[NatureNS] Alert for Jumping Toadbugs

References: <6563747a72f630bd1abecd0fb024ff98@dal.ca>
From: c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca
Date: Fri, 25 May 2007 00:43:40 -0300
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Hi Steve,

While there are a number of species of Membracidae found in the  
Maritimes, there are no Gelastocords here.

Cheers,

Chris

On 24-May-07, at 8:32 PM, Steve Shaw wrote:

> I've had a request for info about the possible availability of  
> Toadbugs from a colleague from UK  who will be visiting here for a  
> couple of weeks in early August, see below.  He's currently doing a  
> comparative survey of insect jumpers and has the present world  
> record, or rather his UK spittlebug does (this is defined I think  
> by height achieved or maybe initial acceleration, per unit mass at  
> take-off;  earlier, fleas held the record).   Several biologically  
> important high speed animal movements like the locust/grasshopper  
> jump or mantid-shrimp strike are much too fast and powerful to work  
> by contacting any known muscle in real time -- the power needed is  
> too great.  Where the solution is known in one or two cases, the  
> rapid movements happen instead by the animal slowly winding up  
> tension over time with a big muscle, and storing energy as  
> deformation at a joint in a rubber-like compound (resilin), but  
> protected by a physical catch, much like that on a crossbow.  Then  
> at the appropriate time when danger approaches, a smaller muscle is  
> used to flip the catch like a trigger, whereupon a large force can  
> be released quickly to power the jump or whatever.   He takes  
> really high speed digital images of them jumping, from which one  
> can get info about acceleration and therefore about the initial  
> force at take-off.
>
> Does anyone know anything about these toadbugs, if they live in  
> Nova Scotia, where to get them and what date they appear on the  
> scene?  I'm thinking that Angus or Bev Wigney may have run into  
> them with a camera, or Chris might know.  The two sites he quotes  
> below have good pics of the ugly little beasts, but maybe beauty is  
> in the eye...
> Any info on toadbugs would be useful.
> Steve
>  ******************************************
> Begin forwarded message:
>> Dear Steve
>> I was reading about another group of Heteropteran bugs that jump.   
>> They occur in N America and I was wondering if they occurred near  
>> you.  They are toad bugs and belong to the family Gelastocoridae
>>  http://bugguide.net/node/view/158
>> I think you might have a beast called Gelastocoris oculatus
>>  http://www.stephencresswell.com/s/5525.html
>> If it seems likely that we could get some of these bugs or the  
>> ones I previously mentioned (eg Membracids) then I will certainly  
>> bring the high speed camera.  I attach a PDF that is all about  
>> staining or seeing resilin in insects.  It would be great if this  
>> would work in froghoppers.
>>
>

_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. 
_.
Christopher Majka - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History
1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada  B3H 3A6
(902) 424-6435   Email <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. 
_.


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<HTML><BODY style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; =
-khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Steve,<DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>While there are a number of =
species of Membracidae found in the Maritimes, there are no Gelastocords =
here.</DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Cheers,</DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Chris</DIV><DIV><BR><DIV><DIV=
>On 24-May-07, at 8:32 PM, Steve Shaw wrote:</DIV><BR =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Times New Roman">I've had a request for info about =
the possible availability of Toadbugs from a colleague from UK<SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>who will be visiting here for =
a couple of weeks in early August, see below.<SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>He's currently doing a =
comparative survey of insect jumpers and has the present world record, =
or rather his UK spittlebug does (this is defined I think by height =
achieved or maybe initial acceleration, per unit mass at take-off;<SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>earlier, fleas held the =
record). <SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>Several =
biologically important high speed animal movements like the =
locust/grasshopper jump or mantid-shrimp strike are much too fast and =
powerful to work by contacting any known muscle in real time -- the =
power needed is too great.<SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 =
</SPAN>Where the solution is known in one or two cases, the rapid =
movements happen instead by the animal slowly winding up tension over =
time with a big muscle, and storing energy as deformation at a joint in =
a rubber-like compound (resilin), but protected by a physical catch, =
much like that on a crossbow.<SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 =
</SPAN>Then at the appropriate time when danger approaches, a smaller =
muscle is used to flip the catch like a trigger, whereupon a large force =
can be released quickly to power the jump or whatever. <SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>He takes really high speed =
digital images of them jumping, from which one can get info about =
acceleration and therefore about the initial force at take-off.<SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 =A0</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Times New =
Roman; min-height: 15px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT =
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Times New =
Roman">Does anyone know anything about these toadbugs, if they live in =
Nova Scotia, where to get them and what date they appear on the =
scene?<SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>I'm thinking that =
Angus or Bev Wigney may have run into them with a camera, or Chris might =
know.<SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>The two sites he =
quotes below have good pics of the ugly little beasts, but maybe beauty =
is in the eye... <SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Times New Roman">Any info on toadbugs would be =
useful. <SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Times New Roman">Steve<SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Times New Roman"><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0</SPAN>********************************=
**********</FONT></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" =
size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Times New Roman">Begin forwarded =
message:</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT =
face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Comic Sans =
MS">Dear Steve</FONT></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans =
MS" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Comic Sans MS">I was reading about =
another group of Heteropteran bugs that jump.=A0 They occur in N America =
and I was wondering if they occurred near you.=A0 They are toad bugs and =
belong to the family Gelastocoridae</FONT></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT =
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Times New =
Roman"><SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0</SPAN><A =
href=3D"http://bugguide.net/node/view/158">http://bugguide.net/node/view/1=
58</A>=A0<SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV=
 style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D"3" style=3D"font:=
 12.0px Comic Sans MS">I think you might have a beast called =
Gelastocoris oculatus</FONT></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT =
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Times New =
Roman"><SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0</SPAN><A =
href=3D"http://www.stephencresswell.com/s/5525.html">http://www.stephencre=
sswell.com/s/5525.html</A>=A0<SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D"3" style=3D"font:=
 12.0px Comic Sans MS">If it seems likely that we could get some of =
these bugs or the ones I previously mentioned (eg Membracids) then I =
will certainly bring the high speed camera.=A0 I attach a PDF that is =
all about staining or seeing resilin in insects.=A0 It would be great if =
this would work in froghoppers.=A0</FONT></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: =
normal normal normal 12px/normal Times New Roman; min-height: 15px; =
"><BR></DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Times New Roman; min-height: 15px; "><BR></DIV> =
</BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><DIV> <P style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px =
0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Times">_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._=
._._._.</FONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT =
face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Times">Christopher Majka =
- Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History</FONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: =
0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Times">1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada<SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>B3H 3A6</FONT></P> <P =
style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Times">(902) 424-6435 <SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>Email &lt;<A =
href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</A>&gt;</F=
ONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times"=
 size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Times">_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._=
._._._.</FONT></P>  </DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>=

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