Recent Developments in the Study of Insect Flight
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The Buzz About Bees: Honey Bee Biology and Behavior
4-H Honey Bee Leaders Guide Book I The Buzz About Bees: 18 U.S.C. 707 Honey Bee Biology and Behavior Publication 380-071 2009 To the 4-H Leader: The honey bee project (Books Grade 5 1 - 4) is intended to teach young people the basic biology and behavior of honey bees in addition to Living Systems 5.5 hands-on beekeeping management skills. The honey The student will investigate and understand that bee project books begin with basic honey bee and organisms are made up of cells and have distin- insect information (junior level) and advance to guishing characteristics. Key concepts include: instruction on how to rear honey bee colonies and • vertebrates and invertebrates extract honey (senior level). These project books are intended to provide in-depth information related Grade 6 to honey bee management, yet they are written for the amateur beekeeper, who may or may not have Life Science 5 previous experience in rearing honey bees. The student will investigate and understand how organisms can be classified. Key concepts include: Caution: • characteristics of the species If anyone in your club is known to have severe Life Science 8 allergic reactions to bee stings, they should not The student will investigate and understand that participate in this project. interactions exist among members of a population. The honey bee project meets the following Vir- Key concepts include: ginia State Standards of Learning (SOLs) for the • competition, cooperation, social hierarchy, and fourth, fifth, and sixth grades: territorial imperative Grade 4 Acknowledgments Authors: Life Processes 4.4 Dini M. -
Hdl 105112.Pdf
PUBLISHED VERSION Rajkamal Balu, Robert Knott, Nathan P. Cowieson, Christopher M. Elvin, Anita J. Hill, Namita R. Choudhury, Naba K. Dutta Structural ensembles reveal intrinsic disorder for the multi-stimuli responsive bio-mimetic protein Rec1-resilin Scientific Reports, 2015; 5:10896-1-10896-12 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Scientific Reports | 5:10896 | DOI: 10.1038/srep10896 12 Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Originally published at: http://doi.org/10.1038/srep10896 PERMISSIONS http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 27 June 2017 http://hdl.handle.net/2440/105112 www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Structural ensembles reveal intrinsic disorder for the multi- stimuli responsive bio-mimetic Received: 31 October 2014 Accepted: 21 April 2015 protein Rec1-resilin Published: 04 June 2015 Rajkamal Balu1, Robert Knott2, Nathan P. Cowieson3, Christopher M. Elvin4, Anita J. Hill5, Namita R. Choudhury1 & Naba K. Dutta1 Rec1-resilin is the first recombinant resilin-mimetic protein polymer, synthesized from exon-1 of the Drosophila melanogaster gene CG15920 that has demonstrated unusual multi-stimuli responsiveness in aqueous solution. Crosslinked hydrogels of Rec1-resilin have also displayed remarkable mechanical properties including near-perfect rubber-like elasticity. The structural basis of these extraordinary properties is not clearly understood. -
Wisconsin Bee Identification Guide
WisconsinWisconsin BeeBee IdentificationIdentification GuideGuide Developed by Patrick Liesch, Christy Stewart, and Christine Wen Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) The honey bee is perhaps our best-known pollinator. Honey bees are not native to North America and were brought over with early settlers. Honey bees are mid-sized bees (~ ½ inch long) and have brownish bodies with bands of pale hairs on the abdomen. Honey bees are unique with their social behavior, living together year-round as a colony consisting of thousands of individuals. Honey bees forage on a wide variety of plants and their colonies can be useful in agricultural settings for their pollination services. Honey bees are our only bee that produces honey, which they use as a food source for the colony during the winter months. In many cases, the honey bees you encounter may be from a local beekeeper’s hive. Occasionally, wild honey bee colonies can become established in cavities in hollow trees and similar settings. Photo by Christy Stewart Bumble bees (Bombus sp.) Bumble bees are some of our most recognizable bees. They are amongst our largest bees and can be close to 1 inch long, although many species are between ½ inch and ¾ inch long. There are ~20 species of bumble bees in Wisconsin and most have a robust, fuzzy appearance. Bumble bees tend to be very hairy and have black bodies with patches of yellow or orange depending on the species. Bumble bees are a type of social bee Bombus rufocinctus and live in small colonies consisting of dozens to a few hundred workers. Photo by Christy Stewart Their nests tend to be constructed in preexisting underground cavities, such as former chipmunk or rabbit burrows. -
Phylum Arthropod Silvia Rondon, and Mary Corp, OSU Extension Entomologist and Agronomist, Respectively Hermiston Research and Extension Center, Hermiston, Oregon
