Insects have many interesting behaviors that can be observed in an introductory biology laboratory setting. In the present article, we describe several reflexes using the housefly Musca domestica that can be used to introduce students to sensory and motor responses and encourage them to think about the underlying neural circuits and integration of sensory information that mediate the behaviors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe amphipod Gammarus minus is present in both caves and springs, with cave populations showing elaborated (size and antennae) and reduced (eye) characters relative to spring populations. Earlier studies have shown that cave populations resulted from independent invasions of hydrologically isolated subterranean drainages and that there is genetic variation for both elaborated and reduced characters. In this study we tested the hypothesis that a similar pattern of selection on isolated cave populations is responsible for the parallel evolution of cave morphologies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe population ecology of three species of obligate cave dwelling (i.e., troglobitic) carabid beetles, Neaphaenops tellkampfi, Pseudanophthalmus menetriesi and P.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenetic variability and similarity were examined in eight populations of the Kentucky cave beetle Neaphaenops tellkampfii (Coleoptera: Carabidae) using the technique of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Results indicate that N. tellkampfii has high genetic variation within and high genetic similarity among local populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpecies richness and abundance of Diptera and Coleoptera were assessed in nine city parks in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Species richness for each park was related to the area of the park in a manner predicted by island biogeography theory. The z values for the Diptera and Coleoptera were 0.
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