scholarly journals Comparative Morphology of the Stinger in Social Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 729
Author(s):  
Mario Bissessarsingh ◽  
Christopher K. Starr
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
New World ◽  
Comparative Morphology ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
Relative Degree ◽  
The Family ◽  
Natural Measure ◽  
Apparent Correlation ◽  
Social Habits ◽  
Physical Features

The physical features of the stinger are compared in 51 species of vespid wasps: 4 eumenines and zethines, 2 stenogastrines, 16 independent-founding polistines, 13 swarm-founding New World polistines, and 16 vespines. The overall structure of the stinger is remarkably uniform within the family. Although the wasps show a broad range in body size and social habits, the central part of the venom-delivery apparatus—the sting shaft—varies only to a modest extent in length relative to overall body size. What variation there is shows no apparent correlation with social habits. This is consistent with the hypothesis that stinger size is constrained by the demands of a flight-worthy body. The sting lancets bear distinct, acute barbs in all examined species except in members of the Stenogastrinae. Barbs vary considerably among species in number, their summed lengths, and the relative degree of serration (summed length relative to lancet width). Where they are numerous and strong, it increases the likelihood of the stinger remaining fatally embedded in the skin of a vertebrate adversary (sting autotomy). Although an index that combines the number and strength of barbs is a more natural measure of overall serration, the number of barbs alone is almost as good a predictor of the likelihood of sting autotomy. Across the family as a whole, the tendency to sting autotomy is concentrated in the swarm-founding New World polistines.

Comparative morphology and ontogenetic patterns of Bdallophytum species (Cytinaceae, Malvales): insight into the biology of an endoparasitic genus

Botany ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Rios-Carrasco ◽  
SONIA VÁZQUEZ-SANTANA
Keyword(s):  
New World ◽  
Floral Development ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Comparative Morphology ◽  
The Family ◽  
Unisexual Flowers ◽  
Male Flowers ◽  
And Bisexual ◽  
Early Developmental ◽  
Insight Into

Cytinaceae are root endoparasitic plants with only three genera. Their biology is largely unknown, and most knowledge of the family is based on the Old World genus, Cytinus. Here, we studied all three species of the New World Bdallophytum from Mexico. We describe their morphoanatomy, floral development, and embryology, highlighting the unique traits of Bdallophytum compared with two other genera of the family and members of Malvales. Both B. americanum and B. andrieuxii are dioecious, while B. oxylepis is gynomonoecious. The floral size and the number of floral organs vary within and among species, which appears common in Cytinaceae. The flowers of Bdallophytum exhibit synorganization in sexual organs, a synandrium in male flowers, and a gynostemium in bisexual flowers of B. oxylepis. Unisexual and bisexual flowers are zygomorphic at the early developmental stages. The unisexual flowers become actinomorphic in later development, while the bisexual flowers of B. oxylepis remain zygomorphic. The androecium of Bdallophytum has key traits shared with some Malvales, such as the fused filaments in Malvaceae and Sarcolaenaceae and the connective appendage shared with Dipterocarpaceae. Our results suggest that a unitegmic ovule is a unique trait for Bdallophytum. This is proposed here as a putative synapomorphy for Bdallophytum.

Anacroneuria spp. (Insecta: Plecoptera: Perlidae) as paratenic hosts of Pheromermis sp. (Nematoda: Mermithidae) in Venezuela

Nematology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maribet Gamboa ◽  
Maria Mercedes Castillo ◽  
Ricardo Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Body Regions ◽  
Individual Host ◽  
The Family ◽  
Paratenic Hosts

Nematodes of the family Mermithidae are known as endoparasites of freshwater arthropods. Juveniles of Pheromermis sp. (Mermithidae) were found coiled inside stonefly nymphs collected at seven sites in the Guare and Emilia rivers in northern Venezuela. Prevalence in Anacroneuria blanca was 93.2% () and in A. caraca was 91.5% (). In A. blanca, a higher number of juveniles per individual host was observed than in A. caraca, a fact that is probably related to body size. Although parasites were observed in all body regions, the highest incidence occurred in the legs and thorax. Considering the nematode prevalence and intensity of parasitism, we consider individuals of Anacroneuria spp. to be important hosts of Pheromermis in these rivers.

Venom gland morphology in Pepsis pallidolimbata pallidolimbata and biological use and activity of Pepsis venom

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 1014-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Schoeters ◽  
J. Billen ◽  
J. O. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Venom Gland ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
Morphological Organization ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Family ◽  
Venom Glands ◽  
Glandular Structures ◽  
Sibling Family

Spider wasps, i.e., the family Pompilidae, in general, and those belonging to the genus Pepsis in particular, are acknowledged to possess venoms that are algogenic to humans and thus have the parsimonious functions of causing paralysis and providing defense against predators. The morphological organization of the venom system and its complex convoluted gland closely resembles that in social members of the Vespidae. These features distinguish the venom glands of the Pompilidae from those of the sibling family Mutillidae as well as those of the family Sphecidae, which lack convoluted glands. Although the venom glands in Pepsis species are very similar in morphology to those of social vespids, the lethality of Pepsis venom to mammals is several times less than that of the social common wasps. These findings suggest that in terms of the evolution of venom activity and the associated glandular structures, there was apparently no need for social wasps to develop extra parts of the venom system for producing toxic, lethal, or powerful algogenic components. All of the glandular parts of the venom gland of social wasps were already present in pompilids (and eumenids) and, presumably, in their ancestors.

