不同生物型棉蚜对夏寄主葫芦科作物的选择

于2008、2009年连续两年采用模拟田间自然扩散法,系统地研究了棉花型棉蚜和甜瓜型棉蚜有翅蚜对11种夏寄主的选择性.结果表明,棉花型棉蚜对杂交葫芦、小西葫芦表现出强选择性及适应性,而对香瓜、黄瓜、西瓜及甜瓜均不选择,或即使选择其若蚜在其上也不能存活;甜瓜型棉蚜对甜瓜、香瓜、南瓜、黄西葫芦、大西葫芦、杂交葫芦等均表现较强选择性,而对棉花及小西葫芦表现不选择.但是,甜瓜型棉蚜在小西葫芦上也能产若蚜并存活.从而证明小西葫芦是两种寄主型棉蚜的共同寄主,有可能成为两者相互转换的桥梁寄主.     

棉花型和黄瓜型棉蚜对寄主植物的适合度

采用寄主转换建立生命表及触角电位 (EAG)方法比较了棉蚜两寄主专化型 (棉花型和黄瓜型 )对不同夏季作物的适合度。结果表明 ,棉花型蚜转到黄瓜上及黄瓜型蚜转接到棉花上均不能正常产仔繁殖和建立种群。两种蚜型均不能在茄子和苋菜上建立种群。黄瓜型蚜能在豇豆上建立种群 ,但棉花型蚜不能 ,表现出两种寄主型棉蚜对夏寄主利用上存在显著差异。受棉蚜为害 12～ 36 h后的黄瓜或棉花植株仍不适合于棉花型或黄瓜型蚜 ,表现出黄瓜型蚜不能在被棉花型蚜为害过的棉株上正常存活和繁殖 ,棉花型蚜也不能在被黄瓜型蚜为害过的黄瓜苗上存活和繁殖。两种寄主型蚜对不同寄主叶片丙酮提取物的触角电位表明 ,黄瓜型蚜对棉花、哈密瓜和马铃薯叶片提取物的反应显著强于棉花型蚜 ,而对黄瓜和甜瓜叶片提取物的反应上两种蚜型差异不显著。文中同时对棉花型和黄瓜型棉蚜产生的生态机制进行了讨论。     

棉蚜对寄主的选择及寄主专化型研究

采用叶片选择法,生命表及EPG技术研究了棉蚜对寄主植物的选择和专化性,结果表明,棉花上生长的棉蚜对棉花,西葫芦和西瓜叶片均具有强选择性,而对黄瓜和南瓜选择性弱,西瓜,南瓜和黄瓜上生长的棉蚜对其原寄主选择性强,而对棉花选择性弱,棉花上的棉蚜转接到黄瓜和南瓜上,其存活率和繁殖力极低,棉蚜的取食行为在黄瓜和马铃薯,黄瓜和棉花之间存在明显的寄主专化型,黄瓜与棉花上的棉蚜相互转接均难成功,而黄瓜和马铃薯上的棉蚜转移具有不对称性。     

5个棉蚜组织蛋白酶B基因克隆及在不同寄主专化型中的表达分析

昆虫组织蛋白酶B在昆虫代谢中发挥着重要作用。本研究从棉蚜Aphis gossypii Glover的转录组数据库中挑选Cath B并克隆得到全长cDNA序列,使用qRT-PCR分析这些基因在不同寄主专化型棉蚜不同龄期中的相对表达量。通过分析棉蚜体内5个高表达组织蛋白酶B基因不同发育阶段的表达谱,比较了不同专化型棉蚜在寄主转换之后的表达差异。研究发现,这5个基因在不同龄期不同寄主上均表达。棉花型棉蚜在棉花寄主上不同基因间的表达各不相同。黄瓜型棉蚜在黄瓜Cucumis sativus L.上AgCb-1、AgCb-2、AgCb-3基因均在成蚜时期表达量相对较高,AgCb-4、AgCb-5基因表达量则与之相反。分别将棉花型棉蚜和黄瓜型棉蚜转接到西葫芦Cucurbita pepo L.上后,棉花型棉蚜AgCb-1、AgCb-4基因和黄瓜型棉蚜AgCb-1、AgCb-2、AgCb-3基因均在成蚜不同时期的表达量显著大于转接前。结果表明：AgCb-1、AgCb-2、AgCb-3、AgCb-4、AgCb-5基因表达量伴随着棉蚜的生长发育以及寄主的转换,表现出不同的差异。说明组织蛋白酶在棉蚜对寄主植物的适应性过程中可能发挥作用。     

