The relationship between Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus distribution and stonefly (Plecoptera) nymph availability in the Maligne Valley watershed, Jasper National Park, Canada, was investigated from 1999 to 2000. Invertebrate sampling and duck counts were concentrated in the Maligne Lake Outlet (MLO), Middle Maligne River and Lower Maligne River. Harlequin Ducks were more likely to us...

The surface-skimming hypothesis for the evolution of insect flight poses that insects first used wings and aerodynamic locomotion to move in two dimensions across water surfaces. Here I present an overview of recent advances in our understanding of surface-skimming locomotion, and how these findings relate to phylogenetic origins of insects and developmental and anatomic origins of insect wings...

This study determined the first complete mitochondrial genome of a damselfly, Euphaea formosa (Insecta: Odonata: Zygoptera), and reconstructed a phylogeny based on thirteen protein-coding genes of mitochondrial genomes in twenty-five representative hexapods to examine the relationships among the basal Pterygota. The damselfly's mitochondrial genome is a circular molecule of 15,700bp long, and c...

Benthic macroinvertebrate communities of Lake Tanganyika tributaries in pristine, forested, and impacted, deforested, watersheds were examined. Samples were collected using a Surber-sampler, and identified under a dissecting microscope. Family biotic indices (FBI), percent of Ephemeroptera/Plecoptera/Trichoptera (%EPT), relative Chironomid abundance (RCA), and taxa richness of five impacted str...

The species of the genus Oreoderus are morphologically similar, and can be challenging to distinguish without dissecting the male genitalia. In this study, the Oreoderus species from China are reviewed. Three new species of Oreoderus are described: Oreoderus dasystibialis Li & Yang, sp. n., Oreoderus brevitarsus Li & Yang, sp. n. and Oreoderus oblongus Li & Yang, sp. n. A key of the male Oreode...

The southeast Asian scarab beetle genus Peltonotus Burmeister (Scarabaeidae, Dynastinae, Cyclocephalini) is reviewed. New country records for Peltonotus morio Burmeister (Myanmar and Vietnam), Peltonotus nasutus Arrow (southern China and Cambodia), and Peltonotus favonius Jameson and Wada (Myanmar) are reported, including a new record in the Palearctic/Sino-Japanese biogeographic region. The fi...

Extensive sampling for aquatic insects was conducted in the orders Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies), and Trichoptera (caddisflies) (EPT) of Isle Royale National Park (ISRO), Michigan, United States of America, during summer 2013. The island was ice covered until 8,000 to 10,000 years ago and is isolated by 22-70 km distance from the mainland. Two hypotheses were examined: that ...

A new species of the genus, Isopsera: Isopsera arcuata Nagar, Mal, Swaminathan sp. nov. (Orthoptera:Phaneropteridae Burmeister, 1838; Phaneropterinae Burmeister, 1838) is described. The holotype (♂) was collected from South India: Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu). The geographical location had the following specifications: 12⁰58 N 77⁰35E 930MSL South India. The described species differs from the two clo...