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Ontogenetic Drivers Of Morphological Evolution In Monitor Lizards And Allies (Squamata: Paleoanguimorpha), A Clade With Extreme Body Size Disparity, Carlos J. Pavón-Vázquez, Damien Esquerré, J. Scott Keogh

Publications and Research

Background

Heterochrony, change in the rate or timing of development, is thought to be one of the main drivers of morphological evolution, and allometry, trait scaling patterns imposed by size, is traditionally thought to represent an evolutionary constraint. However, recent studies suggest that the ontogenetic allometric trajectories describing how organisms change as they grow may be labile and adaptive. Here we investigated the role of postnatal ontogenetic development in the morphological diversification of Paleoanguimorpha, the monitor lizards and allies, a clade with extreme body size disparity. We obtained linear and geometric morphometric data for more than 1,600 specimens belonging to …

Size Estimates Of The Extinct Marine Snake Pterosphenus Schucherti From Eocene-Aged Sediments Of Central Georgia, Colin J. Calvert, Alfred J. Mead, Dennis Parmley

Georgia Journal of Science

Fossil snakes are most often identified from isolated vertebrae, complicating estimations of total body lengths of extinct taxa. Here we estimate the range of total body length of the late Eocene North American palaeophiid marine snake Pterosphenus schucherti based on 29 recently collected fossil vertebrae from Wilkinson County, Georgia, USA. Previous research suggests that the palaeophiids are most closely related to modern boids. Total body length estimates here are based on family-specific regressions of centrum length versus known total body length in extant members of Boidae, Pythonidae, and Colubridae. The high correlation coefficients for the family specific regressions supports previous …

Preliminary Survey And Diet Analysis Of Anurans In The Riparian Zone Of Calayagon Watershed, Agusan Del Norte, Philippines, Jenessa Verna B. Salo, Chennie L. Solania

Journal of Bioresource Management

Watersheds are critical habitats for a diverse array of organisms. Among all the fauna, anurans are excellent biological indicators of environmental health. The community structure is often associated with a relationship between species diversity and diet. An anuran survey was conducted along riparian zones of three selected barangays of Calayagon Watershed (Guinabsan, Rizal, and Malpoc), Philippines. Extensive opportunistic methods for a total of 480 man-hours were spent traversing the area. A total of 195 individuals, consisting of seven species from four families, were recorded. Seventy-two percent of the individual species were regarded as Least concern, and 14 % were Near-threatened. …

Temperature-Induced Multi-Species Cohort Effects In Sympatric Snakes, Richard B. King

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

In reptiles, reproductive maturity is often determined by size rather than age. Consequently, growth early in life may influence population dynamics through effects on generation time and survival to reproduction. Because reproductive phenology and pre- and post-natal growth are temperature dependent, environmental conditions may induce multi-species cohort effects on body size in sympatric reptiles. I present evidence of this using 10 years of neonatal size data for three sympatric viviparous snakes, Dekay's Brown snakes (Storeria dekayi), Red-bellied Snakes (S. occipitomaculata), and Common Garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). End-of-season neonatal size varied in parallel across species such that snout–vent length was 36%–61% …

Optimizing Management Of Invasions In An Uncertain World Using Dynamic Spatial Models, Kim M. Pepin, Amy J. Davis, Rebecca S. Epanchin-Niell, Andrew M. Gormley, Joslin L. Moore, Timothy J. Smyser, H. Bradley Shaffer, William L. Kendall, Katriona Shea, Michael C. Runge, Sophie Mckee

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Dispersal drives invasion dynamics of nonnative species and pathogens. Applying knowledge of dispersal to optimize the management of invasions can mean the difference between a failed and a successful control program and dramatically improve the return on investment of control efforts. A common approach to identifying optimal management solutions for invasions is to optimize dynamic spatial models that incorporate dispersal. Optimizing these spatial models can be very challenging because the interaction of time, space, and uncertainty rapidly amplifies the number of dimensions being considered. Addressing such problems requires advances in and the integration of techniques from multiple fields, including ecology, …

