Eggs in faeces: defensive mechanisms and effects of faecal coating by a water scavenger beetle, Coelostoma stultum (Coleopterea: Hydrophilidae).

The egg stage in insect development is vulnerable to fluctuations in environmental conditions and attacks by natural enemies. Protective devices are effective means of avoiding both abiotic and biotic damage to eggs. Although some insects use their faeces as a protective device, few studies have focused on using faeces for egg protection, and studies that examined the mechanism are lacking. Females of a water scavenger beetle, Coelostoma stultum, typically lay eggs and coat them with cocoons and their faeces. The efficacy of a double defensive device, however, remains uncertain. Here, we conducted field observations and laboratory experiments to assess the protective effects of cocoons with faecal coating on eggs against predation and determine the duration and mechanisms of this defence. Our findings reveal that the faeces on the egg cocoon protected eggs from predation by the pill bugs, Armadillidium vulgare, and marsh slugs, Deroceras laeve. Laboratory experiments showed that the defensive effect of faecal coating was maintained for three days and decreased daily. The double protective traits with faecal coating on the egg cocoons protected the eggs from instense predation pressure in C. stultum. The behavioural patterns of the pill bugs and egg predation rates indicate that the faecal coating behaviour in C. stultum protects eggs with chemical compounds and textural camouflage in mud when the antennae of the pill bugs touch faeces. It is important to note that for this defence to be effective, the chemistry and texture of the faeces should be similar to that of the oviposition sites.

First report of the genus Thirumalaia Zettel amp; Laciny, 2021 (Hemiptera: Veliidae) in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, with the description of a new species.

The genus Thirumalaia Zettel Laciny, 2021 (Veliidae: Microveliinae) was recently established with one Indian species. Here, a new species, T. kaara sp. nov., from Ishigaki-jima Island and Iriomote-jima Island, Ryukyu, Japan is described. Additionally, the distribution of the genus is updated and laboratory rearing information of the immature stages of T. kaara sp. nov. are provided.

A New Species of Small Water Strider in the Genus Microvelia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from Aichi Prefecture, Honshu, Japan.

A new species of small water strider (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae), Microvelia pilosa sp. nov., is described from Aichi Prefecture, Honshu, Japan. It belongs to the subgenus Picaultia Distant, 1913 within the genus Microvelia Westwood, 1834, and is similar to Microvelia japonica Esaki and Miyamoto, 1955 and Microvelia douglasi douglasi Scott, 1874. The new species can be distinguished from these two taxa by its blackish-brown body, small punctures on the pronotum, and arcuate right paramere that is slender only in the distal part. Our molecular phylogenetic analysis using the mitochondrial COI gene revealed that M. pilosa sp. nov. is genetically separated from some of the other Japanese Microvelia and is most closely related to M. japonica.

Role of Cytokines in Ranibizumab Therapy for Macular Edema in Patients with Central Retinal Vein Occlusion.

Purpose: To investigate aqueous humor levels of 11 factors/cytokines in patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and macular edema (ME) receiving anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy, as well as correlations between changes of functional or morphological parameters and aqueous cytokine levels. Methods: In 32 CRVO patients scheduled to receive 2 consecutive doses of intravitreal ranibizumab, aqueous samples were obtained at the time of injecting each dose. Aqueous levels of VEGF, soluble VEGF receptor (sVEGFR)-1, sVEGFR-2, platelet-derived growth factor-AA (PDGF-AA), placental growth factor (PlGF), interleukin-6, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) were measured using a suspension array. Results: Aqueous humor levels of VEGF, sVEGFR-1, PDGF, PlGF, interleukin-6, and MCP-1 were all significantly lower at 1 month after the initial dose of intravitreal ranibizumab compared with baseline. A significant negative correlation was noted between the change of ME and the changes of aqueous humor VEGF or interleukin-6 levels after intravitreal ranibizumab. The change of VEGF also showed a significant negative correlation with improvement of visual acuity. Conclusions: In patients with CRVO, the changes of visual acuity and ME after intravitreal ranibizumab were associated with inhibition of intraocular VEGF production. VEGF could be a useful marker for the response of ME to treatment.