Calcium sequestration in the hypo-osmotic freshwater environment is imperative in maintaining calcium homeostasis in freshwater aquatic organisms. This uptake process is reported to have the unintended consequence of potentially toxic heavy metal (Cd, Zn) uptake in a variety of aquatic species. However, calcium uptake remains poorly understood in aquatic insects, the dominant invertebrate fauna...

The systemic insecticide imidacloprid may be applied to deciduous trees for control of the Asian longhorned beetle, an invasive wood-boring insect. Senescent leaves falling from systemically treated trees contain imidacloprid concentrations that could pose a risk to natural decomposer organisms. We examined the effects of foliar imidacloprid concentrations on decomposer organisms by adding leav...

Mycobacterium ulcerans is an emerging environmental pathogen which causes chronic skin ulcers (i.e., Buruli ulcer) in otherwise healthy humans living in tropical countries, particularly those in Africa. In spite of epidemiological and PCR data linking M. ulcerans to water, the mode of transmission of this organism remains elusive. To determine the role of aquatic insects in the transmission of ...

Adjacent food webs may be linked by cross-boundary subsidies: more-productive donor systems can subsidize consumers in less-productive neighboring recipient systems. Introduced species are known to have direct effects on organisms within invaded communities. However, few studies have addressed the indirect effects of nonnative species in donor systems on organisms in recipient systems. We studi...

A new species of Pediciidae, Heterangaeus mongolicus is described from specimens collected during the fieldwork of the Mongolian Aquatic Insect Survey Project in north-central Mongolia, Tov Aimag (district). Descriptions and illustrations of the distinguishing morphological features are provided. Habitat information is presented. Female ovipositor and larvae of Heterangaeus are described and il...

We describe the inspiration, development, and deployment of a novel cocktail device modeled after a class of water-walking insects. Semi-aquatic insects like Microvelia and Velia evade predators by releasing a surfactant that quickly propels them across the water. We exploit an analogous propulsion mechanism in the design of an edible cocktail boat. We discuss how gradients in surface tension l...

Surveys for symbiotic fungi in the guts of aquatic insect larvae (Trichomycetes: Harpellales) in Tasmania, Australia, resulted in the discovery of four new species: two in Gripopterygidae (Plecoptera) nymphs, Plecopteromyces leptoperlarum and P. trinotoperlarum, and two associated with Diptera larvae, Smittium magnosporum in Thaumaleidae and Stachylina dolichospora in Chironomidae. Previously d...

Rice and fish are common staple foods in many parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The cultivation of fish in paddy fields has proven to be highly productive. Simultaneous rice and fish cultures can be accomplished with l i t t l e extra effort and is economically feasible and practical. Fish enhance rice yield through predation of insect pests, reduce aquatic vascular plant and algal grow...

Diapause is the primary factor synchronizing insect life cycles with seasonal changes in the environment. Diapause is the major factor regulating the timing of growth, development, and reproduction, both before and after the period of dormancy. Many definitions of diapause may be found in the literature. Tauber et al. (1986) define diapause as “a neurohormonally mediated, dynamic state of low m...