Arthropod Specimens Research Articles

Soil Arthropods in the Douro Demarcated Region Vineyards: General Characteristics and Ecosystem Services Provided

Viticulture is one of the oldest and most profitable forms of agriculture; it is also one of the most intensive farming systems. As intensive cultivation threatens the environment, there is increasing interest in the concept of sustainability within the wine industry, as well as new business opportunities, as customers begin to pay more attention to environmental and sustainability issues. Recognizing the key role of soil quality in environmentally and economically sustainable viticulture makes it essential to understand better soil arthropod communities, given their crucial functions in maintaining soil quality and health. The ‘Douro Demarcated Region’ (DDR) in northern Portugal offers good potential, in regards to biodiversity, due to its significant areas of non-crop habitats. This work aims to compile information on soil arthropod communities (both soil surface and soil-living) collected in the DDR vineyard agroecosystems. A description of the ecosystem services provided by them, as a basis for the development and implementation of sustainable viticulture systems, is also an objective of this work. An important set of soil arthropods necessary for the delivery of vital ecosystem services for viticulture, with particular reference to supporting and regulating services, occurred in this ecosystem. Eight classes were chiefly represented in a sample of about 167,000 arthropod specimens: Arachnida, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Entognatha, Insecta, Malacostraca, Pauropoda, and Symphyla. The most representative were Entognatha and Insecta in soil-surface arthropods, and Arachnida and Entognatha in soil-living arthropods. The presence of recognized groups as bioindicators in agroecosystems, such as soil quality indicators, is also revealed. This knowledge is expected to contribute to a more efficient and sustainable management of the viticultural ecosystem.

Assessing climatic and intrinsic factors that drive arthropod diversity in bird nests

Bird nests are specialized structures that act as microrefuge and a source of food for arthropods. Nest arthropod richness and composition may vary according to the nest builder, geographical location and nest size. Because information on nest arthropods is scarce, there are even fewer studies on the drivers of nest arthropod diversity. We characterized arthropod diversity in cup- and dome-shaped nests along a 130 km latitudinal gradient in the mediterranean-type region of Central Chile and, we assessed whether nest dimensions and climatic factors explain richness (alpha-diversity). Then, we evaluated whether climatic differences between sites explain arthropod nest composition (beta-diversity). All collected nests hosted at least one arthropod specimen. We identified 43 taxonomic entities (4.2 entities per nest ± 0.5, mean ± SE, n = 27 nests) belonging to 18 orders and five classes: Arachnida, Diplopoda, Entognatha, Insecta and Malacostraca. We observed differences in nest arthropod richness and composition related to sites but not bird species. Larger nests supported greater arthropod richness. Furthermore, we observed that climatic differences explain the variation in arthropod composition between sites. Nests in the northern region (drier and warmer) mainly hosted Hemipterans and Hymenopterans. Contrary, nests in the southern region (humid and colder) hosted species of Collembola, Dermaptera, and Diplopoda. Positive relationship between nests surface area with arthropod richness suggests us that larger nests may keep more resources. Our study sheds light on a crucial interaction which may have potential consequences for insect assemblage composition and bird reproductive biology.

Arthropod Diversity in the Tea Plantation within Several Years after Pruning in Pagilaran, Central Java

