Contact instabilities of anisotropic and inhomogeneous soft elastic films

Anisotropy plays important roles in various biological phenomena such as adhesion of geckos and grasshoppers enabled by the attachment pods having hierarchical structures like thin longitudinal setae connected with threads mimicked by anisotropic films. We study the contact instability of a transversely isotropic thin elastic film when it comes in contact proximity of another surface. In the present study we investigate the contact stability of a thin incompressible transversely isotropic film by performing linear stability analysis. Based on the linear stability analysis, we show that an approaching contactor renders the film unstable. The critical wavelength of the instability is a function of the total film thickness and the ratio of the Young's modulus in the longitudinal direction and the shear modulus in the plane containing the longitudinal axis. We also analyze the stability of a thin gradient film that is elastically inhomogeneous across its thickness. Compared to a homogeneous elastic film, it becomes unstable with a longer wavelength when the film becomes softer in going from the surface to the substrate.

A new species and key to known species of genus Oxya Serville (Orthoptera : Acrididae : Catantopinae) from China

During routine identification of the grasshoppers of the Dasa river, Guizhou Province of China in 2004, a new species [ Oxya guizhouensis sp, nov.] of the genus Oxya Serville ( Orthoptera, Acrididae, Catantopinae) was discovered. It is described here. A key to all known species of the genus from China is given. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Hebei University (MHU), Baoding, Hebei, China.

A cell surface antigen associated with meiosis in male Staurdoderus scalaris (Orthopteran)

Immunofluorescence has identified seven monoclonal antibodies reactive with the surface of meiotic cells and absent in premeiotic cells. Analysis by immunogold electron microscopy indicated that these antigens were present on the external surface of the cells and were coincident with the presence of synaptonemal complexes in the nucleus. On immunoblots a common glycosylated protein of 205 kDa was recognized, in addition to smaller subunits, suggesting the presence of a protein complex comprised of smaller peptides.

Intracellular antigenic changes associated with meiosis in the orthopteran Stauroderus scalaris

Monoclonal antibodies have been prepared against purified pachytene cells from grasshopper testes. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence analyses identified those monoclonal antibodies which showed specificity for antigens in pachytene cells. Several antigenic changes were found to be associated with meiotic cells. Five monoclonal antibodies detected antigens which were located in the cytoplasm of premeiotic cells but were nuclear during meiosis. One monoclonal antibody showed a discrete cytoplasmic fluorescent pattern in meiotic, but not in premeiotic, cells. Another bound specifically to the nuclei of some epithelial cells at the base of follicles in mature testes.

Cloud-radar observations of insects in the UK convective boundary layer

Radar has been applied to the study of insect migration for almost 40 years, but most entomological radars operate at X-band (9.4 GHz, 3.2 cm wavelength), and can only detect individuals of relatively large species, such as migratory grasshoppers and noctuid moths, over all of their flight altitudes. Many insects (including economically important species) are much smaller than this, but development of the requisite higher power and/or higher frequency radar systems to detect these species is often prohibitively expensive. In this paper, attention is focussed upon the uses of some recently-deployed meteorological sensing devices to investigate insect migratory flight behaviour, and especially its interactions with boundary layer processes. Records were examined from the vertically-pointing 35 GHz ‘Copernicus’ and 94 GHz ‘Galileo’ cloud radars at Chilbolton (Hampshire, England) for 12 cloudless and convective occasions in summer 2003, and one of these occasions (13 July) is presented in detail. Insects were frequently found at heights above aerosol particles, which represent passive tracers, indicating active insect movement. It was found that insect flight above the convective boundary layer occurs most often during the morning. The maximum radar reflectivity (an indicator of aerial insect biomass) was found to be positively correlated with maximum screen temperature.

Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life, 2013 Annual Checklist

This release of the Catalogue of Life contains contributions from 132 databases with information on 1,352,112 species, 114,069 infraspecific taxa and also includes 928,147 synonyms and 408,689 common names covering the following groups: Viruses • Viruses and Subviral agents from ICTV_MSL UPDATED! Bacteria and Archaea from BIOS Chromista • Chromistan fungi from Species Fungorum Protozoa • Major groups from ITIS Regional, • Ciliates from CilCat, • Polycystines from WoRMS Polycystina UPDATED!, • Protozoan fungi from Species Fungorum and Trichomycetes database • Slime moulds from Nomen.eumycetozoa.com Fungi • Various taxa in whole or in part from CABI Bioservices databases (Species Fungorum, Phyllachorales, Rhytismatales, Saccharomycetes and Zygomycetes databases) and from three other databases covering Xylariaceae, Glomeromycota, Trichomycetes, Dothideomycetes • Lichens from LIAS UPDATED! Plantae (Plants) • Mosses from MOST • Liverworts and hornworts from ELPT • Conifers from Conifer Database • Cycads and 6 flowering plant families from IOPI-GPC, and 99 families from WCSP • Plus individual flowering plants families from AnnonBase, Brassicaceae, ChenoBase, Droseraceae Database, EbenaBase, GCC UPDATED!, ILDIS UPDATED!, LecyPages, LHD, MELnet UPDATED!, RJB Geranium, Solanaceae Source, Umbellifers. Animalia (Animals) • Marine groups from URMO, ITIS Global, Hexacorals, ETI WBD (Euphausiacea), WoRMS: WoRMS Asteroidea UPDATED!, WoRMS Bochusacea UPDATED!, WoRMS Brachiopoda UPDATED!, WoRMS Brachypoda UPDATED!, WoRMS Brachyura UPDATED!, WoRMS Bryozoa UPDATED!, WoRMS Cestoda NEW!, WoRMS Chaetognatha UPDATED!, WoRMS Cumacea UPDATED!, WoRMS Echinoidea UPDATED!, WoRMS Gastrotricha NEW!, WoRMS Gnathostomulida NEW!, WoRMS Holothuroidea UPDATED!, WoRMS Hydrozoa UPDATED!, WoRMS Isopoda UPDATED!, WoRMS Leptostraca UPDATED!, WoRMS Monogenea NEW!, WoRMS Mystacocarida UPDATED!, WoRMS Myxozoa NEW!, WoRMS Nemertea UPDATED!, WoRMS Oligochaeta UPDATED!, WoRMS Ophiuroidea UPDATED!, WoRMS Phoronida UPDATED!, WoRMS Placozoa NEW!, WoRMS Polychaeta UPDATED!, WoRMS Polycystina UPDATED!, WoRMS Porifera UPDATED!, WoRMS Priapulida NEW!, WoRMS Proseriata and Kalyptorhynchia UPDATED!, WoRMS Remipedia UPDATED!, WoRMS Scaphopoda UPDATED!, WoRMS Tanaidacea UPDATED!, WoRMS Tantulocarida UPDATED!, WoRMS Thermosbaenacea UPDATED!, WoRMS Trematoda NEW!, WoRMS Xenoturbellida UPDATED! • Rotifers, mayflies, freshwater hairworms, planarians from FADA databases: FADA Rotifera UPDATED!, FADA Ephemeroptera NEW!, FADA Nematomorpha NEW! & FADA Turbellaria NEW! • Entoprocts, water bears from ITIS Global • Spiders, scorpions, ticks & mites from SpidCat via ITIS UPDATED!, SalticidDB , ITIS Global, TicksBase, SpmWeb BdelloideaBase UPDATED! & Mites GSDs: OlogamasidBase, PhytoseiidBase, RhodacaridBase & TenuipalpidBase • Diplopods, centipedes, pauropods and symphylans from SysMyr UPDATED! & ChiloBase • Dragonflies and damselflies from Odonata database • Stoneflies from PlecopteraSF UPDATED! • Cockroaches from BlattodeaSF UPDATED! • Praying mantids from MantodeaSF UPDATED! • Stick and leaf insects from PhasmidaSF UPDATED! • Grasshoppers, locusts, katydids and crickets from OrthopteraSF UPDATED! • Webspinners from EmbiopteraSF UPDATED! • Bark & parasitic lices from PsocodeaSF NEW! • Some groups of true bugs from ScaleNet, FLOW, COOL, Psyllist, AphidSF UPDATED! , MBB, 3i Cicadellinae, 3i Typhlocybinae, MOWD & CoreoideaSF NEW!• Twisted-wing parasites from Strepsiptera Database UPDATED! • Lacewings, antlions, owlflies, fishflies, dobsonflies & snakeflies from LDL Neuropterida • Some beetle groups from the Scarabs UPDATED!, TITAN, WTaxa & ITIS Global • Fleas from Parhost • Flies, mosquitoes, bots, midges and gnats from Systema Dipterorum, CCW & CIPA • Butterflies and moths from LepIndex UPDATED!, GloBIS (GART) UPDATED!, Tineidae NHM, World Gracillariidae • Bees & wasps from ITIS Bees, Taxapad Ichneumonoidea, UCD, ZOBODAT Vespoidea & HymIS Rhopalosomatidae NEW!• Molluscs from WoRMS Mollusca NEW!, FADA Bivalvia NEW!, MolluscaFW NEW! & AFD (Pulmonata) • Fishes from FishBase UPDATED! • Reptiles from TIGR Reptiles • Amphibians, birds and mammals from ITIS Global PLUS additional species of many groups from ITIS Regional, NZIB and CoL China NEW!

