云南大白蚁亚科白蚁分飞情况及与蚁巢伞关系

在云南绿春观察大白蚁亚科4种土白蚁的分飞活动,研究大白蚁亚科白蚁和蚁巢伞之间的关系,得知:大白蚁亚科不同种类白蚁分飞孔形状不相同,分飞时分布于孔口周围的白蚁型、数目和扩散范围存在差异,这些蚁巢的外露特征可以作为白蚁种类识别的辅助依据。采集32巢白蚁以及其巢上生长的蚁巢伞,结果显示,大白蚁亚科每一个白蚁巢仅生长一种蚁巢伞Termitomyces子实体。与小果蚁巢伞共生的白蚁也与其他蚁巢伞共生,推测真菌能改变白蚁的行为。对白蚁种类和蚁巢伞种类对应关系的研究表明在小地域内,白蚁和蚁巢伞不仅存在属间高度专一性,而且种间也显示较高的共生专一性。     

大白蚁属Macrotermes分子研究进展

大白蚁属Macrotermes是等翅目白蚁科大白蚁亚科(Isoptera: Termitidae: Macrotermitinae)中的一类高等培菌白蚁。本文综述了1996年来有关大白蚁属分子研究的文章,提供了截止目前大白蚁属Macrotermes 生物学信息,并分析了目前大白蚁属的分子研究现状,含等翅目系统关系,大白蚁属种间关系,大白蚁拟工蚁与食性演变,大白蚁属与其共生菌关系,及其分子研究的发展方向,特别是中国大白蚁属分子研究现状。     

小球藻共栖微生物种群多样性分析

[目的]分析小球藻共栖微生物的种类和种群多样性,为小球藻养殖病害防治提供依据。[方法]从小球藻共栖生长环境中分离共栖微生物,利用限制性核酸内切酶RsaⅠ酶切共生微生物的r DNA序列,进行多态性分析,获得共栖微生物种群信息。[结果]利用纯培养的方法获得15种菌落表型特征各异的小球藻共生微生物,分成7个操作分类单元(OUT),分别是变形菌门(Proteobacteria),包括:气单胞菌属(Aeromonas)、假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas)、寡养单胞菌属(Stenotrophomonas)、肠杆菌属(Enterobacter)、泛菌属(Pantoea),厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)的锰氧化还原菌(Exiguobacterium)和芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus)。在小球藻共栖微生物中未分离到弧菌,也没有分离到真菌。[结论]小球藻共栖微生物种类多样,其中,革兰氏阴性菌占据绝对优势,革兰氏阳性菌只有芽孢杆菌属和锰氧化还原菌属,其中锰氧化还原菌是首次发现,小球藻共生菌中,很少分离到真菌,本研究中没有分离到真菌。     

培菌白蚁菌圃和粪便微生物多样性分析

【背景】培菌白蚁是属于白蚁科的一类与鸡枞菌属真菌共生的高等白蚁,其与体内肠道微生物和体外菌圃微生物形成三维共生体系。【目的】分析培菌白蚁菌圃和粪便的微生物多样性,并与肠道微生物进行比较。【方法】通过Illumina MiSeq高通量测序方法对培菌白蚁菌圃和粪便样品进行细菌16S rRNA基因和真菌ITS测序分析。【结果】高通量测序获得培菌白蚁菌圃和粪便样品细菌和真菌的有效序列和OTU数目。5个样品细菌OTU数目在90-199之间,而真菌OTU在10-58之间,细菌的种类多样性明显大于真菌。不论是细菌还是真菌,粪便样品的OTU数目多于菌圃样品。经物种分类分析,菌圃样品主要优势细菌是变形菌门(Proteobacteria),其相对含量超过82.4%;其次是拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)和厚壁菌门(Firmicutes);粪便样品中优势细菌为拟杆菌门,其次是变形菌门,粪便优势菌属为别样杆菌属和营发酵单胞菌属,这与培菌白蚁肠道菌多样性组成一致。培菌白蚁菌圃和粪便样品共生真菌主要为担子菌门(Basidiomycota)和子囊菌门(Ascomycota)。菌圃优势真菌为鸡枞菌属(Termitomyces),相对含量在51.83%以上,菌圃中还鉴定到炭角菌属(1%,Xylaria)。【结论】为今后培菌白蚁-体内外微生物共生关系研究以及微生物的分离培养提供了依据和参考。     

