Adults, infants and non-human primates are thought to possess similar non-verbal numerical systems, but there is considerable debate regarding whether all vertebrates share the same numerical abilities. Despite an abundance of studies, cross-species comparison remains difficult because the methodology employed and the context of species examination vary considerably across studies. To fill this...

Following the positive results obtained regarding the molluscicidal properties of the latex of Euphorbia splendens that were corroborated in laboratory and field tests under restricted conditions, a field study was conducted in experimental streams located in an endemic area. After recording the average annual fluctuations of vectors in three streams, a solution of E. splendens latex at 12 ppm ...

Bryophytes have increased in abundance in northern regions, and climate changes have been proposed to account for this change. However, changes in the population dynamics of microtine rodents may also contribute to changes in bryophyte abundance. New evidence indicates a tendency for microtine rodent population oscillations to change from periodicity of 3-5 years to become irregular or acyclic....

Females are often considered responsible for hybridization between two species because usually they are the choosier sex and their cooperation is needed for successful copulation. However, males can also be responsible for hybridization, for example in species in which males are able to force copulation. We studied the pattern of hybridization in two congeneric damselfly species, Calopteryx spl...

Molluscides have been used as one of the strategies to control schistosomiasis. Many plant extracts with molluscidal effects have been tested, but the action of the latex of Euphorbia splendens var. hislopii is considered the most promising because it meets the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). The objective of this study was to determine the lethal dose and identify the e...

Although predation is thought to affect species divergence, the effects of predator-mediated natural selection on species divergence and in nonadaptive radiations have seldom been studied. Wing melanization in Calopteryx damselflies has important functions in sexual selection and interspecific interactions and in species recognition. The genus Calopteryx and other damselfly genera have also bee...

A new system, the Toxorhynchites-fluorescent antibody (TFA) test in which the larvae of Toxorhynchites splendens mosquitoes were used for the detection of bluetongue virus (BTV) from Culicoides midges, was developed. Twenty-seven pools of Culicoides midges were collected from bluetongue-prone areas of Tamil Nadu by use of the light-trap and suction-trap methods. A suspension of each pool was in...

Previously published mtDNA cytochrome b sequences for Xyrichtys novacula (Linnaeus) and two morphologically distinct types of Xyrichtys larvae (Pisces: Labridae) included human cytochrome b sequence, presumably due to sample contamination and/or poor preservation of sample DNA. Those sequences had been used to identify the two types of Xyrichtys larvae as X. novacula, but owing to the contamina...

The branching system of higher plants plays a very important role in plant morphogenesis, and the number branches can directly affect crop yield ornamental value plants. It is complicated development process involving complex molecular mechanisms. ‘Cailinghong’ variety Salvia splendens characterized by its great ability with to grow into spherical form naturally, without pinching. To gain insig...