Thursday, February 06, 2025

Scientist discovers 16 new grasshopper species, champions desert biodiversity

Mississippi State University

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Pictured is Agroecotettix silverheelsi, a newly described grasshopper from Texas named in honor of Jay Silverheels, an early Native American actor. Mississippi State’s JoVonn Hill, director of the Mississippi Entomological Museum, has uncovered 16 new species of grasshoppers, and his work was recently published in the scientific journal Zookeys.
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Credit: JoVonn Hill

STARKVILLE, Miss.—A Mississippi State University scientist has discovered a hopping treasure trove—16 new species of grasshoppers living in the thorny scrubs of U.S. and Mexican deserts.

Prior to JoVonn Hill’s finding, only three species of Agroecotettix were known. Hill, director of MSU’s Mississippi Entomological Museum, said the careful examination of our environment remains critical.

“It is important to keep exploring our biodiversity, especially from a conservation standpoint, before we lose it,” Hill said.

These newly uncovered species, native to the southern U.S. and Mexican deserts, showcase the thriving biodiversity in arid ecosystems. Published in the scientific journal ZooKeys, Hill’s article “Desert Diversification: Revision of Agroecotettix Bruner, 1908 (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Melanoplinae) with Descriptions of Sixteen New Species from the United States and Mexico” provides valuable insights into the region’s evolution and ecology. The article is available online at https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/133703.

Hill, an assistant professor in MSU’s Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, said this grasshopper genus likely diversified during the Pleistocene Epoch, also known as the Ice Age. He noted that in the Rocky Mountains, species of this subfamily in alpine grasslands likely became isolated as glaciers receded and their habitats shifted to higher elevations. Hill suspects the desert species his team discovered underwent a similar process of isolation and speciation.

“These grasshoppers we described live in a lowland thorny scrub habitat. Somewhere along the line, they, too, got isolated and speciated, because each one is still associated with a specific mountain range,” he said. “Their sexually selective nature and lack of premating rituals have kept populations stable and tied to specific mountain ranges.”

DNA from collected specimens will be sequenced by collaborators at the University of Michigan and will help confirm these observations. Using a molecular clock, Hill’s team will estimate when the species diverged, revealing how past climate change influenced distributions and how future shifts may affect them.

Understanding the past impacts of climate change can also help us prepare for what we may face in the future, Hill said. Plus, it’s a reminder that there’s still so much to discover, even in our own backyard.”

Funded by the National Science Foundation, this project complements two others. In one, Hill and mentor Daniel Otte, a senior curator at the Academy of Natural Sciences, are coauthoring “The North American Grasshoppers, Volume III.”

“These grasshoppers are a part of the Melanoplinae subfamily, which is the most diverse subfamily of North American grasshoppers, and most of our major grasshopper pest species occur in that genus. There are a lot of new species to be discovered, and we’re trying to get them all described before we produce the book,” he said.

The second project, in partnership with Lacey Knowles at the University of Michigan, examines the factors driving Melanoplinae diversity across North America and Mexico by sampling over 600 species.

“That study aims to determine what produced this diversity, when it occurred and how individual populations may have become isolated over time,” Hill said.

“I loved catching grasshoppers as a kid, and I still get to do it now—discovering new things, uncovering their history and understanding how they’re related,” the MSU researcher said. “Sharing this fascinating piece of American natural heritage makes it all worthwhile.”

Collaborators include Vilas Brown, Brady Dunaway, Ray Fisher, Mallory Grady, Alexandra Hendon, Jennifer Seltzer, Jacqueline Seltzer-Hill, Rowan Seltzer-Hill and Matthew Thorn. Funding partners include the NSF, Texas Ecolab, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and MAFES.

Explore more at Mississippi State University’s Entomological Museum at www.mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu. For more information about MSU’s Department of Agricultural Science and Plant Protection, visit www.agscipp.msstate.edu.

Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.

Journal

ZooKeys

DOI

10.3897/zookeys.1218.133703

Method of Research

Observational study

Article Title

Desert diversification: revision of Agroecotettix Bruner, 1908 (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Melanoplinae) with descriptions of sixteen new species from the United States and Mexico

Could new project result in more harmonious future for humans and kittiwakes?

A groundbreaking research project aims to explore kittiwakes’ unique role in urban ecology and propose innovative strategies to ensure the birds can coexist successfully with humans in the future.

