@article {pmid40506296,
year = {2025},
author = {Ladau, J and Fahimipour, AK and Newcomer, ME and Brown, JB and Vora, GJ and Melby, MK and Maresca, JA},
title = {Microbial inoculants and invasions: a call to action.},
journal = {Trends in microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.tim.2025.04.018},
pmid = {40506296},
issn = {1878-4380},
abstract = {Microbial inoculants are increasingly used for beneficial purposes in agriculture, bioremediation, and medicine, but they can carry risks of generating invasive microbes. Here, we present a roadmap for guarding against these invasions, proposing developing (i) coherent mechanistic understandings of how microbial inoculants can effect invasions, (ii) predictive models forecasting microbial invasion risks, and (iii) effective management strategies. To guide mechanistic understandings, we distill 17 guiding hypotheses. For predictive modeling, we highlight data collection needs and qualitative approaches. For management strategies, we stress the importance of accurately weighing the risks against benefits. The unified approach presented here provides a route toward an effective research and management infrastructure for microbial inoculants in order to avoid potentially catastrophic microbial invasions.},
}

@article {pmid40501344,
year = {2025},
author = {Baer, J and Hüsgen, S and Fromherz, M and Geist, J and Brinker, A},
title = {Drivers of the range expansion of the European catfish (Silurus glanis) within its native distribution.},
journal = {Journal of fish biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/jfb.70099},
pmid = {40501344},
issn = {1095-8649},
support = {//Fischereiabgabe Baden-Württemberg/ ; },
abstract = {The European catfish Silurus glanis L. continues to spread as an invasive species in Europe. Meanwhile, increasing abundance and range expansions are also suspected within its native distribution. The objective of this study was to characterize the feeding, growth and abundance of S. glanis in 12 lakes and 12 rivers within its European native range in relation to environmental changes that may explain population trends over time. The results suggest a shift in factors limiting the carrying capacity of catfish habitats within this range, leading to increases in growth and abundance. Statistical modelling identified warming and increasing population density of invasive gobies as likely contributors to this shift. Given that catfish predation on native species can be expected to increase dramatically, there is an urgent need for new management strategies. It is recommended that catfish removal rates should be increased, especially in areas of high importance for native fish and crayfish species, such as spawning grounds and at bottlenecks for migration.},
}

@article {pmid40501191,
year = {2025},
author = {Zhang, M and Li, S and Wang, F and Zhu, J and Zhang, Y and Zhan, A},
title = {Multi-dimensional tolerance to low temperature for high-latitude invasion success by the rapidly expanding golden mussel.},
journal = {The Journal of animal ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/1365-2656.70078},
pmid = {40501191},
issn = {1365-2656},
support = {5222026//Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality/ ; },
abstract = {Many invasive species are capable of rapidly advancing invasion forefronts, often into areas with challenging or extreme environmental conditions. Understanding the mechanisms driving these invasions is essential for predicting their future spread and developing effective conservation strategies. A notable example is the recent range expansion of the golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) from low- to high-latitude regions, which poses significant threats to the integrity of global freshwater ecosystems and socio-economic sustainability. Successful invaders often utilize a variety of physiological, behavioural and ecological strategies to survive and thrive in harsh environments. To investigate the multi-dimensional mechanisms underlying low-temperature tolerance for high-latitude invasion success, we collected golden mussels from their northernmost invasive range. The mussels were exposed to a control temperature of 25°C and low temperatures of 15°C and 5°C. We conducted multi-level analyses, including behavioural (survival and valve activity), morphological (filament ultrastructure), biochemical (enzyme content) and molecular (transcriptome and metabolome) changes in the gill, a key organ involved in low-temperature response. We observed low mortality rates (<30%) across all stressed groups, indicating the golden mussel's tolerance to low temperatures. Upon initial exposure, the golden mussels significantly reduced their valve-opening rate, effectively blocking cold water outside their bodies. Microscopic observations and staining analyses revealed significant changes in the gill filaments, including alterations in cilia, filament cells and junction distances, suggesting functional morphological adjustments following the behavioural response of valve closure. The energy conserved through these morphological changes, along with actively generated energy, was utilized to enhance tolerance at the biochemical and molecular levels. This energy-intensive tolerance mechanism involved apoptosis inhibition, membrane fluidity enhancement, improved antioxidant capacity and elevated immune regulation, as evidenced by enzyme assays and integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. These adjustments interacted and coordinated, demonstrating highly systematic and complementary responses to the low temperature stress. Our study elucidates the multi-dimensional mechanisms employed by golden mussels to cope with extreme temperature conditions in high-latitude regions, highlighting the integrated strategies that facilitate their survival in harsh environments. These findings offer valuable insights for developing management strategies for regions characterized by extreme environmental conditions for invasive species.},
}

@article {pmid40496998,
year = {2025},
author = {Zhou, ZL and Ling, TC and Zhao, JL and Wang, XZ and Wang, LL and Li, L and Wang, WJ and Jia, DR and Wu, ZK and Sun, XD and Yang, YP and Duan, YW},
title = {Parallel loss of anthocyanins triggers the incipient sympatric speciation in an alpine ginger.},
journal = {Plant diversity},
volume = {47},
number = {3},
pages = {429-439},
pmid = {40496998},
issn = {2468-2659},
abstract = {Change of flower color can readily lead to a shift in pollinators, potentially causing pollinator mediated reproductive isolation or even speciation. Here, we examined the ecological and evolutionary consequences of flower color polymorphism in Roscoea cautleoides, an alpine ginger with sympatric distribution of purple- and yellow-flowered plants. Variations in pollinator visitation and specialization to the flower color contributed greatly to pre-zygotic reproductive isolation, with post-zygotic isolation also observed in reciprocal pollination. Yellow-flowered plants evolved independently from purple-flowered plants in two populations due to the absence of anthocyanins, as supported by metabolic, expression, and genetic analysis. Despite early genetic divergence between the two-flower-colored plants, highly differentiated genes were associated with reproduction and stress, while highly selective genes were enriched in stress. Our results suggest that parallel loss of anthocyanins leads to flower color polymorphism in different populations of R. cautleoides, with pollinator preference contributing to reproductive isolation and subsequent genetic differentiation, indicating the process of incipient speciation triggered by flower color changes with sympatric distribution.},
}

@article {pmid40496219,
year = {2025},
author = {},
title = {Correction to "Balancing Monitoring and Management in the Adaptive Management of an Invasive Species".},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {6},
pages = {e71446},
doi = {10.1002/ece3.71446},
pmid = {40496219},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1002/ece3.71176.].},
}

@article {pmid40496218,
year = {2025},
author = {Phuyal, N and Kc, N and Neupane, B and Dhami, B and Miya, MS and Silwal, T and Adhikari, G and Pudasaini, S and Bhandari, B and Adhikari, H},
title = {Diurnal Encounter-Based Size Distribution, Nesting Sites and Habitat Characteristics of the Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) in Beeshazari Lake Complex, Nepal.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {6},
pages = {e71486},
pmid = {40496218},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Mugger crocodiles are the apex predator species of the wetland ecosystem in Nepal, and their conservation could safeguard the entire ecosystem. However, studies on their population status and habitat characteristics are limited, with no scientific research conducted on their nesting ecology to date. Therefore, we selected muggers as a representative species to better understand their daytime sightings, nesting characteristics, and the fine-scale anthropogenic and environmental factors influencing their occurrence in five lakes of the Beeshazari Lake complex (BLC; Beeshazar Lake, Kumal Lake, Tikauli Lake, Kingfisher Lake, and Batuli Pokhari) of Chitwan National Park, Nepal. We conducted a preliminary survey, followed by a daytime sightings survey, a nesting site survey, and a habitat assessment survey in March 2023. A generalised linear model under binary logistic regression was used to analyse the factors influencing the habitat characteristics of muggers. During the research period, 50 detections of muggers were recorded, 66% of which were observed basking and 34% were submerged in the lakes. The Relative Abundance Index of the muggers in the BLC was 3.29 km[-1]. Nesting sites (two from Tikauli Lake and three from Beeshazar Lake) were recorded during the study period. The probability of sighting a mugger was significantly influenced by the slope (moderate slope), substrate type (clay, grass, and sand), mid-lake depth, presence of anthropogenic threats, and presence of invasive species. We recommend that future researchers employ more robust models, such as N-mixture models, to provide up-to-date information on the population abundance of muggers in the BLC. Furthermore, a comprehensive multi-seasonal study focusing on ecological and behavioural aspects of nesting sites alongside environmental aspects influencing nest success rates is critical. Such research will be crucial in guiding the development of targeted conservation strategies aimed at protecting and preserving essential nesting sites. Moreover, we recommend conducting robust studies on the carrying capacity of wetlands in Nepal to provide insights into the sustainable population size that a wetland can support.},
}

@article {pmid40495818,
year = {2025},
author = {Xiao, L and Zhang, H and Oduor, AMO and Liu, Y},
title = {Artificial night-time lighting and herbivory interactively reduce the biomass production of invasive plants while enhancing that of native plants.},
journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences},
volume = {292},
number = {2048},
pages = {20242811},
pmid = {40495818},
issn = {1471-2954},
support = {//Excellent Youth Foundation of Jilin Province, China/ ; //Chinese Academy of Sciences-President's International Fellowship Initiative/ ; //National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; //International Partnership Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences/ ; },
mesh = {*Herbivory ; *Introduced Species ; *Biomass ; Animals ; *Lighting ; *Spodoptera/physiology ; Larva/growth & development/physiology ; *Light ; },
abstract = {Artificial light at night (ALAN) can influence plant growth, defence, interactions with herbivores and invasion by exotic plants. However, studies assessing the interactive effects of ALAN, nutrient enrichment and herbivory on invasive and native plant species remain limited. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to investigate the interactive effects of ALAN (no-ALAN versus ALAN), nutrient enrichment (low versus high) and herbivory by a generalist Spodoptera litura (without versus with) on the growth, root allocation and defence of six congeneric pairs of invasive and native plant species. Nutrient enrichment increased total biomass more in native plants than in invasive plants. ALAN enhanced total biomass in both groups of plants without herbivory, but increased native plant biomass and decreased that of invasive plants under herbivory. ALAN reduced root mass fraction, especially under low-nutrient conditions without herbivory. Native plants exhibited greater tolerance to herbivory and higher net photosynthetic rates under ALAN compared to invasive species. Moreover, S. litura larvae grew faster on invasive plants but slower on native plants under ALAN. These findings suggest that ALAN may weaken the competitive advantage of invasive species by enhancing the defence mechanisms and physiological performance of native plants, potentially shifting competitive dynamics in favour of native flora.},
}

*Herbivory
*Introduced Species
*Biomass
Animals
*Lighting
*Spodoptera/physiology
Larva/growth & development/physiology
*Light

@article {pmid40493213,
year = {2025},
author = {Vila Duplá, M},
title = {Advancements in Algal Microbiome Research: A Game-Changer for Climate Resilience and Invasion Success?.},
journal = {Microbial ecology},
volume = {88},
number = {1},
pages = {63},
pmid = {40493213},
issn = {1432-184X},
mesh = {*Microbiota ; *Climate Change ; *Seaweed/microbiology ; *Introduced Species ; },
abstract = {While marine microbiomes have been getting more attention in recent years, they remain understudied compared to those of terrestrial systems. With the refinement of molecular methods, microbiome research has extended to other key marine organisms such as macroalgae. The microbiome plays a key role in macroalgal health, adaptation to environmental conditions, and resilience to climate stressors. The main factors affecting the algal microbiome are host specificity (genetics, functional profile, phylum and species identity), life stage, morphology, thallus region, and tissue age. Other significant drivers of microbiome community structure include spatiotemporal distribution and environmental conditions, especially as global stressors intensify with climate change. The mechanisms through which the microbiome of invasive seaweeds might enhance their competitiveness over native species are still unclear. However, there is evidence that, like climate resilience, invasive potential is linked to the functional flexibility of associated microbiota, allowing the host to adapt to the new environmental conditions. The main objective of this review was to synthesize the current understanding of the macroalgal microbiome and propose future directions in microbiome research based on identified shortcomings. Based on the knowledge gaps detected, there is an urgent need for multi-factorial experimental studies that link host and microbiome gene expression through chemical signals under future climate change scenarios, standardization of analytical methods, and a focus on underrepresented geographical regions and species. While algal microbiome research holds great promise for predicting and mitigating the effects of climate change and invasive species, embracing new tools and tackling ecologically relevant mechanistic and applied questions will be essential to advancing this field.},
}

*Microbiota
*Climate Change
*Seaweed/microbiology
*Introduced Species

@article {pmid40492279,
year = {2025},
author = {Piccinno, R and Galla, G and Roselli, G and Rodeghiero, M and Mazzoni, V and Stringer, L and Hauffe, HC and Anfora, G and Rota-Stabelli, O},
title = {Overwintering Does Not Affect Microbiota Diversity in Halyomorpha halys: Implications for Its Ecology and Management.},
journal = {Environmental microbiology reports},
volume = {17},
number = {3},
pages = {e70116},
pmid = {40492279},
issn = {1758-2229},
mesh = {Animals ; *Microbiota ; *Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; *Heteroptera/microbiology/physiology ; Seasons ; Biodiversity ; Phylogeny ; },
abstract = {Host-associated microbial communities play an important role in regulating many aspects of insect biology, but changes in this microbiota during diapause and overwintering are still largely unknown. Halyomorpha halys is an invasive agricultural pest characterised by a unique overwintering strategy where individuals aggregate and enter a state of dormancy, making it an excellent model to study the relationship between microbiota and diapause. We investigated the bacterial diversity of wild H. halys specimens before and after dormancy using 16S rRNA gene amplicon-sequencing. We found that microbiota varies between geographically neighbouring sampling locations, but there were no significant differences in microbial diversity or composition between populations sampled before and after diapause, despite stressful overwintering conditions. Such stability may relate to the highly specific taxa that dominate the stinkbug-associated microbial community. In addition, we did not detect any strong association of stink bugs with phytopathogens, but we found that two populations harboured Nosema maddoxi, a microsporidian pathogen of stink bugs. Our results are relevant to the assessment of accidental spillovers of microorganisms in newly invaded areas and to the implementation of the sterile insect technique based on mass trapping, irradiation, shipping and release after diapause of wild individuals.},
}

Animals
*Microbiota
*Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
*Heteroptera/microbiology/physiology
Seasons
Biodiversity
Phylogeny

@article {pmid40490975,
year = {2025},
author = {Pulido-Chadid, K and Rahbek, C and Geldmann, J},
title = {Evaluating protected areas' coverage of threats to terrestrial biodiversity.},
journal = {Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e70086},
doi = {10.1111/cobi.70086},
pmid = {40490975},
issn = {1523-1739},
support = {0165-00018B//Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond/ ; 25925//Villum Fonden/ ; },
abstract = {Protected areas (PAs) are vital for biodiversity conservation and have expanded globally. However, increasing pressures on biodiversity make it difficult to achieve conservation goals. Using threat probability maps based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and the World Database of Protected Areas, we analyzed the relationship between PA coverage and the major threats to amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles-agriculture, hunting, logging, pollution, invasive species, and urbanization. We included data on 33,379 species and 255,848 protected sites. We analyzed the relationship between threat probabilities and PA coverage with generalized additive models. Then, we grouped grid cells into discrete threat-protection categories and examined global spatial patterns. We focused three types of areas: areas with a high probability of threat that coincided with inadequate PA coverage; areas that had simultaneous threats; and areas with a high concentration of threatened species. We found a potential disconnect between global PAs and threat coverage. Twenty-one percent of areas had a high probability of threat, of which 76% were insufficiently protected. Over half of amphibian and mammal habitat was highly threatened and was insufficiently covered by PAs. Amphibians were subject to the highest proportion of simultaneous threats. Underprotected areas harbored the largest proportion of threatened species across all taxonomic groups. Our results provide crucial insights into the spatial relationship between threats and PA coverage and can be used to inform conservation planning at large scales.},
}

@article {pmid40489606,
year = {2025},
author = {Zarri, LJ and Kraft, CE and McIntyre, PB and Baetscher, DS and Jirka, KJ and Randall, EA and Marcy-Quay, B and St John, CA and Sethi, SA and Airey, ME and Detmer, TM and Flecker, AS and Therkildsen, NO},
title = {Eradication efforts catalyze rapid evolution in an invasive predatory fish.},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
volume = {122},
number = {24},
pages = {e2424067122},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.2424067122},
pmid = {40489606},
issn = {1091-6490},
mesh = {Animals ; *Introduced Species ; *Biological Evolution ; *Bass/genetics/physiology/growth & development ; *Predatory Behavior ; Ecosystem ; Lakes ; Gene Frequency ; },
abstract = {Species invasions spur costly and labor-intensive control efforts, yet even local eradication is seldom achieved. When control measures are initially effective, they may drive evolutionary adaptation that prevents full eradication, as has been documented for some chemical and biocontrol approaches. Although the intensity, directionality, and persistence of selection required to increase the frequency of resistant genotypes in complex natural ecosystems remains an open question, theory predicts that high mortality can cause life-history evolution even in the absence of a strong selective agent. Here, we use annually collected ecological and genetic data to show that rapid evolution of introduced smallmouth bass has undermined a 20-y manual suppression effort in a mid-sized lake. Despite nearly doubling annual mortality, our intensive control program produced a larger bass population dominated by young and early-maturing fish. These shifts were accompanied by large allele frequency changes in three genomic regions associated with earlier maturation and increased somatic growth. Our findings bear out the theoretical prediction that high mortality can drive evolutionary adaptation in target species. Controlling species invasions are worldwide practices that typically remove a substantial proportion of a population during each of many successive generations, hence life history adaptation may be commonplace. Such evolutionary responses could be salient in explaining the widespread failure of invasion control efforts. Genetic and phenotypic monitoring to detect cryptic adaptation and preemptive design of invader eradication programs to deliberately disrupt directional selection for resistance could improve invasion control outcomes.},
}

Animals
*Introduced Species
*Biological Evolution
*Bass/genetics/physiology/growth & development
*Predatory Behavior
Ecosystem
Lakes
Gene Frequency

@article {pmid40487454,
year = {2025},
author = {Savvidou, EC and Ioannou, CS and Apocha, L and Terblanche, JS and Papadopoulos, NT},
title = {Desiccation tolerance and possible starvation trade-offs in larvicide resistant Culex and Aedes mosquitoes.},
journal = {iScience},
volume = {28},
number = {6},
pages = {112521},
pmid = {40487454},
issn = {2589-0042},
abstract = {Larvicides are widely used for mosquito control, but resistance development complicates efforts. We investigated the interplay between insecticide resistance and environmental stress in Aedes albopictus, Culex pipiens pipiens, and Culex pipiens molestus. Mosquitoes were selected for resistance to diflubenzuron and Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis, acclimated at four temperatures, and subjected to desiccation and starvation assays. Desiccation and starvation survival were affected by species, sex, and thermal acclimation, but not by larvicide resistance. Larvicide resistance affected starvation survival in Ae. albopictus, which also exhibited higher thermal plasticity under both stressors. Females outlived males across all species and conditions. These findings highlight ecological consequences of larvicide resistance, as it does not compromise stress resistance and thermal plasticity, complicating mosquito control amid climate change. Trade-offs between starvation and desiccation in Ae. albopictus suggests potential mechanistic links between these traits and larvicide mode-of-action. Species-, context- and trait-specific larvicide resistance responses complicates mosquito control efforts.},
}

@article {pmid40483608,
year = {2025},
author = {Fridley, J and Griffin-Nolan, RJ and Bensaddek, L and Decocq, G and Hikosaka, K and Kichey, T and LeVonne, J and Mishio, M},
title = {Joining the locals: Plant invaders shift leaf defenses to match native neighbors.},
journal = {Ecology},
volume = {106},
number = {6},
pages = {e70129},
pmid = {40483608},
issn = {1939-9170},
support = {IOS-1754273//National Science Foundation/ ; },
mesh = {*Plant Leaves/physiology/chemistry ; *Introduced Species ; *Plants/classification ; Ecosystem ; },
abstract = {Local adaptation is common in invasive plants, but there is no consensus as to whether shifts in functional traits between invader "home" and "away" ranges contribute to their success in competition with native species. Theory based on enemy release suggests that invaders should reallocate limiting resources away from nutritive-based defenses and toward high growth potential. However, empirical studies of home-away trait shifts are typically conducted on a single invader and fail to consider how environmental differences across regions may impact leaf trait syndromes. We measured nine defense-related leaf traits for 27 invasive species across their home and away ranges in France, Japan, and the United States, and compared them to distributions of those same traits for co-occurring native species in both their home and away ranges. Our study included a total of 21 woody species sampled under forest canopies, and 23 herbaceous species sampled in fields and roadsides. Traits included toxic leaf alkaloids and cyanogenic glycosides; structural attributes including cell wall mass and fiber content; carbon (C), nitrogen (N), C:N, and total protein content; and specific leaf area. We found significant overall shifts in both qualitative (alkaloids) and quantitative (fiber, cell wall, N content) defense traits, particularly in woody species that are hypothesized to be more apparent to herbivores. However, the direction of trait shifts was not consistent across regions. Rather, for seven of nine traits, trait means of invaders shifted toward the means of native species in the recipient communities, likely reflecting environmental differences among regions rather than a shift in allocation from defense to growth. We suggest this "join the locals" pattern, whereby trait shifts in invaders match regional differences in native trait syndromes due to environmental variation, is a reasonable null model for studies of adaptive evolution in invasive species. Although the "join the locals" pattern is not mutually exclusive with shifts in functional traits caused by enemy release, our study involving multiple species and habitats suggests environmental gradients override trait shifts driven by varying herbivore communities.},
}

*Plant Leaves/physiology/chemistry
*Introduced Species
*Plants/classification
Ecosystem

@article {pmid40446522,
year = {2025},
author = {Foster, R and Bass, D and Clark, PF and Morritt, D and Stebbing, P},
title = {Qualitative risk analysis of invasive pathogens spreading via raw water transfers in the UK.},
journal = {The Science of the total environment},
volume = {986},
number = {},
pages = {179746},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179746},
pmid = {40446522},
issn = {1879-1026},
mesh = {United Kingdom ; Risk Assessment ; *Introduced Species ; *Water Microbiology ; Environmental Monitoring ; Water Supply ; Fresh Water/microbiology ; },
abstract = {Raw water transfers (RWT) are artificial movements of untreated water, often constructed from areas of high supply and low demand to areas of low supply and high demand for potable water, industry and irrigation, but also to meet environmental requirements, such as to maintain river flow. Increasing demands on water infrastructure coupled with climate change mean that the reliance of the water industry on RWT will increase significantly within the next decade. RWTs are recognised as a high-risk pathway for the spread of freshwater invasive non-native species (INNS), however the movement of invasive micro-organisms via RWT is yet to be explored. This study aims to qualitatively assess the risk of transfer and establishment of invasive pathogens as a result of RWTs. Using the Source-Pathway-Receptor-Consequence model, the pathways and processes involved in micro-organism movement due to RWT are mapped, and high and low risk scenarios with respect to pathogen spread via RWT are presented. The biological factors affecting the survival and persistence of pathogens are discussed, and how these interact with the physical parameters of RWT. We have highlighted potential freshwater diseases of importance to the UK and demonstrated their potential for transmission via RWT due to their to persistence within the environment. This risk analysis provides evidence that a more detailed study of pathogen interactions with RWT variables is required to enable quantitative risk assessments to be made, in anticipation of future legislative policy.},
}

United Kingdom
Risk Assessment
*Introduced Species
*Water Microbiology
Environmental Monitoring
Water Supply
Fresh Water/microbiology

@article {pmid40298072,
year = {2025},
author = {Zhu, X and Zheng, C and Dong, X and Tang, Z and Wang, Y and Yang, R and Bu, W},
title = {Native genetic structure of black bean bug Brachyplatys subaeneus: Implications for pest management.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {81},
number = {7},
pages = {3631-3641},
doi = {10.1002/ps.8854},
pmid = {40298072},
issn = {1526-4998},
support = {32130014//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Heteroptera/genetics ; *Introduced Species ; Panama ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics/analysis ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; *Genetic Variation ; Phylogeny ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The black bean bug Brachyplatys subaeneus is a crucial legume crop pest native to Asia. It has been introduced to the Americas and rapidly in tropical and subtropical regions, where it poses a serious threat to local legume crops. However, the native population structure and invasive sources of this pest have never been studied, hindering effective monitoring and management. Here, we investigated the genetic structure of native populations based on nuclear SNP data and genetic relationship between the Panama samples and the native samples based on COI and 16S rRNA sequences. In addition, we constructed ecological niche models to predict its potential invasion areas.

