The study of biocoenoses has been successfully developed by the work 

 team of the Entomological laboratory aided by the scientific workers of the 

 Natural history faculty in Prague, Bratislava and Olomouc. Attention has been 

 paid particularly to the biotops of agricultural plants. As a result of this work 

 publications Avere issued on the results of study of potatoes, clover, further 

 concerning corn, maize, meadow and sugar-beet are in print. The луогк will 

 continue on the biocoenoses of cultivated areals by Avhich the correlations 

 in individual food chains will be investigated, e. g. in the chain of Aphis fabae. 

 The study of forest biocoenoses is performed at the Faculty of Forestry 

 Sciences Prague, Laboratory of Applied Zoology. 



Physiology of insects 



In this branch we are in possession of only a few pre-war papers, especially 

 by the experimental zoologist V. Janda, sen. Systematic research was started 

 after 1948 at the Chair of animal physiology, Biological faculty, Charles 

 university where insects represent the main material used. Headed by Profes- 

 sor Wenig the team Avorked mainly on the questions of insect metabolism, 

 such as oxygen consumption under normal and experimental conditions, 

 respiration enzymes, muscle metabolism. At present the problems of muscle 

 biochemistry are solved. The pupils of this school луеге initiators of this branch 

 of study in their working places, e. g. in the Zoological Institute of the Univer- 

 sity in Brno and agricultural laboratories. In the Entomological laboratory 

 the research in this direction is lead by V. J. A. Novak who has already pub- 

 lished a series of papsrs on metamorphosis and metamorphosis hormones. 

 The laws of the development, general questions of morphogenesis, incretion 

 and diapause are studied. The team Avorks also in the physiology of metabolism 

 (nutrition, excretion) and nerve physiology. Witliin the scope of their investi- 

 gations the effect of atraotants and repelents during the development of several 

 fly species was studied. Some other problems of the physiology of agricultural 

 damagers are investigated in the agricultural institutes. Diapause of the Leptino- 

 tarsa in the Research Institute of plant production, Ruzyne, physiology 

 of digestion and diapause in the Laboratory of plant protection in Ivanka 

 pri Dunaji. 



Information on the other entomological disciplines can be found in the Ust 

 of institutions. They were distributed to all participants. The}^ will also have 

 the opportunity to get acquainted Avith other particularities by their visits 

 in different institutes. 



Now, I should like to discuss briefly the perspectives of development 

 of entomology in Czechoslovakia. The economic plan of our country takes 

 into account a rapid development of agriculture, forestry and of course industry 

 and public health. These are fields of interest also for entomology. Therefore, 



3 Sympos. Evolutio Insectorum 33 



