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Studies of subterranean habitats in Slovakia revealed two rare linyphiid spider species new to the country, Pseudomaro aenigmaticus Denis, 1966 and Pseudocarorita thaleri (Saaristo, 1971). Pseudomaro aenigmaticus was recorded in the Malé Karpaty Mountains in western Slovakia. A male was captured in the limestone Plavecká Cave and a female was found in a granitoid mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS) in the Jajcajov jarok Valley. One pair of Pseudocarorita thaleri was found in the MSS in the Belinské skaly Nature Monument in the Cerová vrchovina Highland in southern Slovakia. This study also presents the characteristic habitus and habitats of the recorded spiders.

We studied the spatial structure of spiders and beetles in 4 types of habitats in the Poloniny National Park. Between the years 2020 and 2021, we recorded 1,597 beetle specimens and 3,765 spider specimens using the pitfall trap method. The most represented beetles were Poecilus versicolor (53.4%), Nebria brevicollis (10.3%), Staphylinus caesareus (4.4%) and Amara familiaris (4.1%). Among the spiders, there were species Pardosa pullata (21.81%), Pachygnatha degeeri (14.21%), Xerolycosa nemoralis (10.28%), Pardosa palustris (7.86%), Trochosa ruricola (6.24%) and Alopecosa pulverulenta (4.38%). We confirmed the occurrence of two European important species of beetles (Carabus zawadzkii, Carabus variolosus) and 3 species of spiders belonging to the vulnerable species according to the IUCN threat status (Gongylidiellum vivum, Palliduphantes milleri and Xysticus lineatus). We also found the spider Micaria micans, which is new to the Slovak fauna and information about its distribution and habitat preferences in Slovakia is presented. Using multivariate analyzes (CCA, RDA) and classification species into bioindicative groups, we found a greater connection of adaptable and eurytopic species of ground beetles to the mesophilic meadow and of spiders to the habitat Nardetum pasture. Based on bioindicative groups of species (adaptable, eurytopic and relict), we found only a small difference in percentile points between spiders and beetles.

Orchestina pavesii (Simon, 1873) was recently discovered in Slovakia. Description of a male is presented.