The lush leaves of tea within several years after prune is expected to be followed by arthropod abundance and diversity. The study aimed to evaluate the arthropod abundance, diversity, evenness, and dominance, at the tea plantation within several years after the prune. The study was conducted at Pagilaran tea plantations, Central Java, from April to May 2018, at an altitude of 900 m asl. Arthropod samplings were done in four plots of tea plantation namely 1, 2, 3, and 4 years after pruning, hereafter they are called PY1, PY2, PY3, and PY4. The plot area was approximately 1 ha. The arthropod specimens were collected using sweep net and pitfall trap every day for 6 consecutive days. The arthropod identification and calculation were carried out in the Laboratory of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada. Analysis of variance was applied to determine the effect of PY on the Arthropod abundance. The Shannon Wienner index, the Evenness index, and the Simpson index, were used to evaluate the arthropod diversity, evenness, and dominance, respectively. The results showed that the PY significantly affected the arthropod abundance. The arthropod number collected from PY1 (27 individuals/50 swings) was significantly lower as compared to the other PYs, while arthropod numbers amongst PY2, PY3, and PY4 (53, 93, and 67 individuals/50 swings, respectively) were relatively similar. Out of the total number of 1.432 arthropod specimens, it comprised of 10 orders at which Hemiptera was the highest order (48.04%), and 69 families at which Cicadellidae was the highest family (32.12%). Amongst specimens of Cicadellidae, there was Empoasca sp. which is an important tea pest. The Shannon Wienner index (H) of orders and families ranged from 1.24 to 2.69 indicates moderate arthropod diversity. The Evenness index (e') ranged from 0.57 to 0.91) indicates the arthropod evenly distributed. Meanwhile, the Simpson index (D) ranged 0.10 - 0.39 indicates that there was no dominance of the order or family.

Assessment of North American arthropod collections: prospects and challenges for addressing biodiversity research.

Over 300 million arthropod specimens are housed in North American natural history collections. These collections represent a “vast hidden treasure trove” of biodiversity −95% of the specimen label data have yet to be transcribed for research, and less than 2% of the specimens have been imaged. Specimen labels contain crucial information to determine species distributions over time and are essential for understanding patterns of ecology and evolution, which will help assess the growing biodiversity crisis driven by global change impacts. Specimen images offer indispensable insight and data for analyses of traits, and ecological and phylogenetic patterns of biodiversity. Here, we review North American arthropod collections using two key metrics, specimen holdings and digitization efforts, to assess the potential for collections to provide needed biodiversity data. We include data from 223 arthropod collections in North America, with an emphasis on the United States. Our specific findings are as follows: (1) The majority of North American natural history collections (88%) and specimens (89%) are located in the United States. Canada has comparable holdings to the United States relative to its estimated biodiversity. Mexico has made the furthest progress in terms of digitization, but its specimen holdings should be increased to reflect the estimated higher Mexican arthropod diversity. The proportion of North American collections that has been digitized, and the number of digital records available per species, are both much lower for arthropods when compared to chordates and plants. (2) The National Science Foundation’s decade-long ADBC program (Advancing Digitization of Biological Collections) has been transformational in promoting arthropod digitization. However, even if this program became permanent, at current rates, by the year 2050 only 38% of the existing arthropod specimens would be digitized, and less than 1% would have associated digital images. (3) The number of specimens in collections has increased by approximately 1% per year over the past 30 years. We propose that this rate of increase is insufficient to provide enough data to address biodiversity research needs, and that arthropod collections should aim to triple their rate of new specimen acquisition. (4) The collections we surveyed in the United States vary broadly in a number of indicators. Collectively, there is depth and breadth, with smaller collections providing regional depth and larger collections providing greater global coverage. (5) Increased coordination across museums is needed for digitization efforts to target taxa for research and conservation goals and address long-term data needs. Two key recommendations emerge: collections should significantly increase both their specimen holdings and their digitization efforts to empower continental and global biodiversity data pipelines, and stimulate downstream research.

On unreported historical specimens of marine arthropods from the Solnhofen and Nusplingen Lithographic Limestones (Late Jurassic, Germany) housed at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris

We report and illustrate several unpublished fossil specimens of marine arthropods, housed at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris (France) and coming from the Solnhofen and Nusplingen Lithographic Limestones (Late Jurassic, Germany). Notably, we describe specimens of Antrimpos undenariusSchweigert, 2001, Eryma modestiforme (Schlotheim, 1822) and Mecochirus longimanatus (Schlotheim, 1820). Mecochirus forestiSecrétan, 1968 is considered as a junior synonym of Mecochirus longimanatus. A revision of the specimens previously described is also realized. This contribution thus provides new information on the Antrimpos species from the Solnhofen Plattenkalks and gives a complete overview of the fossil marine arthropods coming from these Plattenkalks which are available at the MNHN.