Cytogenetic Mapping of 5S and 18S rRNAs and H3 Histone Genes in 4 Ancient Proscopiidae Grasshopper Species: Contribution to Understanding the Evolutionary Dynamics of Multigene Families

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Phosphorylation of Histone H3S10 in Animal Chromosomes: Is There a Uniform Pattern?

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Cladistic analysis of Abracrini genera (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Ommatolampinae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Reproductive behavior of Eidmanacris corumbatai garcia (Orthoptera: Phalangopsidae)

Adult males of Eidmanacris corumbatai Garcia have reduced tegmina without stridulatory apparatus. For this reason, they developed other means of intra-specific communication. During courtship, the males use a combination of foreleg drumming and waving of the antennae, in addition to chemical signaling through pheromones. The females become receptive to copulation when the males expose their metanotal gland. This gland, located on the male metanotum, is also a source of substances on which females feed before receiving the spermatophore. During copulation, the female destroys the apex of the metanotal gland to gain access to the secretion released by this structure.

Chromosomal Mapping of Repetitive DNAs in the Grasshopper Abracris flavolineata Reveal Possible Ancestry of the B Chromosome and H3 Histone Spreading

Supernumerary chromosomes (B chromosomes) occur in approximately 15% of eukaryote species. Although these chromosomes have been extensively studied, knowledge concerning their specific molecular composition is lacking in most cases. The accumulation of repetitive DNAs is one remarkable characteristic of B chromosomes, and the occurrence of distinct types of multigene families, satellite DNAs and some transposable elements have been reported. Here, we describe the organization of repetitive DNAs in the A complement and B chromosome system in the grasshopper species Abracris flavolineata using classical cytogenetic techniques and FISH analysis using probes for five multigene families, telomeric repeats and repetitive C0t-1 DNA fractions. The 18S rRNA and H3 histone multigene families are highly variable and well distributed in A. flavolineata chromosomes, which contrasts with the conservation of U snRNA genes and less variable distribution of 5S rDNA sequences. The H3 histone gene was an extensively distributed with clusters occurring in all chromosomes. Repetitive DNAs were concentrated in C-positive regions, including the pericentromeric region and small chromosomal arms, with some occurrence in C-negative regions, but abundance was low in the B chromosome. Finally, the first demonstration of the U2 snRNA gene in B chromosomes in A. flavolineata may shed light on its possible origin. These results provide new information regarding chromosomal variability for repetitive DNAs in grasshoppers and the specific molecular composition of B chromosomes. © 2013 Bueno et al.

Dinâmica evolutiva dos clusters de pequenos RNAs nucleares (RNAsn) nos cariótipos de espécies de gafanhotos com ênfase em Acrididae

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Microsatellite Organization in the Grasshopper Abracris flavolineata (Orthoptera: Acrididae) Revealed by FISH Mapping: Remarkable Spreading in the A and B Chromosomes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Chromosomal mapping of two Mariner-like elements in the grasshopper Abracris flavolineata (Orthoptera: Acrididae) reveals enrichment in euchromatin

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

High similarity of U2 snDNA sequence between A and B chromosomes in the grasshopper Abracris flavolineata

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)