Preface to the Princeton Landmarks in Biology Edition vii Preface xi Symbols Used xiii 1. The Importance of Islands 3 2. Area and Number of Speicies 8 3. Further Explanations of the Area-Diversity Pattern 19 4. The Strategy of Colonization 68 5. Invasibility and the Variable Niche 94 6. Stepping Stones and Biotic Exchange 123 7. Evolutionary Changes Following Colonization 145 8. Prospect 181 Glossary 185 References 193 Index 201

The Theory of Island Biogeography

Background
The internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA is regarded as one of the candidate DNA barcodes because it possesses a number of valuable characteristics, such as the availability of conserved regions for designing universal primers, the ease of its amplification, and sufficient variability to distinguish even closely related species. However, a general analysis of its ability to discriminate species in a comprehensive sample set is lacking.

/pdf/use-of-its2-region-as-the-universal-dna-barcode-for-plants-4r9vsndamf.pdf

Use of ITS2 Region as the Universal DNA Barcode for Plants and Animals

Morphometric tools for landmark data: geometry and biology

Prior to the work of Cable and Hopp (J. Parasit. 40(6): 674.680, 1954) Neoechinorhynchus emydis (L e i d y, 1851) was the only recognized species of Acanthocephala in North American turtles. To date, a total of five species have been described. Of these, two species (Neoechinorbynchus pseudemydis Cable and Hopp, 1954, and N. emyditoides Fisher, 1960) were recovered from six of 12 Louisiana turtles (Pseudemys scripta elegans (Wied)) examined by Fisher (J. Parasit. 46(2): 257-266, 1960). He (1960) also found N. chrysemydis Cable and Hopp, 1954 in Pseudemys scripta subsp. The data pt .sented are results of studies conducted between the spring of 1965 and the summer of 1966. Seventynine turtles (48 female and 31 males) encompassing seven species (47 Pseudemys scripta elegans (Wied), three P. floridana hoyi (Holbrook), eight Chelydra serpentina serpentina (L.), eight Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis Gray, seven Terrapene carolina carolina (L.), five T. c. triunguis (Agassiz) and one Trionyx muticus (LeSueur) collected from Baton Rouge and vicinity were examined. This investigation revealed the presence of three species of Acanthocephala (Neoechinorhynchus pseudemydis, N. emyditoides, and N. chrysemydis) in Louisiana turtles and confirms Fisher’s (1960) work. Of the seven species of turtles examined, only P. s. e!egans (25 16 females and 9 males) and P. floridana hoyi (2 females) were positive with infection. Three of the 25 P. s. e!egans had mixed infection comprising three species of Neoechinorhynchus while seven had two species respectively. P. f!oridana hoyi represents a host record for N. chrysemydis;

/pdf/myiasis-in-man-and-animals-in-the-old-world-2flislkl8i.pdf

Myiasis in man and animals in the old world

Allometry refers to the size-related changes of morphological traits and remains an essential concept for the study of evolution and development. This review is the first systematic comparison of allometric methods in the context of geometric morphometrics that considers the structure of morphological spaces and their implications for characterizing allometry and performing size correction. The distinction of two main schools of thought is useful for understanding the differences and relationships between alternative methods for studying allometry. The Gould–Mosimann school defines allometry as the covariation of shape with size. This concept of allometry is implemented in geometric morphometrics through the multivariate regression of shape variables on a measure of size. In the Huxley–Jolicoeur school, allometry is the covariation among morphological features that all contain size information. In this framework, allometric trajectories are characterized by the first principal component, which is a line of best fit to the data points. In geometric morphometrics, this concept is implemented in analyses using either Procrustes form space or conformation space (the latter also known as size-and-shape space). Whereas these spaces differ substantially in their global structure, there are also close connections in their localized geometry. For the model of small isotropic variation of landmark positions, they are equivalent up to scaling. The methods differ in their emphasis and thus provide investigators with flexible tools to address specific questions concerning evolution and development, but all frameworks are logically compatible with each other and therefore unlikely to yield contradictory results.