Northumbria University

Navigating Urban Ecologies — image:
From left to right, Jenny Alderson and Hayley Duff of Baltic; and Dr Ayse Ozbil Torun, Dr Bing Zhai and Dr Jiayi Jin of Northumbria University.
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Credit: Simon Veit-Wilson/Northumbria University

The River Tyne’s kittiwakes are a global urban rarity. As the only seabird species to nest in city environments, these birds have become icons of Newcastle and Gateshead.

Since the 1960s, they’ve adapted to urban life, establishing colonies on iconic structures like the Tyne Bridge and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.

But the birds’ presence hasn’t always been welcomed by the area’s human population – and the noise and mess caused by hundreds of breeding pairs of kittiwakes has led to many riverside businesses installing deterrents such as spikes and nets.

Now, a groundbreaking research project aims to explore the kittiwakes’ unique role in urban ecology and propose innovative strategies to ensure the birds can coexist successfully with humans in the future.

The team behind the project are calling for people living in the North East to get involved by sending them video footage, photos and audio clips of the kittiwakes, taken at any time over the last 10 years.

This will help them build up a picture of how the birds are currently sharing the quayside area with people, and how this could be improved to make life better for both kittiwakes and humans in the future.

The research has been awarded a Design Exchange Partnership (DEP) as part of the ambitious, multi-million-pound Future Observatory: Design the Green Transition fund led by London’s Design Museum and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

Launched this month, the study embraces a "more-than-human" perspective, emphasising the relationships between Tyne kittiwakes, urban infrastructure, and human communities.

It focuses on the tidal estuary’s unique ecological characteristics, which provide critical habitats despite often being overlooked or undervalued.

By addressing the complexities of urban biodiversity, the research aims to establish a governance framework that promotes harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife.

The study will employ a range of analytic tools to assess the impacts of urban development on biodiversity, including urban modelling, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and machine learning.

It will also engage local communities in participatory workshops, co-creating solutions alongside residents, ornithologists, urban planners, and NGOs.

The project team brings together experts from architecture, urban studies, computer science, and ornithology, and is led by Dr Jiayi Jin, Assistant Professor of Architecture and Urban Studies at Northumbria University.

She will be joined by Northumbria colleagues Dr Bing Zhai, from the Department of Computer and Information Sciences who will lead machine learning and bird identification; and Dr Ayse Ozbil Torun from the Department of Architecture and Built Environment, who will analyse spatial distributions using GIS and integrate findings into the urban model.

The team will be supported by Daniel Turner, an experienced ornithologist and kittiwake research expert from the Natural History Society of Northumbria.

Daniel and the core academic team will lead public engagement activities in collaboration with Wild Intrigue and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, the project’s non-academic partners.

Sarah Munro, Director of Baltic said: “As a study partner, Navigating Urban Ecologies will enable even more opportunities for Baltic visitors to connect with the Tyne Kittiwakes through creative workshops, knowledge-sharing and participation in this exciting study.

“We are thrilled to be able to connect the study to our large and diverse audience, giving people a unique insight into these wild sea birds who we share our building and city with for half the year, each year.”

The project emphasises the ecological significance of estuarine spaces like the River Tyne, highlighting their role as critical habitats and zones of exchange for human and non-human life.

By combining scientific research, urban planning, and public participation, the study will help to position Newcastle and Gateshead as global leaders in biodiversity-friendly urban development.

This initiative not only addresses the challenges faced by Tyne kittiwakes but also envisions cities as inclusive spaces where nature and humanity thrive together.

As part of the project there is an art and an architecture competition taking place, with entries from the local community encouraged.

The research team are also asking for anyone who has photo, video or audio recordings of the kittiwakes, both recent and from the last 10 years, to submit files through the project website.

A number of public events will also be held, with the first taking place on Thursday 20 February, from 6pm to 8pm at the Farrell Centre, Elson Place, Newcastle.

This event, entitled City Forum: Exploring Urban Ecologies through Collaborative Participation, will involve talks by Dr Jiayi Jin, Dr Ayse Ozbil Torun and Dr Bing Zhai of Northumbria University; Cain Scrimgeour, Co-Director of Wild Intrigue; ornithologist Daniel Turner, of the Natural History Society of Northumbria; and artist Julia Heslop, a research fellow at Newcastle University.

For more information about the project or to get involved please contact Dr Jiayi (Jennifer) Jin or visit the project website.

Black-legged Kittiwake Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Global “sisterhood” seeks to understand what makes a healthy vaginal microbiome

Cell Press

image:
World distribution of the vaginal microbiome data studies using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing
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Credit: Trends in Microbiology, Lebeer et al.