Phylum Arthropod Silvia Rondon, and Mary Corp, OSU Extension Entomologist and Agronomist, respectively Hermiston Research and Extension Center, Hermiston, Oregon Member of the Phyllum Arthropoda can be found in the seas, in fresh water, on land, or even flying freely; a group with amazing differences of structure, and so abundant that all the other animals taken together are less than 1/6 as many as the arthropods. Well-known members of this group are the Kingdom lobsters, crayfish and crabs; scorpions, spiders, mites, ticks, Phylum Phylum Phylum Class the centipedes and millipedes; and last, but not least, the Order most abundant of all, the insects. Family Genus The Phylum Arthropods consist of the following Species classes: arachnids, chilopods, diplopods, crustaceans and hexapods (insects). All arthropods possess: • Exoskeleton. A hard protective covering around the outside of the body (divided by sutures into plates called sclerites). An insect's exoskeleton (integument) serves as a protective covering over the body, but also as a surface for muscle attachment, a water-tight barrier against desiccation, and a sensory interface with the environment. It is a multi-layered structure with four functional regions: epicuticle (top layer), procuticle, epidermis, and basement membrane. • Segmented body • Jointed limbs and jointed mouthparts that allow extensive specialization • Bilateral symmetry, whereby a central line can divide the body Insect molting or removing its into two identical halves, left and right exoesqueleton • Ventral nerve -
Biological Pest Control
■ ,VVXHG LQ IXUWKHUDQFH RI WKH &RRSHUDWLYH ([WHQVLRQ :RUN$FWV RI 0D\ DQG -XQH LQ FRRSHUDWLRQ ZLWK WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV 'HSDUWPHQWRI$JULFXOWXUH 'LUHFWRU&RRSHUDWLYH([WHQVLRQ8QLYHUVLW\RI0LVVRXUL&ROXPELD02 ■DQHTXDORSSRUWXQLW\$'$LQVWLWXWLRQ■■H[WHQVLRQPLVVRXULHGX AGRICULTURE Biological Pest Control ntegrated pest management (IPM) involves the use of a combination of strategies to reduce pest populations Steps for conserving beneficial insects Isafely and economically. This guide describes various • Recognize beneficial insects. agents of biological pest control. These strategies include judicious use of pesticides and cultural practices, such as • Minimize insecticide applications. crop rotation, tillage, timing of planting or harvesting, • Use selective (microbial) insecticides, or treat selectively. planting trap crops, sanitation, and use of natural enemies. • Maintain ground covers and crop residues. • Provide pollen and nectar sources or artificial foods. Natural vs. biological control Natural pest control results from living and nonliving Predators and parasites factors and has no human involvement. For example, weather and wind are nonliving factors that can contribute Predator insects actively hunt and feed on other insects, to natural control of an insect pest. Living factors could often preying on numerous species. Parasitic insects lay include a fungus or pathogen that naturally controls a pest. their eggs on or in the body of certain other insects, and Biological pest control does involve human action and the young feed on and often destroy their hosts. Not all is often achieved through the use of beneficial insects that predacious or parasitic insects are beneficial; some kill the are natural enemies of the pest. Biological control is not the natural enemies of pests instead of the pests themselves, so natural control of pests by their natural enemies; host plant be sure to properly identify an insect as beneficial before resistance; or the judicious use of pesticides. -
The Flying Insect Thoracic Cuticle Is Heterogenous in Structure and in Thickness-Dependent Modulus Gradation
bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.30.450643; this version posted July 1, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. 1 The flying insect thoracic cuticle is heterogenous in structure and in thickness-dependent 2 modulus gradation 3 4 Cailin Caseya, Claire Yagerb, Mark Jankauskia, Chelsea Heverana 5 Montana State University 6 a Mechanical and Industrial Engineering 7 b Ecology 8 Corresponding Authors: Chelsea Heveran and Mark Jankauski 9 [email protected], [email protected] 10 Present/ permanent address 220 Roberts Hall; Bozeman MT 59717 11 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.30.450643; this version posted July 1, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. 12 Abstract 13 The thorax is a specialized structure central to an insect’s ability to fly. In the thorax, 14 flight muscles are surrounded by a thin layer of cuticle. The structure, composition, and material 15 properties of this chitinous structure may influence the efficiency of the thorax in flight. 16 However, these properties, as well as their variation throughout anatomical regions of the thorax 17 or between insect taxa, are not known. In this work, we provide a multi-faceted assessment of 18 thorax cuticle for fliers with asynchronous (honey bee; Apis mellifera) and synchronous 19 (hawkmoth; Manduca sexta) muscles. We investigated cuticle structure using histology, material 20 composition through confocal laser scanning microscopy, and modulus gradation with 21 nanoindentation. -
Stable Structural Color Patterns Displayed on Transparent Insect Wings
