ISSN 2372-2517 (Online), ISSN 2372-2479 (Print) METALEPTEAMETALEPTEA THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ORTHOPTERISTS’ SOCIETY

* Table of Contents is now clickable, which will President’s Message take you to a desired page. By MICHAEL SAMWAYS President [1] PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE [email protected] [2] SOCIETY NEWS t is summertime from where I [2] File Grants am sitting here in the southern Funded in 2016 by MARIA MARTA tip of Africa. The night air CIGLIANO [2] The Theodore J. Cohn Research is filled with the lovely trills Fund: Call for applications for 2016 by of a nearby mole cricket, the MICHEL LECOQ II resonance of various field [3] The 12th International Congress crickets, and the fizz of a host of of Orthopterology “Orthoptera in a katydids. Of course, much of this Changing World” by MARCOS LHANO [5] The First European Congress sound, at least from the katydids, on Orthoptera Conservation by AXEL is ultrasonic, and as soon as one HOCHKIRCH switches on a bat detector, there is makes Orthoptera a most intriguing [6] Orthopteroid Symposium Recap a whole new orchestra of glorious group of indeed! Orthoptera from ESA, 2015 by DEREK A. WOLLER sounds, each proclaiming that the are such an interesting window into the living world, not just in terms [14] REGIONAL REPORTS singer is mate worthy. Then there [14] East -North and Central is the delightful chorus of chirps of these insects, per se, but also Asia by MICHAEL G. SERGEEV and warblings that come from the for understanding many general [15] Middle East & Caucasus by BATTAL various orthopterans in a flower-filled biological principles. ÇIPLAK Then, almost as if to emphasize meadow on a sunny day. [16] T.J. COHN GRANT REPORTS It would be a very dull world indeed the point that Orthoptera are among [16] Morphological and if it were not for these characterful the most fascinating creatures, they biogeographical analyses of the genera choruses around the not-so-cold come in so many life forms with so Thalpomena and Pseudoceles by LARA- SOPHIE DEY & MARTIN HUSEMANN parts of the world. The evolution many life styles. They embroider the tapestry of life with a whole host of [19] The effect of gut microbiomes on of song has indeed been one of the nutrient regulation in a grazing great wonders of biodiversity. Then different morphological splendours by PAUL ALVARADO LENHART there is the intriguing trade-off in and colourful palettes, making it a joy [22] Status of Europe’s Native & many species between retaining to behold and also to study in almost Invasive Collections by infinite depth. MATAN SHELOMI the sound-producing apparatus on [25] Grigs are great: Characterizing the very part of the body that is Wishing all Orthopterists the world Cyphoderris monstrosa survival of low essential for their aerial movement… over a year filled with new adventures temperatures by JANTINA TOXOPEUS the wings. To be able to sing and fly among this wonderful insect group! [27] CONTRIBUTED ARTICLES sp. (: ), [27] The Meet Your Neighbours Cederberg, South Africa, Feb. 2009. Method: How to illustrate Orthoptera (photo credit: H. Song) biology with amazing photos by PIERRE ESCOUBAS ET AL.

[34] TREASURER’S REPORT

[35] EDITORIAL

Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 1 METALEPTEA Orthoptera Species File Grants Funded in 2016 By MARIA MARTA CIGLIANOA Orthoptera Species File Officer [email protected] he OSF grants 1. Paul Brock (The Natural History Museum, London, England) & Thies Henning committee received Büscher (Christian-Albrechts-University (CAU), Kiel, Germany). “Training twenty eight regarding Phasmida Species File (http://phasmida.speciesfile.org” applications and the 2. Oscar Cadena-Castañeda (Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá, following proposals Colombia). “Photographic, sound and distribution data to some Neotropical Orthoptera Groups and Colombian Phasmatodea” T were funded. The T 3. Dragan P. Chobanov (Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Sofia, proposals were selected based Bulgaria), Ionuţ Ş. Iorgu (National Museum of Natural History, Bucharest, on the relation to the amount of Romania), Elena I. Iorgu (National Museum of Natural History, Bucharest, data expected to be added into Romania) & Simeon B. Borisov (Faculty of Biology, Sofia University, Sofia, the Orthoptera Species File or Bulgaria). “Orthoptera of the Eastern and the Carpathian Basin to any other Species File within (Bulgaria, Macedonia, NE and Romania): a database of collections, Polyneoptera, and it was also literature and digital data in the Orthoptera Species File” considered if the proposal was related 4. Dhaneesh Bhaskar (Kerala Forest Research Institute, Kerala, India) & Axel somehow to a taxonomic research Hochkirch (Trier University, Trier Germany). “Photographic documentation of the project, and/or if the candidate Orthoptera of the Southern Western Ghats (Kerala, India)” 5. Josip Skejo (Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia) & Josef Tumbrinck demonstrated knowledge of the taxa (Germany). “Digitalization of Tetrigoidea type secimens and rare species’ involved. specimens in European museums” 6. Ricardo Mariño-Pérez (Texas A&M University USA). “Supplement to the grant: Funding Enhancing digital content for Pyrgomorphidae (Orthoptera: ) in the availability for Orthoptera Species File” 2017 will be 7. Gellért Puskás (Hungarian Natural History Museum, Hungary). “Contribution to announced in the knowledge of the West Balkan Orthoptera fauna” October 2016. 8. Klaus Riede (Germany, Uruguay). “ songs from Southern South All requested America (SSA): Digital recordings for Orthoptera Species File (OSF)” information must 9. Rob Felix (University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands). “Study and photography of be submitted type specimens in the Collection of NHM London” by November 30, 2016 to receive full 10. Daniela Santos Martins Silva (Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Brazil). “The consideration. The committee will Neotropical Tetrigidae (Caelifera: Tetrigoidea) deposited in the Academy of complete its assessment and announce Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, USA” the results by January 10, 2017. Please 11. Slobodan Ivković (University of Belgrade, Serbia). “Photo documentation of visit http://orthoptera.speciesfile.org/ types from Mladen Karaman’s collection and acoustic and photographic HomePage/Orthoptera/Grants.aspx for documentation of the Orthoptera of Serbia” detail. 12. Marcio Bolfarini (Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Brazil). “Brazilian cave Crickets, the digital records and conservation” The Theodore J. Cohn Research Fund: Call for applications for 2016 (Deadline : March 31, 2016) By MICHEL LECOQ Chair, Theodore J. Cohn Research Fund Committee

ear Orthopterists, that this research grant is primarily to sometimes be funded. A total amount fund research projects in Orthoptera of $15K per year is available and it is I have the pleasure to (s. l.) by young researchers often as possible to fund research grants for up announce a new call part of a master’s or Ph.D. project, to $ 1,500 per grantee. DD for 2016. I remind you though postdoctorates may also Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 2 METALEPTEA The proposals should be in the CURRICULUM VITAE (half Proposals from graduate following format and restricted to the page) including name, full address, students must include a simple indicated number of pages: present position or years in graduate recommendation from their major school, education, number of papers professor or advisor. Those not DESCRIPTION (one page) published or completed, citation of affiliated with an educational or selected publications pertinent to the research institution should indicate 1. TITLE proposal to aid the judges. where the work is to be done.

2. SIGNIFICANCE, stressing BUDGET (half page) including A short report will be required from the new ideas and aspects of the justification of items where the successful applicants. It will be proposal, expected contribution to appropriate (i.e. why special written for our newsletter Metaleptea, theory, relation to previous work, equipment is necessary unless clearly and be suitable for both orthopterist etc. (applicants should emphasize obvious), other funding for the and non-specialist readers. the nature and significance of their project, etc. Overheads cannot be Proposals should be submitted to proposal to provide the judges with provided for on Society grants. the Chair at the following address: the basis for weighing different Michel Lecoq (mlecoq34@gmail. projects, especially in fields outside The Committee prefers proposals com) their expertise) applicable to broad biological problems, even though the actual Last year, 28 projects were 3. RESEARCH PLAN, including the research may be narrower in scope. submitted to the Committee and particular orthopterans to be studied, Proposals also should include clearly 11 proposals funded demonstrating methods, logistics, etc. stated hypotheses and aims, and the the continuing interest in our grants nature of the evidence to be gathered in support of students and young 4. TIMETABLE, even if approximate, to test the hypothesi(e)s and possible scientists. I’m sure we will receive to give the judges some idea of outcomes. again this year, as usual, a lot of feasibility. exciting and innovative projects of high quality. So, start writing! The 12th International Congress of Orthopterology “Orthoptera in a Changing World” By MARCOS LHANO President, ICO 2016 [email protected] ear friends, announce that the Registration Fees, must be done on the official ICO It is a great pleasure to for those who register before July 31, website. invite you to contribute 2016, will be: The venue of the event will be and to attend the 12th in a beachfront hotel, close to the International Congress • Participant/person: R$ 1.450,00 suburbs of Ilhéus and 5 minutes by DD of Orthopterology (approx. US$ 350.00) car (2 km) from the airport. It is a (ICO). The Congress will be held in • Student/person: R$ 680,00 small hotel with beautiful gardens, the city of Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil from • (approx. US$ 170.00) swimming pools and restaurants, and October 30 to November 3, 2016. • Companion/person: R$ 680,00 it can be used to accommodate all We´re still working to complete (approx. US$ 170.00) the attendees. We have negotiated information about the Congress and special rates for the rooms (including it will all soon be displayed on the It´s important to highlight that due breakfast, four lunches, and two Congress website, the address for to Brazilian laws, the fees must be dinners - without beverages), and the which will be announced on The charged on a credit card in Brazilian reservation will ONLY be possible on Orthopterists´ Society website and Reais (R), so the rates in US dollars the ICO website. The OS Facebook page. may vary depending on the exchange The local committee would like to rate on the purchase date. Registration Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 3 METALEPTEA groups on a specific • “Information Session” – This topic of interest, session is a novelty at the ICO such as: behavior and is dedicated to short courses & communication, that could be four to eight hours ecology & in length (always 2 hours per conservation, day for each one, distributed systematics across the four days of the ICO). & , We invite you to offer training functional genomics, sessions in specific topics of phylogeography & key relevance to orthopterology speciation, physiology, for students or for any other morphology, and professionals. Preference will development, be given to proposals that The Congress will include the biotechnology in address tools or concepts that following activities: locust control, grasshopper and course participants can easily • Opening Ceremony locust control, and integrated pest share with others. Topics related • Poster sessions management. to photography, sampling • Workshops If the proposal is accepted, all methods, software, data analysis, • Information Sessions speakers will be required to submit an database, preparing manuscripts, • Oral Presentations abstract during the call for abstracts. etc. are all welcome. • Special Meetings It is also the responsibility of the Proposals must be submitted by • Awards symposium/workshop/information email and must contain the following session organizer to make sure that all information in a .pdf file: We will also have a new activity speakers register for the ICO. during the Congress: “Information The categories are: 1. Category (Symposium, Sessions”, consisting of short courses • “Symposium” – A symposium is Workshop, or Information where the attendees will have the designed to be a focused session Session) opportunity to discuss and learn about in which speakers present a 2. Title specific topics, such as new methods common theme, an issue, or a 3. Organizer(s) name, affiliation, and statistical techniques for data question, and will last for two and complete contact generation and analysis. hours. Presentation length must information, including email I am glad to announce that the be between 15 and 25 minutes. address “Open Call” for those interested in Time for discussion must be 4. Justification and description proposing and organizing a Plenary included in each presentation (maximum one page) Symposium and/or an Information and the last 10 minutes must be 5. List of speakers (name, Session are open until February 14, left open for discussions. The affiliation, and complete contact 2016. maximum number of speakers is information, including email Proposals must be submitted seven per symposium and each address) and presentation titles by email and should contain the one should come from different (not required for individual requested information listed below. institutions. proposal for the Information Decisions will be made by the 30th of • “Workshop” – A workshop Session) February, 2016 and will be selected is more interactive than a 6. Logistic requirements (e.g., according to the relevance of the symposium and it often has a room with internet access, theme, novelty of the topic, and an educational/ technical computer, etc.) controversial nature of the proposed component, and will last for two issues. hours. Presentation length must It is the responsibility of the The overall theme of the congress be between 20 and 30 minutes. organizers of symposia, workshops, is “Orthoptera in a Changing Time for discussion must be and information sessions to obtain World” and the program will include included in each presentation funding for their own expenses theme-related Plenary Lectures, with at least the last 20 minutes and those of their invited speakers Plenary Symposia, Workshops, and of the workshop left open for or invited participants. The Local Information Sessions as well as Poster discussions. The maximum Organizing Committee are not Sessions. We strongly encourage number of speakers is five per responsible for obtaining funds to proposals from individuals and workshop. support speaker travel to the meeting Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 4 METALEPTEA and cannot guarantee that any support very attractive tour with more details we can manage the Post Conference will be available. Preference may to come on the ICO website. It is Tour according to Brazilian laws be given to proposals for which important to note that it will mainly because the whole region of Chapada organizers can demonstrate that funds be a touristic and photographic Diamantina is a National Park. are likely to be available. tour since collecting insects or any To submit a proposal according to other organisms is not allowed in Important dates for your agenda: the call instructions and requirements, Brazil without collecting permits • Deadline for submissions of please address all the information to: and the ICO 2016 organization is Symposia, Workshops, and [email protected] (you will receive not able to make any arrangements Information Sessions as well as an email receipt afterwards). for collecting permits for the whole Special Meeting submissions: Also, if your working group would group or individuals. If somebody is February 14, 2016 like to organize a Special Meeting, interested in collecting Orthoptera • Deadline for abstract please do not hesitate to contact us material, then each scientist will be submissions: July 31, 2016 and provide all relevant information responsible for getting the permits • 12th International Congress of on or before February 14, 2016. The to collect and the paperwork/permits Orthopterology: October 30 to ICO 2016 organization will try to to carry the material outside Brazil - November 3, 2016 accommodate all appropriate requests, they are different permits within the but available time slots are limited. Brazilian Government: Ministry of As President of the ICO 2016 Finally, the local committee would the Environment (MMA) and at the organization, I am delighted to like to remind everyone that a Post Ministry of Science and Technology cordially invite you to join us and Conference Tour will consist of a trip (MCT). Also, we kindly ask those contribute to the success of our to the amazing Chapada Diamantina who do acquire permits to notify congress. region and Salvador city. This is a the local committee in advance, so The First European Congress on Orthoptera Conservation (Trier, 18-20 March 2016) By AXEL HOCHKIRCH [email protected]

he First European Congress on Orthoptera Conservation will take place from 18 to 20 TT March 2016 at Trier University (Trier, Germany). Trier is the oldest city in Germany and known for its Roman buildings, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Trier has also a grasshopper fountain (possibly the only one), which has been built in honour of the local carnival society (“KG Heuschreck” lecture will be given by Professor the DGfO or the IUCN Grasshopper = “Carnival Society Grasshopper”). Karim Vahed (University of Derby) Specialist Group (as well as students) The congress is the first opportunity on post-copulatory sexual selection pay a reduced fee of 30 €. Registration for European Orthopterists to meet in Tettigoniidae. The congress is possible via the conference and discuss issues of Orthoptera is in parallel with the bi-annual website: https://www.uni-trier.de/ conservation and other aspects of meeting of the German Society index.php?id=58281&L=2 or contact Orthoptera biology, such as ecology, for Orthopterology (DGfO). The the organizer, Axel Hochkirch evolution, and behaviour. The keynote conference fee is 40 €. Members of ([email protected]).

Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 5 METALEPTEA Orthopteroid Symposium Recap from ESA, 2015 By DEREK A. WOLLER Texas A&M University U.S.A. [email protected] uring the annual Entomological Society of America (ESA) conference in Minneapolis, DD Minnesota, U.S.A. on November 17th, 2015, I organized a 4-hour symposium (“Orthopteroids: a nexus of synergy between scientific disciplines and innovative partnerships”) focused solely on orthopteroids, a useful term that includes 10 extant orders: Blattodea (Isoptera), Dermaptera, Figure 1. Symposium speakers (left to right): back row: Spencer T. Behmer, Sean Schoville, Embioptera, Grylloblattodea, Matan Shelomi, Tyler Raszick; front row: Derek A. Woller, Janice S. Edgerly, S. Bradleigh Vinson, Mantodea, Mantophasmatodea, Sydney Brannoch, Andrew C. Mason, and William D. Brown. Orthoptera, Phasmatodea, Plecoptera, seasoned researchers (Fig. 1): (in and figure provided below by each and Zoraptera. The title explains order of presentation) Sydney speaker (organized in order of the emphasis of the symposium Brannoch, Matan Shelomi, Tyler presentation). After the final talk was well and example synergistic topics Raszick, Sean Schoville, Janice S. given, it was time to begin the well- included the intersections of robotics Edgerly, S. Bradleigh Vinson, William earned celebration, so the majority of and ethology, climate change and D. Brown, Spencer T. Behmer, and the speakers headed into downtown phylogenies, and highly acute the concluding keynote speaker, Minneapolis to experience some great parasitoid hearing and microphone Andrew C. Mason. miniaturization. I would declare the Represented symposium a great success overall, orthopteroid orders particularly based on the consistent included: Orthoptera size of the audience (around 60 at any ( and given time) drawn in, no doubt, by the Gryllidae), fascinating talks being given within Mantodea, the room. Phasmatodea, To start the event, I, with assistance Grylloblattodea, from Tyler Raszick, gave a short Embioptera, and introductory presentation on the Blattodea. The taxonomic history of orthopteroids wide breadth of and their underrepresentation topics presented at ESA meetings followed by on was equally my research talk and nine other impressive, such as speakers. Unfortunately, one phylogeography, speaker was unable to make it due gut bacteria, and to circumstances beyond his control: sexual cannibalism. Yu Zeng and Robert Dudley - The If you’d like to evolution of flight in stick insects learn more about (Phasmatodea). Of the nine present the presentations, Figure 2. The after-symposium celebration at Hell’s Kitchen in speakers, three are graduate students, there is, for almost downtown Minneapolis. Thank you, Society! May your crickets (and one is a post-doc, and the rest are other taxa, if applicable) ever-sing! all, a brief abstract Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 6 METALEPTEA local cuisine and craft beer at Hell’s The phylogeography of an intriguing and lack the ability to disperse well Kitchen with the generous assistance group of xerophile and, combined with their propensity of funding by the Society. As you can (Acrididae: Melanoplus: The Puer to be endemic to specific habitats clearly see, a good time was had by Group) and regions, Melanoplus species are all (Fig. 2)! ideal candidates to closely examine My overarching goal with this Derek A. Woller (asilid@gmail. the concept of speciation from a event was to bring orthopteroids, com) and Hojun Song, Texas A&M multitude of angles. To narrow the particularly Orthoptera, back into University, College Station, TX, U.S.A. field, the Puer Group, currently the spotlight at ESA. As some might comprising 24 species, was chosen recall, at the 2014 ESA meeting, I One of the oldest ecosystems in because it spans 5 states, contains a co-organized the first symposium the southeastern U.S.A. (Florida, plethora of scrub endemics, and its on orthopteroids since a 2004 Alabama, Georgia, and North males possess amazing variation in Orthoptera-focused one by Hojun and South Carolina) is scrub, their genitalia. Using mitochondrial Song. I am, therefore, pleased characterized by clusters of pygmy genes, a phylogeny was reconstructed to announce that orthopteroids oak trees and other xeric vegetation to illuminate the relationships are gaining further momentum interspersed with swaths of white between members of the Puer Group. because Alexandre V. Latchininsky sand. These ecosystems are also often The phylogeny of the Puer Group (University of Wyoming) and associated with ridges, typically in was then overlaid onto the geography I have organized yet another Florida, which are thought to have of the southeast in order to look for symposium on the subject to be been used as refugia during sea level phylogeographic patterns. To obtain held at the 2016 International shifts 1-3 million years ago. The a more comprehensive understanding Congress of Entomology, which sea has now receded and relatively of such patterns, a free program will be in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. stabilized, but the ridges essentially called GenGIS (v.2.4.1: http://kiwi. during September 25-30 (http:// remain landlocked islands due to cs.dal.ca/GenGIS/Main_Page) was ice2016orlando.org/). We will have their unique soil composition and employed to place the tree in three presentations from 13 speakers from relative lack of plant diversity. dimensions onto the landscape (Fig. eight countries (Russia, the U.K., Thus, scrub is home to a myriad of 3). In addition to a tree in NEXUS , Germany, New Zealand, Brazil, endemic species of both the plant format, this process is quite simple Mexico, and the U.S.A.) across four and variety, particularly and only additionally requires a map continents, including an introductory , some of which belong file (easy to obtain) and georeferenced keynote presentation by Piotr to the grasshopper (Orthoptera: species records. Then, multiple Naskrecki. I sincerely hope that other Acrididae) genus, Melanoplus. The options can be explored for output Society members will be inspired by majority of the members of this appearance. A number of intriguing these symposia to organize one of genus in the southeast are flightless patterns were observed that, in most their own at ESA or elsewhere. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or would like advice. In addition to all the wonderful speakers who breathed life into this symposium, I’d also like to thank some deserving individuals, such as Hojun Song for his continued support and mental rolodex, and the Society members who graciously approved the funding for the after-symposium celebration: David Eades, Michael Samways, David Hunter, and Pamm Mihm.

Figure 3. Phylogeography of the Puer Group using GenGIS (v.2.4.1). Branches that are not colored black are sister species. Each point on the map of the southeastern U.S.A. touched by a branch tip is a consensus location for a species. Outgroups are not shown.

Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 7 METALEPTEA cases, met expectations based on within various previous morphological evidence. mantodean For instance, the sister species, families were M. rotundipennis (Scudder, 1878) shown to have and M. withlacoocheensis Squitier, superficial Deyrup, & Capinera, 1998 (Fig. 3 - systematic in blue), were found to be in close merit in the proximity to one another. While M. early part of rotundipennis is widespread across the twentieth Florida and southern Georgia, M. century, withlacoocheensis is restricted to a the more ridge found around the lower blue dot sclerotized in Figure 3, suggesting that, in the male genital past, its populations became isolated complex was from M. rotundipennis and became eventually their own unique species. Similar favored and Figure 4. Dorsal views of pinned female specimens of: A. Nilomantis and B. situations can most likely explain has since been Ilomantis. similar patterns seen in Figure 3, but developed into which subsequently underscore there are also patterns, like the one a primary taxonomic character system the need for a more thorough highlighted in green that are currently for the order with female genitalia investigation of female genitalia as baffling.M. peninsularis Hubbell, remaining largely understudied. As sites for taxonomic characters across 1932 is found along the east coast ambiguous and overlapping species- the order. The development of a of Florida (right green dot) and is and higher-level boundaries occur, it female genitalic character system associated with a ridge, but M. bonita is important to consider and develop will both enhance taxonomic stability Otte, 2012 (“2011”), found along novel character systems to enhance and enable taxonomists to move past Florida’s west coast (left green dot) taxon delimitation, and, as such, sexual dimorphism as a limitation to is not near any ridges and, yet, they we explored female genitalia as a specimen determination. are found to be sister species with the potential site for taxonomic characters Everglades separating them. Further within Mantodea. From Proteobacteria to research is being undertaken to To test the taxonomic utility of Phasmatodea: partnering with the understand these patterns and more. female genitalic characters, we 1KITE Project to time a horizontal investigated two genera (totaling four gene transfer event The utility of female genitalia species) with a complex taxonomic characters in Mantodea history: Nilomantis Werner, 1907 and Matan Shelomi ([email protected]. Ilomantis Giglio-Tos, 1915 (Fig. 4 A de) and Yannick Pauchet, Max Planck Sydney Brannoch (skp72@case. & B, respectively). This investigation Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, edu) and Gavin J. Svenson, Cleveland demonstrated that female genitalic Germany Museum of Natural History, characters were able to consistently Cleveland, OH delimit generic- and species-level Recent transcriptomic data found boundaries within our study taxa, endogenously-produced plant cell Within the praying mantises the results of which were validated wall degrading enzymes in the (Insecta: Mantodea), taxonomists via traditional taxonomic data (i.e., Phasmatodea (Fig. 5): beta-1,4- have historically relied on geographic geographic distributional records, endoglucanases (cellulases) and distributional records and external external morphological characters, polygalacturonases (pectinases). The morphological characters, as well and male genitalic characters). Using latter are homologous to bacterial as male genitalic characters, for female genitalic characters, we found genes despite being encoded in the species delimitation and higher-level evidence supporting the validity of insect’s own genome, suggesting taxonomy. The systematic utilization Ilomantis, which is presently a junior a horizontal gene transfer. Each of male and female genitalia within synonym of Nilomantis, as well as phasmid species also has several Mantodea has been explored over evidence leading to the delimitation pectinase genes, most of which are the greater part of a century, with of a new species within Ilomantis. highly expressed, suggesting that different trajectories developing From these results, we conclude some changed their function. The between the sexes. While both that female genital characters have questions this project sought to male and female genital complexes taxonomic utility within Mantodea, answer were: When did these specific Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 8 METALEPTEA otherwise be collected or afforded number of copies of a gene, for each by smaller research groups comes species can also be used to estimate at the cost of control over exactly relative species abundance. Here, what data is collected and how. A we use a metagenomic approach greater number of authors have to to test if the microbial community agree on the manuscript and can structure of a host-associated apply their stylistic and artistic grasshopper ( lineata) abilities to the final manuscript and reflects the divergence patterns of the its figures respectively. Overall, the ecotypes. We also demonstrate that collaboration proved successful. In a similar approach can be used to addition, at the symposium itself, two evaluate plant community structure speakers were able to form a new in grasshopper guts (Melanoplus collaboration, as Dr. Edgerly provided differentialis feeding in cotton me with Embioptera specimens that fields). To carry out the ecotype Figure 5. A representative species of Phasmatodea: Extatosoma tiaratum (Macleay, I needed to complete my research microbial community structure 1826). on cellulases. Thus, the symposium study, we collected eight populations served as a nexus of synergy and of S. lineata representing the two pectinase genes appear in Insecta partnerships itself. best-characterized ecotypes of the relative to Phasmatodea, from what species in Texas (three Rubus-feeding source, and how did the genes and the What’s happening in hoppers: populations and fivePtelea -feeding functions of their associated proteins Explorations of the acridid populations). Ten nymphs were evolve over time? alimentary canal collected from each site and placed To determine the origins of these directly into 100% EtOH. Specimens pectinases, far more species needed Tyler Raszick (tjraszick@gmail. were then surface-sterilized and total to be examined. In light of the com), Viya C. Verma Gabrielle Corso, DNA was extracted from the entire overall theme for the Entomological Gregory A. Sword, and Hojun Song, body of each grasshopper. The 16S Society of America’s meeting, Texas A&M University, College ribosomal DNA barcode for bacteria “Synergy in Science,” this talk Station, TX was then amplified using PCR, focused on a collaboration between and sequenced on the Roche 454/ the investigators and the 1K Insect Metagenomics is a discipline pyrosequencing platform at Research Transcriptome Evolution (IKITE) that enables the genomic study of and Testing Laboratory in Lubbock, project Consortium. Upon request uncultured microorganisms with TX. Quality control and diversity and agreement, their preliminary, applications to unpublished transcriptomes for all ecology, medicine, Phasmatodea and exemplars from environmental every polyneopteran order were made science, and available and mined for pectinase agriculture, genes. The goal was to determine among others. when and where in the Polyneoptera The metagenomic or Phasmatodea evolutionary tree approach to did the horizontal transfer event and community subsequent gene duplications occur. analysis involves Such large-scale transcriptomic extracting DNA datasets are changing the way from multiple horizontal gene transfer events are species in an being discovered, and evidence is environmental growing that cross-domain transfers sample and using may be ubiquitous rather than DNA barcoding to exceptional. The results of this work sequence all of the are pending submission. species’ copies of Collaborating with such a large that gene or genes consortium has pros and cons. The to make species Figure 6. Hierarchically-clustered heat map illustrating bacterial availability of data from an immense identifications. community structure across eight populations of Schistocerca lineata diversity of species that could not Coverage, or the based on the 15 most abundant bacterial genera. Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 9 METALEPTEA analyses were carried out using the Phylogenetic roots of the rocky soils in Japan and South Korea, UPARSE pipeline. Grylloblattodea and implications for and have higher critical thermal Figure 6 is a hierarchically- past environmental change maxima. clustered heat map illustrating the Using comparative transcriptome similarity of bacterial community Sean Schoville (sean.schoville@ sequencing, I show that gene structure across eight populations wisc.edu), University of Wisconsin, regulatory responses to heat and cold of S. lineata (three Rubus-feeding Madison, WI varies among lineages and may be an populations and fivePtelea -feeding important component in physiological populations) based on the 15 most Members of the order differences observed among abundant bacterial genera. We have Grylloblattodea are notable among genera. Using population genetic shown that the bacterial community orthopteroids for their rarity, lack and phylogenomic approaches, I structure in the Rubus-feeding of species diversity, and unusual estimate the divergence time and ecotype is tightly-clustered, whereas affinities for cold habitats. The North biogeographic response of lineages the bacterial communities found in American genus, Gryllobllata, is and populations to past climate populations of the Ptelea-feeding known for foraging on alpine snow change. A deep split in the Asian ecotype is relatively divergent. fields and in ice caves at below- and North American lineages (Fig. Ptelea-feeding populations were also freezing temperatures. A central 7) suggests Grylloblatta may have found to have a significantly higher question in my research is whether colonized North America during Shannon-Wiener diversity metric on past climate change explains ancient cold events predating the average when compared to Rubus- grylloblattid distribution patterns? I Pliocene-Pleistocene land bridge feeders. We also carried out a similar present data on evolutionary genetics connections through the Bering Strait. study to determine if a metagenomic and thermal physiology. First, Similarly, patterns of population approach could be applied to analyze physiological experiments show and species diversification within gut contents of an herbivorous that Grylloblatta thermal breadth is North America are closely-tied to grasshopper. Eight M. differentialis remarkably narrow (-4 to 27 Celsius) glacial climate cycles, with species specimens were collected from 3 and ice-crawlers are unable to survive moving between alpine and low- types of fields on a cotton farm freezing. Furthermore, these thermal elevation sites during episodes of near College Station, TX (dryland, limits are highly conserved across glacial expansion. Species diversity irrigated, and pasture). Grasshoppers taxa and populations spanning nearly has thus increased recently during were preserved in 100% EtOH and 4 degrees of latitude. In contrast, the Pleistocene period as populations the guts were dissected out for DNA genera in northeastern Asia forage have become isolated on different extraction. The rbcLA chloroplast in warmer environments, including mountains. DNA plant barcode marker was PCR-amplified for each individual, and then samples were pooled and re-aliquoted into 3 technical replicates for each field type. Amplicons were sequenced on the Illumina platform at MR DNA. In both the dryland and irrigated cotton fields, the populations were found to have gut contents that were primarily cotton, whereas grasshoppers collected in the pasture had gut contents that were comprised of a variety of grasses. This indicates that this approach is likely very accurate and could be used for other gut content analyses in herbivorous species.