An Efficient Method Of Evaluating Multiple Concurrent Management Actions On Invasive Populations, Amy J. Davis, Randy Farrar, Brad Jump, Parker Hall, Travis Guerrant, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Evaluating the efficacy of management actions to control invasive species is crucial for maintaining funding and to provide feedback for the continual improvement of management efforts. However, it is often difficult to assess the efficacy of control methods due to limited resources for monitoring. Managers may view effort on monitoring as effort taken away from performing management actions. We developed a method to estimate invasive species abundance, evaluate management effectiveness, and evaluate population growth over time from a combination of removal activities (e.g., trapping, ground shooting) using only data collected during removal efforts (method of removal, date, location, number of …

2022 Gray Wolf Questions And Answers, United States Fish And Wildlife Service

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

2022 Gray Wolf Questions and Answers

What does the February 10, 2022, ruling mean?

How does this ruling affect wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains?

When does the court decision to vacate the delisting rule go into effect?

What is the legal status of gray wolves as of this ruling?

Is the Service continuing its status review of wolves in the western United States?

Is emergency listing an option for the Northern Rocky Mountain population?

Are wolf hunts going to stop as a result of the court decision?

How does this ruling affect wolves in Yellowstone National Park?

Where can …

Economics Of Cormorant Predation On Catfish Farms, Carole Engle, Ganesh Kumar, Terrel Christie, Brian S. Dorr, Brian Davis, Luke Roy, Anita Kelly

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The Double-crested Cormorant is the primary avian predator on catfish farms causing significant economic losses primarily due to 1) on-farm expenditures related to bird-management activities and 2) value of the catfish lost to cormorants. This comprehensive economic study quantified these two economic effects by surveying catfish farms in the delta regions of Mississippi and Arkansas. On-farm expenditures for bird scaring were used to quantify bird-management costs. Economic losses from fish consumed by cormorants were quantified by evaluating data from field studies of the abundance, distribution, and diet of cormorants in the Mississippi delta. This study found that catfish farmers …

Annotated Checklist Of The Avian Species Observed At The Gordon Natural Area (West Chester University, Pa) 2003-2022. Version X, Nur Ritter, Josh R. Auld

Gordon Natural Area Bird Survey Documents

Data from eBird (through 1/24/2022) and from the 2004 West Chester Bird Club Survey of the GNA

Summary Data Number of Surveys: 112 'Site Visits' by 44 Birders. Note: this does not count the birders who participated in the 2004 West Chester Bird Club Survey as participants were not identified by name on the data sheets.

Number of Taxa: 128 Species, in 88 Genera and 38 Families. Years Noted: Although the title suggests that observations began in 2003, data for three species that were seen in the Gordon during 1970 are included here. This inclusion is because one of these …

Bovine Respiratory Microbiota Of Feedlot Cattle And Its Association With Disease, Jianmin Chai, Sarah F. Capik, Beth Kegley, John T. Richeson, Jeremy G. Powell, Jiangchao Zhao

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD), as one of the most common and costly diseases in the beef cattle industry, has significant adverse impacts on global food security and the economic stability of the industry. The bovine respiratory microbiome is strongly associated with health and disease and may provide insights for alternative therapy when treating BRD. The niche-specific microbiome communities that colonize the inter-surface of the upper and the lower respiratory tract consist of a dynamic and complex ecological system. The correlation between the disequilibrium in the respiratory ecosystem and BRD has become a hot research topic. Hence, we summarize the pathogenesis …

Observations On Regeneration Of The Pedipalp And Legs Of Scorpions, Martin Watz, Jason A. Dunlop

Euscorpius

An Opisthacanthus asper (Peters, 1861) (Hormuridae) shows a relatively rare example of pedipalp regeneration in which the lost tibia and tarsus was replaced by a smaller, curved element of uncertain homology to either the fixed or free finger. A comparable abnormal palp described in the literature hints that pedipalps can only regenerate a structure of this form, regardless of the site of amputation. An Olivierus caucasicus (Nordmann, 1840) (Buthidae) is described in which claws (pretarsus) of leg III regenerated directly at the distal end of the tibia, while in leg IV the claws regenerated at the end of a truncated …

