Fine nanostructural variation in the wing pattern of a moth <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chiasmia eleonora</Emphasis> Cramer (1780)

Butterflies and moths possess diverse patterns on their wings. Butterflies employ miscellaneous colour in the wings whereas moths use a combination of dull colours like white, grey, brown and black for the patterning of their wings. The exception is some of the toxic diurnal moths which possess bright wing colouration. Moths possess an obscure pattern in the dorsal part of the wings which may be a line, zigzag or swirl. Such patterns help in camouflage during resting period. Thus, the dorsal wing pattern of the moth is used for both intra- as well as inter-specific signal communication. Chiasmia eleonora is a nocturnal moth of greyish black colouration. The dorsal hindwing possesses yellow and black colour patches. A white-coloured oblique line crosses both left and right fore- and hindwings to form a V-shaped pattern across the dorsal wing. This V-shaped pattern possesses a UV signal. Closer to the body, the colour appears darker, which fades towards the margin. The fine nanostructural variation is observed throughout the wings. This study elucidates the wing pattern of the geometrid moth C. eleonora using high-resolution microscopy techniques that has not been described in previous studies.     

Light,predation and the lekking behaviour of the ghost swift Hepialus humuli (L.) (Lepidoptera,Hepialidae)

We examined the timing of the crepuscular lekking flight of male ghost swift moths in southern Sweden with respect to variations in: (i) the quality of the visual mating signal; and (ii) the behaviour of potential vertebrate predators (mainly bats). The moths'' display flights started ca. 57 min after sunset, and occurred during 20–30 min at incident light intensities between 10.0 and 2.0 lux. Owing to the falling and more shortwave ambient light after sunset, the brightness contrast between the moth wings and the background (grass) increased steeply at the time of display onset. The silvery white male wing colour thereby seems to maximize conspicuousness, and may be a secondary adaptation that facilitates visibility at low light intensities. The display timing itself is probably determined by other factors, possibly predation. By displaying only for a short period at dusk, the moths seem to avoid most birds, which normally do not forage at these light levels, and gleaning bats, which typically do not start to feed until the light intensity has fallen even further. Nevertheless, aerial-hawking bats were often (54% of the evenings, n = 22) seen at the leks, and one species (Eptesicus nilssonii) frequently fed on the displaying moths (22% of the moths observed, n = 83). H. humuli represents an ancient clade among the Lepidoptera. By restricting its sexual behaviour to a short time window at dusk, when predation risk may be minimized (but still high), it may to some extent compensate for the lack of sophisticated predator defence systems such as aposematic or mimetic coloration, manoeuvrable flight, and ultrasonic hearing, which predominate among the more recent Lepidopteran clades. However, the time window solution restricts the moths'' activities considerably and the lack of defence still carries a considerable cost in terms of predation.     

Camouflage through an active choice of a resting spot and body orientation in moths

Cryptic colour patterns in prey are classical examples of adaptations to avoid predation, but we still know little about behaviours that reinforce the match between animal body and the background. For example, moths avoid predators by matching their colour patterns with the background. Active choice of a species‐specific body orientation has been suggested as an important function of body positioning behaviour performed by moths after landing on the bark. However, the contribution of this behaviour to moths’ crypticity has not been directly measured. From observations of geometrid moths, Hypomecis roboraria and Jankowskia fuscaria, we determined that the positioning behaviour, which consists of walking and turning the body while repeatedly lifting and lowering the wings, resulted in new resting spots and body orientations in J. fuscaria and in new resting spots in H. roboraria. The body positioning behaviour of the two species significantly decreased the probability of visual detection by humans, who viewed photographs of the moths taken before and after the positioning behaviour. This implies that body positioning significantly increases the camouflage effect provided by moth’s cryptic colour pattern regardless of whether the behaviour involves a new body orientation or not. Our study demonstrates that the evolution of morphological adaptations, such as colour pattern of moths, cannot be fully understood without taking into account a behavioural phenotype that coevolved with the morphology for increasing the adaptive value of the morphological trait.     