Figure 7. There is a long history of isolation in Asia and North America.

Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 10 METALEPTEA Adaptations for tube living produces of the silk. Adult females walk of very efficient robots. Among a silly (but fast) backwards gait in to disperse outside their silk and these, RHex, VelociRoACH, Embioptera are often confronted by predators, and iSprawl were all inspired by particularly ants and spiders. When analyses of running cockroaches, Janice S. Edgerly (jedgerlyrooks@ tested under laboratory conditions, orthopteroids well known for their scu.edu)1, Thomas Libby2 and Robert with taps to the head, middle thorax, extraordinary speed. How knowledge J. Full2, 1Santa Clara University, Santa or posterior of the abdomen, they run of a fast backwards runner, such as Clara, CA, 2U.C. Berkeley, Berkeley, CA backwards except when touched on embiopterans, can be applied is not the abdomen. Thus, even if touched known, but their abilities to run fast An order-defining trait for the in the middle of their body, their backwards, to make U-turns in tight Order Embioptera is the presence of choice is to run backwards; these spaces, and to achieve higher speeds silk glands packed into the swollen runs are significantly faster than the by adding body slamming to the basitarsi of the front legs. They spin corresponding forward runs by each alternating tripod gait are intriguing. silk into tunnel-like passageways of ten females tested (Fig. 8). and sheet-like coverings that serve Backwards running is extremely The evolutionary ecology of sexual to protect them from predators rare in and kindled questions cannibalism in praying mantids and the elements. Large tropical about how they are able to locomote embiopterans, such as our study in this direction. Analysis of high- William D. Brown (William.Brown@ subject Antipaluria urichi, are speed videography revealed that fredonia.edu), Department of Biology, particularly adept at spinning copious they utilize the alternating tripod gait State University of New York at amounts of silk on exposed bark typical of hexapods when running Fredonia where they graze on epiphytic algae forwards and backwards, although and lichens in groups of offspring the backwards runs showed bouncing Models of the evolution of sexual alongside their mothers, often in rises and falls of the head and cannibalism argue that the degree large colonies. Reliance on silk abdomen. In addition, during many of sexual cannibalism will depend appears related to their lack of a strides, females running backwards on expected mating frequency of tough cuticle and, in its place, a slam down against the substrate - males and additional offspring flexible body capable of tight U-turns the faster they run, the greater the produced from the resources obtained and rapid backwards locomotion frequency of body slamming. Despite by cannibalism. Thus, males are as they travel within their silken the sloppiness of the backwards runs, predicted to alter their risk-taking domiciles. When threatened while they achieve faster and smoother approach to females depending on at the edges of their domiciles, they strides than when going forward. perception of mate availability and the quickly bolt backwards, a behavior Getting them to run forwards in fecundity of benefits of cannibalism. that takes them into the relative front of the camera was surprisingly I report the results of a series of safety of thick, complex sections challenging. Perhaps this reluctance is experiments on the praying mantis a reflection of Tenodera sinensis (Saussure, 1871) the difficulty of (Fig. 9), examining the effect of (1) propelling the level of predatory risk, (2) frequency body forwards of mating opportunities for males, and with feet (3) use of male soma for offspring swollen with production by females. Males with silk glands. fewer mating opportunities showed Research greater risk-taking behavior. When focused on given daily encounters with females, hexapods, males responded to greater female- such as the imposed risk by slowing their rate recent work on of approach and remaining a greater embiopterans distance from females prior to just described, mounting. In contrast, males without has revealed recent access to females were greater general risk takers, approaching females more Figure 8. Antipaluria urichi females often prefer to run backwards and their principles that rapidly and to a closer proximity, speed in this direction is usually faster than when running forwards. have led to the regardless of risk, and these males development consequently suffered greater rates Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 11 METALEPTEA 1887) and Missouri (Riley 1888, increasing body size) in late April. 1893). It has been reported as Observations in the field and occurring throughout much of the laboratory have revealed a number United States, most commonly of interesting aspects about their in the eastern half. In the early behavior and ecology. First, unlike 2000’s, Hilliard and Himes (2005) many grasshoppers, they have a documented an infestation in east strong inclination to climb vertical Texas, and I first became acutely objects. My lab measured the time aware of them in the spring of 2006 it took late instar nymphs to reach (they occurred in large numbers in the top of a 4-foot high wooden key areas around Bryan/College dowel, which, on average, took 10 Station where TAMU is based). In seconds. In contrast, late instars of the 2007, however, their numbers around grasshopper Melanoplus differentialis the Bryan/College Station area (Thomas, 1865) rarely climbed higher steadily declined, and, since 2009, than halfway up the dowel, and this they have only been found in small usually took greater than 1 minute. numbers in a few locations. However, Interestingly, this propensity to climb they continue to be observed in large appears to override thermoregulatory Figure 9. An example of Tenodera sinensis patches on an annual basis in other behavior. Initially, when post oak (Saussure, 1871) (the Chinese mantis) in the parts of Texas, especially in the grasshoppers were returned to the wild. Dallas/Fort Worth Area (including lab and placed in standard BioQuip Palestine, Argyle, Corsicana, and cages with heat lamps sitting on top, of mortality by cannibalism. Theory Tyler). it was difficult to keep them alive. also suggests that males may offset In Texas, post oak grasshoppers It was later discovered through an the cost of cannibalism if materials hatch (from the ground) in late- accidental power outage that post of their soma are allocated to the March/early-April and become oak grasshoppers survived fine in eggs that they might father. We also very noticeable (due to their such cages if the heat lamps were off, studied male reproductive investment via sexual cannibalism. Males and females were each fed different radiolabeled amino acids and allowed to mate. We allowed half of the pairs to progress to sexual cannibalism and prevented cannibalism in the other half. The results show that male somatic investment contributes to production of offspring. The eggs and reproductive tissues of cannibalistic females contained significantly more male-derived amino acids than those of non-cannibalistic females, and they produced more eggs.

The curious case of the post oak grasshopper

Spencer T. Behmer (s-behmer@ tamu.edu), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

The post oak grasshopper, Figure 10. Dendrotettix quercus specimens in the wild: A) on the side of a tree, a common sight Dendrotettix quercus Packard, 1890 when encountered; B) on the side of a house with fecal pellets near-by; C) dozens of nymphs (Fig. 10A&B), is an oak defoliator stuck to the sticky side of duct tape wrapped around the base of an oak tree to prevent its first recorded from Texas (Bruner defoliation.

Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 12 METALEPTEA implying that climbing behavior is hardwired into this species. Reproductive output in this species was also investigated. On average, females produce six eggs/ pod. This was somewhat surprising given the population sizes observed, and considering this species is brachypterous. It was also discovered that post oak grasshopper population crashes are likely regulated by an entophathogenic fungus. Dead grasshoppers were observed in Figure 11. Auditory temporal cues are important for both recognition and localization of host the field and usually attached to calls for the acoustic parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea. A) The host (cricket) produces a chirp consisting of a series of brief sound pulses separated by a characteristic interval (interpulse a vertical structure (tree or house interval or IPI). Auditory neurons in the fly respond only at the onset of sound pulses, wall), loaded with unidentified fungal registering the timing of sound pulses, and recognize cricket chirps on the basis of the IPI. The spores. Spores were also found in mechanics of fly eardrums amplify small differences in sound arrival-time (interaural time- grasshoppers returned to the lab. differences, ITD) that vary with the direction of the sound source (cricket). B) Noisy conditions, On a final note, I have received or multiple overlapping sources many reports of post oak grasshopper outbreaks from concerned accomplish this task. studied auditory systems, in which homeowners. These grasshoppers Ormia ears are insensitive to masking effects are stronger for create two problems. First, they most differences in sound quality noise sources in closer proximity to defoliate oak trees, causing potential and register only the location of the target source (i.e. spatial release death when combined with other cricket songs. I examined sound from masking or SRM). In flies, sources of stress. Second, they climb localisation performance (phonotaxis we show noise sources spatially houses and leave stains when they to cricket song) under complex displaced from targets have a stronger defecate (Fig. 10B). This is likely acoustic conditions to identify effect on localisation and equivalent a function of tannins, found in oak mechanisms of source segregation effect on detection thresholds (no leaves, that can complex with various and recognition in the parasitoid SRM). This suggests a model of substrates, and darken when oxidized. fly, Ormia (Diptera: Tachinidae). In auditory localisation based on an Controlling post oak grasshoppers behavioural experiments (tethered acoustic symmetry detector with with insecticides is difficult because fly on spherical treadmill), we high temporal resolution. Localised they reside in tree canopies. As an identified a range of conditions, noise sources distort the symmetry of alternative approach, banding the base involving multi-source stimuli, under auditory inputs and cause directional of trees with duct tape, with the sticky which flies show mis-directed sound deviation; conditions that generate side out, has proven effective (Fig. localisation. The flies are subject to a highly symmetrical input from 10C). “phantom-source illusion” analogous multiple sources (e.g. synchrony) to vertebrate hearing, and this effect generate a phantom source illusion. Following the cues: Flies, crickets, can be reproduced in the field. Most Flies only orient to a specific class phonotaxis, and technology such conditions are resolved by small of sources (host cricket song) inter-source time differences (<200 implying that phonotaxis requires Andrew C. Mason (amason@utsc. µs) via a precedence effect in the detection of specific stimulus features utoronto.ca), University of Toronto, auditory pathway. Interaural time (recognition). Basic-science data Scarborough, ON, Canada differences on this scale also encode from these studies support efforts to auditory directionality, suggesting that develop miniature microphones based The flyOrmia ochracea makes both directional hearing and source on Ormia ears. decisions based on limited sensory segregation rely on common auditory information. These flies reproduce by cues and these may be strongly depositing larvae on crickets where affected by noise (Fig. 11). they develop as parasites. Female In other studies, masking noise flies are able to exploit crickets when degraded detection and localisation they hear and home in on their songs. of sound sources, but with spatial I examine how the flies are able to effects distinct from previously Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 13 METALEPTEA Regional Reports - What’s happening around the world? East Europe this region discussed the North and Central Asia main problems By MICHAEL G. SERGEEV of applied Novosibirsk State University Institute of Systematics acridology and and Ecology of Animals locust population RUSSIA management. [email protected] These meetings were organized utbreaks of the under the FAO’s Migratory, Italian, “Five-year and Moroccan Programme locusts, and several to improve other grasshopper national and species continued in Field camp of the Novosibirsk State University expedition in the central OO regional locust part of the Kulunda Steppe (West Siberia) different semi-arid and arid regions management of the former USSR. This resulted in Caucasus There are now orthopterists, or at in some active discussions between and Central Asia (CCA)” (http:// least plant protections specialists/ acridologists and plant protection www.fao.org/ag/locusts-CCA/en/ managers in the field of applied specialists and managers during index.html). Besides that, the group acridology, in almost all countries several Workshops and Meetings on of acridologists from Kazakhstan, of East Europe–North and Central locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, Asia. Many of them are involved in organized by the Food and Agriculture Uzbekistan, and the U.S.A. finished projects concerning either Orthoptera Organization of the United Nations the editing of a book about Italian conservation or pest management. (FAO). The last workshop was held locusts, which will be published in Among them are several young in Saint-Petersburg in October, 2015. electronic form in Russian in January, researchers who are preparing for Acridologists and plant protection 2016. their PhD dissertations or have just specialists and managers from The All-Russian Conference finished them. with International Participation The scientists of the region on Biogeosystem Ecology and continue to work to solve some Evolutionary Biogeography was problems of fundamental and held in Novosibirsk in 2015 applied orthopterology. For (December, 14–19). The Conference instance, they are investigating was hosted by the Novosibirsk the spatio-temporal distribution National State University and the patterns of taxa, populations, and Institute of Systematics and Ecology assemblages. They are also trying of Animals. This Conference to create digital maps describing was dedicated to Professor Igor these patterns in order to reconstruct Stebaev (1925-2009), the famous the phylogenetic relationships and Russian orthopterist. Several dozen evaluate the taxonomic structure of entomologists, ecologists, and several taxa based on the synthesis biogeographers attended this meeting. of the classic (ecologo-geographic, The Programme included several morphological, cytogenetic) and presentations concerning terrestrial modern (molecular/phylogeographic) and aquatic orthopteran insects as approaches. Comparative studies well as some informal talks. We of acoustic patterns of different also discussed the main problems taxa of Orthoptera relative to their of basic and applied acridology in taxonomy, phylogeny, and ecology Euchorthippus pulvinatus (Fischer de context of modern trends in ecology, are also continued. Several projects Waldheim) - the typical grasshopper of the biogeography, and evolutionary of orthopterists were supported by dry steppes and semi-deserts of West Eurasia biology. the Russian Foundation for Basic

Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 14 METALEPTEA Research and other foundations. As migratory potential of grasshoppers evaluated for different spatial scales an example, one project included and other orthopteroid insects in in the steppe and forest-steppe orthopterists from different parts of spatially-structured landscapes. Main regions. Russia (Novosibirsk and Nalchik) aspects of grasshopper migrations and was focused on the concerned (including the nocturnal ones) were Middle East & There are two unique features Caucasus of this area. First, We have found several this region is the crossroads “Noah Arks”! for organisms By Battal Çiplak of three Akdeniz University Antalya TURKEY biogeographic [email protected] regions, namely Palaearctic, hen you ask Ethiyopya, and Google “where is Orientalis (Ayal the Middle East” et al., 1999; you will meet 17 Çıplak, 2003). countries (e.g. Second, there W in WIKIPEDIA: are several W Figure 1. Beydaglari Bush-cricket (Psorodonotus ebneri), Photo by Sarp Middle East) and when you add Palaearctic Kaya & Battal Çıplak in three countries in the south of glacial refugia Greater Caucasus this number will within the the top 100 endangered species raise to 20 in total. No one wishes region that hosted many populations/ (Baillie & Butcher, 2012). The same to really learn what is happening in taxa during the cold periods of situation seems true for Psorodonotus this part of the world nowadays! But, Pleistocene climate cycles and led hakkari (Kaya & Çıplak, 2016b) some information on orthopterology to their divergence resulting in and some species/populations of in this area may relieve us a little unique endemic Orthoptera fauna. Anterastes (Çıplak et al., 2015), plus bit. A search in ISI using the key The mountain ranges connecting some of Poecilimon (Kaya et al., words “orthoptera, country (for Caucasus, Anatolia, Levant, and 2015). each of the 20 country names)” for Balkans to each other are either According to mythology, the 2015 will found 13 papers with distribution corridors or present Prophet Noah had built an ark to orthopterology content. Considering day refugia for the cold-preferring rescue living things from the Great the address on the papers, 10 are from populations/taxa of Orthoptera (Ayal Flood and the ark landed on top of a Turkey, two are from Iran and one et al., 1999; Çıplak, 2003, 2008; mountain in the Middle East when the is from Israel. Of these 13 papers, Şekercioğlu et al., 2011; Chobanov flood ended. Ararat Mountain in the six are on biodiversity (faunistic, et al., 2016). However, climate Caucasus and Cilo Mountain in the taxonomic), five are on biology warming, together with anthropogenic northern end of the Zagros Mountains (ecology, behaviour, pest management activities, constitutes the main threat are two mountains suggested as the etc.) and two are on evolution and to Orthoptera species with such place where “Noah’s Ark” landed. biogeography. All of these show habitat preferences. Some taxa, The mythological suggestions cannot that there is a considerable research such as Psorodonotus salmani and be tested scientifically, but Noah’s activity in orthopterology in the Psorodonotus caucasicus anatolicus Ark mythology provides a great region. have gone extinct (possibly since the metaphor to define the present role of Apart from the numerical 1950’s; Çıplak, 2008; Kaya & Çıplak, the mountain ranges for conservation parameters, the issue most highlighted 2016a) while some others retreated of cold-preferring Orthoptera in is conservation of Orthoptera in to restricted habitats on summits of the Caucasus and Middle East. the region. As previously reported, these mountain ranges due to habitat Drawing conclusions from the above lineages from different origins are loss at low elevations (Çıplak et al., summarized case studies, we claim harboured in this area, especially in 2015; Kaya & Çıplak, 2016b). The (!) that we have found the real Noah’s Anatolia, Caucasus, Iran, and Levant Beydağları bushcricket Psorodonotus Ark. The Cilo (Hakkari, Turkey) is (Kosswig, 1955; Çıplak, 2003). ebneri (Fig. 1) has been listed under the Ark for Psorodonotus hakkari, Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 15 METALEPTEA single Noah’s glacial cycles and global warming for the Ark, instead glacial relicts in a refugium: a biogeographic there are several perspective for conservation of Anatolian Orthoptera. Insect Ecology and Conservation and they serve (ed. by S. Fattorini), pp. 135–163. Research as conservation Signpost, Kerela. stewards, just Çıplak, B., Kaya, S., Boztepe, Z. & Gündüz, in our time I. (2015) Mountainous genus Anterastes (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae): Autochthonous instead. survival in refugial habitats across several glacial ages via vertical range shifts. Zoologica References Cited Scripta, 44, 534-549. Ayal, Y., Broza, Kaya, S., Boztepe, Z. & Çıplak, B. (2015a) M. & Pener, Phylogeography of the Poecilimon luschani M.P. (1999) species group (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae): Geographical a radiation strictly correlated to climatic distribution and transitions in the Pleistocene. Zoological habitat segregation Journal of the Linnean Society, 173, 1-21. of bushcrickets Kaya, S. & Çıplak, B. (2016a) Phylogeography (Orthoptera: of Psorodonotus caucasicus group: Figure 2. A view from İmecik, Beydağları, Antalya, Turkey (habitat of Tettigoniidae) Independent double invasion of Balkans from Psorodonotus ebneri) in Israel. Israel Caucasus (in process). Journal of Zoology, Kaya, S. & Çıplak, B. (2016b) Confirming the Beydağları Mountain (Antalya, 45, 49–64. model of budding speciation via peripheral Turkey) is the same for Psorodonotus Chobanov, D.P., Kaya, S., Grzywacz, B., isolation: A snapshot from the Psorodonotus ebneri (Figs. 1 and 2), Uludag Warchałowska-Śliwa, E., Çıplak, B. (2016) venosus species group (in process). The Anatolio-Balkan phylogeographic fault: a (Bursa, Turkey) is for Anterastes Kosswig, C. (1955) Zoogeography of the near snapshot from the genus Isophya (Orthoptera: East. Systematic Zoology, 4, 49-96. uludaghensis, Bozdag (Izmir, Turkey) Tettigoniidae) (in process) Şekercioğlu, Ç.H., Anderson, S., Akçay E., is for A. tolunayi, and several others Çıplak, B. (2003) Distribution of Tettigoniinae Bilgin, R., Emre Can, Ö., Semiz, G., Tavşanoğlu, are Arks for some other species (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae) bush-crickets Ç., Baki Yokeş, M., Soyumert, A., İpekdal, K., (Çıplak 2003, 2008). Unfortunately, in Turkey: the importance of the Anatolian Sağlam, İ. K., Yücel, M., Dalfes, H. N. (2011) Taurus Mountains in biodiversity and Turkey’s globally important biodiversity in some of the arks, such as Bozoğlan implications for conservation. Biodiversity and crisis. Biological Conservation, 144, 2752- Mountain (the home for P. salmani) Conservation, 12, 47–64. 2769. have started bilging. Thus, there is no Çıplak, B. (2008) The analogy between Theodore J. Cohn Research Grant Reports Morphological and biogeographical analyses of the genera Thalpomena and Pseudoceles By LARA-SOPHIE DEY & MARTIN HUSEMANN Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg GERMANY [email protected] The Oedipodines, few studies have used this group Trimerotropini, Bryodemini, and or band-winged as a model in evolutionary and Sphingonotini (Husemann et al. grasshoppers, phylogeographic studies. Earlier 2012), which may have caused represent an interesting phylogenetic studies have suggested some of the taxonomic confusion. model system for that the subfamily is rather young Besides such larger scale studies, TT biogeographic and (Song et al. 2015), but have also the phylogeny and biogeography of evolutionary studies. Despite high shown that the relationships within the genus Sphingonotus have been flight ability, with their large number the subfamily and its biogeography explored in a number of studies of species, and their complex acoustic are difficult to resolve (Fries et (Husemann et al. 2012, 2013, 2014, and behavioral traits, we can gain al. 2007, Chapco & Contreras 2015), which suggested the presence deeper insights into speciation 2011). This may be partially due to of cryptic diversity and complex mechanisms. However, although patterns of large scale morphological colonization and diversification they possess high potential, relatively convergence, exemplified by the patterns. Similar studies for other Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 16 METALEPTEA and habitat overlapping distributions, which requirements suggests either wrong identification raising the of specimens or a false status of question if these subspecies (either they deserve similarities are the species status or the differences result of common represent intraspecific variation), ancestry or as subspecies generally should not convergence. This occur sympatrically (Zusl 1982). Our morphological hypotheses (wrong identification vs. resemblance has wrong assignment) will be tested with led to a variety additional data in the future. Here of taxonomic we plotted primary morphological Figure 1. Photograph of Pseudoceles persa taken in Iran. problems, which measurements, which show that both have not been genera have similar phenotypes, addressed, and but, for the greater part, different both genera have not been subject to proportions (Fig. 4). This suggests any recent taxonomic and systematic that Pseudoceles and Thalpomena evaluation rendering the status of do not belong to the same genus. many species doubtful. Finally, Also, preliminary analysis of the no studies have been performed COI and H3 genes suggest strong investigating the biogeography of differentiation between Pseudoceles the genera despite their interesting and Thalpomena, indicating that they distribution patterns, which may are not sister genera. Hence, the initial provide further insights into the results of this study provide further evolutionary drivers of differentiation evidence for large scale convergence in mountain systems and the within the Oedipodinae. However, biogeographic history of the regions. these results will have to be verified In order to answer these questions, by including additional specimens, we are using a combination of species, and genetic markers in the molecular and morphological analysis. methods, and distribution mapping. Besides these larger-scale Figure 2. a) lateral view of Pseudoceles We are combining mapping of all systematic questions, the two genera inornatus from Iran; b) lateral view of records of the species obtained pose a variety of more specific Thalpomena algeriana algeriana from Algeria from museum collections, field questions regarding the status and trips, and literature surveys with evolution of single species. One genera are, however, largely missing. 13 morphological measurements such example is represented by Two interesting genera for such analyzed with multivariate statistics, Thalpomena schulthessi, which is the targeted studies are Thalpomena and and DNA sequencing of two only species of the genus not found Pseudoceles (Figs. 1 and 2), which mitochondrial and two nuclear in Northern Africa. Instead, this both are restricted to mountainous genes in order to evaluate the status species is endemic to the highlands of areas where they have undergone of species and understand the Eastern African Somalia. The species small radiations (Dirsh 1949). Most biogeography and the relationships shares some characters with other species of Thalpomena are endemic between the genera. species of its genus, but resembles to North Africa, where they occur So far, we have obtained records another genus, Sphingonotus, in in the Atlas Mountains, except for 9 species of Peudoceles with a other traits. Hence, the status of for a single species, which can be total of 93 records and for 15 species the species needs to be clarified found in the highlands of Somalia. (including subspecies) of Thalpomena before its evolution can be studied. Pseudoceles, in turn, is distributed with a total of 178 records (Fig. Unfortunately, no recent material across several mountain ranges in the 3). The distribution records show of the species is available to us so Southern Caucasus and Western Asia, that both genera are geographically far and hence we were only able to i.e. the Caucasus-, Elburs-, Zagros-, separated and, as expected, all analyze the species morphologically. Pontic- and Taurus Mountains (Fig. records are restricted to mountainous First comparisons revealed several 3). Interestingly, both genera are habitats. The map further shows that differences separating it from other relatively similar in their morphology many species and subspecies have Thalpomena species, e.g. its very Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 17 METALEPTEA to be verified using finer resolution genetic markers. First morphological analyses suggest no differentiation in quantitative phenotypic measurements, so the next step will be the analysis of male and female genitalia structures and then acoustic and behavioral assays. While all our results are only preliminary currently, they already demonstrate the complex relationships within the genera and suggest their suitability for evolutionary studies. In the future we plan to obtain additional samples of Thalpomena and Pseudoceles during field trips in Iran, Figure 3. Map displaying the distribution of species and subspecies of the genera Thalpomena Morocco, and Turkey. Furthermore, and Pseudoceles. we need to include more material from museum collections (e.g. from the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, the Museum of Natural History, Berlin, and the Jalal Afshar Zoological Museum, Tehran).

