Meeting Abstract S4.6  Monday, Jan. 5  Tracheal Systems and the Evolution of Insects VANDENBROOKS, J. M.*; KAISER, A.; HARRISON, J.F.; Arizona State University; Midwestern University; Arizona State University john.vandenbrooks@asu.edu Most insects respire via an air-filled tracheal respiratory system. Tracheal systems appear in the three related clades of Ecdysozoa that achieve large size and terrestriality, and within all […]

Meeting Abstract S4.8  Monday, Jan. 5  The Evolution of Circadian Clocks in Insects MERLIN, C.*; REPPERT, S.M.; UMass Medical School; UMass Medical School Steven.Reppert@umassmed.edu The molecular mechanism of circadian clocks has evolved independently several times over the course of evolution. However, within insects, in which circadian clocks regulate key daily and seasonal aspects of physiology and behavior, […]

Meeting Abstract S4.9  Monday, Jan. 5  Phylogeny and evolution of eusocial insects: a comparison of origins and losses in ants and bees BRADY, S.G.*; DANFORTH, B.N.; CARDINAL, S.; Smithsonian Institution; Cornell University; Cornell University bradys@si.edu We review recent progress toward understanding the evolutionary history of eusocial insect societies, which are characterized by cooperative brood care, generation overlap, […]

Meeting Abstract S4.5  Monday, Jan. 5  Osmoregulation in Insects CONTRERAS, HL*; BRADLEY, TJ; Univ. of California, Irvine; Univ. of California, Irvine tbradley@uci.edu Insects occupy thousands of ecological niches in terrestrial and aquatic habitats. In highly desiccating terrestrial environments, a major challenge is the acquisition of water. While most insects obtain water from their food, some can take […]

Meeting Abstract S4.1  Monday, Jan. 5  Main Episodes in Insect Evolution and the Importance of Stem Groups GRIMALDI, D.; American Museum of Natural History, New York grimaldi@amnh.org Stem groups are paraphyletic grades of basal or extinct species possessing some but not all of the specialized features of their crown group. Probably every feature of all species has […]

Meeting Abstract S4.7  Monday, Jan. 5  Evolution of color vision in insects BRISCOE, AD; Univ. of California, Irvine abriscoe@uci.edu The eyes of insects are remarkable. Much of eye diversity can be traced to alterations in the number, spectral properties, and spatial distribution of the visual pigments. Visual pigments are light-sensitive molecules composed of an opsin protein and […]

Meeting Abstract S4.3  Monday, Jan. 5  Convergent evolution of hairy attachment devices GORB, Stanislav N.; Zoological Institute, Department of Zoology: Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany s.gorb@mf.mpg.de Most recent data on biological hairy attachment systems demonstrated their excellent adhesion and high reliability of contact. In contrast to smooth systems (tree frogs, grasshoppers), some hairy […]

Meeting Abstract S4.4  Monday, Jan. 5  Arthropod Aloft: The Origins and Functional Diversification of Insect Flight DUDLEY, R.*; YANOVIAK, S.P.; Univ. of California, Berkeley; Univ. of Arkansas, Little Rock wings@berkeley.edu The evolution of wings in the late Paleozoic was the essential innovation underlying subsequent hexapod radiations in the terrestrial biosphere. Although the insect analog of Archaeopteryx has […]

Meeting Abstract S4.5  Monday, Jan. 4  Reconfiguration and the biomechanics of flexible wave-swept macroalgae BOLLER, M.L.; St. John Fisher College mboller@sjfc.edu The hydrodynamic forces experienced by wave-swept intertidal macroalgae are influenced by reconfiguration, i.e. the change in size and shape of the organism projected into the flow. These changes result from the forces generated by that flow […]

Meeting Abstract S4.9  Monday, Jan. 4  Pollinarium ejection and the evolution of hypervariable male flowers in Catasetum orchids FULOP, D; KRAMER, EM; DUMAIS, J*; Harvard University jdumais@oeb.harvard.edu Orchids possess an exquisite suite of characters to support pollination. Among the most remarkable of these characters is the forcible pollinarium discharge of the genus Catasetum. When ejected from a […]