Natalia A. MatushkinaTaras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
Natalia A. Matushkina
PhD
About
50
Publications
18,861
Reads
How we measure 'reads'
A 'read' is counted each time someone views a publication summary (such as the title, abstract, and list of authors), clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the full-text. Learn more
537
Citations
Introduction
As a university teacher, I run several insect-related projects for my students, including tritrophic (plant-herbivore-parasitoid) systems, markers of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in the honey bee, the geographic distribution of Ukrainian Odonata, wing asymmetry in Odonata, community science projects in iNaturalist, etc. I myself investigate insect genital morphology in a functional and evolutionary context.
And I stay and work in Kyiv during the hardest time for my country.
Additional affiliations
January 2000 - December 2016
Education
September 1992 - June 1997
Publications
Publications (50)
This training guide for medical students offers an introduction to the field of medical parasitology. Clearly and concisely written, it contains background information about selected human parasites, their epidemiology and control, and the most important animal vectors of human diseases. It also presents various exercises that can be used to consol...
Plant-insect interactions can provide extremely valuable information for reconstructing the oviposition behavior. We have studied about 1350 endophytic egg traces of coenagrionid damselflies (Odonata: Zygoptera) from the Eocene, identifying triangular or drop-shaped scars associated with them. This study aims to determine the origin of these scars....
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is defined as slight random deviations from ideal bilateral symmetry in living organisms. Negative factors, like extreme environmental conditions and limited gene flow, can suppress the ability of the organism to counteract developmental shifts resulting in an increased level of FA. Odonata are important bioindicators of...
The European hornet Vespa crabro L. (Hymenoptera: Aculeata: Vespidae) is considered the largest native vespid wasp in Europe. The females use their sting to defend themselves and the colony. Despite a long history of research, the morphology of the sting in V. crabro remains insufficiently studied. Here, we provide a detailed description of the sti...
The paper continues the exploration of the morphological and functional diversity of male genitalia in Archaeognatha by the study of an undescribed Charimachilis species. Exoskeletal details are documented by drawings and SEM micrographs. The lack of tubular setae on gonapophyses and penis suggests sperm transfer by direct male-female contact (not...
Повнокольоровий атлас-визначник допоможе визначити найпоширеніші види бабок (Odonata) Центральної України в природі за фотографіями, на яких зазначено ключові діагностичні ознаки. До опису кожного виду включено інформацію про розмір особин, особливості польоту, екологічні уподобання, важливі для визначення ознаки, походження латинської назви, фенол...
Digger wasps of the family Crabronidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) are generally known to use their sting to paralyze or kill a prey. However, only a few species of digger wasps transport their prey to the nest impaled on the sting. How sting morphology correlates with this peculiar type of prey carriage is still unclear. We examined the sting morpholog...
The ventral exoskeleton of abdominal segments 7-9, including the phallic organs (belonging to segment 9 or 10), is described for five archaeognathan species: Machilis hrabei and Lepismachilis notata (Machilidae-Machilinae), Pedetontus unimaculatus (Machili-dae-Petrobiinae), Petrobiellus takunagae (Machilidae-Petrobiellinae), and Machilinus sp. (Mei...
Archaeognatha represent the oldest living lineage of true insects (=Ectognatha), which are remarkable, among others, for plesiomorphic genital morphology and complicated mating behaviour (Klass & Matushkina 2012). I used scanning electron microscopy and He-ion microscopy to examine the ovipositor morphology of seven species, in order to describe th...
Solitary digger wasps of the genus Oxybelus hunt for flies to provide their carnivorous larvae with food. A prey is transported to the nest either in legs (pedal transport type) or impaled on the sting (abdominal transport type). Some species are able to switch between abdominal and pedal types of transport under the circumstances. We assume that b...
Archaeognatha represent the oldest living lineage of true insects (=Ectognatha), which are remarkable, among others, for plesiomorphic genital morphology and complicated mating behaviour. I used scanning electron microscopy and He-Ion microscopy to examine the ovipositor morphology of seven species, in order to describe the cuticle microsculpture....
