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Comprehensive analysis of warning and defense compounds of true bugs by high-performance separation methods
Krajíček, Jan ; Bosáková, Zuzana (advisor) ; Feltl, Ladislav (referee) ; Ventura, Karel (referee)
Insects have developed many strategies of defence against predators in the course of evolution. The evolutionarily oldest and most widely used type of defence is chemical defence, followed by acoustic or optical defence. However, many species of insects use simultaneously multiple types of warning signals, which affect different sensory receptors of the given predator. Such a complex method of warning signals is called multimodal method. It may consist of a combination of simultaneous chemical and optical signals, or a combination of acoustic and optical signalling. The combination of chemical and optical signalling used against a predator is probably the most common form of multimodal signalling. The presented work deals with the analysis of biologically active substances, which participate in the defence mechanisms of a widespread species of insects - true bugs (Heteroptera). Pterin derivatives represent a large group of natural compounds derived from pteridin, bicyclic heterocycle, and they are found in virtually all living organisms from bacteria to vertebrates. In insects, they primarily serve as pigments, resulting for example in striking coloration of cuticles of Heteroptera. The first part of the dissertation was focused on identification and quantification of pterin derivatives in cuticles...
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Comprehensive analysis of warning and defense compounds of true bugs by high-performance separation methods
Krajíček, Jan
Insects have developed many strategies of defence against predators in the course of evolution. The evolutionarily oldest and most widely used type of defence is chemical defence, followed by acoustic or optical defence. However, many species of insects use simultaneously multiple types of warning signals, which affect different sensory receptors of the given predator. Such a complex method of warning signals is called multimodal method. It may consist of a combination of simultaneous chemical and optical signals, or a combination of acoustic and optical signalling. The combination of chemical and optical signalling used against a predator is probably the most common form of multimodal signalling. The presented work deals with the analysis of biologically active substances, which participate in the defence mechanisms of a widespread species of insects - true bugs (Heteroptera). Pterin derivatives represent a large group of natural compounds derived from pteridin, bicyclic heterocycle, and they are found in virtually all living organisms from bacteria to vertebrates. In insects, they primarily serve as pigments, resulting for example in striking coloration of cuticles of Heteroptera. The first part of the dissertation was focused on identification and quantification of pterin derivatives in cuticles...
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Reactions of the jumping spider Evarcha arcuata to aposematic true bugs
Raška, Jan ; Exnerová, Alice (advisor) ; Šobotník, Jan (referee)
Jan Raška: Reactions of the jumping spider Evarcha arcuata to aposematic true bugs Abstract: This paper studies the effect of qualities of a prey on predatory behaviour of Evarcha arcuata (Araneae: Salticidae). Naturally coloured aposematic larveae of Pyrrhocoris apterus have been compared to two types of prey: 1) to identically coloured but in defensive secretion different larvae of Scantius aegyptius, and 2) differently coloured larvae of white mutants of P. apterus. The defensive secretion of S. aegyptius has been found less effective in the first interaction with predator than that of P. apterus, however, after several trials the difference of reactions of the spider has not been noticeable. When changed the species of prey, E. arcuata has symmetrically and considerably generalised between the two species. Significant difference has been established in memory test - while P. apterus has been avoided even after one day, S. aegyptius has been attacked as thought the spiders were naive. The learning sequence has been similar in both colour forms of P. apterus; the generalisation of the two colours has been symetrical as well. Both colour forms succeeded in memory test (e.g. spiders have proven difference in comparison with the naive ones), however, white mutants have been successfully attacked...
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Effect of food on fertility in assassin bug \kur{Platymeris biguttatus}
ZVONEK, Dalibor
This thesis was developed in order to determine whether the selected species most commonly kept feeding insects affect fertility in captive bred assassin bugs \kur{Platymeris biguttatus}. Used feeding insects were \kur{Blaptica dubia} roaches, \kur{Acheta domestica} crickets and larvae of \kur{Tenebrio molitor} bugs. The reason of using assassin bugs \kur{Platymeris biguttatus} was their popularity among breeders, their easy care needs and their superior fertility. Assassin bugs were kept in an air conditioned room with a constant temperature conditions and light regime. It has been shown that the given diet has no effect on fertility in this kind of bugs, also that breeding in groups has negative impact on fertility of this assassin bugs species. The results of this study could demonstrate the importance of proper feeding in keeping these bugs and help breeders to have better results.
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