The Life History Of Euborellia Annulipes (Lucas) (Dermaptera: Anisolabididae) Fed Onlarvae And Pupae Of Plutella Xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), Gilmar Da Silva Nunes, Thais Aparecida Vitoriano Dantas, Wennia Rafaelly Souza Figueiredo, Roberio De Oliveira, Jacinto De Luna Batista, Alessandra Marieli Vacari, Sergio Antonio De Bortoli

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Euborellia annulipes (Lucas) (Dermaptera: Anisolabididae) is reported as a potential predator of Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). In this study, we aimed to investigate whether fourth instar larvae, 1 or 3-day-old pupae of P. xylostella are suitable food for the development and reproduction of E. annulipes. We evaluated the characteristics of the predation, development of each life stage, and reproduction of the predator, by comparing them with an artificial diet. The nymphs consumed larvae and pupae equally in the first instars, but, from the third to fifth, they consumed more larvae over pupae. Both males and females consumed more larvae …

High Temperatures Adversely Affect The Hoverfly Episyrphus Balteatus(Diptera: Syrphidae) Fitness And Aphid Prey Consumption, Gregoire Noel, Jessica Caetano, Solene Blanchard, Antoine Boullis, Frederic Francis

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Numerous studies have shown that an increase of environmental temperature could directly disturb insect larval development. Natural enemies of insect pests, particularly predators of aphid populations, are not spared. Following temperature predictions of Belgian climate change scenario, the goal of this study is to measure life-history traits, such as the mass, body length and aphid consumption (Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris, 1776)) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) of Episyrphus balteatus (De Geer, 1776) (Diptera: Syrphidae) larvae under three constant temperature treatments (i.e. 20, 23, and 26 °C). We detected no significant differences between 20 °C and 23 °C on the hoverflies larval development, their aphidophagous …

Effect Of Urban Habitats On Colony Size Of Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)In Memory Of Professor A. A. Zakharov (Russian Academy Of Sciences, Moscow), Stanislav Stukalyuk, Ascar Akhmedov, Alexey Gilev, Alexander Reshetov, Yuri Radchenko, Nataly Kosiuk

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Urbanized ecosystems are suitable for the habitat of only a few species of ants, due to conditions caused by human activities. Invasive species of ants have adapted to urbanized ecosystems most successfully. The study of the ant colonies sizes started in Crimea in 2013-2014. In 2019-2021 it was carried out in Ukraine (the Carpathians, Kyiv city, and Kyiv region), in Russia (Rostov-on-Don city and region, and the Urals), and in Uzbekistan (Tashkent city, and tugai forests). The study covers natural (forest, meadow, steppe), suburban (alleys and tree planting) and urban habitats (tree planting along streets and roads, botanical gardens). Our …

Using Of Fluctuating Asymmetry In Adult Pelophylax Ridibundus (Amphibia: Anura:Ranidae) Meristic Traits As A Method For Assessing Developmental Stability Of Populationand Environmental Quality Of Their Habitat: Industrial Area In Southern Bulgaria, Zhivko Zhelev, Stefan Tsonev, Peter Boyadzhiev

Turkish Journal of Zoology

One way to assess the impacts of toxicants on populations of anurans is through developmental stability (DS) - the ability to buffer stresses during development stages. To assess the extent of possible perturbations in DS of frogs that inhabit a polluted industrial area east of Plovdiv city, Bulgaria, we applied analysis of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in ten morphological traits in P. ridibundus. As a control group, we used animals inhabiting a less disrupted site. Based on the FA levels obtained for the frogs from both sites, we evaluate the state of their habitat. In the contaminated site, the mean FAMI …

Distribution And Molecular Differentiation Of Culex Pipiens Complex Species In Themiddle And Eastern Black Sea Regions Of Turkey, Muhammet Mustafa Akiner, Murat Öztürk, Fati̇h Şaban Beri̇ş, Çağaşan Karacaoğlu, Fati̇h Mehmet Şi̇mşek, Aytül Uzun Akgeyi̇k

