311 research outputs found
Long-headed predators in Cretaceous amber-fossil findings of an unusual type of lacewing larva
No full textZIPPEL, ANA, KIESMÜLLER, CHRISTINE, HAUG, GIDEON T., MÜLLER, PATRICK, WEITERSCHAN, THOMAS, HAUG, CAROLIN, HÖRNIG, MARIE K., HAUG, JOACHIM T. (2021): Long-headed predators in Cretaceous amber-fossil findings of an unusual type of lacewing larva. Palaeoentomology 4 (5): 475-498, DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.4.5.14, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.4.5.1
FIGURE 5 in The earliest record of fossil solid-wood-borer larvae-immature beetles in 99 million-year-old Myanmar amber
No full textFIGURE 5. Fossil wood-borer larva with legs, Cerambycidae?/Buprestidae?, PED 0816. A, Dorsal view. B, Colour-marked version of A. C, Detail of anterior head region (image processed according to Haug et al., 2009). D, Upper part: detail of anterior body region; lower part: colour-marked version of upper part. Abbreviations: a1–a7 = abdomen segments 1–7; fe = femur; hc = head capsule; md = mandible; ms = mesothorax; mt = metathorax; pl = palp; pt = prothorax; st = stemmata; ti = tibiotarsus; tr = trochanter.Published as part of HAUG, CAROLIN, HAUG, GIDEON T., ZIPPEL, ANA, VAN DER WAL, SERITA & HAUG, JOACHIM T., 2021, The earliest record of fossil solid-wood-borer larvae-immature beetles in 99 million-year-old Myanmar amber, pp. 390-404 in Palaeoentomology 4 (4) on page 395, DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.4.4.14, http://zenodo.org/record/550795
FIGURE 11 in Long-headed predators in Cretaceous amber-fossil findings of an unusual type of lacewing larva
No full textFIGURE 11. Scatterplot of PC2 over PC1, representing the shapes of head capsules and stylets of different larvae of Myrmeleontiformia. The group "longheads" includes the new larvae described in this study and the holotype of Macleodiella electrina (see discussion).Published as part of ZIPPEL, ANA, KIESMÜLLER, CHRISTINE, HAUG, GIDEON T., MÜLLER, PATRICK, WEITERSCHAN, THOMAS, HAUG, CAROLIN, HÖRNIG, MARIE K. & HAUG, JOACHIM T., 2021, Long-headed predators in Cretaceous amber-fossil findings of an unusual type of lacewing larva, pp. 475-498 in Palaeoentomology 4 (5) on page 490, DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.4.5.14, http://zenodo.org/record/553020
FIGURE 8 in Long-headed predators in Cretaceous amber-fossil findings of an unusual type of lacewing larva
No full textFIGURE 8. Longhead larva preserved in Myanmar amber, specimen PED 0344; all composite images. A, Habitus in ventral view, transmitted light. B, Colour-marked version of A. C, Habitus in ventral view, non-polarised ring light on white background. D–E, Close-ups. D, Head capsule and its appendages; teeth on stylets are marked with arrows. E, Right locomotory appendage of metathorax, with trumpet-shaped empodium (marked by arrow). Abbreviations: a1–7 = abdomen segments 1–7; at = antenna; fe = femur; hc = head capsule; la = locomotory appendage; lp = labial palp; ms = mesothorax; mt = metathorax; pt = prothorax; st = stemmata; sy = stylet; ta = tarsus; te = terminal end; ti = tibia.Published as part of ZIPPEL, ANA, KIESMÜLLER, CHRISTINE, HAUG, GIDEON T., MÜLLER, PATRICK, WEITERSCHAN, THOMAS, HAUG, CAROLIN, HÖRNIG, MARIE K. & HAUG, JOACHIM T., 2021, Long-headed predators in Cretaceous amber-fossil findings of an unusual type of lacewing larva, pp. 475-498 in Palaeoentomology 4 (5) on page 486, DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.4.5.14, http://zenodo.org/record/553020
FIGURE 3 in Long-headed predators in Cretaceous amber-fossil findings of an unusual type of lacewing larva
No full textFIGURE 3. Longhead larva preserved in Myanmar amber, specimen PED 0453; all composite images. A, Habitus in (possible) dorsal view, non-polarised ring light on white background. B, Colour-marked version of A. C, Habitus in (possible) ventral view, non-polarised ring light on white background. D–G, Close-ups. D, Stylets with prominent teeth; small teeth are marked by arrows. E, Supposed left locomotory appendage of prothorax, with trumpet-shaped empodium (marked by arrow). F, Supposed left locomotory appendage of mesothorax, with trumpet-shaped empodium (marked by arrow). G, Supposed right locomotory appendage of metathorax, with trumpet-shaped empodium (marked by arrow). Abbreviations: at = antenna; fe = femur; hc = head capsule; lp = labial palp; sy = stylet; ta = tarsus; ti = tibia.Published as part of ZIPPEL, ANA, KIESMÜLLER, CHRISTINE, HAUG, GIDEON T., MÜLLER, PATRICK, WEITERSCHAN, THOMAS, HAUG, CAROLIN, HÖRNIG, MARIE K. & HAUG, JOACHIM T., 2021, Long-headed predators in Cretaceous amber-fossil findings of an unusual type of lacewing larva, pp. 475-498 in Palaeoentomology 4 (5) on page 481, DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.4.5.14, http://zenodo.org/record/553020
