Recommended Reading: Tarantulas Through a Different Lens

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  Recommended Reading: Tarantulas Through a Different Lens I recently had the opportunity to read an excellent article by Cesar Medina Davila , conservation biologist, science communicator, and founder of Wildlife Nomads , titled “Tarantulas: 12 Facts That Change How You See Them.” For those who follow Arácnido Taxonomy, the subject matter will certainly be familiar. What I particularly appreciate about Cesar’s article, however, is its accessibility. Tarantulas are remarkably diverse animals, yet much of the general public’s understanding of them remains shaped by fear, exaggerated portrayals, and the tendency to treat more than a thousand species as though they were essentially the same animal. Cesar approaches the subject from a different direction. Drawing in part from his own experience working with tarantulas, he introduces readers to the biology behind these animals and, perhaps more importantly, challenges some of the assumptions that have followed them for generations. More...

m-Aminophenylacetylene shortened the eggsac-carrying stages in the wolf spider through enhancing the synthesis of prostaglandins

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m-Aminophenylacetylene shortened the eggsac-carrying stages in the wolf spider through enhancing the synthesis of prostaglandins

Abstract

Spiders are important predatory enemies that control a range of insect pests in the rice ecosystem. m-Aminophenylacetylene (m-A) has been demonstrated to induce maternal care behaviors in Pardosa pseudoannulata, protecting young spiders and promoting population growth. Here the roles of m-A on other reproduction stages were evaluated by injecting m-A into virgin and postreproductive female spiders. When injected into virgin females, m-A can prolong the first pulli-carrying stage of the females after mating and breeding offsprings. In postreproductive females, m-A injection shortened the eggsac-carrying stages, especially in the second and third stages. Transcriptomic analysis showed that differentially expressed genes between the control female and m-A-injected female were enriched in the arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism pathway. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) confirmed the upregulation of cyclooxygenase-II (COX-II), prostaglandin E synthase 2 (PGES2), and prostaglandin E synthase 3 (PGES3) genes involved in PGE2 (prostaglandin E2) synthesis. In a reverse validation experiment, the sequential injection of m-A followed by a COX inhibitor aspirin restored the shortened eggsac-carrying stage to normal level. The findings indicated that m-A enhanced PGs synthesis, leading to a reduced eggsac-carrying stage. The eggsac-carrying stage can be fatal when female spiders encounter their enemies, so the shortening of the stage by m-A would reduce the potential threat. These findings are significant for developing environmentally friendly control strategies.

Chen, Y., Xu, T., Wang, Y., Wang, J., Zhao, C., Yu, N., & Liu, Z. M-Aminophenylacetylene shortened the eggsac-carrying stages in the wolf spider through enhancing the synthesis of prostaglandins. Insect Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7917.70017