A Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly and Annotation for the Oecanthus rufescens (Orthoptera: Oecanthidae).

Oecanthus is a genus of cricket known for its distinctive chirping and distributed across major zoogeographical regions worldwide. This study focuses on Oecanthus rufescens, and conducts a comprehensive examination of its genome through genome sequencing technologies and bioinformatic analysis. A high-quality chromosome-level genome of O. rufescens was successfully obtained, revealing significant features of its genome structure. The genome size is 877.9 Mb, comprising ten pseudo-chromosomes and 70 other sequences, with a GC content of 41.38% and an N50 value of 157,110,771 bp, indicating a high level of continuity. BUSCO assessment results demonstrate that the genome's integrity and quality are high (of which 96.8% are single-copy and 1.6% are duplicated). Comprehensive genome annotation was also performed, identifying approximately 310 Mb of repetitive sequences, accounting for 35.3% of the total genome sequence, and discovering 15,481 tRNA genes, 4,082 rRNA genes, and 1,212 other noncoding genes. Furthermore, 15,031 protein-coding genes were identified, with BUSCO assessment results showing that 98.4% (of which 96.3% are single-copy and 1.6% are duplicated) of the genes were annotated.

Time and habitat structure shape insect acoustic activity in the Amazon.

Insects are the most diverse animal taxon on Earth and play a key role in ecosystem functioning. However, they are often neglected by ecological surveys owing to the difficulties involved in monitoring this small and hyper-diverse taxon. With technological advances in biomonitoring and analytical methods, these shortcomings may finally be addressed. Here, we performed passive acoustic monitoring at 141 sites (eight habitats) to investigate insect acoustic activity in the Viruá National Park, Brazil. We first describe the frequency range occupied by three soniferous insect groups (cicadas, crickets and katydids) to calculate the acoustic evenness index (AEI). Then, we assess how AEI varies spatially and temporally among habitat types, and finally we investigate the relationship between vegetation structure variables and AEI for each insect category. Overall, crickets occupied lower and narrower frequency bands than cicadas and katydids. AEI values varied among insect categories and across space and time. The highest acoustic activity occurred before sunrise and the lowest acoustic activity was recorded in pastures. Canopy cover was positively associated with cricket acoustic activity but not with katydids. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of time, habitat and vegetation structure in shaping insect activity within diverse Amazonian ecosystems. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards a toolkit for global insect biodiversity monitoring'.

Monoaminergic Systems in Flight-Induced Potentiation of Phonotactic Behavior in Female Crickets Gryllus bimaculatus.

We have recently shown that experience of flight remarkably enhanced subsequent terrestrial phonotaxis in females in response to the male calling song. Here, we elucidated the possible roles of octopamine and serotonin in the enhancing effect of flying on phonotactic behavior. Octopamine is known to be released into the hemolymph during flight in insects; however, the octopamine receptor antagonist epinastine did not abolish the effects of flight in our study. On the contrary, the drug significantly potentiated the influence of flying on phonotactic behavior. The octopamine receptor agonist chlordimeform, at a concentration of 2 mM, which was previously found to activate aggression in crickets, dramatically reduced the phonotactic response. However, at a 10-times-lower dose, chlordimeform produced a light but significant decrease in the time that females took to reach the source of the calling song. A similar effect was produced by octopamine itself, which hardly passes the blood-brain barrier in insects. The effect of flight was completely abolished in female crickets treated with alpha-methyl tryptophan (AMTP). AMPT suppresses the synthesis of serotonin, decreasing its content in the nervous systems of insects, including crickets. An activation of the serotonin synthesis with 5-hydroxytryptophan mimicked the effect of flight by increasing the number of visits to and the time spent in the zone near the source of the calling song. The 5-HT content in the third thoracic ganglion was significantly higher in flyers compared to the control group. In contrast, no changes in the octopamine level were observed in the third thoracic ganglion, which is known to play a crucial role in decision-making involved in intraspecific interactions. Therefore, the results suggest that although octopamine is known to be released into the hemolymph during flight, it is likely to inhibit rather than activate the central mechanisms related to phonotaxis. The weak facilitating effect of a low dose of chlordimeform can be attributed to the activation of peripheral octopaminergic receptors. Our results suggest that the serotoninergic system may contribute to the facilitation of female phonotactic behavior by flying. We suggest that both flying and serotonin enhance sexual motivation in females and, by these means, impact their behavioral response to the male calling song.