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Three years of study (2016-2019) of endangered habitats of inland salt marshes and salt steppes have yielded several interesting and novel data about the araneofauna of Slovakia. Ground-active spider communities were studied at nine localities belonging to Natura 2000 sites in the Pannonian region. A total of 220 species were recorded, of which 28 species are listed in the Slovak Red List as threatened and 18 species as potentially threatened. The other 11 documented rare species were recorded only in the last decade and are known from only one or a few localities. During the first part of the study, six first records for our fauna from salt marshes (already published) were revealed. Moreover, the continuation of the research brought other new findings for the Slovakian araneofauna Pardosa tenuipes (Lycosidae), Dactylopisthes digiticeps (Linyphiidae) and Ozyptila sanctuaria (Thomisidae). Their characteristic features, photos of the habitus and genitalia, notes on their phenology, habitat, an overview of the currently known distribution, and the dominant species of spider assemblages are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial distribution of parasitoids is closely linked to the distribution and ecological requirements of their hosts. Several studies have documented changes in the fauna composition of parasitoids in response to elevation, but data on parasitoids associated with spiders are missing. The koinobiont ichneumonid wasp Zatypota anomala is strictly specialised on spiders of the genus Dictyna (Dictynidae) in Europe. We examined the distribution of spiders of the family Dictynidae in forest ecotones in central Europe across a broad elevation gradient (110-1466 m a.s.l.). We checked the spiders for parasitism by Z. anomala. It was most abundant at the mid-elevations (median 712 m a.s.l., range 179-870 m a.s.l.). We identified four dictynid spider species as Z. anomala hosts. These were Dictyna arundinacea, Dictyna uncinata, Nigma flavescens, and Nigma walckenaeri. All four species and the genus Nigma were recorded as hosts for the first time. The parasitoids strongly preferred juvenile instars of their hosts. The body length differed between parasitised Dictyna and Nigma spiders (medians: 1.95 mm and 2.55 mm, respectively). The distribution of Dictyna and Nigma spiders overlapped along the elevation gradient, but parasitism incidence significantly differed between spider genera along the elevation gradient. Nigma was parasitized at lower elevations between 179-254 m a.s.l. and Dictyna at higher elevations between 361-870 m a.s.l. The phenology of Z. anomala is closely tied to the univoltine life strategy of its host spiders. The parasitoid female oviposits in autumn, and its offspring overwinter as larvae on the host, reach adulthood during spring, and pass the summer as an adult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors have prepared a detailed map of Slovakia's ecosystems, which identifies individual ecosystems and their spatial distribution, status, and selected properties. The impetus for the production of this map is the need of various stakeholders, especially nature protection bodies, forestry management, agricultural management and public administration, for better data on the distribution of ecosystems. The methodology mostly involves using GIS analytical tools to combine datasets on nature protection, forestry, and agriculture which list attributes related to habitat identification. The results can be used for ecosystem services assessment, spatial planning, nature protection analysis, and other related purposes. The spatial precision of the data is determined by that of the field data, which was mostly created at scales between 1:10000 and 1:5000. The data are stored in the form of a geodatabase containing more than 1,000,000 polygons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on the importance of spiders in agricultural landscape from several points of view. We describe the role of spiders in maintaining the biological stability of ecosystems and their practical significance for humans in terms of the predation of crop pests or their bioindicative significance. We point out the importance of different types of agricultural landscapes and landscape elements contained in it for the preservation of araneofauna biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oleaginous yeasts are considered as natural single cell oil producers. Engineering the lipid biosynthetic pathway has the potential to increase lipid accumulation by these yeasts. In Yarrowia lipolytica, three diacylglycerol acyltransferases encoded by LRO1, DGA1, and DGA2 genes are involved in lipid formation. Strain JMY3580 was constructed by overexpressing DGA2 gene in Q4 strain ( dga1Δ dga2Δ lro1Δ are1Δ). Reconstruction of triacylglycerol synthesis pathway led to significant improvement in lipid accumulation. Strain JMY3580 accumulated over 40% of lipids in biomass, while lipid accumulation in wild-type strain was not able to exceed 20% when grown on a glycerol-based medium with carbon to nitrogen ratio of 90. Higher lipid accumulation (over 50%) was achieved in fed-batch grown cells when glycerol was added during cultivation. The best biomass yield was 18.5 g/L after 144 h with total fatty acid yield 9.9 g/L. Fatty acid composition was altered when Dga2p was the only diacylglycerol acyltransferase present in yeast cells, especially lower percentage of linoleic acid was present in lipids of JMY3580. Microbial oil prepared by conversion of glycerol by genetically engineered Y. lipolytica could be applied for various value-added products based on single cell oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, the diacylglycerol acyltransferases (DGATs) are major factors for triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis. The Q4 strain, in which the four acyltransferases have been deleted, is unable to accumulate lipids and to form lipid bodies (LBs). However, the expression of a single acyltransferase in this strain restores TAG accumulation and LB formation. Using this system, it becomes possible to characterize the activity and specificity of an individual DGAT. Here, we examined the effects of DGAT overexpression on lipid accumulation and LB formation in Y. lipolytica. Specifically, we evaluated the consequences of introducing one or two copies of the Y. lipolytica DGAT genes YlDGA1 and YlDGA2. Overall, multi-copy DGAT overexpression increased the lipid content of yeast cells. However, the size and distribution of LBs depended on the specific DGAT overexpressed. YlDGA2 overexpression caused the formation of large LBs, while YlDGA1 overexpression generated smaller but more numerous LBs. This phenotype was accentuated through the addition of a second copy of the overexpressed gene and might be linked to the distinct subcellular localization of each DGAT, i.e. YlDga1 being localized in LBs, while YlDga2 being localized in a structure strongly resembling the endoplasmic reticulum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three species of spiders (Araneae), Altella aussereri Thaler, 1990, Mimetus laevigatus (Keyserling, 1863), and Trichoncyboides simoni (Lessert, 1904), are reported from Slovakia for the first time. These new records originate from southern Slovakia. The record of A. aussereri provides new data on the distribution and natural history of this range-restricted species of very high conservation value. The records of M. laevigatus and T. simoni in Slovakia extend their known distribution in Central Europe. Characteristic features, pictures of the habitus, copulatory organs, and habitats are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]