Giant Insects Research Articles

The Early History of Giant Cockroaches: Gyroblattids and Necymylacrids (Blattodea) of the Late Carboniferous

Large-winged blattoids of the Middle to Late Pennsylvanian reveal a striking appearance, diversification, and decline in the fossil record. Among them, the families Necymylacridae Durden, 1969, and Gyroblattidae Durden, 1969, as well as the mylacrid genus Opsiomylacris exhibit, the largest pre-Cenozoic blattoids with forewing lengths up to 7.5 cm. As finds from coal-bearing sedimentary basins in Europe, North Africa, and North America indicate, these giant insects started to spread around the Bashkirian–Moscovian transition and experienced a diversification in late Moscovian and Kasimovian times, until they disappeared in the middle Gzhelian. Whereas necymylacrids are only patchily reported and still lack distributional patterns, we disclose the occurrence and particular habitat preference of gyroblattids. Although appearing first in some vast North American basins, they became successively widespread only in small-sized basins of the European Variscan interior. Frequently found associated with enigmatic gymnosperms, they may have lived in well-drained hinterland areas from where they immigrated into the ever-wet basin centers only with increasing seasonality. Gyroblattids apparently followed meso- to xerophilous plants and likely colonized spaces offering a broader spectrum of edaphic conditions that resulted from the closeness of erosional and depositional areas. The presented analysis and revision of all gyroblattids aim to facilitate future more realistic biodiversity estimations based on fossil taxa.

Sex, Bugs and Rock 'n' Roll: Insects in Music Videos.

Simple SummaryMusic videos were examined on YouTube for insect content. The types of insects shown, the year of issue, and themes were recorded. The most common insects seen in music videos were butterflies and moths. Bees, ants, and wasps were the second most common, while beetles, spiders, flies, and grasshoppers/crickets were tied for third place. Insect music videos are becoming increasingly common, perhaps because the total number of videos being issued is also increasing. Large numbers of insects were common in about one quarter of the videos, while insects with human features were in about one fifth. Giant insects were seen in only one twentieth of the videos. Many insect music videos and their associated songs have been very successful, with ten number one songs and four music video awards. Animation of various types was used in many insect videos, while live footage and photographs allowed identification of many of the insects. The types of insects shown, the themes represented and the success of insect music videos seem to indicate that human attitudes toward insects are trending toward more positive values, especially relative to those in early horror films, which were exclusively designed to convey horror.The appearance of insects in music videos was examined. The most common taxa observed were Lepidoptera, then Hymenoptera, with Coleoptera, Araneae, Diptera, and Orthoptera essentially tied for third most represented. Insect music videos have increased in frequency over time, probably as an artifact of industry growth. Swarms and infestations were common in insect videos (appearing in 26%), as were chimeric insectoid humans (19%), and, to a lesser extent, giant insects (5%), but not all of these representations were used to induce horror. Some insect music videos have garnered awards, and many of the songs associated with them have been very successful. There were many animated insect sequences, but also images of specimens that were sufficiently detailed to allow identification of the species. The insect groups observed reflect both positive and negative values. There is some indication that insects are not viewed in such a negative light as they once were, providing hope for improving attitudes of humans toward insects.

New and poorly known giant scale insects (Homoptera: Coccinea: Margarodidae s. lat.) from the Oriental region with taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on the subfamily Monophlebinae

A new scale insect genus and species, Gompholopium quercicola gen. et sp. nov. is described and illustrated, based on material from China (Yunnan Prov.). Hemaspidoproctus cinereus (Green, 1922) is redescribed, based on material from India (Allahabad). Walkeriana tosariensis Reyne, 1957 is transferred to the genus Hemaspidoproctus Morrison, 1927 – H. tosariensis (Reyne, 1957) comb. nov. Monophlebus neglectus Gavrilov-Zimin, 2018 syn. nov. is formally synonymized with the unrecognizable Monophlebus atripennis Burmeister, 1835 in order to resolve an old taxonomic and nomenclatural problem in the subfamily Monophlebinae.

Who’s Afraid of Photography?

