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The owl is a magical creature: it exudes an ambivalent fascination that can trigger completely antithetical responses. On the one hand, there is something unsettling about the owl’s soundless flight, eerie call, and nocturnal activity that can result in its demonization as a messenger of darkness. On the other hand, however, its masklike visage and seemingly penetrating gaze prove - thralling, and this may have contributed to the deification of the owl as the companion spirit of an omniscient mother earth. In addition, the highly s- cialized captor of prey aroused the competitive envy of hunting parties, even provoking a bit of resentment when they lost out to owls in their hunt for small game. Moreover, the excrement and pellets (hairballs) they deposited in barns and church towers contributed to their reputation as undesirables or even pests. With the overcoming of superstition and suspicion, our relati- ship with these creatures of the night has now become one of unreserved - miration. They grant us insights into the rich diversity of adaptation to n- turnal hunting as well as into sound inventories, brooding biology, and ne- ling development. In a complete transformation of what was once a symbol of fear and hatred, charismatic owls now enjoy an almost singular popularity in large parts of the population.

Owls --- Striges --- Strigiformes --- Birds --- Zoology. --- Vertebrates. --- Biodiversity. --- Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography. --- Biological diversification --- Biological diversity --- Biotic diversity --- Diversification, Biological --- Diversity, Biological --- Biology --- Biocomplexity --- Ecological heterogeneity --- Numbers of species --- Vertebrata --- Chordata --- Natural history --- Animals --- Animal systematics. --- Animal taxonomy. --- Animal classification --- Animal systematics --- Animal taxonomy --- Classification --- Systematic zoology --- Systematics (Zoology) --- Taxonomy, Animal --- Zoological classification --- Zoological systematics --- Zoological taxonomy --- Zoology

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This summary of the results of chromosomal analysis of various groups of parasitic wasps will be essential reading for those working in the field. It is the second edition of a monograph that was first published in Russian, and has been substantially updated with new data, conclusions and references. The goal of this ground-breaking work is to document the author’s study of the karyotype structure and chromosomal evolution of parasitic Hymenoptera. It also interprets the results obtained, from both routine and differential chromosome staining, for systematic and phylogenetic purposes. Despite the huge importance of parasitic wasps, many problems of their taxonomy remain insufficiently studied. This is a situation that needs rectifying, as Hymenoptera are one of the largest and most taxonomically complicated groups of insects and they play a very important role in food chains as parasitoids of the overwhelming majority of insects and other arthropods. Parasitic wasps attack many pests of agriculture and forestry as well as certain beneficial insects. In addition, some secondarily phytophagous Hymenoptera damage certain cultivated plants. The renowned entomologist and author of this volume, Vladimir Gokhman, has himself developed a particular technique for obtaining chromosomal preparations from adult parasitic wasps. This allowed the inclusion of a wide range of those insects into the study. The karyotypic features of the majority of superfamilies and families as well as many lower taxa of parasitic Hymenoptera are listed, while the plesiomorphic and apomorphic character states of chromosome sets of parasitic wasps are revealed. The structural features of karyotypes used for identifying and discriminating sibling species and similar forms are shown, as are the data on chromosome sets of about 400 species of parasitic Hymenoptera (including more than 200 micrographs). Also included is a comprehensive phylogenetic and taxonomic analysis of karyotypic information. This book is unique because it demonstrates a range of karyotypic data for an insect group that seemed unattainable in this respect not so long ago. Rich in new facts, techniques and ideas, it will be of use to all those interested in karyology and Hymenoptera.

Hymenoptera --Genetics. --- Karyotypes. --- Parasitic wasps --Genetics. --- Parasitic wasps --- Karyotypes --- Hymenoptera --- Invertebrates & Protozoa --- Zoology --- Health & Biological Sciences --- Genetics --- Hymenoptera. --- Symphyta --- Life sciences. --- Animal genetics. --- Entomology. --- Life Sciences. --- Animal Genetics and Genomics. --- Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography. --- Insects --- Chromosome abnormalities --- Chromosomes --- Cytotaxonomy --- Animal systematics. --- Animal taxonomy. --- Animal classification --- Animal systematics --- Animal taxonomy --- Classification --- Systematic zoology --- Systematics (Zoology) --- Taxonomy, Animal --- Zoological classification --- Zoological systematics --- Zoological taxonomy --- Animals

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This work was begun to provide keys to the aquatic insect species known from Brazil. The original goal was to include all genera known from South America and all species from Brazil, but for most groups, the scope was expanded to encompass all species in South America, and, in some cases, to include terrestrial species of orders that include both terrestrial and aquatic taxa. In no case is a taxonomic revision of any group undertaken, although recommendations for such revisions are included where appropriate, and the probable synonymy of nominal species still treated as valid in the literature is noted. Two different approaches will be employed according to the taxon being treated. For phylogenetic groups encompassing overwhelmingly or exclusively aquatic species, such as the orders Plecoptera and Ephemeroptera or the families Dytiscidae and Culicidae, keys are provided to distinguish all genera and species known to occur in South America. An effort has been made to include every identifiable species so that the user of the key can determine with reasonable certainty whether or not his specimen belongs to a species that has already been described or whether it is one that is not yet known to science. Where feasible, complete keys will be prepared for groups containing both aquatic and terrestrial species that do not encompass an extraordinarily large number of species. This has already been done for the order Collembola.

