Lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) are a classical group for studying the mechanisms that determine local and temporal trends in colour polymorphism. Here we report long term trends in variation in the percentage of different morphs in a population of Hippodamia variegata (Goeze) at Štúrovo, Slovakia (47°48´N, 18°43´E). The morphs differ in the number and location of the spots on their elytra. Beetles were sampled from stands of herbaceous plants using a standard method each year in August over a period of 74 years from 1937 to 2011. Twenty two morphs (out of 74 possible) were recorded in a total sample of 6,984 individuals. Four dominant morphs made up 90% of the total sample and varied in their annual frequency independently of one another. Frequency of "pale" morphs (0–3 spots per elytra), supposedly favoured by a warm climate, increased from 1981 to 2000s’ during a period of climate warming, but only after a decrease that took place between 1937 and 1981, which did not parallel a change in climate. Moreover, the differences in the extent of the melanization of the elytral surface are too small to significantly affect thermoregulation in the different morphs. Therefore, the results presented do not provide unequivocal support for climate change determining the long term trends in the variation in the proportions of the different morphs., Alois Honek ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Unusual climatic events are known to influence micro-evolutionary changes in birds through selection and directional evolution of body size. In NW Italy a notable climatic episode occurred from 1984–85 to 1986–87 when the winters were unusually severe. In the periods 1986–88 and 1997–2000 we measured the body size and mass of 808 adult hooded crows. Body size measurements of specimens collected from the same area but in two other periods (1950 and 1974) were also considered for comparison. In the 1986–88 sample (just after the unusual climatic period), there was a significant shift of body size, with a greater tarsus length than in the other three periods; body mass was also higher than in 1997–2000. The peak in tarsus length and body mass is discussed with regard to the severe weather in the winter which could have acted as a strong directional selective factor, favouring bigger birds, or may have prompted irruptive movements of Northern larger crows.
Ten aphid species wcre used as prey for Adalia bipunctata and six of them (Euceraphis betulae, Cavariella konoi, Liosomaphis berberidis, Acyrthosiphon ignotum, Aphis farinosa and Macrosiphoniella artemisiae) are new essential preys for this coccinellid. Eucallipterus tiliae and E. betulae were the most suitable prey according to the rate of larval development, larval mortality, adult fresh weight and coccinellid abundance in the field. They are followed by L. berberidis, C. konoi and Tuberculatus annulatus. M. artemisiae and A. ignotum are also very profitable food in the laboratory, but they do not occur in the field together with A. bipunctata. A. farinosa from Salix caprea and Aphis fabae from Philadelphus coronarius were not very suitable as food due to the larval mortality (27% and 23%, respectively). A. fabae from Atriplex sagittata was an unsuitable prey: larval mortality was 67% and the adults that emerged as the survivors had the lowest weight recorded in this series of experiments. Aphis spiraephaga was also unsuitable prey: all 1st instar larvae of A. bipunctata died, even though slowly.
The tendency for self-superparasitism and it's effects on the quality of the parasitoid Ooencyrtus pityocampae (Mercet) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in parasitizing a new laboratory host, Philosamia ricini (Danovan) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), were investigated. In this study, female parasitoids of various ages (1-, 3- and 5-day-old) were tested individually. Parasitoids were provided with 1-day-old P. ricini eggs at ratios of 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 host eggs per wasp. The tendency to superparasitize was dependent on the female's age and host density. Five-day-old females showed a strong tendency to superparasitize at low host densities. The development time of wasps in superparasitized eggs was longer than that of wasps in singly parasitized eggs. The size and longevity of adult parasitoids decreased significantly with superparasitism. This work contributes to the development of an efficient mass rearing and laboratory rearing of the parasitoid O. pityocampae using a new host., Hilal Tunca, Maurane Buradino, Etty-Ambre Colombel, Elisabeth Tabone., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Článek pojednává o koncepci geneze novověku, kterou Hans Blumenberg představil ve svém díle Legitimita novověku (1966) a kterou dál rozpracovával a doplňoval v dalších dílech. Článek je rozdělen do pěti oddílů. První velice stručně představuje obecné rysy Blumenbergovy filosofie, zejména jeho pojem ulehčení od absolutna. Druhý oddíl představuje Blumenbergovo pojetí gnoze a křesťanskou reakce na gnozi. Blumenberg je totiž přesvědčen, že novověk vznikl jako druhé překonání gnoze, které bylo úspěšnější než první překonání provedené křesťanstvím. Třetí oddíl vysvětluje Blumenbergovu myšlenku návratu gnostického skrytého Boha v pozdně středověkém nominalismu. Čtvrtý oddíl ukazuje způsoby, jimiž se podle Blumenberga ustanovil novověk jako druhé a úspěšné překonání gnoze – především za pomoci masivního rozvoje vědy a techniky. Pátý oddíl obsahuje kritické výhrady vůči Blumenbergově koncepci a rovněž ocenění aktuálnosti jeho filosofie pro dnešní diskuse o povaze raně novověké filosofie., This paper deals with the concept of the genesis of the modern age as introduced by Hans Blumenberg in his book The Legitimacy of the Modern Age (1966) which he elaborated on and complemented in his later writings. The paper is divided into five sections. The first very briefly presents the general features of Blumenberg’s philosophy, especially his notion of “relief from the absolute”. The second section introduces Blumenberg’s concept of gnosis and of the Christian responses to gnosis. Blumenberg was convinced that the modern times emerged as the second overcoming of gnosis which was more successful than its first overcoming by Christianity. The third section introduces Blumenberg’s idea of the recurrence of the hidden gnostic God in late medieval nominalism. The fourth section presents ways in which the modern age, according to Blumenberg, emerged as the successful overcoming of gnosis – especially with the help of the amazing development of science and technology in the early-modern period. The fifth section contains some critical reservations about Blumenberg’s theory. Nevertheless it also appreciates the relevance of Blumenberg’s philosophy for today’s discussion about both the nature and the history of early modern philosophy., and Špelda Daniel.