RESULTS: We found that B. subaeneus comprised three geographic lineages (NO, PH and SO) within its native range, with strong genetic differentiation between these lineages. Genetic relationships based on mitochondrial DNA between the native and invasive samples indicated that Panama samples used in this study were derived from NO lineage. Ecological niche modelling shows a wide range of suitable habitats in the northern and central regions of South America, suggesting that B. subaeneus has the potential to expand further south from the northern regions of South America.

CONCLUSION: This study revealed the genetic structure of B. subaeneus in its native range, inferred the possible geographical origin of invasive populations, and indicated the potential invasion areas for the bean bug. Our findings in this study could provide new insights into the monitoring and management efforts of this invasive pest. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.},
}

Animals
*Heteroptera/genetics
*Introduced Species
Panama
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics/analysis
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
*Genetic Variation
Phylogeny
DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics

@article {pmid40087842,
year = {2025},
author = {Ding, J and Qin, Z and Fang, SM and Bao, Z and Roques, A and Li, J and Shi, J},
title = {Employing hydrogen stable isotope analysis for traceability of invasive pine wood nematode vector insects.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {81},
number = {7},
pages = {3889-3898},
doi = {10.1002/ps.8767},
pmid = {40087842},
issn = {1526-4998},
support = {QNTD202304//The Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities/ ; 2023YFE0116200//National Key Research and Development Program of China/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Pinus/parasitology ; *Tylenchida/physiology ; China ; *Coleoptera/parasitology/chemistry ; *Insect Vectors/parasitology/chemistry ; *Deuterium/analysis ; Plant Diseases/parasitology ; Introduced Species ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the pathogen responsible for pine wilt disease, significantly threatens pine forests globally, with rapid infection leading to tree mortality within 40 days. This disease spreads efficiently through vector beetles, with Monochamus alternatus and Monochamus saltuarius serving as the primary vectors and Monochamus galloprovincialis being considered a potential vector in China. Molecular traceability and stable isotope traceability are both important techniques for insect tracing, each with its own advantages and limitations. Molecular traceability, such as DNA-based methods, offers high specificity and accuracy in identifying insect species, but it may require more complex procedures and higher costs due to the need for advanced equipment and skilled personnel. Stable isotope tracing, however, provides conservative and high-precision signatures, and is label-free, making it suitable for tracing the origins and pathways of insects in complex environments. Using the method of degreasing, the fat of the sample epidermis was removed, only the bone part was left, and the abdominal cavity was emptied to prevent the food from affecting the determination of hydrogen isotope. The present study aimed to trace the geographic origins of these vector insects in China using hydrogen stable isotope ratios, providing a novel tool for disease management.

RESULTS: Data processing and modeling were conducted using R and Origin software, yielding the equation y = 0.9822x + 19.1765. Statistical tests confirmed the model's significance and fit. Results indicate a significant positive correlation of temperature and precipitation with atmospheric hydrogen isotopic composition.

CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate the model's applicability in tracking the spread of pine wilt vectors, offering a promising approach to forest pathogen management. If the sample isotope test value is brought into the model and marked in the partition diagram, it can be proved that the model can effectively identify the source information of the sample. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.},
}

Animals
*Pinus/parasitology
*Tylenchida/physiology
China
*Coleoptera/parasitology/chemistry
*Insect Vectors/parasitology/chemistry
*Deuterium/analysis
Plant Diseases/parasitology
Introduced Species

@article {pmid40079156,
year = {2025},
author = {Li, C and Wang, B and Zhou, Z and Lin, R and Huai, W and Wang, X and Zong, S and Yao, Y},
title = {On-site genetic diagnosis for the invasive pest Hylurgus ligniperda (Fabricius) and its possible application.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {81},
number = {7},
pages = {3899-3906},
doi = {10.1002/ps.8756},
pmid = {40079156},
issn = {1526-4998},
support = {2021YFD1400300//National Key Research and Development Program of China/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Introduced Species ; *Weevils/genetics/classification ; *Coleoptera/genetics ; Pinus ; *Insect Control/methods ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Forests in nearly all regions worldwide are affected by invasions of non-native bark beetles. Hylurgus ligniperda (Fabricius) is a globally invasive bark beetle that stealthily jeopardizes pine health and spreads worldwide insidiously. The worldwide occurrence of Hylurgus ligniperda challenges trade in pine logs or wooden materials. Early identification of Hylurgus ligniperda is crucial in implementing appropriate pest management strategies.

RESULTS: This study established a simple, efficient, and accurate method for identifying Hylurgus ligniperda based on recombinase polymerase amplification and the lateral flow dipstick (RPA-LFD). The method can distinguish Hylurgus ligniperda from other species and has a sensitivity threshold of 10 fg/μL. Subsequently, field application tests were conducted using RPA-LFD assays, the first field application case in forestry entomology. The field test results showed that RPA-LFD combined with crude DNA extraction could accurately identify Hylurgus ligniperda (except elytra). The influence of environmental factors (temperature, humidity, and wind) was also investigated. The results showed that only wind speed (P = 0.003) was significantly correlated with the color rendering of the LFD and negatively correlated with the color and density of the LFD detection line.

CONCLUSION: A rapid field-based identification method applied helps the elimination of barriers to the lagging identification of invasive pests. Implementing RPA-LFD aims to provide a reliable and efficient tool for rapidly identifying invasive insects, enabling timely intervention and effective management strategies. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.},
}

Animals
*Introduced Species
*Weevils/genetics/classification
*Coleoptera/genetics
Pinus
*Insect Control/methods

@article {pmid40066924,
year = {2025},
author = {Domingues, RF and Barbosa, MS and Sampaio, MV},
title = {Silicon amendment to the crop increases the potential of Aphidius platensis to control the invasive pest aphid Melanaphis sorghi.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {81},
number = {7},
pages = {3933-3942},
doi = {10.1002/ps.8762},
pmid = {40066924},
issn = {1526-4998},
support = {//Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Aphids/parasitology/growth & development/physiology/drug effects ; *Silicon/pharmacology ; *Pest Control, Biological/methods ; *Wasps/physiology ; *Sorghum/growth & development ; Introduced Species ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The efficacy of integrated pest management programs can be affected by interactions between different pest control methods. Silicon (Si) amendments increase plant resistance to phytophagous insects; however, such amendments may also affect higher-trophic level species, causing either negative or positive impacts on the biological control of pests in treated crops. To evaluate the effect of Si amendment on the potential for control of the pest aphid Melanaphis sorghi (Theobald) by the parasitoid Aphidius platensis (Bréthes), the key biological parameters and the fertility life tables of both species were assessed in the laboratory at both 23 ± 1 °C and 29 ± 1 °C without Si application and in a greenhouse trial, with the insects reared on plants grown in soil with and without the application of Si (800 kg of Si per hectare).

RESULTS: Without Si, the net reproductive rate (R0) value of the parasitoid at 23 °C was higher than that of the aphid (ratio of R0 of parasitoid/R0 of aphid = 1.2), showing that the aphid can be controlled by the parasitoid at this temperature, but at 29 °C this reversed, with the R0 ratio declining to 0.79, permitting aphid outbreaks. In contrast, with Si, the parasitoid's R0 and rm (intrinsic rate of increase) were both equal or higher than the aphid's at both temperatures, with parasitoid/aphid ratios for R0 and rm ranging from 1.0 to 1.8.

CONCLUSION: Silicon amendment can increase A. platensis control of M. sorghi, representing its potential use in the integrated management of this pest in sorghum. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.},
}

Animals
*Aphids/parasitology/growth & development/physiology/drug effects
*Silicon/pharmacology
*Pest Control, Biological/methods
*Wasps/physiology
*Sorghum/growth & development
Introduced Species

@article {pmid40040478,
year = {2025},
author = {Martín Ávila, JA and Rebollo, S and Fernández-Pereira, JM and Monteagudo, N and Díaz-Aranda, LM},
title = {Encouraging native predators of invasive yellow-legged hornets: breeding habitat preferences of European honey buzzards in exotic Eucalyptus plantations.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {81},
number = {7},
pages = {3704-3714},
doi = {10.1002/ps.8738},
pmid = {40040478},
issn = {1526-4998},
support = {//Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades/ ; //Universidad de Alcalá/ ; //REMEDINAL/ ; //Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación/ ; //Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competividad/ ; //Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia/ ; },
mesh = {*Eucalyptus/growth & development ; Animals ; *Ecosystem ; Reproduction ; Introduced Species ; *Predatory Behavior ; Europe ; *Falconiformes/physiology ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: While natural forests have decreased globally, forest plantations have expanded highlighting the need for studies on plantations' capacity to sustain biodiversity and provide ecosystem services within agroforestry mosaics. This study examined the breeding habitat preferences of European honey buzzards Pernis apivorus (a native predator of the invasive yellow-legged hornet) and their relationship with reproductive performance in exotic Eucalyptus plantations in southwestern Europe. We expected better reproductive performance in preferred habitats.

RESULTS: Breeding habitats (n = 57 nesting locations) and randomly selected control points (n = 77) were compared across spatial scales. We analyzed the relative importance of vegetation and topographic features, intraspecific territorial behavior, and interspecific interactions within the diurnal raptor guild. Two complementary approaches were employed: binomial generalized linear models for predictive habitat models, and random forest classification models to assess the relative importance of habitat factors. We examined the relationship between habitat preferences and reproductive performance based on laying phenology and fledgling success. Vegetation and topography were the most influential factors affecting habitat preferences, especially around nests (a 200 m-radius circle). Honey-buzzards preferred large nest trees within forest patches exhibiting high structural complexity and maturity. Preferred habitats were negatively associated with fledgling success, and no significant relationship was detected with laying phenology.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that Eucalyptus plantations can offer suitable breeding habitats for honey-buzzards if managed appropriately. This finding is crucial for guiding forest management decisions aimed at enhancing high-quality breeding habitats for honey-buzzards and encouraging their regulatory services against yellow-legged hornets. © 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.},
}

*Eucalyptus/growth & development
Animals
*Ecosystem
Reproduction
Introduced Species
*Predatory Behavior
Europe
*Falconiformes/physiology

@article {pmid40482538,
year = {2025},
author = {Larraechea, M and Dos Santos, A and Cerda, C and Alegría-Morán, R and Briceño, C},
title = {Perceptions and attitudes toward control of invasive monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) in citizens from Santiago metropolis, Chile.},
journal = {Preventive veterinary medicine},
volume = {242},
number = {},
pages = {106577},
doi = {10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106577},
pmid = {40482538},
issn = {1873-1716},
abstract = {The monk parakeet, one of the world's most invasive birds, has thrived in urban areas and causes environmental, economic, and health impacts. These challenges underline the need for control measures, though public perception can affect efforts. This study explores attitudes toward monk parakeet management among residents from Santiago, Chile. Five-hundred and four online surveys were applied and distributed through online social networks aimed at inhabitants in the Metropolitan Region. Although most citizens recognize that the parakeets can produce environmental impact, respondents do not consider them as a threat to health or the economy. Seventy percent of participants believe there should be a population control program for monk parakeets in place, and the control method is not significantly related to people's support. Sixty percent of respondents support parakeet eradication if they cause damage to native species or if they transmit pathogens to humans or other animals. However, this acceptability decreased considerably if eradication is conducted due to economic damages. Our results demonstrate that, despite a high level of appreciation to parakeets, there is a general willingness to support its management, including eradication, in pursuit of biodiversity conservation and public health. However, citizens need information to know the threats of this invasive bird, given that management initiatives will receive greater support when society understands the potential parakeet impact on environmental, health, or economic realms and when specific and compelling methods are used. It is important for decision-makers to acknowledge beliefs and concerns that could hinder the management of monk parakeets in order to prevent social conflicts.},
}

@article {pmid40481807,
year = {2025},
author = {Endriss, SB and Nuzzo, V and Blossey, B},
title = {Return of diversity: Wetland plant community recovery following purple loosestrife biocontrol.},
journal = {Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America},
volume = {35},
number = {4},
pages = {e70064},
pmid = {40481807},
issn = {1939-5582},
support = {//US Fish and Wildlife Service/ ; //New York State Department of Environmental Conservation/ ; //The Nature Conservancy/ ; },
mesh = {*Wetlands ; *Biodiversity ; *Lythrum/physiology ; Introduced Species ; *Pest Control, Biological ; Animals ; New York ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; },
abstract = {Spread of non-native species can be important drivers of biodiversity declines, leading to precautionary management based on assumptions that (1) non-native biota have negative impacts and are "guilty" of causing harm and (2) reducing a non-native species' abundance will reduce these negative impacts, in turn, benefiting native species. However, we frequently lack data to gauge both negative impacts of non-native species and success or failure of chosen management interventions to benefit native species. Addressing these knowledge gaps is critical to improving management outcomes for native species while maintaining public trust to sustain funding of management activities. Here, we investigated the response of Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) and associated plant communities to implementation of biological control in more than 10 wetland sites in New York State for up to 28 years. Introduced to North America from Europe in the 1800s, L. salicaria is a prime example of a non-native species with a continent-wide distribution that could not be suppressed by mechanical and chemical treatments. In the 1980s, waterfowl biologists, wetland managers, and conservationists alike worried about the loss of diverse wetland plant communities associated with the rapid expansion of L. salicaria. In response, after careful assessments of safety, and potential costs and benefits, four highly host-specific insect herbivores were released in North America in the early 1990s to reduce L. salicaria abundance and its negative ecological impacts. In a companion paper, Blossey et al. documented reduced L. salicaria occupancy and stem densities following insect releases over time (i.e., biological success), irrespective of site-specific differences in starting plant communities or L. salicaria abundance. Here, we show that reduced abundance of L. salicaria leads to the ultimate goal of non-native plant management: increased cover, abundance, and diversity of species, often of native species (i.e., ecological success). We also conduct analyses to provide inference about which plant species are most sensitive to L. salicaria, including changes in L. salicaria stem density. Overall, we provide an important conservation success story: our findings emphasize that biocontrol of non-native plants can be effective and safe, allowing native species to recover as a dominant non-native species gradually declines.},
}

*Wetlands
*Biodiversity
*Lythrum/physiology
Introduced Species
*Pest Control, Biological
Animals
New York
Conservation of Natural Resources

@article {pmid40481090,
year = {2025},
author = {Samake, JN and Athinya, DK and Milanoi, S and Ramaita, E and Muchoki, M and Omondi, S and Abong'o, B and Matoke-Muhia, D and Mbogo, C and Keitany, K and Mukabana, WR and Oyieke, F and Shieshia, M and Mburu, M and Ogoma, S and Nyawira, E and Wekesa, C and Bartilol, B and Rono, M and Maia, M and O'Meara, W and Kahindi, S and Rafferty, C and Schultz, JS and Gutman, JR and Gimnig, JE and Zohdy, S and Ochomo, E},
title = {Spatial distribution and population structure of the invasive Anopheles stephensi in Kenya from 2022 to 2024.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {19878},
pmid = {40481090},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {INV-024969/GATES/Gates Foundation/United States ; INV-024969/GATES/Gates Foundation/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Anopheles/genetics/classification ; Kenya ; Genetic Variation ; *Introduced Species ; Mosquito Vectors/genetics ; Larva/genetics ; *Animal Distribution ; Haplotypes ; },
abstract = {This study analyzes the distribution, genetic diversity, and spread of Anopheles stephensi in Kenya following initial detection in December 2022. A total of 114 larval and 33 adult An. stephensi samples were confirmed in 7 of 18 surveyed counties majorly along transportation routes. Genetic analyses revealed three distinct genetic compositions with different levels of genetic diversity, suggesting multiple introductions into the country. The genetic composition of mosquitoes in most counties resembled southern Ethiopian populations, while those from Turkana showed a unique haplotype. A species distribution model predicts a more extensive range than currently observed, with low precipitation and minimal seasonal temperature variations as key factors influencing distribution. Challenges in adult sampling were noted, with larval sampling revealing co-occurrence with native Anopheles species. The findings have implications for surveillance and control strategies, emphasizing the need for continued monitoring, refined sampling techniques to inform bionomics, and cross-border collaboration.},
}

Animals
*Anopheles/genetics/classification
Kenya
Genetic Variation
*Introduced Species
Mosquito Vectors/genetics
Larva/genetics
*Animal Distribution
Haplotypes

@article {pmid40476664,
year = {2025},
author = {Samano, A and Kumar, N and Liao, Y and Ishtiaq, F and Chakraborty, M},
title = {Genome structural variants shape adaptive success of an invasive urban malaria vector Anopheles stephensi.},
journal = {Molecular biology and evolution},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/molbev/msaf140},
pmid = {40476664},
issn = {1537-1719},
abstract = {Global changes are associated with the emergence of several invasive species, although genetic determinants of their adaptive success remain poorly understood. To address this problem, we investigated the role genome structural variants (SVs) play in adaptations of Anopheles stephensi, a primary vector of urban malaria in South Asia and an invasive malaria vector in South Asian islands and Africa. Using whole genome sequencing data we identified 2,988 duplications and 16,038 deletions SVs in 115 mosquitoes from invasive island populations and four locations from mainland India, the species' ancestral range. The minor allele frequency of SVs and amino acid polymorphism suggests SVs are more deleterious than the amino acid variants. However, high-frequency SVs are enriched in genomic regions with signatures of selective sweeps, implying a putative adaptive role of some SVs. We revealed three novel candidate duplication mutations for recurrent evolution of resistance to diverse insecticides in An. stephensi populations. These mutations exhibit distinct population genetic signatures of recent adaptive evolution, suggesting different mechanisms of rapid adaptations involving hard and soft sweeps helping the species thwart chemical control strategies. We also identify candidate SVs for the larval tolerance to brackish water, which is likely an adaptation in island and coastal populations. Nearly all high-frequency SVs and the candidate adaptive variants in the island populations are derived from the mainland, suggesting a sizable contribution of existing variation to the success of the island populations. Our results highlight the important role of SVs in the evolutionary success of invasive malaria vector An. stephensi.},
}

@article {pmid40379091,
year = {2025},
author = {Hughes, E and Moyers-Gonzalez, M and Murray, R and Wilson, PL},
title = {A mathematically robust model of exotic pine invasions.},
journal = {Mathematical biosciences},
volume = {386},
number = {},
pages = {109456},
doi = {10.1016/j.mbs.2025.109456},
pmid = {40379091},
issn = {1879-3134},
mesh = {*Pinus ; *Introduced Species/statistics & numerical data ; *Models, Biological ; *Models, Theoretical ; Biodiversity ; },
abstract = {Invasive pine trees pose a threat to biodiversity in a variety of Southern Hemisphere countries, but understanding of the dynamics of invasions and the factors that retard or accelerate spread is limited. We review past mathematical models of wilding pine spread, including spatially explicit individual-based models, recursive partitioning methods, and integrodifference matrix models (IDMs). In contrast to these approaches, we use partial differential equations to model an invasion. We show that invasions are almost static for a significant period of time before rapidly accelerating to spread at a constant rate, matching observed behaviour in at least some field sites. Our work suggests that prior methods for estimating invasion speeds may not accurately predict spread and are sensitive to assumptions about the distribution of parameters. However, we present alternative estimation methods and suggest directions for further research.},
}

*Pinus
*Introduced Species/statistics & numerical data
*Models, Biological
*Models, Theoretical
Biodiversity

@article {pmid40474285,
year = {2025},
author = {Werner, D and Nehls, H and Eska, C and Kampen, H},
title = {Anopheles hyrcanus (Diptera: Culicidae): yet another invasive mosquito species in Germany.},
journal = {Parasites & vectors},
volume = {18},
number = {1},
pages = {211},
pmid = {40474285},
issn = {1756-3305},
support = {2819107B22//Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE)/ ; 2818SE001//Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE)/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Anopheles/parasitology/physiology/classification ; Germany ; *Mosquito Vectors/parasitology/physiology/classification ; *Introduced Species ; Malaria/transmission ; Female ; },
abstract = {From August to October 2024, 62 specimens of the non-native mosquito species Anopheles hyrcanus were trapped in the federal state of Brandenburg, northeastern Germany. At one site, 59 specimens, and at a second site, 3 specimens were collected, with both sites located in floodplain areas, approximately 25 km apart. The records represent the northernmost collection sites of this species worldwide. Anopheles hyrcanus is considered a potential vector of malaria parasites, dirofilarial worms, and various viruses, although vector capacity appears to be generally low. The findings in Germany follow the recent detections of the species in Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, Austria, and Poland, suggesting possible establishment in more northern areas as a consequence of climate change.},
}

Animals
*Anopheles/parasitology/physiology/classification
Germany
*Mosquito Vectors/parasitology/physiology/classification
*Introduced Species
Malaria/transmission
Female

@article {pmid40473756,
year = {2025},
author = {Rocha, BS and Rodrigues, AC and Granzotti, RV},
title = {Widespread freshwater non-native fishes exhibit synchronized population dynamics with functionally similar natives.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {19753},
pmid = {40473756},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; *Fishes/physiology/classification ; Population Dynamics ; *Introduced Species ; Ecosystem ; Phylogeny ; Fresh Water ; Rivers ; },
abstract = {Invasive non-native fish species can profoundly disrupt ecosystems. In invasion ecology, using the functional similarity with native species to help predict demographic rates of non-native species and infer the ecological processes underlying it remains largely unexplored. Utilizing a comprehensive analysis of 2,903 species pairs across 153 sampling sites in rivers distributed in different continents, we evaluated interspecific synchrony patterns among populations of native and non-native fish species and explored their relationship with functional and phylogenetic dissimilarities using a linear mixed model. Our results indicate that non-native fish exhibit higher synchrony with native species that share similar ecological and morphological traits. This finding corroborates our hypothesis that co-occurring non-native and native species that are more functionally similar are more synchronized and emphasizes the importance of environmental filtering significantly shaping population dynamics between native communities and coexisting non-native species. We highlight the potential of widespread non-native species in increasing synchronous patterns and consequently decreasing community stability. By elucidating which type of dissimilarities (ecological, life history, morphological, and phylogenetic) can predict synchrony and which ecological mechanisms facilitate the coexistence of native and non-native species, this research underscores the ecological implications of invasion dynamics in the long term and helps to guide conservation efforts.},
}

Animals
*Fishes/physiology/classification
Population Dynamics
*Introduced Species
Ecosystem
Phylogeny
Fresh Water
Rivers