Fossil-calibrated phylogenies of Southern cave weta show dispersal and extinction confound biogeographic signal.

The biota of continents and islands are commonly considered to have a source-sink relationship, but small islands can harbour distinctive taxa. The distribution of four monotypic genera of Orthoptera on young subantarctic islands indicates a role for long-distance dispersal and extinction. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred from whole mtDNA genomes and nuclear sequences (45S cassette; four histones). We used a fossil and one palaeogeographic event to calibrate molecular clock analysis. We confirm that neither the Australian nor Aotearoa-New Zealand Rhaphidophoridae faunas are monophyletic. The radiation of Macropathinae may have begun in the late Jurassic, but trans-oceanic dispersal is required to explain the current distribution of some lineages within this subfamily. Dating the most recent common ancestor of seven island endemic species with their nearest mainland relative suggests that each existed long before their island home was available. Time estimates from our fossil-calibrated molecular clock analysis suggest several lineages have not been detected on mainland New Zealand, Australia, or elsewhere most probably due to their extinction, providing evidence that patterns of extinction, which are not consistently linked to range size or lineage age, confound biogeographic signal.

An Overview of Orthoptera Mass Occurrences in Croatia from 1900 to 2023.

During the last century, well-known locust species, such as Calliptamus italicus and Dociostaurus maroccanus, have produced outbreaks of varying degrees in the Balkans. The literature data on outbreaks in the region are scarce, and Croatia is not an exception. This study summarized the data on 23 Orthoptera mass occurrences in Croatia from 1900 to 2023 from 28 localities, representing 12 species. This is a low level of outbreak activity compared with other locust and pest grasshopper species in other parts of the world. The species with the most reporting is C. italicus with altogether six mass occurrences, while second is Barbitistes ocskayi and Miramella irena with three records, and in the third, place D. maroccanus and Gryllotalpa sp., each with two mass occurrences having been reported. One of the most notable swarms is that of Anacridium aegyptium which occurred around Sibenik in 1998, and this paper provides the first account of it, 25 years after it took place. The most recent outbreaks took place in 2022, and the most notable one was that of D. maroccanus swarm in Stikovo. The 2022 and 2023 reports were brief and muted, despite the affected agriculturists claiming significant damages.

Concentration- and Time-Dependent Dietary Exposure to Graphene Oxide and Silver Nanoparticles: Effects on Food Consumption and Assimilation, Digestive Enzyme Activities, and Body Mass in Acheta domesticus.

The advancement of nanotechnology poses a real risk of insect exposure to nanoparticles (NPs) that can enter the digestive system through contaminated food or nanopesticides. This study examines whether the exposure of model insect species-Acheta domesticus-to increasing graphene oxide (GO) and silver nanoparticle (AgNP) concentrations (2, 20, and 200 ppm and 4, 40, and 400 ppm, respectively) could change its digestive functions: enzymes' activities, food consumption, and assimilation. We noticed more pronounced alterations following exposure to AgNPs than to GO. They included increased activity of α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase but inhibited protease activity. Prolonged exposure to higher concentrations of AgNPs resulted in a significantly decreased food consumption and changed assimilation compared with the control in adult crickets. A increase in body weight was observed in the insects from the Ag4 group and a decrease in body weight or no effects were observed in crickets from the Ag40 and Ag400 groups (i.e., 4, 40, or 400 ppm of AgNPs, respectively), suggesting that even a moderate disturbance in nutrient and energy availability may affect the body weight of an organism and its overall condition. This study underscores the intricate interplay between NPs and digestive enzymes, emphasizing the need for further investigation to comprehend the underlying mechanisms and consequences of these interactions.

