The effect of Tyrophagus putrescentiae on Fusarium poae transmission and fungal community in stored barley in a laboratory experiment

The effect of Tyrophagus putrescentiae on Fusarium poae transmission and fungal community composition was studied in nonsterile barley grain. The experiments included following treatments： control barley without mites; barley containing l0 or 50 mites without preincubation on E poae （Tpl0 and TpS0）; barley containing 10 or 50 mites after preincubation on E poae （FTp 10 and FTp50）. The number of mites, suc cessful transfer of E poae, and changes in the fungal communities were examined after 21 d of experiment. Increase of deoxynivalenol （DON） content in the barley was chosen as a criterion of successful Epoae transfer. The preincubation of T. putrescentiae on Epoae increased DON level approximately to 800 and 300μg/kg of grain for FTpl0 and FTpS0, respectively. T. putrescentiae population growth in FTpl0 was lower than in Tpl0, while no difference was found between FTp50 and Tp50. Fungal communities were compared by amplification, cloning and sequencing of ITS fragments, and operational taxonomic units （OTU） analysis. The OTU analysis did not support the transfer ofF. poae via mites. From the analyzed clones, only 13 cloned sequences clustered with E poae in an OTU defined at distance level 0.07. The related clones originated from FTpl0, Tpl 0, Tp50 and control treatments, but not from FTp50. However, the presence of E poae in FTp50 was confirmed by PCR amplification with specific primers. The observation may be explained by different effect of mite population density, that is, in the high density, （FTp50 treatment） the fungus was overgrazed, while the lower population density （FTp 10） supported E poae transfer.     

Do the microorganisms from laboratory culture spent growth medium affect house dust mite fitness and microbiome composition?

The interaction of house dust mites(HDM)and microorganisms is the key factor in the survival of these mites in human-made environments.Spent growth medium(SPGM)provides the rest of the dict,along with dead mite bodies and microorganisms.SPGM represents a source of microorganisms for the recolonization of mite food and the mite digestive tract.An experiment was performed to observe how adding SPGM to the HDM diet affects HDM population growth,the microbiome composition and the microbial respiration in microcosms.We analyzed American house dust mite(Dermatophagoides farinae)and European house dust mite(Dermatophagoides pleronyssinus)originating from control diets and diets treated with an extract of SPGM from 1-and 3-month-old mite cultures.The microbiome was described using 16S and 18S barcode sequencing.The composition of the bacterial and fiungal microbiomes differed between the HDM species,but the SPGM treatment influenced only the bacterial profile of D.farinae.In the D.farinae microbiome of specimens on SPGM-treated dicts compared to those of the control situation,the Lactobacillus profile decreased,while the Candinium,Staphylococ-cus,Acinetobacter,and Sphingomonas profiles increased.The addition of SPGM extract decreased the microbial respiration in the microcosms with and without mites in almost all cascs.Adding SPGM did not influence the population growth of D.farinae,but it had a variable effect on D.pteronyssimus.The results indicated that the HDM are marginally influenced by the microorganisms in their feces.     

Distribution of gamasid mites on small mammals in Yunnan Province, China

An investigation of gamasid mites on the body surface of small mammals was carried out in Yunnan Province of China from 1990 to 2004. The small mammal hosts were captured from 25 counties which represent five geographical subregions, namely Middle Subregion of Hengduan Mountains, Southern Subregion of Hengduan Mountains, Eastern Plateau Subregion of Yunnan, Western Plateau Subregion of Yunnan and Southern Moun- tainous Subregion of Yunnan. The captured 10 803 small mammal hosts belong to nine families, 29 genera and 52 species in four orders （Rodentia, Insectivora, Scandentia and Lagomorpha）. A total of 68 571 gamasid mites were collected from the body surface of the captured small mammal hosts and all the gamasid mites were identified to 10 families, 33 genera and 112 species. This paper lists all the mite species, together with their taxonomic position （genera and families） and their corresponding hosts. Much more mite species were found in the Middle Subregion of Hengduan Mountains than in other geographical subregions. The total individuals of mites and small mammals in the Middle Subregion of Hengduan Mountains are also the most plentiful in the five geographical subregions. Three dominant mite species and three dominant small mammal hosts were determined as the dominant species in the investigated areas of Yunnan Province. The dominant hosts are Rattus flavipectus （which accounts for 34.85% of the total individuals）, Apodemus chevrieri （13.43%） and Rattus norvegicus （10.40%） while the dominant gamasid mite species are Laelaps nuttalli （Hirst, 1915） （27.84%）, Laelaps echidninus （Berlese, 1887） （18.38%） and Laelaps guizhouensis （Gu et Wang, 1981） （14.79%）. The results showed the high species diversity of gamasid mites in Yunnan Province and the uneven distribution feature in different subregions.     