Vaginas host a complex microcosm of bacteria and yeasts that can fluctuate over time. However, little is known about these microbial communities and their roles in a person’s health, and 9 out of 10 studies only include participants from one continent, resulting in major geographical gaps in data. In a paper publishing February 6 in the Cell Press journal Trends in Microbiology, scientists share insights gleaned from a “sisterhood” of thousands of citizen scientists and demonstrate how international collaboration can help illuminate the gaps in our knowledge about the vaginal microbiome, including which bacteria are helpful or harmful and whether microbiomes look different for people across the globe.

“Women’s health is essential to global societal and economic wellbeing, yet health disparities remain prevalent,” write the researchers, comprised of scientists from 4 continents and 9 countries, including lead author Sarah Lebeer (@SarahLebeer) of the University of Antwerp in Belgium. “Women’s bodies, and knowledge concerning their health have been neglected, controlled, and persecuted for centuries, resulting in a health disparity that persists today.”

The authors are involved in citizen science initiatives called the Isala Sisterhood, which aim to inspire research on women’s health and microbiomes worldwide by creating a reference map of vaginal microbiota. Originally launched in Belgium as the Isala Project with over 6,000 participants, the Isala Project has grown into a “sisterhood” including microbiologists, health care workers, governmental organizations, and the public, and branched out across North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Lebeer and her team compiled insights from the Isala Sisterhood and other similar initiatives alongside almost 100 years of research. Key takeaways include the following:

There are five different categories of “healthy” vaginal microbiotas commonly used in the field, described based on the vagina’s most dominant bacterial species. These include Lactobacillus crispatus-dominant, Lactobacillus gasseri-dominant, Lactobacillus iners-dominant, Lactobacillus jensenii-dominant, and a fifth category that includes a mixture of other species. However, the Isala Project has found that within the Belgian population, over 10% of participants fall outside of these categories. Therefore, the project recommends “considering the whole complexity and continuity of the vaginal microbiota composition and functionality” instead of relying on the categories.

Several studies have found associations between the makeup of the vaginal microbiota and clinical conditions. One of the most well-researched is the impact of a reduction in lactobacilli, which often results in an overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria, potentially leading to health impacts including preterm birth, urinary tract infections, endometritis, and sexually transmitted infections.

A common condition caused by a reduction in lactobacilli is bacterial vaginosis which is typically treated using targeted antibiotics with limited efficacy—up to 60% of the time, symptoms resurface. Vaginal live biotherapeutic products, FDA-approved treatments that use live microorganisms, may be more effective in treating or preventing these and other vagina-related health conditions than existing treatment options.

Some studies suggest that certain cultural hygiene behaviors such as vaginal douching can contribute to a higher risk of conditions such as vaginal dysbiosis. The authors note that examples such as this show that differences in the vaginal microbiome—and the health disparities they might correspond to—can be attributed to both biological and social factors.

Several other types of microbes exist in vaginal microbiomes, including yeasts, viruses, and other types of bacteria. However, the roles they play in the microbiota and a person’s health are largely unexplored.

In general, lower- and middle-income countries are underrepresented in microbiome research. The authors note that infrastructure, technology, and finances likely contribute to these disparities and recommend leveraging international collaborations that share resources ranging from lab materials to communications techniques in an effort to overcome these challenges.

Initiatives like the Isala Project and its sisterhood—including the Vaginal Human Microbiome project, which is working to map the vaginal microbiomes of people from different ethnic backgrounds across the United States—aimed at “closing the vaginal microbiome data gap” are growing in number across the world.

The authors emphasize the importance of continuing to study the vaginal microbiome and its connection to a person’s overall health through studies that focus on geographical and socioeconomic diversity and consider social and cultural factors.

“To promote better preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies for women affected by conditions associated with the vaginal microbiota, more research on the functions and diversity of the vaginal microbiota is urgently needed in different parts of the world,” write the authors. “This way, we can better understand what a healthy vaginal microbiome looks like in each geographical location.”

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Trends in Microbiology, Lebeer et al., “Diversity in women and their vaginal microbiota.” https://www.cell.com/trends/microbiology/fulltext/S0966-842X(24)00328-7.

Trends in Microbiology, (@TrendsMicrobiol) published by Cell Press, is a monthly review journal that provides a multidisciplinary forum for the discussion of all aspects of microbiology—from cell biology and immunology to genetics and evolution—and ranges across virology, bacteriology, protozoology, and mycology. Visit http://www.cell.com/trends/microbiology. To receive Cell Press media alerts, please contact press@cell.com.