Three new species of oribatid mites of the family Galumnidae (Acari, Oribatida) from South Africa

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4920 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-100
Author(s):  
SERGEY G. ERMILOV ◽  
ELIZABETH A. HUGO-COETZEE ◽  
ALEXANDER A. KHAUSTOV
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Species ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Oribatid Mites ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
The Family ◽  
Three New Species ◽  
Porose Area ◽  
Median Pore

Three new species of oribatid mites of the family Galumnidae are described from soil and coniferous litter of Hogsback State Forest, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Pilogalumna hogsbackensis sp. nov. differs from Pilogalumna tenuiclava and P. ornatula by the presence of elongate oval postanal porose area and narrowly unilaterally dilated bothridial head. Pergalumna amatholensis sp. nov. differs from Pergalumna distincta by the presence of smaller body size, rounded rostrum, unilaterally dilated bothridial head, one pair of notogastral porose areas Aa, and the localization of opisthonotal gland opening and lyrifissure im. Stictozetes ihaguensis sp. nov. differs from all species of the genus by presence of bothridial seta with narrowly dilated head and median pore in both genders. An identification key to known species of Stictozetes is presented. 

The experience of non-traditional study of the poetics of literary works (on the example of the book “Fontanelle” by Meir Shalev)

2021 ◽  
pp. 58-75
Author(s):  
Vadim Markovich Rozin
Keyword(s):  
New World ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Literary Work ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Family ◽  
Gradual Development ◽  
History Of ◽  
Family And Marriage ◽  
Nontraditional Approach ◽  
Empirical Material

This article offers a nontraditional approach towards studying the poetics of literary work, which considers personality of the reader and analysis of the reality that he reconstructs and experiences. The empirical material is comprised on the authorial analysis of the poetics of Meir Shalev's novel “Fontanelle”. This literary work features the four major themes: love of the protagonist Michael, creation of the new world from its inception, the characteristic of life values of a person, and discussion of the peculiarities of reality that Meir Shalev builds as an artist. In the first theme, the author reveals several images of love, reflecting on the mystical love of the protagonist for the young woman Ana, love in the family and marriage, love for children. At the same time, the author discusses not only the way that Meir Shalev understands and describes love in “Fontanelle”, but also talks about the own interpretation of love. In the plotline of the second theme, the author also distinguishes two lines: the story the protagonist’s grandfather Apupa, who carries his beloved Amuma on his shoulders across the country, seeking a place where they could create a home and family; and the story of gradual development of a small settlement into a city, created by Apupa and Amuma on the mountain, and several Jewish families at the lower valley. Discussing in the third topic the anchors of human life, the author emphasizes such values as effort, love, family and family line, creativity, indicating that Michael is not alone, he is loved, he gets involved in family history, as well as the history of Israel and Jewish culture, drawing strength in the heroes of this story. The last part of the article gives characteristic to the reality of “Fontanelle” and explains why the author liked it.

Comparative morphology of extant raptorial Mantispoidea (Neuroptera: Mantispidae, Rhachiberothidae) suggests a non-monophyletic Mantispidae and a single origin of the raptorial condition within the superfamily

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4992 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-89
Author(s):  
ADRIAN ARDILA-CAMACHO ◽  
CALEB CALIFRE MARTINS ◽  
ULRIKE ASPÖCK ◽  
ATILANO CONTRERAS-RAMOS
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Comparative Morphology ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Sister Group Relationship ◽  
Wing Venation ◽  
Morphological Studies ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Family ◽  
Evolutionary Context ◽  
New Interpretation

Adult external morphology of the extant raptorial Mantispoidea (Insecta: Neuroptera: Mantispidae and Rhachiberothidae) is compared emphasizing the morphology of the subfamily Symphrasinae as a key group to understand the phylogenetic relationships among the members of the superfamily. Plega dactylota Rehn, 1939 is thoroughly characterized in order to exemplify the morphology of the Symphrasinae. Additionally, following a review of the literature and examination of comparative material of Dilaridae, Berothidae, Rhachiberothidae and all Mantispidae subfamilies, a new interpretation of the components of the raptorial apparatus (i.e., head, prothorax, grasping forelegs, as well as integumentary specializations) is presented. Also, wing venation for these groups is reinterpreted, and new homology hypotheses for wing venation are proposed based on tracheation and comparative analyses. Given the high morphological divergence on the genital sclerites within the Mantispoidea, plus the confusing previous usage of neutral terminology and terms referring to appendages across taxonomic and morphological studies, we attempt to standardize, simplify, and situate terminology in an evolutionary context under the “gonocoxite concept” (multi-coxopod hypothesis). The remarkable morphological similarity of the genital sclerites of Symphrasinae and Rhachiberothidae (sensu U. Aspöck & Mansell 1994) with the Nallachinae (Dilaridae) was taken as a starting point to understand the morphology of other Mantispidae subfamilies. Based on these morphological comparisons, we provide a revised phylogenetic analysis of Mantispoidea. This new phylogenetic analysis supports a sister group relationship between the family Rhachiberothidae, comprising Rhachiberothinae and Symphrasinae, and the family Mantispidae, including the subfamily Mantispinae and its sister taxa Drepanicinae and Calomantispinae, which may represent a single subfamily. Based on these analyses, raptorial condition probably evolved a single time in these insects and subsequently became diversified in the two sister clades of the raptorial Mantispoidea.  