革螨新同物异名(蜱螨亚纲:中气门亚目)

The present paper reports new synonyms ofgamasid mites （2 genera and 28 species）.     

Association of Varroa destructor females in multiply infested cells of the honeybee Apis mellifera

The genetic diversity of Varroa destructor (Anderson &Trueman)is limited outside its natural range due to population bottlenecks and its propensity to inbreed.In light of the arms race between V.destructor and its honeybee (Apis mellifera L.)host, any mechanism enhancing population admixture of the mite may be favored.One way that admixture can occur is when two genetically dissimilar mites coinvade a brood cell, with the progeny of the foundresses admixing.We determined the relatedness of 393 pairs of V.destructor foundresses,each pair collected from a single bee brood cell (n =five colonies).We used six microsatellites to identify the genotypes of mites coinvading a cell and calculated the frequency of pairs with different or the same genotypes.We found no deviation from random coinvasion,but the frequency of cells infested by mites with different genotypes was high.This rate of recombination,coupled with a high transmission rate of mites,homogenized the allelic pool of mites within the apiary.     

Huma should be Linum usitatissimum,not Sesamum indicum—With special reference to the source of confusion of names for traditional Chinese medicine and the written time and author of Shên Nung Pên Ts’ao Ching

The confusion of Huma (胡麻) in Chinese history was discussed after an introduction of Chih Wu Ming Shi T’u K’ao of the Qing Dynasty and its author—Wu Qijun’s contribution to Chinese botany. The morphological characters and distribution of Huma and Jusheng (巨胜) documented in ancient Chinese literature were comparatively studied. Simultaneously, other questions about the Chinese medicament and medicine were inspected in the backgrounds of historical development and social stratum differentiation. We concluded that the earliest recorded Huma in Chinese literature should be Linum usitatissimum. The Chinese name for this plant has been used by the folks until well into modern times. Jusheng (巨胜) should be Sesamum indicum. The reason for the confusion of these two names was also explored. It was further inferred that the confusion of names for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) originated in the similarity of their property and function while the difference of their morphology and distribution was not taken seriously. We also concluded that Shên Nung Pên Ts’ao Ching was forged by TAO Hongjing (陶弘景) in his Collected Commentaries on Pên Ts’ao Ching but attributed to an ancient author, Shennong (神农). In this book TCM was classified by their property and function, which became the root cause of the confusion of Chinese names for TCM from then on. Some suggestions were also given for the development of Chinese materia medica in the future.     

前言 纪念周明镇院士诞辰100周年（英文）

正Prof.Dr.Zhou Mingzhen(1918-1996),also known as Minchen Chow,was the founder of mammalian paleontology in China and a worldwide well-known Chinese vertebrate paleontologist.He assisted Yang Zhongjian(C.C.Young),founder of vertebrate paleontology in China,in formulating the development of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology(IVPP),Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS),and succeeded to the Director of the IVPP after     

Genes important for survival or reproduction in Varroa destructor identified by RNAi

The Varroa mite,(Varroa destructor),is the worst threat to honey bee health worldwide.To explore the possibility of using RNA interference to control this pest, we determined the effects of knocking down various genes on Varroa mite survival and reproduction.Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)of six candidate genes (Da,Pros26S,RpL8, RpL11,RpPO and RpS13)were synthesized and each injected into Varroa mites,then mite survival and reproduction were assessed.Injection of dsRNA for Da (Daughterless)and Pros26S (Gene for proteasome 26S subunit adenosine triphosphatase)caused a significant reduction in mite survival,with 3.57%±1.94% and 30.03%±11.43% mites surviving at 72 h post-inj ection (hpi),respectively.Control mites injected with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-dsRNA showed survival rates of 81.95%±5.03% and 82.36 ±2.81%,respectively. Injections of dsRNA for four other genes (RpL8,RpL11,RpPO and RpS13)did not affect survival significantly,enabling us to assess their effect on Varroa mite reproduction.The number of female offspring per mite was significantly reduced for mites injected with dsRNA of each of these four genes compared to their GFP-dsRNA controls.Knockdown of the target genes was verified by real-time polymerase chain reaction for two genes important for reproduction (RpL8,RpL11)and one gene important for survival (Pros26S). In conclusion,through RNA interference,we have discovered two genes important for mite survival and four genes important for mite reproduction.These genes could be explored as possible targets for the control of Varroa destructor in the future.     