In contemporary horror, the photographic image is often used as the object of horror or even represents the main antagonist of the story. We can trace the origin of such depictions to the very invention of the technique of photography in the 19th century, which was also the heyday of spiritualist theories about photography making the soul of the deceased visible to the human eye using chemical compounds. A notorious example is the case of photographer William Mumler who offered well-off relatives of recently deceased people in the States to make portraits with the ghosts of their loved ones. There are also reports of some peoples that allegedly also consider the soul to be closely bound to photography and in consequence abhor photography, as the film is supposedly capable of capturing and depriving the photographed person of their soul. Films like The Ring, The Others, Peeping Tom, and The Invisible Man demonstrate how frequently uncanny photography appears in the horror film genre and open questions about the reasons of such depictions. While the theory of horror claims that horror uses specific iconography of fear to reflect the common fears of the time (e.g. an invasion of giant insects and carnivorous plants in the 50s as a consequence of American fear of a communist invasion), the article explores the issue of photography as the main antagonist in the horror genre of the 21st century and whether this means that it appears as the universal fear of digital identity, surveillance, and identity theft.

A glance at the deep past history of insects

A glance at the deep past history of insects

Mass rodent poisoning on this remote Australian island could bring back giant stick insect

Mass rodent poisoning on this remote Australian island could bring back giant stick insect

Insects in Folk Music

We undertook a study of folk music to examine values expressed toward arthropods in this medium. In an online archive, 0.27% of songs had arthropod-related titles. The most common taxa indicated in the titles were Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera, reflecting both positive (Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera) and negative (Diptera) attitudes in the lyrical content. Multiple insects (swarms and infestations) were commonly described, but reference to giant insects were rather rare. About 87% of non-instrumental songs with insects in the title were actually about insects. With a few exceptions, the patterns seen in folk music were similar to those observed in rock-and-roll music and other popular media with regard to insect representation. However, the pastoral nature of folk music was evident in the frequency of insect-titled songs and the variety of titles and lyrics for the same song.

Where She Fell by Kaitlin Ward

Reviewed by: Where She Fell by Kaitlin Ward Wesley Jacques Ward, Kaitlin Where She Fell. Point/Scholastic, 2018 [304p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-338-23007-9 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-338-23009-3 $10.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 7-10 Sixteen-year-old geology nerd Eliza is the middle child, and her two best friends have made her feel like the middle friend, that is, often left out and generally inferior, which doesn't help her social anxiety at all. When peer pressure and poor decision-making find Eliza swallowed by a sinkhole and transported deep into the Earth, however, her concerns shift from the social milieu to survival. In secret and mysterious underground caverns, she happens upon a colony of a dozen survivors of similar falls that have simply given up on ever reaching the surface again. It's unclear whether there's something preternatural at hand, but as Eliza befriends the three other teens and gets close to the resident scientist, who is the only one who seems to notice how weird it is that everyone has so thoroughly settled into underground life, the ripple effects of a new person in this tight-knit community cause palpable tension. Eliza is a relatable protagonist, as her self-doubt makes her wary of taking the leadership role, but her knowledge of (and excitement for) geology makes her perfect for the perilous journey back to the surface—encountering deadly beasts, giant insects, and glowing human-like creatures along the way. A novel as much about interpersonal relationships as it is about (literally) exploring new pathways in our relationship with the Earth, this survival adventure story is both exciting and emotionally mature. WJ Copyright © 2018 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Top stories: Science Nobels, a giant insect back from the dead, and how Neandertal DNA makes you fat

Top stories: Science Nobels, a giant insect back from the dead, and how Neandertal DNA makes you fat

This giant Australian insect is still alive, despite being declared extinct nearly a century ago

This giant Australian insect is still alive, despite being declared extinct nearly a century ago

Show time!