2010年牧区2代草地螟成虫迁飞的虫源分析

草地螟(Loxostege sticticalis L.)是危害我国北方农牧区的重要迁飞性害虫,明确其迁飞、扩散规律以及与境外虫源交流情况,对早期预警和有效防治具有重要意义。2010年6月1日至9月17日,利用垂直监测昆虫雷达的观测资料,结合探照灯和地面灯灯诱虫情、迁飞高峰期雌虫卵巢解剖、区域大气环流形势和迁飞轨迹分析,在内蒙古锡林浩特西郊研究了牧区2代草地螟的迁飞过程,结果表明:2010年牧区2代草地螟迁飞高峰期出现在2010年8月8日至8月21日,高峰日为8月11日,高峰日探照灯诱虫量达9167头,卵巢发育级别以1—2级为主,高峰日雷达回波主要集中在300—400 m。轨迹分析显示:迁飞高峰期8月8日、8月10—12日牧区草地螟迁飞虫源主要来自蒙古共和国东南部及中蒙边境地区,由蒙古气旋西南侧的西北气流输送进入我国内蒙古锡林郭勒盟,再随西南气流迁入呼伦贝尔草原。     

Colour vision: colouring the dark

Humans lose colour vision at night and it has often been assumed that this happens to other animals as well. It is not true of nocturnal moths, however: a recent study has shown that the elephant hawk moth makes use of trichromatic colour vision when seeking flowers by starlight.     

粘虫飞行对生殖及寿命的影响

该文报道了粘虫Mythimna separata（Walker）成虫飞行后产卵、交配及寿命的研究结果。1日龄成虫飞行6 h、12 h、18 h、24 h后的产卵前期均显著短于对照的,其中飞行6 h、12 h的比对照的短2天以上,产卵量均比对照的高。对1～5日龄成虫分别飞行23.5 h后的研究结果表明,1日龄飞行的产卵前期和上述结果相一致。2～4日龄飞行的与对照的没有显著差异,但产卵量则随飞行日龄的延迟而逐渐减少。5日龄飞行的产卵前期显著延长,产卵量已不到对照的一半。所有经过飞行的成虫产卵高峰日比对照的早1天。不同日龄成虫飞行时间、距离与成虫产卵量的关系为：1～3日龄飞行时间、距离长的个体产卵量也高;但4～5日龄的成虫飞行时间与距离越长,其产卵量越少,表现出明显的卵子发生飞行拮抗症(oogenesis-flight syndrome)。除了5日龄飞行的成虫交配率有所下降以外,所有经过飞行的成虫产卵历期、交配率及寿命与对照的没有显著差异。最后,根据这些结果,对粘虫迁飞的起飞时期,迁飞在粘虫生殖、种群动态及成灾规律中的作用进行了讨论。     

Tiger moths and the threat of bats: decision-making based on the activity of a single sensory neuron

Echolocating bats and eared moths are a model system of predator–prey interaction within an almost exclusively auditory world. Through selective pressures from aerial-hawking bats, noctuoid moths have evolved simple ears that contain one to two auditory neurons and function to detect bat echolocation calls and initiate defensive flight behaviours. Among these moths, some chemically defended and mimetic tiger moths also produce ultrasonic clicks in response to bat echolocation calls; these defensive signals are effective warning signals and may interfere with bats'' ability to process echoic information. Here, we demonstrate that the activity of a single auditory neuron (the A1 cell) provides sufficient information for the toxic dogbane tiger moth, Cycnia tenera, to decide when to initiate defensive sound production in the face of bats. Thus, despite previous suggestions to the contrary, these moths'' only other auditory neuron, the less sensitive A2 cell, is not necessary for initiating sound production. However, we found a positive linear relationship between combined A1 and A2 activity and the number of clicks the dogbane tiger moth produces.     

