Phenology and life-cycle regulation of the fishing spider Dolomedes triton Walckenaer (Araneae, Pisauridae) in central Alberta

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manfred Zimmermann ◽  
John R Spence

Dolomedes triton Walckenaer, a widespread and common fishing spider in North America, has a semivoltine life cycle in central Alberta, Canada. Juvenile spiders hibernate twice. According to evidence from laboratory rearings and patterns in field collections, the main overwintering stages are instars 3-5 and 9-11. After the second overwintering period, large juveniles moult once or twice to reach the reproductive adult stage. Juveniles grow rapidly between May and August but during overwintering between September and April, virtually no growth (measured as maximum carapace width of individuals) was observed in field populations. Dolomedes triton has a variable number of juvenile stages, ranging from 10 to 15 in males and from 9 to 15 in females. Both overwintering phases are facultative even though most individuals overwinter twice in central Alberta: at high temperatures (24-25°C) and under long-day conditions (either 18 h light : 6 h dark or 19 h light : 5 h dark) juveniles can develop directly to adults. Short-day photoperiods did not prolong stage durations, but warm periods, when experienced late in development only, were associated with extra moults, and may thus delay maturation until the following spring. Although the second overwintering period is a quiescence regulated strictly by temperature, regulation of the first overwintering period is more complex, including probable preconditioning through interaction of temperature and photoperiod.

2007 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Specht ◽  
AC. Formentini ◽  
E. Corseuil

The aim of this work was to study biological aspects and the life cycle of Hylesia Metapyrrha in a laboratory. Laboratorial breeding was made at 25 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 10% UR and 14 hours of photophase, feeding the larvae with guava leaves (Psidium guayava L. - Myrtaceae). Time was evaluated on the days of all the development stages; morphometry was evaluated in millimeters and the pupa’s mass in grams. The eggs were disposed in groups and covered by urticating abdominal hair. The incubation period lasted 52 days. The larvae, with gregarious habits, presented background black coloration, yellowish scoli and two orange longitudinal lines above and below the spiracles, during the development which lasted an average period of 74.59 days and went through seven instars. The pre-pupa and the pupa stages lasted on average 8.82 and 50.56 days, respectively; the female pupae presented a duration, weight and size which was significantly bigger. The adult stage lasted on average 5.50 days with periods of pre, post and oviposition of 2.30, 1.90 and 1.00 days, respectively. This study broadens the knowledge of the immature stages, biological, morphological and behavioral aspects, until then restricted to the morphology and to registers of the occurrence of the adult forms.


1967 ◽  
Vol 45 (12) ◽  
pp. 2267-2327 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Parmelee

Sixty-two taxa are recognized in this study of the species of Puccinia completing their life cycle on Heliantheae. Six new species are described: Puccinia guatemalensis Parmelee on Zexmenia spp. and Wedelia spp., P. ghiesbreghtii Parmelee on Wedelia ghiesbreghtii, P. abramsii Parmelee on Geraea viscida (= Encelia viscida), P. chloracae Parmelee on Viguiera spp., P. calanticariae Parmelee on Viguiera spp., and P. praetermissa Parmelee on Lagascea spp. Six new varieties are recognized: Puccinia electrae var. robusta Parmelee and P. electrae var. depressiporosa Parmelee on Zexmenia brevifolia, P. caleae var. cuernavacae Parmelee on Calea spp., P. cognata var. echinulata Parmelee on Verbesina spp., P. cognata var. fraseri Parmelee on Viguiera fraseri, and P. affinis var. triporosa Parmelee on Viguiera spp. Three taxa have been restored from synonomy under P. abrupta, viz. P. subglobosa, P. ximenesiae, and P. affinis, the last two parasitic on Verbesina spp., the first on Rhysolepis (= Viguiera). P. tithoniae, P. nanomitra, and P. ordinata, are reduced to synonomy with P. enceliae var. enceliae, P. iostephanes, and P. melampodii respectively. New combinations include: P. enceliae var. aemulans (Syd.) Parmelee and P. abrupta var. partheniicola (Jacks.) Parmelee. A key based on uredinial and telial characters, others based initially on the hosts, and a host index are provided. Each taxon is illustrated by a photomicrograph from type material. Distribution and host extensions, supplementary to those given in Arthur's Manual of the Rusts, are indicated.


