The Early Evolution of Biting–Chewing Performance in Hexapoda

Insects show a plethora of different mandible shapes. It was advocated that these mandible shapes are mainly a function of different feeding habits. This hypothesis was tested on a larger sampling of non-holometabolan biting–chewing insects with additional tests to understand the interplay of mandible function, feeding guild, and phylogeny. The results show that at the studied systematic level, variation in mandible biting–chewing effectivity is regulated to a large extent by phylogenetic history and the configuration of the mandible joints rather than the food preference of a given taxon. Additionally, lineages with multiple mandibular joints such as primary wingless hexapods show a wider functional space occupation of mandibular effectivity than dicondylic insects (= silverfish + winged insects) at significantly different evolutionary rates. The evolution and occupation of a comparably narrow functional performance space of dicondylic insects is surprising given the low effectivity values of this food uptake solution. Possible reasons for this relative evolutionary “stasis” are discussed

Occurrence of a new genus of troglobitic Nicoletiidae (Ins., Thysanura) in Mexico

The author examines two specimens of Nicoletia texensis Ulrich from the Quintero caves, Tamaulipas (Mexico). Among the most important characteristics of this species the exaggerated lengthening of the legs, cerci, antennae and other appendages has to be mentioned. Among Diplura, nearly the same degree of lengthening of the appendages may be observed in Plusiocampa dargilani (Moniez), a troglobitic Campodeidae of France. The structure of the median claw, completely different form other Nicoletia, probably will allow the institution of a new Genus for N. texensis

On some Hepialidae (Lepidoptera) from Patagonia. Critical remarks on the report nr 11 from the Ljungner\u27s Expedition 1932-1934

Volume: 91Start Page: 149End Page: 15

Diplura

Volume: 212Start Page: 1End Page: 12

Informed Transformations

Informed Transformations looks into revamp of Marconi Towers in Rotterdam in light of Information Age, as Tofflers describe it. Information processing though IT resonates with todays rhizomatic distribution of power, insfluence, data and space as well. Everchanging socio-economic context can be treated by a meta-design that binds input of designer and the user. That is achieved by two computational methods: parametric and algorithmic. The first one facilitates time-dependent geometry that takes different transformations. The second method distributes space evenly between the users, by keeping certain degree of porosity for lighting conditions and public spaces.HyperbodyArchitectureArchitecture and The Built Environmen