The Fixator-A simple method for mounting of arthropod specimens and photography of complex structures in liquid.

Mounting and preparing arthropods in liquids for photography and further investigations is a challenging task and may lead to unsatisfactory results and, in the worst case, to damage to specimens. A new method is presented here, which allows the fixation of specimens of different sizes under various degrees of pressure. The method is illustrated by three case studies from different groups of insects and arachnids.

Insects Visiting Drippy Blight Diseased Red Oak Trees Are Contaminated with the Pathogenic Bacterium Lonsdalea quercina.

The focus of investigation in this study was to consider the potential of arthropods in the dissemination of the bacterium involved in drippy blight disease, Lonsdalea quercina. Arthropod specimens were collected and tested for the presence of the bacterium with molecular markers. The bacterium L. quercina was confirmed on 12 different insect samples from three orders (Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera) and eight families (Buprestidae, Coccinellidae, Dermestidae, Coreidae, Pentatomidae and/or Miridae, Apidae, Formicidae, and Vespidae). Approximately half of the insects found to carry the bacterium were in the order Hymenoptera. Estimates of the insects that are contaminated with the bacterium, and likely carry it between trees, is conservative because the documented insects represent only a subset of the insect orders that were observed feeding on the bacterium or present on diseased trees yet were not able to be tested. The insects contaminated with L. quercina exhibited diverse life histories, where some had a facultative relationship with the bacterium and others sought it out as a food source. These findings demonstrate that a diverse set of insects naturally occur on diseased trees and may disseminate L. quercina.

DIVERSITY OF ARTHROPOD PREDATOR IN SWAMP RICE FIELDS IN SOUTH SUMATERA

The abundance and diversity of arthropod in agro ecosystem depend on the level of synthetic pesticide contamination. This study aimed to explore, identify and analyze the diversity and abundance of predatory arthropods in swamp rice fields treated with pesticide application (in Pemulutan) and without pesticide application (in Musi 2). The swamp rice fields in Pemulutan are bordered by village, river and forest. The methods were survey and direct observation on 3 ha and 2 ha of swamp rice fields in Pemulutan and Musi 2, Palembang. Sampling of predatory arthropods were conducted at 20, 50, 80 and 110 days after rice planting using pitfall trap. Identification of predatory arthropods was conducted at Laboratory of Entomology showing that the arthropod collected consisted of 17 species of insects and 9 species of Arachnida. In Pemulutan Ogan Ilir were found 19 species (10 species of insect and 9 species of Arachnida) at the village area. In the area that was bordered by river were found 8 species (7 insect and 1 Arachnida). In the area bordered by forest were found 22 species (10 species of insects and 12 species of Arachnida). The diversity level, number of species, and arthropod specimen in the field without pesticide application at Musi 2 were higher than those in the fields with pesticide application in Pemulutan.

Influence of Bt Maize on Diversity and Composition of Non-target Arthropod Species

Non-target arthropods may be affected by toxins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) expressed in transgenic maize. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible impacts of Bt maize on the diversity and the composition of non-target arthropod species by analyzing one field cultivated with conventional maize (no expressing transgenic protein) and three fields cultivated with transgenic maize (expressing Bt proteins). In each field was sampled 50 entirely plants for the number of arthropod specimens and registred the degree of injury caused by the chewing insects. A total of 2.525 specimens of arthropods, comprising 29 species from 25 families, were recorded on 3.000 sampled plants. The most diverse family belonged to the order Hemiptera. Based on Shannon and Simpson indexes, the Bt-transgenic cultivar EXP3320YG had lower level of non-target arthropod diversity than other cultivars. From this study, it is clear that the diversity of non-target arthropods on maize crop is negatively affected by Cry1Ab protein, while the Cry1A105+Cry2Ab2+Cry1F proteins, and Cry1A105+Cry2Ab2+Cry3Bb1 proteins do not have any effect on arthropod species diversity and composition.

Ecology of sleeping: the microbial and arthropod associates of chimpanzee beds.

