Carried away by a moonlight shadow: activity of wild boar in relation to nocturnal light intensity

An increase of nocturnal activity of ungulate species may represent a compensatory opportunity for energy intake, when activity in daylight is hindered by some disturbance events (e.g. hunting or predation). Therefore, mostly-diurnal and crepuscular species may be active in bright moonlight nights whereas others may shift their diurnal activity towards darkest nights to limit their exposure to predators. In natural and undisturbed conditions, the wild boar may be active both during the day and the night, with alternating periods of activity and resting. In this work, we tested whether activity patterns of wild boar, a species with poor visive abilities, were dependent on moon phases and environmental lightening. We aimed to assess if nocturnal activity could be better explained by variations of the lunar cycle or by the variations of environmental lightening conditions, evaluated by means of different measures of night brightness. Data were collected through camera-trapping in Central Italy in 2019–2020. Despite the poor visive abilities of the wild boar, we observed that this ungulate significantly reduced their activity by avoiding the brightest nights. In our study area, the wild boar has to cope with both human pressure (i.e. mostly hunters and poachers) and predation by the grey wolf. Furthermore, the nocturnal activity of wild boar peaked in mid-Autumn, i.e. when hunting pressure is the highest and when leaf fall may bring wild boar to range for long distances to find suitable resting sites for diurnal hours.

Circadian alignment of feeding regulates lifespan extension by caloric restriction

Caloric restriction (CR) promotes longevity in several species. Classic CR protocols often lead to chronic cycles of 2h-feeding/22h-fasting, raising the question whether calories, fasting or time of day are causal. To address this, we tested an AL control group and five CR protocols with different timing and duration of feeding/fasting cycles. C57BL/6J male mice were subjected to 30% CR as one single meal a day at the beginning of the day or night (classical protocols with < 2h feeding, CR-day and CR-night), or smaller meals distributed for 12h (CR-day-12h and CR-night-12h), or evenly spread out throughout 24h (CR-spread) to abolish the otherwise daily feeding pattern adopted by nocturnal animals. We found that CR alone is sufficient to extend lifespan without fasting. However, the benefits are enhanced if feeding/fasting cycles are present and match their normal nocturnal activity. Circadian alignment of feeding with at least 12h fasting boosts CR-mediated increase on survival in mice, independently body weight. Aging leads to widespread upregulation of inflammation-related genes and downregulation of metabolic pathways in liver from ad lib fed mice; whereas CR at night ameliorates these aging-related changes and preserves circadian oscillations in gene expression. Overall, our results demonstrate that circadian interventions promote longevity and provide a novel perspective for elucidating mechanisms of aging.

Identification of insects associated with ebony (Diospyros celebica Bakh.) as an endemic tree to Sulawesi

The population of ebony trees in Sulawesi has decreased and has been included in Appendix II Cites, which means it can only be traded based on quotas. Insect studies on ebony stands are still limited, especially in South Sulawesi. This study aims to determine the diversity and association of ebony with insects found in ebony stands in the Hasanuddin University Education Forest, Maros Regency. This activity was carried out in June 2021. Sampling was carried out using the light trap method for winged insects with nocturnal activity and pitfall traps for insects crawling on the ground. Data analysis to determine the diversity of insect species was carried out using the Shannon-Wiener (H') species and the Margalef index. The results showed that the insects found were 8 orders, 20 families, and 28 species from 128 individuals. Based on analysis of their functional role, the insect complexes consist of 34% herbivores, 50% predators, 8% parasitoids, 14% detritivores and 2% transient species. The diversity of species was classified as moderate, namely 2.71, while the richness index value of 5.56, which was classified as high richness in Ebony Stands.