Acknowledgement We thank the Orthopterists Society and Synthesys for financial support. We are further grateful to the NHM London, the Národni Muzeum Prague, the Jalal Afshar Zoological Museum Tehran, the German Entomological Institute Müncheberg, the Zoologische Staatssammlung München for access to their collections. PD Dr. Axel Hochkirch, Prof. Dr. Thomas Figure 4. Plot of 13 morphological characters with a sample size of 171 individuals (114 Schmitt, and Dr. Benjamin Price provided Thalpomena, 57 Pseudoceles); red: Thalpomena, green: Pseudoceles; filled circle: female, open additional material and intellectual input square: male. to the project. Finally, we want to thank Prof. Dr. Robert Paxton, Dr. Antonella broad and dark wing band, the dark variation or do the different Soro, Matthias Seidel, and the whole violet color of the hind wing disc, and phenotypes represent different General Zoology group at the MLU Halle the proportions of several quantitative species? Again, a combination of for suggestions for the project and access morphological measurements. Future molecular and morphological analyses to laboratory facilities. analyses need to include larger are being employed to resolve numbers of specimens and additional such questions. We are planning to References Cited Aljanabi, S. M., Salah, M., and Martinez, I. morphological and, if possible, sequence the same set of genes for (1997) Universal and rapid salt-extraction genetic markers to clarify the status of all specimens available from these of high quality genomic DNA for PCR-based the species. locations and the same morphological techniques. Nucleic Acids Research, 25, Additional interesting questions traits will be measured. First analyses 4692-4693. relate to the genus Pseudoceles. of the COI gene suggest that all Chapco, W., and Contreras, D. (2011) Subfamilies Acridinae, and During field trips, specimens with specimens with different phenotypes Oedipodinae are “fuzzy sets”: a proposal multiple wing coloration phenotypes represent a single monophyletic for a common African origin. Journal of were collected sympatrically and group. However, the analyses also Orthoptera Research 20, 173-190. syntopically in Northern Iran. indicate a shallow genetic split into Dirsh, V. M. (1949) The genus Thalpomena SAUSSURE, 1884 (Orthoptera, Acrididae) This poses the questions: do these a blue-violet wing group and a red and its allies. Transactions of the Royal differences represent phenotypic wing group; these results will have Entomological Society of London 100, 363-

Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 18 METALEPTEA 391. morphology. Zoologica Scripta, 41, 515-526. of Galapagos and Caribbean band-winged Fries, M., Chapco, W., and Contreras, D. Husemann, M., Llucià-Pomares, D., & grasshoppers (Acrididae: Oedipodinae: (2007) A molecular phylogenetic analysis of Hochkirch, A. (2013) A review of the Sphingonotus). PLoS One, 10, e0118208. the Oedipodinae and their intercontinental Iberian Sphingonotini with description of Schennum, W. E. & Willey, R. B. (1979) relationships. Journal of Orthoptera two novel species (Orthoptera: Acrididae: A geographical analysis of quantitative Research 16.2, 115-125. Oedipodinae). Zoological Journal of the morphological variation in the grasshopper Hagen, A. F. (1982) Variations in the wing Linnean Society, 168, 29-60. Arphia conspersa. Evolution, 64-84. band of Trimerotropis sparsa (Thomas) Husemann, M., Deppermann, J., & Song, H., Amédégnato, C., Cigliano, M. M., (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Oedipodinae). Hochkirch, A. (2014) Multiple independent Desutter-Grandcolas, L., Heads, S. W., Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, colonization of the Canary Islands by the Huang, Y. & Whiting, M. F. (2015) 300 million 477-480. winged grasshopper genus Sphingonotus years of diversification: elucidating the Husemann, M., Namkung, S., Habel, J. Fieber, 1852. Molecular Phylogenetics and patterns of orthopteran evolution based on C., Danley, P. D., & Hochkirch, A. (2012) Evolution, 81, 174-181. comprehensive taxon and gene sampling. Phylogenetic analyses of band-winged Husemann, M., Habel, J. C., Namkung, S., Cladistics, 31.6, 621-651. grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Hochkirch, A., Otte, D., & Danley, P. D. (2015) Oedipodinae) reveal convergence of wing Molecular Evidence for an Old World Origin The effect of gut microbiomes on nutrient regulation in a grazing insect By PAUL ALVARADO LENHART University of Kentucky U.S.A. [email protected] icrobes that form of symbiotic microbial communities production and diet selection symbioses with are becoming well-characterized in (Kaufman and Klug 1991, Schmid multicellular some insects, little is known about et al. 2014). Given the presence of hosts can provide symbiotic bacteria in grasshoppers, gut microbes and the long history of complementary a well-studied model for nutritional grasshoppers as a model system for MM physiological studies. The few surveys in understanding nutrient regulation, machinery that enables the host Orthoptera have found numerous gut- we tested if the gut microbiome of a to exploit new resources or associated bacteria (Dillon et al. 2008, generalist grasshopper affected basic environments as well as defend Yun et al. 2014) and manipulative macronutrient regulation. In short, against natural enemies. One of the studies on crickets show an effect in a laboratory-based experiment we most common functions of symbiotic of antibiotics on carbohydrase attempted to alter the grasshopper microbes is enhanced nutrient uptake via the production of digestive enzymes or synthesis of limiting nutrients (Douglas 2013). As a result, microbes (mainly bacteria) may be integral to nutrient regulation in many animals. All manner of animals have been found to tightly regulate their intake of macronutrients in metabolically optimal ratios, making specific compromises when food is suboptimal (Simpson and Raubenheimer 2012). Researchers are only beginning to examine the effects of microbes on macronutrient regulation but have found strong consequences of the gut microbial community (Douglas 2013, Pernice et al. 2014), including links to obesity in humans (Mullin and Delzenne 2014). Figure 1. A Melanoplus femurrubrum grasshopper nymph used in this experiment. While the composition and function

Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 19 METALEPTEA an artificial diet identify effects of antibiotic and diet control and treatments. whole-plant digestion (see Results and Discussion. With Clissold et al. the extraction of DNA from the (2009)). grasshopper guts ongoing we do Upon reaching not yet know how our antibiotic the final instar treatment affected the gut microbiota (5th), we orally of the grasshoppers. But, based administered on analysis of artificial diet a short-term consumption, we have some evidence antibiotic that macronutrient regulation was cocktail altered by the antibiotic treatment. composed of First, we compared nutrient intake gentamycin on the fourth day of the experiment sulfate, when the artificial diets allowed Figure 2. Collecting grasshopper nymphs in Lexington, KY, U.S.A. ampicillin, and the grasshoppers to correct for cefotaxime any macronutrient deficiencies gut microbiome through antibiotic to half of experienced during the treatment exposure and assessed grasshopper the individuals to eliminate or diets (C,Ff,Fp) eaten on days 2-3. We macronutrient regulation on various severely reduce the gut microbial were unable to find a strong effect of diets. community. We then individually antibiotic treatment on protein and fed nymphs from the AB+ and carbohydrate regulation during the 4th Methods. This study used a AB- treatments artificial diets for 24 day of feeding (Fig. 3, MANCOVA common, widely-distributed, and hours that allowed them to regulate AB: F2,58=0.09, P=0.916, AB×Diet: well-studied acridid (Pfadt 1994): their macronutrient intake. We then Approx. F4,116=1.99, P=0.100). Melanoplus femurrubrum (De Geer) gave grasshoppers one of the three However, grasshoppers previously fed (Fig. 1). Early instar nymphs were experimental diet treatments (C, Ff, on fresh leaves (Ff) and dried/ground collected (Fig. 2) at the University Fp) ad libitum for 48 hours. Finally, (Fp) goldenrod leaves consumed 19- of Kentucky’s Ecological Research we returned all grasshoppers to the 23% more carbohydrate than controls Facility (ERF) in Lexington, same artificial diet pairing for 24 (Fig. 3, ANOVA Diet: F2,59=3.76, Kentucky, U.S.A., brought into the hours allowing them to correct for P=0.029) hinting that carbohydrates lab, and reared on mixtures of fresh nutritional deficits incurred across are limiting to the grasshoppers, at herbaceous plant clippings until their the previous two days. Across each least when feeding on this host plant. 5th nymphal stadium. phase of the feeding trial, food intake When we compared intake of the We utilized a 2×3 factorial design was quantified and we calculated control diet treatments (AB+C, AB- (n=12 grasshoppers per treatment) and compared protein:carbohydrate C) across all four days of the study, with two antibiotic treatments (AB+, intake. we found that grasshoppers treated AB-) and three diet treatments: At the conclusion, we removed and with the antibiotic cocktail regulated artificial diet (C), fresh leaves (Ff), stored grasshopper gastrointestinal for ~18% more carbohydrate or lypholized ground leaf powder tracts. Additionally, we collected than the antibiotic control (Fig. 4, (Fp) from a host aster, the goldenrod a sample of 15 5th instar M. ANOVA Sex: F1,21=4.32, P=0.050, Solidago altissima. Because earlier femurrubrum from the ERF to AB:F1,21=4.08, P=0.057). A tentative studies suggested that orthopterans investigate how the experimental hypothesis is that this could be a have bacteria which produce protocol altered the gut microbiome correction by the grasshoppers for carbohydrases and even cellulases compared to wild controls. We are a reduction, or loss, of gut bacteria (Kaufman and Klug 1991, Shi et al. currently in the process of extracting that produce carbohydrases. This 2013, Su et al. 2014) we incorporated whole DNA from individual would fit with previous findings that a treatment to investigate how the guts, which will then be used to microbe-produced carbohydrases gut microbiota might interact with characterize microbiomes via are present in the guts of Orthoptera nutrient regulation when plant cell sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA. (Kaufman and Klug 1991, Shi et walls and other structural barriers to Bacterial communities will then be al. 2013, Su et al. 2014) and would digestion were compromised through compared between treatments using mean that the host’s macronutrient grinding, and compared this to both ordination and cluster analysis to regulation could adapt to shifts in the Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 20 METALEPTEA

Figure 3. Macronutrient intake of grasshoppers following treatment Figure 4. Total macronutrient intake of grasshoppers fed artificial diets with antibiotics and different diets. for four days. gut microbes. Identification of the gut References Cited Selection. Environmental Entomology bacterial communities present across Clissold, F. J., G. D. Sanson, J. Read, and S. J. 43:896-902. treatments in this study is now critical Simpson. 2009. Gross vs. net income: how Shi, W., S. Xie, X. Chen, S. Sun, X. Zhou, L. Liu, plant toughness affects performance of an P. Gao, N. C. Kyrpides, E.-G. No, and J. S. to understand why the grasshoppers insect herbivore. Ecology 90:3393-3405. Yuan. 2013. Comparative genomic analysis altered their macronutrient intake. If Dillon, R., G. Webster, A. Weightman, V. of the endosymbionts of herbivorous insects modified macronutrient regulation Dillon, S. Blanford, and A. Charnley. 2008. reveals eco-environmental adaptations: were an effect of the microbiome, Composition of Acridid gut bacterial biotechnology applications. PLoS Genet communities as revealed by 16S rRNA gene 9:e1003131. we would expect AB+ gut bacterial analysis. Journal of invertebrate pathology Simpson, S. J. and D. Raubenheimer. 2012. The communities to differ significantly 97:265-272. nature of nutrition: a unifying framework from AB- communities. Douglas, A. E. 2013. Microbial brokers of from animal adaptation to human obesity. This grasshopper system could be insect-plant interactions revisited. Journal of Princeton University Press. a model for understanding of how Chemical Ecology 39:952-961. Su, L., H. Liu, Y. Li, H. Zhang, M. Chen, X. Gao, Kaufman, M. G. and M. J. Klug. 1991. F. Wang, and A. Song. 2014. Cellulolytic gut microbes interact with nutrient The contribution of hindgut bacteria to activity and structure of symbiotic bacteria regulation in generalist feeders. dietary carbohydrate utilization by crickets in locust guts. Genetics and molecular Most acridid grasshoppers graze (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Comparative research: GMR 13:7926. between host plants and can even Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Yun, J.-H., S. W. Roh, T. W. Whon, M.-J. Physiology 98:117-123. Jung, M.-S. Kim, D.-S. Park, C. Yoon, Y.-D. be omnivorous, so, therefore, gut Mullin, G. E. and N. M. Delzenne. 2014. The Nam, Y.-J. Kim, and J.-H. Choi. 2014. Insect microbial communities would need to Human Gut Microbiome and Its Role in gut bacterial diversity determined by function well across a range of foods Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome. Pages environmental habitat, diet, developmental or have high rates of species turnover. 71-105 Integrative Weight Management. stage, and phylogeny of host. Applied and Establishing such a model system Springer. environmental microbiology 80:5254-5264. Pernice, M., S. J. Simpson, and F. Ponton. could provide a counterpart to work 2014. Towards an integrated understanding on vertebrates, like humans, which of gut microbiota using insects as model have generalist feeding patterns. systems. Journal of Insect Physiology 69:12- This work was done in collaboration 18. Pfadt, R. E. 1994. Field guide to common with Jennifer White (University of western grasshoppers. Wyoming Agricultural Kentucky) and Spencer Behmer Experiment Station. (Texas A&M University). Schmid, R. B., R. M. Lehman, and J. G. Lundgren. 2014. Sex-Specific Interactions of Microbial Symbioses on Cricket Dietary

Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 21 METALEPTEA Status of Europe’s Native & Invasive Phasmatodea Collections By MATAN SHELOMI Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology GERMANY [email protected] ergmann’s Rule is an invader Carausius morosus, native “Dalmatia,” “USA”], which is not ecogeographical law to the Tamil Nadu region of India, useful for biogeographical analysis. that states organisms but since established in the UK and Hand-written labels in cursive were within a species or Azores among other locations and another frustration. One challenge clade should be larger raised as a pet globally. Carausius of such a multinational project was BB at higher latitudes, was particular useful to see if translating location names that were to better retain body heat. Several phasmids that invaded or are reared sometimes themselves translations: hundred studies have been done in different climates from where for example, Lessina is Italian for the on insects and Bergmann’s rule, they evolved show subsequent size Croatian island of Hvar. and Orthoptera are the most highly differences, though obviously the Frequently, I came across localities represented group. Out of 204 cases, variables involved are considerable. that no longer existed: the location nearly equal amounts showed no size Given the preliminary nature had changed names and possible clines or converse-Bergmann clines of this work, I decided to use hands as borders shifted. For [decreasing size with higher latitude], museum specimens. Having example, Nemours in Algeria is now with a minority following Bergmann’s obtained permissions from the major Ghazaouet, Saint-Aygulf in law (Shelomi 2012). entomology collections of Europe that is now the Fréjus commune, and One order conspicuously missing had pinned specimens of the above Karl-Marx-Stadt of the GDR is now from the literature was Phasmatodea. species, I applied for the Theodore J. Chemnitz of a united Germany. Some I say conspicuous, because what Cohn Research grant to cover the cost designations are now completely better organism to study the effects of travel. In the summer and fall of historic, such as the Estremadura of latitude on length and width than 2015, I visited 18 museums in eight province of Portugal and the nation the nearly cylindrical stick insects, nations (Fig. 1), and measured various of Yugoslavia. Translations and and what more tantalizing a target for body segments, and limb lengths and transliterations added complexity: the morphological studies than the order widths for a total of 1,437 specimens city of Targlitz in Marruecos Español whose members’ lengths range from (including other species within is Targuist in now-independent the centimeter-sized Timema to the the above genera) from 23 nations Morocco. In one case, I could not half-meter long Phobaeticus chani, according to extant borders (Fig. 2) identify the city [written in cursive the world’s longest insect? In 2014, I and from as far back as 1873 (Fig. 3). German] for a specimen collected in set off to gather data for the world’s Another 18 museums responded to what was then Istria, Italy because first assay on ecogeographical size my inquiries saying they lacked the the Istrian peninsula is now mostly clines in the Phasmatodea, focusing species in question or were closed for Croatian and Slovenian and each on European species, as their native renovations, and were thus not visited. nation has cities with similar names in distributions (Brock 1991) fall I am in the process of analyzing the the area. within the ideal range of latitudes for data and will be adding more detailed War and revolution had other, more accuracy in such studies (Shelomi climate and plant productivity data damaging effects on collections. For 2012). to complement the basic latitude instance, the Manchester Museum The species I set off to study were measurements. Here, I would like to collection record has a gap from rossius, found along both give a brief review of the state of the December 1937 to August 1947, and sides of the Phasmatodea collections I used. I did not visit the Budapest museum, coastline, and gallica, with Firstly, of the 1,437 specimens as their once large collection of a distribution along southwestern measured, 258 could not be analyzed Eastern European phasmids burned Europe that goes a bit higher into further due to illegible or ambiguous in the 1956 Hungarian revolution. France. I was able to add three more locality labels, and this does not In contrast, the Hamburg museum’s species to the project: the Iberian count the many specimens I did not Phasmatodea and Mantodea are attenuata and Pijnackeria measure because they lacked locality among their only dry specimens to hispanica (see Scali 2009 for labels at all. Some older labels only survive a World War II fire, as they taxonomic revision), and the global stated the region of origin [“France,” had been relocated along with the Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 22 METALEPTEA

