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Copyright of Afyon Kocatepe University Journal of Science & Engineering / Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Fen Ve Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Afyon Kocatepe University, Faculty of Science & Literature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Globally, as wetlands are vital areas as floating islands are an important part of these wetlands in ecosystem. Due to the fact that effective results are able to obtained in terms of isolated environment, Zökün floating lake (Erzurum, Turkey) has been spatially selected as the study area. Hydrochara caraboides (Linnaeus, 1758) insect species, decreasing in number due to reasons such as climate changes, has been caught and identified by morphological methods. Firstly, morphological diagnosis of the hexapod was confirmed with respect on molecularly methods. Secondly, in laminar air flow cabinet, digestive structure of the hexapod is removed and in special sterile containers. Afterwards, microbiota of hexapod’ digestive structure content has been revealed based on DNA sequences. Thirdly; heavy metals analyses a growing slice of environmental research, we surveyed the concentration of 15 heavy metals of both hexapod body and the lake water. 803 bacterial species have been identified in 207 different bacteria families. In this way, we conclude that important outcomes which very diversity of ecosystem with useful, specially endosymbiont species. It is certain that extensive research is needed to gain a positive impetus for completely acquisition of ecological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Biology is the property of Instituto Internacional de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Larvae of water scavenger beetles are found in all types of aquatic and semi-aquatic environments and play an important role in the structure of these communities. Despite their diversity, morphological characters that allow the identification of larvae at species level are usually inconspicuous. In this paper we analyze the head capsule and mouthparts chaetotaxy of hydrophilid larvae belonging to the tribe Berosini, with the purpose of identifying variations on the external sensory organs that may be used for species delimitations. We focus on two species of Berosus Leach (Berosus festivus Berg, 1885 and Berosus patruelis Berg, 1885) and compare larval structures within Berosus and among other genera of Berosini. We include morphometric characters together with detailed illustrations of all characters, SEM images of selected structures and micrographs of a sensory organ present on the inner margin of the first antennomere which is a novelty within larval Coleoptera. Our analysis shows that the number, shape, relative position and organization of sensilla, especially those of labroclypeus and mouthparts, provide diagnostic characters for the separation of Berosus species. Also, we found a new set of characters derived from chaetotaxy that supports current phylogenetic relationships within the tribe Berosini. Most of these chaetic characters are associated with structures that have undergone strong modifications as adaptation to a benthic lifestyle in the clade Berosus + Hemiosus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The available data on the biology of the water scavenger beetle genus Protosternum Sharp, 1890 (Hydrophilidae: Sphaeridiinae: Protosternini) are summarized, indicating an obligate association of Protosternum beetles with banana plants (Musaceae): they inhabit decaying tissues of old banana stems in which adult feeding, larval development and pupation takes place. Second and third instar larvae and pupa of the Taiwanese-endemic P. abnormale (Orchymont, 1913) are described in detail, based on field-collected specimens associated with co-occurring adults by cox1 DNA barcodes. Larvae are unique in the Hydrophiloidea by having strongly asymmetrical mouthparts with a large basal bifid tooth on the right mandible, indicating a specialized prey preference. Putative larval synapomorphies of the Protosternini are revealed, based on the comparison of the Protosternum larva with that of Sphaerocetum. Taxonomic status of P. abnormale is revealed to be confused by previous authors due to the absence of male specimens and is clarified here. Two new species are described based on specimens previously misidentified as P. abnormale : P. malayanum sp. nov. from Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, and P. hainanense sp. nov. from Hainan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses several families of the beetle (Coleoptera) population in Peru as of April 2015. These include Epimetopidae, Hydrochidae, and Hydrophilidae (Hydrophiloidea). The other families of the beetles which are not seen in Peru are Georissidae, Helophoridae, and dae. Also cited are the physical features of the beetles, as well as their habitat.