The solitary digger wasp Oxybelus uniglumis (Linnaeus, 1758) uses its sting not only for paralyzing prey but also for transporting the prey to the nest site. The sting morphology is expected to reflect the mechanical overloading applied to the sting during prey transportation. In this paper, we provide a detailed description of the sting skeleton o...
Уперше проведено кількісне дослідження тритрофної системи, до складу якої входять кульбаба Taraxacum officinalis, довгоносик-насіннєїд Glocianus punctiger та його паразитоїд Entedon costalis. Основною метою дослідження було оцінити придатність цієї системи для моніторингу урбанізованих екосистем та розробка дизайну відповідного експерименту. Дослід...
Равнокрылая стрекоза Lestes macrostigma в Европе является уязвимым видом, чьё фрагментарное распространение в районе Средеземноморского побережья может быть связано с откладкой яиц преимущественно в клубнекамыш Bolboschoenus maritimus. Остаётся неясным, какие именно характеристики предпочитаемого растительного субстрата влияют на его привлекательно...
This study is a first attempt to estimate the degree of tritrophic association between the common dandelion Taraxacum officinale complex, the herbivorous weevil Glocianus punctiger and its parasitoid Entedon costalis, as an environmental marker in urban ecosystems. The study was conducted on 3926 dandelion flowering stems spread across 24 sample pl...
Paired extra-abdominal processes (ap) were found in the pleural region of abdominal segments 6–9 in adult Odonata for the first time. They are unsegmented bulge-like or rod-like structures of different size, degree of sclerotization and movability. A short search across odonatan families has shown that ap are inherent for all studied Aeshnidae and...
Oviposition site selection is a crucial component of the habitat selection in dragonflies. The presence of appropriate oviposition plants at breeding waters is considered to be one of the key habitat determinants for species laying eggs endophytically. For example, Lestes macrostigma, a species which is regarded as threatened in Europe because of i...
Representatives of five Zygoptera families: Bayadera melanopteryx (Euphaeidae), Chalcolestes parvidens (Lestidae), Heteragrion alienum (Megapodagrionidae), Platycnemis pennipes (Platycnemididae), Palaemnema domina (Platystictidae) were studied. Comparative study was aimed to reveal differences among species of these families. The table of oviposito...
Three species of Zygoptera (Calopteryx splendens (Calopterygidae), Lestes barbarus (Lestidae), Enallagma cyathigerum (Coenagrionidae)) and one species of Anisoptera (Aeshna mixta (Aeshnidae)) were studied. The comparative study was aimed to understand the gen¬eral design of the "complete" endophytic ovipositor in Odonata and reveal differences betw...
Biotic and abiotic features impact the breeding success of animals and thereby induce selection pressures for habitat selection. Little is known about the plant selection by predatory insects which lay their eggs within plants. In previous work, we have highlighted that during oviposition males of Lestes macrostigma—an endangered dragonfly species—...
Endophytic egg-laying odonates use an ovipositor to insert their eggs inside plant tissues. Before egg deposition, oviposition site selection consists of two crucial steps: (i) the initial choice, typically decided in species that oviposit in tandem within vertical substrates by the male when landing and then by the female by staying on the substra...
Egg deposition within plants is one of the most widely distributed and ancient behaviors in Odonata. The resulting clutch consists of eggs placed in peculiar pattern that can be characteristic for certain groups of Odonata. Despite their importance for paleontological and evolutionary research, data on egg-clutch positioning are missing or insuffic...
The ventral exoskeleton of abdominal segments 7–9, which includes the male genitalic region, is described in detail for the five archaeognathans Machilis hrabei and Lepismachilis notata (Machilidae‑Machilinae), Pedetontus unimaculatus (Machilidae‑Petrobiinae), Petrobiellus takunagae (Machilidae‑Petrobiellinae), and Machilinus sp. (Meinertellidae)....
