Outbreaks of defoliator insects are important natural disturbances in boreal forests, but their increasing frequency under warming climate conditions is concern. Outbreak events can shape ecosystem dynamics with cascading effects through trophic networks. Caterpillar defoliation alter tree physiology, increase sunlight to the understory, and result deposition large amounts leaf litter caterpill...

Climate change has already impacted ecosystems and species and substantial impacts of climate change in the future are expected. Species distribution modeling is widely used to map the current potential distribution of species as well as to model the impact of future climate change on distribution of species. Mapping current distribution is useful for conservation planning and understanding the...

We discuss the case of a 52-year-old woman who developed urticarial lesions after the acute envenomation of a puss caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis). The puss caterpillar, one of more than 50 species of caterpillars that can cause envenomation in the United States, is considered to be one of the most serious. Its clinical presentation and current recommended treatments are reviewed.

In this paper, Kekule structures of benzenoid chains are considered. It has been shown that the coefficients of a B_n (x) Morgan-Voyce polynomial equal to the number of k-matchings (m(G,k)) of a path graph which has N=2n+1 points. Furtermore, two relations are obtained between regularly zig-zag nonbranched catacondensed benzenid chains and Morgan-Voyce polynomials and between regularly zig-zag ...

Three new species of parasitic wasps (Braconidae: Microgastrinae) from southern India are described and illustrated. Glyptapanteles clanisae sp. nov., a remarkable gregarious endoparasitoid, was bred from the caterpillar of Clanis phalaris Cramer (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) on the host plant Pongamia pinnata (L.) (Leguminosae) along with a hyperparasitoid, Eurytoma sp. (Eurytomidae). Glyptapantel...

Studies that rigorously measure the effectiveness of anti-predator traits in complex ecological communities are rare. Rarer still are studies that compile the results of these trait analyses in a framework that explains the variation in predation pressure by a predator assemblage. Here the risk of predation by ants is quantified for a community of caterpillar species that employ several putativ...