Experimental evolution under varying sex ratio and behavioral plasticity in response to perceived competitive environment independently affect calling effort in male crickets.

The operational sex ratio (OSR) is a key component influencing the magnitude of sexual selection driving the evolution of male sexual traits, but males often also retain the ability to plastically modulate trait expression depending on the current environment. Here we employed an experimental evolution approach to determine whether the OSR affects the evolution of male calling effort in decorated crickets, a costly sexual trait, and whether plasticity in calling effort is altered by the OSR under which males have evolved. Calling effort of males from 2 selection regimes maintained at different OSRs over 18-20 generations (male vs. female biased) was recorded at 2 different levels of perceived competition, in the absence of rivals or in the presence of an experimentally muted competitor. The effect of the OSR on the evolution of male calling effort was modest, and in the opposite direction predicted by theory. Instead, the immediate competitive environment strongly influenced male calling effort as males called more in the presence of a rival, revealing considerable plasticity in this trait. This increased calling effort came at a cost, however, as males confined with a muted rival experienced significantly higher mortality.

Novel insect-based child nutrition: the position of the nutritional committee of the Italian society of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition (SIGENP).

BACKGROUND: The European Union (EU) approved the placement on European market of insect-based novel foods. Those foods were defined safe for the consumption for all European population, including children. MAIN BODY: The nutrition committee of the Italian society of Paediatric Hepatology and Nutrition (SIGENP) performed literature research to understand benefits and risk of those use of those NF for Italian children. A special attention was reserved to the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) reports upon which those novel insect-based were approved. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the current knowledge, despite a possible ecological advantage, the group of expert suggests additional researches before pronouncing on a possible use for children diet, because of insufficient evidence on nutritional benefits and possible food allergies.

Delineating the calling pattern of Oecanthus indicus from native and non-native plant species.

The study attempted to understand the effect of the host plants on the call parameters of native tree cricket, Oecanthus indicus (Order: Orthoptera, Sub-order: Ensifera, Family: Gryllidae) while calling from native (Justicia adhatoda) and non-native host plant species (Lantana camara and Hyptis suaveolens). The study was conducted at four locations across India. Calls of O. indicus were recorded on these host plants in the field and spectral and temporal parameters of calls were analysed. The results suggested that the peak frequency varied among the two non-native plant species while the difference in temporal pattern between the native and non-native host plants was observed only in the syllable period. The study also quantified the choice of calling positions of insects from the three-host species. The native O. indicus chose non-native H. suaveolens leaves extensively as a preferable site to baffle (37%). Differences in the call parameters and choice of the host plant by insects may ultimately affect the preference and performance of insects on invasive plants. The study would aid in exploring the underlying evolutionary and ecological processes of adaptive success of insects on non-native plants.

Bimodality of auditory receptors in bush-crickets. Сontinued discussion. It's time to experiment.