棉蚜寄主专化型及其形成的行为机理

通过生活在甜瓜和棉花上的棉蚜Aphisgossypii Glover的行为,研究棉蚜的寄主专化型及其形成的行为机理。生物学观察显示： 两类棉蚜在寄主植物相互交换以后,定居数显著减少,棉花蚜型棉蚜的繁殖系数及若虫存活率显著下降,说明棉蚜存在甜瓜蚜型和棉花蚜型两种寄主专化型。通过刺探电位技术研究棉蚜的取食行为,以探索其寄主专化型形成的行为机理。结果表明： 甜瓜蚜型棉蚜在棉花上的取食行为容易被中断,但其口针定位韧皮部的能力并没有显著削弱;而棉花蚜型棉蚜在甜瓜上的取食行为受到更大的影响,口针无法顺利定位至韧皮部,并在2 h内根本无法在筛管内取食。生物学观察和EPG取食行为分析都显示： 与甜瓜蚜型棉蚜相比,棉花蚜型棉蚜对寄主的要求更严格-寄主专化程度更高,对寄主的利用率更高。     

不同棉蚜种群对棉花和黄瓜的适合度分化

通过室内转接试验,研究来源于越冬寄主花椒、木槿、石榴和夏寄主棉花、黄瓜共5个棉蚜Aphids gossypii Glover种群对棉花和黄瓜的适合度。结果表明:花椒棉蚜、木槿棉蚜、棉花棉蚜转接到棉花上的成虫留居率和种群繁殖率均明显地高于黄瓜;黄瓜棉蚜转接到棉花上的成虫留居率和种群繁殖率均显著地低于黄瓜;石榴棉蚜转接到棉花上的种群繁殖率显著低于黄瓜,但成虫留居率在2种寄主之间没有明显差异。     

棉花型和瓜型棉蚜产生有性世代能力的分化

为了明确寄主专化性是否会影响棉蚜的繁殖策略或生活史对策,采用低温和短光照组合（18℃,L∶D=8∶16）分别对棉花型和瓜型棉蚜进行有性世代的诱导,比较两寄主专化型棉蚜产生有翅蚜、雄性母、雌性母及无翅孤雌蚜的能力。结果表明：两寄主专化型棉蚜在产生有性世代能力上存在显著差异,表现为棉花型棉蚜在诱导后代中产生有翅蚜、雄性母和雌性母的比率显著高于瓜型棉蚜,并且雌、雄性母产生的时间明显早于瓜型棉蚜。瓜型棉蚜在诱导条件下产生无翅孤雌蚜的比率显著高于棉花型棉蚜,并且发现有不产生有性世代的营专性孤雌生殖个体,而在棉花型棉蚜中没有发现。产生性母蚜的棉花型和瓜型棉蚜均可同时产生孤雌胎生后代。寄主型与诱导时间长短对棉蚜有性世代的产生存在交互作用。采集于田间棉花和黄瓜上的棉蚜,也表现为棉花上的易产生有性世代,在诱导的第2代中产生性母蚜的比率显著高于黄瓜上的棉蚜,并且性母蚜比率在诱导的第2代与第3代间无显著差异; 但黄瓜上的棉蚜性母蚜产生比率第3代显著高于第2代。由此推测,棉蚜寄主专化性的形成与生活史特性的分化有关。     

棉花型和瓜型棉蚜形态和生态适应力的分化

棉蚜由于长期在同种或同类植物上生活,形成了多种寄主专化型。本研究以室内长期用单一寄主培养的棉花型和瓜型棉蚜为材料,采用形态测定、生命表技术、对寄主的选择性试验,以及接触刺激等方法,研究了两寄主型棉蚜的形态分化和生态适应力的差异。结果表明,瓜型棉蚜的一些形态特征值（如体长）极显著地大于棉花型个体,但是头宽、口针和各腿节的长度与体长的比值却极显著的小于棉花型个体。采用7个形态指标与体长的比值,可将瓜型和棉花型棉蚜区分开来。在24℃和26℃下瓜型蚜的净增殖率（R₀）极显著地高于棉花型蚜。27℃和32℃显著缩短了瓜型蚜的平均世代长度,而对棉花型蚜无影响。棉花型蚜对接触刺激的反应比瓜型蚜敏感。两寄主型蚜对寄主的选择能力表现为瓜型蚜显著强于棉花型蚜。因此,两寄主型棉蚜存在明显的形态和生态适应力的分化。     

