The evolutionary causes of variation in host specialization among phytophagous insects are still not well understood and identifying them is a central task in insect /host plant biology. Here we examine host utilization of the chrysomelid beetle Oreina elongata that shows interpopulation variation in the degree of specialization. We focus on larval behaviour and on what selection pressures may ...

For most of the family Porcellanidae, which comprises 283 species, larval development remains to be described. Full development has been only described for 52 species, while part of the larval cycle has been described for 45 species. The importance of knowing the complete larval development of a species goes beyond allowing the identification of larval specimens collected in the plankton. Morph...

Genetic loci that influence behavior are often difficult to identify and localize in part due to the quantitative nature of behavioral phenotypes. Previous studies had found an association between pupal lethality and altered larval behavior for mutants of several genes. To facilitate the identification and localization of new mutants that influence larval foraging (movement in the presence of f...

Using the rate of development of blowflies colonising a corpse, accumulated degree hours (ADH), or days (ADD), is an established method used by forensic entomologists to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI). Derived from laboratory experiments, their application to field situations needs care. This study examines the effect of the post-feeding larval dispersal time on the ADH and therefore t...

the main objective of the present study was investigation on influences of different brackish water sources on freshwater prawn larval quality and developmental indices. for this study, along a larval period, four brackish water treatments with 12 ppt salinity including diluted marine water, brackish water from marine crystalline salt, brackish water with compounds of new formula and brackish w...

aim: this study investigates the intraspecific competition, for food and density amongst larvae of anopheles stephensi (main malaria vector in south iran). material & methods: the effects of 4 selected food quantities (1x,2x,4x,6x) and 5 larval densities (0.1 to 3 larva/cm2) were tested individually or in combination on 7 biological indexes of the vector and the results were statistically ...

background: there are unorganized, published documents about the ecology of mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) in northeastern part of iran. the purpose of this study was to determine the distribution and characteristics of larval habitats of culicidae in kalaleh county. methods: larvae were collected using dipping method and adults by human landing catch technique during april–october, 2012. larv...

  Background: Maggot therapy has recently attracted considerable attention as an emerging debridement technique for wound healing. This study aimed to review the safety, effectiveness and economic evaluations of Maggot Debridement Therapy for wound healing.   Methods: To retrieve the relevant evidences, the Cochrane Library (until September 2014) was searched by appropriate ke...

We provide the first information on the morphology of the immature stages (egg, larva, and pupa), oviposition and larval behavior, and host plant, for the Brazilian crescent butterfly Ortilia liriope (Cramer), based on material from Santarém Municipality, Pará State, Northern Brazil. Females of O. liriope lay eggs in clusters. After hatching, larvae eat the exochorion and remain gregarious in a...

background : ecological studies on mosquitoes are very important in vector control programs. there are a few studies about the ecology of mosquitoes in northern iran. this study was carried out to detect fauna and larval habitat characteristics of mosquitoes. methods : this study aimed to determine fauna and the ecology of mosquitoes in neka county, mazandaran province, northern iran from april...