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Culex pipiens species complex is commonly found in tropical and subtropical areas. Identification of species complexes and their spatial distribution patterns are fundamental steps needed to improve our understanding of arboviral disease circulation and their control. The specimens were differentiated using the Ace-2 gene, and the ecological forms of Culex pipiens were identified by analysis of the CQ11 microsatellite locus. Results showed that all sample points comprised of Culex pipiens s.s., and seven points contained Culex torrentium. Further, we determined that 22 haplotypes from five haplogroups were identified within the Ace-2 marker, and three haplotypes were contained within the CQ11 …

Discrimination Of The Sister Hedgehog Species Erinaceus Concolor And E. Roumanicus(Erinaceomorpha: Mammalia): A Geometric Morphometric Approach, Sadik Demi̇rtaş, İslam Gündüz, Jeremy S. Herman

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study investigates skull variation between the two closely related hedgehog species, Erinaceus concolor and E. roumanicus by using geometric morphometric analyses based on 2-dimensional landmarks. For this purpose, a total of 68 specimens were evaluated: 54 E. concolor and 14 E. roumanicus. The results of PCA, ANOVA and MANOVA analyses showed significant shape differences between the species, especially for the dorsal cranium. Shape differences were most prominent on the neurocranium and viscerocranium regions of the dorsal surface of the cranium and in mandibular ramus and the premolar regions. DFA tests were statistically significant against the null hypothesis of equal …

Autophagic Chemicals Effect To Atg8 And Rice Stripe Virus Relative Expressions, And Wolbachia Relative Density In Laodelphax Striatellus (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), Achmad Gazali, Ardhiani Hidayanti, Yohsuke Tagami

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Laodelphax striatellus is one of the most important pest insects and vectors of rice stripe virus (RSV), which causes rice stripe disease (RSD) in rice plants. L. striatellus is infected by Wolbachia. RSV and Wolbachia may be regulated by a cell defense mechanism within insect cells called autophagy. We utilized autophagic chemicals to predict the relationships between Atg8 (an importance of autophagy-related genes), Wolbachia, and RSV within L. striatellus. The relative expressions and density level of Atg8, RSV, and Wolbachia were determined by three autophagy inducers and two inhibitors. We examined the effect of chemicals on the host. We report …

Evaluation Of The Feeding Patterns Of Important Mosquito Vector Species Using Molecular Techniques, Fatma Bursali, Fati̇h Mehmet Şi̇mşek

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study investigated the feeding patterns of populations of Anopheles sacharovi, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, and Culex pipiens in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions of Turkey. Blood-fed females resting inside barns, houses, and chicken coops in the rural areas were collected between May 2017 and September 2019, and the genomic DNA from each female was isolated to determine the blood source after amplification of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene region. Cytb results showed that out of 445 blood-fed An. sacharovi females 2 blood-fed from dogs, 9 from birds, and 434 from cows. The results also showed that all 216 blood-fed females Cx. …

Effects Of In Vivo Exposures To Nanoparticles (Al2O3, Cuo, Tio2) On The Activities Of Atpases In The Gill And Muscle Of Freshwater Mussel (Unio Tigridis), Esi̇n Gülnaz Canli, Mustafa Canli

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Mussels are effective bioindicator organisms for aquatic environments. Therefore, they were often used to determine the effects of various xenobiotics in the aquatic systems. There is no study to our knowledge on the in vivo effects of nanoparticles (NPs) on the activities of ATPases in freshwater mussels (Unio tigridis). This work demonstrates the effects of Al₂O₃, CuO, and TiO₂ NPs on Na- ATPase, Ca-ATPase, and Mg-ATPase activities in the gill and muscle of mussels following 14-day exposures to different concentrations of NPs (0, 1, 3, 9 mg/L). Mussels were fed with laboratory cultured algae (Chlorella …