FIGURE 7 in Long-headed predators in Cretaceous amber-fossil findings of an unusual type of lacewing larva
No full textFIGURE 7. Longhead larva preserved in Myanmar amber, specimen PED 0134; all composite images. A, D, E, Close-ups. A, Head capsule and its appendages, non-polarised co-axial light on black background. B, Colour-marked version of C. C, Habitus in (possible) ventral view, non-polarised co-axial light on white background. D, Stylets with teeth (marked with arrows). E, Supposed right locomotory appendage of metathorax, with trumpet-shaped empodium (marked by arrow). Abbreviations: a1 = abdomen segment 1; at = antenna; cl = claw; cx = coxa; fe = femur; hc = head capsule; la = locomotory appendage; lp = labial palp; mt = metathorax; ne = neck; sy = stylet; ta = tarsus; ti = tibia; tr = trochanter.Published as part of ZIPPEL, ANA, KIESMÜLLER, CHRISTINE, HAUG, GIDEON T., MÜLLER, PATRICK, WEITERSCHAN, THOMAS, HAUG, CAROLIN, HÖRNIG, MARIE K. & HAUG, JOACHIM T., 2021, Long-headed predators in Cretaceous amber-fossil findings of an unusual type of lacewing larva, pp. 475-498 in Palaeoentomology 4 (5) on page 485, DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.4.5.14, http://zenodo.org/record/553020
Convergent evolution of defensive appendages – a lithobiomorph-like centipede with a scolopendromorph-type ultimate leg from about 100 million-year-old amber
No full text<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Centipedes are predatory representatives of the group Myriapoda and important components of the soil and leaf-litter fauna. The first pair of trunk appendages is modified into venom-injecting maxillipeds in all centipedes. The number of trunk appendage pairs varies between the different groups of centipedes, from 15 pairs as apparently ancestral (plesiomorphic) condition, up to 191 pairs. The last pair of trunk legs can be used for different tasks in centipedes, e.g. mechano-sensation, defense, or stridulation. Many morphological details are also known from fossil centipedes, but especially the oldest fossils are often fragmentary and the fossil record in general is rather scarce. Especially the late appearance of lithobiomorphans in Cenozoic ambers is notable, though some not formally described lithobiomorph-like specimens from Cretaceous amber from Myanmar have been published. We present here a new specimen from Cretaceous Kachin amber, Myanmar with a lithobiomorph-type of morphology, <jats:italic>Lithopendra anjafliessae</jats:italic> gen. et sp. nov. The very large ultimate leg appears to have been used for defence and is, in relative proportions, larger than in any known lithobiomorphan, only comparable to that in scolopendromorphans. With this, the specimen presents a mixture of characters, which are in the modern fauna only known from two different centipede groups. We discuss the implications of this new fossil, also concerning events of convergence in this lineage.</jats:p>
Mycobacterium smegmatis Vaccine Vector Elicits CD4+ Th17 and CD8+ Tc17 T Cells With Therapeutic Potential to Infections With Mycobacterium avium
No full textMycobacterium avium (Mav) complex is increasingly reported to cause non-tuberculous infections in individuals with a compromised immune system. Treatment is complicated and no vaccines are available. Previous studies have shown some potential of using genetically modified Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msm) as a vaccine vector to tuberculosis since it is non-pathogenic and thus would be tolerated by immunocompromised individuals. In this study, we used a mutant strain of Msm disrupted in EspG3, a component of the ESX-3 secretion system. Infection of macrophages and dendritic cells with Msm ΔespG3 showed increased antigen presentation compared to cells infected with wild-type Msm. Vaccination of mice with Msm ΔespG3, expressing the Mav antigen MPT64, provided equal protection against Mav infection as the