Figure 1. Museums visited during this study. A) Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Geneva, Switzerland. B) Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium. C) Wollaton Hall, Nottingham, UK. D) Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Lisbon, Portugal. E) Centrum für Naturkunde, Hamburg, Germany. F) Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden, Germany. G) Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany. H) Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Müncheberg, Germany. I) Zoologische Staatssammlung München [Munich], Germany. J) Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Milan, Italy. K) The Hunterian Museum, Glasgow, UK. L) Manchester Museum, Manchester, UK. M) Natural History Museum, London, UK. N) Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany. O) Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid, . P) Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. Q) Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford, UK. R) Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Spain.

Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 23 METALEPTEA

Figure 2. Map showing the collection locations for wild-caught female (circle) and male (triangle) specimens of Bacillus rossius (red), Clonopsis gallica (yellow), (violet), and Pijnackeria hispanica (blue). Carausius was not included as most specimens were not wild-caught and/or not European. Made with HamsterMap.com.

Figure 4. A) Phasmatodea collection from the Dresden collection, showing the noticeably different poses that specimens can be found in. B) Uniquely-posed specimen from the Müncheberg collection affixed to a branch, illustrating the ideal posing of forelimbs forward and slightly angled down.

stake through their body. Different collectors seemed to have different ideas on how best to arrange the legs of Phasmid specimens: should they be straightened against the insect, making a long and thin specimen, Figure 3. Number of museum specimens collected within a given decade generated from the or be folded in a standing position, wild-caught specimens of all species combined. producing a shorter but wider, taller, and more fragile specimen (Fig. flammable alcohol collections to Balkans, which would otherwise 4)? I encourage those collecting an underground train station. The be the focus of future European Phasmatodea to use the former, Hamburg fire did consume the books Phasmatodea studies, plus a possible aligning the limbs close to the body containing intake and locality data, loss of interest among Western with the hind limbs pointing rearward however, along with around 10,000 European collectors in their local and the other pairs forward. Samples type specimens. Overall, while fauna relative to tropical fauna, so arranged ultimately take up less one sees a decline in the number which are ever more easily-accessible space, are less likely to be damaged of specimens collected during and imperiled as travel costs and or lose limbs, and are much easier for the first World War, entomology rainforest area both decrease. researchers like myself to measure. research continued during World Measuring the Phasmatodea The forelimbs in particular should be War II (Figure 3). Note that very samples was not always easy as many posed at a downwards angle just so few specimens exist of European had crumpled and curled or shriveled. as not to obscure the head, which is specimens from the past few decades Others retained their body size well similar to how some living phasmids and nothing since 2004. In part, this with a rare few having been stuffed hold their forelimbs forward and could be due to instabilities in the with cotton or impaled with a metal together when frightened in order Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 24 METALEPTEA to better imitate a branch. Another Phasmatodea body size and how they Caballero (Barcelona); Mercedes París option observed is pasting the six evolved their iconic mimesis and (Madrid); Eva Monteiro and Luis Filipe tarsi onto a rectangle of paper, which record-setting sizes. Lopes (Lisbon); Kai Schütte, Ilonka has the advantage of ensuring limbs Rehmann, Thure Dalsgaard (Hamburg); and body stay together and is more Acknowledgements Angelika Weirauch & Stephan Blank (Müncheberg); Michael Ohl (Berlin); commonly used for nymphs, though Thanks to the Orthopterists’ Society for funding, without whom this research Ralph S. Peters & Karin Ulmen (Bonn); otherwise has no benefits over the Klaus Schönitzer, Bärbel Stock-Dietel, straight line pose. would not have been possible, and especially to Pamm Mihm and Michel & Franz Schmolke (Munich); Christian A database containing the Lecoq. Thanks to the following people, Schmidt (Dresden). measurements and localities for all listed in no particular order, for use these specimens will be added to of their museum collections: Peter J References Cited Dryad (http://datadryad.org/), with Schwendinger (Geneva); Fabrizio Rigato Brock P. 1991. Stick Insects of Britain, Europe, and the Mediterranean. Fitzgerald the locations translated into English (Milan); Maggie Reilly and Jeanne Publishing, London. and given their extant names and Robinson (Glasgow); Dmitri Logunov Scali V. 2009. Revision of the Iberian stick approximate GPS coordinates. (Manchester); Sheila Wright and Andrew insect genus Leptynia Pantel and description This database can be used for any King (Nottingham); Amoret Spooner of the new genus Pijnackeria. Italian Journal future ecogeographical studies on (Oxford); Judith Marshall, Ben Price, of Zoology 76: 381-391. Phasmatodea, saving others from and George Beccaloni (London); Jerome Shelomi M. 2012. Where Are We Now? Constant (Brussels); Tony Robillard, Bergmann’s Rule Sensu Lato in Insects. The having to redo my work. It is my Simon Poulain, and Emmanuel Delfosse American Naturalist 180: 511-519. hope that this study can be the start (Paris); Glòria Masó Ros and Berta of further inquiry into what affects Grigs are great: Characterizing Cyphoderris monstrosa survival of low temperatures By JANTINA TOXOPEUS Western University CANADA [email protected] ow temperatures limit and far between, especially in North the distribution and America. abundance of many The great grig, Cyphoderris organisms, particularly monstrosa Uhler (Orthoptera: ectotherms, whose Prophalangopsidae), is 20 – 30 mm LL body fluids can freeze long and is one of three members of at subzero temperatures (Sinclair et the genus that inhabits high-elevation al., 2012). There are two dominant coniferous forests of western North strategies to survive very low America (Morris & Gwynne, 1978). temperatures: freeze avoidance and They overwinter as nymphs (Fig. freeze tolerance. Freeze-avoidant 1), with adults emerging in late May insects, such as the grasshopper or early June, and remaining active Chorthippus fallax Zubovsky until late August (Mason, 1996). C. (Orthoptera: Acrididae) (Hao & monstrosa are nocturnal and climb Kang, 2004), depress the temperature trees to feed on staminate cones of at which their fluids freeze, but die lodge pole pines (Pinus contorta) and if cooled to the point of internal ice western white spruce (Picea glauca) formation. Freeze-tolerant insects, (Ladau, 2003; Morris & Gwynne, Figure 1. Cyphoderris monstrosa nymph on a such as the New Zealand alpine weta, 1978). Cyphoderris spp. males sing tree trunk in Kamloops area, British Columbia. Hemideina maori Pictet & Saussure via tegminal stridulation, typical (Photo by Brent Sinclair) (Orthoptera: Anosostomatidae) of ensiferans (Morris & Gwynne, (Ramløv et al., 1992), survive internal 1978), but are active at much lower 1978). While much of the research ice formation. Although many temperatures than is characteristic on Cyphoderris spp. has focused on orthopterans inhabit temperate and for acoustic insects, singing at their acoustic and mating behaviour, montane environments, studies on temperatures near 0°C (Dodson their ability to remain active at low orthopteran cold tolerance are few et al., 1983; Morris & Gwynne, Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 25 METALEPTEA temperature at but not at concentrations as high as which freezing the freeze-tolerant alpine weta, H. occurred maori (Neufeld & Leader, 1998), or (supercooling the spring field cricket,Gryllus veletis point or SCP) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) (McKinnon, was identified 2015). Hemolymph glycerol was as the lowest absent in field-fresh specimens, but temperature accumulated following freezing and before the thawing. exotherm caused This first examination of cold by internal tolerance in Prophalangopsidae ice formation indicates Cyphoderris nymphs are (Sinclair et al., active at subzero temperatures and 2015). As well can survive internal ice formation, as whole-body a strategy that likely facilitates their SCP, I measured ability to overwinter. We collected Figure 2. Intrepid grig collectors (l-r): Jantina Toxopeus (PhD student), Alexander McKinnon (MSc student), Brent Sinclair (Associate Professor), the SCP of these nymphs in May, which is near and Jacqueline Lebenzon (MSc student). (Photo by Jacqueline Lebenzon) hemolymph the end of the season where subzero and tissues temperature exposures are likely. temperatures and overwinter in extracted from a Their ability to increase glycerol montane North America warrants an subsample of C. monstrosa nymphs. content following a freeze event in the investigation of their cold tolerance. I also extracted hemolymph for lab suggests C. monstrosa may have To collect C. monstrosa, I travelled cryoprotectant analysis. greater capacity for cold tolerance to Kamloops, British Columbia, C. monstrosa and C. buckelli earlier in the season, during the Canada (50.8°N, 120.1°W) in nymphs remained active at low winter. late May, 2015 with three other temperatures until they froze at orthopteran enthusiasts from the –4.6°C, a SCP similar to other freeze- Acknowledgements Sinclair lab at Western University tolerant orthopterans (McKinnon, We would like to thank Andrew Mason, (Fig. 2). We searched low montane 2015; Sinclair, 1999). Isolated C. Terrence Chang and Kevin Judge for advice on where and how to collect coniferous forests after sunset, monstrosa gut and muscle tissue Cyphoderris spp. The research was had a SCP near to that of the whole picking grigs off tree trunks and supported by the Orthopterists’ Society out of the underbrush and placing nymphs, suggesting that gut contents Theodore J. Cohn Research Fund and them in individual containers. We and/or muscle tissue may contain a National Science and Engineering collected 30 C. monstrosa nymphs, molecules that initiate ice formation Research Council (NSERC) Canada and opportunistically collected (Zachariassen & Kristiansen, 2000). Graduate Scholarship to JT, and a NSERC C. buckelli Hebard (Orthoptera: Both C. monstrosa and C. buckelli Discovery Grant to Brent Sinclair. Prophalangopsidae) nymphs as were freeze-tolerant, surviving being well. We shipped the insects back to frozen for 1.5 hours and regaining References Cited Carillo, P., & Gibon, Y. (2011). Protocol: Western University, and maintained motility within 48 hours of thawing. extraction and determination of proline. them at 4°C, with apple pieces C. monstrosa could survive exposure PrometheusWiki. for food, until they were used in to temperatures as low as -9°C and Crosthwaite, J.C., Sobek, S., Lyons, D.B., experiments. could recover after being frozen and Bernards, M.A., and Sinclair, B.J. (2011). The held at -6°C for at least 5 days. overwintering physiology of the emerald To expose nymphs to low ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire temperatures, I placed them in 35 I determined concentrations of (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). Journal of Insect ml plastic vials in an aluminum glycerol, trehalose, and proline Physiology, 57, 166-173. block cooled by methanol from (Carillo & Gibon, 2011; Crosthwaite Dodson, G. N., Morris, G. K., & Gwynne, D. a programmable refrigerated et al., 2011; Tennessen et al., 2014) in T. (1983). Mating behavior of the primitive orthopteran genus Cyphoderris (Haglidae). circulator, and monitored survival C. monstrosa nymph hemolymph as In Orthopteran mating systems: sexual of nymphs that were frozen and these common low molecular weight competition in a diverse group of insects. thawed. I recorded the body cryoprotectants can help protect cells Edited by D.T. Gwynne and G.K. Morris. temperature of nymphs in contact from low temperature and osmotic Westview Press, Inc., Boulder CO, USA. stresses associated with ice formation pp. 305-318. with a thermocouple connected Hao, S.-G., & Kang, L. (2004). Supercooling to a computer via a Picotech TC- (Zachariassen, 1985). I detected capacity and cold hardiness of the eggs 08 thermocouple interface. The hemolymph trehalose and proline, of the grasshopper Chorthippus fallax Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 26 METALEPTEA (Orthoptera: Acrididae). European Journal of Haglidae) with a description of a new workflow. Journal of Thermal Biology, 53, Entomology, 101, 231-236. species. Psyche, 85, 147-167. 180-197. Ladau, J. (2003). Territoriality and singing- Neufeld, D. S. & Leader, L. P. (1998). Freezing Sinclair, B. J., Williams, C. M., & Terblanche, site preferences in the cricket, Cyphoderris survival by isolated Malpighian tubules of J.S. (2012). Variation in thermal performance monstrosa (Orthoptera: Haglidae) in western the New Zealand alpine weta Hemideina among insect populations. Physiological and North America. Entomological news, 114, maori. Journal of Experimental Biology, 201, Biochemical Zoology, 85, 594-606. 197-204. 227-236. Tennessen, J. M., Barry, W. E., Cox, J., & Mason, A. C. (1996). Territoriality and the Ramløv, H., Bedford, J., & Leader, J. (1992). Thummel, C.S. (2014). Methods for studying function of song in the primitive acoustic Freezing tolerance of the New Zealand metabolism in Drosophila. Methods, 68, insect Cyphoderris monstrosa (Orthoptera: alpine weta, Hemideina maori Hutton 105-115. Haglidae). Animal Behaviour, 51, 211-214. [Orthoptera; Stenopelmatidae]. Journal of Zachariassen, K. E. (1985). Physiology of cold McKinnon, A. H (2015). Freeze tolerance Thermal Biology, 17, 51-54. tolerance in insects. Physiological Reviews, in the spring field cricket,Gryllus veletis. Sinclair, B. J. (1999). Insect cold tolerance: 65, 799-832. MSc thesis, University of Western Ontario, how many kinds of frozen? European Journal Zachariassen, K. E., & Kristiansen, E. (2000). London ON, Canada. of Entomology, 96, 157-164. Ice nucleation and antinucleation in nature. Morris, G. K., & Gwynne, D. T. (1978). Sinclair, B. J., Alvarado, L. E. C., & Ferguson, Cryobiology, 41, 257-279. Geographical distribution and biological L. V. (2015). An invitation to measure insect observations of Cyphoderris (Orthoptera: cold tolerance: methods, approaches, and The Meet Your Neighbours Method: How to illustrate Orthoptera biology with amazing photos By PIERRE ESCOUBAS Imaging Nature and the Meet Your discrimination of morphologically- VenomeTech, Valbonne, FRANCE Neighbours™ initiative close species. This is seen on some [email protected] websites where collections of low- CLAY BOLT Meet Your Neighbours™, Montana, USA Digital cameras and the digital quality macrophotography images NIALL BENVIE era have revolutionized nature fail to provide adequate identification. Brechin, SCOTLAND photography because high-quality The Meet Your Neighbours™ (MYN) DOUGLAS W. WHITMAN images can now be produced, viewed, method produces high-quality digital Illinois State University, U.S.A. processed, and transferred almost illustrations while eliminating many instantaneously, at virtually no cost of the problems mentioned above. to people, and local fauna and flora beyond the initial investment in The Meet Your Neighbours™ represent the first, and for some, their equipment. This has spurred the project (www.meetyourneighbours. only contact with wild nature. Yet, too creation of huge digital, on-line image net) was founded in 2009 by wildlife often local wildlife is overlooked and resources that now allow for much photographers Clay Bolt and Niall undervalued. The project, therefore, easier identification of specimens, Benvie with the aim of illustrating aims to promote appreciation of even by non-specialists, provided “backyard biodiversity” in a manner biodiversity by producing inspiring image quality and accuracy are that would draw the viewer’s attention imagery, showing the striking sufficient. For example, field guides exclusively to the subject. The project beauty of living organisms and thus are now abundantly illustrated with is a worldwide digital images and accurate colors photographic as opposed to the classical sheets initiative dedicated to of drawings that still were the norm reconnecting people a decade or two ago. However, the with the wildlife on quality of such pictures, both printed their own doorsteps and on-line, varies greatly. Small and enriching their size, poor resolution, bad positioning lives in the process, of the insect in the picture, poor or through a better uneven lighting, improper color, appreciation of or distracting or non-contrasting biodiversity. The backgrounds can produce poor-quality living organisms that pictures, sometimes misrepresenting compose a given Figure 1. A juvenile Egyptian locust (Anacridium aegyptium) from the specimen or impeding the ecosystem are vital the first author’s garden, in Meet Your Neighbours™ style.

Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 27 METALEPTEA encouraging people to see, appreciate, and fine details, such as body hairs, the insect simultaneously from protect, and perhaps even, document are rendered. Diffused front lighting below, and from the front and/or the wildlife in their backyards with eliminates most shadows, while side or above, illuminating most of their own cameras. rendering maximum subject detail. the body, while reducing shadows MYN images have an instantly The MYN technique can generate and dark areas. To obtain the best recognizable look (Fig. 1). Each crystal-clear illustrative images of lighting, first adjust the intensity of subject is usually photographed live insects in the field, meaning that the flash under the subject, to yield on location using a field studio. shapes, colors and all fine structures a white background while avoiding A brilliantly-lit white background are perfectly recorded. As the method “light spill” (lighting so intense that removes all distracting background, gets all its light from flashes, one it washes out color and details on encouraging appreciation of the may even work on dark days and the underside of the subject). Next, isolated subject as a living individual still produce brilliant, sharp images. turn on and adjust the fill flash(es) captured in a moment of its life, rather Flashes actually illuminate for only to provide appropriate front/side than as a species. The individual a fraction of a second – typically lighting. The distance, angle, and constitutes the composition, and, between 1/800 and 1/4000 of a light intensity of the flashes must when viewed this way, animals second, depending on flash type. be carefully adjusted to give perfect and plants we thought we knew High-speed synchronization of flashes lighting and to avoid overexposure reveal another side of themselves, with high shutter speed can produce of the image. The fill flashes are encouraging a second glance, and shake-free, sharp, and well-lit images covered with “diffusers,” (white- perhaps even a renewed interest. provided the subject is in focus. translucent plastic, paper or small Likewise, species that are generally Under those conditions, all insect “softboxes”) which diffuse the light, overlooked by the public, because motion is frozen, and photos of live producing a “soft” light emanating they are small, cryptic, nocturnal, insects in their natural positions can from a larger area than the flash head, or inconspicuous can become be taken, even on windy or cloudy thus eliminating sharp shadows, stunningly beautiful and intriguing days. strong highlights, and flash reflections when photographed by the MYN on the subject. It is this overall method. The MYN initiative How is it done? brilliance - i.e., no dark shadows and encourages photographers from a uniform white background - which around the world to produce images Superior images are produced by distinguishes MYN photographs. from their local community or field photographing the insect as it rests The flash behind or beneath the of interest, and share them online, on top of a white, translucent plastic plastic sheet should be positioned through exhibitions, and via other sheet, with two or three flashes so as to illuminate the entire plastic forms of outreach. Partnerships with positioned at different angles and sheet uniformly, and at proper local museums, nature centers, and distances from the subject. One flash intensity to produce a uniform pure conservation NGO’s outreach efforts illuminates the white-translucent white background without any detail. ensure that images are widely seen, plastic from below, creating a uniform Proper exposure is essential. The usually on a non-profit basis. white background with no shadows, Imaging Insects in the field with the while also MYN method illuminating the underside of the The technique produces well-lit, subject. One or true-color, in-focus, high depth- two “fill” flashes, of-field, high-resolution, macro- positioned in images of insects “floating” above front, above, or a pure-white background, free from to the side of the background clutter, the distraction insect illuminate of surrounding vegetation, and dark the portion of the shadows. This gives the characteristic insect facing the brilliance and translucence seen in lens and provide MYN photos and facilitates design dorsal or anterior Figure 2. A transparent container can be used to restrain the subject. and compositing. Photoshop cutouts highlights. The The container can be partially lifted to allow the picture to be taken can’t match this look, especially in flashes work while avoiding escape. Here, the first author photographs a respect of how out-of-focus edges together to light in French Guiana. Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 28 METALEPTEA background should be just barely For a more complete technical hold flashes and release and overexposed and the color balanced explanation of exposure, flash use, position specimens. so that it is pure white, with RGB and RGB values the reader should (red, green and blue) values of 255 refer to the author’s e-book The Field Step by step protocol in each of the three color channels. Studio (http://niallbenvie.com/our-e- If too much light comes from below, books/the-field-studio/). 1. Set up: Place your table in a there will be “light spill” on the flat spot, close to where you underside, and legs of the subject Basic Equipment will collect insects. Set your will be washed out. This can be camera and strobe exposure controlled using the in-camera “show • Standard insect collecting modes to manual. Position one highlights” setting, whereby the equipment including nets and flash directly under the table so overexposed parts of the image will transparent plastic containers. that it evenly lights the entire blink when the image is examined • Digital camera with close- underside of the plastic or on the back screen. Conversely, focusing zoom or macro lens acrylic sheet. Position the “fill” underexposing the background may and manual exposure capability. flash(es) above the table and shift the overall color to warmer • Two or three flash units with to the side, above, or directly or cooler. Photographers should diffusers. Synchronization in front of the subject. The fill therefore take several test shots and cables, radio controllers or flash flashes are best mounted on adjust the exposure and white balance detectors to synchronize flashes. sturdy tripods, but can also be accordingly (in the field). Obtaining • A table or light-box containing a mounted on the camera, or held a perfect, pure white background horizontal sheet of at least 20 x by an assistant. is thus, essentially, an exposure 20 cm translucent white plastic 2. Test and calibrate the issue, independent of the nature of or acrylic, such as Lexan® (by equipment: First find a test the plastic used. Although minor Sabic), Acrylite®,or Makrolon® subject, such as a short twig or overexposure or underexposure can (by Bayer), the materials most leaf, and place it at the center be adjusted later at the image post- often used in the USA. of the plastic. Then run some processing stage, proper exposure of • Tripods with strong adjustable trial exposures to adjust the the plastic background is a critical clamps can be used to hold flashes such that the background part of the process and must be done and position the flashes. is a uniform bright white, and properly at the time of image capture. Alternatively, an assistant can the subject is well lit, without over- or under-exposure, or dark shadows. Once basic settings have been adjusted, including flash distance and angle, ISO value, speed, aperture, and flash power, only minor adjustments should be made during the shooting, according to insect size, body color, etc., as different subjects may need a little more, or less lighting. 3. Start shooting! Collect and isolate each insect in a separate clear plastic container. Keep containers shaded and cool, otherwise insects will heat and become too active. Select specimens that are in good Figure 3. Equipment used for photographing insects by author P. Escoubas includes a light- condition, with all legs and weight folding table with a translucent white acrylic surface, a digital camera with a 105- antennae. Place insect at the mm macro lens, and two flashes, each with a diffuser. One flash lights the underside of the translucent acrylic, and a tripod-mounted flash provides fill light from the front. An infrared center of the plastic sheet, controller (mounted on top of the camera) assures that all flashes fire at the same time. In this covered by an upside-down photo, Pierre (left) and Alexandre Escoubas (right) photograph grasshoppers in the French pre- transparent plastic container Alps - August 2014. such as a food storage box or Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 29 METALEPTEA Petri dish (Fig. 2). When insect background (such as is calm, gently remove the clear Plexiglas®) with container. Frame up the insect, the white background keeping the lens parallel to the some distance behind, subject’s body to maximize makes it practical to depth of field. An assistant photograph very pale can help to keep the insect subjects on a white positioned correctly and a soft- background. Indeed, bristled paintbrush can also if pale or translucent be used to corral the subject. subjects are placed Shoot several images, and then directly on the white re-cover the insect while you plastic sheet, some inspect the results. If necessary, light spiking forward Figure 4. A grasshopper from the French Riviera pre-Alps area, adjust equipment and reshoot. can unattractively wrap imaged on the Meet Your Neighbours portable field studio using When perfect images have been around the subject and the setup described above. obtained, release the unharmed even cause them to Producing composite images specimen where it was found blend with the background. There are (unless it is being collected for different practical ways to do this and The MYN method allows easy additional scientific work). for detailed explanations, please refer construction of composite figures. to the Meet Your Neighbours web site Because each image is surrounded If you don’t like the results, adjust or the author’s e-book. by a similar pure white background, the lighting or camera settings, and different subjects can be pasted into reshoot. To adjust exposure from any Post-processing the images the same white document without any of the flashes, adjust their manual concerns over different backgrounds power settings, add more diffusion, The resulting images can be or tonal discontinuity, and more or simply move lights back or processed on the computer, back importantly, without having to cut forward, or to a different angle. You in the office. Optimally, the digital out complex subjects. This not only can change the camera aperture, but camera should be set to record images saves time, but preserves all the fine this will change the exposure for the in RAW format (often called “digital details, as even the most sophisticated background and the depth of field. negatives”). A RAW image contains cutout tools will lose some of the Remember that the closer the diffused all the data recorded by the camera finer structures, such as body hairs. fill light is to the subject, the softer sensor and must be “developed”, In contrast, composite plates made and lighter the shadows will be. If you i.e., processed and then converted from MYN images preserve all the want to emphasize translucence of the into a TIFF or JPEG format, prior structures present in the original insect, for example the translucence to printing or posting online. RAW image (see Figs. 4 and 5). of a butterfly wing, slightly increase images contain more information than When composing, one has the the backlighting without overexposing JPEG images (which is a compressed option of maintaining consistent the insect body, and diminish the file format often produced directly magnification ratios (so that subjects front fill. However, simply increasing in-camera) and are therefore a remain in true proportion to one background flash output leads to more preferred format for photographers, another) and lighting (so that the unattractive lighting wrap-around and, as they offer more post-processing different specimens look as if they potentially blending. The optimal way possibilities, especially regarding were all shot under similar light to illustrate the translucence of the exposure compensation. RAW conditions). In contrast, if the various subject is by moving the background development software such as Adobe elements of the composite image are closer to or further away from the CameraRaw, Adobe Photoshop or converted to scalable objects in the subject. With plants, in situ, this is Adobe Lightroom (Adobe Systems, graphics design software, they can easily done by moving a vertically San Jose, USA) are often used. RAW be scaled non-destructively as they positioned plastic sheet, while for processing may include adjustment are rasterized. From a designer’s insects, it may be necessary to use of exposure, color balance of all or perspective, this is very useful, as an additional layer of transparent selected parts of the RAW image, pictures can be dropped straight onto material such as glass or Plexiglas® lightening of dark areas, and a white page and text laid out around positioned above the white acrylic sharpening. At this stage, the image them without having to make any sheet. can also be cropped or rotated. additional selection. Placing subjects on a transparent Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 30 METALEPTEA the 239 Orthoptera species recorded from France: http://tela-orthoptera. org/wakka.php?wiki=ClassementS ystematique2012) are found in the French Riviera Area, including around 70 grasshopper species The dry grassy slopes of the pre-Alps alone support 40 or more Orthoptera species. The pre-Alps area is home, for example, to the Spiked Magician ( pedo), a protected bush cricket species and the largest orthopteran in France, as well as the endangered and rare Hedgehog Grasshopper (Prionotropis hystrixazami). For this particular project, all images were captured in the field using a field studio made from a folding camping picnic table in which Figure 5. A panel of some of the Acrididae species encountered during a one-day shooting in one-half of the tabletop was replaced the French Riviera pre-Alps area (Not to size). by a sheet of acrylic plastic (Fig. 3). In the course of several field trips to Using MYN images appendages and can illustrate specific highly biodiverse areas, insects were morphological traits of taxonomic or captured, placed on the white acrylic Although the MYN initiative functional value. Below, we highlight sheet and constrained under plastic originally targeted photographers, some of the uses of MYN images. Petri dishes to be photographed in hobbyists, and backyard naturalists, situ (Fig. 4). Animals were then MYN images are now used more Illustrating biodiversity released unharmed back into their widely in education, science, habitat. Equipment used included a conservation, and art. Images of To illustrate local biodiversity, Nikon D800e DSLR camera fitted single insects in large format draw one of us (P. Escoubas) decided in with a Nikon 105 mm macro f/2.8 attention to details normally unseen 2013 to document Orthoptera as VR lens, two Nikon SB900 cobra and unimagined by a general public, well as other arthropods and plants flashes controlled by a Nikon SU-800 and therefore represent fantastic of southeastern France in the MYN infrared transmitter or by Yongnuo educational and outreach tools. style. The Mediterranean area of YN-622N radio controllers, a light They are used successfully in public Southern France is known for its high box and tripods to position the flashes. displays and school programs to biodiversity, but the richest and most The pictures illustrating this article teach biology, raise awareness biodiverse area lies close to Nice, and were primarily taken in two different of biodiversity, and promote is listed as a biodiversity hotspot. The biotopes in the Alpes Maritimes conservation. Likewise, composite- “Maritime Alps” county encompasses county (France): (1) grassy patches image sheets can convey a sense a narrow seaside, steep hilly areas at altitude 1600 m near Gréolières, of biodiversity in a given area by known as the “pre-Alps” and the and (2) the Plateau of Calern, near illustrating the diversity of insects, bottom of the French Alps, which Caussols (1300 m). Although the including the endless variety of plunge into the sea east of Nice. This abundance of insects varied, both shapes, colors, and body plans of area includes the Mercantour National sites permitted documentation of Earth’s co-inhabitants. Park, an alpine mountain area of 685 >20 species of Orthoptera each over For scientists, MYN images km² and one of seven of France’s a half-day of photography in an area can greatly enhance one’s public National Parks. Amazingly, 71% roughly 100x100 meters. A composite presentations, scientific reports, (3,465 spp.) of all French vascular plate showing some of the diverse grant applications, and teaching. plants and 60% (8,300 spp.) of French grasshoppers inhabiting the pre-Alps Qualitatively superior and free from insect species are found on the French region is presented in Fig. 5. background distraction, they attract Riviera, making it a naturalist’s Yet another possibility offered by the viewer’s eye to the detailed paradise. Orthoptera are no exception the assembly of different pictures on a structures of the insect body and as approximately 165 species (69% of single panel is the illustration of both Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 31 METALEPTEA landscape and biodiversity in a given well-constructed biotope to give the reader a glimpse composite figure, of a specific ecosystem. Integrating illustrating the species an image of the landscape with that in a given habitat of the Orthoptera found on the site, (such as Fig. 6) allows all on white backgrounds, can convey both novices and a sense of the species present on that experts to instantly particular site better than a drier, more compare their field formal text description of the habitat specimen with high- and its characteristics. Figure 6 resolution, well-lit, illustrates that approach with some of true-color images. the Oedipoda species encountered in The MYN method can this very peculiar rocky plateau near clearly and accurately Grasse, France. Upon first glance, illustrate specific the habitat may appear to be a barren, morphological Figure 6. An example of a MYN panel illustrating both the desolated place but is actually an area characters that collection site and four cryptic Oedipoda specimens encountered, of extremely high biodiversity, where differentiate taxa. in the French pre-Alps near Grasse. many Orthoptera species can be found Furthermore, morphology. Students often struggle in very high numbers once the sun enlargements of key morphological to match written morphological comes out. characters, such as genitalia, descriptions and line drawings to ovipositors, antennae, tarsae, or the actual specimens in their hands. Use in Orthoptera taxonomy carinae, etc., can greatly aid in proper High resolution, good color images identification (Fig. 7). allow students to see structures as The MYN technique is particularly Where the MYN technique they actually exist in live specimens useful for illustrating taxonomic really shines, is in documenting (Figs. 7 & 8), as opposed to dried differences and intraspecific variation. and illustrating the morphological museum specimens. This is especially Identification of field specimens can variation that exists in most species, effective, when contrasting images are be difficult, when based on written but is often not highlighted. shown side-by-side, one with the trait descriptions, keys, line-drawings, Population and seasonal variation, of interest, and the other without. or dried, shrunken, and discolored sex-related differences, ontogenic museum specimens. In contrast, a differences in shape, color, and Illustrating development and life- alation, clines, color history polymorphisms, and so on confuse and impede field Although the Meet Your Neighbours identification. The MYN approach is designed for photoshoots method can clearly and in the field, the method may be accurately illustrate such extended to insects bred in captivity, morphological variation. in order to illustrate the different Color plates illustrating development stages of a species. intraspecific variation can This is particularly well adapted to be quickly examined and metamorphic arthropods. Panels understood by workers, showing all developmental stages much more quickly and from egg to adults can easily be accurately than when produced from captive-bred specimen. using written descriptions Such life-history composites are or attempting to glean invaluable in both informal and variations from dried formal education. Of course this has museum specimens. been done in the past with drawings, paintings or photographs. But the Figure 7. A composite panel illustrating the use of MYN Teaching morphology images for Orthoptera taxonomy. Detailed sections of head higher quality of MYN images of live and pronotum (A), hindleg (B), genitalia (C) and thorax (D) specimens on a white background, MYN images can be were obtained by zooming and cropping high-resolution the abundance of details and clarity used to teach basic and images generated with a 36-megapixel sensor camera. of the images made possible by advanced insect external Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 32 METALEPTEA world. This in turn promotes awareness of one’s natural surroundings and the need for environmental preservation. Large- format images invariably attract Figure 8. A zoomed section illustrating insect eye, hairs, and mouthparts, from a larger such comments image. (Cicindela sp.) as “What is this?”, “Did you find this insect high-end digital photography, and the in the Amazon Figure 9. Exhibit of insect and spider images in Meet Your Neighbours versatility of software enhancements rainforest?” or “I had style, in a local city Hall (Valbonne, France). This particular exhibit was are now bringing a new dimension to no idea we had those subsequently displayed in all local elementary schools as educational that type of illustration. Showing the enrichment. in our gardens”. various life stages of an insect on the The MYN style of satisfaction in escaping our busy and same panel, without interference from pictures reinforces those sentiments stress-filled urban world by exploring foliage, flowers, and other elements by focusing only on the specimen nature. MYN photography satisfies promotes entomological awareness photographed. the need for balance while having the and conservation and is a great Photography exhibits in schools, added benefit of creating something educational tool. libraries, museums, shopping malls, useful. We can think of nothing more or other public places are a great pleasant than to spend an afternoon Documenting species range and way to enhance public education in searching for and documenting the phenology ecological matters, especially for hidden secrets and beauty of the children (Fig. 9). Technical scientific nature that lives right outside our own MYN photographers should always publications, although detailed and backdoor. record the dates and exact collection informative, often remain beyond Learn more about the Meet Your locations of their specimens, and, the understanding of the general Neighbours™ project by visiting whenever possible, make this public. But simple, bright and colorful www.meetyourneighbours.net or on information available to the public. images can have a greater impact and Facebook® at www.facebook.com/ The on-going accumulation of such stimulate the viewer to learn more meetyourneighbours. images and associated data on the about the biology of the animal or Internet will help scientists to better plant pictured. Simply put, images understand the phenology and ranges carry an emotional force that is of different species, and is especially often unrivalled by written text, and important for documenting range- so much more if they are done in a change and phenological disruption minimalist style. caused by climate change or habitat degradation. Insect photography as art Promoting conservation, awareness There is a wealth of hidden beauty and outreach programs in tiny nature, and the MYN method is the perfect vehicle to expose A key goal of macrophotography nature’s glory. MYN images can is to bring forward some of the be as stunning, spiritual, graceful, unsuspected beauty of life around inspirational, and beautiful as any us. Magnified images of tiny insects painting or sculpture in a museum or other invertebrates reveal their (Fig. 10). astonishing morphological features and create a sense of wonder in a Recreation non-specialist public. MYN macro- Figure 10. Araniella cucurbitina on bamboo images open a door to an unknown Lastly, we find joy, serenity, and leaves. Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 33 METALEPTEA Treasurer’s Report By PAMELA MIHM Treasurer [email protected] he Statement of Assets as of December 31, 2015 and Cash Summary are shown below. The largest cash activity was in support of the Orthoptera Species File. This is funded by an allocation of endowment income from the University of Illinois. The second largest use of cash was publishing the Journal of Orthoptera Research. This activity operated at a surplus in 2015 due to increased royalty and revenue sharing. The Orthopterists’ Society was able to increase research grants to $15,000 (other than grants in TT support of species files) in 2015 as a result of the generous bequest from Dr. Theodore Cohn. The Society received a generous endowment from a member in 2015 that will cover accounting costs. If you have any questions, please contact me at [email protected].