With 140 talks, six stages and hundreds of exhibitors showcasing everything from giant insects to next-generation robots, our festival of ideas was packed with high points – and attracted 30,000 visitors. Rowan Hooper attempts to summarise the New Scientist Live experience

December 2016: This Month in JoVE

Here's a look at what's coming up in the December 2016 issue of JoVE: The Journal of Visualized Experiments. Grant deadlines, training interns, and impossible experiments got your hair turning gray? The first of our videos this month may have just the solution for you...without the toxic chemicals. In JoVE Bioengineering this month, Im et al (our Authors) demonstrate a novel formulation of permanent hair dye using natural plant phenols polymerized by fungal laccase. These environmentally friendly dyes color keratin hairs almost as quickly as commercial dyes, and can produce a variety of colors and shades. So now you can look fabulous once again for that conference presentation or thesis defense, naturally... From looking amazing, to looking at amazing things, our second video highlight this month takes us into the nanoscopic world of three-dimensional super resolution microscopy. In JoVE Bioengineering, Wang et al(our Authors) describe a new 3D microscopy technique based on single-molecule localization and multiphase interferometry. iPALM, or Interferometric PhotoActivated Localization Microscopy, gives the user almost isotropic resolution to 20 nm in all three dimensions, allowing for highly detailed analysis of ultrastructural cell features including the actin cytoskeleton. It's a big development, for some of the tiniest structures around. Do you ever have that nightmare, with the giant insect flying a fighter jet, shooting lasers at you? No? Good, me either. Because in JoVE Bioengineering this month, Ando et al (our Authors) showcase their Insect Controlled Robot, piloted by a living silkmoth. When docked into the cockpit of the robot, moths are exposed to pheromone odor plumes, and can maneuver the vehicle toward the odor source by walking on a modified track-ball. Biomimetic robots have tremendous potential for tasks including locating explosive or contraband materials, finding disaster victims, or detecting hazardous material spills...so think twice about squashing that bug in your house! Our final video highlight this month is sleep-inducing...but it's certainly not dull! In JoVE Medicine Traxdorf et al (our Authors) demonstrate a standardized protocol for Drug Induced Sleep Endoscopy, or DISE, to study obstruction patterns during Obstructive Sleep Apnea. In this technique, patients are sedated using target-controlled infusion of the drug propofol. Once the subject reaches the desired precisely-controlled depth of anesthesia, researchers can examine the obstruction levels of even the most heterogeneous groups of patients. This may lead to better outcomes from upper airway surgeries...and possibly less snoring in faculty meetings? You've just had a sneak peek of the December 2016 issue of JoVE. Visit the website to see the full-length articles, plus many more, in JoVE: The Journal of Visualized Experiments.

Hypermetric Tracheal Scaling as a Factor in Insect Gigantism

Why are insects small? In the Paleozoic Era, atmospheric oxygen levels peaked significantly higher than the current level. Along with this oxygen peak came giant insects, many times larger than those currently observed. This suggests that oxygen transport may inhibit insects from becoming giants. If this were the case, then one would expect to observe an increase of investment in gas exchange structures in larger insects, i.e. hypermetric scaling. This has been observed in tenebrionid beetle trachea. In this study, we look at scarab beetles, since they have a large range of sizes including the largest extant insect species. Using sets of micro‐CT images of freshly dead scarabs taken at 180 degrees around the beetle, 3d reconstructions of the specimens were made. Using Aviso Fire, the eight spiracles, coxal‐trochantal areas, and the mesothoracic femoral tracheal volumes were measured. The spiracle areas showed isometric scaling with a slope of 0.70. However, spiracle area over spiracle depth showed a steeper slope in the proximal abdominal and thoracic spiracles as compared to the distal abdominal spiracles, suggesting that larger beetles may exhibit different dimensions in their spiracles to promote the spiracle's diffusive abilities (larger area compared to depth allows more air to flow a shorter distance via diffusion). The scaling of the area of the coxal‐trochantal trachea showed a larger slope than the scaling of the area of the coxa with a p value of 0.09 in a t test. The femur structure showed isometric scaling, whereas the femoral trachea showed hypermetry with a slope of 1.46, which differed from a slope of 1 with a p value of 0.0012 in a t test. These indicate that structures far from oxygen intake at the spiracles scale hypermetrically in scarabs.Support or Funding InformationThis research was supported in part by funds from the School of Life Sciences Undergraduate Research (SOLUR) Program through the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, Tempe Campus, and by NSF 1122157

Segmental pairs of giant insect cells discharge presumptive immune proteins at each larval molt