Stable structural color patterns displayed on transparent insect wings Ekaterina Shevtsovaa,1, Christer Hanssona,b,1, Daniel H. Janzenc,1, and Jostein Kjærandsend,1 aDepartment of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, SE-22362 Lund, Sweden; bScientific Associate of the Entomology Department, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom; cDepartment of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6018; and dDepartment of Biology, Museum of Zoology, Lund University, Helgonavägen 3, SE-22362 Lund, Sweden Contributed by Daniel H. Janzen, November 24, 2010 (sent for review October 5, 2010) Color patterns play central roles in the behavior of insects, and are and F). In laboratory conditions most wings are studied against a important traits for taxonomic studies. Here we report striking and white background (Fig. 1 G, H, and J), or the wings are embedded stable structural color patterns—wing interference patterns (WIPs) in a medium with a refractive index close to that of chitin (e.g., —in the transparent wings of small Hymenoptera and Diptera, ref. 19). In both cases the color reflections will be faint or in- patterns that have been largely overlooked by biologists. These ex- visible. tremely thin wings reflect vivid color patterns caused by thin film Insects are an exceedingly diverse and ancient group and interference. The visibility of these patterns is affected by the way their signal-receiver architecture of thin membranous wings the insects display their wings against various backgrounds with and color vision was apparently in place before their huge radia- different light properties. The specific color sequence displayed tion (20–22). The evolution of functional wings (Pterygota) that lacks pure red and matches the color vision of most insects, strongly can be freely operated in multidirections (Neoptera), coupled suggesting that the biological significance of WIPs lies in visual with small body size, has long been viewed as associated with their signaling. -
Ants in the Home Fact Sheet No
Ants in the Home Fact Sheet No. 5.518 Insect Series|Home and Garden by W.S. Cranshaw* Almost anywhere in the state one the nest, tend the young and do other Quick Facts travels, ants will be the most common necessary colony duties. Many kinds of insects that can be found in yards, gardens, ants produce workers that are all the • Most ants that are found in fields and forests. Tremendous numbers same size (monomorphic); some, such as homes nest outdoors and of ants normally reside in a typical house field ants, have workers that vary in size enter homes only to search lot, although most lead unobserved lives (polymorphic). for food or water. underground or otherwise out of sight. Each colony contains one or, sometimes, Often it is only when they occur indoors or a few queens (Figure 1). These are fertile • Almost all ants are workers, produce their periodic mating swarms that females that are larger than workers and wingless females that search they come to human attention. dedicated to egg production. The minute for food and maintain the Overall, the activities of ants are quite eggs are taken from the queen and tended colony. beneficial. Many feed on other insects, by the workers. Upon egg hatch, the • A small proportion of an including pest insects. Ant scavenging pale-colored, legless larvae are fed and helps to recycle organic matter and their protected by the workers. When full-grown, ant colony are winged tunneling is useful in aerating and mixing ant larvae produce a smooth silken cocoon reproductive forms. -
Arthropod Grasping and Manipulation: a Literature Review
Arthropod Grasping and Manipulation A Literature Review Aaron M. Dollar Harvard BioRobotics Laboratory Technical Report Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University April 5, 2001 www.biorobotics.harvard.edu Introduction The purpose of this review is to report on the existing literature on the subject of arthropod grasping and manipulation. In order to gain a proper understanding of the state of the knowledge in this rather broad topic, it is necessary and appropriate to take a step backwards and become familiar with the basics of entomology and arthropod physiology. Once these principles have been understood it will then be possible to proceed towards the more specific literature that has been published in the field. The structure of the review follows this strategy. General background information will be presented first, followed by successively more specific topics, and ending with a review of the refereed journal articles related to arthropod grasping and manipulation. Background The phylum Arthropoda is the largest of the phyla, and includes all animals that have an exoskeleton, a segmented body in series, and six or more jointed legs. There are nine classes within the phylum, five of which the average human is relatively familiar with – insects, arachnids, crustaceans, centipedes, and millipedes. Of all known species of animals on the planet, 82% are arthropods (c. 980,000 species)! And this number just reflects the known species. Estimates put the number of arthropod species remaining to be discovered and named at around 9-30 million, or 10-30 times more than are currently known. And this is just the number of species; the population of each is another matter altogether. -
Mechanism of Resilin Elasticity