The role of abiotic and biotic factors in determining coexistence of multiple pollinators in the yucca–yucca moth mutualism

The determinants of a species' geographic distribution are a combination of both abiotic and biotic factors. Environmental niche modeling of climatic factors has been instrumental in documenting the role of abiotic factors in a species' niche. Integrating this approach with data from species interactions provides a means to assess the relative roles of abiotic and biotic components. Here, we examine whether the high host specificity typically exhibited in the active pollination mutualism between yuccas and yucca moths is the result of differences in climatic niche requirements that limit yucca moth distributions or the result of competition among mutualistic moths that would co‐occur on the same yucca species. We compared the species distribution models of two Tegeticula pollinator moths that use the geographically widespread plant Yucca filamentosa. Tegeticula yuccasella occurs throughout eastern North America whereas T. cassandra is restricted to the southeastern portion of the range, primarily occurring in Florida. Species distribution models demonstrate that T. cassandra is restricted climatically to the southeastern United States and T. yuccasella is predicted to be able to live across all of eastern North America. Data on moth abundances in Florida demonstrate that both moth species are present on Y. filamentosa; however, T. cassandra is numerically dominant. Taken together, the results suggest that moth geographic distributions are heavily influenced by climate, but competition among pollinating congeners will act to restrict populations of moth species that co‐occur.     

Warning coloration can be disruptive: aposematic marginal wing patterning in the wood tiger moth

Warning (aposematic) and cryptic colorations appear to be mutually incompatible because the primary function of the former is to increase detectability, whereas the function of the latter is to decrease it. Disruptive coloration is a type of crypsis in which the color pattern breaks up the outline of the prey, thus hindering its detection. This delusion can work even when the prey's pattern elements are highly contrasting; thus, it is possible for an animal's coloration to combine both warning and disruptive functions. The coloration of the wood tiger moth (Parasemia plantaginis) is such that the moth is conspicuous when it rests on vegetation, but when it feigns death and drops to the grass‐ and litter‐covered ground, it is hard to detect. This death‐feigning behavior therefore immediately switches the function of its coloration from signaling to camouflage. We experimentally tested whether the forewing patterning of wood tiger moths could function as disruptive coloration against certain backgrounds. Using actual forewing patterns of wood tiger moths, we crafted artificial paper moths and placed them on a background image resembling a natural litter and grass background. We manipulated the disruptiveness of the wing pattern so that all (marginal pattern) or none (nonmarginal pattern) of the markings extended to the edge of the wing. Paper moths, each with a hidden palatable food item, were offered to great tits (Parus major) in a large aviary where the birds could search for and attack the “moths” according to their detectability. The results showed that prey items with the disruptive marginal pattern were attacked less often than prey without it. However, the disruptive function was apparent only when the prey was brighter than the background. These results suggest that warning coloration and disruptive coloration can work in concert and that the moth, by feigning death, can switch the function of its coloration from warning to disruptive.     

Palatability and defense in the aposematic diurnal whistling moth, Hecatesia exultans Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Agaristinae)

Abstract Aposematic colours may warn predators that an individual or species is chemically defended and unpalatable. This study examines a diurnal Australian whistling moth, Hecatesia exultans (Noctuidae, Agaristinae) where adults, although cryptic at rest, display their bright orange, yellow and black colouration in flight. Aposematically coloured larvae feed mainly on Cassytha, a parasitic vine that contains aporphine alkaloids. Alkaloids isolated from the plants and moths were analysed for the presence of these compounds. While alkaloids were found in the stomach and frass of 18 moth larvae, no alkaloids were present in the body and similarly no alkaloids were detected from 65 adult male moths collected from three widely separated populations. We conclude that the larvae and adults do not sequester alkaloids. Lycosid spiders and singing honeyeaters ( Lichenostomtus virescens ) were used to assess the palatability of H. exultans adults. The spiders and the birds consumed all adult moths. Adult moths appear to avoid predation by employing quick flights with rapid changes of direction and, while the adults are brightly coloured, they are not chemical defended.     

