Temporal polyethism is a common mechanism of worker specialization observed in social insect species with large colony sizes, Vespula wasp colonies consist of thousands of monomorphic workers, yet studies based on small cohorts of workers report that temporal polyethism is either weak or completely absent in different Vespula species. Concerned that the small sample size of these studies preclu...

Cockroaches were collected from hospitals, houses and poultry sheds in various parts of Isfahan (Iran) and identified to species. In total, seven species of cockroaches in seven genera were identified: Blatta lateralis, Polyphaga aegyptiaca, Arenivaga roseni and Parcoblatta spp. Three species Periplaneta americana, Blattella germanica and Supella longipalpa (Blattidae and Blattellidae) were mor...

Development and activity of the corpora allata (CA) were investigated in adult female Blattella germanica and Supella longipalpa. These two cockroach species differ in their reproductive modes, with relatively uninterrupted cycles of oocyte development in S. longipalpa and discrete patterns of oocyte development which are interrupted by pregnancy in B. germmica. During ovarian cycles in both co...

This study examined the impact of fish farming on foraminiferal communities in the Adriatic coastal zone. Samples were taken directly beneath the farm, near the edge of the farm, and at a reference station away from the farm. The foraminiferal community near the farm is characterized by Epistominella exigua, Globocassidulina subglobosa, Haynesina germanica and the genera Elphidium, Bulimina and...

Aggregation of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, is regulated by fecal aggregation agents (pheromones), including volatile carboxylic acids (VCAs). We demonstrate that the gut microbial community contributes to production of these semiochemicals. Chemical analysis of the fecal extract of B. germanica revealed 40 VCAs. Feces from axenic cockroaches (no microorganisms in the alimentary t...

One of the major distinctions of riparian habitats is their linearity. In linear habitats, gene flow is predicted to follow a one-dimensional stepping stone model, characterized by bidirectional gene flow between neighboring populations. Here, we studied the genetic structure of Myricaria germanica, a threatened riparian shrub which is capable of both wind and water dispersal. Our data led us t...

BACKGROUND Studies have demonstrated that IgE-binding cross-reactive epitopes between shrimp, cockroach, and house dust mite tropomyosins can account for the presence of detectable IgE to shrimp in patients with cockroach and dust mite allergies. OBJECTIVE We investigated the correlation between IgE-mediated sensitization to shrimp, cockroach, and dust mite in relation to allergen exposure in...