The Web Amount And Quality Of Web Spiders (Agelenidae, Pholcidae), Agelena Labyrinthica (Clerck, 1757) And Holocnemus Pluchei (Scopoli, 1763), Depending On Food And Temperature, Bayda Hameed, Adi̇le Akpinar, Derya İşler Ceyhan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The web amount and quality of web-weaving of two spider species, Agelena labyrinthica (Clerck, 1757) and Holocnemus pluchei (Scopoli, 1763), were determined depending on the temperature and the amount of food consumed. Two different experiments were set up in the study. In the first one, the spiders were raised at different temperatures (20-25 °C and 25-30 °C) under laboratory conditions and they were fed with 10 Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) each time. In the second one, the spiders were fed with 7-10 insects caught from their natural habitats, at 20-25 °C and 25-30 °C. According to this, the difference in …

The Effect Of Ontogenetic Diet Shifts On Sagittal Otolith Shape Of European Perch, Perca Fluviatilis (Actinopterygii: Percidae) From Lake Ladik, Turkey, Oğuz Çöl, Savaş Yilmaz

Turkish Journal of Zoology

European perch undergoes several ontogenetic dietary shifts during its lifetime. The present study focused on the variability in otolith shape caused by ontogenetic dietary changes in this species. A total of 172 specimens (7.5 to 27.5 cm TL) were caught by local fishermen in Lake Ladik from April to November 2019. Shape indices (SIs) and elliptic Fourier coefficients (EFCs) were calculated for each otolith. To detect ontogenetic changes in otolith shape, SIs and EFCs were compared among the three defined size classes (I, II, and III). Size-related groups were distinguished by both SIs and EFCs. Otolith shape analysis was more …

The Microplastic Pattern In Turkish Lakes: Sediment And Bivalve Samples From Çıldır Lake, Almus Dam Lake, And Kartalkaya Dam Lake, Kenan Gedi̇k, Şebnem Atasaral

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Plastic has become one of the most prominent contaminants in recent decades, posing a major environmental threat with critical implications for seafood safety. Thus, we investigated the abundance and characterization of the microplastics (MPs) in the sediment and bivalves from Çıldır Lake, Almus Dam Lake, and Kartalkaya Dam Lake in Turkey. The abundance of the MPs ranged from 19-156 MP kg$^{-1}$ in the sediments, while 0.75-10.0 MP individual$^{-1}$ (indiv.$^{-1}$) in Anodonta sp., 0.16-1.00 MP indiv.$^{-1}$ in Dreissena polymorpha, 0.50-2.50 indiv.$^{-1}$ in the Unio damescensis was detected. ATR-FTIR was used to identify four distinct polymer types, with polyethylene terephthalate being the …

Contributions On The Southern Distribution Of Vespertilio Murinus Linnaeus, 1758 (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) From Türkiye, Ahmet Karataş, Şafak Bulut, Abdurrahman Sefali, Ferhat Toprak, Mehmet Kürşat Şahi̇n, Şaki̇r Önder Özkurt

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Vespertilio murinus Linnaeus, 1758, has a wide distribution from France to Japan, and from Iran in the south to Scandinavia and Russia in the north. The only records of the parti-coloured bat, Vespertilio murinus known from Turkey so far were based on subfossils, remains from owl pellets, and ultrasound recordings. We present the first records of live individuals from two Turkish provinces, Ardahan and Bayburt. Additionally, based on echolocation call records, its known distribution in the Anatolian Peninsula was proved to be wider. The global distribution of the species has been mapped by using ecological niche modelling. The results revealed …

Effects Of Nitrogen Fertilizer On Capoeta Capoeta: An Immunohistopathological And Biochemical Investigation, Seda Vural Aydin, Hasan Özen, Muhi̇tdi̇n Yilmaz

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Increased use of fertilizers to increase plant production causes important environmental pollution not only in soil but also in water resources. Soil structure, water quality, water systems, and biodiversity are adversely affected by the unconscious use of fertilizers. In this study, Capoeta capoeta (Guldenstaedt 1773) were used to investigate the degenerative effects of nitrogen fertilizer. Twentyfour fish were equally allocated into three groups; group 1 (control), group 2 (15 mg/L nitrogen fertilizer in water) and group 3 (15 mg/L nitrogen fertilizer in water). Fish were exposed to the fertilizer for 15 days and then the tissues of gill, liver and …

Contribution To The Aphid Fauna Of The Ordu Province With First Record Of An Exotic Aphid Species, Euceraphis Gillettei Davidson, 1915, In Turkey, Gazi̇ Görür

Turkish Journal of Zoology

During the last 2 decades, aphid species have widely distributed outside their original geographical regions. North America originated Euceraphis gillettei was determined as a new contribution to the Turkey aphid fauna and in turn regarded as an exotic aphid species in Turkey. In addition, all of the determined species are new records for study area. Findings of the present study are in accordance with the predictions made by various aphidologist recently, which it is not going to be a surprise to add more species to the Turkish aphid fauna with a detailed study.