A pair of massive secretory cells exists within each thoracic and the nine abdominal segments of Manduca larvae. Each of these cells is nestled between the dorsal integument and underlying muscles. Contents of large vacuoles in these cells are abruptly discharged at each molt and have always been considered to contribute to shedding and/or formation of cuticle. Peanut agglutinin is a specific lectin label for these secretory vacuoles; vacuoles label intensely immediately before each molt as vacuoles attain their maximal size. Contents of vacuoles are restored after each molt and throughout most of each intermolt. During the molt cycle these cells secrete contents of their vacuoles into the interior hemocoel rather than onto the exterior cuticle. Vacuoles discharge via a distinctive mechanism involving partitioning of contents into numerous vesicles that move to the cell surface. Dermal secretory cells were dissected from larvae before and after the 4th–5th instar molt. Proteins from pre-molt and post-molt secretory cells were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis to establish which proteins are discharged at the molt. While secreted proteins are novel, all have presumptive roles in immune responses. Dermal secretory cells may represent a new, unsuspected component of the innate immune system that release their proteins during the vulnerable molting period of an insect's life.

A study of the members of the tribe Phasmatini Gray, 1835, that occur within the boundaries of Wallacea (Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae: Phasmatinae: "Lanceocercata").

A study of the members of the tribe Phasmatini Gray, 1835, that occur within the boundaries of Wallacea (Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae: Phasmatinae: "Lanceocercata").

Animal evolution and atmospheric pO2: is there a link between gradual animal adaptation to terrain elevation due to Ural orogeny and survival of subsequent hypoxic periods?

Considering evolution of terrestrial animals as something happening only on flat continental plains seems wrong. Many mountains have arisen and disappeared over the geologic time scale, so in all periods some areas of high altitude existed, with reduced oxygen pressure (pO2) and increased aridity. During orogeny, animal species of the raising terrain can slowly adapt to reduced oxygen levels.This review proposes that animal evolution was often driven by atmospheric oxygen availability. Transitions of insect ancestors and amphibians out of water are here interpreted as events forced by the lack of oxygen in shallow and warm water during Devonian. Hyperoxia during early Carboniferous allowed giant insects to be predators of lowlands, forcing small amphibians to move to higher terrains, unsuitable to large insects due to reduced pO2. In arid mountainous habitats, ascended animals evolved in early reptiles with more efficient lungs and improved circulation. Animals with alveolar lungs became the mammalian ancestors, while those with respiratory duct lungs developed in archosaurs. In this interpretation, limb precursors of wings and pneumatised bones might have been adaptations for moving on steep slopes.Ural mountains have risen to an estimated height of 3000 m between 318 and 251 Mya. The earliest archosaurs have been found on the European Ural side, estimated 275 Myr old. It is proposed that Ural orogeny slowly elevated several highland habitats within the modern Ural region to heights above 2500 m. Since this process took near 60 Myr, animals in these habitats fully to adapted to hypoxia.The protracted P-Tr hypoxic extinction event killed many aquatic and terrestrial animals. Devastated lowland areas were repopulated by mammaliaformes that came down from mountainous areas. Archosaurs were better adapted to very low pO2, so they were forced to descend to the sea level later when the lack of oxygen became severe. During the Triassic period, when the relative content of O2 reduced to near 12%, archosaurs prevailed as only animals that could cope with profound hypoxia at the sea level. Their diverse descendants has become dominant terrestrial animals, until the K-Pg extinction due to meteor impact.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1742-4682-11-47) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Environmental and biotic controls on the evolutionary history of insect body size

Giant insects, with wingspans as large as 70 cm, ruled the Carboniferous and Permian skies. Gigantism has been linked to hyperoxic conditions because oxygen concentration is a key physiological control on body size, particularly in groups like flying insects that have high metabolic oxygen demands. Here we show, using a dataset of more than 10,500 fossil insect wing lengths, that size tracked atmospheric oxygen concentrations only for the first 150 Myr of insect evolution. The data are best explained by a model relating maximum size to atmospheric environmental oxygen concentration (pO(2)) until the end of the Jurassic, and then at constant sizes, independent of oxygen fluctuations, during the Cretaceous and, at a smaller size, the Cenozoic. Maximum insect size decreased even as atmospheric pO(2) rose in the Early Cretaceous following the evolution and radiation of early birds, particularly as birds acquired adaptations that allowed more agile flight. A further decrease in maximum size during the Cenozoic may relate to the evolution of bats, the Cretaceous mass extinction, or further specialization of flying birds. The decoupling of insect size and atmospheric pO(2) coincident with the radiation of birds suggests that biotic interactions, such as predation and competition, superseded oxygen as the most important constraint on maximum body size of the largest insects.

