Entomology

Invertebrates: Revealing a hidden world in the year of biodiversity

by Dawn Sanders

Published in Primary Science 113 May/June 2010 p.5-8
Not final copy so some small glitches such as explore rather than exploring on last page and photograph captions and attributions are not finalised. Journal only available to Association of Science Education members.

Biodiversity means the variety of life, in all its forms. It includes the variety of species and ecosystems in the... more Biodiversity means the variety of life, in all its forms. It includes the variety of species and ecosystems in the world, and genetic variation. Invertebrates are one of the largest, and most accessible groups of animals for primary children to study. Darwin tells us that the action of earthworms in his garden at Down House caused his worm stone to sink at a rate of 2.2mm a year. He estimated that earthworm activities on every acre of his land brought some 18 tons of soil to the surface annually. Therefore the study of invertebrates, such as earthworms and ants, offers an important window on biodiversity in a significant habitat-soil. As one of the most well-known ant scientists in the world today recently wrote, ‘Immediately close at hand, around and beneath our feet, lies the least explored part of the planet’s surface. It is also the most vital place on Earth for human existence’ (Wilson, 2010). Invertebrates provide food for many animal groups, pollinate flowers, aid the formation of soil, distribute seeds and are key actors in the decomposition cycle.
Revealing the biological diversity of these animals and their myriad roles in the web of life engages children with a concept that is crucial to life on Earth. Invertebrates are numerous and diverse communities of species widely distributed throughout our planet. They also live on a scale that offers a secret world in the undergrowth for curious children.

Sticky predators: a comparative study of sticky glands in harpactorine assassin bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera: Reduviidae) [Acta Zoologica]

by Guanyang Zhang

Published in 'Acta Zoologica'

For more than 50 years, specialized dermal glands that secrete sticky substances and specialized setae have been known... more For more than 50 years, specialized dermal glands that secrete sticky substances and specialized setae have been known from the legs of New World assassin bugs in the genus Zelus Fabricius (Reduviidae: Harpactorinae). The gland secretions and specialized ‘sundew setae’ are involved in enhancing predation success. We here refer to this predation strategy as ‘sticky trap predation’ and the specialized dermal glands as ‘sticky glands’. To determine how widespread sticky trap predation is among Reduviidae, we investigated taxonomic distribution of sticky glands and sundew setae using compound light microscopical and scanning electron microscopical techniques and sampling 67 species of Reduviidae that represent 50 genera of Harpactorini. We found sticky glands in 12 genera of Harpactorini and thus show that sticky trap predation is much more widespread than previously suspected. The sticky glands vary in shape, size and density, but are always located in a dorsolateral position on the fore tibia. Sundew setae are present in all taxa with sticky glands with the exception of Heza that instead possesses unique lamellate setae. The sticky trap predation taxa are restricted to the New World, suggesting a New World origin of this unique predation strategy.

Matching dimorphic sexes and immature stages with adults: resolving the systematics of the Bekilya group of Malagasy assassin bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Peiratinae) [Systematic Entomology]

by Guanyang Zhang

Published in 'Systematic Entomology'

The Madagascar endemic assassin bugs Bekilya Villiers and Hovacoris Villiers were described from macropterous male... more The Madagascar endemic assassin bugs Bekilya Villiers and Hovacoris Villiers were described from macropterous male specimens with striking colour patterns, and are currently monotypic. Mutillocoris Villiers, with two species from Madagascar, was based on brachypterous female specimens that resemble female mutillid wasps. To investigate the validity of the three genera, recently collected specimens from Madagascar were studied with both morphological and molecular techniques. Morphology alone appeared to be of limited value for associating males with females, and immature stages with adults, because of drastic differences between the sexes and the life stages. However, the use of morphology in conjunction with molecular data resolved these associations and showed that species of Mutillocoris represent females of Bekilya and Hovacoris, which we transfer accordingly to these two genera and refer to them as the Bekilya group. The type species of Mutillocoris belongs in Bekilya, resulting in the synonymy of these two genera (Mutillocorissyn.n.). The Bekilya group is diagnosed and several new species are described: Bekilya mahafalyasp.n., Bekilya tenebrasp.n., Bekilya tulearasp.n., Hovacoris bicolornotumsp.n., Hovacoris melanocepssp.n. and Hovacoris rufiventrissp.n. A total of ten species are recognized within the Bekilya group. The monophyly of Bekilya, Hovacoris and the Bekilya group is confirmed by morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses.

Field guide for the Australian amateur

by James M. Carpenter

Arqueo-entomología : cuando los insectos contribuyen al conocimiento de nuestro pasado

by Pierre Moret

Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa, 16 (Volumen Monográfico: Paleo-entomología), 1996, p. 183-188.

Este breve artículo trata de valorar la aportación de la arqueo-entomología en cuatro campos de investigación: la... more Este breve artículo trata de valorar la aportación de la arqueo-entomología en cuatro campos de investigación: la paleoecología, la economía de las sociedades antiguas (en relación con el cultivo de los cereales), la paleopatología y las costumbres funerarias.