田间中间寄主豇豆对专化型棉蚜的影响

中间寄主植物在植食性昆虫的取食选择和进化方向上起着重要的作用。本研究在田间设置罩笼,结合生态学调查和生物型鉴定技术研究了中间寄主豇豆对棉花型棉蚜和黄瓜型棉蚜专化性的影响。研究结果表明,棉花型棉蚜在豇豆上需经过1周时间的适应才能在豇豆上繁殖并在接虫后的第31天达到峰值(1 019±191头/百株),但不能够继续转移到黄瓜上建立种群;黄瓜型棉蚜在豇豆上在接虫后的第11天首次被记录后,其种群密度就迅速增加,到接虫后的第28天达到种群数量最大值(16 810±2 966头/百株),但也未能成功转移到棉花上存活并建立种群。在本实验研究条件下,中间寄主豇豆不能够改变棉花型棉蚜对棉花的偏好性,也不能在短期内改变黄瓜型棉蚜对黄瓜的专化性。     

新疆棉蚜食物专化型的形态测量分析

温室内接种试验表明,吐鲁番瓜类（西瓜、甜瓜、黄瓜）和棉花上的棉蚜AphisgossypiiGlover在以上两类作物之间相互移植不能存活,由此确立为不同的食物专化型──瓜蚜型和棉花蚜型。选择25个形态特征进行测量,对测量数据进行了变异分析和显著性测验。采用Fisher准则下的二类判别分析法对样本进行归类,明确地划归为瓜蚜型和棉花蚜型。依据判别系数筛选出6个对划归类群贡献最大的特征。     

Trade-offs and the evolution of host specialization

Summary Trade-offs in performance on different hosts are thought to promote the evolution of host specificity by blocking host shifts. Yet, in contrast, most experiments using phytophagous insects have shown performance on alternative hosts to be uncorrelated or positively correlated. Recent quantitative genetic models based on mutation—selection balance indicate that underlying constraints on the simultaneous maximization of different components of fitness may not always generate negative genetic correlations. We suggest an alternative or additional explanation for the lack of observed negative genetic correlations. If performance is polygenically controlled and some performance loci possess only antagonistically pleiotropic alleles, then the expression of trade-offs in performance will vary over time in populations. Consequently, a trade-off will be seen only in populations that have adapted to two hosts and are at or close to genetic equilibrium. Therefore, studies testing performance on a novel as compared with a normal host will generally yield non-negative genetic correlations between performance on the two hosts. The results of published studies are consistent with the predictions of this hypothesis.     

How two different host species influence the performance of a gregarious parasitoid: host size is not equal to host quality

1. Hyssopus pallidus Askew (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) is a gregarious ectoparasitoid of the two tortricid moths species Cydia molesta Busck and C. pomonella L. (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae). It paralyses and parasitizes different larval instars of both species inside the apple fruit, which leads to the death of the caterpillar. 2. We assessed the influence of host species characteristics and host food on the performance of the parasitoid female in terms of clutch size decisions and fitness of the F(1) generation. 3. A comparison of clutch size revealed that female parasitoids deposited similar numbers of eggs on the comparatively smaller C. molesta hosts as on the larger C. pomonella hosts. The number of parasitoid offspring produced per weight unit of host larva was significantly higher in C. molesta than in C. pomonella, which is contrary to the general prediction that smaller hosts yield less parasitoid offspring. However, the sex ratio was not influenced by host species that differed considerably in size. 4. Despite the fact that less host resources were available per parasitoid larva feeding on C. molesta caterpillars, the mean weight of emerging female wasps was higher in the parasitoids reared on C. molesta. Furthermore, longevity of these female wasps was neither influenced by host species nor by the food their host had consumed. In addition we did not find a positive relationship between adult female weight and longevity. 5. Parasitoid females proved to be able to assess accurately the nutritional quality of an encountered host and adjust clutch size accordingly. These findings indicate that host size is not equal to host quality. Thus host size is not the only parameter to explain the nutritional quality of a given host and to predict fitness gain in the subsequent generation.     

Postmating isolation and genetically variable host use in ecologically divergent host forms of Neochlamisus bebbianae leaf beetles

Ecological speciation studies have more thoroughly addressed premating than postmating reproductive isolation. This study examines multiple postmating barriers between host forms of Neochlamisus bebbianae leaf beetles that specialize on Acer and Salix trees. We demonstrate cryptic isolation and reduced hybrid fitness via controlled matings of these host forms. These findings reveal host-associated postmating isolation, although a nonecological, 'intrinsic' basis for these patterns cannot be ruled out. Host preference and performance results among cross types further suggest sex-linked maternal effects on these traits, whereas family effects indicate their genetic basis and associated variation. Genes of major effect appear to influence these traits. Together with previous findings of premating isolation and adaptive differentiation in sympatry, our results meet many assumptions of 'speciation with gene flow' models. Here, such gene flow is likely asymmetric, with consequences for the dynamics of future ecological divergence and potential ecological speciation of these host forms.     