白蚁共生放线菌研究进展

白蚁与微生物的共生关系是目前较受关注的研究热点,其肠道及巢内的共生微生物在降解木质纤维素的过程中扮演着重要的角色。放线菌是这些共生微生物中的重要一类,广泛存在于肠道、蚁巢及其周围土壤中,目前已探明共生放线菌在参与白蚁碳氮循环及保护巢群免受外来病菌侵染等方面发挥着极大的作用。近年来,人们利用分子生物学技术鉴定了部分共生放线菌的类群,发现了许多具应用前景的新放线菌及相关酶和代谢产物。因此,研究与白蚁相关的放线菌不仅有助于人们了解白蚁共生菌群落间的互作及其与宿主间的关系,而且对人类开发自然资源也有较大的帮助。本文对白蚁共生放线菌的研究进展作一综述,供同行参考。     

白蚁的蚁客

<正> 白蚁是一类多型的、营社会生活的昆虫。白蚁巢内部常能发现许多蚁客(Termitophiles)。较低等的、蚁巢结构较简单的白蚁,其蚁客的种类和数量较少;而高等的、蚁巢结构复杂、特别是具有菌圃的蚁巢,其中蚁客的种类和数量也较多。 作者近年来(1975—1979)在浙江有关地区白蚁防治单位的协助下,自尖叉原白蚁、黑胸散白蚁、家白蚁、屏南象白蚁、黑翅土白蚁及黄翅大白蚁等6种蚁巢内,采集到30多种蚁客。经初步鉴定,它们隶属于节肢动物门中3个纲、9个目、16个科。其中以昆虫纲的种类最为丰     

棉田绿盲蝽微生物多样性研究

昆虫在长期的进化过程中与其体内微生物形成了互利共生的关系,共生微生物参与调节寄主的多种生命活动,例如生殖、代谢等。在黄河流域棉区绿盲蝽Apolygus lucorum是棉花的主要害虫之一。为明确绿盲蝽体内共生菌的种类与群落结构,通过HiSeq平台对棉田绿盲蝽体内共生菌的16S rRNA基因V3～V4区进行高通量测序,分析绿盲蝽体内共生菌的种类与多样性。结果显示,变形菌门Proteobacteria(89.18%)、放线菌门Actinobacteria(2.99%)、厚壁菌门Firmicutes(2.48%)为绿盲蝽的3个优势菌门。在属水平上立克次氏体Rickettsia(32.86%)、欧文氏菌属Erwinia(20.21%)为优势菌群。本文初步明确了绿盲蝽体内微生物群落的组成和动态变化,为进一步研究绿盲蝽与共生菌的相互作用提供了基础,为今后从共生菌出发防治绿盲蝽提供新思路。     

互利合作行为演化及系统维持机制研究

互利合作行为不仅存在于种内系统的各个群体内（Group），也广泛存在于物种之间，而越来越多的发现显示几乎所有的物种都至少与一个其它物种存在互利的共栖行为（Bronstein 2001 in Ecology Letters）。从19世纪20年代开始，榕树与其特有的传粉昆虫系统一直是研究物种之间是如何形成稳定的合作关系的模式系统之一。在探讨物种间互利合作行为的过程中，     

培菌白蚁与鸡枞菌研究进展

培菌白蚁起源于非洲,蚁巢内具有复杂的社会分工.培菌白蚁依靠独特的蚁巢结构维持内部稳态和气体循环.菌圃是白蚁培育鸡枞菌的场所.鸡枞菌隶属于担子菌亚门,但其传播方式和生活史具有区别于其它担子菌的特点.鸡枞菌协助白蚁进行植物纤维的消化,白蚁则为鸡枞菌提供合适的生长环境,并控制鸡枞菌的遗传结构.培菌白蚁和鸡枞菌形成紧密的共生关系,二者缺少任何一方都不能独立生存.本文综述了培菌白蚁的分类、品级、蚁巢结构,鸡枞菌的传播方式和生活史,白蚁与鸡枞菌的共生关系等,以期望为培菌白蚁生物学及鸡枞菌的研究提供有益参考.     