Basic Laboratory And Field Manual For Conducting Research With The Entomopathogenic Nematodes, Steinernema And Heterorhabditis, And Their Bacterial Symbionts, Selçuk Hazir, Harry Kaya, Mustapha Touray, Harun Çi̇men, David Shapiro Ilan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Broad spectrum chemical pesticides are harmful to humans and other nontarget organisms. Biological control, which entails the use of natural enemies, is a viable alternative. Isolation, identification, and application of biocontrol agents such as the entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), Steinernema and Heterorhabditis and their symbiotic bacteria, Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus have increased substantially over the last four decades, and the trend continues with advancement of molecular techniques. Yet, there is a need for a simple hands-on guide for their proper identification, classification, and handling, especially for researchers and users who are not totally familiar with these biocontrol agents. Thus, this manual is …

Shape Variation In Head Scales Of Species Of The Genus Ophiomorus Duméril & Bibron, 1839 In Iran, A Geometric Morphometrics Approach, Hossein Nabizadeh, Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani, Eskandar Rastegar Pouyani, Mehdi Rajabizadeh, Roman Nazarov, Omid Mozaffari

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Twelve species of the genus Ophiomorus DUMÉRIL & BIBRON, 1839 have been identified and introduced so far and seven species of this genus have been found in Iran which include four endemic species and three nonendemic species. Although geometric morphometry is a powerful tool to analyze morphological changes, the discovery and identification of these species have long relied on traditional morphometric analysis. In this study, geometric morphometric analyses were used to determine the geometric morphometrics of different species of the genus Ophiomorus in Iran. The Multi Focus technique was used to obtain the best image of the dorsal surface of …

Evaluation Of Tea Tree Oil Formulations Contact And Stomach Toxicity Against The Egyptian Cotton Leafworm, Spodoptera Littoralis (Boisduval, 1883) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Şeyda Şi̇mşek, Ayhan Gökçe, Errol Hassan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The insecticidal potential of tea tree oil formulations was tested for contact and stomach poison toxicities against various stages of the Spodoptera littoralis ((Boisduval, 1883) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae under laboratory conditions. The study was carried out at Yozgat Bozok University Faculty of Agriculture between 2020 and 2021. In the contact toxicity test, the formulations were tested at different stages of larvae by topical application. Among the tested formulations, TTO (100%), F14 (91.72%), and F15 (89.20%) formulations caused the highest mortality in the S. littoralis 3rd stage larvae after 72 h. Dose-response bioassay with the most promising formulations (TTO, F14 and …

New Insights On The Impact Of Earthworm Extract On The Growth Of Beneficial Soil Fungi: Species-Specific Alteration Of The Nematophagous Fungal Growth And Limitation Of An Entomopathogenic Fungus, Maryam Chelkha, Lamia Yakkou, Sofia Houida, Mohamed Raouane, Souad Amghar, Raquel Campos-Herrera, Abdellatif El Harti

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Earthworms influence soil ecosystem functions such as decomposition and regulation of nutrient cycles by burrowing, feeding, or secreting their cutaneous excreta. Earthworms can also modulate soil biodiversity and their interactions. Recent research has revealed that earthworm feeding activity or excretions can alter the performance of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) and entomopathogenic fungi (EPFs), known biological control agents. Still, the impact of earthworm cadavers on the growth and reproduction of other biological control agents such as nematophagous fungus (NFs) and EPFs has been poorly explored. We suggest that earthworm body tissue could be used as a food supply by certain fungal species. …