The indoor environment created by the construction of homes and other buildings is often considered to be uniquely different from other environments. It is composed of organisms that are less diverse than those of the outdoors and strongly sourced by, or dependent upon, human bodies. Yet, no one has ever compared the composition of species found in contemporary human homes to that of other structures built by mammals, including those of non-human primates. Here we consider the microbes and arthropods found in chimpanzee beds, relative to the surrounding environment (n = 41 and 15 beds, respectively). Based on the study of human homes, we hypothesized that the microbes found in chimpanzee beds would be less diverse than those on nearby branches and leaves and that their beds would be primarily composed of body-associated organisms. However, we found that differences between wet and dry seasons and elevation above sea level explained nearly all of the observed variation in microbial diversity and community structure. While we can identify the presence of a chimpanzee based on the assemblage of bacteria, the dominant signal is that of environmental microbes. We found just four ectoparasitic arthropod specimens, none of which appears to be specialized on chimpanzees or their structures. These results suggest that the life to which chimpanzees are exposed while in their beds is predominately the same as that of the surrounding environment.

The Heritage Interest of the Cretaceous Amber Outcrops in the Iberian Peninsula, and Their Management and Protection

All the amber outcrops of the Iberian Peninsula are Lower Cretaceous in age and, in the case of Spain, some of them have provided important arthropod specimens preserved as bioinclusions. These Spanish localities are rich in fossil taxa of phylogenetic relevance and evidence of both paleoecological interactions and paleobehaviors are also abundant. Despite their high heritage interest, the actions conducted to their protection and management have been very unequal. In some cases, only the generic laws of national or autonomous scopes protect this heritage. In this paper, the state of the art of the Iberian Peninsula amber outcrops and a review of the major Cretaceous amber outcrops worldwide for comparison are presented. That comparison shows, in general, that the best protection, both legal and physical, occurs in Spain and that the case of Portugal is very different. In addition, some actions aimed at a more effective protection and management of the amber outcrops in Spain and Portugal are proposed, for example the proposal to consider the San Just outcrop, located in the Aragonese Community, under a protection designation as is the so called Bien de Interes Cultural.

A non-destructive enzymatic method to extract DNA from arthropod specimens: Implications for morphological and molecular studies.

There is a growing necessity to integrate morphological and genetic studies. This paper proposes a new technique that allows DNA extraction of arthropods while still keeping intact the entire morphology of the specimens. The technique uses Proteinase K to dissolve protein tissues and preserve the chitinous exoskeleton of specimens. The method is fast, cheap, non-toxic, and allows for good morphological preparations of specimens retaining much of their tridimensional structure. The methodology works fine with specimens preserved in different kinds of media, such as for dry (pinned) specimens, and specimens preserved in Ethanol. In addition, it allows the extraction of DNA from fresh specimens, as well as from specimens preserved for a long time. The technique works well for morphological studies alone, but allows the generation of an associated genomic library at an individual-scale. Among the advantages of the new technique is the possibility of extracting DNA from the entire specimen (necessary for the study of diseases transmitted by arthropod vectors), while still keeping the morphology intact for correct taxonomic identification. In addition, in comparison with methods that extract DNA from small tissue samples (e.g., from legs or wings), the method allows for the extraction of a larger amount of DNA and is better suited for small specimens.

El Museo de la Naturaleza y Genoteca del Centro Universitario de Zacapa para la conservación de los recursos zoogenéticos

