Morphological and kinematic basis of the hummingbird flight stroke: scaling of flight muscle transmission ratio

Hummingbirds (Trochilidae) are widely known for their insect-like flight strokes characterized by high wing beat frequency, small muscle strains and a highly supinated wing orientation during upstroke that allows for lift production in both halves of the stroke cycle. Here, we show that hummingbirds achieve these functional traits within the limits imposed by a vertebrate endoskeleton and muscle physiology by accentuating a wing inversion mechanism found in other birds and using long-axis rotational movement of the humerus. In hummingbirds, long-axis rotation of the humerus creates additional wing translational movement, supplementing that produced by the humeral elevation and depression movements of a typical avian flight stroke. This adaptation increases the wing-to-muscle-transmission ratio, and is emblematic of a widespread scaling trend among flying animals whereby wing-to-muscle-transmission ratio varies inversely with mass, allowing animals of vastly different sizes to accommodate aerodynamic, biomechanical and physiological constraints on muscle-powered flapping flight.     

Odour boosts visual object approach in flies

Multisensory integration is synergistic—input from one sensory modality might modulate the behavioural response to another. Work in flies has shown that a small visual object presented in the periphery elicits innate aversive steering responses in flight, likely representing an approaching threat. Object aversion is switched to approach when paired with a plume of food odour. The ‘open-loop’ design of prior work facilitated the observation of changing valence. How does odour influence visual object responses when an animal has naturally active control over its visual experience? In this study, we use closed-loop feedback conditions, in which a fly''s steering effort is coupled to the angular velocity of the visual stimulus, to confirm that flies steer toward or ‘fixate’ a long vertical stripe on the visual midline. They tend either to steer away from or ‘antifixate’ a small object or to disengage active visual control, which manifests as uncontrolled object ‘spinning’ within this experimental paradigm. Adding a plume of apple cider vinegar decreases the probability of both antifixation and spinning, while increasing the probability of frontal fixation for objects of any size, including a normally typically aversive small object.     

Spatial and temporal pattern of colonization of Nabidae (Heteroptera) in alfalfa (Medicago sativa)

Abstract: Six species of Nabidae (Heteroptera) were collected by standardized sweep net sampling in alfalfa fields in Thuringia, Germany, from 1993 to 1995: Nabis pseudoferus , N. ferus , N. brevis , N. major , Nabicula flavomarginata and Aptus mirmicoides . Colonization of a newly cultivated field was studied over a 3-year period. The density of all the studied nabid species was low (less than five individuals per 100 sweeps) and not related to time since colonization started, or to the distance from the margin of the field. Macropterous species were able to colonize the whole field within one season. The density of one macropterous species, N. pseudoferus , varied between the years of study and was mainly affected by the harvest regime. The brachypterous species reached the margin within one season but for density it took three seasons to reach satiated values also in the centre of the field. The abundance of the brachypterous N. brevis was significantly different both between years and sampling sites. This indicates the importance of the surroundings on the succession of this species. Nabis major , a fully winged species, showed a migration pattern intermediate to macropterous and brachypterous nabids. These results suggest that the total abundance of nabid predators cannot be predicted by time or distance from the expansion source (shelter belts). The abundance of brachypterous nabid individuals can be predicted from time since colonization but is best analysed at the species level.     

Decoding the ‘zeep’ complex: quantitative analysis of interspecific variation in the nocturnal flight calls of nine wood warbler species (Parulidae spp.)

ABSTRACT

The “zeep” complex consists of nine birds that produce nocturnal flight calls with similar acoustic features. Our inability to distinguish these calls inhibits the acoustic monitoring of these species. We test the hypothesis that flight calls of nine warblers in the “zeep” complex show sufficient acoustic differences to allow differentiation. We investigate divergence in these vocalizations by recording birds held for banding and collecting additional recordings from sound libraries. We used three approaches to compare calls between species: analysis of variance in acoustic properties, discriminant analysis of acoustic properties, and spectrographic cross-correlation. The first approach revealed five species that were different in one or more acoustic properties. The second approach revealed a level of assignment to the correct species (73%) that exceeded levels expected by chance (36%). The third approach revealed calls of seven species to be significantly more similar to conspecific calls than heterospecific calls. Our results suggest the calls of many members of the “zeep” complex exhibit species-specific differences in structure, which may allow differentiation of at least five “zeep” species based on call alone. We advocate for the combined use of these three approaches for the comparison of “zeep” calls in future flight call studies.     

Distribution,dispersal and spread of the invasive social wasp (Vespula germanica) in Argentina

We studied the distribution and spread of the invasive social wasp Vespula germanica in Argentina, focusing on the contribution of queen dispersal to territorial expansion. Vespula germanica is native to Eurasia and has invaded several regions of the world, including Southern Argentina. Flight potential of field‐collected queens was measured using flight mills. Also, by means of an extensive survey we estimated the rate of spread by analysing the relationship between years since arrival and distance from the introduction locality. The mean distance flown by wasp queens in flight mills was 404.7 ± 140.8 m (mean ± SE, n = 59), while the rate of spread of V. germanica was estimated at 37.2 ± 2.1 km year^?1 (mean ± SE, n = 67), although faster towards the south. The observed spread rate of V. germanica wasps in Argentina confirms the invasive potential shown by several Hymenoptera species worldwide. Still, a stratified geographical expansion pattern does not match observed queen dispersal abilities, suggesting that human‐aided transport of hibernating queens is the central driver of the current distribution of these wasps. We suggest that despite several life‐history traits known for social insects that contribute to successful invasion, wasp spread must still rely strongly on human mediated pathways. This observation sheds light on those factors that are crucial for managing invasions of this and related pestiferous wasps.     