@article {pmid40472533,
year = {2025},
author = {Gorenz, J and Klarl, M and Nehring, S and Pander, J and Geist, J},
title = {Passage denied: The potential of dispersal barriers to limit the spread of aquatic invasive species through shipping canals.},
journal = {Journal of environmental management},
volume = {389},
number = {},
pages = {126075},
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126075},
pmid = {40472533},
issn = {1095-8630},
abstract = {The spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) presents a pressing challenge for global biodiversity, with freshwater ecosystems being particularly affected. The connection of watersheds throughout Europe by the construction of artificial shipping canals has created novel invasion pathways, but may also provide critical infrastructure to counter range expansion by implementation of different barrier solutions. Here, we critically review the efficacy, applicability and limitations of dispersal barriers against AIS in shipping canals considering fishes, invertebrates, algae, bacteria and fungi. Despite the wide spread of AIS and their known detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems, research focusing on barriers for AIS in shipping canals is rather limited and predominantly concentrated on a few species of fish. Out of 180 screened studies, only 32 examined the efficacy of technologies such as electric fields, acoustic signals, strobe light, air-bubble curtains, CO2 and pheromones as non-physical barriers. Efficacy and applicability was mostly tested in laboratory setups and strongly species-dependent, requiring a site-specific identification of the most useful barrier technology. Major limitations to barrier implementation include undesired and unknown side effects on non-target species, humans and the environment. To preserve the ecological integrity of freshwater ecosystems across transboundary and inland watersheds, future research should tackle these challenges by increasing the number of studies under realistic field conditions to allow evidence-based decision making on the management of AIS.},
}

@article {pmid40471946,
year = {2025},
author = {Calado, L and Cosenza, B and Moraes, F and Dias Luko, C and Mizrahi, D and Xavier, FC and Batista, D and Domingos, R and Calazans, S and Araújo, F and Coutinho, R},
title = {Simulated larvae dispersion of the invasive sun-coral (Tubastrea spp.) along Rio de Janeiro's coast: The role of submesoscale filaments on offshore transport and connectivity.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {20},
number = {6},
pages = {e0313240},
pmid = {40471946},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; Brazil ; *Anthozoa/physiology ; Larva/physiology ; *Introduced Species ; Ecosystem ; *Animal Distribution ; Pacific Ocean ; Wind ; },
abstract = {The spread of invasive species in marine ecosystems is a growing global concern, particularly in regions with high economic and ecological importance. Sun corals (Tubastraea spp.) are native scleractinians from the Pacific Ocean that have spread along most of the Brazilian coast. This invasive species initially established populations in Rio de Janeiro state, SE Brazil, reaching high levels of abundance. Although the ecological aspects and impacts caused by this organism have been studied in detail, the natural mechanisms that drive its dispersal have attracted little attention. In this research, we focus on the coastal dispersion of sun coral larvae between Cabo de São Tomé and Ilha Grande Bay, and the offshore transport of sun coral larvae, investigating how submesoscale oceanographic features such as filaments, fronts and eddies influence connectivity among different sites. A high-resolution numerical model was used to simulate the coastal dynamics, incorporating the influence of the Brazil Current, wind-driven circulation, and submesoscale structures. Larval dispersal was examined under different wind scenarios, including northeasterly winds that drive southward currents and enhance offshore transport via submesoscale filaments. Results show that submesoscale features, particularly filaments emerged from upwelling regions, play a significant role on sun coral larvae dispersion. These features act as pathways that connect larvae from coastal to offshore oil exploration areas, highlighting the importance of both natural and anthropogenic processes for the dispersal of this invasive species. This research provides critical insights into the mechanisms governing the spread of invasive marine species, emphasizing the need for integrated coastal management strategies. Understanding how physical processes drive larval transport is essential for developing targeted control measures to mitigate the impact of invasive species like sun coral on native ecosystems and local economies. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of monitoring both natural and anthropogenic influences on marine bioinvasions, particularly in regions with significant offshore industrial activities.},
}

Animals
Brazil
*Anthozoa/physiology
Larva/physiology
*Introduced Species
Ecosystem
*Animal Distribution
Pacific Ocean
Wind

@article {pmid40471899,
year = {2025},
author = {Marais, GC and Stratton, IC and Johnson, AJ and Hulcr, J},
title = {Progress in developing a bark beetle identification tool.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {20},
number = {6},
pages = {e0310716},
pmid = {40471899},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; *Coleoptera/classification ; Deep Learning ; Forests ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods ; },
abstract = {This study presents an initial model for bark beetle identification, serving as a foundational step toward developing a fully functional and practical identification tool. Bark beetles are known for extensive damage to forests globally, as well as for uniform and homoplastic morphology which poses identification challenges. Utilizing a MaxViT-based deep learning backbone which utilizes local and global attention to classify bark beetles down to the genus level from images containing multiple beetles. The methodology involves a process of image collection, preparation, and model training, leveraging pre-classified beetle species to ensure accuracy and reliability. The model's F1 score estimates of 0.99 and 1.0 indicates a strong ability to accurately classify genera in the collected data, including those previously unknown to the model. This makes it a valuable first step towards building a tool for applications in forest management and ecological research. While the current model distinguishes among 12 genera, further refinement and additional data will be necessary to achieve reliable species-level identification, which is particularly important for detecting new invasive species. Despite the controlled conditions of image collection and potential challenges in real-world application, this study provides the first model capable of identifying the bark beetle genera, and by far the largest training set of images for any comparable insect group. We also designed a function that reports if a species appears to be unknown. Further research is suggested to enhance the model's generalization capabilities and scalability, emphasizing the integration of advanced machine learning techniques for improved species classification and the detection of invasive or undescribed species.},
}

Animals
*Coleoptera/classification
Deep Learning
Forests
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods

@article {pmid40462286,
year = {2025},
author = {Calvo, C and Elgersma, KJ and Goldberg, DE and Currie, WS and Batzer, E and Martina, JP},
title = {Biotic resistance across a nutrient gradient in experimental wetland mesocosms.},
journal = {Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America},
volume = {35},
number = {4},
pages = {e70029},
doi = {10.1002/eap.70029},
pmid = {40462286},
issn = {1051-0761},
support = {80NSSC21K1652/NASA/NASA/United States ; NNX11AC72G/NASA/NASA/United States ; },
mesh = {*Wetlands ; *Typhaceae/physiology ; *Nitrogen/chemistry ; Introduced Species ; },
abstract = {Anthropogenic degradation of wetlands often leads to regional biotic homogenization and reduced plant diversity. This reduction is often attributed to the proliferation and dominance of a few generalist, often non-native, species. Biotic resistance from natives can sometimes impede the growth and spread of colonizers, but its dependence on environmental conditions is poorly understood. Based on field and modeling studies, we tested the predictions that (1) biotic resistance declines at higher nitrogen loading and (2) size influences colonization success. In a five-growing season mesocosm experiment, we grew three cattail taxa: Typha latifolia (native, large), Typha angustifolia (non-native, invasive, smallest), and Typha × glauca (hybrid, most invasive, large) as potential colonizers in the presence or absence of pre-established resident vegetation. At two sites differing in climate and growing season length, biotic resistance treatments were crossed with 12 nitrogen levels (inflows 0-45 g N m[-2] year[-1]). Each treatment combination was replicated twice, totaling 48 mesocosms per site. Without residents, colonizers (as total biomass of all three cattail taxa) persisted and expanded clonally across all nitrogen levels. However, their expansion was generally lower when colonizing a pre-established resident community compare to bare ground. The magnitude of biotic resistance, measured as the effect of residents on colonizers' biomass, and its interaction with nitrogen differed between sites. As predicted, biotic resistance decreased with high nitrogen at the northern site, but at the southern site, residents nearly eliminated colonizers. As anticipated, smaller T. angustifolia was a poorer colonizer than the other taxa, while T. × glauca was the strongest colonizer, especially under high nitrogen conditions where biotic resistance was minimal. Our findings partially support the hypothesis that biotic resistance declines with nitrogen loading, indicating that additional research on the factors influencing the magnitude of biotic resistance is needed. Importantly, when combined with our finding that Typha can persist at all nutrient levels when natives are absent, this information could help identify wetlands particularly vulnerable to invasion, especially in environments experiencing concurrent nutrient enrichment and disturbances that expose bare ground.},
}

*Wetlands
*Typhaceae/physiology
*Nitrogen/chemistry
Introduced Species

@article {pmid40461031,
year = {2025},
author = {Ksepka, SP and Walsh, H and Densmore, CL and Truong, TN and Bullard, SA},
title = {TWO NEW SPECIES OF HENNEGUYA THÉLOHAN, 1892 (CNIDARIA: BIVALVULIDA: MYXOBOLIDAE) INFECTING GILL OF BLUE CATFISH, ICTALURUS FURCATUS (RAFINESQUE) (SILURIFORMES: ICTALURIDAE) FROM THE TALLAPOOSA RIVER AND CHESAPEAKE BAY TRIBUTARIES.},
journal = {The Journal of parasitology},
volume = {111},
number = {3},
pages = {287-297},
doi = {10.1645/24-141},
pmid = {40461031},
issn = {1937-2345},
mesh = {Animals ; *Gills/parasitology ; *Fish Diseases/parasitology/epidemiology ; Rivers ; *Ictaluridae/parasitology ; Alabama/epidemiology ; *Parasitic Diseases, Animal/parasitology/epidemiology ; *Myxozoa/classification/genetics/anatomy & histology/ultrastructure/isolation & purification ; Phylogeny ; },
abstract = {We herein describe 2 new species of Henneguya Thélohan, 1892 (Bivalvulida: Myxobolidae), Henneguya auburnensis Ksepka and Bullard n. sp. and Henneguya chesapeakensis Ksepka, Walsh, and Bullard n. sp., infecting the inter-lamellar epithelium of cultured blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus [Valenciennes, 1840] [Siluriformes: Ictaluridae]) from Saugahatchee Creek (Tallapoosa River; Auburn, Alabama) and the inter-lamellar epithelium of invasive blue catfish captured in Chesapeake Bay tributaries, respectively. Henneguya auburnensis resembles Henneguya mississippiensisRosser, Griffin, Quiniou, Khoo, Greenway, Wise, and Pote, 2015, and Henneguya sutherlandiGriffin, Pote, Wise, Greenway, Mauel, and Camus, 2008, which both infect channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus [Rafinesque, 1818] [Siluriformes: Ictaluridae]) in Mississippi, but differs from these species by having more polar tubule coils (10-12 vs. 8-9 and 6, respectively). Henneguya chesapeakensis resembles Henneguya longicaudaMinchew, 1977, which infects channel catfish in Mississippi, but differs from this species by having shorter polar capsules (6.0-7.0 vs. 7.0-9.0). A phylogenetic analysis of the small subunit (SSU) rDNA recovered ictalurid-infecting Henneguya spp. as monophyletic, with H. auburnensis sister to a clade of Henneguya spp. that, except for H. chesapeakensis, infect the gill or adipose fin of channel catfish. Henneguya chesapeakensis was recovered sister to Henneguya ictaluriPote, Hanson, and Shivaji, 2000. Histological sections of infected gill filaments revealed that the plasmodia of both new species developed within the inter-lamellar epithelium. The new species comprise the second and third species of Henneguya reported from blue catfish.},
}

Animals
*Gills/parasitology
*Fish Diseases/parasitology/epidemiology
Rivers
*Ictaluridae/parasitology
Alabama/epidemiology
*Parasitic Diseases, Animal/parasitology/epidemiology
*Myxozoa/classification/genetics/anatomy & histology/ultrastructure/isolation & purification
Phylogeny

@article {pmid40460806,
year = {2025},
author = {Gong, L and Song, Y and Zhao, W and Su, L and Li, T and Hu, Y and Li, B and Li, X},
title = {The impact of different Spartina alterniflora eradication strategies on the biological community.},
journal = {Marine pollution bulletin},
volume = {219},
number = {},
pages = {118242},
doi = {10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118242},
pmid = {40460806},
issn = {1879-3363},
abstract = {The global invasive species, Spartina alterniflora has caused significant damage to coastal wetland ecosystems in China. This study evaluated the effectiveness and ecological impacts of two S. alterniflora management strategies in the Yangtze River estuary: Haloxyfop-R-methyl application and repeated mowing (once at the early flowering stage and once nine weeks later). The effectiveness of S. alterniflora control, and macrobenthos and bacterial community responses were compared at the Haloxyfop-R-methyl site, repeated mowing site, a control site, and a mud site during 2022-2023, and sediment physicochemical properties were also assessed. One year after Haloxyfop-R-methyl application, the density, aboveground biomass, height, and regenerated S. alterniflora were significantly reduced by 84 %, 94 %, 80 %, and 99 %, respectively. Mowing reduced the density, aboveground biomass, and height by 28 %, 78 %, and 29 %, respectively. At the Haloxyfop-R-methyl site, the biomass and Chao1 index of macrobenthos were significantly decreased compared with the control. There were significant differences in the macrobenthos community structure between the Haloxyfop-R-methyl and mowing sites compared to the control. Haloxyfop-R-methyl application and mowing did not significantly alter the α-diversity of bacterial communities but had an impact on the bacterial community structure, with the main indicator species differing among sites. Vegetation changes, sediment moisture content, total organic carbon content, and ammonium nitrogen concentration were the main factors influencing the composition of macrobenthos and bacterial communities at all sites. In summary, the Haloxyfop-R-methyl strategy better controlled S. alterniflora in coastal wetlands, while the repeated mowing strategy resulted in less disturbance of the major biological groups.},
}

@article {pmid40460685,
year = {2025},
author = {Wang, L and Lucarelli, V and Kralicek, A and Travas-Sejdic, J and Zhu, B},
title = {Electrochemical aptasensor for sensitive, rapid and label-free detection of MUP13.},
journal = {Talanta},
volume = {296},
number = {},
pages = {128418},
doi = {10.1016/j.talanta.2025.128418},
pmid = {40460685},
issn = {1873-3573},
abstract = {Invasive mammalian predators threaten native ecosystems globally, and eradication efforts often fail to fully protect local flora and fauna. Continuous surveillance is crucial to ensure eradication and prevent reinvasion. Rapid detection of invasive species, particularly large mammals, is challenging due to the reliance on labour-intensive methods like traps and baits. A remote sensing device capable of detecting these species could be transformative for ecosystem protection. Here we present an electrochemical aptasensor device that can rapidly detect a protein biomarker, MUP13, from rat urine, as a proof of concept for a new surveillance system able to identify the presence of a pest in an area through detection of species-specific biomarkers. The developed electrochemical sensor provided a linear detection range from 1.68 nM to 16.82 μM, with a LoD of 2.2 nM and a sensitivity of 0.26 [log(M)][-1]. The electrochemical aptasensor exhibited high specificity when tested against structurally related biomarkers and other contaminants present in rat urine.},
}

@article {pmid40441127,
year = {2025},
author = {Ge, B and Wang, W and Wang, S and Jia, P and Sun, X and Li, H and Yang, L},
title = {Shift in the distribution of native species Littoraria intermedia in response to Spartina alterniflora invasion.},
journal = {Marine environmental research},
volume = {209},
number = {},
pages = {107235},
doi = {10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107235},
pmid = {40441127},
issn = {1879-0291},
mesh = {*Introduced Species ; Animals ; *Poaceae/physiology ; China ; *Gastropoda/physiology ; Ecosystem ; Seasons ; *Environmental Monitoring ; Population Dynamics ; },
abstract = {The progression of Spartina alterniflora invasion profoundly reshapes coastal ecosystems, yet the impacts of its invasion stage-specific on native species remain understudied. The field investigation along China's Yellow Sea coast was conducted to examine how invasion stages (initial to senescing) and seasons jointly drove population dynamics of the native gastropod Littoraria intermedia. Through systematic sampling of 160 quadrats across four seasons, we quantified density shifts of L. intermedia, environmental properties, and spatial aggregation patterns using Morisita's index. The results revealed a nonlinear density response that L. intermedia peaked at 15.9 ± 4.48 ind/m[2] in autumn of the mature invasion stage, but declined in winter and spring across all stages. Invasion-induced environmental shifts exhibited stage dependency; sediment organic matter increased by 203 % (5.70 ± 0.11 to 17.31 ± 0.63 g/kg) while Chlorophyll a decreased 40 % (2.90 ± 1.19 to 1.74 ± 0.96 μg/g) from initial to senescing stages. The effects of season and invasion stage on L. intermedia density indicated that the highest density was observed in summer of the mature invasion stage of S. alterniflora. According to the Morisita index analysis, L. intermedia exhibited an aggregated distribution pattern overall; however, the spatial distribution showed a tendency toward random dispersion at both the initial and senescing invasion stages. S. alterniflora stem density and vegetation coverage were identified as primary drivers on the density of L. intermedia through stepwise regression. These findings demonstrated a "facilitation-suppression" paradox: dense S. alterniflora initially enhanced L. intermedia survival via predator refuge and microhabitat stability, yet prolonged invasion degrades habitat suitability through sediment compaction and food resource depletion.},
}

*Introduced Species
Animals
*Poaceae/physiology
China
*Gastropoda/physiology
Ecosystem
Seasons
*Environmental Monitoring
Population Dynamics

@article {pmid40424899,
year = {2025},
author = {Clubley, CH and Knights, AM and Allen, J and Bilton, DT and Foggo, A and Hanley, ME and Murphy, J and Wood, LE and Firth, LB},
title = {Scaling up eco-engineering: The role of topographic complexity and spatial variability in shaping biodiversity on coastal structures.},
journal = {The Science of the total environment},
volume = {985},
number = {},
pages = {179738},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179738},
pmid = {40424899},
issn = {1879-1026},
mesh = {*Biodiversity ; *Ecosystem ; *Conservation of Natural Resources/methods ; *Environmental Monitoring ; Introduced Species ; },
abstract = {In response to the depauperate biodiversity often associated with the largely homogenous surfaces of artificial structures, ecological (eco-) engineering has emerged as a tool to introduce topographic complexity to coastal development. Although relatively small-scale studies using topographically complex panels and artificial rockpools are commonplace, determining how the configuration of these interventions works over greater and more realistic spatial scales has received comparatively little attention. Given the importance of spatial variability in habitat complexity for shaping community composition and, therefore, regional diversity, filling this knowledge gap is key to enhancing the 'design catalogue' for future eco-engineering installations. Here, we manipulated topographic complexity using individual concrete panels placed into larger arrays to generate two different spatial configurations, and in doing so explore the potentially interactive roles of small-scale panel complexity and larger-scale variability on biodiversity. More topographically complex panels supported greater taxon richness and abundance than low complexity panels, whilst the complexity of the panels in interaction with their spatial arrangement within larger arrays influenced community composition between treatment groups. Our results corroborate studies showing how small-scale variation in surface topography benefits biodiversity, but we also demonstrate that spatial variability in how this complexity is deployed over larger areas impacts community composition. These effects were especially evident for the invasive non-native species that frequently colonise and dominate newly engineered coastal structures, often at the expense of natives. Given the ongoing expansion of coastal infrastructure, studies such as this that explore means of 'scaling up' eco-engineering to better represent the inherent spatial variability of natural habitats are essential to achieving biodiversity comparable to, and potentially greater than, these habitats.},
}

*Biodiversity
*Ecosystem
*Conservation of Natural Resources/methods
*Environmental Monitoring
Introduced Species

@article {pmid40408915,
year = {2025},
author = {Ovenbeck, K and Brandis, D and Normant-Saremba, M and Schoelynck, J and Ewers, C},
title = {The introduction history of the non-native shrimp Palaemon macrodactylus in the Baltic Sea indicates repeated anthropogenic dispersal.},
journal = {Marine environmental research},
volume = {209},
number = {},
pages = {107214},
doi = {10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107214},
pmid = {40408915},
issn = {1879-0291},
mesh = {Animals ; *Palaemonidae/physiology/genetics ; *Animal Distribution ; *Introduced Species ; Oceans and Seas ; Baltic States ; *Anthropogenic Effects ; Genetic Variation ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; Environmental Monitoring ; },
abstract = {The shrimp species Palaemon macrodactylus, Rathbun 1902 is native to the Pacific coast of Japan, East China, and Korea. It has successfully spread to non-native habitats in North and South America, Australia, and the entire European coastline. Recently, this species was also found in the Baltic Sea near the Port of Gdańsk and the Kiel Canal. However, the latter population could not be considered established. To reconstruct the recent colonization of the Baltic Sea and determine the most probable pathways and vectors of this expansion, molecular analysis and ecological surveys were conducted. A total of 78 sequences of a fragment of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) from 10 different populations from the Baltic Sea and North Sea were generated and complemented with publicly available sequences. This resulted in the estimation of a haplotype network and the calculation of genetic differentiation and diversity. The results provide the first record of an established population of P. macrodactylus in the Kiel Canal area and reveal a complex expansion of this species with multiple introductions into the Gdansk Marina. Additionally, the distribution of this species in the Baltic Sea is mainly limited to port areas, indicating that shipping, particularly biofouling on boat hulls, is the primary dispersal vector.},
}

Animals
*Palaemonidae/physiology/genetics
*Animal Distribution
*Introduced Species
Oceans and Seas
Baltic States
*Anthropogenic Effects
Genetic Variation
Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics
Environmental Monitoring

@article {pmid40459991,
year = {2025},
author = {Lequerica Támara, ME and Latty, T and Threlfall, CG and Hochuli, DF},
title = {Seasonal variation in floral resource use by a hover fly (Melangyna) (Diptera: Syrphidae) and the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in an urban setting.},
journal = {Journal of insect science (Online)},
volume = {25},
number = {3},
pages = {},
pmid = {40459991},
issn = {1536-2442},
mesh = {Animals ; Bees/physiology ; Seasons ; *Flowers ; *Pollination ; *Diptera/physiology ; Cities ; Urbanization ; New South Wales ; },
abstract = {Concerns about the impacts of introduced honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) on native insects and pollination services are prevalent. These impacts may be more pronounced on urban greenspaces, yet research on the use of abundant winter-flowering plants, such as Acacia spp. and Grevillea spp., in subtropical ecosystems is limited. Our study investigated the seasonal use of floral resources by honey bees and native hover flies (Melangyna indet.) in urban greenspaces of varying urbanization levels in Sydney, Australia. We found both insect groups use similar plants, with honey bees having a higher number of interactions with plants in general, but Melangyna interacting with more plant species during some seasons. Particularly in autumn and winter, when native plants flower, Melangyna had more interactions and visited more plant species than honey bees. The overlap in floral resources used by both was higher than expected in various urbanization levels during spring and autumn. This suggests that Melangyna may play a significant role in pollination during autumn and winter, especially in highly urbanized sites. The observed differences in floral resource utilization and seasonal variations indicate that the potential effects of introduced A. mellifera on native pollinators like Melangyna may be difficult to quantify given the high number of variables and complexity of the system. Our findings underscore the importance of considering seasonal patterns and multispecies interactions in studies on the impact of introduced species on native biodiversity.},
}

Animals
Bees/physiology
Seasons
*Flowers
*Pollination
*Diptera/physiology
Cities
Urbanization
New South Wales

@article {pmid40459988,
year = {2025},
author = {DuBose, JG and Hoogshagen, M and de Roode, JC},
title = {The role of a non-native host plant in altering the seasonal dynamics of Danaus plexippus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) development.},
journal = {Journal of insect science (Online)},
volume = {25},
number = {3},
pages = {},
pmid = {40459988},
issn = {1536-2442},
mesh = {Animals ; Seasons ; *Butterflies/growth & development/physiology ; *Asclepias/physiology ; Introduced Species ; Female ; Animal Migration ; Larva/growth & development/physiology ; Male ; },
abstract = {Insect herbivores often experience seasonal fluctuation in food availability, which plays important role in signaling diapause and/or migration. However, the introduction of non-native plants with different seasonal phenologies has the potential to disrupt these dynamics. Some evidence suggests that this may be a developing issue for the annual migration of the monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). The tropical milkweed Asclepias curassavica (Linnaeus) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), which does not seasonally senesce to the same extent or rate as native milkweed host plants, has recently been introduced into the North American mainland population. Here, we report an experimental comparison of monarch developmental success when reared on A. curassavica and the native A. incarnata (Linnaeus) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae) in the summer and fall. We found that A. curassavica facilitates monarch development later into their typical migratory and over-wintering season, despite several prolonged periods where the temperature was below requirements for growth and development.},
}