Continuation of the discussion on the sensitivity of the chordotonal sensilla of the tympanal organ of bush-crickets to vibratory stimuli. We have previously shown that individual receptors registered directly in the tympanal organ perceive vibrations along with sound stimuli. In addition, scolopidia of the crista acustica possess mixed sensitivity, too, as well as receptors of the intermediate organ. The authors of the comment offered their opinion concerning our applied methods as well as our obtained results. In particular, they noted the dissimilarity of our data from the previously obtained data (the 1970s-1990s), mainly in the laboratory of Prof. K. Kalmring, who assumed that only low-frequency receptors, in particular receptors of the intermediate organ, possess mixed sensitivity. At the same time, receptor activity was recorded in the tympanal nerve without morphological identification of receptors (with the exception of one stained neuron in the prothoracic ganglion). We carried out a series of experiments using the method of K. Kalmring and found that it is possible to register several receptors in the tympanal nerve with different reactions during one experiment: to sound only, also both to vibration stimuli and sound. In the latter case, we dealt with low-threshold receptors, which responded to ultrasound, and this with high probability belonged to the crista acustica. Similar data were previously obtained on the bush-cricket Decticus verrucivorus. In this publication, we explain the methodological features of our work and suggest that the loss of sensitivity to vibrations at the level of the tympanal nerve by some auditory receptors may be due to the ephaptic and/or chemical interaction of the tympanal organ receptors with vibroreceptors of the subgenual or other organs. To verify this hypothesis, it is necessary to conduct additional studies, such as physiological, morphological, and immunohistochemical, along the entire vibroacoustic afferent tract, that is, from the peripheral part to the first switches to the corresponding interneurons.

Differential impacts of ionizing radiation on a sexually dimorphic trait in male and female Acheta domesticus.

PURPOSE: In many Orthopteran species, including crickets, forewings exhibit substantial sexual dimorphism driven by sexual selection. In the cricket, Acheta domesticus, females are the 'choosy' sex and males exhibit multiple sexual signals to attract and successfully mate. Male forewings have highly specialized structures critical for acoustic signaling and mating. In contrast, female forewings currently serve no known purpose in this flightless species. Forewings also differ morphologically with male forewings containing complex acoustic producing and resonating regions and females lacking any defined structures. Due to their importance to mating as well as their structural complexity, impacts of environmental stress that target cricket forewing development may therefore have more severe consequences in males than females. Here, we investigate the sensitivity of a sexually dimorphic trait, forewing morphology, to an early life environmental stressor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We applied ionizing radiation (0--27.8 Gy) as a stressor as dose can be precisely applied as well as its relevance in both environmental contamination and use in the Sterile Insect Technique. RESULTS: A canonical variate analysis indicated that wing shape was significantly altered in males at all doses; .58 Gy, 2.3 Gy, 4.6 Gy, 16.2 Gy, and 23.2 Gy. In females, shape was significantly altered at 27.8 Gy and 23.2 Gy groups and to a lesser extent at .58 Gy and 16.2 Gy. Linear regression analysis of centroid size indicated a dose dependent decline in wing size in both sexes, with males exhibiting more decline. Fluctuating asymmetry, a measure of environmental sensitivity, revealed that males were more sensitive to shape changes due to stress than females. This difference in sensitivity is likely due to the complexity of male forewings. CONCLUSION: These results expand understanding of sex dimorphism in stress responses and sensitivity to ionizing radiation.

Factors affecting the biodiversity of historical landscape elements: detailed analyses from three case studies in Slovakia.

A direct, positive correlation between biodiversity and the traditional agricultural landscape is evident on the national or regional scale. It is mostly conditioned by higher landscape diversity and less intensive farming. We have carried out research on a detailed scale at plot level (productive plots of arable lands, grasslands, vineyards, orchards, and unproductive agrarian landforms (mostly field margins) such as terraced slopes, terraced steps, heaps, mounds, and unconsolidated walls) in three traditional agricultural landscapes: the mountain village Liptovská Teplicka, the vineyard landscape in Svätý Jur, and dispersed settlements in a submontane area in Hrinová. We determined the statistical significance of the impact of the selected landscape ecological factors (a set of factors concerning land use and management, agrarian landforms and relief properties) on the distribution of vegetation and selected invertebrate groups (spiders, millipedes, grasshoppers, and crickets). We also explored whether maintaining traditional land use and traditional management helped to enhance the biodiversity. We found that the management regime is the most important factor determining the species composition of vascular plants and all studied animal groups. Also, present land use and agrarian landforms character (type, skeleton content, continuity) are significant factors. Our expectation of a positive relationship between biodiversity and the maintaining traditional land use and traditional management was, in general, not confirmed: such a relation was only found in Svätý Jur for biodiversity of spiders.