Influence of rearing hosts on host size acceptance by Trichogramma australicum

We investigated the acceptance of different sized host models by Trichogramma australicum in the laboratory. We used isoline cultures of T. australicum reared in hosts of different sizes. Helicoverpa armigera represent relatively large hosts, and those of Sitotroga cerealella are small, termed the Ha and Sc biotypes, respectively. Five sizes of glass beads were tested for acceptance: diameter 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mm. The acceptance of a host model was determined by persistent attempted drilling of a glass bead by a female. The relationship between host egg size and number of eggs laid by a female was also investigated. We used three sizes of artificial egg (diameter 0.75, 1.00, and 1.50 mm of hemispherical cupules) each containing artificial diet. Ha biotype wasps accepted host models in the range 0.75--1.50 mm dia. (vol. 0.166--1.325 l), whereas those of the Sc biotype accepted host models in the range 0.50--1.00 mm dia. (vol. 0.05--0.393 l). This evidence suggests a lineal (possibly genetic) influence to host size acceptance for T. australicum, dependent on the size of the host in which the wasp has been reared. Also T. australicum lay fewer eggs in smaller artificial eggs than in larger ones. The role of host size in host acceptance and number of eggs delivered, and its implications, is discussed.     

The influence of previous host age on current host acceptance in Trichogramma

Trichogramma principium Sug. & Sor. females were sequentially offered two portions of the grain moth (Sitotroga cerealella Oliv.) eggs, either young (1-day old) or old (eggs that had developed 6 days at a temperature of 20 °C). The probability of host acceptance depended not only on current host age, but also on the age of the previously offered host. Particularly, Trichogramma females more often oviposited in old host eggs when previously offered young eggs (35–45% of Trichogramma females laid eggs) compared to females which were sequentially offered two portions of old eggs (15–20% of Trichogramma females laid eggs). In other words, parasitization by Trichogramma was stable even when transferred from young (preferred) to old (usually rejected) eggs. Dissections showed that refusing females had significantly more mature eggs than ovipositing females, independent of host age. Among ovipositing females, wasps provided with young hosts had fewer mature ovarial eggs than wasps provided with old hosts. Supposedly, Trichogramma females offered old hosts require a higher motivation to oviposit and have a correspondingly higher egg load than females offered young (preferred) hosts.     

Parasitic worms: strategies of host finding, recognition and invasion

Many parasitic worms enter their hosts by active invasion. Their transmission success is often based on a mass production of invasive stages. However, most stages show a highly specific host-finding behaviour. Information on host-finding mechanisms is available mainly for trematode miracidia and cercariae and for nematode hookworms. The larvae find and recognise their hosts, in some cases even with species specificity, via complex sequences of behavioural patterns with which they successively respond to various environmental and host cues. There is often a surprisingly high diversity of host-recognition strategies. Each parasite species finds and enters its host using a different series of cues. For example, different species of schistosomes enter the human skin using different recognition sequences. The various recognition strategies may reflect adaptations to distinct ecological conditions of transmission. Another question is how, after invasion, parasitic worms find their complex paths through their host's tissues to their often very specific microhabitats. Recent data show that the migrating parasite stages can follow local chemical gradients of skin and blood compounds, but their long-distance navigation within the host body still remains puzzling.

The high complexity, specificity and diversity of host-recognition strategies suggest that host finding and host recognition are important determinants in the evolution of parasite life cycles.     

Sampling fleas: the reliability of host infestation data

The use of measures of host infestation as a reliable indicator of a flea population size to be used in interspecific comparisons was considered. The abundance of fleas collected from host bodies and collected from host burrows was compared among 55 flea species, controlling for the effect of flea phylogeny. The mean number of fleas on host bodies correlated positively with the mean number of fleas in host burrows/nests both when the entire data pool was analysed and for separate subsets of data on 'fur' fleas and 'nest' fleas. This was also true for a within-host (Microtus californicus) between-flea comparison. The results of this study demonstrate that, in general, the index of host body infestation by fleas can be used reliably as an indicator of the entire population size.     

Factors determining the host plant range of the phytophagous mite, Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae): a method for quantifying host plant acceptance

The host plant acceptance of the phytophagous mite Tetranychus urticae was experimentally quantified. Host plant acceptance is described as the proportion of adult females settling on the test plant on which they have been placed. On the other hand, the host plant suitability of T. urticae on different plant species is expressed as the mean number of eggs produced by the females within 5 days (hereafter 'fecundity'). An inbred T. urticae line was tested with regard to host plant acceptance and fecundity on 11 potential host plants. These two variables were positively correlated across host plants; host plant species on which the fecundity was low were also those on which females settled less readily compared to host plants with high fecundity. The characteristics of host plant acceptance of the T. urticae are discussed in light of their potential food resource under natural conditions.