The occurrence of Pachysternum capense (Mulsant, 1844) (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Megasternini) outside its native range in sub-Saharan Africa and its first records from Brasil, western Australia, Madeira, Romania, and Hungary are summarized. Current distribution data indicate that the species is mainly introduced to coastal areas by shipping and that it underwent several independent introductions to Europe. Pachysternum capense is now well-established in Europe and spread from coastal areas to inlands, with the northernmost record nearly reaching the latitude of 47°N. Multiple records are also known from Canary Island and Western Australia. Based on these data, P. capense has recently became a world-wide adventive species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Water-seeded rice under a continuous flood is susceptible to stand reduction by aquatic invertebrates. Field observations in water-seeded rice with reduced stand revealed the possibility that Tropisternus lateralis may be responsible for dramatically reducing rice stands. Greenhouse experiments were performed with aerated, covered bins that were water-seeded and infested with varying densities of T. lateralis. Uprooted seedlings (floaters) were counted and removed, and stands were recorded. Results showed significantly increased numbers of floaters in bins with higher densities of T. lateralis. Stands were also significantly reduced in the higher density bins. The results of these experiments strongly suggest that T. lateralis is responsible for dislodging rice seedlings in a water-seeded regime with a continuous flood. Foraging activity appeared to be associated with this damage. Observations also suggest female T. lateralis may be more likely to dislodge seedlings than males because of their egg laying activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article describes and illustrates the first Oriental species Hemisphaera orientalis of the water scavenger beetle genus Hemisphaera (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Chaetarthriini), from Guangxi, China. It notes that the species is the seventh known of the genus, and the first record of the genus in the Oriental Region. It cites three species from the western Palearctic Region, two from the Afrotropical region, and one species from Socotra Island between Palearctic and Afrotropical regions.

The article discusses research into size selective predation of mosquitofish Gambusia affinis by North American giant water-bug Hydrophilis triangularis and larval giant water scavenger beetle Lethocerus americanus. A comparison between the physical features and food habits of the two aquatic insects is presented. It reports details of the material selection process and predatory activity observed. It describes consumption of adult fishes by water-bugs, insect mortality, and survival rate. Some factors that tend to affect feeding rates for aquatic insect predators are also explored.

The article presents information on a study which investigated the species richness and temporal succession of invertebrates in droppings of African forest elephants Loxodonta cyclotis in the Bossematié Forest Reserve located in the Ivory Coast. It identifies several species of the Hydrophilidae, Scarabaeidae, and Histeridae. It offers information on the importance of African forest elephant for biodiversity of plants. A brief overview is also given on the ecology of invertebrates that colonize elephant dung.