Evolution of mitogenomic gene order in Orthoptera.

Mitochondrial gene order has contributed to the elucidation of evolutionary relationships in several animal groups. It generally has found its application as a phylogenetic marker for deep nodes. Yet, in Orthoptera limited research has been performed on the gene order, although the group represents one of the oldest insect orders. We performed a comprehensive study on mitochondrial genome rearrangements (MTRs) within Orthoptera in the context of mitogenomic sequence-based phylogeny. We used 280 published mitogenome sequences from 256 species, including three outgroup species, to reconstruct a molecular phylogeny. Using a heuristic approach, we assigned MTR scenarios to the edges of the phylogenetic tree and reconstructed ancestral gene orders to identify possible synapomorphies in Orthoptera. We found all types of MTRs in our dataset: inversions, transpositions, inverse transpositions, and tandem-duplication/random loss events (TDRL). Most of the suggested MTRs were in single and unrelated species. Out of five MTRs which were unique in subgroups of Orthoptera, we suggest four of them to be synapomorphies; those were in the infraorder Acrididea, in the tribe Holochlorini, in the subfamily Pseudophyllinae, and in the two families Phalangopsidae and Gryllidae or their common ancestor (leading to the relationship ((Phalangopsidae + Gryllidae) + Trigonidiidae)). However, similar MTRs have been found in distant insect lineages. Our findings suggest convergent evolution of specific mitochondrial gene orders in several species, deviant from the evolution of the mitogenome DNA sequence. As most MTRs were detected at terminal nodes, a phylogenetic inference of deeper nodes based on MTRs is not supported. Hence, the marker does not seem to aid resolving the phylogeny of Orthoptera, but adds further evidence for the complex evolution of the whole group, especially at the genetic and genomic levels. The results indicate a high demand for more research on patterns and underlying mechanisms of MTR events in Orthoptera.

The potential contribution of house crickets to the dietary zinc content and nutrient adequacy in young Kenyan children: a linear programming analysis using Optifood.

Zn deficiency arising from inadequate dietary intake of bioavailable Zn is common in children in developing countries. Because house crickets are a rich source of Zn, their consumption could be an effective public health measure to combat Zn deficiency. This study used Optifood, a tool based on linear programming analysis, to develop food-based dietary recommendations (FBR) and predict whether dietary house crickets can improve both Zn and overall nutrient adequacy of children's diets. Two quantitative, multi-pass 24-h recalls from forty-seven children aged 2 and 3 years residing in rural Kenya were collected and used to derive model parameters, including a list of commonly consumed foods, median serving sizes and frequency of consumption. Two scenarios were modelled: (i) FBR based on local available foods and (ii) FBR based on local available foods with house crickets. Results revealed that Zn would cease to be a problem nutrient when including house crickets to children's diets (population reference intake coverage for Zn increased from 89 % to 121 % in the best-case scenario). FBR based on both scenarios could ensure nutrient adequacy for all nutrients except for fat, but energy percentage (E%) for fat was higher when house crickets were included in the diet (23 E% v. 19 E%). This manoeuvre, combined with realistic changes in dietary practices, could therefore improve dietary Zn content and ensure adequacy for twelve nutrients for Kenyan children. Further research is needed to render these theoretical recommendations, practical.

Edible insects prevent changes to brain monoamine profiles from malnourishment in weaned rats.