Animals
Seasons
*Butterflies/growth & development/physiology
*Asclepias/physiology
Introduced Species
Female
Animal Migration
Larva/growth & development/physiology
Male

@article {pmid40459267,
year = {2025},
author = {Palmer, EM and Metz, DCG and Hechinger, RF},
title = {Further Evidence for Plausible Transmission of Fishborne Trematodiases in the United States: Game Fish Carry Human-Infectious Trematodes and Are Eaten Raw.},
journal = {The Journal of infectious diseases},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/infdis/jiaf180},
pmid = {40459267},
issn = {1537-6613},
support = {1R03AI156569-01//US National Institutes of Health/ ; },
abstract = {Historically, locally transmitted fishborne trematodiasis has not been a public health concern in the United States (US). However, the widespread introduction of the first intermediate host snail Melanoides tuberculata and 2 of the fishborne trematodes it transmits (Haplorchis pumilio and Centrocestus formosanus), along with their discovery at freshwater fishing localities throughout southern California, reveals a need to further evaluate the risk of local transmission of fishborne trematodiasis in the US. Here, we confirm that the trematode stages infectious to people (metacercariae) commonly infect and can be abundant in 7 commonly caught and eaten fish species at California fishing localities. Further, via an online social media search, we provide evidence that people throughout the US eat those same fish species in ways conducive to trematode transmission (namely, eating fish unfrozen and raw). These findings further indicate the plausibility for locally transmitted fishborne trematodiasis in the US.},
}

@article {pmid40459225,
year = {2025},
author = {Cardoso, P and Pekár, S and Birkhofer, K and Chuang, A and Fukushima, CS and Hebets, EA and Henaut, Y and Hesselberg, T and Malumbres-Olarte, J and Michálek, O and Michalko, R and Scott, C and Wolff, J and Mammola, S},
title = {Ecosystem services provided by spiders.},
journal = {Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/brv.70044},
pmid = {40459225},
issn = {1469-185X},
support = {348352//Research Council of Finland/ ; /CAPMC/CIHR/Canada ; 101031131//HORIZON EUROPE European Innovation Council/ ; 101040724//HORIZON EUROPE European Innovation Council/ ; 101081964//HORIZON EUROPE European Innovation Council/ ; 861924//HORIZON EUROPE European Innovation Council/ ; CN00000033//Italian Ministry of University and Research/ ; //European Commission/ ; //Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada/ ; },
abstract = {Spiders, ubiquitous and abundant predators in terrestrial ecosystems, often are the subjects of an unjust negative perception. However, these remarkable creatures stand as unsung heroes within our ecosystems, contributing a multitude of ecosystem services critical to human well-being. Here, we describe the diverse spectrum of ecosystem services offered by spiders and their potential to inspire or directly provide nature-based solutions. Provisioning services include the versatile uses of silk-like and other materials, inspiration for biomimetic technology, medicines derived from venom, hemolymph and silk, bio-insecticides that offer eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic chemicals, food sources for various human communities worldwide, and unconventional yet increasingly valued pets. Regulating services provided by spiders extend to vital roles in pest suppression across diverse agricultural settings, mitigating diseases by curbing insect-mediated pathogen dispersal, and controlling invasive species. Supporting services offered by spiders are equally extensive, involving nutrient cycling through the breakdown of organic matter, acting as food sources for predators, or creating habitats for other organisms. Beyond their tangible contributions, spiders hold a significant cultural and spiritual heritage globally and are integral to many traditional medicine practices. They inspire contemporary culture, provide educational value, contribute to mental health improvement, evoke a sense of place, offer models for scientific discovery, and are commonly employed for monitoring biodiversity and ecosystem health. To pave the way for future research, we present suggestions for exploring and quantifying the economic value of ecosystem services by spiders. While many of these services are well established and studied from various perspectives, others harbour untapped potential. Leveraging what nature inherently provides, these nature-based solutions offer avenues to address challenges such as biodiversity erosion and societal needs. By restoring, preserving, or mimicking natural processes of spiders, we can enhance or provide essential ecosystem services, harnessing the full potential of spiders and the web of benefits they bring us.},
}

@article {pmid40458965,
year = {2025},
author = {Zhao, Y and Xu, YH and Guo, K and Guo, WY and Wang, YJ},
title = {Native Plant Species Are More Resistant Than Invasive Aliens to Escalating Environmental Change Factors.},
journal = {Global change biology},
volume = {31},
number = {6},
pages = {e70282},
doi = {10.1111/gcb.70282},
pmid = {40458965},
issn = {1365-2486},
support = {32171510//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 31770449//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; },
mesh = {*Introduced Species ; Biomass ; *Climate Change ; Droughts ; Salinity ; Ecosystem ; *Plants ; },
abstract = {The interplay between invasive alien plant species and various environmental change factors can lead to unpredictable ecosystem impacts. Existing research predominantly examines isolated or specific environmental factors, leaving the effects of complex, multifaceted environmental changes on the growth of both invasive alien and native plant species inadequately explored. Here, we investigated the biomass responses of ten confamilial‌ pairs of invasive and native species to six individual and combined environmental change factors. Our results revealed a significant reduction in biomass for both invasive and native species as the number of environmental change factors increased, with invasive species demonstrating heightened sensitivity. Notably, drought and salinity exhibited particularly severe negative effects across different environmental combinations, highlighting their critical role in driving these effects. Our findings underscore the importance of understanding and predicting how intensified environmental changes impact plant invasions and overall ecosystem stability.},
}

*Introduced Species
Biomass
*Climate Change
Droughts
Salinity
Ecosystem
*Plants

@article {pmid40458221,
year = {2025},
author = {Dong, S and Qin, T and Xue, Z and Guo, W and Wang, H and Li, H},
title = {Functional traits driving invasion risk and potential distribution of alien plants in oasis agroecosystems.},
journal = {Frontiers in plant science},
volume = {16},
number = {},
pages = {1590709},
pmid = {40458221},
issn = {1664-462X},
abstract = {Alien invasive plants pose a significant threat to global agricultural production, with functional traits playing a critical role in their spread and establishment processes. However, relevant research is scarce in oasis agroecosystems, which are more sensitive to global change. We studied oasis agroecosystems in Xinjiang, China, to explore the relationship between alien plant functional traits and invasion risk. A total of 611 sites comprising 9,165 plots were surveyed, covering an area of 22,474.73 hectares. Field surveys recorded species, density, and cover of alien plants, measuring traits related to growth, reproduction, and dispersal. Invasion risk was classified into four levels based on importance values. Random forest and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) modeling analyzed the relationship between functional traits and invasion risk, while MaxEnt modeling predicted potential distributions. We identified 62 alien plant species from 18 families and 44 genera, with Asteraceae and Amaranthaceae being the most represented families. High-risk invasive plants shared certain functional traits-specifically, high specific leaf area (SLA) and larger seed mass-which significantly enhance their invasion potential in oasis agroecosystems. The combination of these traits correlates with increased invasion risk. By incorporating SLA into the weighting of high-risk species distributions, we predicted potential distribution areas with an AUC value of 0.981. Our study identifies key functional traits enabling alien plant invasions in oasis agriculture, enhancing understanding of invasion mechanisms. Findings provide a foundation for predicting potential invasive species and developing management strategies to mitigate impacts on agricultural productivity and ecosystem services.},
}

@article {pmid40457802,
year = {2025},
author = {Pascoe, PP and Bartlett, M and Shaw, J and Trebilco, R and Weldrick, CK and Jones, HP},
title = {Decadal change in seabird-driven isotopes on islands with differing invasion histories.},
journal = {Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America},
volume = {35},
number = {4},
pages = {e70030},
pmid = {40457802},
issn = {1939-5582},
support = {//Margaret Middleton Fund for Endangered Australian Native Vertebrate Animals/ ; //Ecological Society of Australia Holsworth Wildlife Endowment/ ; WW-222R-17//National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Introduced Species ; Islands ; *Nitrogen Isotopes/analysis ; New Zealand ; Ecosystem ; *Birds/physiology ; *Charadriiformes/physiology ; Time Factors ; },
abstract = {Invasive mammal eradications are commonplace in island conservation. However, post-eradication monitoring beyond the confirmation of target species removal is rarer. Seabirds are ecosystem engineers on islands and are negatively affected by invasive mammals. Following an invasive mammal eradication, the recovery of seabird populations can be necessary for wider ecosystem recovery. Seabirds fertilize islands with isotopically heavy nitrogen, which means that nitrogen stable isotope analysis (δ[15]N) could provide a useful means for assessing corresponding change in ecosystem function. We quantified decadal changes in δ[15]N on eight temperate New Zealand islands subject in pairs to distinct mammal invasion and seabird restoration histories: invaded, never-invaded, invader-eradicated, and undergoing active seabird restoration. First, we investigated long-term changes in δ[15]N values on individual islands. Second, we used a space-for-time analysis to determine whether δ[15]N levels on islands from which invaders had been removed eventually recovered to values typical of never-invaded islands. On each island, soil, plants (Coprosma repens, Coprosma robusta, and Myrsine australis), and spiders (Porrhothelidae) were sampled in 2006/2007 and 2022, allowing δ[15]N change on individual islands over 16 years to be assessed. Combined, the samples from invader-eradicated islands provided a 7- to32-year post-eradication dataset. Change in δ[15]N was only detected on one island across the study period, following the unexpected recolonization of seabirds to an invaded island. Invader-eradicated islands generally had higher δ[15]N values than invaded islands; however, they were still lower than never-invaded islands, and there was no trend in δ[15]N with time since eradication. This, and the measurable increase in δ[15]N following seabird recolonization on one island, may suggest that δ[15]N change occurs rapidly following invader eradication but then slows, with δ[15]N values staying relatively constant in the time period studied here. Isotope and seabird population studies need to be coupled to ascertain whether plateauing in δ[15]N reflects a slowing of seabird population growth and subsequent basal nutrient input or whether the baseline nutrients are entering the ecosystem but then not propagating up the food web.},
}

Animals
*Introduced Species
Islands
*Nitrogen Isotopes/analysis
New Zealand
Ecosystem
*Birds/physiology
*Charadriiformes/physiology
Time Factors

@article {pmid40348260,
year = {2025},
author = {Nguyen, DTC and Jalil, AA and Nguyen, LM and Nguyen, DH},
title = {A comprehensive review on the adsorption of dyes onto activated carbons derived from harmful invasive plants.},
journal = {Environmental research},
volume = {279},
number = {Pt 2},
pages = {121807},
doi = {10.1016/j.envres.2025.121807},
pmid = {40348260},
issn = {1096-0953},
mesh = {Adsorption ; *Coloring Agents/chemistry ; *Charcoal/chemistry ; *Introduced Species ; *Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistry ; },
abstract = {The proliferation of invasive plant species such as Ailanthus altissima, Reynoutria japonica, and Alternanthera philoxeroides pose a significant ecological and economic challenge, including adverse impacts on native biodiversity, agriculture, and infrastructure. The production of activated carbons from these invasive plants offers a sustainable approach to addressing environmental pollution in the context of wastewater treatment. Activated carbons are renowned for high adsorbability and porous structure, hence, they may be highly effective in removing contaminants including dyes. Here, we review the conversion of invasive plant biomass into activated carbons production for dye removal by the adsorption technique. Influential factors, optimization conditions, adsorption models, mechanisms, and regeneration studies were systematically discussed. Remarkably, the efficacy of activated carbons derived from invasive plants such as Leucaena leucocephala pods cactus fruit peels achieved exceptionally high adsorption capacities of 584.3-806.4 mg/g for organic dyes. We also analyzed dual benefits of transforming invasive plant biomass into high-value activated carbons for wastewater treatment and managing invasive plants. It is, therefore, suggested that this approach can satisfy the sustainable development goals and solve the current global environmental challenges.},
}

Adsorption
*Coloring Agents/chemistry
*Charcoal/chemistry
*Introduced Species
*Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistry

@article {pmid40455269,
year = {2025},
author = {Andrews, O and Jones, AC and Whitmore, M and Salom, S},
title = {Potential feeding deterrents of Adelges tsugae found in biological control flies.},
journal = {Die Naturwissenschaften},
volume = {112},
number = {3},
pages = {45},
pmid = {40455269},
issn = {1432-1904},
mesh = {Animals ; *Diptera/physiology/chemistry ; *Feeding Behavior/drug effects ; *Pest Control, Biological/methods ; Coleoptera/physiology ; Larva/chemistry ; *Hemiptera/physiology/chemistry ; },
abstract = {The invasive hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae (HWA, Hemiptera: Adelgidae), is a detrimental pest to native eastern and Carolina hemlocks. In the last 2 decades, biological control utilizing two species of Laricobius beetles (Coleoptera: Derodontidae) has been of focus in the widespread effort to control HWA. Recently, two species of silver flies, native to the Pacific Northwest, Leucotaraxis argenticollis Zetterstedt and Leucotaraxis piniperda Malloch (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae), are being investigated as additional biological control agents. Releasing these two silver fly species in the eastern United States has yet to result in the establishment of these predators. During laboratory studies, Leucotaraxis larvae excreted a black substance in response to being disturbed, which contained anthraquinones previously detected in HWA. Previous research on Laricobius spp. found that the beetles likely sequestered these compounds from HWA. These compounds are feeding deterrents in other insect species. Leucotaraxis argenticollis life stages, their excrement, and honeydew produced by HWA were collected and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results showed that these anthraquinones were detected in various life stages of Le. argenticollis immatures and adults that fed on HWA. They were not detected in Le. argenticollis adults that were only fed artificial diet and water, indicating that Le. argenticollis sequesters the anthraquinones from HWA and may transmit the compounds to their eggs.},
}

Animals
*Diptera/physiology/chemistry
*Feeding Behavior/drug effects
*Pest Control, Biological/methods
Coleoptera/physiology
Larva/chemistry
*Hemiptera/physiology/chemistry

@article {pmid40453376,
year = {2025},
author = {Wijethunge, IK and Cao, J and Meng, F and Xu, Z and Zhao, Q and Cao, L},
title = {Occurrence dataset from the waterbird survey of the middle and lower Huai He floodplain, China.},
journal = {Biodiversity data journal},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {e158384},
pmid = {40453376},
issn = {1314-2828},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The Huai He floodplain in Anhui and Jiangsu Provinces, an important component of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF), sustains critical wetland habitats for migratory waterbirds, including four threatened species on the IUCN Red List: critically endangered Aythyabaeri (Radde, 1863), endangered Ansercygnoides (Linnaeus, 1758) and vulnerable Melanittafusca (Linnaeus, 1758) and Aythyaferina (Linnaeus, 1758). Despite its biogeographic significance as a transitional zone between the Yangtze and Yellow River floodplains, this region remains one of China's most understudied and ecologically degraded freshwater systems. Historical pollution events and contemporary anthropogenic pressures - agricultural intensification, hydrological fragmentation and invasive species - have severely compromised wetland integrity. During mid-December 2005 and November to December 2006, standardised surveys employed fixed-radius point counts (158 sites) with the component counting method to enhance accuracy.

NEW INFORMATION: We present the first comprehensive waterbird dataset for the Anhui and Jiangsu part of the Huai He floodplain, comprising 44 species (32,517 individuals) recorded across 30 wetlands during 2005-2006 surveys. All occurrence data adhere to Darwin Core standards and are accessible via the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, providing spatial-temporal baselines for abundance and distributional data for waterbirds in this region.},
}

@article {pmid40452496,
year = {2025},
author = {Watkins, B and Cabaniss, D and Bracey, P},
title = {An Unusual Case of Epistaxis: Intranasal Bipalium Pseudoparasite.},
journal = {Wilderness & environmental medicine},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {10806032251343594},
doi = {10.1177/10806032251343594},
pmid = {40452496},
issn = {1545-1534},
abstract = {Hammerhead worms are becoming increasingly common in the southeastern United States as the invasive species continues to spread. Limited data exist on this species acting as a pseudoparasite, with only 3 documented cases found on literature review of Bipalidae species living inside human hosts. We present one such case from Shreveport, Louisiana, of a patient who arrived at the emergency department after a hammerhead worm was expelled from his sinus passage. A 13-y-old male with a history of autism and developmental delay had been complaining of headache for 2 to 3 d. He had a spontaneous nosebleed from his right nostril on the morning of presentation to the emergency department. On blowing his nose, a large hammerhead worm was evacuated from his sinuses. Imaging studies and direct visualization did not reveal any significant damage or remaining helminths in the sinus passages. Due to patient risk factors for parasitic infection, while definitive identification of the worm species was still pending, a course of albendazole was prescribed. The patient was discharged from the emergency department in good condition. As this invasive species becomes more common in warm and humid areas of the United States, infection with these pseudoparasites may become more prevalent as well. Fortunately, this appears to be a rare occurrence, and clinical sequelae appear to be minimal after removal of the organism.},
}

@article {pmid40450939,
year = {2025},
author = {Yang, Y and Zhang, J and Chang, Z and Liu, M and Xu, M and Zhou, X and Fu, X},
title = {Quantifying the effect of key factors on the shedding and decay rates of eDNA from the golden mussel.},
journal = {Journal of environmental management},
volume = {388},
number = {},
pages = {126054},
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126054},
pmid = {40450939},
issn = {1095-8630},
abstract = {Environmental DNA (eDNA) quantification is an emerging technique for detecting invasive mussel in aquatic environments. Understanding mechanism of eDNA shedding and decaying under different environmental conditions are critical for obtaining reliable spatial and temporal distribution of the target species. As a representative invasive species in freshwater ecosystems, the golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) has caused significant economic and ecological damage worldwide through its invasion and biofouling. In this study, the effects of key eco-environmental factors including biomass, water temperature, and pH that influence eDNA shedding and decay of golden mussel were revealed through field investigations of grand water diversion project and laboratory experiments. The results revealed significant positive correlations between both biomass and water temperature with eDNA shedding rates. Additionally, high water temperatures and low pH conditions were found to accelerate the decay of mussel eDNA. The findings of this study indicate that the effects of these controlling factors should be considered during the collection and quantitative analysis processes of water samples to provide reliable base for invasion detection using eDNA technology.},
}

@article {pmid40449471,
year = {2025},
author = {Zhang, S and Huang, H and Peng, D and Zhu, Y and Dong, D and Huang, H and Chu, J},
title = {Potential distribution projections of mangrove forests and invasive plants under climate change: case insights from mangrove management in Guangdong Province, China.},
journal = {Marine pollution bulletin},
volume = {218},
number = {},
pages = {118131},
doi = {10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118131},
pmid = {40449471},
issn = {1879-3363},
abstract = {Mangrove ecosystems are vital for maintaining biodiversity, purifying water, sequestering carbon, and mitigating climate change in coastal regions. The geographical distribution of mangrove forests has been severely affected by global warming; therefore, it must be predicted under future climate scenarios to provide a scientific basis for conservation and restoration. In this study, we employed the MaxEnt model to predict the potential distribution of suitable mangrove areas in Guangdong Province under current conditions and two future climate scenarios (2030s and 2090s): SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5. The potential distributions of introduced mangrove plants (Laguncularia racemosa and Sonneratia apetala) were assessed to evaluate their suitability for mangrove restoration. Furthermore, we investigated the invasive potential of Spartina alterniflora, a biologically invasive species in mangrove ecosystems, under different climate scenarios. Finally, a conservation gap analysis was conducted to identify priority areas for mangrove protection. We observed the following: i) main environmental factors affecting the distribution pattern of mangroves in Guangdong Province were temperature and water quality; ii) hotspots of mangrove distribution are mainly concentrated in the Beibu Gulf coastline, Leizhou Gulf coastline, Zhenhai Bay-Dongping Harbor-Beijin Bay coastline, Zhuhai Harbor-Guangzhou Bay-Humen-Mawan Bay, Shuangyue Bay, and Rongjiang River estuary; iii) optimal zone of mangroves was the largest under the SSP5-8.5 scenario, and the potential suitable zone and geometric center of mangroves gradually shifted to higher latitudes; iv) the protection and restoration of mangroves should be prioritized in the future in the zones of Anpu Harbor, Leizhou Bay, Zhenhai Bay, and Huangmaohai and coastline of Pearl River Estuary.},
}

@article {pmid40449435,
year = {2025},
author = {Wang, J and Ma, K and Man, D and Zhu, S and Zhang, Y and Lu, J},
title = {Land use impacts on plant diversity and soil C/N stocks in semi-arid grasslands of northern China.},
journal = {Journal of environmental management},
volume = {388},
number = {},
pages = {126023},
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126023},
pmid = {40449435},
issn = {1095-8630},
abstract = {Grasslands play an indispensable role in global ecological balance. However, land utilization practices such as mowing, grazing, and mining have led to degradation, affecting plant diversity and reducing carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks. Revealing these degradation mechanisms after various land utilization practices is essential for implementing effective management practices to restore and sustain degraded grasslands. This study examines the effects of different land use types-mowing, light grazing, heavy grazing, and mining-on plant community characteristics, biomass, soil C and N dynamics in the Hulunbuir Grassland of Inner Mongolia. Our results revealed that across 50 herbaceous species, dominant vegetation shifted significantly: light grazing favored native grasses like Cleistogenes squarrosa and Artemisia frigida, while heavy grazing and mining promoted invasive species (e.g., Taraxacum mongolicum). Plant diversity and biomass were highest under mowing, but mining reduced species richness by 35 % and biomass by 50 % compared to mowing. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (STN) stocks varied significantly across land-use types and plant growth phases, peaking in mowing sites (SOC: 9.85 ± 1.45 g/kg; STN: 1.55 ± 0.05 g/kg at 0-20 cm depth) and declining sharply in mining areas (SOC: 3.44 ± 0.46 g/kg; STN: 0.76 ± 0.06 g/kg). Strong correlations linked plant diversity and root biomass to SOC and STN retention, whereas Asteraceae biomass showed minimal influence. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that land use influenced SOC and STN stocks primarily through indirect effects on plant, root, and litter biomass rather than direct impacts. These findings underscore the need for daptive, site-specific restoration frameworks to mitigate degradation, prevent invasive species encroachment in mining areas and grazing livestock for sustainable grassland restoration.},
}

@article {pmid40449212,
year = {2025},
author = {Parreira, F and Palma, J and Santos, R and Martínez-Crego, B},
title = {Predation success of declining long-snouted seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus) population under habitat shifts.},
journal = {Marine environmental research},
volume = {209},
number = {},
pages = {107247},
doi = {10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107247},
pmid = {40449212},
issn = {1879-0291},
abstract = {Seahorse populations are facing significant declines worldwide, often associated to illegal trade and habitat loss or fragmentation. Emergent habitat shifts towards invasive seaweeds, facilitated by global warming, can also be at play, having still unknown effects on seahorse ecology. Particularly, indirect impacts on seahorse populations via altered predation success remains largely unexplored. Here, we conducted mesocosm experiments to investigate differences in the prey capture success of the long-snouted seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus) among native habitats (i.e. seagrass meadows and unvegetated sediments) and non-native Caulerpa prolifera meadows when offered different preys (amphipods and shrimps), at low or high prey availability, and under low or high habitat complexity. Great plasticity of H. guttulatus to all habitats was revealed, as habitat type did not significantly affect the capture success. Instead, capture success depends on prey identity and availability regardless of the habitat type, as well as on habitat complexity. Seahorse capture success was higher under high prey availability, as well as when predating on amphipods that were offered together with shrimps. High habitat complexity of both vegetated habitats enhanced by double the capture success, whereas an opposite effect of similar magnitude was found for more complex unvegetated habitats. This indicates that vegetation complexity, regardless their native or invasive nature, reduces prey awareness to predator, whereas small structures in unvegetated habitats provide refuge for preys but not seahorse camouflage. We found no evidence that shifts from native habitats to invasive C. prolifera negatively impact H. guttulatus capture success, but further research on other aspects of its feeding ecology is still necessary.},
}

