A total of 45 colonies were sampled from nine centers for rearing queens in the Camagüey province, Cuba. Wing geometric morphometric analysis was used to determine the ancestry and identify Africanization processes at different altitudes in managed honeybee populations on the island. A total of 350 reference wings were obtained from the pure subspecies: , , , , , , and for the study. Our results showed that altitude influences wing shape; and that 96.0% (432) of the individuals were classified as Cuban hybrids, with a tendency to the formation of a new morphotype. In addition, a great similarity was found with the subspecies , and it was confirmed that there is no Africanization due to the low presence of 0.44% (2) of this morphotype in the population under study. The greatest Mahalanobis distances were obtained for the comparisons between the center rearing of queens in the Camagüey province with the subspecies (D = 5.18); (D = 6.08); (D = 6.27); and (D = 6.62). The well-defined pattern of wing shape produced by honeybee populations in Camagüey's centers for queen rearing suggests a Cuban hybrid. Moreover, it is essential to note that the populations of bees under investigation lack Africanized morphotypes, indicating that Camagüey bees have not interacted with the African lineage.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects14030306 | DOI Listing |
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
February 2025
École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, School of Engineering, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Unsteady Flow Diagnostics Laboratory, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
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View Article and Find Full Text PDFMonarch butterflies in North America migrate south each autumn, but the mechanisms that initiate their migratory flight remain incompletely understood. We investigated environmental, developmental, and genetic factors that contribute to directional flight by testing summer and autumn-generation monarchs in three flight simulators: two at ground level (with and without wind blockage) and a novel balloon-based system that raised butterflies 30 meters into the air. Monarchs reared under autumn-like conditions in a growth chamber during the summer were also tested to explore the influence of developmental cues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimals (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre P.O. Box 334, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The paper presents a detailed gross anatomical description of the elements of the pelvic limb in the African green monkey and provides comparative and differential elements on pelvic limb monkey osteology. The osteometric investigation adds value to the gross morphological and radiological investigation, adjoining metric data to the gross descriptive data set. The main methodology used was the gross morphological investigation, doubled by regular osteometrical and radiographical assessments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomimetics (Basel)
January 2025
UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
Insects enhance aerodynamic flight control using the dynamic movement of their appendages, aiding in balance, stability, and manoeuvrability. Although biologists have observed these behaviours, the phenomena have not been expressed in a unified mathematical flight dynamics framework. For instance, relevant existing models tend to disregard either the aerodynamic or the inertial effects of the appendages of insects, such as the abdomen, based on the assumption that appendage dynamic effects dominate in comparison to aerodynamic effects, or that appendages are stationary.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWater Res
January 2025
School of Water Conservancy and Transportation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China; Yellow River Laboratory, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Sediment control is a major concern in sewer management. Early studies focused on the parameters affecting the efficiency of existing dredging facilities, and novel long-term sediment reduction measures have not been developed. Superior sediment reduction performance has been demonstrated for plates folded at 25° placed in a pipe.
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