915 research outputs found
How Did E. M. Walker Measure the Length of the Labium of Nymphs of \u3ci\u3eAeshna\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eRhionaeschna\u3c/i\u3e (Odonata: Aeshnidae)?
The exhaustive studies of nymphs of Aeshna Fabricius and Rhionaeschna Förster by E. M. Walker (1912-1958) have long guided the taxonomy of these groups and formed the basis for keys still in use today. However, uncertainty about how he measured the length of the labium, including the varied terminology he used over the duration of his career concerning this structure, has led to confusion about application of his taxonomic recommendations. We recalculated ratios of the maximum width/length [W(max)/L] by measuring the illustration dimensions of folded labia and prementums in publications throughout his career and compared these data with the ratios he stated in those publications and with ratios derived from measurements of specimens in our collections. Our results show that from 1912 to 1941, Walker restricted length measurement to the prementum proper (which he called the âmentum of the labiumâ), exclusive of the ventrally visible portion of the postmental hinge. However, in 1941 he reported ratios from length measurements done two ways, excluding the postmental hinge in his description of the nymph of A. verticalis Hagen, but including the hinge in his description of the nymph of A. septentrionalis Burmeister (Whitehouse 1941). In Walkerâs most recent and influential work (1958), he included the postmental hinge in labium length measurements of nine species, but restricted length measurements to the prementum for five others. He was consistent with the use of terms, using both âfolded labiumâ by which he meant the prementum plus the postmental hinge, and âprementumâ by which he meant only that structure. However, Walkerâs descriptions of the labium in his latest work are buried in long, frequently punctuated sentences that for most species include the terms âfolded labiumâ and âprementumâ in the same sentence, so careful reading is required to know which term is intended in the width/length ratio. Width/length ratios we each calculated independently were invariably similar for a given species and were usually similar to Walkerâs stated ratio for that species. These similarities affirm our conclusion that while labium measurements must be done with care, they are closely repeatable among workers and will consistently lead to correct determinations in properly designed couplets of dichotomous keys to these genera. We recommend measuring the length of the prementum proper in future studies of these genera when labium ratios are calculated because we found less variability in those cases than when the measurements included the postmental hinge. An approximate conversion between the two methods of calculating W(max)/L ratios can be made as follows: ratio calculated when the length of the prementum excluding the postmental hinge is used x 0.88 is approximately equal to the ratio when the postmental hinge is included for species of Aeshna and Rhionaeschna in North America
Efficacy of Morphological Characters for Distinguishing Nymphs of \u3ci\u3eEpitheca Cynosura\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eEpitheca Spinigera\u3c/i\u3e (Odonata: Corduliidae) in Wisconsin
Attempts to distinguish exuviae and last-instar nymphs of Epitheca cynosura (Say) and Epitheca spinigera (Selys) (Odonata: Corduliidae) using lateral spine characters have proven to be unreliable, and recent use of setae counts on only one side of the prementum or one labial palp have led to confusion because these structures often hold unequal numbers of setae on the two sides of the same specimen. Based on exuviae of 67 reared E. cynosura and 55 reared E. spinigera from lakes throughout Wisconsin, we tested the efficacy of previously used character states for distinguishing these species and searched for new characters to improve the reliability of regional keys. The most reliable diagnostic character was the combined number of setae on both sides of the prementum and on both labial palps (†35 â E. cynosura; â„ 36 â E. spinigera), which correctly determined 96% of our specimens. For the small percentage of specimens that lie in the region of overlap in total setae number, we found that total exuviae length, cerci Ă· epiproct ratios of females, tubercle distance Ă· epiproct ratios of males, and the shape of the dorsal hook on segment 8 could be used to strengthen determinations
First Records for \u3ci\u3eAeshna Sitchensis\u3c/i\u3e (Odonata: Aeshnidae) and \u3ci\u3eEnallagma Clausum\u3c/i\u3e (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), and a Northwestern Record for the State-Endangered \u3ci\u3eSomatochlora Incurvata\u3c/i\u3e (Odonata: Corduliidae) in Wisconsin
While surveying for Odonata in coastal peatlands and associated shoreline areas adjacent to Lake Superior in Wisconsin, we documented populations of two new state record species, the zig-zag darner (Aeshna sitchensis Hagen) and the alkali bluet (Enallagma clausum Morse). We also located a robust population of the state-endangered incurvate emerald (Somatochlora incurvata Walker) at the northwestern edge of the known range of this species. Adults and exuviae of A. sitchensis and S. incurvata were found at an insular fen on Stockton Island, Ashland County, within the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (AINL). Breeding of both species had occurred in areas of the fen where small pools had dried by summer. Additionally, a single adult male A. sitchensis was collected in the City of Superior in Douglas County. Adult E. clausum were found at two sites: on the Lake Superior beach near the mouth of the Sand River within the AINL in Bayfield County, and along the northeast shore of Allouez Bay in the City of Superior in Douglas County
How Did E. M. Walker Measure the Length of the Labium of Nymphs of \u3ci\u3eAeshna\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eRhionaeschna\u3c/i\u3e (Odonata: Aeshnidae)?
