The Staphylinidae or rove beetles represent one of the largest evolutionary radiations on earth with more than 56,000 species (Grebennikov and Newton 2009, Ślipiński et al. 2011) and are a dominant element of the insect fauna in many terrestrial ecosystems (examples discussed in Thayer 2005). Even though such an enormous diversity may seem unmanageable, we are living in an exciting time for tax...

Human lice (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae) from Africa, America and Europe were electrophoresed for 28 enzymes, with special interest in metabolic factors likely to be involved with insecticide resistance. Zymogram profiles of the body louse (Pediculus humanus L. from France and U.S.A.) and the head louse (P. capitis DeGeer from France, Madagascar, Mali & Senegal) were compared. Only esterase two e...

Fungal infections, especially those caused by opportunistic species, have become substantially more common in recent decades. Numerous species cause human infections, and several new human pathogens are discovered yearly. This situation has created an increasing interest in fungal taxonomy and has led to the development of new methods and approaches to fungal biosystematics which have promoted ...

In addition to being a major nuisance biter, the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.), is increasingly recognized as an important vector of pathogens affecting humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Despite its notoriety, efforts have been lacking to define the spatial occurrence ofA. americanum in the continental United States with precision beyond that conveyed in continental-scale dist...

The chromosome number (2n=5x=44+1B) of Tanacetum fisherae, as a new record from high mountains of southern Iran (Kerman province: Hazar mountain) is reported. A new ploidy level (pentaploidy) for the genus is presented for the first time. The studied population was aneuploid, having lost one chromosome out of the 45 expected in an x=9-based pentaploid. The distribution map, description and micr...