female; (3) provided morphological descriptions and distribution maps to the genus Eldar gen. nov. as well as presenting; and (4) the described Pseudogaurax vasconcellosi sp. nov. as the predator of the spider eggs. This is the first report on an interaction between Pseudogaurax flies and Anyphaenidae spiders. Our results support predation rates higher in female-less Eldar galadrielae sp. nov. nests. Although egg consumption was 100% in nests attacked by flies, overall nest predation rate was low, as flies were only recorded in three of the 12 nests that maintained female care, indicating that active protection of egg sacs by females can increase the offspring’s chances of survival.</div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"112 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143852528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Exploring the potential of essential oils against airborne fungi from cultural heritage conservation premises 探索精油对文物保护场所空气传播真菌的潜在作用

IF 2.1 3区生物学

The Science of Nature Pub Date : 2025-04-14 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-025-01983-3

Željko Savković, Ana Džamić, Jovana Veselinović, Milica Ljaljević Grbić, Miloš Stupar

{"title":"Exploring the potential of essential oils against airborne fungi from cultural heritage conservation premises","authors":"Željko Savković, Ana Džamić, Jovana Veselinović, Milica Ljaljević Grbić, Miloš Stupar","doi":"10.1007/s00114-025-01983-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-025-01983-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div>The activity of six essential oils was investigated against eight fungal isolates (four Aspergillus and four Penicillium species) isolated from cultural heritage conservation premises in Serbia. To analyze the chemical composition of essential oils (EOs), gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was employed. The antifungal activity of selected EOs was investigated using microdilution and microatmosphere methods while the commercial biocide benzalkonium chloride (BAC) was used as a control. Furthermore, molecular docking was used as an efficacious in silico method for the determination of interaction between dominant EO compounds and enzyme CYP51, essential for fungal ergosterol synthesis. It was demonstrated that BAC, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and Gaultheria procumbens EOs had the strongest antifungal activity, which is in concordance with the results of molecular docking. Namely, the highest energy of enzyme–cofactor interaction was obtained for eugenol (the dominant component of Syzygium aromaticum and C. zeylanicum EOs). Moreover, it was found that the most resistant fungal isolates were A. flavus and A. niger, while A. sydowii and P. citrinum were the most susceptible. The results of our study point to the possibility of using studied environmentally friendly biocides of biological origin for the preservation of historical monuments and artifacts.</div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"112 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143826610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Craniofacial lesions in the earliest predatory dinosaurs indicate intraspecific agonistic behaviour at the dawn of the dinosaur era 最早的掠食性恐龙的颅面损伤表明恐龙时代初期的种内竞争行为

IF 2.1 3区生物学

The Science of Nature Pub Date : 2025-03-26 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-025-01978-0

Mauricio S. Garcia, Ricardo N. Martínez, Rodrigo T. Müller

引用次数: 0

Rapid decline of male honey bees in summer: the potential impact of Japanese barn swallows on high male loss 雄性蜜蜂在夏季迅速减少：日本仓燕对雄性高损失的潜在影响

IF 2.1 3区生物学

The Science of Nature Pub Date : 2025-03-26 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-025-01979-z

Shinya Hayashi, Takeyuki Suematsu, Tsunao Itoh

{"title":"Rapid decline of male honey bees in summer: the potential impact of Japanese barn swallows on high male loss","authors":"Shinya Hayashi, Takeyuki Suematsu, Tsunao Itoh","doi":"10.1007/s00114-025-01979-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-025-01979-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div>Given the population size of eusocial hymenopteran insects, particular emphasis is placed on evaluating the number of reproductive female individuals (queen). However, male production also accounts for a substantial part of the reproductive output of a colony. The number of breeding males in the mating population plays a vital role in the health of a colony and, ultimately, a population size by influencing the mating status of the queen. The lifespan of male honey bees (Apis mellifera) varies considerably, influencing their dynamics in a population. However, studies on the factors that cause male mortality are limited. This study evaluated the cohort survival of male honey bees and the relationship between the activity of males and Japanese barn swallows (Hirundo rustica gutturalis), a potential predator that significantly influences male honey bee survival. The majority of male loss in colonies was observed around the ages when flight was first initiated, particularly in the summer. Swallows frequently visited the apiary in the afternoon and preyed on the bees. The daily activity of swallows was closely linked to the activity of male honey bees, which was high in the summer. A hazard model analysis revealed that the risk of male honey bee loss increased by approximately 40% with an increasing number of swallows. The observed significant relationship between swallows and males presents the possibility that swallows are key factors causing the high loss of males during summer.</div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"112 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143698473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Release of ice-nucleating particles from leaves during rainfall 降雨时树叶释放的冰核颗粒

