Mammalian herbivores may incidentally ingest plant-dwelling insects while foraging. Adult pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) avoid this danger by dropping off their host plant after sensing the herbivore's warm and humid breath and the vibrations it causes while feeding. Aphid nymphs may also drop (to escape insect enemies), but because of their slow movement, have a lower chance of finding a new...

Computability and complexity are the two major lines along which the science of algorithms has evolved; but the same concepts guide many human activities. We try to catch some glimpses of the connections between these two worlds, to meet the expectations of the audience. We will encounter nymphs and universal Turing Machines, ancient traditions and randomized procedures, all tending to the same...

Sogatella furcifera(Horvath) is an important rice pest with the wing dimorphism, including macropterous and brachypterous morphs. The protein expression profiles in two wing-type adults and two wing-type disc fifth-instar nymphs were analyzed using two-dimensional gel protein electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. In adults and fifth-instar nymphs, 127 and 162 protein spots were detected, respe...

Information on the dispersal ability of invertebrate species associated with woodland habitats is severely lacking. Therefore, a study was conducted examining the movement patterns of wood cricket (Nemobius sylvestris) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) on the Isle of Wight, UK. Juvenile (i.e. nymphs) and adult wood crickets were released and observed over time within different ground surface substrates. ...

Zonocerus variegatus is a common grasshopper in parts of west and equtorial Africa. The distribution in Nigeria extends from the lowland rainforest zone to the savannah in the north. The influence of lure on the behaviour of grasshopper inside cages (120 insect per cage) was investigated. Nymphs and adults of Zonocerus variegatus responded positively to intact leaves, crushed leaves and inflore...

Host-seeking ticks often remain on clothing of persons returning home from work or recreation in tick habitats, and can pose at least a temporary risk to people and pets in these homes. Laundering clothing has been one of the recommendations to reduce tick exposure. Host-seeking lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.), and blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, nymphs confined in polyester ...

The effects of environmental factors and appendage injury on the wing variation in Velarifictorus ornatus (Shiraki) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) were investigated. The percentage of micropters was more than 95% when the nymphs were reared at constant photoperiods, and changing photoperiod did not affect wing variation in V. ornatus at 25 or 30°C. In the crowding experiment, the percentage of macropt...

BALB/c mice infested with larvae or nymphs of Ixodes ricinus develop in their lymph nodes a T cell-specific immune response triggered by salivary gland soluble antigens (SGA). SGA are apparently conserved in the 3 biological stages of I. ricinus ticks and are species specific. SGA derived from partially fed females I. ricinus stimulate lymph node T cells from mice infested with I. ricinus larva...

Among the vectors of Chagas disease, Triatoma patagonica is a species in the process of adaptation to the human environment. However, its vector competence is not well known. This study had the aim of evaluating and comparing feeding and defecation patterns among fifth-instar nymphs of Triatoma patagonica and Triatoma infestans that were fed ad libitum. The results showed that nymphs of Triatom...

The common pistachio psylla Agonoscena pistaciae is a key pest of pistachio in Iran. A study was conducted to determine the spatial distribution of psylla nymphs and eggs in a 10 ha pistachio orchard in the Rafsanjan region, southeast of Iran. Three rows, each containing 33 trees (totally 99 trees), were randomly selected in the orchard based on a stratified sampling scheme. In each of the sele...