Anti-cancer activities of allyl isothiocyanate and its conjugated silicon quantum dots

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a dietary phytochemical in some cruciferous vegetables, exhibits promising anticancer activities in many cancer models. However, previous data showed AITC to have a biphasic effect on cell viability, DNA damage and migration in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Moreover, in a 3D co-culture of HUVEC with pericytes, it inhibited tube formation at high doses but promoted this at low doses, which confirmed its biphasic effect on angiogenesis. siRNA knockdown of Nrf2 and glutathione inhibition abolished the stimulation effect of AITC on cell migration and DNA damage. The biological activity of a novel AITC-conjugated silicon quantum dots (AITC-SiQDs) has been investigated for the first time. AITC-SiQDs showed similar anti-cancer properties to AITC at high doses while avoiding the low doses stimulation effect. In addition, AITC-SiQDs showed a lower and long-lasting activation of Nrf2 translocation into nucleus which correlated with their levels of cellular uptake, as detected by the intrinsic fluorescence of SiQDs. ROS production could be one of the mechanisms behind the anti-cancer effect of AITC-SiQDs. These data provide novel insights into the biphasic effect of AITC and highlight the application of nanotechnology to optimize the therapeutic potential of dietary isothiocyanates in cancer treatment

Isothiocyanates induce oxidative stress and suppress the metastasis potential of human non-small cell lung cancer cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Isothiocyanates are natural compounds found in consumable cruciferous vegetables. They have been shown to inhibit chemical carcinogenesis by a wide variety of chemical carcinogens in animal models. Recent studies have also shown that isothiocyanates have antitumor activity, inhibiting the growth of several types of cultured human cancer cells. Our previous study showed that PEITC inhibited human leukemia cells growth by inducing apoptosis. However, the effect of isothiocyanates on lung cancer cell metastasis has not been studied. In the present study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of BITC and PEITC on metastatic potential of highly metastatic human lung cancer L9981 cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cell migration and invasion were measured by wound healing assay and transwell chemotaxis assay. Expression of metastasis-related genes was assessed by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. The mechanisms of action were evaluated by flow cytometry, reporter assay and Western blotting.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our data showed that both BITC and PEITC inhibited L9981 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, the IC50 values were 5.0 and 9.7 μM, respectively. Cell migrations were reduced to 8.1% and 16.5% of control, respectively; and cell invasions were reduced to 2.7% and 7.3% of control, respectively. Metastasis-related genes MMP-2, Twist and β-catenin were also modulated. BITC and PEITC inhibited cell survival signaling molecules Akt and NFκB activation. Moreover, BITC and PEITC increased ROS generation and caused GSH depletion. Pretreatment with NAC blocked BITC and PEITC induced ROS elevation and NFκB inhibition.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results indicated that BITC and PEITC suppress lung cancer cell metastasis potential by modulation of metastasis-related gene expression, inhibition of Akt/NFκB pathway. Induction of oxidative stress may play an important role.</p

Effect of Broccoli Sprouts and Live Attenuated Influenza Virus on Peripheral Blood Natural Killer Cells: A Randomized, Double-Blind Study

Enhancing antiviral host defense responses through nutritional supplementation would be an attractive strategy in the fight against influenza. Using inoculation with live attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) as an infection model, we have recently shown that ingestion of sulforaphane-containing broccoli sprout homogenates (BSH) reduces markers of viral load in the nose. To investigate the systemic effects of short-term BSH supplementation in the context of LAIV-inoculation, we examined peripheral blood immune cell populations in non-smoking subjects from this study, with a particular focus on NK cells. We carried out a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study measuring the effects of BSH (N = 13) or placebo (alfalfa sprout homogenate, ASH; N = 16) on peripheral blood mononuclear cell responses to a standard nasal vaccine dose of LAIV in healthy volunteers. Blood was drawn prior to (day-1) and post (day2, day21) LAIV inoculation and analyzed for neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, T cells, NKT cells, and NK cells. In addition, NK cells were enriched, stimulated, and assessed for surface markers, intracellular markers, and cytotoxic potential by flow cytometry. Overall, LAIV significantly reduced NKT (day2 and day21) and T cell (day2) populations. LAIV decreased NK cell CD56 and CD158b expression, while significantly increasing CD16 expression and cytotoxic potential (on day2). BSH supplementation further increased LAIV-induced granzyme B production (day2) in NK cells compared to ASH and in the BSH group granzyme B levels appeared to be negatively associated with influenza RNA levels in nasal lavage fluid cells. We conclude that nasal influenza infection may induce complex changes in peripheral blood NK cell activation, and that BSH increases virus-induced peripheral blood NK cell granzyme B production, an effect that may be important for enhanced antiviral defense responses

