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The Heterogynidae are a small family of moths consisting of a single genus Heterogynis and sixteen described species distributed in the Mediterranean region. A species new to science, Heterogynis serbica sp. nov., is described from the locality of Srebrenac, Mt. Kopaonik, Republic of Serbia, Balkan Peninsula, by applying an integrative taxonomic approach using morpho-anatomical characteristics, wing morphometics and DNA barcoding. Male genitalia, scanning electron micrographs of adult male head anatomy, abdominal tergites/sternites, cocoons and habitats of the closely related species H. serbica sp. nov. and H. zikici are discussed and illustrated. Photographs of adult males and females, cocoons, plants in which the cocoons were found and habitats are shown. Importantly, marked differences in genital structure and other morphological characters were noted. These differences were confirmed with forewing morphometrics and COI-based DNA barcoding results. Additionally, DNA barcodes for H. serbica sp. nov. and H. zikici were compared against previously available data for the genus to evaluate the phylogenetic relationships. We conclude that deep, previously unknown and unexpected intrageneric morphological diversity exists in the genus Heterogynis.

Pachyrhynchini and Doliops constitute Batesian model-mimic system of Coleopteran (beetles) mimicry endemic to the Philippines archipelago. Doliops longhorn beetles are extremely rare and interesting group of weevil mimicking species and there should be a broad interest to save them from extinction. The awareness of the existence of these amazing and unique examples of mimicry would help to open international conservation initiatives. However, currently there are no efficient tools or methods available to measure or to quantify the degree of visual similarity between the model and the mimic species. This was the motivation to develop the image processing technique, as the first step in the larger project, for the purpose of colored aposematic pattern detection and two-objects visual similarity quantification. Although developed on peculiar beetles, this approach could have broad applications.

This paper reports a study that investigated the synergies of influence (that which shapes the context for creative ideas) and inspiration (that which inspires the content) during the creation process of ten seasoned textile designers towards a better understanding of creativity. The behaviors and rhythm of textile designers were mapped using participant observation with multiple methods including field observation, capturing visual records using video equipment and photography, note taking, auditory records using mp3 recorders, and conducting informal dialogue during studio sessions. The results provide detailed interpretive information in the form of themes focused on understanding how they used and transformed inspirational sources towards the completion of their projects and how designers use their personal thesauruses through their sociocultural capital as influences. No two designers used and transformed inspirational sources in exactly the same way, yet each designer exhibited multiple methods of transformation by including an element of inspiration in their design process. Four separate themes emerged when we looked at how the designers used their personal thesauruses as influences. These themes were: (a) connections made to their sociocultural capital and through research, (b) narratives found or told to focus their projects, (c) emotions related to their attachments and reactions, and (d) design elements they referenced that aided in their decision making. Our rich descriptions of when and how often influence and inspirational sources play into the creative and problem-solving processes are a step toward a better understanding of creativity as a dynamic, complex, and diverse endeavor.

The goal of lab exercise described in this paper is to provide biology undergraduate students with research experience comparable to graduate studies but performed during regular lab sessions. Working on regular weekly 3 hour lab projects, students dedicate a portion of time to do continuous experiments on butterfly wing pattern formation. In that way students are capable to generate experimental results superior in comparison to regular lab projects. Procedure which is stretched across several weeks includes observation of butterfly growth and metamorphosis, cold shock experiments and pupae injections with sodium tungstate, chemical which alters wild type colour patterning through the modification of cell signals. Furthermore students learn how to spread specimens, photograph them, and do comparative analysis of wild type and altered colour morphs of Painted Lady with other butterfly species from the same genus. In that way students compare induced polyphenism with the actual evolution of colour patterns, getting familiar with evodevo paradigm.

Polyembryonic development is a unique mode of metazoan development in which a single zygote generates multiple embryos by clonal proliferation1. The polyembryonic parasitic insect Copidosoma floridanum shows one of the most extreme cases of polyembryony, producing up to 2,000 embryos from a single egg. In addition, this wasp exhibits an unusual polyphenism, producing two morphologically distinct larval castes, termed precocious and reproductive, that develop clonally from the same zygote2. This form of development seems incompatible with a model of insect development in which maternal pre-patterning of the egg specifies embryonic axial polarity3. Here we show that maternal pre-patterning in the form of germ plasm creates cellular asymmetry at the four-cell stage embryo of Copidosoma that is perpetuated throughout development. Laser ablations of cells show that the cell inheriting the germ plasm regulates both the fate and proliferation of the reproductive caste. Thus, we have uncovered a new mechanism of caste specification, mediated by the regulatory capacity of a single cell. This study shows that the evolution of mammalian-like regulative development of an insect embryo relies on a novel cellular context that might ultimately enhance developmental plasticity.