The exhaustive studies of nymphs of Aeshna Fabricius and Rhionaeschna Förster by E. M. Walker (1912-1958) have long guided the taxonomy of these groups and formed the basis for keys still in use today. However, uncertainty about how he measured the length of the labium, including the varied terminology he used over the duration of his career concerning this structure, has led to confusion about application of his taxonomic recommendations. We recalculated ratios of the maximum width/length [W(max)/L] by measuring the illustration dimensions of folded labia and prementums in publications throughout his career and compared these data with the ratios he stated in those publications and with ratios derived from measurements of specimens in our collections. Our results show that from 1912 to 1941, Walker restricted length measurement to the prementum proper (which he called the âmentum of the labiumâ), exclusive of the ventrally visible portion of the postmental hinge. However, in 1941 he reported ratios from length measurements done two ways, excluding the postmental hinge in his description of the nymph of A. verticalis Hagen, but including the hinge in his description of the nymph of A. septentrionalis Burmeister (Whitehouse 1941). In Walkerâs most recent and influential work (1958), he included the postmental hinge in labium length measurements of nine species, but restricted length measurements to the prementum for five others. He was consistent with the use of terms, using both âfolded labiumâ by which he meant the prementum plus the postmental hinge, and âprementumâ by which he meant only that structure. However, Walkerâs descriptions of the labium in his latest work are buried in long, frequently punctuated sentences that for most species include the terms âfolded labiumâ and âprementumâ in the same sentence, so careful reading is required to know which term is intended in the width/length ratio. Width/length ratios we each calculated independently were invariably similar for a given species and were usually similar to Walkerâs stated ratio for that species. These similarities affirm our conclusion that while labium measurements must be done with care, they are closely repeatable among workers and will consistently lead to correct determinations in properly designed couplets of dichotomous keys to these genera. We recommend measuring the length of the prementum proper in future studies of these genera when labium ratios are calculated because we found less variability in those cases than when the measurements included the postmental hinge. An approximate conversion between the two methods of calculating W(max)/L ratios can be made as follows: ratio calculated when the length of the prementum excluding the postmental hinge is used x 0.88 is approximately equal to the ratio when the postmental hinge is included for species of Aeshna and Rhionaeschna in North America
The Puzzling Presence of Lestes australis (Odonata: Lestidae) in Wisconsin - Does This Species Migrate?
