Surviving changing climate conditions is particularly difficult for organisms such as insects
that depend on environmental temperature to regulate their physiological functions. Insects …

Melanins are ancient biological pigments found in all kingdoms of life. In fungi, their role in
microbial pathogenesis is well established; however, these complex biomolecules also …

The wings of Lepidoptera contain a matrix of living cells whose function requires appropriate
temperatures. However, given their small thermal capacity, wings can overheat rapidly in the …

Many organisms have complex life cycles with distinct life stages that experience different
environmental conditions. How does the complexity of life cycles affect the ecological and …

Chronobiology is the study of timing mechanisms in biological systems as diverse as plants,
animals and some micro-organisms. It includes rhythmic phenomena ranging from short …

Pollination mechanisms and pollinators are reported for a total of 137 species (75% of the
non‐abiotically pollinated flora) as they occur at three altitudinal levels (subandean scrub …

Abstract Melanism: Evolution in Action describes investigations into a ubiquitous biological
phenomenon, the existence of dark, or melanic, forms of many species of mammals, insects …

Insect melanism, especially in the peppered moth Biston betularia, has long been a textbook
case of evolution in action. Hypotheses of the role of natural selection in maintaining …

Over the course of their wildly successful proliferation across the earth, the insects as a
taxon have evolved enviable adaptations to their diverse habitats, which include adhesives …

On the basis of body weight, most flying insects have higher rates of metabolism, and hence
heat production, than other animals. However, rapid rates of cooling because of small body …