Assessing the carcinogenic potential of low-dose exposures to chemical mixtures in the environment: focus on the cancer hallmark of tumor angiogenesis

One of the important ‘hallmarks’ of cancer is angiogenesis, which is the process of formation of new blood vessels that are necessary for tumor expansion, invasion and metastasis. Under normal physiological conditions, angiogenesis is well balanced and controlled by endogenous proangiogenic factors and antiangiogenic factors. However, factors produced by cancer cells, cancer stem cells and other cell types in the tumor stroma can disrupt the balance so that the tumor microenvironment favors tumor angiogenesis. These factors include vascular endothelial growth factor, endothelial tissue factor and other membrane bound receptors that mediate multiple intracellular signaling pathways that contribute to tumor angiogenesis. Though environmental exposures to certain chemicals have been found to initiate and promote tumor development, the role of these exposures (particularly to low doses of multiple substances), is largely unknown in relation to tumor angiogenesis. This review summarizes the evidence of the role of environmental chemical bioactivity and exposure in tumor angiogenesis and carcinogenesis. We identify a number of ubiquitous (prototypical) chemicals with disruptive potential that may warrant further investigation given their selectivity for high-throughput screening assay targets associated with proangiogenic pathways. We also consider the cross-hallmark relationships of a number of important angiogenic pathway targets with other cancer hallmarks and we make recommendations for future research. Understanding of the role of low-dose exposure of chemicals with disruptive potential could help us refine our approach to cancer risk assessment, and may ultimately aid in preventing cancer by reducing or eliminating exposures to synergistic mixtures of chemicals with carcinogenic potential

Ceropales (Ceropales) keralaensis Anju, Binoy & Thejass 2023, sp. nov.

