Chironomids (Diptera: Chironomidae), also known as non-biting midges, are one of the most abundant groups of insects in aquatic habitats. They undergo a complete metamorphosis of four life stages of which three are aquatic (egg, larva, and pupa), and the adult emerges into the air. Chironomids serve as a natural reservoir of Aeromonas and Vibrio cholerae species. Here, we review existing knowle...

Evolutionary history determines how aquatic insects cope with extreme fl ow events, both natural and anthropogenic. From a macroevolutionary point of view, aquatic insects possess different modes of adaptation (morphological, behavioural, or life history) to cope with fl ow events. For example, some Ephe meroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera are adapted to long-term average cycles of fl ood and...

Hunter harvest data suggest that feral hog (Sus scrofa) populations in western Louisiana are increasing, and population control in this region is complicated by the mixing of feral and domestic free-ranged hogs. Aggressive management may be warranted as feral and domestic hogs appear to be having unexpected effects on their ecosystem. We present the results of 3 recent investigations of genetic...

A new species of the genus Isoperla (Plecoptera, Perlodidae), belonging to the oxylepis species-group is described, and the male mating call is characterized. Its range falls within a small region of the Southern Limestone Alps which is well known to be one endemism-centre of aquatic insects.

Amphibians (tadpoles of the frog Bombina bombina [L.] and the newt Triturus vulgaris [L.]) and aquatic insects (larvae of the alderfly Sialis lutaria [L.] [Megaloptera], dragonflies Sympetrum sanguineum [Miller] and Coenagrion puella [L.] [Odonata], and the caddisfly Oligotrichia striati [L.] [Trichoptera]) were found to serve as paratenic hosts for the third-stage larvae (L3) of the nematode A...

Once-abundant aerial insectivores, such as the Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), have declined steadily in the past several decades, making it imperative to understand all aspects of their ecology. Aerial insectivores forage on a mixture of aquatic and terrestrial insects that differ in fatty acid composition, specifically long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) content. Aquati...

Aquatic insects link food web dynamics across freshwater-terrestrial boundaries and subsidize terrestrial consumer populations. Contaminants that accumulate in larval aquatic are retained metamorphosis can increase dietary exposure for riparian insectivores. To better understand potential of insectivores to aquatically-derived trace metals, metal concentrations water tissues were analyzed from ...

A.1 Toxicity to Birds / Reptiles ......................................................................................... 2 A.1.1 Birds: Acute Oral Studies .................................................................................... 2 A.1.2 Birds: Subacute Dietary Studies .......................................................................... 4 A.1.3 Birds: Chronic Studies.............

Insects are the most diverse form of life on the planet, dominating both terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, yet no species has a life stage able to breath, feed, and develop either continually submerged or without access to water. Such truly amphibious insects are unrecorded. In mountain streams across the Hawaiian Islands, some caterpillars in the endemic moth genus Hyposmocoma are truly a...