Chromosome-evolution

Guides

• Lethocerus

  giant water bugs, toe biters, electric light bugs

  Lethocerus is a genus of large predatory aquatic true bugs in the family Belostomatidae. Members are among the largest true bugs, with some species exceeding 12 cm in length. The genus is distinguished from related genera by specific morphological features of the fore femur and parasternites. Unlike other giant water bugs, females do not deposit eggs on males' backs; instead, eggs are laid on emergent vegetation above the waterline and guarded by males. The genus shows greatest diversity in the Americas, with limited representation in Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia.

  giant-water-bugtoe-biterelectric-light-bugaquatic-predatorrange-expansionclimate-changecitizen-scienceBelostomatidaeHemipterafreshwaterMediterraneaninvasive-potentialpainful-biteedible-insectendangered-specieschromosome-evolutionsex-chromosome-pre-reductionmale-parental-carenocturnalphototaxis

• Toumeyella liriodendri

  tuliptree scale

  Toumeyella liriodendri, the tuliptree scale, is a soft scale insect (Coccidae) native to North America and specialized on Liriodendron tulipifera (tuliptree or yellow-poplar). This univoltine species overwinters as second-instar nymphs on twigs, matures to adults in spring, and produces eggs that hatch into crawlers in early summer. First-instar nymphs feed on leaf undersides before migrating back to twigs in autumn. Males are unknown; reproduction is presumed parthenogenetic. Heavy infestations cause branch dieback, reduced growth, and honeydew production that supports sooty mold growth. The species has been the subject of recent genomic research, with a 536Mb genome assembly revealing it as an early-diverging soft scale with 17 chromosomes.

  scale-insectsoft-scaleCoccidaeLiriodendrontuliptreeyellow-poplarunivoltineparthenogenesishoneydewsooty-moldforest-pestornamental-pestgenomechromosome-evolutionphloem-feederant-tendedNorth-AmericaMarylandHemipteraSternorrhyncha