A pseudoscorpion clinging to a cave salamander: phoresy or failed predation?

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  A pseudoscorpion clinging to a cave salamander: phoresy or failed predation? Abstract Pseudoscorpions are well known for phoretic associations with arthropods, but interactions with amphibians are rarely documented. Here we report a pseudoscorpion attached to the left palpebral region of an adult male Italian cave salamander, Speleomantes italicus , observed during a visual survey in a karst cave in Tuscany, Italy. The pseudoscorpion, assigned on the basis of visible morphology and locality to Chthonius cf. elongatus , was grasping a minute cutaneous fold on the lower margin of the left upper eyelid with one chela while the salamander moved slowly over the rock surface. No handling was performed and the initial contact between the two animals was not observed. The event therefore cannot be interpreted unambiguously, but may represent opportunistic phoresy or defensive attachment following a failed predation attempt. To our knowledge, this is the first published observation of a ...

Expression characterization of miR-6826-3p in Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae: Lycosidae) under high temperature stress

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Expression characterization of miR-6826-3p in Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae: Lycosidae) under high temperature stress

Abstract

Pardosa pseudoannulata is key predator in rice ecosystems; it plays a crucial role in rice pest biological control, effectively managing major rice pests such as rice planthopper. At present, there are few related studies on spiders' microRNA (miRNA). Consequently, we initiate a study on miR-6826-3p in P. pseudoannulata in response to high temperatures. First, we identified a total of 686 target genes of miR-6826-3p, 439 target genes had annotated results in the database, primarily involved in transcription and metabolism functions. Subsequently, quantitative real-time PCR was employed to assess the relative expression levels of miR-6826-3p in P. pseudoannulata under different temperatures (31, 34, 37, 40°C) and various durations (1, 2, 4, 8, 12 h). The results revealed that compared to the control group (25°C), the relative expression level of miR-6826-3p in female spiders significantly increased under the same temperature and different duration stresses. The expression level of miR-6826-3p in male spiders showed an initial increase followed by a decrease trend, with relatively lower expression levels after 1 and 12 h at the same temperature conditions. Furthermore, under the same duration of stress, compared to the control group (25°C), the relative expression level of miR-6826-3p in female spiders significantly increased at different temperatures. These results demonstrate that P. pseudoannulata miR-6826-3p plays a significant role in response to high-temperature stress. The research findings can provide a basis for future in-depth studies on the miRNA functional of P. pseudoannulata, aiding in the elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms of P. pseudoannulata miRNAs in response to high-temperature environments.

Zhang, H., Fu, D., Yang, Q., Xiao, F., Mu, M., Xiao, R., & Jin, D. (2024). Expression characterization of miR-6826-3p in Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae: Lycosidae) under high temperature stress. Entomological Research, 54(6), e12755. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-5967.12755