Sexual size and shape dimorphism, and allometric scaling in the pupal and adult traits of .

The patterns and amount of variation in size, shape, and/or life history traits between females and males are fundamentally important to gain the comprehensive understanding of the evolution of phenotypic diversity. In addition, the covariation of phenotypic traits can significantly contribute to morphological diversification and sexual dimorphism (SD). Using linear and geometric morphometrics, 237 specimens sampled from five populations were, therefore, comparatively assessed for the variation in sexual size dimorphism (SSD), sexual shape dimorphism (SShD), and life history traits, as well as for trait covariation (ontogenetic and static allometry).

DNA barcode assessment and population structure of aphidophagous hoverfly : Implications for conservation biological control.

With the advent of integrated pest management, the conservation of indigenous populations of natural enemies of pest species has become a relevant practice, necessitating the accurate identification of beneficial species and the inspection of evolutionary mechanisms affecting the long-time persistence of their populations. The long hoverfly, , represents one of the most potent aphidophagous control agents due to a worldwide distribution and a favorable constellation of biological traits. Therefore, we assessed five European populations by combining molecular (cytochrome oxidase subunit I- , internal transcribed spacer 2- , and allozyme loci) and morphological (wing size and shape) characters.

The First Molecular and Phenotypic Characterization of the Invasive Population of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) from the Central Balkans.

Aedes (Stegomya) albopictus (Skuse 1984), the Asian tiger mosquito, represents the most invasive and one of the medically most important mosquito vectors. Although native to South East Asia, the species has recently spread globally, and was registered in the city of Novi Sad (Serbia, Central Balkans) in August 2018. We characterized the invasive population using phenotypic (wing size and shape) and molecular (nuclear, internal transcribed spacer 2- ITS2, and mitochondrial, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I- COI) markers.