Aquatic insects --- Damselflies --- Damsel flies --- Zygoptera --- Odonata --- Insects, Aquatic --- Water insects --- Aquatic invertebrates --- Insects --- Entomology. --- Zoology. --- Aquatic biology. --- Animal ecology. --- Freshwater & Marine Ecology. --- Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography. --- Animal Ecology. --- Animals --- Zoology --- Ecology --- Hydrobiology --- Water biology --- Aquatic sciences --- Biology --- Natural history --- Aquatic ecology . --- Animal systematics. --- Animal taxonomy. --- Animal classification --- Animal systematics --- Animal taxonomy --- Classification --- Systematic zoology --- Systematics (Zoology) --- Taxonomy, Animal --- Zoological classification --- Zoological systematics --- Zoological taxonomy --- Aquatic biology

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The spathidiids belong to the ciliate subclass Haptoria (Protozoa, Ciliophora), that is, they are predators using toxicysts to overwhelm the prey. Over 200 nominal spathidiid species have been described, sometimes based on seemingly minute differences. Thus, many protozoologists considered them as indeterminable and claimed for a detailed revision. The present monograph carefully revises the taxonomy, nomenclature, and ecology of all nominal species and shows that spathidiid diversity has been greatly underestimated. Based on the reinvestigation of described species with modern methods (silver impregnation, scanning electron microscopy) and the first description of over 50 new species, the family Spathidiidae is split into four families and 20 genera. Each species is described and figured in detail, making it unnecessary to go back to the original literature often difficult to obtain. Two identification keys are provided, viz., one for taxonomists and another, simple key for users not specifically trained in ciliate taxonomy.

Ciliata -- Classification. --- Spathidiidae -- Classification. --- Spathidiidae --- Ciliata --- Zoology - General --- Invertebrates & Protozoa --- Zoology --- Health & Biological Sciences --- Ciliated protozoa --- Ciliophora --- Bryophyllidae --- Homalozoidae --- Legendreidae --- Perispiridae --- Life sciences. --- Biodiversity. --- Zoology. --- Life Sciences. --- Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography. --- Biology --- Natural history --- Animals --- Biological diversification --- Biological diversity --- Biotic diversity --- Diversification, Biological --- Diversity, Biological --- Biocomplexity --- Ecological heterogeneity --- Numbers of species --- Animal systematics. --- Animal taxonomy. --- Animal classification --- Animal systematics --- Animal taxonomy --- Classification --- Systematic zoology --- Systematics (Zoology) --- Taxonomy, Animal --- Zoological classification --- Zoological systematics --- Zoological taxonomy

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Recently, evidence has been accumulated which shows that some of the groups formerly regarded as independent "phyla" such as Pogonophora (now recognized as Siboglinidae), Echiura, Myzostomida and perhaps Sipuncula, are most probably nothing else than greatly modified Annelida. The extreme morphological diversity found especially in Polychaeta displays the plasticity of a simple segmented organisation that basically is nothing else but a serial repetition of identical units. Thus, annelids are highly important to our understanding of fundamental questions about morphological and adaptive diversity, as well as clarifying evolutionary changes and phylogenetic relationships. The book aims to summarize our knowledge on Polychaetes polychaetes and their allies and gives an overview of recent advances gained by studies that employed conventional and modern methods plus, increasingly and importantly, the use of molecular markers and computer-assisted kinship analyses. It also reflects the state of art in polychaete sciences and presents new questions and controversies. As such it will significantly influence the direction of research on Polychaeta and their related taxa.

Polychaeta --- Morphology. --- Phylogeny. --- Evolution. --- Archiannelida --- Chaetopoda --- Polychaete worms --- Polychaetes --- Polychetes --- Annelida --- Invertebrates. --- Aquatic biology. --- Evolution (Biology). --- Zoology. --- Morphology (Animals). --- Freshwater & Marine Ecology. --- Evolutionary Biology. --- Animal Anatomy / Morphology / Histology. --- Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography. --- Animal morphology --- Animals --- Body form in animals --- Zoology --- Morphology --- Biology --- Natural history --- Animal evolution --- Biological evolution --- Darwinism --- Evolutionary biology --- Evolutionary science --- Origin of species --- Evolution --- Biological fitness --- Homoplasy --- Natural selection --- Phylogeny --- Hydrobiology --- Water biology --- Aquatic sciences --- Invertebrata --- Aquatic ecology . --- Evolutionary biology. --- Animal anatomy. --- Animal systematics. --- Animal taxonomy. --- Animal classification --- Animal systematics --- Animal taxonomy --- Classification --- Systematic zoology --- Systematics (Zoology) --- Taxonomy, Animal --- Zoological classification --- Zoological systematics --- Zoological taxonomy --- Animal anatomy --- Physiology --- Aquatic biology --- Ecology --- Anatomy