Postembryonic development and morphological variations of larval instars in the scorpionfly Panorpa liui Hua (Mecoptera: Panorpidae).

The larva is the feeding and growing stage of holometabolous insects that undergo complete metamorphosis. However, morphological variations among instars remain largely unknown for many insect groups, especially for the relict Mecoptera. Here, morphological variations among instars for the scorpionfly Panorpa liui Hua were investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy.

Ultrastructure of the larval rectum of the scorpionfly Panorpa liui (Mecoptera: Panorpidae).

The rectum is an important part of the alimentary canal responsible for ion and water reabsorption of insects. However, it has rarely been studied in the larvae of Panorpidae, the largest family in Mecoptera. Here, we investigated the ultrastructure of larval rectum of the scorpionfly Panorpa liui Hua, 1997 using light and transmission electron microscopy.

Distinct roles of the Hox genes Ultrabithorax and abdominal-A in scorpionfly embryonic proleg development.

The abdominal appendages of larval insects have a complex evolutionary history of gain and loss, but the regulatory mechanisms underlying the abdominal appendage development remain largely unclear. Here, we investigated the embryogenesis of abdominal prolegs in the scorpionfly Panorpa liui Hua (Mecoptera: Panorpidae) using in situ hybridization and parental RNA interference. The results show that RNAi-mediated knockdown of Ultrabithorax (Ubx) led to a homeotic transformation of the first abdominal segment (A1) into the third thoracic segment (T3) and changed the distributions of the downstream target Distal-less (Dll) expression but did not affect the expression levels of Dll.

Flagellar sensilla of the hangingflies Bittacus planus Cheng and Bittacus sinicus Issiki (Mecoptera: Bittacidae).

Adult hangingflies are very sensitive to humidity, thereby frequently being used as ecological indicators to assess the degradation of the environment, especially forest ecosystems. Studies on the sense organs associated with hygro- and thermo-sensitivity, however, have been scant. Here, the ultramorphology and distribution of the flagellar sensilla were investigated in the adult hangingflies Bittacus planus Cheng, 1949 and Bittacus sinicus Issiki, 1931 using scanning electron microscopy.

Two new species of the genus Tan & Hua, 2009 (Mecoptera, Bittacidae).

Two new species of Tan & Hua, 2009 are described and illustrated from Sichuan and Guangxi provinces of China, increasing the species number of to eight. is differentiated from its congeners by wings with distinct markings and a female subgenital plate with a V-shaped carina. can be recognized by the black terga VI-IX.

Ultrastructure of the dorsal ocellus of Bittacus planus larvae (Mecoptera: Bittacidae) with evolutionary significance.

The Bittacidae are unique in holometabolous insects in that their larvae bear a dorsal ocellus on the frons. The fine structure of the dorsal ocellus, however, has not been investigated to date. Here, the ultrastructure of the larval dorsal ocellus was studied in the hangingfly Bittacus planus Cheng, 1949 using light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy.

Mouthpart structure of the adult Bicaubittacus appendiculatus () (Mecoptera: Bittacidae).

The structure and functional morphology of the mouthparts were investigated in adult hangingfly Bicaubittacus appendiculatus (Esben-Petersen, 1927) by scanning electron microscopy and histological serial sections. The mandibulate mouthparts consist of a labrum-epipharynx, paired mandibles and maxillae, and unpaired labium and hypopharynx. The labrum is elongated and tapered toward the apex.

The Correlation between Volatile Compounds Emitted from (L.) and Its Electrophysiological and Behavioral Responses.

The granary weevil (L.) is one of the most serious primary insect pests of stored products. When present in grains, various volatile organic compounds are released as chemical signals which can be used to detect the insects.

The Hox gene Abdominal-B regulates the appendage development during the embryogenesis of scorpionflies.

The Homeotic Complex (Hox) genes encode conserved homeodomain transcription factors that specify segment identity and appendage morphology along the antero-posterior axis in bilaterian animals. The Hox gene Abdominal-B (Abd-B) is mainly expressed in the posterior segments of the abdomen and plays an important role in insect organogenesis. In Mecoptera, the potential function of this gene remains unclear yet.

Identification of Biomarker Volatile Organic Compounds Released by Three Stored-Grain Insect Pests in Wheat.

Monitoring and early detection of stored-grain insect infestation is essential to implement timely and effective pest management decisions to protect stored grains. We report a reliable analytical procedure based on headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) to assess stored-grain infestation through the detection of volatile compounds emitted by insects. Four different fibre coatings were assessed; 85 µm CAR/PDMS had optimal efficiency in the extraction of analytes from wheat.

Ultrastructure of the larval eyes of the hangingfly Terrobittacus implicatus (Mecoptera: Bittacidae).

The fine structure of the larval eyes of the hangingfly Terrobittacus implicatus (Huang & Hua) was investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the larval eyes of T. implicatus each consist of seven spaced ommatidia.

A new species of the genus (Mecoptera, Panorpidae) from the eastern Bashan Mountains.

Background: Gao, Ma & Hua, 2016, an endemic genus of Panorpidae in central China's mountain regions, currently comprises 21 described species. Recently, the short-horned scorpionfly (Hua & Li, 2007) was confirmed to contain two valid species by phylogeographic and morphological data. Individuals from the highlands of the eastern Bashan Mountains were suggested as a good species, separated from the original short-horned .

Traumatic mating increases anchorage of mating male and reduces female remating duration and fecundity in a scorpionfly species.