A New Species of the Genus Amberophytum Yu, Slipinski et Pang, 2019 (Coleoptera: Cerophytidae) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese Amber

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
George O. Poinar, Jr. ◽  
Fernando E. Vega ◽  
Andrei A. Legalov
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Convex Body ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
The Family ◽  
A New Species

In this article, a new species of the genus Amberophytum Yu, Slipinski et Pang, 2019 of the family Cerophytidae from mid- Cretaceous Burmese amber is described and illustrated. The new species, A. maculatum s.n. differs from A. birmanicum Yu, Slipinski et Pang, 2019 in the smaller body size, shorter metatarsomere 1, and more convex body. A key to the species of the genus Amberophytum is presented.

A new species of Pergalumna (Acari: Oribatida: Galumnidae) from southeastern Iran, including a key to all species of the genus from the Palaearctic region

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 379-394
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ali Akrami ◽  
Fatemeh Ordouni ◽  
Sara Ramroodi
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Oribatid Mite ◽  
Palaearctic Region ◽  
The Family ◽  
Surface Ornamentation ◽  
Porose Area ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Median Pore

A new species of oribatid mite of the family Galumnidae, Pergalumna sistanbaluchestanica sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on adult specimens from soil in Sistan and Baluchestan province, southeastern Iran. The new species is characterized by dentate rostrum; long interlamellar setae; long, setiform, finely barbed bothridial setae; complete dorsosejugal furrow; large, nearly triangular porose areas Aa; presence of median pore in females and males; large, elongated postanal porose area and large body size. The new species is most similar morphologically to P. seminervosa Mahunka & Mahunka-Papp, 2008, however, differs from it in morphology of bothridial setae and notogastral porose areas Aa and also by the surface ornamentation of the pteromorphs and genital plates; localization of setal alveoli la and lyrifissures im and body size. An identification key to known species of Pergalumna from the Palaearctic region is given.

The Cat’s-Paw

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Civil War ◽  
Mexico City ◽  
New World ◽  
The United States ◽  
Western Hemisphere ◽  
Sovereign State ◽  
The Family ◽  
Napoleon Iii ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Death Knell

In the decades before the Civil War many Southerners argued that their slaveholding region should expand territorially beyond the boundaries of the United States into Latin America and the Caribbean, especially Cuba. Instead, during the Civil War the Confederacy renounced the capture any new territory in the Americas. Historians have neglected to explain fully the South’s failure to to fulfill its prewar ambitions to expand territorially in the New World after secession. Patrick J. Kelly argues that examining the Southern rebellion from the perspective of Mexico City, Havana, London and Paris reveals the stark geopolitical realities facing the Confederate nation in the New World. Instead of dominating the New World, the Southern rebellion served as a pawn, especially to the French Emperor Napoleon III, in hemispheric affairs. Ultimately, the Confederacy proved too weak internationally to to capture any new hemispheric territory or gain the foreign recognition it sought in order to operate as a sovereign state in the family of nations. In an ironic twist, instead of insuring the future of Southern slavery, secession marked the death knell of the South’s dream of creating an empire for slavery in the Western Hemisphere.

Revision of the genus Athyreacarus (Acari: Athyreacaridae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4647 (1) ◽  
pp. 168-225
Author(s):  
ALEXANDER A. KHAUSTOV ◽  
ANDREY V. FROLOV
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
New World ◽  
Generic Concept ◽  
The Family

Mites of the genus Athyreacarus (Acari: Athyreacaridae) associated with bolboceratine beetles (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae: Bolboceratine) of New World are revised, a new generic concept provided, and the family concept modified. Nine new species are described: A. grandis sp. nov. on Neoathyreus lanuginosus in Brazil; A. magnificus sp. nov. on Athyreus tuberifer in Brazil; A. variabilis sp. nov. on Neoathyreus cf. anthracinus in Brazil; A. similis sp. nov. on Neoathyreus centromaculatus in Bolivia; A. vazdemelloi sp. nov. on Parathyreus rectus in Brazil; A. pusillus sp. nov. on Athyreus brasilicus in Brazil; A. latus sp. nov. on Athyreus cf. bifurcatus from unknown locality; A. angustus sp. nov. on Bolbelasmus horni in USA; and A. ovalis sp. nov. on Bolbelasmus variabilis in Mexico. Bolbapium striatopunctatum, B. minutum, and B. sculpturatum are recorded as new phoretic host beetles for Athyreacarus primitivus. A key to genera and species of the family Athyreacaridae is provided. 

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