网隙裂粉韧革菌不同生长时期转录组分析

网隙裂粉韧革菌Amylostereum areolatum是松树蜂Sirex noctilio携带并传播的共生真菌,与松树蜂之间存在严格的互利共生关系,其正常生长发育是松树蜂完成生活史的关键因子之一。为研究该共生菌生长发育的相关机制,我们对共生菌菌丝最大生长速率前期（7d）和后期（12d）样本进行转录组测序,在转录水平上分析差异表达基因在共生菌生长发育中的功能。结果显示,两个不同生长时期共有差异基因2 425个,其中在共生菌最大生长速率前期样本中上调的基因有946个,下调的有1 479个。Nr注释和GO功能富集分析结果表明,共生菌最大生长速率前期的差异表达基因主要与碳水化合物代谢、蛋白质合成以及水解酶活性相关。Pathway富集分析表明,差异表达基因显著富集在糖酵解/糖异生代谢通路上,并且这些基因在共生菌最大生长速率前期的样本中显著上调,表明其可能在网隙裂粉韧革菌的生长发育中发挥重要作用。通过分析两个不同生长时期共生菌基因的表达情况,挖掘参与共生菌生长发育的关键基因,旨在为探索松树蜂与其共生菌的互利共生机制提供理论基础。     

Multipartite symbioses in fungus-growing termites (Blattodea: Termitidae,Macrotermitinae) for the degradation of lignocellulose

Fungus-growing termites are among the most successful herbivorous animals and improve crop productivity and soil fertility. A range of symbiotic organisms can be found inside their nests. However, interactions of termites with these symbionts are poorly understood. This review provides detailed information on the role of multipartite symbioses (between termitophiles, termites, fungi, and bacteria) in fungus-growing termites for lignocellulose degradation. The specific functions of each component in the symbiotic system are also discussed. Based on previous studies, we argue that the enzymatic contribution from the host, fungus, and bacteria greatly facilitates the decomposition of complex polysaccharide plant materials. The host–termitophile interaction protects the termite nest from natural enemies and maintains the stability of the microenvironment inside the colony.     

Disturbance‐modulated symbioses in termitophily

Symbiosis, the living‐together of unlike organisms, underlies every major transition in evolution and pervades most ecological dynamics. Among examples of symbioses, the simultaneous occupation of a termite nest by its builder termites and intruding invertebrate species (so‐called termitophily) provides suitable macroscopic scenarios for the study of species coexistence in confined environments. Current evidence on termitophily abounds for dynamics occurring at the interindividual level within the termitarium, but is insufficient for broader scales such as the community and the landscape. Here, we inspect the effects of abiotic disturbance on termitophile presence and function in termitaria at these broader scales. To do so, we censused the termitophile communities inhabiting 30 termitaria of distinct volumes which had been exposed to increasing degrees of fire‐induced disturbance in a savanna‐like ecosystem in southeastern Brazil. We provide evidence that such an abiotic disturbance can ease the living‐together of termitophiles and termites. Putative processes facilitating these symbioses, however, varied according to the invader. For nonsocial invaders, disturbance seemed to boost coexistence with termites via the habitat amelioration that termitaria provided under wildfire, as suggested by the positive correlation between disturbance degree and termitophile abundance and richness. As for social invaders (ants), disturbance seemed to enhance associational defenses with termites, as suggested by the negative correlation between the presence of ant colonies and the richness and abundance of other termitarium‐cohabiting termitophiles. It is then apparent that disturbance‐modulated distinct symbioses in these termite nests.     