Background: Childhood malnutrition can have devastating consequences on health, behavior, and cognition. Edible insects are sustainable low cost high protein and iron nutritious foods that can prevent malnutrition. However, it is unclear whether insect-based diets may help prevent changes to brain neurochemistry associated with malnutrition.Materials and Methods: Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were malnourished by feeding a low protein-iron diet (LPI, 5% protein and ∼2 ppm Fe) for 3 weeks or nourished by feeding a sufficient protein-iron diet (SPI, 15% protein 20 ppm FeSO4) for the duration of the study. Following 3 weeks of LPI diet, three subsets of the malnourished rats were placed on repletion diets supplemented with cricket, palm weevil larvae, or the SPI diet for 2 weeks, while the remaining rats continued the LPI diet for an additional 2 weeks. Monoamine-related neurochemicals (e.g. serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine) and select monoamine metabolites were measured in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, striatum, and prefrontal cortex using Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.Results: Five weeks of LPI diets disrupted brain monoamines, most notable in the hypothalamus. Two weeks supplementation with cricket and palm weevil larvae diets prevented changes to measures of 5-HT and DA turnover in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Moreover, these insect diets prevented the malnutrition-induced imbalance of 5-HT and DA metabolites in the hippocampus, striatum, and hypothalamus.Conclusion: Edible insects such as cricket and palm weevil larvae could be sustainable nutrition intervention to prevent behavioral and cognitive impairment associated abnormal brain monoamine activities that results from early life malnutrition.

Challenges in farmed insect welfare: Beyond the question of sentience.

The global Insects as Food and Feed (IAFF) industry currently farms over a trillion individual insects a year and is growing rapidly. Intensive animal production systems are known to cause a range of negative affective states in livestock; given the potential scale of the IAFF industry, it is urgent to consider the welfare of the industry's insect livestock. The majority of the literature on farmed insect welfare has focused on: (i) establishing that insect welfare ought to be of concern; or (ii) extending vertebrate welfare frameworks to insects. However, there are many overlooked challenges to studying insect welfare and applying that knowledge in IAFF industry contexts. Here, we briefly review five of these challenges. We end with practical recommendations for the future study of insect welfare.

Complete mitochondrial genome sequences of two ground crickets, Dianemobius fascipes nigrofasciatus and Polionemobius taprobanensis (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: trigonidiidae).

The authors sequenced the complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes of the band-legged ground cricket (Dianemobius fascipes nigrofasciatus Matsumura, 1904) and a temperate form of the lawn ground cricket (Polionemobius taprobanensis Walker, 1869), collected in Japan. The length of the mt genome sequences was 15,354 bp in D. fascipes nigrofasciatus and 16,063 bp in P. taprobanensis. Annotation of the mt genome sequences revealed 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes. The orientation of the genes was the same as in other Grylloidea species, and the order was the same as in other Trigonidiidae species. In our phylogenetic analysis, D. fascipes nigrofasciatus formed a clade with D. fascipes collected in China, and the temperate form of P. taprobanensis formed a clade with P. taprobanensis collected in China. Comparison of the numbers of positions with different amino acid residues encoded by the protein-coding genes implied the separate species status of each member of each of the two pairs of ground crickets. The mt genome sequences of D. fascipes nigrofasciatus and P. taprobanensis will contribute to phylogenetic and taxonomic studies of the Trigonidiidae.

Perspectivas de uso sostenible del grillo doméstico tropical (Gryllodes sigillatus) para la alimentación humana en Colombia / Prospects for the sustainable use of the tropical house cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) for human consumption in Colombia

RESUMEN Para el año 2050 se espera un aumento del 60% al 70% en el consumo de productos de origen animal. Este aumento en el consumo demandará enormes recursos, siendo las fuentes tradicionales de proteína las más costosas, sobreexplotadas y perjudiciales para el ambiente. Explorar nuevas fuentes de proteína animal se convierte en una necesidad para el sector agropecuario. Es por esta razón que la FAO (2009) incluyó el uso de insectos en la alimentación humana y animal como una fuente alternativa de nutrientes desde el 2003 debido a sus características nutricionales y a su bajo impacto ambiental. Una de las especies más promisorias es el grillo doméstico tropical (Gryllodes sigillatus), cuyo potencial como sistema productivo sostenible ha sido demostrado en varios países asiáticos como europeos. El propósito de este artículo es presentar los aspectos asociados al aprovechamiento y producción de la especie G. sigillatus que pueden hacerla sostenible como alimento en Colombia, dando cuenta de las características generales y nutricionales de la especie y las ventajas socioeconómicas y ambientales de la cría de estos grillos y de los insectos en general. Se establece que, aunque existen emprendimientos en el país, es importante continuar con la investigación sobre esta especie en términos de producción a gran escala, así como en términos nutricionales para potenciar el sector económico y mejorar las condiciones materiales de agricultores en el país.

