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Gerridae
The Gerridae are a family of insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as water striders, water skeeters, water scooters, water bugs, pond skaters, water skippers, water gliders, water skimmers or puddle flies. Consistent with the classification of the Gerridae as true bugs (i.e., suborder Heteroptera), gerrids have mouthparts evolved for piercing and sucking, and distinguish themselves by having the unusual ability to walk on water, making them pleuston (surface-living) animals. They are anatomically built to transfer their weight to be able to run on top of the water's surface. As a result, one could likely find water striders present in any pond, river, or lake. Over 1,700 species of gerrids have been described, 10% of them being marine. While 90% of the Gerridae are freshwater bugs, the oceanic ''Halobates'' makes the family quite exceptional among insects. The genus ''Halobates'' was first heavily studied between 1822 and 1883 when Francis Buchanan White collected sev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Elford Leach
William Elford Leach Royal Society, FRS (2 February 1791 – 25 August 1836) was an English zoologist and marine biologist. Life and work Elford Leach was born at Hoe Gate, Plymouth, the son of an attorney. At the age of twelve he began a medical apprenticeship at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Devonshire and Exeter Hospital, studying anatomy and chemistry. By this time he was already collecting marine animals from Plymouth Sound and along the Devon coast. At seventeen he began studying medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, finishing his training at the University of Edinburgh before graduating Doctor of Medicine, MD from the University of St Andrews (where he had never studied). From 1813 Leach concentrated on his zoological interests and was employed as an 'Assistant Librarian' (what would later be called Assistant Keeper) in the Natural History Museum, London, Natural History Department of the British Museum, where he had responsibility for the zoological ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Challenger Expedition
The ''Challenger'' expedition of 1872–1876 was a scientific program that made many discoveries to lay the foundation of oceanography. The expedition was named after the naval vessel that undertook the trip, . The expedition, initiated by William Benjamin Carpenter, was placed under the scientific supervision of Sir Charles Wyville Thomson—of the University of Edinburgh and Merchiston Castle School—assisted by five other scientists, including Sir John Murray, a secretary-artist and a photographer. The Royal Society of London obtained the use of ''Challenger'' from the Royal Navy and in 1872 modified the ship for scientific tasks, equipping it with separate laboratories for natural history and chemistry. The expedition, led by Captain George Nares, sailed from Portsmouth, England, on 21 December 1872. Other naval officers included Commander John Maclear. – pages 19 and 20 list the civilian staff and naval officers and crew, along with changes that took place during the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oikos (journal)
''Oikos'' is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research in the field of ecology. It is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Nordic Foundation Oikos. Since 2011, the editor-in-chief has been Dries Bonte of Ghent University. History The journal was established in 1949 as ''Oikos: Acta Oecologica Scandinavica'', together with the Nordic Foundation Oikos, to provide a vehicle for publishing in the growing field of ecology. The journal content would have no preference with regard to taxonomic group. In the 1970s the scope was narrowed to studies with relevance to the progress of theory in ecology. From 1949 to 1977, the journal appeared in one volume of three issues per year. From 1977 to 1987, two volumes per year were produced, and three volumes from 1987. In addition, from 1949–1975, a number of supplements were published at irregular intervals. Since 2007, the ''Oikos'' subject editors make nominations for the annual Per Brinck Oikos Award given to a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polymorphism (biology)
In biology, polymorphism is the occurrence of two or more clearly different morphs or forms, also referred to as alternative ''phenotypes'', in the population of a species. To be classified as such, morphs must occupy the same habitat at the same time and belong to a panmictic population (one with random mating). Ford E.B. 1965. ''Genetic polymorphism''. Faber & Faber, London. Put simply, polymorphism is when there are two or more possibilities of a trait on a gene. For example, there is more than one possible trait in terms of a jaguar's skin colouring; they can be light morph or dark morph. Due to having more than one possible variation for this gene, it is termed 'polymorphism'. However, if the jaguar has only one possible trait for that gene, it would be termed "monomorphic". For example, if there was only one possible skin colour that a jaguar could have, it would be termed monomorphic. The term polyphenism can be used to clarify that the different forms arise from the s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mantises
Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks. Their elongated bodies may or may not have wings, but all Mantodea have forelegs that are greatly enlarged and adapted for catching and gripping prey; their upright posture, while remaining stationary with forearms folded, has led to the common name praying mantis. The closest relatives of mantises are termites and cockroaches (Blattodea), which are all within the superorder Dictyoptera. Mantises are sometimes confused with stick insects (Phasmatodea), other elongated insects such as grasshoppers (Orthoptera), or other more distantly related insects with raptorial forelegs such as mantisflies (Mantispidae). Mantises are mostly ambush predators, but a few ground-dwelling spe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pronotum