Potential for controlling codling moth Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Argentina using the sterile insect technique and egg parasitoids

Codling moth is the main pest affecting apples and pears worldwide. Most pest control strategies used against this insect have relied on the use of broad‐spectrum insecticides which have led to non‐desirable effects like pesticide resistance, residues in the environment, human health concerns and the reduction of access to international markets. Therefore, alternative pest control strategies that would result in sustainable fruit production systems while taking care of the environment are strongly promoted. The use of the sterile insect technique has proven to be a valuable pest control tactic within area‐wide integrated pest management strategies, and its synergistic effect for Lepidoptera pests when combined with other biological control tactics such as parasitoids has been documented. The purposes of this research were to evaluate the response of an Argentinean codling moth strain to a sub‐sterilizing radiation dose of 100 Gy and to assess the acceptability and suitability of sterile codling moth eggs by the egg parasitoids, Trichogramma cacoeciae (Marchal) and Trichogramma nerudai (Pintureau and Gerding). Irradiated female moths survived better than irradiated male moths and non‐irradiated male and female moths. Also, the fecundity of irradiated female moths was reduced by more than 30% as compared to non‐irradiated ones whereas their fertility was close to zero. The F₁ generation was male biased with a lower fertility (inherited sterility) than the parental generation. Trichogramma cacoeciae and T. nerudai parasitized both fertile and sterile eggs. However, there was a significant reduction in acceptability for sterile eggs. Trichogramma nerudai parasitized more eggs than T. cacoeciae, but egg acceptability for this species was proportionally lower than for T. cacoeciae especially on eggs oviposited by irradiated females. Development to adult of both parasitoids species was not substantially affected by the origin of the eggs and the wasps had acceptable levels of adult emergence, survival and fecundity. These results provided useful information on the potential for controlling the codling moth using egg parasitoids and the sterile insect technique in Argentina.     

Compatibility of codling moths Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) from South Africa with codling moths shipped from Canada

The sterile insect technique (SIT) has been successfully applied against codling moth Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera; Tortricidae) in British Columbia since 1992 where the mass‐rearing facility produces between 15 and 16 million moths per week. Due to the seasonality of this pest, the facility is only fully utilized for part of the year. The time and expense of implementing SIT against codling moth in South Africa may be substantially reduced if moths from Canada were sexually compatible with those from South Africa. In addition, because the pome fruit‐growing season in both countries is opposite, the programme in Canada might benefit by maintaining moth production year‐round and selling moths to South Africa. Semi‐field studies in small cages and release‐recapture studies were conducted in an unsprayed apple orchard in South Africa to assess mating compatibility of laboratory‐reared codling moth from Canada and wild codling moths from South Africa. The results suggest that Canadian codling moth males were equally attracted to calling Canadian and South African females despite the fact that Canadian moths had been transported (from Canada to South Africa) for 48 h as both pupae and adults. The data also suggest that at lower field temperatures Canadian moths were more active than South African moths. Results from the release‐recapture field trials indicated that Canadian and South African males were equally attracted to Canadian and South African females. These results suggest that codling moths from Canada and South Africa are fully compatible and indicate that Canadian moths can be used for SIT studies in South Africa. As these studies were conducted with moths from two very different climatic and time zones, it is proposed that populations of codling moth in other pome fruit production areas may also be compatible with the Canadian moths.     

北京郊区苹果小卷蛾成虫发生规律研究

苹果小卷蛾AdoxophyesoranaFischervonR slerstamm为北京郊区大桃生产中的主要害虫 ,试验采用黑光灯诱杀、糖醋盆诱集 2种方法在不同生态环境果园对其成虫发生期进行了观测。结果显示苹果小卷蛾在北京地区 1年发生 3代 ;越冬代成虫羽化高峰为 5月底至 6月初 ,第 1代幼虫防治适期为 6月1 0～ 1 5日 ;第 1代成虫羽化高峰为 7月中旬 ,第 2代幼虫防治适期为 7月下旬。     

Background selection by the peppered moth (Biston betularia Linn.): individual differences

The hypothesis that dimorphically coloured, cryptic moths select appropriate rest sites by comparing their body scales to substrate reflectance was tested using typical and melanic morphs of the peppered moth, Biston betularia (L.). Experiments designed to block the individual's inspection of its inherited colour phenotype do not support Kettlewell's contrast/conflict (self-inspection) hypothesis. Instead, tracking of marked moths over successive days revealed individual differences in rest-site selection which were not related to treatments, experience (imprinting), nor closely to a moth's inherited colour pattern. Differences between family broods indicate that some genetic bias in background selection exists. The production of artificially selected lines with consistent but opposing preferences will allow us to investigate the co-evolution of pattern and behaviour.     