Equisetum

Equisetum

The Shadows that Rush Past by R. A. Qitsualik

Qitsualik, Rachael A. The Shadows that Rush Past. Iqaluit: Inhabit Media, Inc., 2011. Print. Rachael Qitsualik is an Inuit who was “born into the traditional 1950’s culture of iglu-building and dog-sledding”. She is now a renowned re-teller of Inuit folktales, as well as a translator, writer, scholar and aboriginal rights activist. This book, which contains four tales of scary creatures, shows Quitsualik demonstrating her mastery of story telling. In her introduction, she tells us that the stories “[defy] death and decay, they are songs of immortality.” Her stories are full of wisdom. For example in Nanurluk, she tells us “that even the oddest personality quirk can turn out to be a gift in the right situation”. All the stories come from a time when there were many strange creatures in the Arctic world: half-human, half-animal monsters who ate people, animals that spoke to humans and giant insects that could strip a body to a skeleton in a matter of hours. It was the time when the world was forming. “These were the days, you see, when human beings recognized the Land as one might a dear relative; and the Land, in turn, recognized humankind.” In each of the stories, Qitsualik engages the reader through vivid detail. For example in Nanurluk, the hunter, Nakasungnak rushes headlong into the mouth of the giant maurading polar bear. “Nakasungnak fell forward, into the bear’s throat. It was probably a good thing, since the bear’s response to having a person in its mouth was to snap its jaws closed, and if Nakasungnak’s legs had still been dangling outside the mouth when that had happened, well, a pair of boots might have fallen to the beach, feet still in them.” (26) Qitsualik also engages readers by speaking directly to them. In Amautalik”, she says, “I warned you that I would tell you what was under her parka. Wriggling among the flaking folds of her skin were lice. The size of puppies.” The stories are illustrated with 19 full page illustrations by Emily Fiegenschuh and Larry MacDougall. Fiegenschuh has used full-colour illustrations to create realistic images of the mythical world. The cover illustration of the amautalik, with her one blue eye and one brown eye, being driven mad by the snow bunting is Fiegenschuh’s work. MacDougall illustrated two stories with bi-colour drawings, sepia tones for the creatures and humans and blue for the ice and snow. Though quite different styles, both illustrators help to evoke the fear and wonder that the stories are meant to convey. This is an excellent selection for upper elementary readers. Highly recommended: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

Atmospheric oxygen level and the evolution of insect body size

Insects are small relative to vertebrates, possibly owing to limitations or costs associated with their blind-ended tracheal respiratory system. The giant insects of the late Palaeozoic occurred when atmospheric PO(2) (aPO(2)) was hyperoxic, supporting a role for oxygen in the evolution of insect body size. The paucity of the insect fossil record and the complex interactions between atmospheric oxygen level, organisms and their communities makes it impossible to definitively accept or reject the historical oxygen-size link, and multiple alternative hypotheses exist. However, a variety of recent empirical findings support a link between oxygen and insect size, including: (i) most insects develop smaller body sizes in hypoxia, and some develop and evolve larger sizes in hyperoxia; (ii) insects developmentally and evolutionarily reduce their proportional investment in the tracheal system when living in higher aPO(2), suggesting that there are significant costs associated with tracheal system structure and function; and (iii) larger insects invest more of their body in the tracheal system, potentially leading to greater effects of aPO(2) on larger insects. Together, these provide a wealth of plausible mechanisms by which tracheal oxygen delivery may be centrally involved in setting the relatively small size of insects and for hyperoxia-enabled Palaeozoic gigantism.