The Harmonic Convergence of Fathers Predicts the Mating Success of Sons in Aedes aegypti

During courtship males often communicate information about their fitness to females. The matching of harmonic components of flight tone in male-female pairs of flying mosquitoes, or harmonic convergence, was recently described. This behaviour occurs prior to mating and has been suggested to function in mate selection. We investigated the hypothesis that harmonic convergence is a component of mosquito courtship. A key prediction of this hypothesis is that harmonic convergence should provide information to potential mates about fitness benefits. We measured the effect of harmonic convergence behaviour on the direct and indirect benefits obtained by females. We found that the sons of pairs that converged at harmonic frequencies prior to mating had increased mating success and that these offspring were themselves more likely to converge prior to mating. These results suggest that males may be able to signal information about their genetic quality to females prior to mating and that this signal may be heritable. These findings are important for our understanding of mosquito behaviour and have applications in the control of mosquito-borne disease. This study also contributes to the study of male-female interactions and signal coevolution.     

Contribution of habitat type to residency and dispersal choices by overwintered and summer adult Colorado potato beetles

The walking and flight dispersal of marked overwintered and summer Colorado potato beetles (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), released in field box‐plots was monitored simultaneously in six habitats over a period of 4 days. The emigration out of plots by walking beetles was calculated from the catch in linear pitfall traps completely surrounding each box‐plot and emigration flight was estimated from the number of beetles missing from the plot or captured by the trap. Overwintered beetles dispersed sooner after release than summer beetles. Overall, the mean number of beetles retained by the habitat was significantly higher in the host habitat (potato) than in any non‐host habitat tested (soybean, pasture, bare ground, water, woodland). Unexpectedly, there was no or little difference in overall beetle retention between non‐host habitats except for higher retention in the water habitat. No difference in the ratio of flight over walking could be detected by the study between overwintered and summer CPB except in the water and woodland habitats. Twenty‐four hours after release, the highest ratios were obtained in the water and woodland habitats and the lowest in the bare‐ground habitat, but ratios were similar for all habitats, except water, after 96 h. As a population, under these experimental conditions, 96 h after release, it seems that CPB displayed a slight preference for flight over walking, with walking as a default mode. A fed and starved pre‐release treatment had no effect on dispersal rates or mode of dispersal. Essentially, our results showed that over a 96‐h period, northeastern North American CPB emigrated at similar rates from the various non‐host habitats encountered, except for water, using walking as much as flight. The host habitat retained CPB significantly longer than non‐host habitats but with a mode of dispersal ratio similar to that in non‐host habitats. The impact on dispersal of the various habitats encountered by CPB in the agro‐ecosystem was less important than expected suggesting that the interaction of environmental parameters is likely to have the most significant impact in determining dispersal rates and dispersal modes.     

水生态空间红线概念、划定方法及实证研究

我国面临着多方面、复杂的水生态问题:洪涝、干旱、水质污染、水生生境丧失以及人水关系日益疏远等等。解决这些问题,不能依赖单一目标的灰色工程方法,而必须从维护和保育水生态系统的完整性出发,来系统地解决问题。为此,如何定义一个相对完整的水生态系统的边界、划定维护其安全和健康的底线,即水生态空间红线,是用生态方法综合解决水问题的基础性的工作。研究提出了以保护水生态系统的综合生态服务为核心的水生态空间红线概念;提出了以水生态安全格局构建为基础的水生态空间红线划定方法和"水生态问题分析-水生态过程模拟和评价-水生态安全等级划分-水生态安全格局判定-水生态空间红线的划定"技术流程,分别划定水资源供给保护、水文调节保护、水生命支持和水文化保护四种类型的水生态保护空间红线,在此基础上,整合为综合的水生态空间红线,它呈现为对水生态过程具有关键意义的点、线、面和空间联系所构成的空间格局,并以雁栖湖流域为例进行了实证研究。     

The first specimen of Archaeopteryx from the Upper Jurassic Mörnsheim Formation of Germany

From an initial isolated position as the oldest evolutionary prototype of a bird, Archaeopteryx has, as a result of recent fossil discoveries, become embedded in a rich phylogenetic context of both more and less crownward stem-group birds. This has prompted debate over whether Archaeopteryx is simply a convergently bird-like non-avialan theropod. Here we show, using the first synchrotron microtomographic examination of the genus, that the eighth or Daiting specimen of Archaeopteryx possesses a character suite that robustly constrains it as a basal avialan (primitive bird). The specimen, which comes from the Mörnsheim Formation and is thus younger than the other specimens from the underlying Solnhofen Formation, is distinctive enough to merit designation as a new species, Archaeopteryx albersdoerferi sp. nov., but is recovered in close phylogenetic proximity to Archaeopteryx lithographica. Skeletal innovations of the Daiting specimen, such as fusion and pneumatization of the cranial bones, well vascularized pectoral girdle and wing elements, and a reinforced configuration of carpals and metacarpals, suggest that it may have had more characters seen in flying birds than the older Archaeopteryx lithographica. These innovations appear to be convergent on those of more crownward avialans, suggesting that Bavarian archaeopterygids independently acquired increasingly bird-like traits over time. Such mosaic evolution and iterative exploration of adaptive space may be typical for major functional transitions like the origin of flight.