Coleopteran Pollinators of Annonaceae in the Brazilian Cerrado—A Review

The evolutionary trajectories of insects and angiosperms appear to be intimately interconnected. Increases in the diversity of phytophagous beetles and angiosperms co-occur in the Mesozoic fossil record, and there is fossil evidence of pollinivory and pollination by insects, both in flowering plants and in gymnosperms. The oldest records of angiosperm pollination indicate flies as pollen vectors. A basal group of angiosperms, the order Magnoliales, has retained plesiomorphic characters such as dozens of pistils and stamens spiraling around the receptacle. In a family of this order, Annonaceae, over 90% of species are pollinated by beetles. In many Annonaceae species, flowers display wide spaces, referred to as floral chambers, where beetles can find shelter from weather conditions and predators, food in the form of pollen and tissues, and a mating site. Two basic types of floral chambers can be distinguished: small chambers visited by small beetles (Nitidulidae, Staphylinidae, Chrysomelidae, and Curculionidae) with diurnal and/or nocturnal activity and large and thermogenic floral chambers visited by beetles of the tribe Cyclocephalini (Scarabaeoidea, Melolonthidae). In the latter case, the heat that the flowers produce may serve as a resource for the beetles that visit them, resulting in smaller endothermy costs for the scarabs. This study reviewed the literature including PhD and MSc theses on cantharophilous Annonaceae in the Cerrado. In this biome, both types of associations are found, although cantharophilous Annonaceae represent a small portion of the plant species (<5%). Cantharophilous Annonaceae in the Cerrado share attributes according to the beetles that pollinate them: species pollinated by small beetles, for instance, may flower throughout the year, whereas Annonaceae pollinated by Cyclocephalini normally flower in the beginning of the rainy season (October/November), in synchrony with the phenological patterns of their pollinators. Cantharophilous Annonaceae flowers, regardless of their size, tend to have light colors and sweet and fruity odors. In addition to the lack of studies on the attraction of beetles by these floral characters, the taxonomic composition of the beetles that pollinate Annonaceae in the Cerrado is poorly known. This review attempts to discuss, in light of what has already been published, potential fields of investigation concerning pollinating beetles’ behavior and evolution.

Nomen “shchur” as the Ukrainian name of mammals from the genus Arvicola: historical and etymological survey

The ancient Ukrainian zoonym “shchur”, which has long been used for various animals, but most often for large burrowing rodents represented in the aboriginal fauna of Ukraine by the genus Arvicola, is considered. At the same time, this name is also used as a synonym for the word “krysa” (= rat), and in this sense is often identified with the genus Rattus (“patsiuk” = rat) to denote various large rodents from distant lands following a principle “ the small = mice, the large = rats”. Therefore, the name “shchur” is often considered ambiguous and thus worth either forgetting or using only for the alien species. Etymological hypotheses are considered, of which the most relevant to zoological specifics is the one that explains the connection with burrows, ground, and night. This set of features determines the general ecomorphological type: large long-tailed underground mouse-like rodents with expressed nocturnal activity, which appearance in human economies is undesirable. The history of use of the name “shchur” in the special literature, mainly in zoological reviews and other zoological studies, in the period from 1874 to 2020 is analysed. The widespread use of the nomen to denote different groups of animals, and especially rodents of the ecomorphological type “large mice”, which are representatives of the genera Arvicola and Rattus, is shown. Analysis of old sources showed that the name “shchur” was originally used as a common “generic” name for all species as well as some intraspecific forms of both genera, with the definition of semantic differences in the species modifier: water, common, ground, nomadic, basement, black, ship, mill, and so on “shchur”. Unambiguous fixation of Ukrai­nian generic names as equivalents to scientific generic names required the typification of all names, which took place in the Ukrainian scientific nomenclature in the late XIX and early XX centuries. As a result, the name “rat” is proposed to be assigned to the genus Arvicola, and for the genus Rattus to be recorded as the Ukrainian equivalent of the nomen “patsiuk” (“rat”). Arguments are presented to recognise the antiquity of the zoonym “shchur” and therefore to recognise its importance for the designation of aboriginal rodent species, and especially of “water shchur” (water vole, Arvicola amphibius) voles of the genus Arvicola in general. The practice of traditional naming of laboratory rats as “shchur”, as well as the use of the name “shchur” with appropriate definitions to refer to other genera, inclu­ding muskrats (“musk shchur” or “musk rat”), nutria (“marsh shchur” or “marsh rat”) and various representatives of distant faunas (bamboo or spiny tree-rats, etc.) in the Ukrainian zoonymics should be abolished.