Guatemala se encuentra dentro de la región Mesoamericana, la cual es considerada como una de las regiones con mayor diversidad biológica del planeta. A pesar de encontrarse en una zona de alta riqueza biológica y con alto potencial de producir recursos genéticos, es uno de los países con mayor pobreza de Latinoamérica y con mayor vulnerabilidad por desnutrición. El estudio de nuevos recursos genéticos y desarrollo de biotecnologías ofrece una oportunidad para el desarrollo económico y social de la región, dichos estudios se pueden visualizar desde los tres niveles de la biodiversidad: ecológico, especies y genético. A pesar de que los tres niveles se encuentran poco estudiados,el nivel genético es del que menos conocimiento existe y es en el que probablemente existan tasas de extinción más altas, en lo que a haplotipos se refiere. El Museo de la Naturaleza y la genoteca del CUNZAC tienen como objetivo principal preservar las especies y haplotipos endémicos de Guatemala, especialmente de grupos hiperdiversos. El Museo de la Naturaleza actualmente cuenta con una colección de especímenes artrópodos de la hojarasca y peces deGuatemala, así mismo, cuenta con la capacidad de extraer, aislar y purificar ADN mediante PCR punto final y realizar almacenamiento de genes completos en plamidos. El estudio de transcriptomas de las especies de vida silvestre permitirá el descubrimiento de nuevos recursos genéticos que contribuyan a incrementar la productividad agropecuaria.

How Long Does Wolbachia Remain on Board?

Wolbachia bacteria infect about half of all arthropods, with diverse and extreme consequences ranging from sex-ratio distortion and mating incompatibilities to protection against viruses. These phenotypic effects, combined with efficient vertical transmission from mothers to offspring, satisfactorily explain the invasion dynamics of Wolbachia within species. However, beyond the species level, the lack of congruence between the host and symbiont phylogenetic trees indicates that Wolbachia horizontal transfers and extinctions do happen and underlie its global distribution. But how often do they occur? And has the Wolbachia pandemic reached its equilibrium? Here, we address these questions by inferring recent acquisition/loss events from the distribution of Wolbachia lineages across the mitochondrial DNA tree of 3,600 arthropod specimens, spanning 1,100 species from Tahiti and surrounding islands. We show that most events occurred within the last million years, but are likely attributable to individual level variation (e.g., imperfect maternal transmission) rather than population level variation (e.g., Wolbachia extinction). At the population level, we estimate that mitochondria typically accumulate 4.7% substitutions per site during an infected episode, and 7.1% substitutions per site during the uninfected phase. Using a Bayesian time calibration of the mitochondrial tree, these numbers translate into infected and uninfected phases of approximately 7 and 9 million years. Infected species thus lose Wolbachia slightly more often than uninfected species acquire it, supporting the view that its present incidence, estimated here slightly below 0.5, represents an epidemiological equilibrium.

A DNA barcode-based survey of terrestrial arthropods in the Society Islands of French Polynesia: host diversity within the SymbioCode Project

We report here on the taxonomic and molecular diversity of 10 929 terrestrial arthropod specimens, collected on four islands of the Society Archipelago, French Polynesia. The survey was part of the ‘SymbioCode Project’ that aims to establish the Society Islands as a natural laboratory in which to investigate the flux of bacterial symbionts (e.g., Wolbachia) and other genetic material among branches of the arthropod tree. The sample includes an estimated 1127 species, of which 1098 included at least one DNA-barcoded specimen and 29 were identified to species level using morphological traits only. Species counts based on molecular data emphasize that some groups have been understudied in this region and deserve more focused taxonomic effort, notably Diptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera. Some taxa that were also subjected to morphological scrutiny reveal a consistent match between DNA and morphology-based species boundaries in 90% of the cases, with a larger than expected genetic diversity in the remaining 10%. Many species from this sample are new to this region or are undescribed. Some are under description, but many await inspection by motivated experts, who can use the online images or request access to ethanol-stored specimens.

Breeding Sites of Stomoxys spp (Diptera: Muscidae), a Preliminary Study in the Makokou Region (North-East-Gabon)

In order to circumscribe the breeding sites of stomoxes in the Makokou region, eight potentially favorable environments were sampled from January to June 2007 in three habitats: primary and secondary forest (natural environments) and the anthropic environment (artificial or disturbed areas). In the primary forest, three types of substrates were collected: litter, elephant dung and Cephalophus droppings. In the secondary forest, two types of substrates: litter and monkey droppings. In villages or cities, three substrates constituting of: decaying plant material, organic waste from garbage in villages and cow dung were also collected. These materials were placed in emergence cages while awaiting the emergence of adult arthropods. In total, 14517 arthropods emerged, including 11726 stomoxes and 2791 other arthropod specimens. Seven Stomoxys spp were observed and included: S. transvittatus with 8221 (70%) emerged individuals, S. niger niger with 1679 (14%) observed individuals. However, S. omega (8%); S. inornatus (4%); S. calcitrans (2%); S. niger bilineatus (1.9%); and finally S. xanthomelas (0.1%) emerged in minor proportions. The results obtained in this study indicate that stomoxes can lay their eggs on several types of substrates hence colonizing many areas