&lt;i&gt;Ceropales&lt;/i&gt; (&lt;i&gt;Ceropales&lt;/i&gt;) &lt;i&gt;keralaensis&lt;/i&gt; Anju, Binoy &amp; Thejass, sp. nov. &lt;p&gt;Figs 11&ndash;23&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 75D143C2-00DB-4B6B-8490-7D9471E0C066&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Type material.&lt;/b&gt; Holotype, &female;, &lt;b&gt;India&lt;/b&gt;: Kerala, Kozhikode district, Viyyur (11&ordm;28&prime;57&prime;&prime;N, 75&ordm;41&prime;06&prime;&prime;E), 16.i.2020, Coll. C. Binoy, [&lt;b&gt;ZSIK]&lt;/b&gt; ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV. 22059.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Paratypes.&lt;/b&gt; Karnataka: 1&female;, Udupi district, Mookambika WLS, Areshiroor (13&ordm;51&prime;50&prime;&prime;N, 74&ordm;48&prime;34&prime;&prime;E), 18.vi. 2022, Coll. V. D. Hegde &amp; Party, [&lt;b&gt;ZSIK]&lt;/b&gt; ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.22064; Kerala: 3J, Kozhikode district, Payanthong (11&ordm;41&prime;12&prime;&prime;N, 75&ordm;40&prime;26&prime;&prime;E), 30.vi.2019, Coll. K.P. Hanima Raveendran, [&lt;b&gt;ZSIK]&lt;/b&gt; ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.22060 &lt;b&gt;&ndash;&lt;/b&gt; 22062; Tamil Nadu: 1&female;, Coimbatore district, Anaikatti (11&ordm;06&prime;27&prime;&prime;N, 76&ordm;45&prime;58&prime;&prime;E), 4.i.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, [&lt;b&gt;ZSIK]&lt;/b&gt; ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.22063.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Diagnosis.&lt;/b&gt; This new species closely resembles the Chinese species &lt;i&gt;Ceropales&lt;/i&gt; (&lt;i&gt;C&lt;/i&gt;.) &lt;i&gt;longisulcata&lt;/i&gt; Lu &amp; Li, 2019 in the key to the species of the subgenus &lt;i&gt;Ceropales&lt;/i&gt; Latreille from China (Lu &lt;i&gt;et al.&lt;/i&gt; 2019). The two species are similar in having flat propodeum with lateral side rather shallowly impressed and with deep medial longitudinal groove; frons remarkably flat anterior to antennal sockets and bent in obtuse-angle on 2/3 away from antennal sockets; ocelli forming acute triangle; and the scutellum and postscutellum remarkably raised, higher than mesonotum in lateral view. However, the new species differs from &lt;i&gt;C. longisulcata&lt;/i&gt; in having fore wing with upper margin of SMC2 and SMC3 equal in length (in &lt;i&gt;longisulcata&lt;/i&gt;, upper margin of SMC3 shorter than SMC2); frons and vertex with combination of small punctures mixed with large punctures (in &lt;i&gt;longisulcata&lt;/i&gt;, deeper and densely set punctures on frons and vertex); frons black without any marking in the middle (in &lt;i&gt;longisulcata&lt;/i&gt;, frons with a yellow spot medially); numerous long yellowish brown semi erect setae on frons and vertex (in &lt;i&gt;longisulcata&lt;/i&gt;, such setae absent); and non-confluent ivory patch on face with completely pale yellow clypeus and labrum (in &lt;i&gt;longisulcata&lt;/i&gt;, ivory patch confluent on face with clypeus and labrum having median dark patch).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Ceropales keralaensis&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;sp. nov.&lt;/b&gt; is also similar to the other species described here &lt;i&gt;Ceropales anaghae&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;sp. nov.&lt;/b&gt; in general appearance and coloration. However, it differs from &lt;i&gt;C. anaghae&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;sp. nov.&lt;/b&gt; in having numerous long yellowish brown semi erect setae on frons and vertex (in &lt;i&gt;anaghae&lt;/i&gt; such setae absent); non-confluent ivory patch on face (in &lt;i&gt;anaghae&lt;/i&gt;, ivory patch confluent on face); clypeus completely pale yellow without any black marking (in &lt;i&gt;anaghae&lt;/i&gt;, median black spot on ivory coloured clypeus); medial emargination of compound eye not deep (in &lt;i&gt;anaghae&lt;/i&gt;, compound eye with deep medial emargination); head coarsely pitted with numerous large punctures (in &lt;i&gt;anaghae&lt;/i&gt;, head coarsely pitted with very few large punctures and not as prominent); antenna pale yellowish ventrally, brownish black dorsally (in &lt;i&gt;anaghae&lt;/i&gt;, antenna entirely brownish black); and mandible black with apex reddish brown (in &lt;i&gt;anaghae&lt;/i&gt;, basal 2/3 rd of mandible pale yellowish with apex reddish brown).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Description. Female.&lt;/b&gt; (&lt;b&gt;11&ndash;20&lt;/b&gt;). Body length 4.83 mm; length of fore wing 4.07 mm.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Colour&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/b&gt; Overall colour black with antenna brownish black dorsally, pale yellowish ventrally; frons between antennal sockets and adjacent to the medial emargination of compound eyes pale yellow; lower frons below antenna black; bands on outer margin of compound eyes pale yellow; clypeus and labrum pale yellow; mandible black with apex reddish brown; pronotum black with band on posterior margin and posterolateral angle pale yellowish; mesonotum entirely black; metanotum black with medial patch pale yellow; tegula pale yellow; propodeum black with posterolateral corner pale yellow; large spot on outer face of all coxae pale yellow, remainder black; trochanter of fore and mid leg brownish black, that of hind leg black; all femora and tibia honey brown; fore and mid tarsus light honey brown, hind tarsus dark brown; hind tibial spur pale yellow; posterior yellowish white band on T1&ndash;T5; T6 with large yellowish white spot; wings hyaline; apical region of fore wing with light brown infumation; veins and pterostigma dark brown.