Mini-review an insect-specific system for terrestrialization: Laccase-mediated cuticle formation.

Insects are often regarded as the most successful group of animals in the terrestrial environment. Their success can be represented by their huge biomass and large impact on ecosystems. Among the factors suggested to be responsible for their success, we focus on the possibility that the cuticle might have affected the process of insects' evolution.

Co-occurrence of ecologically equivalent cryptic species of spider wasps.

Many cryptic species have been discovered in various taxonomic groups based on molecular phylogenetic analyses and mating experiments. Some sympatric cryptic species share equivalent resources, which contradicts the competitive exclusion principle. Two major theories have been proposed to explain the apparent lack of competitive exclusion, i.

The trap-jaw ant genus Odontomachus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Sumatra, with a new species description.

The ant genus Odontomachus Latreille is reviewed for Sumatra, the sixth largest island in the world and located in western Indonesia. Previously three species were recorded from the island: O. simillimus F.