Observations of predation on spruce gall aphids within the gall

A syrphid (Cnemodon sp.) and an itonidid (Aphidoletes abietis Kieffer) were fpund in Switzerland preying on gallicolae within tightly closed galls of 3 adelgid species (Sacchiphantes abietis L.,S. viridis Ratzeburg, andAdelges laricis Vallot). The pattern for gall attack and emergence was different for the 2 predator species. The syrphid entered the gall before it closed and developed at the same rate as the gall; thus, the length of the larval period was variable depending on the type of gall. The itonidid entered the gall after it had closed and caused the gall to open prematurely when the predator reached the last larval instar. The abundance of these 2 predators suggests that the gall may be an unexploited environment for biological control agents to be used against adelgid populations throughout the world.     

植物虫瘿

虫瘿是造瘿昆虫诱导植物组织不正常生长产生的,它们通过释放某些酶或者植物激素刺激寄主植物细胞增大或增殖产生了特异形态的虫瘿,而这种特异形态就是造瘿昆虫遗传基因的体外表达。但虫瘿产生的分子机制不是十分清楚,文章主要对目前植物虫瘿的形态特征、形成机制等方面进行综述。     

盐肤木林内间作对角倍蚜虫瘿数量的影响

对不同间作方式下盐肤木林的角倍蚜虫瘿数量进行研究,结果表明:(1)盐肤木纯林的单株虫瘿数、单叶虫瘿数和有虫瘿梢头率分别为14.1个、2.3个和78.4%,而盐肤木襄荷混作林的单株虫瘿数、单叶虫瘿数和有虫瘿梢头率分别为25.8个、3.2个和91.2%,分别为前者的1.8倍、1.4倍,有虫瘿梢头率增加了12.8%。(2)与盐肤木纯林相比,盐肤木襄荷混作林内的温度略低,全天平均低1.6℃,而相对湿度略高,全天平均高5.9%,高湿和较小温度变幅可能是虫瘿数量增加的主要原因。(3)当盐肤木与蔬菜混作时,单株梢头数和有虫瘿梢头数分别比纯林增加了1.4倍,增加的原因可能与蔬菜种植中的松土和施肥有关。综上所述,盐肤木与襄荷混作可以增加倍子产量,盐肤木与蔬菜混作可以增加有虫瘿梢头数量,两种混作模式均可在生产中推广应用。     

The gall of subordination: changes in gall bladder function associated with social stress

Diverse physiological and behavioural mechanisms allow animals to effectively deal with stressors, but chronic activation of the stress axis can have severe consequences. We explored the effects of chronic social stress on agonistic behaviour and gall bladder function, a critical but widely neglected component of stress-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction. Prolonged cohabitation with dominant individuals elicited behavioural modifications and dramatically increased bile retention in subordinate convict cichlid fish (Archocentrus nigrofasciatum). The key predictor of gall bladder hypertrophy was social subordination rather than status-related differences in food intake or body size. Stress-induced inhibition of gall bladder emptying could affect energy assimilation such that subordinate animals would not be able to effectively convert energy-rich food into mass gain. These results parallel changes in gall bladder function preceding cholesterol gallstone formation in humans and other mammals. Thus, social stress may be an important diagnostic criterion in understanding pathologies associated with gall bladder dysfunction.     

Migration of gall stones.

The factors influencing the migration of gall stones are ill understood. Altogether 331 patients undergoing cholecystectomy were studied prospectively. The diameters of the cystic and common bile ducts and of stones in the gall bladder and bile ducts were measured. Increasing pressure was applied to the freshly excised gall bladder in an attempt to evacuate stones through the cystic duct. Stones passed in 33 (60.0%) of patients with choledocholithiasis, 45 (67.2%) of patients with pancreatitis, and 7 (3.2%) of patients without either pancreatitis or choledocholithiasis. Stones migrated in 6 (3.0%) who had a normal cystic duct diameter (less than or equal to 4 mm) and in 46 (32.5%) with a duct over 4 mm diameter. Common bile duct stones were often larger than the diameter of the cystic duct and when reintroduced into the gall bladder would not migrate. The passage of debris (less than or equal to 1 mm) through the cystic duct bore no relation to the presence or absence of choledocholithiasis or a dilated cystic duct. Small stones (1-4 mm diameter) must migrate to initiate and facilitate further migration; some must increase in size in the common bile duct. Increased biliary pressure consequently dilates the duct system retrogradely, allowing larger stones to follow. Patients at risk of stone migration and thereby pancreatitis and jaundice have large ducts that can be detected by ultrasound assessment.     

Crown gall an viruskranken Pflanzen

Zusammenfassung Es wurden viruskranke Pflanzen vonSchlumbergera truncata und vonHesperis Candida mitAgrobacierium tumefaciens infiziert. In den daraufhin entstandenen Tumoren ließ sich das Vorkommen des Virus dadurch nachweisen, daß in den Tumorzellen Viruseinschlußkörper vorkommen und daß sich durch Infektion mit Tumorpreßsaft dieselben Virosen hervorrufen lassen. In Tumorzellen entwickelt sich demnach das Virus in gleicher Weise wie in den nicht tumorisierten Zellen.Dem Vorstand des Instituts für Anatomie und Physiologie der Pflanzen, Herrn Professor Dr. Otto H ä r t e 1, danke ich für die Überlassung des Themas, Frau Dozent Dr. Irmtraud Thaler bin ich für die ständige wertvolle Förderung meiner Arbeit zu besonderem Dank verpflichtet.     