/pdf/size-shape-and-form-concepts-of-allometry-in-geometric-3xnm228buw.pdf

Size, shape, and form: concepts of allometry in geometric morphometrics

This study was funded by a contract between the company Flysoil S.L. and the University of Alicante (FLYSOIL 2-09I), the scholarship sub-programme Torres Quevedo 2010–2012 (Ministry of Innovation and Science 2012) and partially by the projects GRE09-27 (University of Alicante) and GV/2011/039 (Generalitat Valenciana).

/pdf/the-effects-of-larval-diet-on-adult-life-history-traits-of-1v56ats488.pdf

The effects of larval diet on adult life-history traits of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

In this paper, the fat content of insects is studied for its utilization in the production of biodiesel. The study has shown the great fat potential of insects, highlighting a large number of species with an ether extract higher than 25%, including a large number in excess of 30% and some even reaching levels close to or above 77%. Moreover, a review of the main criteria to be considered for the selection of insect species for biodiesel production is carried out. It was observed that the fat content varies widely between orders, species, and their stages of development – larva, prepupa, pupa, nymph or adult – with the larval stage being that at which the most fat is accumulated. Furthermore, variations in the fat content were observed within the same species due to factors such as origin (wild or bred in captivity) or type of diet. This last factor is one of the most important to take into account for the selection of insect species with the objective of using their fat in the production of biodiesel. The principal conclusion of this study is that insects, through the development of their life cycle, can be fed with agricultural, industrial or urban by-products in order to accumulate a large amount of fat with potentially excellent quality (fatty acids C16–18), for conversion into energy through biodiesel production. Moreover, the resulting protein can also be used as a protein source in animal feed. Therefore, insects are a renewable source of protein and energy.

Insects for biodiesel production

A revision of the species and families of sarcosaprophagous flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, Fanniidae, Drosophilidae, Phoridae, Piophilidae and Stratiomyidae) suitable for forensic purposes in the Iberian Peninsula is presented. Morphological characteristics that allow the accurate identification of third instars of the species present in the Iberian Peninsula are described and presented in the form of a diagnostic key. For larval Calliphoridae, characteristics such as the spines of the body segments were useful for the genus Calliphora whereas features of the anal segment and the cephalopharyngeal skeleton were useful for larvae of Lucilia. Identification of three Chrysominae species present in the Iberian Peninsula is included. For larval Sarcophagidae, characters such as the arrangement and shape of spiracular openings, structures of the anal segment and the cephalopharyngeal skeleton were used for the first time. A new record of Sarcophaga cultellata Pandelle, from a human corpse, is also included as well as recent incursions into the European cadaveric entomofauna such as Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp) and Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus). This work provides useful new information that could be applied to forensic investigations in the Iberian Peninsula and in southern Europe.

Diptera of forensic importance in the Iberian Peninsula: larval identification key

http://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/12249/4/PDF_Proof.pdf

First phylogeny of predatory flower flies (Diptera, Syrphidae, Syrphinae) using mitochondrial COI and nuclear 28S rRNA genes: conflict and congruence with the current tribal classification

The large volume of organic wastes and by-products produced every year usually generates environmental problems, such as water, air and soil contamination and it can be also a focus for pathogen dispersion. Sustainable waste management strategies should be developed, that can favour the value of the organic waste instead of its disposal. A sustainable strategy would be the use of the organic waste as substrate for intensive production of insect biomass. The insects associated with manure and organic waste can play a key role for the sustainable valorisation of organic waste streams as high add value products as they could be used as feed. This review is an overview of the research related with intensive insect farming of saprophagous dipteran species (flies) on manure and other organic wastes and the by-products obtained after the process. Using dipterans as recyclers of waste means that the mass-production systems of these organisms have to be efficient and competitive with other recycling systems. This ...

Santos Rojo

Papers

The effects of larval diet on adult life-history traits of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

Insects for biodiesel production

Diptera of forensic importance in the Iberian Peninsula: larval identification key

First phylogeny of predatory flower flies (Diptera, Syrphidae, Syrphinae) using mitochondrial COI and nuclear 28S rRNA genes: conflict and congruence with the current tribal classification

Conversion of organic wastes into fly larval biomass: bottlenecks and challenges