ARTICLE Received 24 Oct 2011 | Accepted 11 Jul 2012 | Published 14 Aug 2012 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2004 Mechanism of resilin elasticity Guokui Qin1,*, Xiao Hu1,*, Peggy Cebe2 & David L. Kaplan1 Resilin is critical in the flight and jumping systems of insects as a polymeric rubber-like protein with outstanding elasticity. However, insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for resilin elasticity remains undefined. Here we report the structure and function of resilin from Drosophila CG15920. A reversible beta-turn transition was identified in the peptide encoded by exon III and for full-length resilin during energy input and release, features that correlate to the rapid deformation of resilin during functions in vivo. Micellar structures and nanoporous patterns formed after beta-turn structures were present via changes in either the thermal or the mechanical inputs. A model is proposed to explain the super elasticity and energy conversion mechanisms of resilin, providing important insight into structure–function relationships for this protein. Furthermore, this model offers a view of elastomeric proteins in general where beta-turn-related structures serve as fundamental units of the structure and elasticity. 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA. 2 Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA. *These authors contributed equally to this work. Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to D.L.K. (email: [email protected]). -
Consequences of Evolutionary Transitions in Changing Photic Environments
bs_bs_banner Austral Entomology (2017) 56,23–46 Review Consequences of evolutionary transitions in changing photic environments Simon M Tierney,1* Markus Friedrich,2,3 William F Humphreys,1,4,5 Therésa M Jones,6 Eric J Warrant7 and William T Wcislo8 1School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia. 2Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, 5047 Gullen Mall, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. 3Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, 540 East Canfield Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. 4Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, WA 6986, Australia. 5School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6907, Australia. 6Department of Zoology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia. 7Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, S-22362 Lund, Sweden. 8Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panamá. Abstract Light represents one of the most reliable environmental cues in the biological world. In this review we focus on the evolutionary consequences to changes in organismal photic environments, with a specific focus on the class Insecta. Particular emphasis is placed on transitional forms that can be used to track the evolution from (1) diurnal to nocturnal (dim-light) or (2) surface to subterranean (aphotic) environments, as well as (3) the ecological encroachment of anthropomorphic light on nocturnal habitats (artificial light at night). We explore the influence of the light environment in an integrated manner, highlighting the connections between phenotypic adaptations (behaviour, morphology, neurology and endocrinology), molecular genetics and their combined influence on organismal fitness. -
Flexural Stiffness Patterns of Butterfly Wings (Papilionoidea)
35:61–77,Journal of Research1996 (2000) on the Lepidoptera 35:61–77, 1996 (2000) 61 Flexural stiffness patterns of butterfly wings (Papilionoidea) Scott J. Steppan Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA., E-mail: [email protected] Abstract. A flying insect generates aerodynamic forces through the ac- tive manipulation of the wing and the “passive” properties of deformability and wing shape. To investigate these “passive” properties, the flexural stiffness of dried forewings belonging to 10 butterfly species was compared to the butterflies’ gross morphological parameters to determine allom- etric relationships. The results show that flexural stiffness scales with wing 3.9 loading to nearly the fourth power (pw ) and is highly correlated with wing area cubed (S3.1). The generalized map of flexural stiffness along the wing span for Vanessa cardui has a reduction in stiffness near the distal tip and a large reduction near the base. The distal regions of the wings are stiffer against forces applied to the ventral side, while the basal region is much stiffer against forces applied dorsally. The null hypothesis of structural isom- etry as the explanation for flexural stiffness scaling is rejected. Instead, selection for a consistent dynamic wing geometry (angular deflection) in flight may be a major factor controlling general wing stiffness and deformability. Possible relationships to aerodynamic and flight habit fac- tors are discussed. This study proposes a new approach to addressing the mechanics of insect flight and these preliminary results need to be tested using fresh wings and more thorough sampling. KEY WORDS: biomechanics, butterfly wings, flight, allometry, flexural stiff- ness, aerodynamics INTRODUCTION A flying insect generates aerodynamic forces primarily through the ac- tive manipulation of wing movements and the “passive” morphological prop- erties of deformability and wing shape.