| the combined effects of pre- and post-copulatory processes are masking sexual conflict over mating rate in gerris buenoi. | in polygynandrous animals, post-copulatory processes likely interfere with precopulatory sexual selection. in water striders, sexual conflict over mating rate and post-copulatory processes are well documented, but their combined effect on reproductive success has seldom been investigated. we combine genetic parentage analyses and behavioural observations conducted in a competitive reproductive environment to investigate how pre- and post-copulatory processes influence reproductive success in ger ... | 2016 | 26468888 |
| relative impacts of mortality factors in field populations of the waterstrider gerris buenoi kirkaldy (heteroptera: gerridae). | impacts of predators, food levels and cannibalism on population growth of g. buenoi were studied in two experiments using field exclosures. in the first experiment, experiments using field exclosures. in the first experiment, impacts of (1) predation by freshwater invertebrates and (2) food limitation on gerrid populations were considered in a 2 x 2 factorial design, using food supplements and elimination of predators as the experimental treatments. in the second experiment, the possible contrib ... | 1986 | 28311288 |
| evolution of a novel appendage ground plan in water striders is driven by changes in the hox gene ultrabithorax. | water striders, a group of semi-aquatic bugs adapted to life on the water surface, have evolved mid-legs (l2) that are long relative to their hind-legs (l3). this novel appendage ground plan is a derived feature among insects, where l2 function as oars and l3 as rudders. the hox gene ultrabithorax (ubx) is known to increase appendage size in a variety of insects. using gene expression and rnai analysis, we discovered that ubx is expressed in both l2 and l3, but ubx functions to elongate l2 and t ... | 2009 | 19649305 |