Orthopterists’ Society Orthopterists’ Society Statement of Cash Receipts and Expenditures Statement of Assets (1/1/15 through 12/31/15) (As of December 31, 2015)

Cash Receipts Cash Dues $4,005.00 Paypal cash balance $381.09 Publications 3,515.00 Midland States Bank 10,753.24 Page charges 240.00 $11,134.33 Community Foundation endowment 13,451.64 Royalty and revenue sharing 31,353.14 Investments at market value Book reimbursements 404.23 Vanguard: Donations 219.38 Grants (Note 1) $353,555.39 Proceeds from sale of investments-grant fund 14,600.00 Operating (Note 2) 693,440.98 Proceeds from T. Cohn’s Estate 6,615.89 1,046,996.37 University of Illinois allocation 93,649.00 Wells Fargo: Total Cash Receipts $168,053.28 AAAI (Note 3) 12,360.24 Endowment (Note 4) 27,830.21 Cash Expenditures Operating (Note 2) 217,063.73 Publisher JOR $5,208.17 Grants (Note 1) 64,717.53 JOR assistance 21,000.00 321,971.71 Research grants (Ted Cohn) 14,599.00 Total assets $1,380,102.41 Executive director remuneration 1,500.00 Ed. Metaleptea remuneration 500.00 Webmaster remuneration 300.00 Note 1: This fund is restricted and can only be used JOR editor remuneration 1,000.00 for research grants. Maintenance of Orthoptera Species File 91,937.00 Note 2: This fund is nonrestricted. Professional fees 6,150.00 Note 3: This fund can only be used for the Uvarov (income tax preparation and audit) Award made at each int’l meeting. Accounting reimbursement 12,000.00 Note 4: The income in this account is available for Travel-Int’l Congress planning 1,205.00 Society expenses; can extract capital but must have Investments in Vanguard-operating 14,600.00 a plan for repaying it within 3 years. Other 2,099.26 Total Cash Expenditures $172,098.43

Excess of Cash Receipts over Cash Expenditures $(4,045.15) Beginning Cash Balance 15,179.48 Ending Cash Balance $11,134.33

Investment income not included above: Interest income and dividends $40,622.70

Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 34 METALEPTEA assistance in the editorial process. To publish in Metaleptea, please send Editorial articles, photographs, or anything By HOJUN SONG Metaleptea is an excellent outlet to related to orthopteroid insects to Editor, Metaleptea [email protected] communicate to our members around [email protected] with a subject line the world. There is no limit on what starting with [Metaleptea]. As for t has been one year since we can publish: articles, stories, the format, a MS Word document I moved to Texas A&M photos, artwork, etc. However, is preferred and images should be University. For sure, 2015 specifically, I would like to solicit the in JPEG or TIFF format with a was a year of transition for following types of contributions for resolution of at least 144 DPI. The me. Starting a new position, all future issues: next issue of Metaleptea will be I selling my old house in Florida, I -Collecting travelogues published in May 2016, so please send searching and buying a new house -Museum visit travelogues me content promptly. I look forward in Texas, moving, setting up a new -Highlights of your peer-reviewed to hearing from you soon! lab, going through promotion and publications tenure process, traveling extensively, -Photography/collecting techniques finishing up manuscripts, and writing -Collecting techniques grant proposals... Honestly, I do not -Personal stories know how my first year in Texas has passed. What I do know is that I am very glad that my transition year is over. My lab is now finally all set up and ready to go and several new students have also joined. Things Officers of the Orthopterists’ Society are looking up! But wait. 2016 looks President: Michael Samways, Department of Conservation Ecology like it’s going to be far busier than & Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa. this past year! I’ve got to design and [email protected] teach new courses, there are non-stop President-Elect: Alexandre Latchininsky, Department of Ecosystem Science grant proposal deadlines, there is the and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA. International Congress of Entomology [email protected] in Orlando (for which I am involved Executive Director: David Hunter, Locust and Grasshopper Control, in organizing), and, soon after, there 125 William Webb Drive, McKellar ACT 2617 Australia. is our International Congress of [email protected] Orthopterology in Brazil! Being busy Treasurer: Pamm Mihm, 2417 Fields South Drive, Champaign, IL 61822 is good, I guess. I just hope that I USA. [email protected]. get a chance to do some fieldwork Managing Editor JOR: Corinna S.Bazelet, Department of Conservation this year, so that I can take a break Ecology & Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South from the hectic pace of academia and Africa. [email protected] have the opportunity to bond with Editorial Assistant JOR: Nancy Morris, Department of Biology, University grasshoppers in the wild. That thought of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada. alone makes me excited! [email protected] You have probably noticed that this Manager Orthopterists’ Society Website: Piotr Naskrecki, Museum of particular issue is a monster issue. Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. This is a good sign that our society [email protected] is very healthy. I am particularly Associate Manager OS Website: David C.F. Rentz, 19 Butler Dr., Kuranda, impressed with the Ted Cohn grant Queensland, Australia. [email protected] reports that our next generation of Editor Metaleptea: Hojun Song, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M orthopterists have submitted. I really University, College Station, TX, USA. [email protected] do believe that the future is bright for Associate Editor Metaleptea: Derek A. Woller, Department of Entomology, our society as we keep supporting Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. [email protected] and nurturing these young students. Orthoptera Species File Officer: María Marta Cigliano, División I would like to thank all those who Entomología, Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de la Plata, have contributed to this issue. I would La Plata, Argentina. [email protected] also like to thank our associate editor, The Ted Cohn Research Fund Manager: Michel Lecoq, CIRAD, France. Derek A. Woller, for his continued [email protected] Volume 36 (1) / January 2016 35