L’archéo-entomologie, ou les insectes au service de l’histoire

by Pierre Moret

Revue de Médecine Vétérinaire, 149, 1998, p. 995-998.

L'archéo-entomologie, dont les méthodes s'inspirent de l'entomologie du Quaternaire, a des applications dans plusieurs... more L'archéo-entomologie, dont les méthodes s'inspirent de l'entomologie du Quaternaire, a des applications dans plusieurs domaines de la recherche archéologique. Elle participe à la reconstitution des paléo-environnements, et permet de retracer l'histoire des principaux ravageurs du grain entreposé. Elle peut aussi contribuer à l'étude des pratiques funéraires antiques.

L’utilisation des Coléoptères subfossiles dans la reconstruction des paléo-environnements : l’exemple du port antique de Santa Pola (Espagne)

by Pierre Moret

Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, 101 (3), 1996, p. 225-229 (with Carlos MARTIN CANTARINO).

Subfossil Coleoptera were found in a Roman well used from the first to the fourth Century AD at Santa Pola (Alicante,... more Subfossil Coleoptera were found in a Roman well used from the first to the fourth Century AD at Santa Pola (Alicante, South East Spain). Palaeoenvironmental implications are discussed.

Clave de identificación para los géneros de Carabidae (Coleoptera) presentes en los páramos del Ecuador y del sur de Colombia

by Pierre Moret

Revista Colombiana de Entomología, 29 (2), 2003 : 185-190.

This paper provides an illustrated key for identification of the genera of Carabidae that live in the paramos of... more This paper provides an illustrated key for identification of the genera of Carabidae that live in the paramos of Ecuador and southern Colombia, with a brief summary of their geographic distribution.

A contribution to the systematics of Neotropical Platynina. The supra-specific taxa of the Dyscolus complex (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Platynini)

by Pierre Moret

In: D. Zamotajlov et R. Sciaky (éd.), Advances in Carabidology - Papers dedicated to the memory of Prof. O.L. Kryzhanovskij, Krasnodar, 1999 : 285-298.

The purpose of this paper is to improve the taxonomic treatment of the Neotropical Platynina that have been classified... more The purpose of this paper is to improve the taxonomic treatment of the Neotropical Platynina that have been classified as Colpodes McLeay and as Platynus Bonelli. 14 species representing 13 supra-specific taxa are submitted to a cladistic analysis based on 26 morphological characters. Platynus (s. str.) exhibits a more primitive set of characters and has no representatives in tropical South America. The Dyscolus clade includes Dyscolus + Dyscolidion + [Stenocnemion + Onypterygia] + Glyptolenus.

Volcanisme et spéciation dans les Andes : à propos de deux nouveaux Dyscolus orophiles [Col. Caraboidea Platyninae]

by Pierre Moret

Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, 95 (5-6), 1990 : 169-174.

Based on the description of two new species of Carabid beetles, Dyscolus casalei n. sp. and Dyscolus rubellus n. sp.,... more Based on the description of two new species of Carabid beetles, Dyscolus casalei n. sp. and Dyscolus rubellus n. sp., both found on the Amazonian slopes of the Andes of Ecuador, the problem of insect speciation in lately risen volcanic highlands is discussed, with a special emphasis on apterism process.

Boletin No 2. I/2012

by Sociedad Cientifica de Estudiantes de Biologia SOCEB - UMSS

A new species of Ripipteryx from Belize with a key to the species of the Scrofulosa Group (Orthoptera, Ripipterygidae)

by Sam Heads

Co-authored with Steve Taylor
2012 - ZooKeys 169: 1-8

Systematics of Australian Agenioideus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) with the first record of a spider wasp parasitizing Latrodectus hasselti Thorell (redback spider)

by Lars Krogmann

On the edge of parasitoidism - a new Lower Cretaceous woodwasp forming the putative sister group of Xiphydriidae + Euhymenoptera

by Lars Krogmann

Revision of Prosyntexis from the Lower Cretaceous Crato formation of Brazil (Hymenoptera: Sepulcidae: Trematothoracinae)

by Lars Krogmann

The taming of an impossible child - a standardized all-in approach to the phylogeny of Hymenoptera using public database sequences

by Lars Krogmann

Systematic revision of the spider wasp genus Sphictostethus Kohl (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae) in Australia with description of nine new species

by Lars Krogmann

Preserving and specimen handling: Insects and other Invertebrates

by Lars Krogmann

Beyond the wasp-waist: structural diversity and phylogenetic significance of the mesosoma in apocritan wasps (Insecta: Hymenoptera)

by Lars Krogmann

Doddifoenus wallacei, a new giant parasitoid wasp of the subfamily Leptofoeninae (Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae), with a description of its mesosomal skeletal anatomy and a molecular characterization

by Lars Krogmann