The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum (dorsal), the prosternum (ventral), and the propleuron (lateral) on each side. The prothorax never bears wings in extant insects (except in some cases of atavism), though some fossil groups possessed wing-like projections. All adult insects possess legs on the prothorax, though in a few groups (e.g., the butterfly family Nymphalidae) the forelegs are greatly reduced. In many groups of insects, the pronotum is reduced in size, but in a few it is hypertrophied, such as in all beetles (Coleoptera). In most treehoppers (family Membracidae, order Hemiptera), the pronotum is expanded into often fantastic shapes that enhance their camouflage or mimicry. Similarly, in the Tetrigidae, the pronotum is extended backward to cover the flight wings, supplanting the function of the tegmina. See also *Glossary of entomolo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thorax (insect Anatomy)
The thorax is the midsection ( tagma) of the hexapod body (insects and entognathans). It holds the head, legs, wings and abdomen. It is also called mesosoma or cephalothorax in other arthropods. It is formed by the prothorax, mesothorax and metathorax and comprises the scutellum; the cervix, a membrane that separates the head from the thorax; and the pleuron, a lateral sclerite of the thorax. In dragonflies and damselflies the mesothorax and metathorax are fused together to form the synthorax. In some insect pupae, like the mosquitoes', the head and thorax can be fused in a cephalothorax. Members of suborder Apocrita (wasps, ants and bees) in the order Hymenoptera have the first segment of the abdomen fused with the thorax, which is called the propodeum. The head is connected to the thorax by the occipital foramen, enabling a wide range of motion for the head. In most flying insects, the thorax allows for the use of asynchronous muscles Asynchronous muscles are muscles in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gerris By Webrunner
''Gerris'' is a bug genus in the family Gerridae (water striders). Species The genus ''Gerris'' contains 43 species in 3 subgenera: Subgenus ''Gerris'' Subgenus ''Gerriselloides'' * ''Gerris asper'' (Fieber, 1860) * ''Gerris brachynotus'' Horváth, 1907 * ''Gerris kiritshenkoi'' Kanyukova, 1979 * ''Gerris lateralis'' Schummel, 1832 Subgenus ''Macrogerris'' * ''Gerris cui'' Esaki, 1925 * ''Gerris gracilicornis'' Horváth, 1879 * ''Gerris insularis'' Motschulsky, 1866 * ''Gerris issikii'' Miyamoto, 1961 * ''Gerris lundbladi'' Andersen & Chen, 1993 * ''Gerris tigrinus'' Brown, 1949 * ''Gerris yezoensis'' Miyamoto, 1958 Mating system Species of genus ''Gerris'' demonstrate a high degree of female control over most aspects of mating and there is significant evidence that supports antagonistic coevolution, and the convenience polyandry hypothesis of multiple matings. There is evidence to suggest that the post-copulatory guarding exhibited by ''Gerris buenoi'' - and other species ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gigantometra Gigas
''Gigantometra'' is a monotypic genus of water-strider bugs, containing the species ''Gigantometra gigas'': its name indicating that it is the largest species in its family Gerridae. It has been found in pools of fast-flowing, subtropical and tropical forest streams, on Hainan Island and highland northern Vietnam. Description ''Gigantometra gigas'' is the largest species of water-striders, with legs having a span of about 300 mm in order to spread its relatively large body weight on the water surface. Sexual dimorphism is common throughout the Gerridae and sexual selection Sexual selection is a mode of natural selection in which members of one biological sex choose mates of the other sex to mate with (intersexual selection), and compete with members of the same sex for access to members of the opposite sex (in ... of males for large body size has been demonstrated in several species, including this one: where males are larger than females in all measured traits. This d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aquarius (bug)
''Aquarius'' is a genus of water striders found predominantly in the northern hemisphere. Formerly a subgenus, ''Aquarius'' was elevated to generic rank in 1990 on the basis of phylogenetic analysis. These are among the world's largest water striders, with females averaging long and males roughly 10–30% smaller, depending on the exact species. An outlier is ''A. elongatus'' where both sexes typically are about , roughly the same as certain '' Cylindrostethus'', and second only to ''Gigantometra gigas''. Species There are 17 species in the genus ''Aquarius'': *'' Aquarius adelaidis'' (Dohrn, 1860) *'' Aquarius amplus'' (Drake & Harris, 1938) *'' Aquarius antigone'' (Kirkaldy, 1899) *'' Aquarius chilensis'' (Berg, 1881) *'' Aquarius cinereus'' (Puton, 1869) *'' Aquarius conformis'' (Uhler, 1878) *'' Aquarius distanti'' (Horváth, 1899) *'' Aquarius elongatus'' (Uhler, 1896) *'' Aquarius fabricii'' Andersen, 1990 *'' Aquarius lili'' D.A. Polhemus & J.T. Polhemus, 1994 *''Aquariu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hydrophobic
In chemistry, hydrophobicity is the physical property of a molecule that is seemingly repelled from a mass of water (known as a hydrophobe). In contrast, hydrophiles are attracted to water. Hydrophobic molecules tend to be nonpolar and, thus, prefer other neutral molecules and nonpolar solvents. Because water molecules are polar, hydrophobes do not dissolve well among them. Hydrophobic molecules in water often cluster together, forming micelles. Water on hydrophobic surfaces will exhibit a high contact angle. Examples of hydrophobic molecules include the alkanes, oils, fats, and greasy substances in general. Hydrophobic materials are used for oil removal from water, the management of oil spills, and chemical separation processes to remove non-polar substances from polar compounds. Hydrophobic is often used interchangeably with lipophilic, "fat-loving". However, the two terms are not synonymous. While hydrophobic substances are usually lipophilic, there are exceptions, suc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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