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Pubescence&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/b&gt; Body covered with white pubescence on head and mesosoma, metasoma bare; lower frons densely pubescent; head with numerous yellowish brown setae concentrated on upper frons and vertex (Fig. 13); clypeus and labrum having pubescence moderately; small sensillae present mainly along the ventral side of antennal segments (Fig. 13); pronotum with moderately dense yellowish brown setae (Fig. 17); pubescence on mesosoma concentrated along the lateral margins; pubescence on propodeum moderate, midline somewhat bare.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Head&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/b&gt; Head oblong in frontal view, 1.2&times; as wide as long (Fig. 14); frons occupying the interantennal area conspicuously elevated; a shallow median frontal line seen from anterior ocellus to interantennal space (Fig. 14); frons and vertex coarsely pitted throughout, large punctures more prominent between pitted surface; compound eyes reniform, inner margins distinctly sinuate, strongly convergent below; UID as long as MID, LID 0.5&times; UID and MID (Fig. 14); ocellar area slightly raised, ocelli in acute triangle, OOD 1.95&times; POD (Fig. 15); clypeus slightly convex in lateral view, more than twice as broad as long, anterior margin slightly emarginated medially (Fig. 14); labrum highly exposed beneath the clypeus (Fig. 14); mandible bidentate, malar space reduced; antenna thick, scape 1.4&times; as long as wide and 2.3&times; pedicel in profile, flagellomeres almost twice as long as broad, F1&ndash;F5 almost of equal length (Fig. 13).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Mesosoma&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/b&gt; Pronotum 0.5&times; as long as wide, densely pitted with large punctures scattered irregularly in between; anterolateral angle acute, posterolateral angle rounded (Fig. 17); posterior margin nearly straight; mesoscutum 1.2&times; as wide as long, densely pitted along with irregularly scattered large punctures (Fig. 16); parapsidal furrow present through the lateral sides of mesoscutum longitudinally, reaching close to anterior margin (Fig. 16); mesoscutellum with conspicuous prescutellar sulcus (Fig. 16); middle portion raised in profile; punctuations clearly visible in middle portion than on lateral regions (Fig. 16); mesopleuron with scattered punctures (Fig. 17); metanotum conspicuously elevated and convex in profile (Fig. 17); surface moderately micropunctured; metapostnotum very much reduced and narrow with few transverse rugae; metapleuron with fine, sparse punctures; propodeum medium sized, 1.21&times; as wide as long along the middle, conspicuously flat (Fig. 17); surface with microscopically fine, transverse rugulose sculpturing (Fig. 16); median sulcus reaching nearly half length of propodeum; posterior margin nearly straight, posterolateral angle rounded; lateral sides with shallow impression medially.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Legs&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/b&gt; Tarsal claws normal, bent apically; short, erect and acute subapical tooth present; hind tibial spur long, 0.7&times; hind basitarsus.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Wings&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/b&gt; Fore wing with upper margin of SMC2 and SMC3 equal in length, lower margin of SMC3 longer than that of SMC2; SMC2 receiving crossvein &lt;i&gt;1m-cu&lt;/i&gt; medially, SMC3 receiving crossvein &lt;i&gt;2m-cu&lt;/i&gt; medially; length of SMC3 less than its distance from the wing apex; vein &lt;i&gt;A&lt;/i&gt; and crossvein &lt;i&gt;cu-a&lt;/i&gt; of hind wing forming obtuse angle.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Metasoma&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/b&gt; Fusiform; as broad and long as mesosoma; smooth (Fig. 19); T1 sessile, parallel sided; lower margin of S6 flat in lateral view, pointed apically.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Male. (Figs 21&ndash;23)&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Resembles female in most characters. Hypopygium and genitalia as in Figs 22 &amp; 23.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Etymology.&lt;/b&gt; The species name refers to the Indian state of Kerala, where the holotype was collected.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Variation.&lt;/b&gt; Relative density of pubescence varies from moderately to densely setose in paratypes along with variations in intensity of body coloration.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Distribution.&lt;/b&gt; India (Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Sex differentiation.&lt;/b&gt; Females of &lt;i&gt;C. keralaensis&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;sp. nov.&lt;/b&gt; resemble males in almost all characters except for the typical genital and antennal sex differentiation. Additionally, females are distinguishable by the presence of bicoloured frons (medial area black flanked by yellow on either sides) whereas, in males, the medial part of the frons is pale yellow; in females, the mesoscutellum is completely black, while in males, the mesoscutellum is black with a pale-yellow spot.&lt;/p&gt;Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Anju, K., Thejass, P., Binoy, C. &amp; Kumar, P. Girish, 2023, Taxonomic study on the spider wasp genus Ceropales Latreille, 1796 (Pompilidae: Ceropalinae) with description of two new species from India, pp. 119-128 in Zootaxa 5264 (1)&lt;/i&gt; on pages 124-127, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5264.1.8, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/7836278"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/7836278&lt;/a&gt