ABSTRACT Global agriculture production must increase by about 60-70 percent from the current levels to meet the increased food demand in 2050, which will demand enormous resources, with traditional protein sources being the most expensive, overexploited, and environmentally damaging. New alternative protein sources are a necessity for the agricultural sector. Since 2003, FAO (2009) has included insects as feed and food as an alternative protein source because they are nutritious and environmentally sustainable. One of the most promising species is the tropical house cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus), whose potential as a sustainable production system has been demonstrated in several Asian and European countries. This article presents the aspects associated with using and producing the G. sigillatus that can make it sustainable as food in Colombia, accounting for the general and nutritional features of this species and the socioeconomic and environmental advantages of raising these crickets, and insects in general. It was established that, even though there are entrepreneurships in the country, research on this species needs to continue, both in terms of its large-scale production and of its nutritional qualities, to strengthen the economic sector and to improve the material conditions of farmers.

Two New Species of Ripipterygidae (Orthoptera, Tridactyloidea) from Mid-Cretaceous of Myanmar with a Key to the Genera of Tridactyloidea in Amber.

The abundance of insects in Burmese amber illustrates a highly diverse orthoptera community of the mid-Cretaceous, but the records of ripipterygids are relatively rare. Here, we reviewed the genus of Magnidactylus (Xu, Fang and Jarzembowski, 2020) and transfered it from Tridactylidae to Ripipterygidae. Based on four ambers specimens collected from northern Myanmar, two new species, Magnidactylusmirus sp. nov. and Magnidactylusgracilis sp. nov., wereerected. M.mirus sp. nov. can be characterized by its basal segment and apical segment of paraproctal lobes, which are equally thick and clavate. M.gracilis sp. nov. can be characterized by its apical segment of paraproctal lobes, which are distinctly swollen. Additionally, in order to facilitate the classification of amber specimens of Tridactyloidea, a key to the genera ofambers in this superfamily is provided.

A new genus Unguispora in Kickxellales shows an intermediate lifestyle between saprobic and gut-inhabiting fungi.

Kickxellomycotina encompasses two fungal groups: a saprobic group in excrement and soil and an arthropod gut-inhabiting group. The evolutionary transition between these two lifestyles is unclear due to the lack of knowledge on intermediate forms and lifestyles. Here, we describe a new species, Unguispora rhaphidophoridarum, that was isolated from the excrement of cave crickets (Rhaphidophoridae) in Japan. This species has a novel lifestyle that is intermediate between the saprobic and gut-inhabiting groups. The new genus Unguispora is a member of the Kickxellales and characterized by the sterile appendages born on the sporocladium and by the claw-like ornamentation of the sporangiole. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S and 28S nuclear ribosomal DNA showed that this fungus is distinct from all known kickxellalean genera and is sister to Linderina. The sporangiospore of the new species germinated only in anaerobiosis and grew in a yeast-like form. The yeast-like cells, defined as "secondary spores," germinated into hyphae in aerobiosis. In the alimentary tract of cave crickets, the sporangiola are attached to the proventriculus (foregut) by the claw-like ornamentation and multiplicate in the same yeast-like form as under culture. We introduce a new term, "amphibious fungi," to describe fungi that have two life stages, one outside and the other inside the host gut, like U. rhaphidophoridarum. The discovery of an amphibious fungus in Kickxellales, which was formerly considered to be only saprobic, suggests that Kickxellomycotina has evolved in association with the animal gut.