Associations between lycopsid and herbivorous arthropods are rare in the fossil record and equally sparse among the three surviving lineages of Lycopodiaceae, Selaginellaceae and Isoëtaceae. However, from the Middle–Upper Triassic Madygen Formation of southwestern Kyrgyzstan, we describe the first association between an isoetalean host, Isoetites (...
The morphology of the endophytic ovipositor in Epiophlebia superstes was studied with light and electron microscopy with special emphasis made on the musculature and microsculpture of the exoskeleton. Structural characters are described and illustrated. The musculature of the ovipositor has many similarities with zygopterans. The ovipositor and 10t...
The exoskeleton of the female genitalic region in Phenes raptor is described based on light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It is shown that in this species the pattern of sclerites, articulations, processes, and apodemes is overall the same as in other ovipositor-bearing Odonata, i.e. Zygoptera, the anisozygopteran Epiophlebia, and th...
A comparative study of female external genitalia was carried out in representatives of three dragonfly families that lay eggs exophytically, with special emphasis placed on skeletal musculature and sensilla. Female external genitalia are characteristically represented by the vulvar lamina and rudiments on the 9th sternum. In a gomphid, Gomphus vulg...
The sting microsculpture of the digger wasp Bembix rostrata (Fabricius, 1781) (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae) is studied with the scanning electron microscope (SEM) for the first time. As in many other hymenopterans, the second valvifer of B. rostrata possesses two fields of styloconic sensilla (hair plates) of proprioceptive function. The presence of t...
Lestes macrostigma is a stenotopic dragonfly species of Western Palaearctic distribution that has high conservation status almost throughout its range. It inhabits mainly brackish water with a typical plant species, sea club-rush Bolboschoenus maritimus. Due to the absence of special investigations, the nature of this insect–plant association is no...
The microsculpture on the inside surface of the ovipositor of the relic silverfish Tricholepidion gertschi (Wygodzinsky, 1961) (Insecta: Zygentoma) was studied with scanning electronic microscopy for the first time. Both the first and second valvulae of T. gertschi bear rather diverse sculptural elements: (1) microtrichia of various shapes and dire...
“Rosette-like structures” (RS) were found previously on integument of different body regions of Microcoryphia and Zygentoma. Their putative functions, either as sensilla or as openings of epidermal glands, are still not clear. This study was carried out as the initial descriptive stage of a special investigation of RS. For the first time, the morph...
The First Nest Records of the Wasp Eumenes Punctaticlypeus Kostylevi (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) and Notes on its Distribution in Crimea
Two nest records of the rare solitary wasp Eumenes punctaticlypeus kostylevi Kurzenko, 1976 are described for the first time. One non-completed nest was built in a stone surface and another one was attached...
Brachythemis leucosticta was found to include two morphotypes, which we consider to represent separate species. Males are separable by the ventral structure of S8 and often differ in the colour of the venation and genital lobe. Females are as yet not reliably distinguishable. Examination of 1,154 males demonstrated that both species are widespread:...
A new species of ciid beetle from southwestern South Africa is described. Images of the habitus, male genitalia and other characters of the external morphology are provided. The observed variations of male secondary sexual characters are briefly discussed. The similarities of external morphological characters of Cis pickeri sp. nov. to other specie...
A new species of ciid beetle from southwestern South Africa is described. Images of the habitus, male genitalia and other characters of the external morphology are provided. The observed variations of male secondary sexual characters are briefly discussed. The similarities of external morphological characters of Cis pickeri sp. nov. to other specie...
FIGURE 2. Habitus of Cis pickeri sp. nov., SEM, paratypes and topotypes. A – C. Large-horned (high) male. A' – C'. Small-horned (low) male. A " – C ". Female. A – A ". Dorsal view. B – B ". Lateral view. C – C ". Ventral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.
FIGURE 1. Habitus of Cis pickeri sp. nov., male holotype. A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view. C. Ventral view.