IF 2.1 3区生物学

The Science of Nature Pub Date : 2025-03-25 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-025-01980-6

Franz Conen, Annika Einbock

引用次数: 0

New proterochampsid remains from the Middle Triassic of Brazil enhance the group's diversity during its origins 在巴西中三叠世发现的新元champsid遗迹增强了该群体起源时期的多样性

IF 2.1 3区生物学

The Science of Nature Pub Date : 2025-03-24 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-025-01981-5

Rodrigo Temp Müller

{"title":"New proterochampsid remains from the Middle Triassic of Brazil enhance the group's diversity during its origins","authors":"Rodrigo Temp Müller","doi":"10.1007/s00114-025-01981-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-025-01981-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div>Proterochampsidae is a clade of archosauriform reptiles that lived during the Triassic Period, with notable fossil records in South America. Among these, Ladinian deposits in Brazil have yielded the oldest proterochampsids worldwide, offering insights into the origins of the group. However, their record from this interval remains scarce, with only two species previously described: Pinheirochampsa rodriguesi and Retymaijychampsa beckerorum. Here, I report the first proterochampsid specimen from the Posto site (Pinheiros-Chiniquá Sequence; Dinodontosaurus Assemblage Zone) in Dona Francisca, Rio Grande do Sul. The new specimen, CAPPA/UFSM 0459, comprises the anterior tip of a rostrum, identified as a proterochampsid based on its dorsoventrally flattened premaxilla with a dorsally facing external naris and anterior narial fossa. Despite its fragmentary nature, CAPPA/UFSM 0459 represents the first non-archosaur archosauriform identified at the Posto site, suggesting a small carnivorous member of this local fauna. Comparisons indicate it is unlikely to belong to any previously described species. This finding highlights the diversity and ecological significance of early proterochampsids within Middle Triassic ecosystems dominated by therapsids, pseudosuchians, and early dinosauromorphs.</div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"112 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143676415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Nearly complete late Eocene skull from the North Pacific elucidates the cranial morphology and affinities of the penguin-like Plotopteridae 北太平洋近完整的始新世晚期颅骨阐明了企鹅样龙科的颅骨形态和亲缘关系

IF 2.1 3区生物学

The Science of Nature Pub Date : 2025-03-20 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-025-01977-1

Gerald Mayr, James L. Goedert, Adrian Richter

{"title":"Nearly complete late Eocene skull from the North Pacific elucidates the cranial morphology and affinities of the penguin-like Plotopteridae","authors":"Gerald Mayr, James L. Goedert, Adrian Richter","doi":"10.1007/s00114-025-01977-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-025-01977-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div>The extinct Plotopteridae were penguin-like, wing-propelled diving birds of the North Pacific. Recently, the oldest and most complete plotopterid skull has been discovered in the late Eocene lower part of the Lincoln Creek Formation, southern Olympic Peninsula (Washington State, USA), and informs the poorly known cranial morphology of these birds. This skull is somewhat larger than previously described partial skulls from the Oligocene Pysht Formation of the northern Olympic Peninsula, from which it also differs in the shape of the nostrils. It may represent the genus Klallamornis, but a definitive taxonomic assignment is not yet possible. The specimen corroborates a sister group relationship of plotopterids to the suliform Suloidea and exhibits a notable character mosaic. Whereas the long rostrum most closely resembles that of the Fregatidae and some Phalacrocoracidae, the neurocranium is more similar to that of the Sulidae. An arcuate rostral ridge of the basicranium is otherwise only known from the Sphenisciformes, and a pair of prominent longitudinal ridges along the ventral surface of the rostrum is an autapomorphy of plotopterids. The small nostrils are situated at the caudal ends of conspicuous sulci, which are interpreted as vestiges of long, slit-like nostrils and are much less pronounced in extant Suliformes. Long, slit-like nostrils occur in stem group Sphenisciformes and may also have been present in stem group Fregatidae, in which case the nostrils were reduced twice within Suliformes, presumably to prevent salt water influx into the nasal cavity.</div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"112 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00114-025-01977-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143655426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Pomphorhynchus laevis host manipulation regardless of presence of gammarid conspecifics or predator cues