Trends in Marine Foraging in Precontact and Historic Leeward Kohala, Hawai‘i Island

Traditional Hawaiian fishing and marine exploitation have been studied using both ethnographic and archaeological approaches, but few studies have attempted to investigate intensity of marine foraging over time at a regional scale. In this paper we examine Hawaiian exploitation of the marine ecosystem of the leeward coast of Kohala, located on the northern tip of Hawai‘i Island. Over 158,000 specimens of fish, mollusks, arthropods, and echinoderms were recovered during archaeological excavation of 57 precontact (i.e., pre–AD 1778) residential features. These residences span a period of roughly 500 yr and are located both along the coast and in the interior. For these sites, we analyzed taxonomic abundance (NISP), number of taxa (NTAXA), taxonomic evenness, prey indices, and body-size changes over time. Results indicate that intensity of marine foraging increased over time, mirroring trends in increased numbers of residences (and inferred increases in human population size). There were no apparent declines in abundance of particular marine taxa. There were some differences in movement of marine resources into the upland Leeward Kohala Field System (LKFS), with larger-sized fish, mollusks, and echinoderms transported in increasing numbers. Examination of changes in body size suggest significant harvest pressure on fish and mollusks during the first 400 yr of human occupation and population rebound following human abandonment of the region in the postcontact period.

Quantitative phase imaging of arthropods.

Classification of arthropods is performed by characterization of fine features such as setae and cuticles. An unstained whole arthropod specimen mounted on a slide can be preserved for many decades, but is difficult to study since current methods require sample manipulation or tedious image processing. Spatial light interference microscopy (SLIM) is a quantitative phase imaging (QPI) technique that is an add-on module to a commercial phase contrast microscope. We use SLIM to image a whole organism springtail Ceratophysella denticulata mounted on a slide. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that an entire organism has been imaged using QPI. We also demonstrate the ability of SLIM to image fine structures in addition to providing quantitative data that cannot be obtained by traditional bright field microscopy.

Arthropods Associated with Carrion in a Salt Marsh Habitat in Southeastern Florida

Abstract Few studies have assessed arthropods associated with carrion in salt marsh environments. Arthropods attracted to animal carcasses in a salt marsh environment were surveyed in southeastern Florida during four seasons from September 2009 to July 2010. A total of 2,324 arthropod specimens were collected from carcasses (coyote, opossum, raccoon, bobcat, and otter) and 4 orders, 23 families, 28 genera, and 24 species were identified. Specimens were most frequently encountered from the order Diptera (85% of total), and Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Musca domestica (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) represented 50% of specimens collected. We observed seasonal variation in abundance of dipterans. The information presented here may be useful for future studies identifying arthropods having wildlife forensic entomology significance within subtropical Florida salt marsh habitats.

A High-Performance Vacuum Cleaner for Bed Bug Sampling: A Useful Tool for Medical Entomology.

Arthropods can be captured by two modes: a passive mode using traps or an active mode mainly based on the use of mouth or powered aspirators. These apparatuses are useful tools for collecting large numbers of crawling, flying, resting, or jumping arthropod specimens, particularly small specimens, such as mosquitoes or sandflies, for laboratory experiments or breeding. Different aspirator models are used to collect various arthropod specimens. However, to our knowledge, no specific system is currently available for the reliable sampling of live bed bugs in the field. Thus, we described a new system based on a classic autonomous house aspirator that requires few modifications for the collecting bed bugs. The low weight and size of this apparatus is advantageous, and it provides for rapid and secure bed bug sampling for medical entomology purposes.