Cholinesterases of the gall bladder

Summary Cholinesterase histochemistry of the human gall bladder was studied using two specific methods.Distribution of acetylcholinesterase: In the mucosa, nerve fascicles consisting of densely packed parallel single nerve fibres, small ganglia and spot-and glomerule-like concentrations of acetylcholinesterase activity were observed. In the muscle layer, a wide-meshed network of delicate nerves, with occasional areas of very dense innervation, and small ganglia were seen. In the serosa, glomerule-like structures surrounded by dense baskets of delicate nerves were observed. — The general scheme of distribution of non-specific cholinesterases was similar to that of acetylcholinesterase.It seems that the cholinergic innervation of the gall bladder is related to both secretion and absorption and contractility. Some cholinergic nerves are probably sensory, especially because acetylcholinesterase-positive structures, possibly pressure of stretch receptors, supplied with nerves were observed in the mucosa and the serosa. The cholinergic innervation of the gall bladder muscle was scarce except occasional areas of very dense innervation. It may thus be concluded that the intermuscle spread of excitation plays an important role, the majority of the smooth muscle cells receiving their nervous influence via electrotonic coupling.     

Plant module size and dose of gall induction stimulus influence gall induction and galler performance

Several different hypotheses attribute large variations in gall abundance and galler performance to variations in plant growth rate and/or module size. The plant vigor hypothesis (PVH) predicts that galler performance will be greatest on large, fast‐growing plant modules due to their large, rapidly dividing cells that allow them to make large galls, where survival and size of survivors are usually greater. The optimal module size hypothesis (OMSH) predicts that galler performance will be greatest on intermediate‐sized modules, based on a tradeoff between ease of gall induction on small modules and increased resource availability in large modules. Here, we evaluate predictions of the PVH and OMSH during a two‐year field study by examining gall induction and full gall development success, as well as subsequent galler performance in successfully developed galls, using a shoot galling adelgid, Adelges abietis, on white spruce Picea glauca. In addition, we tested whether increased dose of gall induction stimulus on different sized modules, achieved by observing differing A. abietis densities per bud, could increase the rate of successful gall induction, as predicted by the OMSH. Galls of A. abietis appeared to be induced by a dose‐dependent stimulus from fundatrices in spring. Furthermore, the critical stimulus dose required to induce a gall appeared to increase with shoot length. These findings support the OMSH and not the PVH. Galler performance (gall volume and the number of gallicolae that emerged from each gall) in successfully developed galls was positively related to shoot length, supporting both the PVH and OMSH. We conclude that the PVH represents one component of the more inclusive OMSH, which considers both ease of gall induction on different‐sized modules and the effect of plant module size on gall size.     

Self-sacrificing gall repair by aphid nymphs

Insect galls are vulnerable to invasion by moth larvae that can tunnel into the wall. We report that nymphs of the aphid Nipponaphis monzeni repair their gall self-sacrificingly. When a hole was bored into their gall, many globular nymphs discharged a large amount of body fluid from their cornicles onto the gall's wound, and kneaded the fluid, which soon became viscous and eventually congealed, plastering over the hole. Having discharged the fluid, the nymphs shrivelled to approximately one-third of their original volume. Several nymphs were buried in the plaster, like 'aphid sacrifices'. This is the most elaborate social behaviour so far known among aphids.     

Asian chestnut gall wasp in Tuscany: gall characteristics,egg distribution and chestnut cultivar susceptibility

• 1 Preliminary investigations were carried out on Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu on Castanea sativa Miller in Tuscany to assess variations in gall characteristics in coppice and high forest at two crown heights (height < 2 or 2–6 m), influence of bud size and bud position on oviposition rates and susceptibility of three cultivars.
• 2 Gall size may depend on various factors, including wasp population density. In the present study area, small galls (with one or two cells) were the most numerous in 2008, whereas larger galls (with more than three cells) prevailed in 2009.
• 3 Dryocosmus kuriphilus oviposition occurrence was influenced by both bud size and bud position. Buds with eggs tended to be larger in size compared with bud without eggs, suggesting that D. kuriphilus females prefer to lay eggs in larger buds (approximately 6 mm³) compared with smaller buds (approximately 3 mm³). The mean number of eggs per bud tended to decrease from the apical bud toward the basal bud.
• 4 Three C. sativa cultivars, Carpinese, Fusca and Cesurone, were examined. Fusca grafts had significantly more galls compared with Carpinese and Cesurone, whereas Cesurone grafts had more larvae per bud compared with Carpinese and Fusca. Overall, the Carpinese cultivar may be less susceptible to D. kuriphilus galling compared with the Fusca and Cesurone cultivars.