Abstract: Using a recently developed petrogenetic grid for MORB+H2O, we propose a new model for the transportation of water from the subducting slab into the mantle transition zone. Depending on the geothermal gradient, two contrasting water-transportation mechanisms operate at depth in a subduction zone. If the geothermal gradient is low, lawsonite carries H2O into mantle depths of 300 km; with further subduction down to the mantle transition depth (approximately 400 km) lawsonite is no longer stable and thereafter H2O is once migrated upward to the mantle wedge then again carried down to the transition zone due to the induced convection. At this depth, hydrous β-phase olivine is stable and plays a role as a huge water reservoir. In contrast, if the geothermal gradient is high, the subducted slab may melt at 700–900 °C at depths shallower than 80 km to form felsic melt, into which water is dissolved. In this case, H2O cannot be transported into the mantle below 80 km. Between these two end-member mechanisms, two intermediate types are present. In the high-pressure intermediate type, the hydrous phase A plays an important role to carry water into the mantle transition zone. Water liberated by the lawsonite-consuming continuous reaction moves upward to form hydrous phase A in the hanging wall, which transports water into deeper mantle. This is due to a unique character of the reaction, because Phase A can become stable through the hydration reaction of olivine. In the case of low-pressure intermediate type, the presence of a dry mantle wedge below 100 km acts as a barrier to prevent H2O from entering into deeper mantle. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The UG2 chromitite and its immediate footwall have been mapped at the centimeter scale in a characteristic section exposed in a wall in the Middelpunt mine, northeast Bushveld Complex. In this region the UG2 chromitite and its coarse-grained footwall rocks are underlain and overlain by plagioclase pyroxenite. The UG2 chromitite itself is a massive, 70-cm-thick layer composed of 75 to 90 percent chromite with plagioclase as the dominant interstitial mineral. Immediately beneath the chromitite is the so-called mixed layer, a previously undescribed but distinct, mappable layer, 50 to 70 cm thick, consisting of chromite-bearing pegmatoidal pyroxenite and chromitite intimately mixed at scales of centimeters to decimeters. The mixture is chaotic with no megascopic fabric and contains in bulk about 15 percent chromite. The contact between the mixed layer and overlying chromitite is well defined but sinuous at scales of centimeters to decimeters. Based on observations of drill core and outcrop, the mixed layer appears to exist throughout the central sector of the eastern Bushveld and may be ubiquitous throughout the entire Complex. The mixed layer usually rests directly on the UG2 pegmatoid, which is a well known mad widespread pegmatoidal plagioclase pyroxenite. The pegmatoid is much coarser grained than the underlying pyroxenite, but the two lithologic units are similar in terms of mineral modes and compositions. The contact between them is irregular at scales of decimeters to meters, with vertical fingers of pegmatoid extending into the pyroxenite. The mixed layer and UG2 pegmatoid contain rare lenses of massive anorthosite encased by continuous, centimeter-thick rims of chromitite. A model is proposed to account for the footwall sequence of the UG2 chromitite. In this model, the UG2 pegmatoid formed when hydrous, interstitial melt percolated up through the partially molten crystal pile, accumulated beneath the preexisting, compacted, massive chromitite, and metasomatized and partially melted the pyroxenite protolith, which upon cooling recrystallized to a coarse-grained rock. On the basis of published experiments illustrating the effect of water on melting in mafic systems, it is shown how the hydrous melt was able to penetrate the pyroxene-bearing assemblages below the chromitite but unable to partially melt the chromitite itself, which in consequence remained relatively impermeable, The anorthosite lenses in the pegmatoid mark local areas of relatively high degrees of hydration partial melting, with the anorthosite representing the crystalline residue. The mixed layer formed by gradual collapse of the base of the UG2 chromitite into the less dense, relatively fluid footwall. The mixed layer and UG2 pegmatoid are diagnostic of the UG2 chromitite, and the three lithologic units should be considered a single petrologic unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

External and internal features of the head of adults of Helophorus spp. were examined and described in detail. The 6 species under consideration show very little morphological variation. The only distinctive characters, which characterise groups of species, are the presence or absence of the mandibular retinaculum and the symmetric or asymmetric shape of the ultimate maxillary palpomere. Helophoridae is supported by several autapomorphies, e.g. a group of long hairs on the posterodorsal margin of galeomere II and the distinctly serrate hind margin of the right mola. Characters with a potential phylogenetic relevance are listed, presented as a data matrix and analysed cladistically. The monophyly of Hydrophiloidea + Histeroidea, Hydrophiloidea (excl. Hydraenidae), ((Helophoridae + Hydrochidae) + (Georissidae [+ Epimetopidae?])), Hydrophilidae and Sphaeridiinae was supported in all trees. The position of Spercheus remains ambiguous. It is either the sistergroup of the remaining Hydrophiloidea or of Hydrophilidae. Head structures of adults of Helophoridae and Hydrochidae show a remarkable similarity. The following apomorphic character states are shared by both taxa: dorsal side of labrum divided into 2 areas with different surface structure, mentum with 2 longitudinal ridges. A clade comprising these 2 families + Georissidae (and probably Epimetopidae) is supported by the metallic granulation of the dorsal side of the head capsule and a grooved frontoclypeal suture. The presence of tubular mandibular glands may be a derived groundplan feature of Hydrophiloidea + Histeroidea. The proposed interrelationships are partly in contrast to current hypothesis. The hypothesised character evolution may change, if a more extensive set of taxa (e.g. Horelophinae, Horelophopsinae) and characters, especially larval features are used (e.g. stigmatic atrium). Several derived characteristics of the clades listed above may have been secondarily lost in Hydrophilidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]