Traumatic mating is the male wounding his mate during mating using specialized anatomy. However, why males have evolved to injure their mates during mating remains poorly understood. We studied traumatic mating in to determine its effects on male and female fitness.

Spermatheca of the scorpionfly Sinopanorpa tincta (Navás, 1931) (Mecoptera: Panorpidae).

The spermathecal structure of the scorpionfly Sinopanorpa tincta (Navás, 1931) was investigated using light microscopy, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. The spermatheca consists of a bean-shaped spermathecal reservoir and an elongated spermathecal duct. The spermathecal reservoir can be subdivided into a distal portion with well-developed muscles and a proximal transitional portion connected to the spermathecal duct.

Two new species of (Mecoptera, Panorpidae) from the Qinling and Minshan mountains.

Two new species of Gao, Ma & Hua, 2016 are described from the Qinling and Minshan mountains, respectively. can be readily distinguished from its congeners by the elongate hypovalves and the extremely developed basal process of gonostylus in male genitalia. is characterized by its bifurcated parameres and a cluster of long black bristles on the inner apex of the gonocoxite.

The highly rearranged karyotype of the hangingfly (Mecoptera, Bittacidae): the lowest chromosome number in the order.

Cytogenetic features of the hangingfly Issiki, 1931 were investigated for the first time using C-banding and DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining. The karyotype analyses show that the male possesses the lowest chromosome number (2 = 15) ever observed in Mecoptera, and an almost symmetric karyotype with (Mean Centromeric Asymmetry) of 12.55 and (Coefficient of Variation of Chromosome Length) of 19.

Three new species of the genus Bittacus Latreille, 1805 (Mecoptera: Bittacidae), with a key to the species of Bittacidae in South China.

The Bittacidae of South China consist of two species of Bicaubittacus and eight species of Bittacus, among which three species are described here as new to science. Bittacus acutus sp. n.

Vasa deferentia and associated structures of the male Panorpodes kuandianensis (Mecoptera: Panorpodidae).

The male reproductive system may provide significant evidence for the taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses of insects. However, current knowledge of the male reproductive system in Mecoptera is mainly concentrated on the external genitalia, and is rarely involved in the internal reproductive system. Here, we investigated the morphology and the fine structure of the vasa deferentia and associated structures of the male reproductive system of Panorpodes kuandianensis Zhong et al.

How Does the Male Penisfilum Enter the Female Copulatory Pore in Hangingflies?

Hangingflies are characterized by the interesting nuptial feeding behavior and unusual belly-to-belly hanging mating position. However, the mating behavior and the copulatory mechanism remain poorly known for Bittacidae, especially how the elongated male penisfilum enters the copulatory pore of the female. In this study, the mating behavior and copulatory mechanism of (Huang and Hua, 2006) were investigated to reveal the functional morphology of hangingfly genitalia.

Two new species of the genus (Mecoptera, Panorpidae) from eastern China and a new synonym.

Linnaeus, 1758 is the largest genus in the scorpionfly family Panorpidae. Herein we describe two new species from eastern China, from Jinhua, Zhejiang Province and from Yuexi and Huoshan, Anhui Province. Cheng, 1957 from Mount Mogan, Zhejiang Province is considered to be a junior subjective synonym of Cheng, 1957 from the same locality.

Habitat divergence shapes the morphological diversity of larval insects: insights from scorpionflies.

Insects are the most diverse group of organisms in the world, but how this diversity was achieved is still a disputable and unsatisfactorily resolved issue. In this paper, we investigated the correlations of habitat preferences and morphological traits in larval Panorpidae in the phylogenetic context to unravel the driving forces underlying the evolution of morphological traits. The results show that most anatomical features are shared by monophyletic groups and are synapomorphies.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of Bittacus strigosus and Panorpa debilis and genomic comparisons of Mecoptera.

Mitochondrial genomes play a significant role in reconstructing phylogenetic relationships and revealing molecular evolution of insects. However, only four mitochondrial genomes were reported in Mecoptera to date. Here, we obtained two new complete mitochondrial genomes of the hangingfly Bittacus strigosus Hagen, 1861 and the scorpionfly Panorpa debilis Westwood, 1846.

Molecular phylogeny of the scorpionflies Panorpidae (Insecta: Mecoptera) and chromosomal evolution.

Panorpidae is the most species-rich family in Mecoptera with ca. 470 species in the Northern Hemisphere. However, the intergeneric phylogenetic relationships of Panorpidae remain unsatisfactorily resolved to date.

Spermiogenesis of the hangingfly Terrobittacus implicatus (Huang and Hua) (Mecoptera: Bittacidae).

The structure of spermatozoa is able to provide valuable characters in resolving phylogenic relationships in Metazoa, especially in insects. Such data, however, are greatly deficient in Mecoptera. Here, we studied the spermiogenesis and ultrastructure of sperm in the hangingfly Terrobittacus implicatus (Huang and Hua) using transmission electron microscopy.

Ultrastructure of the rectum of the soil-spraying larva in Bittacus cirratus (Mecoptera: Bittacidae).

The larvae of Bittacidae have an interesting behavior of spraying soil particles on their body surface through the anus. However, the hindgut specialization associated with this behavior has rarely been studied hitherto. Here, we investigated the fine structure of the larval rectum in the hangingfly Bittacus cirratus Tjeder using light and transmission electron microscopy.