1973 ◽  
Vol 105 (8) ◽  
pp. 1091-1099 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. D. Hodkinson

AbstractThe four larval instars and the pupa of Ptychoptera lenis lenis Osten Sacken are described. Instars 2 to 4 are very similar morphologically but instar 1 is markedly different. Both a pharate pupal and a pharate adult stage were observed. Larvae are found in stagnant marginal areas of ponds where water depth does not exceed 4 cm and where benthic deposits of plant detritus exceed 8 cm. Fourth instar larvae, under experimental conditions, survived up to 45 days without contact with atmospheric oxygen but development was arrested. P. lenis has a 1 year life cycle with an extended adult emergence season from late May to the end of July.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  

Abstract C. abietis is a microcyclic rust fungus; an obligate parasite completing its life cycle on species of Picea (spruce). Only the current year's needles of Picea are infected and those needles are shed early. Reported from northern Europe and Asia, the fungus is a Regulated Pest for the USA. It is absent from North America, where susceptible species are native, and Australia and New Zealand, where they are introduced. Although usually not a significant problem in its native range, because conditions are not favourable for heavy infections every year (Smith et al., 1988; Hansen, 1997), this rust could be more damaging as an invasive in other temperate areas. Due to the fact that small amounts of infection may be overlooked, accidental introduction could occur through importation of infected seedlings or young trees.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zerguine Karima

The family of Chironomidae is a group of Diptera insects belonging to the suborder of Nematocera, commonly called “non-biting midges” in the adult stage and “bloodworms” in the larval stage. The Chironomidae are often the most abundant group of macroinvertebrates, in number of species and individuals, encountered in all aquatic environments of freshwater, brackish, terrestrial and even the sea. Likewise, Chironomidae occur in all the continents. The Chironomidae family is divided into 11 sub-families that have diffrent ecological statues. Despite the wealth of data on Chironomidae in the Holarctic region, other parts of the world are poorly studied and few guides to identifying Chironomidae have been produced. This chapter includes a theoretical synthesis on the Chironomidae, it deals with the Biology (life cycle and description of different stages), description of all subfamilies and the ecology of this important family of Diptera.


Author(s):  
Patrick De Deckker ◽  
Koen Martens

Ostracods belonging to the genus Bennelongia differ much in valve morphology between adults and juveniles. Adult valves are asymmetrical, characterised by a beak-like feature in the antero-ventral region of the left valve, and, with some notable exceptions, mostly have smooth or weakly-ornamented valves. Juvenile specimens, on the other hand, have valves that are almost symmetrical, with no beak-like feature and are often heavily ornamented.We have examined the last 3 - 4 juvenile stages of 6 Bennelongia species from 5 different lineages, in order to decipher the types of external valve ornamentation and their recurrences during ontogeny and across lineages. It is clear that ornamentation is more prevalent at the early instar stages compared to the last 2 pre-adult stages, and especially when compared to the adult stage itself.We also examined the surprising presence of a calcified inner lamella with a prominent inner list in the pre-adult stages of Bennelongia species, that is usually absent in juveniles of other ostracods, thus questioning if heterochronic processes have provided an intermediate valve morphology between the simple (normal) cypridinid juvenile state and the heavily derived and modified state of adult Bennelongia.We discuss the possible (speculative) functionality of the ornamentation in juveniles.


2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (40) ◽  
pp. e2106006118
Author(s):  
Thomas Merckx ◽  
Matthew E. Nielsen ◽  
Janne Heliölä ◽  
Mikko Kuussaari ◽  
Lars B. Pettersson ◽  
...  

Urbanization is gaining force globally, which challenges biodiversity, and it has recently also emerged as an agent of evolutionary change. Seasonal phenology and life cycle regulation are essential processes that urbanization is likely to alter through both the urban heat island effect (UHI) and artificial light at night (ALAN). However, how UHI and ALAN affect the evolution of seasonal adaptations has received little attention. Here, we test for the urban evolution of seasonal life-history plasticity, specifically changes in the photoperiodic induction of diapause in two lepidopterans, Pieris napi (Pieridae) and Chiasmia clathrata (Geometridae). We used long-term data from standardized monitoring and citizen science observation schemes to compare yearly phenological flight curves in six cities in Finland and Sweden to those of adjacent rural populations. This analysis showed for both species that flight seasons are longer and end later in most cities, suggesting a difference in the timing of diapause induction. Then, we used common garden experiments to test whether the evolution of the photoperiodic reaction norm for diapause could explain these phenological changes for a subset of these cities. These experiments demonstrated a genetic shift for both species in urban areas toward a lower daylength threshold for direct development, consistent with predictions based on the UHI but not ALAN. The correspondence of this genetic change to the results of our larger-scale observational analysis of in situ flight phenology indicates that it may be widespread. These findings suggest that seasonal life cycle regulation evolves in urban ectotherms and may contribute to ecoevolutionary dynamics in cities.


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