@article {pmid40448370,
year = {2025},
author = {Dudenhöffer, JH and Hulme, PE},
title = {Legacy of pine invasion disrupts plant-soil feedback of native and non-native grasses.},
journal = {The New phytologist},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/nph.70282},
pmid = {40448370},
issn = {1469-8137},
support = {C04X2102//Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment/ ; },
abstract = {Plant-soil feedback (PSF) is a standing concept helping to explain plant species coexistence. Accumulating evidence suggests that PSF depends on the environmental context. One particularly impactful disruption of the environmental context is the invasion of alien species into a community. While PSF between native and non-native species has been linked to invasion success, the effect of an invader on PSF between resident plants has received little attention. We explored how Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine) invasion impacts PSF between four resident grasses (two native and two non-native species). We grew the plants in live soil to condition species-specific soil communities, followed by a response phase where the plants were grown in conspecific and heterospecific soil. Both phases were performed with soil from uninvaded, invaded, or controlled invasion areas. Pairwise PSF between the species in uninvaded soil was negative and became neutral to positive in invaded soil. This effect persisted even after P. contorta removal. Our results suggest a destabilizing effect of P. contorta invasion on the coexistence of the resident grasses, benefitting non-natives over natives. This work exemplifies an overlooked mechanism by which an invader can alter interactions between resident species and adds a novel dimension to the context dependence of PSF.},
}

@article {pmid40447705,
year = {2025},
author = {Bradley, EA and Lockaby, BG and Madere, S and Brown, V and Steury, T},
title = {Large-scale assessment of the impacts of invasive wild pigs on water quality in freshwater streams.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {19055},
pmid = {40447705},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; *Water Quality ; *Introduced Species ; *Rivers/chemistry/microbiology ; Feces/microbiology ; Swine ; Environmental Monitoring ; Animals, Wild ; *Fresh Water/microbiology ; *Sus scrofa ; Escherichia coli/isolation & purification ; Water Microbiology ; },
abstract = {Highly competent hosts of zoonotic diseases of economic and epidemiological importance, the highly invasive species, Sus scrofa, has been identified as sources of non-point pollution in North America through small-scale studies of their fecal contamination in surface waters. Their fecal contamination alters natural physicochemical stream characteristics and increases concentrations of fecal bacteria. Providing one of the first-large scale assessments of their impacts, our study identified wild pigs as a source of non-point pollution on both a regional and multi-regional scale within our selected study state through microbial source tracking and traditional water quality assessment. At a multi-regional scale, we found greater median concentrations (mg/L) of nitrate (95.7%; p < 0.001), magnesium (83.3%; p < 0.001), and potassium (84.7%; p < 0.001) in samples from streams with fecal contamination by wild pigs (n = 111) than from streams without (n = 115). Like other non-point pollutants, the effects of wild pigs on water quality are scale-dependent and differ significantly across regions. Finally, at both a regional and multi-regional scale, our study found observably greater Escherichia coli and fecal coliform concentrations in streams with wild pigs, though statistical significance was lost at scale. Future research will be necessary to continue to evaluate the impacts of wild pigs on water quality, especially across different scales. Our findings support continued monitoring of impacts as the density and range of North American wild pig populations continue to increase.},
}

Animals
*Water Quality
*Introduced Species
*Rivers/chemistry/microbiology
Feces/microbiology
Swine
Environmental Monitoring
Animals, Wild
*Fresh Water/microbiology
*Sus scrofa
Escherichia coli/isolation & purification
Water Microbiology

@article {pmid40445978,
year = {2025},
author = {Kubo, K and Tachikawa, T and Hirose, M and Hasegawa, M and Inoue, E},
title = {Habitat use and abundance of an introduced population of the Japanese weasel (Mustela itatsi): Comparison with the native population.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {20},
number = {5},
pages = {e0324200},
pmid = {40445978},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; *Introduced Species ; *Ecosystem ; Japan ; Feces/chemistry ; *Mustelidae/physiology ; Islands ; Population Density ; },
abstract = {Understanding habitat use and abundance is essential for elucidating the impact of invasive species. Invasive carnivores affect ecosystems by preying on native animals. In Japan, the Japanese weasel (Mustela itatsi) is native to the mainland but has been intentionally introduced to many small islands, including Miyakejima Island. We investigated the habitat use and abundance of invasive non-native Japanese weasels on Miyakejima Island via fecal surveys, and for comparison, performed similar surveys for their native conspecifics on Izu-Oshima Island. We constructed a generalized linear mixed model and estimated fecal abundance across the entire island based on the effect of vegetation type on their abundance. On Miyakejima Island, deciduous broadleaf and bamboo forests had positive effects on weasel abundance, whereas grasslands had a negative effect. Conversely, on Izu-Oshima Island, bare ground had a negative effect. Further, the estimated average fecal abundance across Miyakejima and Izu-Ohshima Islands, considering vegetation type, were 7.44 and 4.89 feces samples per km, respectively, suggesting that weasels are well adapted to Miyakejima Island. We also analyzed the fecal DNA of weasels in a specific area on Miyakejima Island and estimated non-native weasel density at 20 individuals per km2 (95% CI: 4.9-80) using genetic capture-recapture methods in the area. These findings enhance understanding regarding non-native species and may facilitate the formulation of countermeasures for their control.},
}

Animals
*Introduced Species
*Ecosystem
Japan
Feces/chemistry
*Mustelidae/physiology
Islands
Population Density

@article {pmid40444352,
year = {2025},
author = {Rodenberg, CA and Walter, JA and Haynes, KJ},
title = {Evidence of Spatial Synchrony in the Spread of an Invasive Forest Pest.},
journal = {Ecology letters},
volume = {28},
number = {6},
pages = {e70140},
pmid = {40444352},
issn = {1461-0248},
mesh = {Animals ; *Introduced Species ; *Moths/physiology ; Forests ; *Animal Distribution ; Climate ; Population Growth ; Spatio-Temporal Analysis ; Models, Biological ; Population Dynamics ; },
abstract = {Because population growth is a key component of range expansion, spatial synchrony in population growth along a species' range edge may lead to spatial synchrony in range expansion. However, demographic stochasticity in low-density range-edge populations and stochastic long-distance dispersal may disrupt the synchronisation of range expansion. Here, we investigate whether rates of spread by an invasive species, the spongy moth and exhibit spatial synchrony. We also evaluate if climatic oscillations at multi-annual timescales arising from teleconnections synchronise spread at similar timescales. We applied extensions of wavelet analysis to spatiotemporal data on climate variables and range-edge abundances during 1990-2020. Synchrony in spread occurred throughout the entire study area, but only in the northernmost and southernmost ecoregions was synchrony in spread explained by multi-annual climate oscillations linked to teleconnection patterns. We demonstrate spatial synchrony in invasive spread and find an opportunity to predict the timing of pulses of invasive spread at regional scales.},
}

Animals
*Introduced Species
*Moths/physiology
Forests
*Animal Distribution
Climate
Population Growth
Spatio-Temporal Analysis
Models, Biological
Population Dynamics

@article {pmid40443437,
year = {2025},
author = {Fan, L and Mi, C and Li, J and Zhang, Y and Zhang, H and Zhang, G and Wang, H},
title = {Projecting global shifts in the invasive potential of Bidens pilosa L. under climate change using species distribution models.},
journal = {Frontiers in plant science},
volume = {16},
number = {},
pages = {1580278},
pmid = {40443437},
issn = {1664-462X},
abstract = {Invasive species pose significant threats to ecosystems by reducing biodiversity, introducing new diseases, and competing with native species for resources. Bidens pilosa L., a globally invasive weed originating in tropical America, severely impacts agricultural productivity by infesting 31 economically vital crops across over 40 countries. This study examined the global distribution of Bidens pilosa L., under current and future climate scenarios. Using species distribution models and occurrence data, we identified key factors influencing its spread, including temperature, precipitation, and human influence. Our findings suggest a likely decline of suitable habitats in tropical regions and an expansion into temperate regions, with climate suitability decreasing under higher temperatures. Additionally, historical reconstructions emphasize that the rapid spread of the species was facilitated by maritime trade routes. Management strategies are proposed that emphasize the need for enhanced control measures in high-risk areas and conservation efforts in its native range in tropical America. Overall, this research contributes to understanding the dynamics of B. pilosa distribution and informs proactive management strategies to mitigate its ecological and economic impacts.},
}

@article {pmid40442474,
year = {2025},
author = {Wang, J and Tian, X and Wei, S and Meng, X and Chen, N and Shi, D and Liang, C},
title = {Effect of nanoparticles on the growth of okra cultivated in soil affected by rocky desertification.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {18930},
pmid = {40442474},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {QJJ-[2023]-024//program for Natural Science Research in Guizhou Education Department/ ; QJJ-[2023]-024//program for Natural Science Research in Guizhou Education Department/ ; QJJ-[2023]-024//program for Natural Science Research in Guizhou Education Department/ ; GCC〔2022〕009//The Sixth Batch of Guizhou Province High-level Innovative Talent Training Program/ ; GCC〔2022〕009//The Sixth Batch of Guizhou Province High-level Innovative Talent Training Program/ ; S2024109760212//Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training plan for college students in Guizhou Province in 2024/ ; S2024109760212//Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training plan for college students in Guizhou Province in 2024/ ; GCC[2023]071//The program of Excellent Innovation Talents in Guizhou Province/ ; GCC[2023]071//The program of Excellent Innovation Talents in Guizhou Province/ ; },
mesh = {*Soil/chemistry ; *Nanoparticles/chemistry ; Photosynthesis/drug effects ; Antioxidants/metabolism ; Silicon Dioxide/chemistry ; Nitrogen/metabolism ; Chlorophyll/metabolism ; Titanium/chemistry ; },
abstract = {This study investigated the influence of various nanoparticles (NPs), including carbon-based NPs, Al2O3-NPs, SiO2-NPs, and TiO2-NPs, on the growth and physiology of okra plants cultivated in soil impacted by rocky desertification. The morphological characteristics, photosynthetic parameters, antioxidant capacity, nutrient uptake of the okra plants, and available nutrient content in the soil were evaluated. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in the growth, photosynthetic properties, chlorophyll content, and activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase) in the okra plants treated with NPs compared to the control. Additionally, the NP-treated plants exhibited enhanced total nitrogen content, and hydrolysis nitrogen content in soil was also significantly increased, indicating improved nitrogen uptake. Notably, TiO2-NPs demonstrated the most pronounced effects on plant growth and photosynthetic characteristics, while TiO2-NPs and SiO2-NPs showed higher antioxidant enhancement compared to other NPs. These findings suggest the potential of nanoparticles as a promising agricultural solution to address challenges in regions like Guizhou Province, China.},
}

*Soil/chemistry
*Nanoparticles/chemistry
Photosynthesis/drug effects
Antioxidants/metabolism
Silicon Dioxide/chemistry
Nitrogen/metabolism
Chlorophyll/metabolism
Titanium/chemistry

@article {pmid40200827,
year = {2025},
author = {Goodman, CM and Buckman, K and Hill, JE and Johnson, SA and Acevedo, MA and Romagosa, CM},
title = {Frogs in a Hurry: Morphological and Physiological Correlates of Inter-Site Movement Success in an Aquatic Invader.},
journal = {Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology},
volume = {343},
number = {6},
pages = {703-713},
doi = {10.1002/jez.2923},
pmid = {40200827},
issn = {2471-5646},
support = {//We would like to thank the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for assisting in funding this study. We would like to thank Craig Watson from the Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory for material support and for allowing the use of the facilities used for experiments./ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Introduced Species ; *Xenopus/physiology/anatomy & histology ; Florida ; *Locomotion/physiology ; Female ; Male ; },
abstract = {Movement is a key driver of population dynamics. Movement ability and propensity often vary among populations and individuals. These differences may be particularly strong in aquatic species, where the ability to move within a site is not necessarily correlated to the ability to move between sites. In periods of range expansion, these differences can lead to non-equilibrium dynamics, whereby more mobile phenotypes arrange themselves spatially. This can be even more pronounced when dispersal success is nonrandom with respect to a heritable trait, thus acting as an agent of selection. This process-dubbed spatial sorting-can be particularly pronounced in non-native species, often hastening the speed of invasion spread. However, before spatial sorting occurring, there must first be individual differences in traits that confer greater movement success. Recently, a high-density breeding and expanding population of the non-native pipid frog, Xenopus tropicalis, in west-central Florida, offering a great opportunity to test whether movement success is predicted by individual differences in morphology or locomotor capacity. To test this, we compared the morphology, maximal exertion capacity, and jumping performance of movers and residents. We found that relative to residents, movers had longer hindlimbs, wider ilia, and traveled for greater time intervals before reaching exhaustion. These results suggest functional morphological and physiological traits are important in determining inter-site movement success.},
}

Animals
*Introduced Species
*Xenopus/physiology/anatomy & histology
Florida
*Locomotion/physiology
Female
Male

@article {pmid40442240,
year = {2025},
author = {Yu, TS and Kim, WS and Kwak, IS},
title = {Underwater drone-based eDNA metabarcoding reveals regional differences in fish communities and early detection of alien species around the Korean Peninsula.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {18827},
pmid = {40442240},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {NRF-2018-R1A6A1A-03024314//National Research Foundation of Korea/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Fishes/genetics/classification ; *DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic/methods ; *DNA, Environmental/genetics ; Biodiversity ; Republic of Korea ; *Introduced Species ; Ecosystem ; },
abstract = {Coastal ecosystems surrounding the Korean Peninsula are undergoing rapid environmental changes driven by global climate warming, highlighting the need for efficient methods to monitor marine biodiversity. This study aimed to analyze fish communities across four coastal regions: the East Sea, South Sea, West Sea, and Jeju using environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding. Underwater drones were employed to collect water samples. A total of 63 sampling sites were surveyed, detecting 167 fish species from 72 families, encompassing tropical, subtropical, temperate, boreal, polar, and deep-water taxa. The East Sea hosted a mix of cold- and warm-water species, while Jeju exhibited a relatively high proportion of tropical and subtropical fish. Additionally, 13 alien species were identified, underscoring the utility of eDNA for the early detection of non-native taxa expanding their ranges in response to ongoing warming trends. This study further validated that eDNA sampling using underwater drones offers a rapid, non-invasive approach to biodiversity assessments, effectively addressing many of the limitations associated with traditional survey techniques. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential of eDNA to generate critical and timely data on fish assemblages the emergence of alien species, providing valuable insights to inform proactive resource management, and climate change research in marine ecosystems.},
}

Animals
*Fishes/genetics/classification
*DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic/methods
*DNA, Environmental/genetics
Biodiversity
Republic of Korea
*Introduced Species
Ecosystem

@article {pmid40367885,
year = {2025},
author = {Mo, S and Wu, X and Kashif, M and Zeng, S and Sang, Y and Meng, C and He, S and Jiang, C},
title = {Effects of Spartina alterniflora invasion on carbon fixation and sulfate reduction in a subtropical marine mangrove ecosystem.},
journal = {Marine pollution bulletin},
volume = {217},
number = {},
pages = {118128},
doi = {10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118128},
pmid = {40367885},
issn = {1879-3363},
mesh = {*Wetlands ; *Carbon Cycle ; *Sulfates/metabolism ; *Introduced Species ; *Poaceae/physiology ; Geologic Sediments/microbiology ; Ecosystem ; *Rhizophoraceae ; },
abstract = {Mangrove sediments host diverse microbial communities that are crucial for carbon fixation, but their functions and pathways in subtropical ecosystems-particularly under Spartina alterniflora invasion and across varying sediment depths-remain unclear. This study employed metagenomic and qPCR analyses to explore microbial carbon fixation in Rhizophora stylosa, S. alterniflora, and bare beach habitats. Environmental factors like Cd, sulfide, pH, and salinity significantly influenced carbon fixation and sulfate reduction. Specifically, the invasion increased the abundance of key carbon fixation genes, including aclA/B, cbbL, and korA, which are involved in the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) and Arnon-Buchanan (rTCA) cycles, respectively. This shift in gene abundance was accompanied by elevated Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) activity (0.47-21.82 nmol CO2 g[-1] soil min[-1]), suggesting a potential increase in microbial CO2 fixation rates in S. alterniflora-invaded sediments. Sediment depth also affected the distribution of carbon fixation genes and carbon-metabolizing microbes. Desulfobacterota were identified as major contributors to carbon fixation via both the rTCA and CBB cycles. Moreover, a strong correlation was observed between carbon fixation and sulfate reduction. These findings reveal how S. alterniflora invasion impacts carbon fixation and enhance our understanding of the mangrove ecosystems' role in climate change regulation.},
}

*Wetlands
*Carbon Cycle
*Sulfates/metabolism
*Introduced Species
*Poaceae/physiology
Geologic Sediments/microbiology
Ecosystem
*Rhizophoraceae

@article {pmid40442159,
year = {2025},
author = {Krzynówek, Z and Stępień-Zawal, E and Sotek, Z and Pakulnicka, J and Pilarczyk, B and Malinowska, K and Vukašinović-Pešić, V and Pešić, V and Filip, E and Bąkowska, M and Pilarczyk, R and Zawal, A},
title = {Selenium content and bioaccumulation in Bidens tripartita and Bidens frondosa under different habitat conditions in Poland and Montenegro.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {18901},
pmid = {40442159},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {RID/SP/0045/2024/01//Minister of Science under the "Regional Excellence Initiative" Program for 2024-2027/ ; },
mesh = {Poland ; *Selenium/analysis/metabolism ; Montenegro ; *Ecosystem ; Soil/chemistry ; *Bidens/metabolism/chemistry ; Bioaccumulation ; Introduced Species ; *Soil Pollutants/analysis/metabolism ; Environmental Monitoring ; },
abstract = {The subjects of this study were two congeneric species of the genus Bidens, the European native Bidens tripartita and the invasive Bidens frondosa. The aim of this research was to determine: (1) the selenium content of the specimens of these species and the soils in which they grew, (2) the role of habitat parameters in shaping selenium levels in the soil and the plants studied, and (3) the bioaccumulation potential of the plants studied, taking habitat conditions into account. Specimens of both species were collected from riverbanks in Poland and Montenegro, and the Se concentrations in each specimen and in the soil sample from each site were measured. Our studies indicate that the invasive species B. frondosa has significantly higher selenium concentrations and greater bioaccumulation abilities (BCF > 1) compared to B. tripartita. Despite the average selenium concentration in the soil being higher in Poland than in Montenegro, Se concentration accumulated in B. frondosa collected in Montenegro was higher, it was also observed that soil chemical properties affect Se bioaccumulation in this species. The type of land use within each site has also been identified according to CORINE classification. The results of the study indicated a great significance of human impact on the selenium enrichment of plants, as the specimen collected in artificial rivers and areas impacted by anthropogenic pression contained much higher amounts of Se than plants growing in more natural habitats. The results also illustrated that the invasive species that have the ability to accumulate selenium, like B. frondosa, can be an exogenous root of this particular trace element for living organizms.},
}

Poland
*Selenium/analysis/metabolism
Montenegro
*Ecosystem
Soil/chemistry
*Bidens/metabolism/chemistry
Bioaccumulation
Introduced Species
*Soil Pollutants/analysis/metabolism
Environmental Monitoring

@article {pmid40442123,
year = {2025},
author = {Chen, W and Li, C and Yang, R and Li, Y and Wu, B and Li, J},
title = {Haplotype resolved chromosome-level genome assembly of the gold barb (Barbodes semifasciolatus).},
journal = {Scientific data},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {902},
pmid = {40442123},
issn = {2052-4463},
mesh = {Animals ; *Cyprinidae/genetics ; *Haplotypes ; *Genome ; *Chromosomes ; Zebrafish/genetics ; },
abstract = {The gold barb (Barbodes semifasciolatus), a member of the Cyprinidae family, exhibits remarkable adaptability to highly acidic environments, making it an ideal model for studying extreme environmental adaptation. However, its genome has not been previously characterized. To address this, we assembled a high-quality chromosome-scale genome for B. semifasciolatus using High-Fidelity (HiFi) sequencing and Hi-C technology. The resulting haplotype-resolved assemblies, spanning 776 Mb and 779 Mb across 25 chromosomes, achieved genome coverages of 99.5% and 99.7%, respectively, and included four gap-free chromosomes. Genome quality assessment using BUSCO indicated a high completeness score of 98.2% for haplotype1 and 98.3% for haplotype2, further validated by strong synteny with the zebrafish (Danio rerio), confirming the assembly's integrity and continuity. Through integration of full-length transcriptome data, RNA sequencing, and homology-based annotation, we identified 26,057 protein-coding genes with 2,087 pseudogenes in haplotype 2, and 25,622 protein-coding genes with 2,101 pseudogenes in haplotype 1. This high-resolution genome assembly is a crucial resource for advancing research in the Cyprinidae, particularly for understanding adaptive evolution in extreme environments.},
}

Animals
*Cyprinidae/genetics
*Haplotypes
*Genome
*Chromosomes
Zebrafish/genetics

@article {pmid40442080,
year = {2025},
author = {Wei, J and Xue, J and Shen, X and Zhang, G and Zhao, Q and Lu, Y and Niu, M and Ji, W},
title = {Chromosome-level genome assembly of Paracoccus marginatus based on PacBio and Hi-C technologies.},
journal = {Scientific data},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {901},
pmid = {40442080},
issn = {2052-4463},
mesh = {Animals ; *Paracoccus/genetics ; *Genome, Insect ; Genomics ; },
abstract = {Invasive species pose a serious threat to ecosystems and biodiversity, leading to considerable economic losses for countries. The papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus), is a prominent invasive pest that affects over 200 plant species and has been recorded in more than 60 countries and regions.Here, the chromosome-level genome of P. marginatus was assembled using PacBio and Hi-C technologies. The resulting genome, with a total size of 213.81 Mb, was organized into four chromosomes. The contig and scaffold N50 values were 20.2 Mb and 48.01 Mb, respectively. The genome assembly attained a BUSCO completeness score of 95.5%, and CEGMA analysis showed that 99.56% of the genome was thoroughly annotated. It includes 13,367 predicted protein-coding genes, with 49.26% of the assembly identified as repetitive sequences. This high-quality genome serves as a valuable resource for a range of research fields, such as population genetics, evolutionary studies, invasive species management, and comparative genomics within Hemiptera and other insect groups.},
}

Animals
*Paracoccus/genetics
*Genome, Insect
Genomics

@article {pmid40441411,
year = {2025},
author = {Demann, F and Buschbaum, C and Bock, C and Guillou, G and Lebreton, B and Lannig, G and Molis, M and Wegner, KM},
title = {Physiological costs of infection by the invasive parasitic copepod Mytilicola intestinalis accumulate across temporal scales in the blue mussel Mytilus edulis.},
journal = {Journal of invertebrate pathology},
volume = {212},
number = {},
pages = {108374},
doi = {10.1016/j.jip.2025.108374},
pmid = {40441411},
issn = {1096-0805},
abstract = {Exploitation of host resources by parasites can have profound impacts on infected hosts. When prevalence is high parasite infection can even feed back on host population dynamics. Especially when parasites are invasive species, their new native hosts can suffer from exploitation due to a lack of co-evolutionary history. Nevertheless, energetic costs are often subtle at the level of the individual and hard to link to population level effects. Sublethal energetic costs accumulate over time and can in sum be traded off against fitness over longer time scales. To study temporal accumulation of infection costs, we used a series of controlled infection experiments to assess the physiological effects exerted by the invasive parasitic copepod Mytilicola intestinalis on its newly acquired native host, the blue mussel Mytilus edulis in the North Sea, where the parasite can reach prevalences > 70 %. To link short-term physiological responses to long term components of fitness, we combined several methodological approaches measuring changes of physiological traits that act on different time scales. Stable isotope analyses over different seasons and environments revealed a direct consumption of host tissue by M. intestinalis. Tissue repair increased energy demand that could directly be observed in accelerated heartbeat rates, and changes of amino acid metabolism measured by [1]H NMR spectroscopy. Although these effects were comparatively small in size, the resulting altered energy budget of the mussel host led to a lower body condition index under controlled laboratory conditions on medium time scales (months) and slower growth in the field over longer time scales (1 year). In combination, our experimental results show that small short-term physiological changes can translate to fitness relevant negative effects on life history traits when integrated across temporal scales.},
}