Nutrition,sex and season contribute to variation in fat and glycerol levels in the long‐lived moth Caloptilia fraxinella

The ash leaf cone roller Caloptilia fraxinella Ely (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) is an invasive leaf‐mining moth pest of horticultural ash Fraxinus spp. in the Canadian Prairie Provinces. Caloptilia fraxinella overwinter as adults in reproductive diapause and mating occurs after overwintering in the spring. The effect of a carbohydrate food source on fat and glycerol reserves throughout the long adult life stage of this moth is investigated. Insects collected as pupae are given access to either water or sugar water upon adult eclosion. Moths held under the different feeding regimes are sampled before (summer and autumn) and after overwintering in the spring. Analysis of either glycerol or lipid content is conducted for male and female moths from each collection period. Both moth weight and glycerol concentration are affected by moth sex, food regime and season of collection. Although female moths are heavier than males, a higher glycerol concentration occurs in males. Moths fed sugar are heavier and have a higher glycerol concentration than water‐fed moths late in reproductive diapause and after overwintering. Moths collected in the spring after overwintering are lighter and have a lower glycerol content than moths collected before winter. There is a significant influence of feeding regime and season on moth body lipid content, with sugar‐fed moths having more fat than water‐fed moths; however, this difference is smaller in the summer than the autumn or spring. An initial understanding of the overwintering biology and diapause of this pest is provided in the present study.     

Pheromone-trap catch in relation to the phenology of codling moth (Cydia pomonella)

Relationships between a pheromone-trap catch, adult emergence and penetration of fruit by first-instar larvae of Cydia pomonella were investigated from 1975 to 1977 in an orchard in South West England. For the first generation the times of moth emergence and catch in the pheromone trap were not significantly different; nor were male and female emergence times. The catch of moths of the first generation in the pheromone trap anticipated the appearance of their larvae in the fruit by 140–169 day-degrees > 10 °C. Eggs hatched after 94 day-degrees in the laboratory but in the orchard, wind and sunshine modified the microclimate so that the number of day-degrees required for egg development, as measured by standard meteorological instruments, was affected by wind and sunshine but development lasted on average about 90 day-degrees. This indicated a lag of 50–80 day-degrees between the curves for trap catch and oviposition: the pre-oviposition period in the orchard was shorter than expected from laboratory studies. In 1975 and 1976, some larvae developed to produce a second generation of moths which gave rise to a second generation of eggs and larvae, after an interval of 161 day-degrees in 1975, but only 41 day-degrees in 1976, indicating that in 1976 some eggs were laid before moths of the second generation were trapped. These results indicate that the first insecticidal spray against first-generation larvae should be applied about 140 day-degrees after the start of the reference week in which five moths of the spring brood are caught per trap. A second spray, if required to maintain insecticidal cover, should be applied about 100 day-degrees later. A spray should be applied against second-generation larvae immediately after the reference week for second-generation moths.     

The light-brown apple moth,Epiphyas postvittana (Walker): 4. Studies on population dynamics and injuriousness to apples in the Australian Capital Territory

