Some species in the dinoflagellate genus Alexandrium spp. produce a suite of neurotoxins that block sodium channels, known as paralytic shellfish toxins (PST), which have deleterious effects on grazers. Populations of the ubiquitous copepod grazer Acartia hudsonica that have co-occurred with toxic Alexandrium spp. are better adapted than naïve populations. The mechanism of adaptation is current...

This paper describes the biomechanics of an unusual form of wing stridulation in katydids, termed here 'reverse stridulation'. Male crickets and katydids produced sound to attract females by rubbing their forewings together. One of the wings bears a vein ventrally modified with teeth (a file), while the other harbours a scraper on its anal edge. The wings open and close in rhythmic cycles, but ...

Abstract Orthoptera have some of the largest genomes all insects. At same time, architecture their remains poorly understood. Comparative cytological data across a wide range taxa, even for basic parameters such as chromosome number, may provide important insights into evolution these and help answer question why species attained large genome sizes. We collected compiled more than 1,000 records...

European mountain hay meadows are hosting an exceptionally rich biodiversity. They currently threatened by both land abandonment and farming intensification via aerial irrigation slurry application. The consequences of grassland on arthropods still poorly documented, which is a serious handicap to proposing ecologically-friendly management guidance. Six experimental treatments mimicking gradien...