Abstract In the endeavour to understand causes and consequences of variation in animal personality, a wide range studies were carried out, utilising various aspects make sense this biological phenomenon. One such aspect integrated study physiological traits, investigating hypothesised correlates personality. Although many out on vertebrates (predominantly birds mammals), using arthropods (mainl...

Arthropods (insects, spiders, etc.) can fulfill major nutritional requirements for primates, particularly in terms of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Yet, many primate species we know very little about the frequency importance arthropod consumption. Traditional methods prey identification, such as behavioral observations fecal dissections, offer limited taxonomic resolution and, a resul...

Among terrestrial organisms, arthropods are especially susceptible to dehydration, given their small body size and high surface area to volume ratio. This challenge is particularly acute for polar arthropods that face near-constant desiccating conditions, as water is frozen and thus unavailable for much of the year. The molecular mechanisms that govern extreme dehydration tolerance in insects r...

In order to determine the significance of field margins for the overwintering of arthropods in agricultural landscapes, different sites of an integrated and of an organically managed farm were investigated in the northwest of Switzerland. During December 1995 and January 1996, soil samples were taken with an electronic-hydraulic soil borer (depth: 25 cm, diameter: 8 cm). After hand sorting the ...

Detection of chemical signals both in insects and in vertebrates is mediated by soluble proteins, highly concentrated in olfactory organs, which bind semiochemicals and activate, with still largely unknown mechanisms, specific chemoreceptors. The same proteins are often found in structures where pheromones are synthesized and released, where they likely perform a second role in solubilizing and...

1. Secondary colonization of leaf shelters constructed by caterpillars has been reported from a number of systems. Both the mechanism (larval or adult movement vs. oviposition) and the cues used by arthropods in locating leaf shelters, however, have received little attention. 2. Artificial leaf shelters (i.e. leaf ties or pairs of leaves clipped together to form sandwiches) were constructed on ...

Abiotic stress is one of the primary constraints limiting the range and success of arthropods, and nowhere is this more apparent than Antarctica. Antarctic arthropods have evolved a suite of adaptations to cope with extremes in temperature and water availability. Here, we review the current state of knowledge regarding the environmental physiology of terrestrial arthropods in Antarctica. To sur...

In arthropods, annelids and chordates, segmentation of the body axis encompasses both ectodermal and mesodermal derivatives. In vertebrates, trunk mesoderm segments autonomously and induces segmental arrangement of the ectoderm-derived nervous system. In contrast, in the arthropod Drosophila melanogaster, the ectoderm segments autonomously and mesoderm segmentation is at least partially depende...

One cannot but point out that the variety of topics related to zoonoses, and in particular zoonoses transmitted by ticks, is fascinating and ranges from environmental to clinical sciences, also in emergency situations, from veterinary sciences to human epidemiology, in a finely woven network of interactive ecological, social and health factors. Anthropic and cultural factors are correlated to t...

In vertebrates, receptors of the rhodopsin G-protein coupled superfamily (GPCRs) play an important role in the regulation of feeding and energy homeostasis and are activated by peptide hormones produced in the brain-gut axis. These peptides regulate appetite and energy expenditure by promoting or inhibiting food intake. Sequence and function homologs of human GPCRs involved in feeding exist in ...