What is PAP LAB? >>> Water bug working group

We are a research team, specialized in aquatic and semiaquatic true bugs (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha)

Team leader: Professor Miroslav Papáček

Our group works at the Faculty of Education of University of South Bohemia in the Czech Republic (Central Europe). The main object of our research are aquatic and semiaquatic bugs from all points of view. For more details of our work, check personal details of our team members.

At present, our work is supported by following grants:

The Ministery of Education of the Czech Republic No. MSM 6007665801> (Project: Ecological, evolutionary and experimental approaches to the origin and importance of biodiversity)
The Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (GA ČR) No. 206/07/1200 (Project: Constraints and limits of biological recovery from acid stress: What is the future of headwater ecosystems in the Bohemian Forest?
The Research Council of Norway: The YGGDRASIL mobility programme No. 195759/V11 (Project: Cold tolerance in northern populations of semiaquatic bugs (Heteroptera: Gerromorpha)
The Czech Science Foundation – GACR No. P505/10/0096 (Project: How plastic are freshwater insects? Measuring growth, phenotypic plasticity and evolution in selected taxa)

Recently finished grants:

The Grant Agency at the University of South Bohemia (GA JU) No. 6/2007/P-PřF (Project: Influence of larval desity on the pteropolymorphism in Veliidae and Mesoveliidae (Heteroptera: Gerromorpha)

These projects are carried out at the Faculty of Science of the University of South Bohemia and at Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. We participate on them.

Miroslav Papáček

Professor of Zoology, Ph.D. – entomology,

the team leader

My studies of water bugs are oriented on taxonomy, morphology, ontogeny, phylogeny and ecology of Nepomorpha and on some aspects of ecology of Central European Gerromorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Selected current projects:

Life cycles and role of Nepomorpha in aquatic ecosystems (long term project)
Water bugs as top predators in fishless glacial lakes of the Šumava Mountains
Various taxonomical and morphological studies of Helotrephidae (Heteroptera) – long-term programme - jointly with Herbert Zettel (Int. Res. Inst. of Entomology, NHM Vienna)

I enjoy work with students presented below.
For more informations, please, click here to find more about my selected publications and about the department.
E-mail: papacek@pf.jcu.cz

Tomáš Ditrich

Ph.D. - ecosystem biology

My main interest is ecology (and also physiology, especially cold tolerance) of semiaquatic bugs (Heteroptera: Gerromorpha), especially European Veliidae (water crickets and riffle bugs) and Mesoveliidae (water treaders), but also Gerridae (water striders). I enjoy sampling sites in the field, carrying out mesocosm experiments and processing obtained material in the laboratory. Some of my experiments are also focused on behavior of semiaquatic bugs. I am a member of Czech Society for Ecology. For more information, see my selected publications or write me an email ( e-mail ).

Lucie Bělinová

MSc. student

I am from Central Bohemia and I study spermatogenesis of the water cricket Velia caprai in my thesis.

Monika Čeloudová

defended MSc.

Me and Lenka Černá study an influence of different methods of water bug sampling (different types of light traps, hand netting, etc. ..) on enter data for ecological studies. I have already defended my MSc. thesis.

Táňa Čermáková

defended MSc.

I write my thesis on abiotic factors influencing wing polymorphism of semiaquatic bugs, especially Microvelia reticulata. I have already defended my MSc. thesis.

Lenka Černá

defended MSc.

Me and Monika Čeloudová study an influence of different methods of water bug sampling (different types of light traps, hand netting, etc. ..) on enter data for ecological studies. I have already defended my MSc. thesis.

Karolína Málková

MSc. student

I study teaching of Biology and Chemistry for high schools. My thesis is focused on oogenesis in long-aged water cricket Velia caprai.

Iveta Novotná

MSc. student

I study teaching of Biology and Sports for high schools. I will describe an effect of age and period of acclimation on supercooling point in the water cricket Velia caprai.

Lucie Paulová

MSc. student

I study teaching of Biology and Sports for high schools. I investigate a characteristics and pattern of growth of a minute bug Microvelia reticulata according to environmental conditions.

Kristýna Svobodová

MSc. student

I study teaching of Biology and Maths for high schools. My thesis is aimed on the effect of water bugs (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha) fixation on the interpretation of growth and variability results.

Eva Texlová

defended MSc.

My MSc. project is entitled Water bugs of glacial lakes in the Šumava Mountains. I have already defended my MSc. thesis.

Lenka Vilímovská

MSc. student

The main aim of my diploma thesis is to characterise the growth of living specimens of the water scorpion Nepa cinerea.

Eva Vojířová

defended MSc.

I investigate dispersal and migratory behaviour of selected semiaquatic bugs. My work is mainly based on mark-recapture experiments. I have already defended my MSc. thesis.