Nocturnal Activity of Aedes spp. in the Filariasis Endemic Area in Central Java

Program eliminasi filariasis belum menunjukkan hasil maksimal di Provinsi Jawa Tengah. Perubahan perilaku vektor nyamuk terutama waktu aktif menghisap darah sangat mempengaruhi penularan penyakit filariasis. Salah satu perubahan perilaku vektor tersebut adalah aktivitas nyamuk Aedes spp. yang aktif di pagi hari menjadi aktif di malam hari. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mendeskripsikan aktivitas nokturnal nyamuk Aedes spp. di daerah endemis filariasis di Jawa Tengah. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian observasional dengan desain cross-sectional yang dilakukan di dua desa endemis filariasis yaitu Desa Tegal Dowo, Kecamatan Tirto, Kabupaten Pekalongan dan Desa Ujung-Ujung, Kecamatan Pabelan, Kabupaten Semarang. Penangkapan nyamuk dilakukan selama 2 malam di rumah penderita filariasis atau rumah di sekitar rumah kasus (Jarak ± 200 meter) dengan menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Penangkapan nyamuk berlangsung pada pukul 18.00 - 24.00 WIB dengan jumlah penangkap nyamuk 3 orang di dalam dan 3 orang di luar rumah. Pengumpulan nyamuk dilakukan dengan metode Human Landing Collection (HLC) dan resting collection. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan peningkatan aktivitas nokturnal Aedes aegypti dan Aedes albopictus di daerah endemis filariasis di Jawa Tengah. Total nyamuk Aedes spp. yang ditemukan yaitu sebanyak 124 nyamuk, dengan 121 Ae. aegypti ditemukan di dalam rumah dan 2 nyamuk diluar rumah. Di dua wilayah penelitian ditemukan waktu aktif Ae. aegypti berada pada pukul 18.00-19.00 WIB. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan adanya aktivitas nokturnal dari Aedes spp. di wilayah endemis Filariasis di Provinsi Jawa Tengah

Changes in the nocturnal activity of birds during the COVID–19 pandemic lockdown in a neotropical city

The COVID–19 lockdown provided the opportunity to measure species biodiversity in urban environments under conditions divergent from regular urban rhythms. For 90 days, including weeks of strict lockdown and the subsequent relaxation of restrictions, we measured the presence and abundance of birds that were active at night at two sites in the city of Cali, Colombia. Our results show that species richness of nocturnal birds decreased 40 % to 58 % during the weeks with more human activity, adding further evidence to the biodiversity responses of the ‘anthropause’ on urban environments.

Size-age differences in the bioecology of Mesobuthus eupeus (c.l. koch, 1839) (arachnida, scorpiones, buthidae) in Azerbaijan

The biotopical distribution, size and age structure of the population, nocturnal activity rhythm and feeding of the mottled scorpion (Mesobuthus eupeus) were studied. The research was conducted on the left bank of the Pirsagat river (Shirvan plain, Istern Azerbaijan). All discovered individuals of scorpions were divided into 5 size and age groups by the length of the metasome. The biotopical distribution of the mottled scorpion had a pronounced aggregated character with the formation of local clusters (settlements) in which 5 types of ratios of size and age groups were identified. It was found that individuals of II groups and I have unimodal, III and IV groups bimodal, and V group trimodal character of the rhythm of nocturnal activity. As the size of scorpions increases, the breadth of the nutrition spectrum increases, and the intensity of nutrition decreases. The index of electivity in II groups and I had negative values, and from III to V groups for some taxa of preys positive values. Representatives of the orders Isopoda (Crustacea), Aranei (Arachnida), Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera (Insecta) play a leading role in the nutrition of individuals of all size- age groups. As the size of scorpions increases, the proportion of members of the orders Hymenoptera, Blattodea and Collembola in their diet decreases. Representatives of the orders Coleoptera and Orthoptera are noted in the diet of scorpions from group III to V groups. Representatives of the orders Pulmonata (Gastropoda), Lumbricidae (Oligochaeta), Scolopendromorpha (Chilopoda), and Solifugae (Arachnida) are present in the diet only in individuals of IV and V groups.

Association between nocturnal activity of the sympathetic nervous system and cognitive dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnoea

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with repetitive breathing obstructions during sleep. These episodes of hypoxia and associated arousals from sleep induce physiological stress and nocturnal over-activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). One consequence of OSA is impairment in a range of cognitive domains. Previous research into cognitive impairment in OSA have focussed on intermittent hypoxia and disrupted sleep, but not nocturnal over-activation of the SNS. Therefore, we investigated whether nocturnal over-activity of the SNS was associated with cognitive impairments in OSA. The extent of nocturnal SNS activation was estimated from heart rate variability (HRV), pulse wave amplitude (PWA) and stress response biomarkers (cortisol and glucose levels). OSA severity was significantly associated with PWA indices and the HRV low frequency/ high frequency ratio (p < 0.05). Morning blood glucose levels were significantly associated with the duration of a blood oxygen saturation (SaO2) < 90% (p < 0.01). PWA and HRV were significantly associated with the time taken to perform a task involving visuospatial functioning (p < 0.05), but not with impairments in sustained attention, reaction time or autobiographical memory. These results suggest that the visuospatial dysfunction observed in people with OSA is associated with increased nocturnal activity of the SNS.