Cyclic-parthenogenesis
Guides
Bythotrephes longimanus
Spiny Water Flea, Spiny Waterflea
Bythotrephes longimanus is a predatory planktonic cladoceran crustacean native to northern Europe and Asia that has become a significant invasive species in North America since its introduction to the Great Lakes in the 1980s. Adults reach up to 15 mm in length, with females growing substantially larger than males. The species exhibits cyclic parthenogenesis and produces distinctive morphological forms depending on reproductive mode and season. Its invasion has caused substantial ecological disruption through direct predation on native zooplankton and non-lethal effects that alter prey behavior and population dynamics.
Melaphis
staghorn sumac aphid
Melaphis is a genus of woolly aphids in the family Aphididae, subtribe Melaphidina. The genus contains at least three cryptic species in North America: Melaphis rhois (the staghorn sumac aphid), Melaphis asafitchi, and Melaphis minuta. These aphids are notable for inducing galls on sumac and exhibiting ovoviviparity in sexual females.