Machaerothrix salticidus Binoy, Girish Kumar & Anju 2020, sp. nov.

&lt;i&gt;Machaerothrix salticidus&lt;/i&gt; Binoy, Girish Kumar &amp; Anju sp. nov. &lt;p&gt;(Figs 1&ndash;20)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 625FEE26-6E2D-49B7-B0F3-F1A4731860E6&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Type material.&lt;/b&gt; Holotype &female;, &lt;b&gt;India&lt;/b&gt;: Kerala, Kozhikode district, ZSIK campus (11&deg;15&rsquo;50.2&rdquo;N, 75&deg;47&rsquo;11.5&rdquo;E, 11 m), 23.xi.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.13437. Paratypes. 4 &female;, 5 &male;, same labels as holotype, ZSIK Regd. Nos. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.13438&ndash;13446; 4 &female;, 4 &male;, Kerala, Kannur district, near Kannapuram mangrove (11&deg;57&rsquo;55.6&rdquo;N, 75&deg;18&rsquo;38.9&rdquo;E, 7 m), 04.ii.2019. Coll. C. Charesh; 1 &female;, 1 &male;, Kerala, Kozhikode district, Purameri (11&deg;40&rsquo;25.68&rdquo;N, 75&deg;37&rsquo;56.52&rdquo;E, 20.42 m), 27.vii.2018, Coll. K.P. Hanima Raveendran, ZSIK Regd. Nos. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.13455, 13456; 1 &male;, Kerala, Wayanad district, Vellamunda (11&deg;44&rsquo;00.8&rdquo;N 75&deg;56&rsquo;15.4&rdquo;E, 1066 m), 12.vi.2016, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.13458; 1 &female;, Kerala, Wayanad district, Mananthavadi (11&deg;48&rsquo;4.91&rdquo;N, 76&deg; 0&rsquo;15.74&rdquo;E, 764.13 m), 17.xi.2017, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.13457.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Diagnosis.&lt;/b&gt; This new species runs close to &lt;i&gt;M. johni&lt;/i&gt; Wahis in the key to species of &lt;i&gt;Machaerothrix&lt;/i&gt; Haupt (Wahis &amp; Krombein 2000; Lelej &amp; Loktionov 2014) in having a similar venation and a colour pattern of female melanistic form. However, the new species differs from &lt;i&gt;M. johni&lt;/i&gt; as follows: males are completely black or black with brownish black at parts without any yellow colourations (in &lt;i&gt;M. johni&lt;/i&gt; the metasoma has yellow marking); males with lateral edges of clypeus produced and weakly inwardly emarginated medially, margins carinate (in &lt;i&gt;M. johni&lt;/i&gt; the clypeus apically has a strong lateral tooth above the middle of the mandible, medially depressed and similar to labrum, margin sinuate) and females with clypeus large, convex with apical margin laterally angulate, emarginating inwards and medially produced into a blunt lobe (in &lt;i&gt;M. johni&lt;/i&gt; the clypeus is large and convex with the apical margin rounded).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Female&lt;/b&gt;. &lt;b&gt;(Figs 1&ndash;10)&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Description.&lt;/b&gt; Length, 6.1&ndash;11.5 mm; fore wing length 3.9&ndash;8.9 mm. Black, matte with following parts as follows: antennal segments honey brown; clypeus pale yellowish with apical margin darker; mandibles paler with tooth dark reddish brown to black; lateral edge of pronotum pale yellowish; all tergites with yellow patches or marking postero-laterally, emarginating inwards medially; S3&ndash;S6 with yellow patches postero-laterally; all legs orange brown.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Pubescence&lt;/i&gt;. Upper frons with small dense golden setae till the anterior margin of toruli (Fig. 3); vertex and gena with dense silvery pubescence, a bare patch adjoining anterior margin of eyes (Fig. 2); clypeus with silvery pubescence and 16&ndash;20 brown lanceolate setae; frons and vertex with long thick brown lanceolate setae, variable in number; mesosoma with scattered lanceolate brown setae, dense golden pubescence and long golden hairs, lanceolate setae fewer on mesoscutum; metasoma with dense golden yellow to white pubescence.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Head&lt;/i&gt;. A trifle wider than high in frontal view; minutely rugose punctate, punctures hardly visible over dense short golden pubescence; toruli situated little above ventral eye margin, strongly converging ventrally; a thin almost indistinct furrow in between the toruli extending till the clypeal shield ventrally; eyes reniform, converging ventrally, bare, 3.4&times; as long as wide; lateral ocelli forming an almost right angle with the median ocelli; OOL 1.3&times; POL; AOD 0.6&times; POL; head narrowed behind eyes; antennae slender; F1 0.9&times; scape and pedicel combined, 1.1&times; as long as F2 (Fig. 2); mandibles strong with an inner subapical tooth; labial brush distinct (Fig. 5); clypeus large, convex with apical margin laterally angulate, emarginating inwards and medially produced into a blunt lobe (Fig. 4); gena slightly narrower than eye in lateral view; occiput carinate throughout.