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Human–animal relationships have long been the subject of controversy because they are shaped by several cultural, inter-individual, and evolutionary factors. Understanding these relationships, however, is important to optimize conservation efforts. There is agreement that perceived similarity between animals and humans is associated with more positive attitudes. The human–animal similarity could be caused by phylogenetic closeness. We hypothesized that the bipedal posture of an animal may be perceived as a cue of phenotypic similarity with humans. We examined this topic by comparing perceived cuteness, fear, and willingness to protect animals differing in body posture, body size, and phylogenetic closeness with humans on a sample of N = 349 Slovak participants. We found that the bipedal posture enhanced perceived cuteness, but this effect was most pronounced in small-bodied animals, particularly those with direct eye contact. Phylogenetically close and small-bodied species (e.g., small mammals) received greater conservation support than phylogenetically distant species (e.g., invertebrates). However, anthropomorphic-looking animals received greater conservation support, suggesting that pictures of animals that more closely resemble humans can be used in conservation campaigns.

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Environmental factors related to climate change can directly influence the spatial patterns of insect distribution, including many “southern” elements in mild climate ecosystems. This paper deals with potential infiltration of thermophilous

The quality of human-animal interactions may crucially influence conservation efforts. Unfortunately, and despite their important roles in the functioning of the ecosystem, some animals are considered notoriously unpopular. Using the forced-choice paradigm, we investigated which cues humans perceive as frightening and disgusting in spiders, one of the most unpleasant animals in the world. The research was carried out with a representative sample of N = 1,015 Slovak adults. We found that perceived fear and disgust of spiders were triggered predominantly by enlarged chelicerae, enlarged abdomen, and the presence of body hair. Longer legs were associated with perceived fear as well; however, the presence of two eyes did not produce any statistical significance in terms of fear. We hope that further research in this field, where additional cues can be manipulated (e.g., color and number of legs), will improve conservation efforts by using an improved reputation of spiders in the eyes of the general public.

Almost sixty years after the first published plea for more systematic research on thrips in Slovakia, the checklist undisputedly requires an appropriate revision with a special emphasis on the economic consequences of climate change and biological commodity trade globalisation synergic effects, followed by the dynamic and significant changes in the native biodiversity due to alien species introduction. The updated checklist contains 189 species  ecorded from the area of Slovakia, from three families: Aeolothripidae Uzel, 1895 (15 species), Thripidae Stephens, 1829 (113 species) and Phlaeothripidae Uzel, 1895 (61 species), including 7 beneficiary and 35 economic pest elements, such as one A2 EPPO quarantine pest (Frankliniella occidentalis) and five potential transmitters of tospoviruses (F. occidentalis, F. intonsa, F. fusca, Thrips tabaci, Dictyothrips betae). Several species (e.g., Hercinothrips femoralis, Microcephalothrips abdominalis, F. occidentalis, T. flavus, T. tabaci, Limothrips cerealium, L. denticornis, etc.) may possess a heavy introduction and invasion potential with well-developed mechanisms for successful dispersion.