This article describes the process of development of the robotic foot for the six-legged walking robot Messor. In order to allow the robot to negotiate uneven surfaces and to walk on a compliant ground, the foot includes the sensing device which provides information on contact forces between the foot and the ground. At first, the foot with single-axis force measurement unit is described. Next, ...

The genus Cleptes Latreille, 1802 from China is revised and illustrated for the first time. Seventeen species of Cleptes are recorded. Nine species are new to science, Cleptes albonotatus sp. n., Cleptes eburnecoxis sp. n., Cleptes flavolineatus sp. n., Cleptes helanshanus sp. n., Cleptes niger sp. n., Cleptes shengi sp. n., Cleptes sinensis sp. n., Cleptes tibetensis sp. n., and Cleptes villos...

Desert ecosystems are more complex than expected and, in this type of habitat, interspecific interactions can be an important force structuring the community. In this paper we described an interaction appearing between an harvester ant species (Messor bouvieri) and several arthropod taxa feeding on ant-nest debris in a southern European arid land. We have found 23 arthropod taxa associated with...

The genus Phlaeopterus Motschulsky, 1853, which was previously known only from North America, is recorded for the Palaearctic fauna for the first time: P. czerskyi (Shavrin, 2001) comb. nov. (East Siberia: Khamar-Daban Mts.) is transferred from the genus Lesteva Latreille, 1797, redescribed, and illustrated.

Descriptions are provided for three new shade-associated species in the dung beetle genus, Sisyphus Latreille, 1807: Sisyphus umbraphilus sp. nov., Sisyphus oralensis sp. nov., and Sisyphus neobornemisszanus sp. nov. All three species are illustrated by photographs of habitus, diagnostic features, and male aedeagi. A map is provided showing their geographical distributions.

A catalogue of all the known genera and subgenera of the Coleoptera series Derodontiformia and Bostrichiformia, each with a single superfamily (Derodontoidea and Bostrichoidea, respectively), is provided. The following new tribes are established and type genera are designated: Apphianini Háva trib. nov., Ranolini Háva trib. nov. (all Dermestidae); Ochinini Zahradník trib. nov., Phanerochilini Z...

In this study, two halophilic bacterial strains isolated from saline habitats in Argentina grew in the presence of gas oil. They were identified as Halomonas spp. and Nesterenkonia sp. by 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. Chemotaxis towards gas oil was observed in Halomonas spp. by using swimming assays.