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Mesosoma&lt;/i&gt;. Pronotum and propodeum laterally rounded; pronotum posteriorly slightly angulating medially (Fig. 7); scutellum 0.8&times; mesoscutum in dorsal view (Fig. 6); metapleura striate, smooth anteriorly; foretibia with a single spur apically, all other with two spurs; metatibia with hind basitarsus 0.67&times; hind tibia, 0.4&times; hindtarsus combined; tarsal claw with a strong inner curved tooth at apical third; orbicula with a row of thin long setae; fore wing and hind wing with distinct antefurcal nervellus; fore wing with a curving infuscate band at apical third, apex bare; a small obsolete patch near pterostigma (Fig. 8).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Metasoma&lt;/i&gt;. Petiole stout; metasoma distinctly longer than mesosoma, a trifle longer than hind femora; T2 longest (Fig. 9), sculpture barely visible through the pubescence on the tergites; S1 with a medial line of white pubescence; S2 anteriorly microsculptured, posteriorly smooth; S2 to S6 micropitted, S2 onwards with lateral yellow marking; S6 with moderately dense long brown setae (Fig. 10); ovipositor and ovipositor sheath not exerted.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Male&lt;/b&gt;. &lt;b&gt;(Figs 11&ndash;20)&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Description.&lt;/b&gt; Body length 3.7&ndash;4.1 mm, fore wing 2.4&ndash;2.9 mm. Black, no yellow patches on gastral terga.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Pubescence&lt;/i&gt;. Reduced pubescence when compared with the females. Lower face with moderate white setae reaching the clypeal margin; pronotum and mesoscutum sparsely setose; propodeum with long and moderately dense setae concentrated more on the lateral sides.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Head&lt;/i&gt;. 1.2&times; as wide as long in frontal view; finely to minutely colliculate; OOL 1.2&times; OOL; AOD 0.6&times; POL; antennal toruli converging posteriorly, a median furrow distinct in between the toruli (Fig. 13); F1 as long as scape and pedicel combined (Fig. 12); eyes reniform; clypeus with lateral edges produced and medially weakly inwardly emarginated, margins carinate (Fig. 14).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Mesosoma&lt;/i&gt;. Pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum rugose punctate with lesser pubescence as that in females; mesoscutum and scutellum finely rugose punctate, mesoscutal margins distinctly carinate laterally; axillae transverse striate; an excavated polished area posterior to tegulae (Fig. 15); propodeum with irregular areola; some specimen with long hairs on mesosoma (Fig. 16); all coxae black; other segments honey brown with darker shades; wing venation similar to that of females, no distinct band, but with lighter infuscation apically (Fig. 17).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Metasoma&lt;/i&gt;. Metasoma as long as mesosoma without any yellow markings (Fig. 18); S1 smooth, shiny with scattered setae postero-laterally; S2 minutely microsculptured; S3 onwards alutaceous and moderately setose; hypopygium with a median protubrence, emarginating submedially (Fig. 19); genitalia with gonostyli long, strongly setose and with a basal spiniform process in lateral view (Fig. 20).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Prey.&lt;/b&gt; Spiders of the family Salticidae. Remains of spiders were recovered from nests also.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Etymology&lt;/b&gt;. The species epithet is derived from the family name of the wasp&rsquo;s prey.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Distribution&lt;/b&gt;. India: Kerala.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Sex association&lt;/b&gt;. Sex differentiation is formidable in the overall colouration and setosity of the body. The males were found hovering over the unopened nest cells, maybe as a behavioural mechanism to mate with the emerging females. Emergence of both males and females in large numbers from the same batches of nests (n&gt;20) in similar habitats, along with similar modes of parasitism on spiders within the nests, supports the association of the sexes.&lt;/p&gt;Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Binoy, C., Anju, K., Kumar, P. Girish &amp; Thejass, P., 2020, Description of a new species of spider wasp Genus Machaerothrix Haupt (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from India with reports on its host association and nesting behaviour, pp. 192-200 in Zootaxa 4766 (1)&lt;/i&gt; on pages 193-196, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4766.1.11, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/3762591"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/3762591&lt;/a&gt