@article {pmid40439603,
year = {2025},
author = {Dehling, DM and Lai, HR and Stouffer, DB},
title = {Eltonian Niche Modelling: Applying Joint Hierarchical Niche Models to Ecological Networks.},
journal = {Ecology letters},
volume = {28},
number = {6},
pages = {e70120},
pmid = {40439603},
issn = {1461-0248},
support = {SR200100005//Australian Research Council SRIEAS Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future/ ; MFP-UOC2102//Marsden Fund/ ; },
mesh = {*Models, Biological ; *Ecosystem ; Phylogeny ; Animals ; },
abstract = {There is currently a dichotomy in the modelling of Grinnellian and Eltonian niches. Despite similar underlying data, Grinnellian niches are modelled with species-distribution models (SDMs), whereas Eltonian niches are modelled with ecological-network analysis, mainly because the sparsity of species-interaction data prevents the application of SDMs to Eltonian-niche modelling. Here, we propose to adapt recently developed joint species distribution models (JSDMs) to data on ecological networks, functional traits, and phylogenies to model species' Eltonian niches. JSDMs overcome sparsity and improve predictions for individual species by considering non-independent relationships among co-occurring species; this unique ability makes them particularly suited for sparse datasets such as ecological networks. Our Eltonian JSDMs reveal strong relationships between species' Eltonian niches and their functional traits and phylogeny. Moreover, we demonstrate that JSDMs can accurately predict the interactions of species for which no empirical interaction data are available, based solely on their functional traits. This facilitates prediction of new interactions in communities with altered composition, for example, following climate-change induced local extinctions or species introductions. The high interpretability of Eltonian JSDMs will provide unique insights into mechanisms underlying species interactions and the potential impacts of environmental changes and invasive species on species interactions in ecological communities.},
}

*Models, Biological
*Ecosystem
Phylogeny
Animals

@article {pmid40438522,
year = {2025},
author = {Ma, XY and Lu, YZ and He, L and Song, DD and Ma, J},
title = {Two new species of Neohelicosporium (Tubeufiaceae, Tubeufiales) from freshwater and terrestrial habitats in China.},
journal = {MycoKeys},
volume = {118},
number = {},
pages = {1-17},
pmid = {40438522},
issn = {1314-4049},
abstract = {Neohelicosporium species are a group of helicosporous hyphomycetes with the potential to produce novel bioactive natural compounds. During our investigation on helicosporous hyphomycetes, six isolates were collected from freshwater and terrestrial habitats in the tropical and subtropical regions of southern China. Based on multi-gene phylogenetic analyses (LSU-ITS-tef1-α-rpb2) and morphological comparisons of Neohelicosporium taxa, two new species (N.guizhouense and N.wuzhishanense) are introduced. Detailed micro-morphological descriptions, illustrations, and DNA molecular data are provided for the newly introduced species to confirm their taxonomic placements.},
}

@article {pmid40434301,
year = {2025},
author = {Cauldron, NC and Daniels, HA and LeBoldus, JM and Grünwald, NJ},
title = {Population Genomic Analysis of Two Independent Clonal Invasions of the Sudden Oak Death Pathogen into One Forest.},
journal = {Phytopathology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1094/PHYTO-10-24-0329-FI},
pmid = {40434301},
issn = {0031-949X},
abstract = {Upon introduction, clonal pathogen populations are expected to go through a genetic bottleneck followed by gradual clonal divergence. Two distinct and purely clonal lineages of the sudden oak death pathogen Phytophthora ramorum recently emerged in forests in the Western United States, providing the unique opportunity to study a naturally replicated invasion into the same ecosystem. We characterized population genomic patterns during early invasion using whole genome sequencing of two P. ramorum clonal lineages sampled in the first five years following their detection. We re-sequenced genomes from populations of two dominant clonal lineages, NA1 (n=134; 2001-2005) and EU1 (n=160; 2015-2019), and obtained 106,070 high-quality SNPs in genic regions. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis of one introduction for each lineage. The NA1 population had a wider distribution of pairwise genetic distances than EU1 and higher genetic diversity, though neither NA1 nor EU1 populations clustered clearly by year. There was significant correlation between genetic distance and geographic distance for NA1 (p = 0.042), but not for EU1 (p = 0.402). The genetic diversity in NA1 is strongly driven by loss of heterozygous positions, which impacted more than one-third of the sampled NA1 population. However, loss of heterozygosity was rare in EU1. This work provides novel insights into the invasion biology and dynamics of clonal plant pathogens in natural ecosystems.},
}

@article {pmid40433775,
year = {2025},
author = {Han, J and Lv, W and Ji, W and Wang, R and Luo, M and Fu, B},
title = {A novel gliding filamentous bacterium Herpetosiphon tianshanensis sp. nov. NSE202 is a promising biocontrol agent for fire blight.},
journal = {Pest management science},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1002/ps.8933},
pmid = {40433775},
issn = {1526-4998},
support = {2024B04030//Autonomous region Key R&D Program of Xinjiang, China/ ; 202310758001//National Undergraduate Student Innovation Project, China/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Fire blight (Erwinia amylovora), a devastating bacterial disease, has posed significant challenges to apple and pear production for more than a century. In recent years, the spread of fire blight to China via Xinjiang has heightened concerns among planters and government authorities, particularly given the region's distinct geography and climate, underscoring the urgent need for innovative biocontrol strategies.

RESULTS: This study introduced a predatory bacterium, Herpetosiphon tianshanensis sp. nov. NSE202, isolated from natural forest soil in Xinjiang, China, that could be a new type of promising biological control agent for the management of fire blight. Strain NSE202 differs from the five other reported Herpetosiphon species in terms of its physiological characteristics and genomic composition. Using morphological, 16S ribosomal RNA gene and whole-genome analysis, the NSE202 strain was assigned to H. tianshanensis sp. nov. Strain NSE202 demonstrated strong predatory capability against Erwinia amylovora (Ea) in vitro. The biocontrol capacity of NSE202 was assayed on isolated inflorescences of fragrant pear and biennial potted pear seedlings under greenhouse conditions. The protective control efficacy of NSE202 was 64.8% in the inflorescences assay. Bacterial spraying of NSE202 significantly reduced the incidence and disease index on pear seedlings with protective and therapeutic control efficacies of 71.9% and 61.5%, respectively. Strain NSE202 demonstrated stable colonization on pear blossoms and twigs under greenhouse conditions. The pathogen population was suppressed significantly in planta treated with NSE202, as shown by colony counts on plates, scanning electron microscopy, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Further investigation demonstrated that secondary metabolites of strain NSE202, collected via macroporous resin, and extracellular proteins, precipitated using ammonium sulfate, had pronounced lytic activity against the fire blight pathogen. In addition, certain lipases, glycoside hydrolases, and peptidases secreted by strain NSE202 may contribute significantly to the predation process. These findings suggest that such components may serve as promising biocontrol factors.

CONCLUSIONS: The discovery of H. tianshanensis sp. nov. NSE202 provides a new and promising strategy for combating fire blight. The isolates' multiple capacities to colonize and exert antagonistic effects against Erwinia amylovora makes them highly promising candidates for an integrated biological solution. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.},
}

@article {pmid40349538,
year = {2025},
author = {Dubos, N and Geslin, B and Jourdan, H and Renault, D and Zakardjian, M},
title = {Contrasting effects of climate and anthropogenic change on future invasion risk of a solitary bee Amegilla pulchra.},
journal = {Journal of environmental management},
volume = {385},
number = {},
pages = {125711},
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125711},
pmid = {40349538},
issn = {1095-8630},
mesh = {Animals ; Bees/physiology ; *Climate Change ; *Introduced Species ; Ecosystem ; Humans ; Pollination ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Anthropogenic Effects ; Australia ; },
abstract = {Amegilla pulchra is a solitary bee from Australia that has recently been spread throughout many islands of the Pacific. The non-regulated human-driven spread of the species may affect the local pollinator communities and their interactions with host plants. We used an ecological niche modelling approach, accounting for non-equilibrium and anthropogenic spread with the most recently recommended methods, and predicted the potential spread of the species under current and future conditions. We expected climate change and increase in human density to offer new suitable environments for the spread of the species. Invasion risks will increase in the future overall, but more in the non-native regions compared to the native region. In the native region, the projected effect of future environmental change was highly contrasted, we projected invasion risk to increase in human-dense areas but decrease elsewhere. We identified high risks of invasion in eastern Asia and in the Caribbean region and provide a world ranking for surveillance priority which accounts for maritime traffic. This study highlights potential contrasted effects between climate and anthropogenic change, with differing projections between the native and the non-native regions. Public awareness and prevention will be key to prevent further spread and mitigate potential adverse effects of the species on island systems. In regions that are already invaded, we propose that habitat restoration is a promising strategy for both the mitigation of the spread and the conservation of local communities.},
}

Animals
Bees/physiology
*Climate Change
*Introduced Species
Ecosystem
Humans
Pollination
Conservation of Natural Resources
Anthropogenic Effects
Australia

@article {pmid40431110,
year = {2025},
author = {Luo, X and Shen, S and Liao, K and Li, S and Pan, Q and Ma, J and Li, W and Yang, X},
title = {Invasion Status, Mechanisms, and Future Distribution Prediction of Solidago canadensis in the Trade Port Region: A Case Study of Ningbo Port, China.},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {14},
number = {10},
pages = {},
pmid = {40431110},
issn = {2223-7747},
support = {2023Z146, 2024Z249, 2024Z262//the Key Technology Breakthrough Plan Project of Science and Innovation Yongjiang 2035/ ; 42371027//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; },
abstract = {Trade ports are the first places where alien species invade and the source of their spread to other areas. Controlling invasions in these regions can effectively reduce invasion pressure and disrupt the spread pathways of invasive species, thereby significantly reducing their threat to local ecosystems and biodiversity loss. Based on 595 field survey plots, the Generalized Linear Model (GLM) and Species Distribution Model (MaxEnt) were employed to analyze and predict the invasion mechanisms and future possible distribution of Solidago canadensis in the Ningbo Port, China. The results indicate that the invasion of S. canadensis in the Ningbo Port was particularly severe, with a 67.7% occurrence rate of all sampling plots in the field survey, and a risk level classified as Grade 1. Biodiversity (p < 0.001) and the minimum temperature of the coldest month (p < 0.01) significantly affect the invasiveness. Highly diverse communities could resist the invasion of alien species, which support Elton's diversity-invasibility hypothesis. Low temperatures had a restrictive effect on the invasion of S. canadensis. The total suitable area continued to expand under three different climate change scenarios compared to current conditions (increased by 3.73%, 5.67%, and 3.74% by the 2070s). The total potential habitat area of S. canadensis reached its maximum extent (89.77%) under the medium greenhouse gas emission scenario in the 2050s. Meanwhile, the medium suitable area exhibited the greatest fluctuation among the three climate scenarios. Under the low emission condition, the medium suitable area of S. canadensis diminished by 63.10 km[2], but in the medium and high emission condition, its area expanded by 91.13 km[2] and 16.20 km[2], respectively. Under future climate warming scenarios, the invasion risk of S. canadensis in Ningbo Port will continue to increase. The results of our study reveal the diffusion mechanisms of invasive plants at the colonization source, providing important theoretical support for invasive alien species' initial prevention and control.},
}

@article {pmid40431082,
year = {2025},
author = {Mohammed, S and Mummenhoff, K},
title = {More than Just a Shell: Indehiscent Fruits Drive Drought-Tolerant Germination in Invasive Lepidium Species.},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {14},
number = {10},
pages = {},
pmid = {40431082},
issn = {2223-7747},
support = {DFG (MU 1137/8-2)//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to K.M./ ; n/a//Georg Förster Postdoctoral Research Grant (Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung) to S.M./ ; },
abstract = {This study aims to assess the drought stress tolerance of germinating seeds of the invasive indehiscent fruit-producing Lepidium species, specifically Lepidium appelianum, Lepidium draba, and the invasive dehiscent fruit-producing L. campestre. Drought stress tolerance experiments were conducted using various concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG) following standard protocols. The results revealed that seeds/fruits of L. appelianum and L. draba exhibited significantly higher drought stress tolerance compared to seeds of L. campestre. Fresh seeds and fruits of L. appelianum were capable of germinating under various drought stress treatments, while fresh and after-ripened seeds and fruits of L. draba germinated in every condition except for -0.8 MPa. Conversely, L. campestre fresh seeds did not germinate under the most severe drought stress conditions (-0.6 and -0.8 MPa). It is crucial to note that fresh fruits of L. draba displayed pericarp-mediated chemical dormancy, while fresh seeds of L. campestre demonstrated physiological dormancy. However, fresh seeds and fruits of L. appelianum did not exhibit any dormancy. This study suggests that germinating seeds and fruits of L. appelianum demonstrate the strongest tolerance to drought stress, while L. draba exhibits moderate tolerance. On the contrary, L. campestre seeds display the least tolerance to drought stress. The differences in drought stress tolerance among the studied Lepidium species reflect the climatic facets in their native distribution areas. Given the potential high invasiveness associated with the drought stress tolerance of L. appelianum and L. draba, it is imperative to develop special control strategies to manage these invasive species in the face of future climate change.},
}

@article {pmid40431075,
year = {2025},
author = {Javed, Q and Bouhadi, M and Ban, SG and Ban, D and Heath, D and Iqbal, B and Sun, J and Černe, M},
title = {Smart Chip Technology for the Control and Management of Invasive Plant Species: A Review.},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {14},
number = {10},
pages = {},
pmid = {40431075},
issn = {2223-7747},
support = {HRZZ- IPS-2022-02-2099//Croatian Science Foundation/ ; },
abstract = {Invasive plant species threaten biodiversity, disrupt ecosystems, and are costly to manage. Standard control methods, such as mechanical and chemical (herbicides), are usually ineffective and time-consuming and negatively affect the environment, especially in the latter case. This review explores the potential of smart chip technology (SCT) as a sustainable, precision approach tool for invasive species management. Integrating microchip sensors with artificial intelligence (AI) into the Internet of Things (IoT) and remote sensing technology allows for real-time monitoring, predictive modelling, and focused action, significantly improving management effectiveness. As one of many examples discussed herein, AI-driven decision-making systems can process real-time data from IoT-enabled environmental sensors to optimize invasive species detection. Smart chip technology also offers real-time monitoring of invasive species' life processes, spread, and environmental effects, enabling artificial intelligence-powered eco-friendly control strategies that minimize herbicide usage and lessen collateral ecosystem damage. Despite the potential of SCT, challenges remain, including cost, biodegradability, and regulatory constraints. However, recent advances in biodegradable electronics and AI-driven automation offer promising solutions to many identified obstacles. Future research should focus on scalable deployment, improved predictive analytics, and interdisciplinary collaboration to drive innovation. Using SCT can help make invasive species control more sustainable while supporting biodiversity and strengthening agricultural systems.},
}

@article {pmid40429219,
year = {2025},
author = {Ombuya, A and Guo, J and Liu, W},
title = {Insect Mating Behaviors: A Review of the Regulatory Role of Neuropeptides.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {16},
number = {5},
pages = {},
pmid = {40429219},
issn = {2075-4450},
support = {Grant No. 2024YFC2607600//National Key R&D Program of China/ ; XZ202401ZY0001//The Key R&D Project of Tibet Autonomous Region/ ; },
abstract = {Insect mating behaviors are complex, diverse, and primarily regulated by neuropeptides and their receptors. Neuropeptides are peptide signaling molecules mainly secreted by insects' central nervous system (CNS) to reach target organs. A substantial body of research on the role of neuropeptides in regulating mating behaviors in insects has been undertaken. This review aims to (1) synthesize existing knowledge on insect mating behaviors, (2) elucidate the neuropeptidergic mechanisms governing these behaviors, and (3) identify knowledge gaps and propose future research directions. The mating process, covering mate attraction, courtship rituals, copulation, and post-mating behaviors, was elucidated with appropriate examples. Additionally, specific neuropeptides involved at each stage of the mating process, their functions, and mechanistic aspects were discussed as demonstrated in research. The review highlights that insects display behavioral dimorphism in the mating process driven by a complex underlying neuropeptidergic mechanism. While previous publications have generally addressed the role of neuropeptides in insect behavior, none has intensively and methodically examined their role in mating behaviors. In this review, we synthesized 18 neuropeptides that we found to regulate mating behaviors in insects. We note that some of the neuropeptides are malfunctional in their regulatory roles, while others are specific. We also note that these neuropeptides execute their regulatory functions through the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathway but may take different routes and messengers downstream to effect behavioral change. Neuropeptides also interact with other regulatory systems, such as the endocrine system, to discharge their functions. Given their significance in mediating mating and reproduction, targeted manipulation of the signaling system of neuropeptides could serve as viable targets in the production of ecologically friendly pest management tools. Tools that could disrupt the mating process would be applied in crop production systems to reduce the population pressure of destructive pests, consequently reducing the urge to use chemical pesticides that are ecologically unfriendly. Our findings not only advance the understanding of neuropeptide-mediated mating regulation but also highlight their potential as eco-friendly pest control targets.},
}

@article {pmid40429186,
year = {2025},
author = {Kandori, I and Ogata, Y and Yokoi, T},
title = {Nesting Preferences of Osmia orientalis (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in the Field and Its Potential as a Strawberry Pollinator in Greenhouses.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {16},
number = {5},
pages = {},
pmid = {40429186},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {The western honeybee, Apis mellifera, is used worldwide as a pollinator of crops such as strawberries; however, it is an introduced species in Japan. The mason bee, Osmia orientalis Benoist (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), is native to Japan, where it nests in empty snail shells and has potential as a crop pollinator. We conducted three experiments to collect information on the nesting habits and potential agricultural use of this species as a pollinator of greenhouse-grown strawberries. Our first experiment investigated the bees' nesting preferences in the field by placing the empty shells of four snail species, Euhadra amaliae, Satsuma japonica, Sinotaia quadrata histrica, and Helix lucorum, in six different environments. The nesting rate was significantly higher in medium-sized, empty E. amaliae shells. Regarding the surrounding environment, O. orientalis preferred tall and short grasslands to bare ground and forest interiors. Our second experiment investigated per-visit strawberry flower pollination efficiency. The results indicated that the efficiency of O. orientalis was equal to or greater than that of A. mellifera. In our third experiment, as a replacement for empty snail shells, which are scarce natural sources, four types of plastic artificial shells were created and placed inside a greenhouse together with E. amaliae shells. The nesting rates in three types of artificial shells were nearly identical to those in E. amaliae shells, implying that these artificial shells may be effective nesting materials. Although many questions remain before practical application, our results indicate the potential for using O. orientalis as a pollinator of greenhouse-grown strawberries.},
}

@article {pmid40429156,
year = {2025},
author = {Pemberton, RW},
title = {Explosive Growth of the Jorō Spider (Trichonephila clavata (L. Koch): Araneae: Araneidae) and Concurrent Decline of Native Orbweaving Spiders in Atlanta, Georgia Forests at the Forefront of the Jorō Spider's Invasive Spread.},
journal = {Insects},
volume = {16},
number = {5},
pages = {},
pmid = {40429156},
issn = {2075-4450},
abstract = {The Jorō spider (Trichonephila clavata (L. Koch): Araneae: Araneidae), an invasive species from Asia, and native orbweaving spiders were censused at 25 forest sites in the Atlanta, Georgia, region at the forefront of the Jorō spider's spread from 2022 through 2024. The Jorō spider was found in all 25 sites in all three years, doubling in abundance each year. In 2022, the number of Jorō spiders found was 444 or 16.34 per hour of census. This doubled in 2023 to 859 or 30.54 per hour. The Jorō numbers doubled again in 2024 to 1713 or 59.14 per hour. This contrasts markedly with the seven species of native orbweavers found during the censuses, which declined by ca. 40% each year. In 2022, 52 or 1.72 individuals per hour of six native orbweaver species were found at 18 sites. In 2023, the number dropped to 32 or 1.06 individuals per hour of six species found at 11 sites. In 2024, the number further declined to 18 or 0.55 individuals of six species found at eight sites. The Jorō spider's spread and rapid increase in abundance may disrupt trophic networks and negatively influence the abundance of both native orbweavers and flying insect species.},
}

@article {pmid40427740,
year = {2025},
author = {Li, C and Zhou, Y and Wang, C and Pan, X and Wang, Y and Qi, X and Wan, F},
title = {Research on the Economic Loss Model of Invasive Alien Species Based on Multidimensional Data Spatialization-A Case Study of Economic Losses Caused by Hyphantria cunea in Jiangsu Province.},
journal = {Biology},
volume = {14},
number = {5},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/biology14050552},
pmid = {40427740},
issn = {2079-7737},
support = {2023YFC2605200//National Key Research and Development Program Project/ ; GD22XYJ32//Guangdong Provincial Philosophy and Social Sciences Planning Project/ ; },
abstract = {IAS imposes significant impacts on native ecosystems and economies. Current assessment methods for economic losses predominantly rely on habitat suitability estimation and database extrapolation, often lacking integration of causal inference and dynamic spatial drivers. H. cunea, a pervasive invasive pest in Jiangsu Province, China, exemplifies this challenge through its rapid spread and multi-sector economic impacts. To address these limitations, we innovatively integrated three models: (1) Difference-in-Differences (DID) quantified causal economic impacts through spatiotemporal comparison of infested/non-infested areas; (2) GeoDetector identified key spatial drivers via stratified heterogeneity analysis; (3) MaxEnt projected ecological suitability under climate scenarios. The synergy enabled dynamic loss attribution: GeoDetector optimized DID's variable selection, while MaxEnt constrained loss extrapolation to ecologically plausible zones, achieving multi-scale causal-spatial-climate integration absent in conventional approaches. In Jiangsu Province, H. cunea caused CNY 89.2 million in primary sector losses in 2022, with forestry disproportionately impacted, accounting for 58.3% of the total losses. The DID model revealed nonlinear temporal impacts indicating a loss of 0.163 forestry per 30 m[2] grid, while MaxEnt projected 22% habitat contraction under the SSP5-8.5 scenario by 2060, which corresponds to climate-adjusted losses of CNY 147 million. Spatial prioritization identified northern Jiangsu (e.g., Xuzhou, Lianyungang) as high-risk zones requiring immediate intervention. The framework enables spatially explicit prioritization of containment efforts-grids identified as high-risk necessitate a tripling of funding in comparison to low-risk areas. And SSP-specific loss projections support dynamic budget planning under climate uncertainty. By integrating causal attribution, ecological realism, and climate resilience, this model transforms IAS management from reactive firefighting to proactive, data-driven governance. It provides a replicable toolkit for balancing ecological preservation and economic stability in the Anthropocene.},
}