Triptolide inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in human colon cancer and leukemia cells

Triptolide (TP),a traditional Chinese medicine,has been reported to be effective in thetreatment of autoimmune diseases and exerting antineoplastic activity in several human tumor cell lines.Thisstudy investigates the antitumor effect of TP in human colon cancer cells (SW114) and myelocytic leukemia(K562),and elucidates the possible molecular mechanism involved.SW114 and K562 cells were treatedwith different doses of TP (0,5,10,20,or 50 ng/ml).The cell viability was assessed by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT). Results demonstrated that TP inhibited the proliferation ofboth tumor cell lines in a dose-dependent manner.To further investigate its mechanisms,the productsprostaglandin E_2 (PGE2) and nitric oxide (NO) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Our data showed that TP strongly inhibited the production of NO and PGE_2. Consistent with theseresults,the expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was up-regulatedboth at the mRNA level and the protein expression level,as shown by real-time RT-PCR and Westernblotting.These results indicated that the inhibition of the inflammatory factor COX-2 and iNOS activitycould be involved in the antitumor mechanisms of TP.     

Positively selected genes of the Chinese tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis) locomotion system

While the recent release of the Chinese tree shrew(Tupaia belangeri chinensis) genome has made the tree shrew an increasingly viable experimental animal model for biomedical research, further study of the genome may facilitate new insights into the applicability of this model. For example, though the tree shrew has a rapid rate of speed and strong jumping ability, there are limited studies on its locomotion ability. In this study we used the available Chinese tree shrew genome information and compared the evolutionary pattern of 407 locomotion system related orthologs among five mammals(human, rhesus monkey, mouse, rat and dog) and the Chinese tree shrew. Our analyses identified 29 genes with significantly high ω(Ka/Ks ratio) values and 48 amino acid sites in 14 genes showed significant evidence of positive selection in the Chinese tree shrew. Some of these positively selected genes, e.g. HOXA6(homeobox A6) and AVP(arginine vasopressin), play important roles in muscle contraction or skeletal morphogenesis. These results provide important clues in understanding the genetic bases of locomotor adaptation in the Chinese tree shrew.     

广东鼎湖山自然保护区土壤甲螨的调查研究（蜱螨亚纲：甲螨亚目）

以种类名录报道广东鼎湖山自然保护区的土壤甲螨58种,并记述新种巨杆棱甲螨Mochlozetes grandis sp.nov.此外还对该地区甲螨区系的特点作了初步分析。     

Molecular phylogeny of oribatid mites (Oribatida, Acari): evidence for multiple radiations of parthenogenetic lineages

Nucleotide sequences of the D3 expansion segment and its flanking regions of the 28S rDNA gene were used to evaluate phylogenetic relationships among representative sexual and asexual oribatid mites (Oribatida, Acariformes). The aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that oribatid mites consist of species-rich clusters of asexual species that may have radiated while being parthenogenetic. Furthermore, the systematic position of the astigmate mites (Astigmata, Acariformes) which have been hypothesised to represent a paedomorphic lineage within the oribatid mites, is investigated. This is the first phylogenetic tree for oribatid mites s.l. (incl. Astigmata) based on nucleotide sequences. Intraspecific genetic variation in the D3 region was very low, confirming the hypothesis that this region is a good species marker. Results from neighbour joining (NJ) and maximum parsimony (MP) algorithms indicate that several species-rich parthenogenetic groups like Camisiidae, Nanhermanniidae and Malaconothridae are monophyletic, consistent with the hypothesis that some oribatid mite groups diversified despite being parthenogenetic. The MP and maximum likelihood (ML) method indicated that the D3 region is a good tool for elucidating the relationship of oribatid mite species on a small scale(genera, families) but is not reliable for large-scale taxonomy, because branches from the NJ algorithm collapsed in the MP and ML tree. In all trees calculated by different algorithms the Astigmata clustered within the oribatid mites, as proposed earlier.     

