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The article discusses the importance of publishing a scientific paper. According to the author the purpose of a scientific paper is to convey ideas to the readers who may be differentiated into experts and novices. Concept mapping is a graphical tool that can be used to summarize complex ideas. Its value lies in the way in which the links between ideas are depicted explicitly to show the writer's beliefs and assumptions about the nature of knowledge integration in a particular context. For the text of a scientific paper to encourage meaningful learning by the student/reader, it must enable the student/reader to link the ideas presented with existing knowledge frameworks and support the construction of understanding. Increasing accessibility to published work is not about compromising quality or dumbing down, it is about increasing clarity and respecting the needs of the readership. Consideration of the readers when writing a paper may increase its readability and increase the likelihood of the paper being used at university as a tool to help students to engage in the discourse of the discipline.

Evidence from the Linnean Society’s ledger of papers received in 1858 points to 1 July as the date of submission of the Darwin–Wallace papers for the famous meeting of the same evening. It has been widely assumed, and repeatedly stated, that the submission was on 30 June. but this article shows that this seems to be a wrong assumption. Acceptance of this later submission date also provides an explanation of the ‘oddities’ in the letter of transmittal. In turn, this reading implies further details about the separate roles of Hooker and Lyell in the crucial 13 days before the meeting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor in response to the proposal of using concept-mapping approach for the construction of research papers.

Social insects have developed different nest defence strategies; for example, social wasps use nonaggressive mechanisms or aggressiveness, including stinging. This subject has been widely examined in the literature, and it may help improve our understanding of wasps' ecology. The nesting behaviour of some genera is still poorly known. In this paper, we report new information on the nesting behaviour of the species Clypearia in different Brazilian biomes. We observed six nesting events in natural and anthropic environments of the Amazon rainforest, Atlantic forest, and Cerrado domains, sporadically from 2004 to 2022. From our observations, we suggest that Clypearia nest defence includes (i) preference for nest camouflage rather than aggressive behaviour; (ii) selection of nesting sites close to water sources in natural or anthropic environments, and eventually obtaining food from the substrate; (iii) nesting association with ants for mutual protection against predators; and (iv) variations in the nests' height. Our records suggest nest camouflage and association with ants are strategies for nest defence. These may have influenced nest height in relation to the ground, which may also vary according to the environment explored by the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]