@article {pmid40427360,
year = {2025},
author = {Liang, Y and Hong, J and Song, Y and Yue, K and Chen, M and Wu, J and Ou, Y and Liang, M and Lu, Y},
title = {Seasonal Dynamics of Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta) Colony Structures Across Camellia oleifera Plantations and Fishponds in South China.},
journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI},
volume = {15},
number = {10},
pages = {},
pmid = {40427360},
issn = {2076-2615},
support = {2021YFD1000500//National Key Research and Development Program/ ; 2023YFN0030//Key Research and Development Program of Science and Technology in Sichuan Province/ ; 2023TX07A017//Guangdong Special Support Program-Leading Talents in Science and Technology Innovation/ ; 202405AF140082//Science and Technology Talent and Platform Project of Yunnan (Academician and Expert Workstation)/ ; 2025B04J0001//Key Research and Development Program of Guangzhou: 2025B04J0001./ ; },
abstract = {The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta, RIFA) is a globally invasive species with strong sensitivity to environmental conditions. This study investigated the seasonal dynamics and colony structure of RIFA over the course of one year across two typical habitats in South China: Camellia oleifera plantations and fishponds. The results revealed clear seasonal patterns in caste composition. Worker abundance peaked during winter (December-January), while reproductive individuals (queens, males, and alates) emerged primarily in spring and early summer (March-May). Colony biomass, worker number, and individual dry weight were significantly higher in C. oleifera plantations, whereas fishpond habitats exhibited greater numbers of larvae and male alates, suggesting different reproductive allocation strategies across habitats. An analysis of caste composition indicated that adult workers were dominant in both habitats, but the proportion of pupae was notably higher in fishpond colonies, especially in spring. Significant correlations were found between colony metrics and nest characteristics, including a negative relationship between worker body length and colony biomass. Environmental factor analysis showed that air pressure positively influenced worker numbers, while temperature was negatively associated with them. Precipitation and humidity played key roles in regulating larval and pupal populations. Overall, RIFA exhibited strong seasonal patterns and ecological plasticity in response to habitat differences and environmental variables. These findings provide insights into the species' invasion biology and inform habitat-specific monitoring and management strategies.},
}

@article {pmid40427297,
year = {2025},
author = {Huelbes, S and Gómez, M and Martínez, I and Triay-Portella, R and González-Pleiter, M and Herrera, A},
title = {Microplastics in Cronius ruber: Links to Wastewater Discharges.},
journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI},
volume = {15},
number = {10},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/ani15101420},
pmid = {40427297},
issn = {2076-2615},
support = {(ProID2024010013//Gobierno de Canarias/ ; },
abstract = {Microplastic pollution in the ocean is a growing problem. It affects the entire ecosystem and, therefore, the species that inhabit it. Plastics can be filtered or ingested by organisms, entering and negatively affecting individuals. Among the populations affected are crustaceans. In previous studies, fibers have been found mainly in the stomach contents of these animals, although other types, such as pellets, have also been found. This study examines the presence of microplastics in Cronius ruber, an invasive crab species in the Canary Islands, and investigates their potential links to nearby wastewater discharges. A total of 63 crabs were sampled from four beaches in Gran Canaria in 2021, and their stomach contents were analyzed through alkaline digestion, filtration, and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (micro-FTIR). Microplastics were detected in 52% of individuals; the particles averaged 0.7 ± 0.5 mm in length, with an average of 1.73 ± 1.02 particles per crab. Fibers constituted 89% of the microplastics, with blue and black being the predominant colors. Rayon, commonly used in textiles, was the most frequently identified polymer (52%), highlighting the role of wastewater from laundry processes as a significant pollution source. Beaches close to unauthorized wastewater discharges, such as Anfi del Mar (n = 3) and El Puertillo (n = 32), showed the highest contamination levels, with a frequency of occurrence (FO) of microplastic particles of 67% and 58%, respectively. Playa de Las Nieves was the one with the lowest contamination level (n = 22), with a frequency of occurrence of microplastic particles of 41%. This is the first study to document microplastic ingestion in C. ruber, raising concerns about its ecological presence and the potential bioaccumulation of contaminants in marine ecosystems. Further research is essential to understand the long-term consequences of microplastic exposure on invasive species and their possible roles in pollutant transfer through food webs.},
}

@article {pmid40424232,
year = {2025},
author = {Gangloff, EJ and Bishop, AP and Head, A and Pauly, GB and Perry, C and Vaughn, PL and Winchell, KM and Brock, KM},
title = {Sex-specific morphological shifts across space and time in replicate urban wall lizard introductions.},
journal = {Integrative and comparative biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/icb/icaf060},
pmid = {40424232},
issn = {1557-7023},
abstract = {As species move into new environments through founder events, their phenotypes may diverge from native populations. Understanding the drivers underlying such variation, and the constraints on the adaptive potential of this variation, is essential for understanding how organisms respond to new or rapidly-changing habitats. Such phenotypic divergence may be especially evident in populations introduced to new environments via human-assistant transport or populations in dramatically-altered environments such as cities. Sexually-dimorphic species beg the additional questions of how these new environments may influence sexes differently and how dimorphism may shape the range of potential responses. The repeated translocation, establishment, and spread of wall lizards (Podarcis spp.) from native European populations to new locations in North America provide an excellent natural experiment to explore how phenotypes may differ after establishment in a new environment. Here, we quantify body shape and the multivariate morphological phenotype (incorporating limb dimensions and head length) of common wall lizards (P. muralis) and Italian wall lizards (P. siculus) in replicated North American introductions. In both species, males are larger and have larger head length and limb dimensions than females across all sampled groups. Sexual dimorphism in the multivariate morphological phenotype was of similar magnitude when comparing native and introduced populations for both species, though the trajectory angles in multivariate trait space differed for one species, P. siculus. When comparing introduced lizards from contemporary and historically-collected museum specimens, we identified differences of similar magnitude but in different trajectories between sexes in P. siculus, and differences in both magnitude and direction of sexual dimorphism in P. muralis. These idiosyncratic patterns in phenotypic trajectories provide insight to the potential array of processes generating phenotypic variation within species at the intersection of invasion biology and urban evolution.},
}

@article {pmid40423860,
year = {2025},
author = {Wang, H and Xin, T and Jiang, C and Wang, H and Xia, B},
title = {The dual role of the RR-2 cuticular protein gene in development and acaricide susceptibility of Panonychus citri (Acari: Tetranychidae).},
journal = {Experimental & applied acarology},
volume = {95},
number = {1},
pages = {5},
pmid = {40423860},
issn = {1572-9702},
support = {13220141//Investigation on the Occurrence, Harm and Diffusion Risk of Agricultural Alien Invasive Species/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Tetranychidae/genetics/growth & development/drug effects/metabolism ; *Acaricides/pharmacology ; *Arthropod Proteins/genetics/metabolism/chemistry ; Female ; Nymph/growth & development/genetics/drug effects/metabolism ; Larva/growth & development/genetics/drug effects/metabolism ; *Drug Resistance/genetics ; Ovum/growth & development/metabolism ; Oviposition ; },
abstract = {Panonychus citri, a major pest mite globally, causes substantial economic damage in the citrus sector. Due to the prolonged use of acaricides, P. citri has developed resistance; thus, identifying alternative control measures is imperative. The study successfully cloned and characterized three genes from the RR-2 subfamily of cuticular proteins (CP) in P. citri, PcCPR14, PcCPR15.7, and PcCPR16.8. These genes exhibited their highest expression in eggs aged 4 and 5 days and showed relatively high expression in larvae and nymphs on day 1. Inhibitin PcCPR16.8 expression in eggs resulted in only 23% hatching success. Similarly, silencing PcCPR16.8 is inhibited in nymphs led to cuticle rupture and a mortality rate of 81.77%. Silencing in female mites reduced the oviposition rate by 31.06% and significantly decreased chitin content and the expression of key chitin metabolism genes in P. citri. This indicates the crucial role of CP genes in the development and reproduction of P. citri. Moreover, exposure to the acaricides spirobudiclofen and etoxazole typically triggers high expression of PcCPR16.8, and silencing this gene increases the mite's sensitivity to these chemicals. CPs are vital in defending against environmental changes, making them potential targets for developing P. citri control strategies.},
}

Animals
*Tetranychidae/genetics/growth & development/drug effects/metabolism
*Acaricides/pharmacology
*Arthropod Proteins/genetics/metabolism/chemistry
Female
Nymph/growth & development/genetics/drug effects/metabolism
Larva/growth & development/genetics/drug effects/metabolism
*Drug Resistance/genetics
Ovum/growth & development/metabolism
Oviposition

@article {pmid40422727,
year = {2025},
author = {Baeza-Guzmán, Y and Camargo-Ricalde, SL and Trejo-Aguilar, D and Montaño, NM},
title = {Pine Forest Plantations in the Neotropics: Challenges and Potential Use of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi and Bacteria as Inoculants.},
journal = {Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {11},
number = {5},
pages = {},
pmid = {40422727},
issn = {2309-608X},
support = {Divisional project//Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana/ ; },
abstract = {Forest plantations in the Neotropics aim to alleviate pressure on primary forests. This study synthesizes knowledge on pine species used in these plantations, emphasizing the challenges and potential of ectomycorrhizal fungi and bacteria as inoculants. An analysis of 98 articles identifies 23 pine species in Mexico and Central America and about 16 fast-growing species in South America. While pine plantations provide a habitat for generalist species, they reduce the richness of specialist species. Ectomycorrhizal fungi and bacterial diversity in plantations with introduced pines is up to 20% lower compared to native ecosystems. Suillus and Hebeloma are commonly used as mycorrhizal inoculants for Neotropical and introduced species, including Pinus ponderosa and Pinus radiata in South America. Commercial inoculants predominantly feature the fungal species Pisolithus tinctorius, alongside bacterial genera such as Bacillus, Cohnella, and Pseudomonas. This study emphasizes the importance of leveraging native microbial communities and their synergistic interactions with ECM fungi and bacteria to enhance seedling growth and quality. Such a combined approach can improve plantation survival, boost resilience to environmental stressors, and promote long-term productivity. These findings underscore the need to incorporate native fungi and bacteria into inoculant strategies, advancing sustainable forestry practices and ecosystem adaptation in the Neotropics.},
}

@article {pmid40421716,
year = {2025},
author = {Liang, Z and Gozlan, RE and Liu, J and Jackson, D and Guo, C},
title = {Invasive Fish Reshape Biodiversity Patterns in China's Freshwater Lakes.},
journal = {Global change biology},
volume = {31},
number = {5},
pages = {e70267},
doi = {10.1111/gcb.70267},
pmid = {40421716},
issn = {1365-2486},
support = {CARS-45//The Earmarked Fund for China Agriculture Research System/ ; 32172980//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 2023YFD2400900//National Key Research and Development Program of China/ ; 202304910486//China Scholarship Council/ ; },
mesh = {*Biodiversity ; China ; *Fishes/physiology ; Animals ; *Lakes ; *Introduced Species ; Phylogeny ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; },
abstract = {Globalization has dramatically accelerated the spread of non-native species, intensifying threats to freshwater ecosystems. While China ranks among the most heavily invaded countries, the role of non-native species as key drivers of biodiversity changes is often overlooked in research on anthropogenic impacts. This oversight hampers the development of effective conservation and management strategies by limiting a full understanding of what shapes biodiversity patterns. To bridge this gap, an extensive dataset from 131 lakes across China was compiled and analyzed using a novel composite diversity index that integrates species richness with functional and phylogenetic uniqueness, allowing for a more precise identification of fish multidimensional diversity hotspots. Additionally, gradient forest models were employed to elucidate the impacts of non-native species, geography, climate, and physicochemical factors on these patterns. Our findings revealed significant taxonomic and functional homogenization in non-native hotspots within the overall fish community, coupled with phylogenetic diversification. Notably, non-native fish diversity emerged as the primary factor shaping overall and native fish multidimensional diversity patterns. While the establishment of non-native species may provide an immediate enhancement to overall diversity, it often leads to the extirpation/extinction of native species, ultimately resulting in biodiversity loss at local and potentially the regional scale. This study highlights the importance of examining multiple dimensions to characterize the intricate dynamics between native and non-native species, which is essential for understanding their true impact on biodiversity and for achieving global conservation goals.},
}

*Biodiversity
China
*Fishes/physiology
Animals
*Lakes
*Introduced Species
Phylogeny
Conservation of Natural Resources

@article {pmid40421372,
year = {2025},
author = {Baguette, FMMP and Baider, C and Florens, FBV},
title = {A scoping review of tropical pioneer trees' roles for restoration and conservation management: Harungana madagascariensis (Hypericaceae) a widespread African species as a model.},
journal = {PeerJ},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {e19458},
pmid = {40421372},
issn = {2167-8359},
mesh = {*Conservation of Natural Resources/methods ; Biodiversity ; Africa ; Forests ; *Trees ; Tropical Climate ; Ecosystem ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Globally, biodiversity is declining rapidly, including tropical forests ecosystems in particular. To stop and reverse this trend, governments worldwide signed up to international agreements and initiatives, but success to date has been limited. In this context, reviewing pioneer trees' ecology, particularly the most widespread species, can help gauge their pros and cons and guide their judicious use for cost-effective ecological restoration projects.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to review the potential of pioneer tree species for biodiversity conservation and forest restoration and identify eventual knowledge gaps, using a widespread species from Africa, Harungana madagascariensis Lam. (Hypericaceae), as a model. Our specific objective was to synthetize information on the distribution and habitat of H. madagascariensis; its documented interspecific ecological interactions; and its potential for forest restoration.

METHODOLOGY: A scoping review was conducted using multiple databases to identify relevant papers, supplemented by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility database (GBIF) to extract distribution records of H. madagascariensis. Following the PRISMA screening process for scoping reviews, 398 publications and 4,379 records from GBIF (2023) were used in the final analysis out of a total of 1,159 unique articles and 5,230 records originally retrieved.

RESULTS: We show that H. madagascariensis, which is native to tropical Africa, Madagascar, and some islands of the Mascarenes, is a key component of young secondary forests, wetland areas, and grasslands. At least 125 species were found to interact directly with H. madagascariensis, including through commensalism, mutualism, and herbivory. It is recognized as a tool for restoration regionally, and considered as invasive in Australia where it has been introduced and, by some, in Mauritius where it is native. The benefits it provides for restoration include its capacity to improve degraded soil fertility, its ability to compete with invasive alien species mostly due to its heliophilous and fast-growing nature, and its good nurse tree potential along with its ecological interactions that support numerous species including threatened ones.

CONCLUSION: The widespread African pioneer tree H. madagascariensis plays a critical role in vegetation dynamic and holds great potential for fostering forest restoration and biodiversity conservation in its range of nearly 13 M km[2]. Its greater use in restoration projects could significantly accelerate ecological restoration, decrease its costs, and increase benefits to biodiversity, leading to larger areas being restored, contributing effectively to national and international objectives. However, a number of aspects deserve further studies, such as the species' role in multitrophic interactions and its precise interactions, and their strengths, with species in each of its specific geographical contexts and through different temporal scales.},
}

*Conservation of Natural Resources/methods
Biodiversity
Africa
Forests
*Trees
Tropical Climate
Ecosystem

@article {pmid40419738,
year = {2025},
author = {Soto, I and Courtois, P and Pili, A and Tordoni, E and Manfrini, E and Angulo, E and Bellard, C and Briski, E and Buřič, M and Cuthbert, RN and Kouba, A and Kourantidou, M and Macêdo, RL and Leroy, B and Haubrock, PJ and Courchamp, F and Leung, B},
title = {Using species ranges and macroeconomic data to fill the gap in costs of biological invasions.},
journal = {Nature ecology & evolution},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {40419738},
issn = {2397-334X},
abstract = {Biological invasions threaten global biodiversity, human well-being and economies. Many regional and taxonomic syntheses of monetary costs have been produced recently but with important knowledge gaps owing to uneven geographic and taxonomic research intensity. Here we combine species distribution models, macroeconomic data and the InvaCost database to produce the highest resolution spatio-temporal cost estimates currently available to bridge these gaps. From a subset of 162 invasive species with 'highly reliable' documented costs at the national level, our interpolation focuses on countries that have not reported any costs despite the known presence of invasive species. This analysis demonstrates a substantial underestimation, with global costs potentially estimated to be 1,646% higher for these species than previously recorded. This discrepancy was uneven geographically and taxonomically, respectively peaking in Europe and for plants. Our results showed that damage costs were primarily driven by gross domestic product, human population size, agricultural area and environmental suitability, whereas management expenditure correlated with gross domestic product and agriculture areas. We also found a lag time for damage costs of 46 years, but management spending was not delayed. The methodological predictive approach of this study provides a more complete view of the economic dimensions of biological invasions and narrows the global disparity in invasion cost reporting.},
}

@article {pmid40419276,
year = {2025},
author = {Valenta, K and Rajaonarivelo, T and Ferreira, A and Raharinirina, A and Rafaliarison, RR and Farris, A and Watson, JM and deFrance, S and Mayo, D and Filla, C and Ross, A and Bornbusch, SL and Satishchandran, S and Kelly, T and Levy, JK and Randriana, Z and Farris, ZJ},
title = {The impact of free-roaming dogs on lemurs in Madagascar: a decade of research and intervention.},
journal = {Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-18},
doi = {10.1163/14219980-bja10047},
pmid = {40419276},
issn = {1421-9980},
abstract = {Lemurs are the most endangered group of mammals on earth, and invasive species, including domestic dogs, are considered to be the second greatest threat to biodiversity after habitat loss. Here, we describe and summarize the challenges and results of a decade of research aimed at understanding the impact of dogs on lemurs, and efforts to humanely reduce dog populations in protected areas in Madagascar, to reduce their impact on lemurs and other wildlife, via the non-profit the Mad Dog Initiative. We have found that free-roaming domestic dog populations living in and around Madagascar's protected areas both predate and displace native wildlife, and that the presence of dogs in forests drives a reduction of wildlife in forests. Additionally, dogs vector a number of pathogens that can have lethal consequences for lemur populations, as well as serving as important vectors of anti-microbial resistance. We propose several future directions for research, outreach, and capacity building in Madagascar and other low and middle income countries aimed at better quantifying the threat of domestic species on wildlife, and mitigating its impact.},
}

@article {pmid40419249,
year = {2025},
author = {Gursky, S},
title = {Domestic cats and predation on a free-ranging primate, Gursky's tarsier (Tarsius spectrumgurskyae).},
journal = {Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {1-15},
doi = {10.1163/14219980-bja10054},
pmid = {40419249},
issn = {1421-9980},
abstract = {Introduced species, also known as invasive species, alien species and exotic species, are a major contributing factor to environmental problems in that they modify or disrupt the ecosystem they colonize. While some invasive species arrive in new areas through natural migration, more often than not they are introduced by the activities of humans. For example, domestic cats (Felis catus) were introduced by humans and are now common pets. Cats have been so successful invading new areas that their worldwide population is reported to exceed 500 million. Over 3 decades of u observations, cats were observed 169 times while observing Gursky's tarsier. Over time, the frequency that cats were observed while observing tarsiers increased. Similarly, the distance from the village that cats were observed increased over time indicating that the cats are moving further into the protected area. The tarsiers exhibited numerous responses to the presence of a cat. They always alarm called, and occasionally mobbed the cat. Several behavioral changes were made including increasing time traveling, increasing their height in the forest canopy, decreasing distance between group members. The cats attempted to prey on a tarsier 19 times. Twelve attempts were successful. Given that cat predation is known to have already caused faunal extinctions on islands, this threat to the tarsiers and other endemic species in Tangkoko Nature Reserve should not be taken lightly. One potential way to mitigate the negative impacts of cats on the tarsier population is by developing bylaws that restrict cat ownership adjacent to protected areas.},
}

@article {pmid40417069,
year = {2025},
author = {Feldman, EV and Kettenring, KM},
title = {Bet Hedging to Aid Seed-Based Wetland Restoration Under Hydrologic Extremes.},
journal = {Wetlands (Wilmington, N.C.)},
volume = {45},
number = {5},
pages = {52},
pmid = {40417069},
issn = {0277-5212},
abstract = {UNLABELLED: Reestablishing native plant communities following invasive species management is a common restoration goal for wetland managers. Although passive recolonization is occasionally sufficient, often, active revegetation through seeding is required. However, the outcomes of seeding likely differ by site (due to varying environmental conditions) and the composition of the seed mix. We evaluated the effects of both passive recolonization and seeding treatments (varying density and diversity of natives) on wetland plant community cover and composition at two sites in the Great Salt Lake Watershed, USA, over two years. We found that passive recolonization was insufficient to increase native plant cover at one location and limit invasive species' cover at either location. Furthermore, different emergent wetland restoration sites, despite geographic proximity, had different plant community outcomes, likely due to distinct site environmental conditions. We also found that the effects of the seeding treatments appeared to be overwhelmed by water depth due to two extreme weather events (severe drought in year 1 and prolonged flooding in year 2). However, these events provided an opportunity to observe the recovery potential of the different functional groups and identify three species of restoration interest (Bolboschoenus maritimus, Schoenoplectus acutus, and Distichlis spicata) that were able to survive the extreme conditions during both growing seasons at one site. These findings underscore the importance of not relying on passive recolonization and instead using bet-hedging strategies (e.g., seeding diverse mixes with species with a range of hydrologic tolerances) to overcome hydrologic extremes, conditions likely to become more common with climate change and ever-increasing upstream water diversions.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13157-025-01935-7.},
}

@article {pmid40415709,
year = {2025},
author = {Kimball, S and Nguyen, MA and Funk, JL and Lulow, M and Vose, G and Huxman, TE},
title = {Plant traits reveal that biotic resistance to invasibility is shaped by slope aspect.},
journal = {Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America},
volume = {35},
number = {3},
pages = {e70048},
pmid = {40415709},
issn = {1939-5582},
support = {//The Nature Conservancy/ ; //Natural Communities Coalition/ ; },
mesh = {*Introduced Species ; California ; *Ecosystem ; *Plants/classification ; },
abstract = {During community assembly, species' traits interact with environmental conditions and influence biotic interactions. Learning how traits of non-native species enable them to successfully navigate these interacting biotic and abiotic filters informs invasion dynamics. Here we test how plant traits relate to invasion resistance under differing degrees of abiotic stress based on slope aspect in a large restoration project in Southern California. The site was dominated by non-native annual plants but was restored to coastal sage scrub and grassland with mixtures of native shrubs, grasses, and forbs on two different slope aspects. Abiotic filters may be stronger than biotic filters on slopes exposed to greater solar radiation (S-facing at our study site) resulting in decreased soil moisture and increased abiotic stress. We measured subsequent establishment and performance by the three most abundant non-native species (Brassica nigra in year 1, Salsola tragus and Sonchus oleraceus in year 3) on N- and S-facing slopes to investigate relationships between traits, abiotic environment, native community composition, and invasibility in the context of community assembly. We evaluated which measures of community functional diversity best predicted invader performance and tested whether relationships between invader performance and community-weighted trait values varied by slope aspect. Plots with slow-growing native shrubs contained less of the fast-growing invasive, Brassica nigra. Invasibility was greatest in native communities restored with native grass and on N-facing slopes. Correlations among individual species traits indicated strong biotic filtering, but only in certain environments. For instance, the abundance of Phacelia cicutaria, a native annual with traits similar to Brassica nigra, was negatively correlated with that invasive on N-facing slopes. Community-weighted trait metrics were also related to invasibility and differed by slope aspect, though relationships varied based on specific functional trait, community-weighted trait measure (mean or dispersion), and invader. The native functional group most effective at preventing invasion (native shrubs) was different from the species that most prevented invasion (native forb). In restoration planning, functional groups and individual native species traits may be more predictive of invasion resistance than community-weighted trait metrics. Combining perennials with an under-story of fast-growing annuals worked well to prevent invasion by non-native annuals. Understanding the role of lifespan effects in biotic filtering is essential for interpreting complex community-weighted trait responses to environmental variation across space and time.},
}

