Development mode in the ophiuroid genus Macrophiothrix includes an unusual diversity of planktonic larval forms and feeding types. The modes of development for seven congeners that coexist in coral reef habitats at Lizard Island, Australia were compared using larvae generated from crosses over several reproductive seasons from 1999 to 2003. Three species (Macrophiothrix koehleri Clark, Macrophi...

The preference-performance hypothesis predicts that female insects maximize their fitness by utilizing host plants which are associated with high larval performance. Still, studies with several insect species have failed to find a positive correlation between oviposition preference and larval performance. In the present study, we experimentally investigated the relationship between oviposition ...

Experimental studies have demonstrated that for many marine invertebrate species, variability in larval condition or quality at settlement may have important effects on post-settlement, early juvenile performance. Relatively few studies, however, explicitly examine natural variability in larval condition at settlement. This study examines natural variability in larval attributes (size and lipid...

I n this chapter we will start out by describing in more detail the progenitors of the nervous system, the neuroblasts and ganglion mother cells.Subsequentlywe will survey the generic cell types that make up the developing Drosophila brain, namely neurons, glial cells and tracheal cells.Finally,we will attempt a synopsis ofthe neuronal connectivity ofthe larval brain that can be deduced from th...

We have tested the hypothesis that larval neurones guide growth of adult sensory axons in Drosophila. We show that ablation of larval sensory neurones causes defects in the central projections of adult sensory neurones. Spiralling axons and ectopic projections indicate failure in axon growth guidance. We show that larval sensory neurones are required for peripheral pathfinding, entry into the C...

The larval development of Dugastella valentina consists of two zoeal stages and a decapodid. Larval stages are not free living; the complete larval development takes place in the female’s incubation chamber. The two zoeae, the decapodid and first postlarval stages still have a large amount of yolk, which ensures their nutritional independence (lecithotrophic stages) while staying within the mat...

Understanding the functional linkages between the pelagic and demersal stages of marine organisms is a central goal in ecology. To better understand events that occurred during the larval period as well as their initial influence on juvenile traits, we examined individual level variation in early life-history traits (larval and early juvenile otolith growth rates, size-at-age, and larval durati...

the feeding habit and developmental stages of cunaxa setriostris (hermann) on most injurious mite, tetranychus ludeni zacher was investigated in varanasi region, uttar pradesh, india. the female of c. setirostris as a dominant species of cunaxid mite completed its life cycle on t. ludeni within 27.5 ± 13.55 days having one larval followed by three nymphal stages. whereas, the male sex of the sa...

During the larval stages, the visual system of the mosquito Aedes aegypti contains five stemmata, often referred to as larval ocelli, positioned laterally on each side of the larval head. Here we show that stemmata contain two photoreceptor types, distinguished by the expression of different rhodopsins. The rhodopsin Aaop3 (GPROP3) is expressed in the majority of the larval photoreceptors. Ther...

The extraordinary diversity of larval form and function in marine invertebrates has motivated many studies of development, ecology, and evolution. Among organisms with pelagic development via a larval stage, this diversity is often reduced to a dichotomy between two broad nutritional categories: planktotrophy and lecithotrophy. Despite the clear utility of the planktotrophy-lecithotrophy dichot...