A population study of the light-brown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana (Walker), was pursued from 1963–64 to 1966–67 in a naturally-infested, unsprayed apple plantation near Canberra. The investigation covered the period of tree development leading up to and including, the production of the first substantial crop. The life history of LBAM and the occurrence of natural enemies were examined. The species did not produce seasonal series of identifiable generations, but individuals in all development stages tended to co-exist as cohorts of uncertain generation status. Whereas numbers of LBAM decreased gradually from 1963–64 to 1965–66, they rose again markedly in 1966–67, following the release in the study area of about 3,000 laboratory-reared moths. From periodic field surveys and complementary experiments, it was inferred that the population dynamics of LBAM in the study area consisted essentially in the production of excessive numbers of immature stages, which were reduced by natural enemies to much smaller cohorts of mature stages, determined by the ability of fruit trees to supply the LBAM's requisite food and shelter. It is argued that this ability, i.e. the carrying capacity for LBAM, decreased as the trees matured, and that the damage of LBAM in the crops of fully-bearing trees would have been negligible under the conditions prevailing in the study area. The probability of damage to fruits was directly proportional to the numbers of larvae and of fruits present, indicating that, unlike codling moth for instance, LBAM did not seek out fruits for attack, but struck them by chance encounter. The results of this life-system analysis are discussed in the light of Southwood & Comins’(1976) and Southwood's (1977a, b) generalizations on population dynamics, ecological strategies, and the status of pests. LBAM is believed to display all the characteristic features of an ‘intermediate strategist’ and an ‘intermediate pest’.     

To females of a noctuid moth,male courtship songs are nothing more than bat echolocation calls

It has been proposed that intraspecific ultrasonic communication observed in some moths evolved, through sexual selection, subsequent to the development of ears sensitive to echolocation calls of insectivorous bats. Given this scenario, the receiver bias model of signal evolution argues that acoustic communication in moths should have evolved through the exploitation of receivers'' sensory bias towards bat ultrasound. We tested this model using a noctuid moth Spodoptera litura, males of which were recently found to produce courtship ultrasound. We first investigated the mechanism of sound production in the male moth, and subsequently the role of the sound with reference to the female''s ability to discriminate male courtship songs from bat calls. We found that males have sex-specific tymbals for ultrasound emission, and that the broadcast of either male songs or simulated bat calls equally increased the acceptance of muted males by the female. It was concluded that females of this moth do not distinguish between male songs and bat calls, supporting the idea that acoustic communication in this moth evolved through a sensory exploitation process.     

The detection of cryptic prey by blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) I: the effects of travel time

The behaviour of blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) hunting for dispersed, cryptic prey was investigated in an operant simulation in which jays were trained to search projected images for noctuid moths. Each image contained either a single moth or no moth. Each trial was structured so as to simulate travelling between patches, searching within patches, and attacking and handling each moth that was detected. In two experiments in which the travel time between patches was manipulated, increases in travel time produced increased persistence within patches. Although this qualitative effect was predicted by the marginal value theorem, quantitative analyses revealed that the blue jays were using a strategy that was more sophisticated and more efficient than the simple time-in-patch rule implied by the marginal value theorem.     

Expansion of the winter moth outbreak range: no restrictive effects of competition with the resident autumnal moth

1. Both direct and indirect competition can have profound effects on species abundance and expansion rates, especially for a species trying to strengthen a foothold in new areas, such as the winter moth (Operophtera brumata) currently in northernmost Finland. There, winter moths have overlapping outbreak ranges with autumnal moths (Epirrita autumnata), who also share the same host, the mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii). Competitive interactions are also possible, but so far unstudied, are explanations for the observed 1–3 years phase lag between the population cycles of the two moth species. 2. In two field experiments, we studied host plant‐mediated indirect inter‐specific competition and direct interference/exploitation competition between autumnal and winter moths. The experimental larvae were grown either with the competing species or with the same number of conspecifics until pupation. Inter‐specific competition was judged from differences in pupal mass (reflecting lifespan fecundity), larval development time and larval survival. 3. Larval performance measurements suggested that neither direct nor indirect inter‐specific competition with the autumnal moth reduce the growth rate of winter moth populations. Winter moths even had a higher probability of survival when reared together with autumnal moths. 4. Thus, we conclude that neither direct nor indirect inter‐specific competition is capable of suppressing the spread of the winter moth outbreak range and that both are also an unlikely cause for the phase lag between the phase‐locked population cycles of the two moth species.