tuberculosis vaccine, Mycobacterium bovis BCG. However, upon challenge with Mav, we observed a high frequency of IL-17-producing CD4+ (Th17 cells) and CD8+ (Tc17 cells) T cells in mice vaccinated with Msm ΔespG3::mpt64 that was not seen in BCG-vaccinated mice. Adoptive transfer of cells from Msm ΔespG3-vaccinated mice showed that cells from the T cell compartment contributed to protection from Mav infection. Further experiments revealed Tc17-enriched T cells did not provide prophylactic protection against subsequent Mav infection, but a therapeutic effect was observed when Tc17-enriched cells were transferred to mice already infected with Mav. These initial findings are important, as they suggest a previously unknown role of Tc17 cells in mycobacterial infections. Taken together, Msm ΔespG3 shows promise as a vaccine vector against Mav and possibly other (myco)bacterial infections.publishedVersionCopyright © 2020 Kannan, Haug, Steigedal and Flo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms
Convergent evolution and convergent loss in the grasping structures of immature earwigs and aphidlion-like larvae as demonstrated by about 100-million-year-old fossils
No full textAbstract Convergent evolution is a common phenomenon, independently leading to similar morphologies in different evolutionary lineages. Often similar functional demands drive convergent evolution. One example is the independent evolution of grasping structures in different lineages of Euarthropoda, though the exact morphology of these grasping structures varies significantly. In this study, we investigated grasping apparatuses with two movable counteracting structures as well as some related structures, exemplified by the stylets (compound structures of mouthparts) of aphidlion-like larvae (part of Neuroptera or lacewings) and the cerci of immature earwigs (Dermaptera). For the stylets of aphidlion-like larvae, studies have pointed to a significant loss in morphological diversity in the last 100 million years. We used quantitative morphology to evaluate if a similar process has also occurred in the cerci of earwigs. The cerci of extant immature earwigs exhibit two distinct types of morphologies in the modern fauna: elongated cerci divided into several ringlets with a feeler-type function, and pincer-like stout cerci. In some fossil immature earwigs, however, the cerci are generally elongated but undivided and roughly occupy the morphospace between those of the two modern cerci types; hence this fossil cerci morphology appears to have been lost. To some extent, a comparable loss is also found in certain lacewing larvae. Outgroup comparisons suggest that the morphologies no longer present today are in fact not ancestral, but instead specialised, hence their loss is possibly resulting from disruptive evolution in earwigs as well as lacewings. We discuss the possible functions of these specialised grasping structures
New indications for the life habits of long-legged aphidlion-like larvae in about 100-million-year-old amber
No full textLarvae of lacewings (Neuroptera) are known to be fierce predators today. Most characteristic are their prominent piercing-sucking stylets, which are used for venom injection and sucking out the fluids of the prey. Among lacewing larvae, aphidlions (larvae of the groups Chrysopidae and Hemerobiidae, green and brown lacewings) are today highly specialised to feed on aphids and evolved strategies to not be detected and attacked by, e.g., aphid-protecting ants. Fossil relatives of modern aphidlions seem to have also employed other strategies. For the species Pedanoptera arachnophila from about 100-million-year-old Kachin amber, Myanmar, an interaction of its larvae with spiders has been assumed. We present here new specimens resembling these larvae, including one piece of Cretaceous Kachin amber with a syn-inclusion of an aphidlion-like larva and an immature planthopper, indicating planthoppers as potential prey of the group about 100 million years ago. The morphology of the lacewing larva, with a trapezoid head capsule (in dorsal view), simple, toothless stylets, very elongate legs, and a spindle-shaped trunk, indicates that it is conspecific or at least closely related to P. arachnophila. We reconstruct the possible ontogenetic sequence of Pedanoptera arachnophila and discuss its ecology
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