IF 2.1 3区生物学

The Science of Nature Pub Date : 2025-03-06 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-025-01975-3

H. Fanton, E. Franquet, N. Kaldonski

{"title":"Pomphorhynchus laevis host manipulation regardless of presence of gammarid conspecifics or predator cues","authors":"H. Fanton, E. Franquet, N. Kaldonski","doi":"10.1007/s00114-025-01975-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-025-01975-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div>Pomphorhynchus laevis is a freshwater heteroxenous parasite that infects Gammarus pulex as intermediate host and Squalius cephalus as definitive host. This acanthocephalan parasite is able to manipulate the behavior of G. pulex to increase probability of transmission between G. pulex prey and S. cephalus predator. Manipulation results from complex interactions and could be triggered or enhanced by biotic parameters. This experimental study investigated the effect of the presence both of G. pulex conspecifics and of S. cephalus cues on the behavior of P. laevis-infected and uninfected G. pulex in flowing water. The presence of G. pulex conspecifics increased the distance covered by both uninfected and P. laevis-infected gammarids in the artificial stream, whereas S. cephalus cues did not influence the distance covered by either. In static water, S. cephalus cues significantly decreased G. pulex attraction to light, regardless of infection status. Our results show that P. laevis manipulates distance covered regardless of the presence of either G. pulex conspecifics or S. cephalus cues. We discuss how these two biological parameters affect uninfected G. pulex and other factors involved in P. laevis manipulation of its gammarid host.</div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"112 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143553779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Soil-adhesive or water repellent properties of the surface of cicada exuviae

IF 2.1 3区生物学

The Science of Nature Pub Date : 2025-03-04 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-025-01976-2

Jun Murayama, Kazuo Yamazaki, Hiroshi Ogasawara, Hiroshi Moriwaki

引用次数: 0

Host associations of Brazilian Darwin wasps: current knowledge and the IchHostBR dataset

IF 2.1 3区生物学

The Science of Nature Pub Date : 2025-02-27 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-025-01974-4

Alvaro Doria dos Santos, Carlos Roberto Ferreira Brandão, Helena Carolina Onody

{"title":"Host associations of Brazilian Darwin wasps: current knowledge and the IchHostBR dataset","authors":"Alvaro Doria dos Santos, Carlos Roberto Ferreira Brandão, Helena Carolina Onody","doi":"10.1007/s00114-025-01974-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-025-01974-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div>Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) are among the most diverse and ecologically important groups of parasitoid insects, with more than 25,000 valid species and many more yet to be discovered. As the most speciose family within the order Hymenoptera, their remarkable evolutionary success is primarily attributed to their parasitic life history, which enables them to exploit a vast array of hosts and ecological niches. Despite their pivotal role in regulating host populations and maintaining ecosystem balance, host association data for Ichneumonidae remain significantly underexplored. This article presents IchHostBR, a comprehensive dataset compiling host-parasitoid records for Brazilian Darwin wasps. The dataset integrates 342 host-parasitoid associations sourced from 156 journal articles, encompassing 16 subfamilies, 74 genera, and 93 species of Ichneumonidae, as well as six host orders and 121 host species. The methodology involved rigorous data collection, cleaning, and standardization ensuring accuracy and usability. The primary aim of this initiative is to establish a robust, accessible, and continuously updated online platform that supports research and conservation efforts. In addition to introducing the dataset, the article provides a state-of-the-art review of current knowledge on Ichneumonid host associations, identifies key gaps in our knowledge and hopefully lays a foundation for advancing studies on Ichneumonidae host interactions in Brazil.</div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"112 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143496893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0