Orthoptera have some of the largest genomes of all insects. At the same time, the architecture of their genomes remains poorly understood. Comparative cytological data across a wide range of taxa, even for basic parameters such as chromosome number, may provide important insights into the evolution of these genomes and help answer the question of why some species attained such large genome sizes. We collected and compiled more...

Habitat loss and fragmentation due to urbanization are the most pervasive threats to biodiversity in southern California. Loss of habitat and fragmentation can lower migration rates and genetic connectivity among remaining populations of native species, reducing genetic variability and increasing extinction risk. However, it may be difficult to separate the effects of recent anthropogenic fragmentation from the genetic signatu...