When do beetles and bugs fly? A unified scheme for describing seasonal flight behaviour of highly dispersing primary aquatic insects

Many authors investigated the dispersal flight of aquatic insects, but the exact length of the seasonal flying periods and its main characteristics have not been determined. A wide spectrum of species must be investigated before drawing general conclusions on seasonal changes about dispersal flight. Seasonal dispersal flight of aquatic beetles and bugs were studied during a 30-week long monitoring period. Insects were attracted to highly polarizing horizontal shiny black plastic sheets. 90 species/taxa and more than 45 000 individuals were captured during the sampling period. Aquatic insects were rising into the air during all periods of the year (from April till October). We hypothesized that species or group of species can be characterized by different seasonal rhythms of their dispersal flight. A unified scheme was established based on seasonal dispersal activity of 45 species to assess the dispersal behaviour. Detailed information about seasonal dispersal of 22 more species, and seasonal dispersal pattern were predicted in cases of further 23 species. In all, three seasonal patterns and twelve sub-patterns were identified based on specific characteristics of flight. The scheme is widely and generally applicable to characterize the seasonal dispersal flight of primarily aquatic insects. To demonstrate this, we performed the classification on previously reported data. Both previous and current results of the flight dispersal studies can be classified in the scheme, and the results are comparable by using this unified categorization

Vodeni kukci Parka prirode Kopački rit (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha i Coleoptera: Hydradephaga, Hydrophiloidea)

Fauna and seasonal dynamics of aquatic insects have been investigated in the wider area of Kopački Rit Nature Park over a period of two years. The investigation, carried out at biological localities, included channels as permanent habitats of water insects. Among 42 species of water insects, 14 belong to the order Heteroptera and 28 to the order Coleoptera. Fluctuation in numbers of water insects during the season has been recorded and the greatest numbers of insects were recorded during August. The most abundant are Plea minutissima and Ilyocoris cimicoides. Situated in the midst of the floodplains, Kopački Rit provides specific ecological living conditions for water insects.Tijekom dvije godine istraživani su fauna i sezonska dinamika vodenih kukaca na širem području Parka prirode Kopački rit. Istraživanje je vršeno na biološkim lokalitetima, a obuhvatilo je i kanale kao stalna staništa vodenih kukaca. Od 42 vrste vodenih kukaca 14 ih pripada redu Heteroptera a 28 redu Coleoptera. Zabilježena je fluktuacija u brojnosti vodenih kukaca tijekom sezone, a najveći broj kukaca je zabilježen tijekom kolovoza. Najbrojnije vrste su Plea minutissima i Ilyocoris cimicoides. S obzirom na svoj položaj usred poplavne ravnice, Kopački rit omogućuje specifične ekološke uvjete potrebne za život vodenih kukaca

Searching for electromagnetic counterpart of LIGO gravitational waves in the Fermi GBM data with ADWO

The Fermi collaboration identified a possible electromagnetic counterpart of the gravitational wave event of September 14, 2015. Our goal is to provide an unsupervised data analysis algorithm to identify similar events in Fermi's Gamma-ray Burst Monitor CTTE data stream. We are looking for signals that are typically weak. Therefore, they can only be found by a careful analysis of count rates of all detectors and energy channels simultaneously. Our Automatized Detector Weight Optimization (ADWO) method consists of a search for the signal, and a test of its significance. We developed ADWO, a virtual detector analysis tool for multi-channel multi-detector signals, and performed successful searches for short transients in the data-streams. We have identified GRB150522B, as well as possible electromagnetic candidates of the transients GW150914 and LVT151012. ADWO is an independently developed, unsupervised data analysis tool that only relies on the raw data of the Fermi satellite. It can therefore provide a strong, independent test to any electromagnetic signal accompanying future gravitational wave observations.Comment: 4 pages and 4 figures, A&A Letters accepte

Gamma photometric redshifts for long gamma-ray bursts

It is known that the soft tail of the gamma-ray bursts' spectra show excesses from the exact power-law dependence. In this article we show that this departure can be detected in the peak flux ratios of different BATSE DISCSC energy channels. This effect allows to estimate the redshift of the bright long gamma-ray bursts in the BATSE Catalog. A verification of these redshifts is obtained for the 8 GRB which have both BATSE DISCSC data and measured optical spectroscopic redshifts. There is good correlation between the measured and esti redshifts, and the average error is $\Delta z \approx 0.33$. The method is similar to the photometric redshift estimation of galaxies in the optical range, hence it can be called as "gamma photometric redshift estimation". The estimated redshifts for the long bright gamma-ray bursts are up to $z \simeq 4$. For the the faint long bursts - which should be up to $z \simeq 20$ - the redshifts cannot be determined unambiguously with this method.Comment: accepted in A&A, 7 pages incl. 7 figure

A Zala és befolyói makroszkopikus gerinctelen faunája | On the macroinvertebrate fauna of river Zala and its inflows

A Zala és befolyói makroszkopikus gerinctelen faunája kevéssé is-mert, habár számos faunisztikai jellegű gyűjtést végeztek ezen a területen. Dolgozatunkban átfogó irodalmi áttekintést adunk a Zala és befolyói makrogerinctelen faunájáról, illetve saját, 2007-ben végzett faunisztikai felmérésünk eredményeit mutatjuk be. | Although many faunistical investigations were carried out in this area, the aquatic macroinvertebrate fauna of River Zala and its inflows is poorly known. In this paper a compilation is given on the macroinvertebrate fauna of River Zala and its inflows, and the results of own faunistical investigations carried out in 2007 are presented

Biomonitoring of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams in Europe: current practice and priorities to enhance ecological status assessments

Intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) are common across Europe and dominate some Mediterranean river networks. In all climate zones, IRES support high biodiversity and provide ecosystem services. As dynamic ecosystems that transition between flowing, pool, and dry states, IRES are typically poorly represented in biomonitoring programmes implemented to characterize EU Water Framework Directive ecological status. We report the results of a survey completed by representatives from 20 European countries to identify current challenges to IRES status assessment, examples of best practice, and priorities for future research. We identify five major barriers to effective ecological status classification in IRES: 1. the exclusion of IRES from Water Framework Directive biomonitoring based on their small catchment size; 2. the lack of river typologies that distinguish between contrasting IRES; 3. difficulties in defining the ‘reference conditions’ that represent unimpacted dynamic ecosystems; 4. classification of IRES ecological status based on lotic communities sampled using methods developed for perennial rivers; and 5. a reliance on taxonomic characterization of local communities. Despite these challenges, we recognize examples of innovative practice that can inform modification of current biomonitoring activity to promote effective IRES status classification. Priorities for future research include reconceptualization of the reference condition approach to accommodate spatiotemporal fluctuations in community composition, and modification of indices of ecosystem health to recognize both taxon-specific sensitivities to intermittence and dispersal abilities, within a landscape context

The impacts of different habitats on the development of Telekia speiosa (Schreb.) Baumg.

Telekia speiosa (Schreb.) Baumg. is a 100-150 cm high bushy perennial, which has yellow flowers and smells good. According to the descriptions (Farkas, 1999), it can be detected in two smaller areas within Hungary, namely in the Bükk hills and on the Szatmár-Bereg Plain. By the time of writing this paper, the population around Tiszabecs has already got extinct. Therefore, it is a protected relict species. It is named in honour of Sámuel Teleki, chancellor of Transylvania.Within the frame of the experiment, the Telekia speciosa (Schreb.) Baumg. was planted to places differently illuminated (sunny, semi shadow, shade), then the morphological changes brought about the various light conditions were investigated. The experiment was launched with a stock sown in October 2008. The seedlings were planted to three beds with diverse light conditions. The area of each bed was 1 m2, and ten seedlings were planted per m2. The parameters investigated are as follows: the length of leaf blade, the width of leaf blade, the length of petiole, the number of leaves per plant, and the alterations of leaves. As a result of our research, we can state that semi shadow is the optimal habitat for the plant. Under such ecological conditions the highest leaf production was observed, the leaves were species specific, healthy and big. The mean number of leaves per plant was 6.6, the mean length of blade was 16.6 cm, the mean width of blade was 13 cm, while the mean length of petiole was 14.2 cm. In the shade the plants grew poorly and the size of leaves were smaller. The mean number of leaves per plant was 4.1, the mean length of blade was 8.6 cm, the mean width of blade was 7.1 cm, and the mean length of petiole was 9.4 cm. In the sunny habitat a similarly high leaf production was observed as in the semi shadow; however, the leaves had brownish spots, they shriveled, feel rough, so they revealed a reduced aesthetical value. The mean number of leaves per plant was 6.6, the mean length of blade was 17.8 cm, the mean width of blade was 11.3 cm, and the mean length of petiole was 13.1 cm

Towards Spectral Classification of L and T Dwarfs: Infrared and Optical Spectroscopy and Analysis

We present 0.6-2.5um, R~400 spectra of twenty-seven cool, low luminosity stars and substellar objects. Based on these and previously published spectra we develop a preliminary spectral classification system for L and T dwarfs. For late L and T types the classification system is based entirely on four spectral indices in the 1-2.5um interval. Two of these indices are derived from water absorption bands at 1.15um and 1.4um, the latter of which shows a smooth increase in depth through the L and T sequences and can be used to classify both spectral types. The other two indices make use of methane absorption features in the H and K bands, with the K band index also applicable to mid to late L dwarfs. Continuum indices shortward of 1um used by previous authors to classify L dwarfs are found to be useful only through mid L subclasses. We employ the 1.5um water index and the 2.2um methane index to complete the L classification through L9.5 and to link the new system with a modified version of the 2MASS ``Color-d'' index. By correlating the depths of the methane and water absorption features, we establish a T spectral sequence from types T0 to T8, based on all four indices, which is a smooth continuation of the L sequence. We reclassify two 2MASS L8 dwarfs as L9 and L9.5 and identify one SDSS object as L9. In the proposed system methane absorption appears in the K band approximately at L8, two subclasses earlier than its appearance in the H band. The L and T spectral classes are distinguished by the absence and presence, respectively, of H band methane absorption.Comment: 40 pages, 14 figures, to be published in Ap.J., Jan 1, 200

Photometric redshifts from reconstructed QSO templates

From SDSS commissioning photometric and spectroscopic data, we investigate the utility of photometric redshift techniques to the task of estimating QSO redshifts. We consider empirical methods (e.g. nearest-neighbor searches and polynomial fitting), standard spectral template fitting and hybrid approaches (i.e. training spectral templates from spectroscopic and photometric observations of QSOs). We find that in all cases, due to the presence of strong emission-lines within the QSO spectra, the nearest-neighbor and template fitting methods are superior to the polynomial fitting approach. Applying a novel reconstruction technique, we can, from the SDSS multicolor photometry, reconstruct a statistical representation of the underlying SEDs of the SDSS QSOs. Although, the reconstructed templates are based on only broadband photometry the common emission lines present within the QSO spectra can be recovered in the resulting spectral energy distributions. The technique should be useful in searching for spectral differences among QSOs at a given redshift, in searching for spectral evolution of QSOs, in comparing photometric redshifts for objects beyond the SDSS spectroscopic sample with those in the well calibrated photometric redshifts for objects brighter than 20th magnitude and in searching for systematic and time variable effects in the SDSS broad band photometric and spectral photometric calibrations.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, LaTeX AASTeX, submitted to A