Morphology of ovipositors in oribatid mites of the superfamily Crotonioidea (Acari,Oribatida)

The structure of ovipositors in 16 species of oribatid mites from the superfamily Crotonioidea (Acari, Oribatida) was studied. Similarities and differences in the ovipositor morphology are revealed. A brief comparative analysis of the structure of ovipositors in Macropylina (Crotonioidea) and Brachypylina oribatid mites was performed.     

Regional factors rather than forest type drive the community structure of soil living oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida)

Most European forests are managed by humans. However, the manner and intensity of management vary. While the effect of forest management on above-ground communities has been investigated in detail, effects on the below-ground fauna remain poorly understood. Oribatid mites are abundant microarthropods in forest soil and important decomposers in terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we investigated the effect of four forest types (i.e., managed coniferous forests; 30 and 70 years old managed beech forests; natural beech forests) on the density, diversity and community structure of oribatid mites (Acari). The study was replicated at three regions in Germany: the Swabian Alb, the Hainich and the Schorfheide. To relate changes in oribatid mite community structure to environmental factors, litter mass, pH, C and N content of litter, fine roots and C content of soil were measured. Density of oribatid mites was highest in the coniferous forests and decreased in the order 30 years old, 70 years old, and natural beech forests. Mass of the litter layer and density of oribatid mites were strongly correlated indicating that the litter layer is an important factor regulating oribatid mite densities. Diversity of oribatid mites was little affected by forest type indicating that they harbor similar numbers of niches. Species composition differed between the forest types, suggesting different types of niches. The community structure of oribatid mites differed more strongly between the three regions than between the forest types indicating that regional factors are more important than effects associated with forest type.     

中国珠足甲螨属一新种及珠足甲螨属和孔珠足甲螨属的新纪录（蜱螨亚纲：甲螨亚目：珠甲螨科）

本文记述中国珠足甲螨属ＢｅｌｂａＶｏｎＨｅｙｄｅｎ的一新种角珠足甲螨Ｂ．ｃｏｒｎｕｔａｓｐ．ｎｏｖ,珠足甲螨属和孔珠足甲螨属中国６个新纪录种：南方珠足甲螨Ｂ．ａｓａｋａｗａｉＥｎａｍｉ、俄罗斯珠足甲螨Ｂ．Ｂｕｌａｎｏｖａ－Ｚａｃｈｖａｔｋｉｎａ,疣珠足甲螨Ｂ．ｖｅｒｒｕｃｏｓａＢ．－Ｚ．,塞氏珠足甲螨Ｂ．ｓｅｌｌｎｉｃｋｉＢ．－Ｚ．,棒珠足甲螨Ｂ．ｃｏｒｙｎｏｐｕｓ（Ｈｅｒｍａｎｎ）和刺孔珠足甲螨Ｐｏｒｏｂｅｌｂａｓｐｉｎｏｓａ（Ｓｅｌｌｎｉｃｋ）,并对上述部分种类作了补充描述。     

Oribatid Mites (Acari,Oribatida) in the Pale Yellow Soil of Central Yakutia

Entomological Review - The oribatid mite population was studied in the zonal permafrost pale yellow taiga soil of Central Yakutia, East Siberia. In general, the population of oribatid mites in the...     