*Introduced Species
California
*Ecosystem
*Plants/classification

@article {pmid40414133,
year = {2025},
author = {Price, SJ and Kluender, CR and Germino, MJ and Rodhouse, T},
title = {Reliability of satellite-based vegetation maps for planning wildfire-fuel treatments in shrub steppe: Inferences from two contrasting national parks.},
journal = {Journal of environmental management},
volume = {387},
number = {},
pages = {125808},
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125808},
pmid = {40414133},
issn = {1095-8630},
abstract = {Protecting habitat threatened by increasing wildfire size and frequency requires identifying the spatial intersection of wildfire behavior and ecological conditions that favor positive management outcomes. In the perennial sagebrush steppe of Western North America, invasions by fire-prone annual grasses are a key concern, and management of them requires reliable maps of vegetation cover, fuels, and wildfire behavior. We compared commonly used, publicly available vegetation cover and fuels maps, specifically the Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) and LANDFIRE, with field-based assessments at two U.S. National Parks dominated by sagebrush steppe: City of Rocks National Reserve and Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. Plant-community composition and fuels measured at ∼1700 field locations spanning ∼300,000 ha revealed that 1) RAP generally underestimated each vegetation cover type where the cover was actually abundant, and conversely overestimated cover types where they were actually scarce, and 2) there was considerable disagreement in fuel-bed maps derived from LANDFIRE compared to field observations. As a result, there were substantial discrepancies in the spatial patterning of wildfire behavior estimated from the fire-spread model FLAMMAP when parameterized with LANDFIRE compared to field-based fuel-bed maps created from Random Forests models. Reliable maps of vegetation cover and fuel conditions are needed to help guide fuels and invasive species management, especially given recent increases in pre- and post-fire treatments in arid and semiarid landscapes. The costs associated with poorly informed fuel reduction may greatly exceed the costs of field-based vegetation and fuels inventory to inform effective design of vegetative fuels treatments.},
}

@article {pmid40414056,
year = {2025},
author = {Collins, SF},
title = {Bioturbation and the resuspension of plastic pollutants by spawning common carp degrades lake water quality.},
journal = {The Science of the total environment},
volume = {984},
number = {},
pages = {179718},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179718},
pmid = {40414056},
issn = {1879-1026},
abstract = {Here, findings from a before-after-control-impact (BACI) field experiment are presented that tested the hypothesis that bioturbation (i.e., sediment disturbance through animal activities) from an invasive population of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) degrades water quality by resuspending microplastics and microfibers in lake surface waters during the spawning season. Concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS), microplastics (MP/L), and microfibers (MF/L) were compared before, during, and after a carp spawning event to assess the magnitude and duration of disturbance effects. Concentrations of total suspended solids, microplastics, and microfibers were all similar across sampling sites prior to spawning. As spawning commenced, carp bioturbation increased concentrations of TSS, microplastics, and microfibers by 2-3 times relative to control sites. After spawning ended, TSS and microplastic fragments each returned to ambient concentrations whereas microfiber concentrations remained higher than control sites for multiple weeks. Findings from this study expand the harmful environmental effects of invasive carp to the resuspension of microplastic pollutants and the degradation of lake water quality. Given the widespread distribution of common carp and their propensity for disturbing habitats and eroding water quality, the phenomena described in this study likely extends to many other lakes, floodplain and backwater habitats, ponds, and rivers polluted with plastics and other contaminants.},
}

@article {pmid40413247,
year = {2025},
author = {Ferreira, C and Martins, T and Melo, L and Veneza, I and Santana, P and Miranda, J and Lutz, Í and Sousa, J and Cardoso, B and Miranda, A and da Costa, JL and Matos, S and Holanda, FC and Vallinoto, M and Sampaio, I and Evangelista-Gomes, G},
title = {DNA reveal new invasive species of tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon (Penaeidae) along the world's largest mangrove region in the Brazilian Blue Amazon.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {18058},
pmid = {40413247},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; CNPq (407536/2021-3).//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Penaeidae/genetics/classification ; Brazil ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; *Introduced Species ; Phylogeny ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; Genetic Variation ; Wetlands ; Biodiversity ; Haplotypes ; Ecosystem ; *DNA/genetics ; },
abstract = {Bioinvasions represent a major environmental issue, particularly when they take place in biodiversity hotspots, such as mangrove ecosystems that serve as shelter for many marine species and fisheries resources. In this work, we used an integrative approach based on DNA and morphological analyses to identify individuals and the putative presence of cryptic diversity in the invasive tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) along a mangrove area on the northern coast of Brazil, referred to as "Blue Amazon". A fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was selected for DNA Barcode and associated with distance-based (ABGD-Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery) and probabilistic (GMYC-Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent and bPTP-Bayesian Poisson tree processes) species delimitation methods. Furthermore, the maternal origin of collected specimens was tracked. The molecular analyses recovered two genetically divergent lineages (7.7%) within the tiger prawn, indicating the occurrence of two species of this bioinvader on the northern coast of Brazil. Even though no differences in external morphology were detected, both lineages could be differentiated by their internal structures. The molecular traceability of the origin of samples showed that lineages I and II shared haplotypes with specimens from 11 and nine countries, respectively, including a shrimp breeding center in Vietnam. This is the first record of two species of tiger prawn along the Brazilian continental shelf. These findings are useful to the development of effective management policies in a region of particular biological relevance.},
}

Animals
*Penaeidae/genetics/classification
Brazil
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic
*Introduced Species
Phylogeny
Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics
Genetic Variation
Wetlands
Biodiversity
Haplotypes
Ecosystem
*DNA/genetics

@article {pmid40413199,
year = {2025},
author = {Li, H and Fu, T and Hao, H and Yu, Z},
title = {MAVSD: A Multi-Angle View Segmentation Dataset for Detection of Solidago Canadensis L.},
journal = {Scientific data},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {861},
pmid = {40413199},
issn = {2052-4463},
support = {ZR2021LZH005//Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation)/ ; ZR2021LZH005//Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation)/ ; ZR2021LZH005//Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation)/ ; ZR2021LZH005//Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation)/ ; 62171419//National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)/ ; 62171419//National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)/ ; 62171419//National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)/ ; 62171419//National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)/ ; },
mesh = {*Solidago ; *Introduced Species ; Unmanned Aerial Devices ; Deep Learning ; *Environmental Monitoring ; },
abstract = {Recent advancements in computer vision and deep learning have advanced automated vegetation monitoring, creating new opportunities for invasive species management. To this end, we introduce MAVSD (Multi-Angle View Segmentation Dataset), specifically designed for detecting Solidago canadensis L., a globally significant invasive plant. The dataset comprises high-resolution images captured by unmanned aerial vehicles from four angles (30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°), providing comprehensive coverage of plant structures and enabling in-depth understanding from multiple perspectives. MAVSD includes pixel-level semantic segmentation annotations across 13 classes, meticulously categorizing vegetation and environmental elements. Extensive experiments with state-of-the-art segmentation models validate MAVSD's effectiveness in enhancing invasive species detection and monitoring, with multi-angle training improving mIoU by up to 11% over single-angle baselines. The dataset's multi-angle, high-resolution characteristics strengthen ecological monitoring capabilities, offering valuable resources for research and environmental protection applications.},
}

*Solidago
*Introduced Species
Unmanned Aerial Devices
Deep Learning
*Environmental Monitoring

@article {pmid40410832,
year = {2025},
author = {Chu, B and Ge, S and He, W and Sun, X and Ma, J and Yang, X and Lv, C and Xu, P and Zhao, X and Wu, K},
title = {Gut symbiotic bacteria enhance reproduction in Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) by regulating juvenile hormone III and 20-hydroxyecdysone pathways.},
journal = {Microbiome},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {132},
pmid = {40410832},
issn = {2049-2618},
support = {2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; 2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; 2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; 2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; 2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; 2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; 2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; 2023FY100500//Chinese Science &Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; CARS-02//National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Construction Fund of China/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Spodoptera/microbiology/physiology/metabolism ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome/physiology ; *Ecdysterone/metabolism ; *Symbiosis ; Female ; Reproduction ; Enterobacter/isolation & purification/physiology ; Larva/microbiology ; Enterococcus/isolation & purification/physiology/genetics ; Klebsiella/isolation & purification/genetics/physiology ; Bacteria/classification/genetics ; *Juvenile Hormones/metabolism ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The insect gut microbiota forms a complex, multifunctional system that significantly affects phenotypic traits linked to environmental adaptation. Strong reproductive potential underpins the migratory success, population growth and destructive impact of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith). However, the precise role of gut bacteria in S. frugiperda reproductive processes, distribution and transmission dynamics remains unclear.

RESULTS: We examined the gut microbiota of S. frugiperda a major invasive agricultural pest, identifying Enterococcus, Enterobacter, and Klebsiella as core microorganisms present throughout its life cycle. These microbes showed heightened activity during the egg stage, early larval stages and pre-oviposition period in females. Using an axenic insect re-infection system, Enterococcus quebecensis FAW181, Klebsiella michiganensis FAW071 and Enterobacter hormaechei FAW049 were found to significantly enhance host fecundity, increasing egg production by 62.73%, 59.95%, and 56.71%, respectively. Metagenomic and haemolymph metabolomic analyses revealed a positive correlation between gut symbiotic bacteria and hormone metabolism in female S. frugiperda. Further analysis of metabolites in the insect hormone biosynthesis pathway, along with exogenous injection of juvenile hormone III and 20-hydroxyecdysone, revealed that gut microbes regulate these hormones, maintaining levels equivalent to those in control insects. This regulation supports improved fecundity in S. frugiperda, aiding rapid colonization and population expansion.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings emphasize the pivotal role of gut bacteria E. quebecensis FAW181, E. hormaechei FAW049, and K. michiganensis FAW071 in enhancing S. frugiperda reproduction by modulating JH III levels through JHAMT regulation and concurrently modulating the levels of 20E and its precursors via PHM. Our results provide novel insights into microbe-host symbiosis and pest management strategies for alien invasive species. Video Abstract.},
}

Animals
*Spodoptera/microbiology/physiology/metabolism
*Gastrointestinal Microbiome/physiology
*Ecdysterone/metabolism
*Symbiosis
Female
Reproduction
Enterobacter/isolation & purification/physiology
Larva/microbiology
Enterococcus/isolation & purification/physiology/genetics
Klebsiella/isolation & purification/genetics/physiology
Bacteria/classification/genetics
*Juvenile Hormones/metabolism

@article {pmid40410399,
year = {2025},
author = {Pintar, MR and Dorn, NJ},
title = {Invasive swamp eels reduce aquatic animal diversity and disproportionately reduce prey for nesting wading birds.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {17975},
pmid = {40410399},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {4500135928//South Florida Water Management District/ ; 4500135928//South Florida Water Management District/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Birds/physiology ; *Predatory Behavior ; *Biodiversity ; *Introduced Species ; Ecosystem ; Florida ; Biomass ; *Smegmamorpha/physiology ; Nesting Behavior ; Wetlands ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; },
abstract = {Ecosystem restoration often aims to create environmental conditions that support communities of native organisms resembling those prior to alteration by humans. One focus of the multi-decade multi-billion-dollar Florida Everglades restoration effort is to recreate hydrologic conditions in Everglades National Park and associated pulses of aquatic animal prey to support the large colonies of seasonally nesting wading birds that are iconic predators in the ecosystem. Recent studies indicate that invasion of predatory Asian Swamp Eels (Monopterus albus/javanensis) has disrupted the hydrology-mediated production of crayfish and some small fishes in the drainage of first invasion (circa 2012). Here we used a complete community dataset of fish and decapods to report changes to the aquatic community diversity, composition, and biomass of prey produced for wading birds. After the establishment of swamp eels in Taylor Slough (Everglades National Park) average fish and decapod richness declined by 25% and communities shifted to a new state dominated by grass shrimp and a few species of small fishes. Swamp eels differentially reduced the production of primary wading bird resources; while there has been a 68% decline in total small fish and decapod biomass, the biomass of the most important prey species for nesting wading birds declined 80%. If similar impacts follow the spread of swamp eels into other major drainages of the Everglades, the invasion may precipitate an ecosystem collapse-fundamentally simplifying and restructuring the aquatic communities of this vast wetland ecosystem and limiting the trophic support for wading bird breeding aggregations that are important indicators for ecological restoration.},
}

Animals
*Birds/physiology
*Predatory Behavior
*Biodiversity
*Introduced Species
Ecosystem
Florida
Biomass
*Smegmamorpha/physiology
Nesting Behavior
Wetlands
Conservation of Natural Resources

@article {pmid40410338,
year = {2025},
author = {Li, R and Zhu, L and Zhou, Y},
title = {The conditions of failing and successful plant invasions with free boundary.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {17910},
pmid = {40410338},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {12171418//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; KYCX24_3707//Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province/ ; },
mesh = {*Introduced Species ; *Plants ; *Models, Biological ; Models, Theoretical ; Seeds/growth & development ; },
abstract = {In this paper, a reaction-diffusion model is proposed to investigate the growing process of invasive plants. Two free boundaries are introduced to describe the spreading frontiers are caused only by the seeds. The main objective is to realize the variation of the invasive plants and the free boundaries. Similar to the basic reproduction number of epidemic diseases, we define the threshold parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] to discuss the dynamic behaviors of equilibrium solutions of invasive plants model with free boundary conditions. Based on them, we give the sufficient conditions for whether plants invade successfully or not. We show that the invasive plants will successfully persist in the new environment if [Formula: see text] with large initial values or [Formula: see text], while failing and dying out in the long run if [Formula: see text] with small initial values or [Formula: see text].},
}

*Introduced Species
*Plants
*Models, Biological
Models, Theoretical
Seeds/growth & development

@article {pmid40410236,
year = {2025},
author = {Channappa, M and Thiruvengadam, V and Shivakumar, N and Thammayya, SK and Nayyar, N and Muthugounder, M and Ramasamy, GG and Syamala, RR and Kukreti, A and Karthik, CM and Selvamani, S and Pathak, J and Jha, GK and Sushil, SN},
title = {Recombinase polymerase amplification assay for sensitive and rapid detection of invasive fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {18026},
pmid = {40410236},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {CABIN Project//ICAR/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Spodoptera/genetics ; *Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/methods ; *Recombinases/metabolism ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Introduced Species ; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques ; },
abstract = {The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is an invasive, polyphagous pest that threatens approximately 353 plant species across 72 families worldwide. Due to morphological similarities with other noctuid pests during the early larval, pupal, and adult stages, traditional identification methods are labour-intensive and require specialist expertise. Rapid, reliable detection is essential given the pest's potential for widespread destruction. Through genome-wide in-silico analysis, this study identified a unique region within a signal peptide gene of S. frugiperda, which served as the basis for developing PCR, LAMP, and RPA-based assays for detection. The PCR assay produced a specific 550 bp amplicon for S. frugiperda, showing no cross-reactivity with negative controls. In the LAMP assay, positive samples exhibited a sky-blue colour, while negative samples turned violet when hydroxynaphthol blue dye was used. The RPA assay, with SYBR green dye, displayed bright green in positive samples and brick-red in negatives. Sensitivity tests demonstrated that PCR detected as low as 1 pg/µL, while LAMP and RPA achieved a higher sensitivity of 100 fg/µL. This study introduces the first RPA colorimetric assay for S. frugiperda, providing a time-efficient, cost-effective option that requires minimal equipment, ideal for field detection, thereby supporting timely pest monitoring and management.},
}

Animals
*Spodoptera/genetics
*Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/methods
*Recombinases/metabolism
Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods
Sensitivity and Specificity
Introduced Species
Molecular Diagnostic Techniques

@article {pmid40408914,
year = {2025},
author = {Schroder, L and Lam-Gordillo, O and Ye, Q and Dittmann, S},
title = {Estuarine fish dynamics associated with polychaete reefs and environmental stressors.},
journal = {Marine environmental research},
volume = {209},
number = {},
pages = {107212},
doi = {10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107212},
pmid = {40408914},
issn = {1879-0291},
abstract = {Biogenic reefs serve as important habitats for fish, yet reef-building polychaetes and their functional role for associated estuarine fish communities is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the ecological role of one of the most prominent providers of polychaete reefs, Ficopomatus enigmaticus, in a large temperate estuary in Southern Australia (the Coorong). Fish communities were compared between F. enigmaticus reef and non-reef habitats. The fish community included 22 native species, and dissimilarity between the reef versus non-reef habitats was driven by the abundances of particular estuarine species. The fish community from the reef habitat were characterised by higher abundances of estuarine species of gobies (Pseudogobius olorum, Arenigobius bifrenatus, Tasmanogobius lasti, Afurcagobius tamarensis), smallmouth hardyhead (Atherinosoma microstoma), and black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri). The functional roles of F. enigmaticus reefs serve as either shelter or feeding habitats for estuarine fish especially during the juvenile life stage. An extreme flood event, one of the highest on record, lowered salinities throughout the estuary and lagoon. Temporal variations in fish communities of both reef and non-reef habitats from the estuary and lagoon were explained by stressors of the flood, heatwave and invasive species, and environmental conditions including the total monthly flow, water temperature and transparency. Reefs built by the polychaete F. enigmaticus deliver ecosystem functions that benefit fish communities and merit conservation.},
}

@article {pmid40408427,
year = {2025},
author = {Dougherty, MM and MacDonald, A and York, G and Post, DM},
title = {Monitoring a keystone species (Alosa pseudoharengus) with environmental effects: A comparison with direct capture and environmental DNA.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {20},
number = {5},
pages = {e0324385},
pmid = {40408427},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {*DNA, Environmental/analysis/genetics ; Animals ; *Fishes/genetics ; *Environmental Monitoring/methods ; Ecosystem ; Introduced Species ; },
abstract = {Keystone species are important drivers of ecological processes. Their ecological importance makes them prime candidates for biological monitoring, both to preserve and restore their populations when facing decline, and to limit their spread as invasive species. To monitor species well requires cost and labor efficient methods that are capable of detecting the target species at low abundances. Traditional sampling methods, or methods of direct capture, can be labor intensive when trying to monitor large areas or species at low abundances. Another method, environmental DNA (eDNA), has emerged as a more cost and time efficient supplement to traditional monitoring methods. Environmental DNA techniques and strategies continue to be developed, but face limitations for some taxonomic groups within certain habitats. Here, we propose a novel method for monitoring keystone species: environmental effects sampling. Keystone species have large effects on their environment relative to their abundance. Measuring their environmental effects-or quantifiable changes in the biotic or abiotic environment due to organism-environment interactions-has potential as a low-effort and low-cost method for detecting keystone species. In this study, we compare the effectiveness of traditional sampling, eDNA methods, and environmental effects sampling as an alternative low cost and time efficient method for monitoring the presence and abundance of an ecologically important keystone species, the alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus, in freshwater lakes. The alewife is a zooplanktivorous fish managed as a species of conservation concern along coastal New England, USA, and an invasive or non-native species throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes watershed. We sampled lakes throughout Michigan and Connecticut from 2018-2020 and compared the three monitoring methods along four axes: alewife presence/absence, alewife abundance, financial cost, and time efficiency. Our results suggest that monitoring alewife with environmental effects is more accurate, more cost efficient, and more time efficient than purse seining and eDNA. Our environmental effects results also led to the discovery that two historically recognized alewife lakes no longer contained alewife, as confirmed by traditional sampling. However, environmental effects monitoring was only useful for determining alewife presence/absence, and was not reliable for determining alewife relative abundance. Environmental effects monitoring presents novel opportunities for efficiently and effectively monitoring keystone species such as alewife for the purpose of restoration or management.},
}

*DNA, Environmental/analysis/genetics
Animals
*Fishes/genetics
*Environmental Monitoring/methods
Ecosystem
Introduced Species

@article {pmid40406592,
year = {2025},
author = {Bashari, H and Bazgir, F and Vahabi, MR},
title = {Prioritizing the Risk of Multiple Invasive Species in the Semiarid Rangelands of Iran: An Ecological Approach to Multicriteria Decision-Making.},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
volume = {15},
number = {5},
pages = {e71287},
pmid = {40406592},
issn = {2045-7758},
abstract = {Invasive plants pose a threat to production sustainability due to their detrimental effects on soil, food cycles, and hydrology. This study aimed to identify and analyze the effects of five invasive plant species on the rangelands of western Isfahan province, Iran. A random-systematic sampling of vegetation cover and soil was conducted at four rangeland sites, and mean soil characteristics were compared using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's test. Parametric principal component analysis (PCA) and nonparametric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis in CANOCO and PATN software were used to investigate the relationship between environmental factors and vegetation cover. Cluster analysis was employed for habitat grouping, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was utilized to analyze the risk of invasive plants. The analysis involved three main criteria, eight subcriteria, and five options. The compatibility ratio of each criterion was calculated using Expert Choice software to assess the accuracy of criteria weighting. Parametric ordination revealed significant correlations between the first and second principal components and mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, altitude, slope, nitrogen, and calcium. NMDS analysis revealed significant correlations between plant species and seven environmental variables in a three-dimensional ordination space (p < 0.05). Among the target species, Eryngium billardieri showed a positive correlation with rainfall, altitude, slope, calcium, nitrogen, and a negative correlation with mean annual temperature, rock, and gravel. However, the relationship of other species with environmental factors was not significant. Notably, Cousinia bachtiarica, Eryngium billardieri, Phlomis persica, Euphorbia decipiense, and Poa bulbosa exhibited the most destructive effects, respectively. The study results can inform targeted efforts to protect rangeland ecosystems against invasive plants. Furthermore, the study method is applicable for assessing the risk of other plant species in semiarid ecosystems.},
}

@article {pmid40405324,
year = {2025},
author = {Raquin, V and Martin, E and Minard, G and Valiente Moro, C},
title = {Variation in diet concentration and bacterial inoculum size in larval habitats shapes the performance of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus.},
journal = {Microbiome},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {130},
pmid = {40405324},
issn = {2049-2618},
support = {Micro-Be-Have//IDEX Lyon scientific breakthrough project/ ; Micro-Be-Have//IDEX Lyon scientific breakthrough project/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Aedes/microbiology/growth & development/physiology ; Larva/microbiology/growth & development/physiology ; *Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification ; Ecosystem ; *Diet ; Female ; *Microbiota ; Mosquito Vectors/microbiology ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Ecological niches present unique environmental and biological trademarks such as abiotic conditions, nutrient availability, and trophic interactions that may impact the ecology of living organisms. Female mosquitoes deposit their eggs in aquatic niches with fluctuating diet sources and microbial communities. However, how niche's diet and microbial composition impact mosquito performance (i.e., traits that maximize mosquito fitness) are not well understood. In this study, we focused on the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, one of the most invasive species in the world and a competent vector for human pathogens. To remove any external microbes, Ae. albopictus eggs were surface-sterilized then hatching larvae were exposed to a gradient of bacterial inoculum (i.e., initial microbial load) and diet concentrations while their impact on mosquito performance traits during juvenile development was measured.

RESULTS: Our results showed that Ae. albopictus larvae develop faster and give larger adults when exposed to microbiota in rearing water. However, mosquito performance, up to the adult stage, depends on both bacterial inoculum size and diet concentration in the aquatic habitat. Upon low inoculum size, larvae survived better if the diet was in sufficient amounts whereas a higher inoculum size was associated with optimal larvae survival only in the presence of the lower amount of diet. Inoculum size, and to a lesser extent diet concentration, shaped bacterial community structure and composition of larval-rearing water allowing the identification of bacterial taxa for which their abundance in larvae-rearing water correlated with niche parameters and/or larval traits.

CONCLUSIONS: Our work demonstrates that both diet concentration and bacterial inoculum size impact mosquito performance possibly by shaping bacterial community structure in the larval habitat, which accounts for a large part of the juvenile's microbiota. Host-microbe interactions influence several mosquito life-history traits, and our work reveals that niche parameters such as inoculum size and diet concentration could have numerous implications on the microbiota assembly and host evolutionary trajectory. This underlies that host-microbe-environment interactions are an important yet overlooked factor of mosquito adaptation to its local environment, with potential future implications for vector control and vector ecology. Video Abstract.},
}

Animals
*Aedes/microbiology/growth & development/physiology
Larva/microbiology/growth & development/physiology
*Bacteria/classification/genetics/isolation & purification
Ecosystem
*Diet
Female
*Microbiota
Mosquito Vectors/microbiology