Machaerothrix Haupt 1938

Genus &lt;i&gt;Machaerothrix&lt;/i&gt; Haupt, 1938 &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Machaerothrix&lt;/i&gt; Haupt, 1938: 40. Type species: &lt;i&gt;Machaerothrix coactifrons&lt;/i&gt; Haupt, 1938, by original designation.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Diagnosis.&lt;/b&gt; Females with long, scattered lanceolate setae on upper frons, vertex, pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum. Males without such setae, characterised by having rugose reticulate propodeum, bidentate clypeal apex and an oblique juncture of &lt;i&gt;cu-a&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;1A&lt;/i&gt; veins on fore wing.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Distribution.&lt;/b&gt; China (Haupt 1938, 1959); Japan (Yasumatsu 1939); The Philippines (Tsuneki 1988); Russian Far East (Lelej 1986, Loktionov &amp; Lelej 2014); Sri Lanka (Wahis &amp; Krombein 2000); Southern India (new record) (Fig. 25).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Prey.&lt;/b&gt; Spiders of the family Salticidae (Evans &amp; Shimizu 1996; present study).&lt;/p&gt;Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Binoy, C., Anju, K., Kumar, P. Girish &amp; Thejass, P., 2020, Description of a new species of spider wasp Genus Machaerothrix Haupt (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from India with reports on its host association and nesting behaviour, pp. 192-200 in Zootaxa 4766 (1)&lt;/i&gt; on page 193, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4766.1.11, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/3762591"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/3762591&lt;/a&gt

Ceropales Latreille 1796

Genus &lt;i&gt;Ceropales&lt;/i&gt; Latreille, 1796 &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Ceropales&lt;/i&gt; Latreille, 1796: 123.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; Type species: &lt;i&gt;Evania maculata&lt;/i&gt; Fabricius, 1775, by subsequent monotypy of Latreille 1810: 437.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; The subgeneric classification of &lt;i&gt;Ceropales&lt;/i&gt; is mainly based on the characteristic features of their tarsal claws, cells and venation of fore wing, sculpture on frons, and shape of the last metasomal sternite of females. Subgenus &lt;i&gt;Priesnerius&lt;/i&gt; can be segregated from congeners in having a triangular SMC3 which is larger than SMC2, a short and bifid protarsomere 4, and the last sternite with a rectangularly truncate base. Fore wing SMC2 and SMC3 are of almost same size in the remaining two subgenera. Subgenus &lt;i&gt;Hemiceropales&lt;/i&gt; can be differentiated from its congeners in having their upper frons convex, the claws bifid, S6 of females long (with basal projection truncate or slightly rounded apically), and males with an asymmetric protarsomere 5. Subgenus &lt;i&gt;Ceropales&lt;/i&gt; s. str. can be differentiated from congeners in having the frons flat and scantly punctured, the fore wing with SMC3 acute angulate-prolonged inferiorly with a short upper portion, the claws with well-defined tooth like protuberance, the fore and mid claws bifid with an obliquely truncate subapical tooth, females with a triangular hypopygium with the apex of the basal projection angulate or slightly rounded, males with protarsomere 5 asymmetric, and in females protarsomere 5 swollen but the asymmetry might not be conspicuous (Waichert &lt;i&gt;et al.&lt;/i&gt; 2022).&lt;/p&gt;Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Anju, K., Thejass, P., Binoy, C. &amp; Kumar, P. Girish, 2023, Taxonomic study on the spider wasp genus Ceropales Latreille, 1796 (Pompilidae: Ceropalinae) with description of two new species from India, pp. 119-128 in Zootaxa 5264 (1)&lt;/i&gt; on page 120, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5264.1.8, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/7836278"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/7836278&lt;/a&gt