稻田甲螨的分类学研究（蜱螨亚纲：真螨目：甲螨亚目）

报道稻田甲螨种类共计30科36属42种,其中包括枝姣奥甲螨Pulchroppia(Pulchroppia)ramifera Wang et Li,sp.nov.。地枝奥甲螨Ramusella(Insculptoppia)humico-la Wang et Li,sp.nov.和长纹合若甲螨Zygoribatula longilinea Wang et Li,sp.nov.3新种,丝管囊甲螨Sacculozetes filosus Behan-Pelletier,1991,和尖足肋甲螨Podoribates cuspidatusSakakibara et Aoki,1966,2新纪录,此外,还提出一项新名Pulchroppia(Pulchroppia)mahunkai Wang et Li.本文除对新种和新纪录详细描述,对重要的优势种进行重描述外,还对稻田甲螨种群结构特点和存在争议的种类进行了讨论。     

洼甲螨科的分类研究进展(蜱螨亚纲:甲螨目:懒甲螨总科)

洼甲螨科隶属于蜱螨亚纲甲螨目懒甲螨总科,是低等甲螨中进化相对较高级,介于低等甲螨和高等甲螨之间的过渡类群,广泛分布于世界各大动物地理区,目前全世界有3属5亚属79种5亚种,国内现知2属16种.综述了洼甲螨科该科的分类沿革及分类研究进展;概述了洼甲螨科各属(亚属)的地理分布,指出该科目前所知分布较多的是古北界、新北界、东洋界;对中国洼甲螨科已知种进行了区系总结,目前青藏区和蒙新区各仅知1种,主要原因是缺乏深入研究;编制了洼甲螨科3个属及5个亚属和中国已知2属16种的分类检索表.     

Scale dependent diversity patterns in arboreal and terrestrial oribatid mite (Acari: Oribatida) communities

In naturally fragmented, isolated, or patchily distributed habitats that contain non‐vagile organisms, we expect dispersal to be limited, and patterns of diversity to differ from similar, yet continuous habitats. We explored the alpha‐beta‐gamma relationship and community composition of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) inhabiting spatially discrete canopy suspended soils, and compared the patterns of diversity with the continuous forest floor soils over two years. We explored dispersal limitation for oribatid mites in the canopy by using additive partitioning of species richness at multiple spatial scales. ANOSIM was used to demonstrate differences in oribatid mite community composition between the canopy and forest floor habitats over different sampling periods. Community composition of oribatid mites differed significantly between canopy and forest floor habitats, by season and yearly sampling period. Oribatid mite richness and abundance were positively correlated with substrate moisture content, particularly in the canopy. Richness and abundance of ground oribatid mites was greater in September than in June, a trend that is reversed in the canopy, suggesting canopy oribatid mite species may have altered life histories to take advantage of earlier moisture conditions. Alpha diversity of oribatid mites in the canopy was lower than the ground at all sampling levels, and not significantly different from a random distribution in either habitat. Beta diversity was greater than expected from a random distribution at the patch‐ and tree‐level in the canopy suggesting dispersal limitation associated with physical tree‐to‐tree dispersal barriers, and limited dispersal among patches within a tree. Beta diversity at the tree‐level was the largest contribution to overall species richness in both canopy and ground habitats, and was also greater than expected on the ground. These results suggest that factors other than physical dispersal barriers, such as aggregation, habitat availability, and environmental factors (moisture), may limit the distribution of species in both habitats.     

Vertical stratification of oribatid (Acari: Oribatida) communities in relation to their morphological and life-history traits and tree structures in a subtropical forest in Japan

To clarify the effect of tree structure on the diversity of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida), we collected a total of 16,325 oribatids in 181 morphospecies from the leaves, branches, and trunk bark of trees and from the forest-floor soil and litter in a subtropical forest, Okinawa, Japan, and tested three predictions: (1) moisture stress in arboreal habitats would lead to larger body size (not supported); (2) morphological traits related to gripping a surface (number and size of claws) would be more developed in arboreal species (supported); and (3) advantages in colonization (no cost for searching mates and doubled population growth) would favor parthenogenesis in the arboreal oribatid communities (not supported). We observed vertical stratification among the five habitats in terms of mite density, species diversity, and species composition, but found no difference in the body length of oribatid species between the arboreal and forest-floor habitats. However, (homo-)tridactylous species predominated in the arboreal habitat, suggesting that this claw morphology facilitates adherence to and movement on arboreal substrates. Sexual species were common in the arboreal oribatid communities, whereas about half of the dominant species collected from the forest floor were likely to be parthenogenetic. It is unclear how these different reproductive systems may be advantageous for oribatid mites in arboreal and forest-floor habitats. Nevertheless, the structural complexity provided by trees appears to enhance and maintain the diversity of oribatid communities through vertical stratification in this subtropical forest.