Water as a Divine Mirror in the Poetry of Daud Kamal

In the poetry of Daud Kamal, water figures as an image of mercy, as in the Quran, and as a mirror that reflects a divine hidden presence. The rock pool evokes the memory of Gandhara and other foundational civilizations born in love and creative ferment. Conversely, the images of drought, heat, and dust symbolize a parched spiritual order. The river, a recurring archetypal image in Kamal’s poetry, represents the fluid self that is subsumed into collective identity to become a poetic distillate of history.

Differentiation of South African coastal rock pool Ochthebius is associated with major ocean currents (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae)

A number of non-marine coastal invertebrate species have been found to constitute (semi-) cryptic species complexes in recent years. Here it is revealed that rather than a single widespread species, distributed from the Namibian border to the Cape south coast, South African coastal rock pool Ochthebius Leach, 1815 previously referred to Ochthebius capicola (Péringuey, 1892) comprise two distinct taxa. Ochthebius capicola (s. str.) is apparently restricted to the Benguela Ecoregion on the west coast, being replaced by Ochthebius mlamboi sp. nov., in south and east coast localities influenced by the Agulhas Current, including areas of the Eastern Cape province well outside the previous known range of these beetles. The distribution and ecology of the two species is discussed, with reference to biogeographic breaks in southern African coastal taxa, and the emerging view that many ‘widespread’ coastal rock pool Ochthebius may actually be (semi-) cryptic species complexes.

Review of the southern African Leptestheriidae (Branchiopoda: Spinicaudata) I: redescription of Leptestheria brevirostris Barnard, 1924 with comments on diagnostic characters

We present the first records of Leptestheria brevirostris since its discovery in Namibia by Barnard in 1924. Our records come from Botswana and South Africa, and present significant range extensions. We redescribe L. brevirostris according to modern standards and present the first description of the male. We also discovered that L. brevirostris is likely a rock pool specialist, specific to sandstone and gneiss outcrops; this is the first record of a rock pool specialist clam shrimp from Africa and the second rock pool specialist described for Leptestheriidae. Finally, we depict and discuss the validity and usefulness of diagnostic characters for Leptestheria species in southern Africa, especially the usefulness of carapace interval ornamentation.

Asian Bush Mosquito, Asian Rock Pool Mosquito Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald, 1901) (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae)

Contents: Introduction - Synonymy - Distribution - Life Cycle - Medical Importance - Surveillance and Management - Selected References Also published on the Featured Creatures website at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/AQUATIC/aedes_japonicus.html

Phenology of Rock Pool Mosquitoes in the Southern Appalachian Mountains: Surveys Reveal Apparent Winter Hatching of Aedes japonicus and the Potential For Asymmetrical Stage-Specific Interactions

ABSTRACT The North American rock pool mosquito, Aedes atropalpus, has reportedly decreased in abundance following the introduction of Ae. japonicus japonicus to the USA, but the specific mechanisms responsible for the reduction remain unclear. Thus, there is a need for field studies to improve our knowledge of natural rock pool systems where both species co-occur. We sampled rock pool invertebrates over a 12-month period along the Chattooga River at a high-elevation site (728 m) near Cashiers, NC, and at a lower-elevation site (361 m) near Clayton, GA. We identified 12 orders of macroinvertebrates representing at least 19 families and 5 mosquito species. Aedes j. japonicus was present year-round at both sites. We observed overwintering Ae. j. japonicus larvae in pools with water temperatures as cold as 3°C and detected apparent winter egg hatching in water below 10°C. Aedes atropalpus was rarely encountered at the high-elevation site but was highly abundant in the summer months at the low-elevation site. Late-stage Ae. j. japonicus larvae inhabited pools in March 2019 when Ae. atropalpus first appeared in the same pools, creating the potential for asymmetrical stage-specific interactions. Our observations provide evidence of overwintering and early hatching of Ae. j. japonicus in the southeastern climate. Further study of the importance of stage-dependent competition and winter egg hatching of diapausing Ae. j. japonicus eggs is warranted.