FIGURE 3. External morphological characters of Cis pickeri sp. nov., SEM, paratypes and topotypes. A – I. Largehorned (high) male. A' – I'. Small-horned (low) male. A " – I ". Female. A – A ". Head, dorsal view. B – B ". Antenna. C – C ". Antennal club. D – D ". Head and prothorax, ventral view. E – E ". Abdomen, ventral view. In E and E' the arrow...
FIGURE 4. Cis pickeri sp. nov., male genitalia showing the basal piece (bp), penis (pen) and tegmen (teg). A. Aedeagus. B. Tegmen. C. Penis with basal piece.
FIGURE 5. Distribution map of Cis pickeri sp. nov., showing the two localities where the species was collected (triangles) in the Western Cape Province, Republic of South Africa.
The skeleton-muscular organisation of abdominal segments 7-9 in female Anax imperator L. (Anisoptera, Aeshnidae) was examined in the stages of ultimate larva, teneral imago, and mature imago, with special emphasis on the transformation of the muscle arrangement. The absence of certain muscles in the genital segments compared to the 7th pre-genital...
Damselfly females use their ovipositor valves to saw aquatic plants in order to insert their eggs into the plant tissues. Stiffness of the plant substrata is therefore an important parameter for oviposition substrate choice by females. Using a force transducer combined with a motorised micromanipulator, the bending stiffness of the ovipositor at th...
Prolarvae and first-instar larvae of an aeshnid anisopteran, probably Aeshna sp. or Anaciaeschna isoceles, were reared from an endophytic egg-clutch with eggs positioned in line and zigzag orders in stems and flowerstems of Myriophyllum spicatum in central Ukraine. Descriptions
of the prolarva and the first-instar larva, the distance between neighb...
Compiled from original and literature data, we have drawn up a list of endophytic oviposition substrates for some European dragonflies. This list can be used for ecological and faunistic studies in a variety of aquatic ecosystems. In some cases, the list can help predict the occurrence of a species in a given area.
Using light and scanning electron microscopy, a sensory field consisting of 15-20 campaniform sensillae is described on the base of the stylus of the endophytic ovipositor of Odonata. It is hypothesised that two symmetric styli equipped with this number of sensillae can function as a mechanosensory organ responsible for control of precise egg posit...
Questions
Questions (6)
To prepare a review on the insect ovipositor, I am looking for information about the ovipositor of thrips - bauplan, SEM, kinematics, sensory equipment etc. I guess some info is in the book "Thrips as Crop Pests" edited by Trevor Lewis.
Can you please help?
A pdf of selected pages will be very appreciated!
I have to find the consensus tree based on a given morphological data matrix (30 taxa, 40 characters), and then calculate Bremer support. The analysis was run both in WinClada and TNT, but the topology of found strict consensus trees was quite different (WinClada vs. TNT). I suppose that this is because of some differences in a search algorithm, but I can not find the reason. Can anyone explain to me why the SC-trees can be so different? Should I check some settings?
When preparing entomology labs for undergraduates, I studied cockroach hindgut endosymbionts extracted from excrements of Gromphadorhina portentosa. I found these very firm ‘cysts’ of ca. 0.5-1 mm long, with the thick transparent coverage. One ‘cyst’ has a special design (marked *). Do you have any idea what it could be?
Thanks.
I'm looking for a photo or drawing of final aeshnid larva of four aeshnid species (Amphiaeschna ampla, Rhionaeschna absoluta, Gomphaeschna antilope, and Triacanthagyna septima) in order to ascertain the relative size of lateral abdominal spines. Can someone help me?
I just found very prominent remnants of larval spines in adult dragonflies. They appear like non-functional appendages of different size and sclerotization which are inherent for all specimens studied in this regard. I'm looking for any example of similar structures in other insects. Could someone help me?
I'm looking for any information about oviposition behaviour in an aeshnid dragonfly, Telephlebia tilliardy. Does anyone have personal observations (best of all, illustrated by photographs or videos)? The topic is what a substrate was used - soil, moss, wood, etc.