Lestes disjunctus australis Walker, 1952 was named as a subspecies of Lestes disjunctus Selys, 1862. In recent decades it has been considered deserving of full species status by most specialists. The core of its eastern North American range is south of Wisconsin, but during April through June of some years, mature individuals, and occasionally reproductive behavior, are observed at shallow ponds and wetlands mostly in the southern half of the state. Since first recorded in Wisconsin in 2002, it has been detected in 13 of Wisconsinâs 72 counties. However, there has been no unequivocal documentation of successful reproduction in the state. Various possibilities regarding long-range dispersal or facultative migration of this species and other species of Zygoptera are discussed
N-complexes as functors, amplitude cohomology and fusion rules
We consider N-complexes as functors over an appropriate linear category in
order to show first that the Krull-Schmidt Theorem holds, then to prove that
amplitude cohomology only vanishes on injective functors providing a well
defined functor on the stable category. For left truncated N-complexes, we show
that amplitude cohomology discriminates the isomorphism class up to a
projective functor summand. Moreover amplitude cohomology of positive
N-complexes is proved to be isomorphic to an Ext functor of an indecomposable
N-complex inside the abelian functor category. Finally we show that for the
monoidal structure of N-complexes a Clebsch-Gordan formula holds, in other
words the fusion rules for N-complexes can be determined.Comment: Final versio
Efficacy of Morphological Characters for Distinguishing Nymphs of \u3ci\u3eEpitheca Cynosura\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eEpitheca Spinigera\u3c/i\u3e (Odonata: Corduliidae) in Wisconsin
Attempts to distinguish exuviae and last-instar nymphs of Epitheca cynosura (Say) and Epitheca spinigera (Selys) (Odonata: Corduliidae) using lateral spine characters have proven to be unreliable, and recent use of setae counts on only one side of the prementum or one labial palp have led to confusion because these structures often hold unequal numbers of setae on the two sides of the same specimen. Based on exuviae of 67 reared E. cynosura and 55 reared E. spinigera from lakes throughout Wisconsin, we tested the efficacy of previously used character states for distinguishing these species and searched for new characters to improve the reliability of regional keys. The most reliable diagnostic character was the combined number of setae on both sides of the prementum and on both labial palps (†35 â E. cynosura; â„ 36 â E. spinigera), which correctly determined 96% of our specimens. For the small percentage of specimens that lie in the region of overlap in total setae number, we found that total exuviae length, cerci Ă· epiproct ratios of females, tubercle distance Ă· epiproct ratios of males, and the shape of the dorsal hook on segment 8 could be used to strengthen determinations
Vibrational dynamics of confined granular material
By means of two-dimensional contact dynamics simulations, we analyze the
vibrational dynamics of a confined granular layer in response to harmonic
forcing. We use irregular polygonal grains allowing for strong variability of
solid fraction. The system involves a jammed state separating passive (loading)
and active (unloading) states. We show that an approximate expression of the
packing resistance force as a function of the displacement of the free
retaining wall from the jamming position provides a good description of the
dynamics. We study in detail the scaling of displacements and velocities with
loading parameters. In particular, we find that, for a wide range of
frequencies, the data collapse by scaling the displacements with the inverse
square of frequency, the inverse of the force amplitude and the square of
gravity. Interestingly, compaction occurs during the extension of the packing,
followed by decompaction in the contraction phase. We show that the mean
compaction rate increases linearly with frequency up to a characteristic
frequency and then it declines in inverse proportion to frequency. The
characteristic frequency is interpreted in terms of the time required for the
relaxation of the packing through collective grain rearrangements between two
equilibrium states
Comparing Simulations of AGN Feedback
We perform adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) and smoothed particle hydrodynamics
(SPH) cosmological zoom simulations of a region around a forming galaxy
cluster, comparing the ability of the methods to handle successively more
complex baryonic physics. In the simplest, non-radiative case, the two methods
are in good agreement with each other, but the SPH simulations generate central
cores with slightly lower entropies and virial shocks at slightly larger radii,
consistent with what has been seen in previous studies. The inclusion of
radiative cooling, star formation, and stellar feedback leads to much larger
differences between the two methods. Most dramatically, at z=5, rapid cooling
in the AMR case moves the accretion shock well within the virial radius, while
this shock remains near the virial radius in the SPH case, due to excess
heating, coupled with poorer capturing of the shock width. On the other hand,
the addition of feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) to the simulations
results in much better agreement between the methods. In this case both
simulations display halo gas entropies of 100 keV cm^2, similar decrements in
the star-formation rate, and a drop in the halo baryon content of roughly 30%.
This is consistent with AGN growth being self-regulated, regardless of the
numerical method. However, the simulations with AGN feedback continue to differ
in aspects that are not self-regulated, such that in SPH a larger volume of gas
is impacted by feedback, and the cluster still has a lower entropy central
core.Comment: 22 pages, 20 figures, 3 tables, Accepted to ApJ, comments welcom
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