Ant- and termite-eating in Australian mammals and lizards: a comparison

Abstract Relative abundance is one factor that influences selection of prey by insectivorous mammals and lizards. Ants and termites are extremely abundant over most of inland Australia. Their patterns of abundance are also broadly similar across climatic gradients, being most and least abundant in seasonally arid (tropic and sub-tropic) and temperate mesic regions, respectively. All else being equal (e. g. mechanisms of prey defence, palat-ability, availability), animals that eat many termites should also eat many (adult) ants. The present study asks three questions: (i) What is the diversity of specialized ant-eaters (>50% volume)?; (ii) Does specialization vary with climate?; and (iii) Are ants and termites eaten in broadly similar proportions (using an earlier study on termites). Of the mammals, only the echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) in mesic regions, and probably the marsupial mole (Notoryctes typhlops) in the arid zone and the striped possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata) in mesic regions are ant-specialized. Ant-specialization in mammals shows no pattern with regard to climate. Of the lizards, only four agamid lizards are ant-specialized: Moloch horridus (arid, semi-arid), Ctenophorus fordi (arid, semi-arid), Ctenophorus isolepis (arid) and Ctenophorus maculatus (arid). Specialization on ants by lizards is greatest in the arid zone (4 spp.); no lizard species were found to be ant-specialists in mesic regions. In the arid and semi-arid zone, two mammals each specialize on termites and one on ants; in mesic regions, two mammals specialize on ants and one on termites. Specialized insectivorous mammals thus demonstrate no marked preference for either termites or ants. Lizards, in contrast, are markedly termite-specialized (4 ant-specialist spp., 16 termite-specialist spp.), and specialization is greatest in the arid zone (16 spp.). Greater specialization on termites than on (adult) ants in lizards is explained with reference to differences in prey defence and palatability between ants and termites. Consumption of ant brood (eggs, larvae, pupae) appears to be associated with a fossorial foraging mode (the marsupial mole N. typhlops; spp. of Aprasia lizards; spp. of blindsnakes Ramphotyphlops).     

Economic and ecological importance of termites: A global review

In this review article, the positive and negative impacts of termites on ecosystems and human activities are examined. Various ecosystem services provided by termites – their importance as a food resource for humans, wildlife and domestic animals – are discussed, along with the use of these insects in scientific research and in folk and traditional medicine. Some insufficiently studied properties of termites (their ability to perceive the radiation of radioactive substances, electric fields and magnetic fields), as well as the use of termites in bionics, are described. Special attention is paid to the use of termite mounds for different purposes (e.g. in mineral deposit searches, in medical applications, as furnaces for copper smelting, for storage of some nuts, as burial sites, for gathering of edible mushrooms of the genus Termitomyces and as fertilizer). Examples of such use in different countries are given. This article reviews the activities of termites as pests of agriculture and forestry, including crops that are most affected, and termites as structural pests (e.g. wooden structures, household furniture, books and museum collections). Examples of termites’ malicious activities in different parts of the world are provided. Information on the invasions of termites is given, and the main areas of expansion of their habitat are described. The economic loss caused by termites in some countries and the world as a whole are presented. The article also lists the most economically important termite species in the world.     

Morphological phylogenetics of termites (Isoptera)

Isoptera (termites) are an ecologically important order, with both a high abundance and biomass in tropical ecosystems. However, there have been few phylogenetic hypotheses for termites, and we present here the first comprehensive cladistic analysis for the group. We analysed relationships between all seven termite families, including representatives of all known feeding group, plus a number of systematically critical taxa. Termite species richness is biased towards the higher termites (Termitidae), and our taxon sampling reflects this. Our analysis was based essentially on morphological characters (96 workers, 93 soldiers) plus seven biological characters. The cladistic analysis gave four equally parsimonious trees, representing two islands of topologies. The strict consensus tree is fully resolved for the higher termites, but less so for the lower termites. Overall there is low statistical support for the suggested topology, and this can be explained by the high incongruence between the data sets (worker, soldier and biological). This study highlights the particular problems of coding morphological characters in social insects with multiple castes. Without the input of additional data sets, e.g. alates, biological, behavioural and molecular, it will not be possible to obtain a well-supported termite phylogeny.     

Simulation study on the tunnel networks of subterranean termites and the foraging behavior

Most subterranean termites forage for food by creating tunnel galleries underground. These tunnel networks reflect a compromise between foraging efficiency and other environmental constraints, such as soil hardness and moisture content. Thus, understanding tunnel networks is important for understanding foraging behavior. Due to the difficulties in direct observation of tunneling patterns in the field, we used a theoretical approach for this analysis. We first constructed a lattice model to simulate the tunnel networks of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) on the basis of the experimental data provided by Su et al. (Su, N.-Y., Stith, B.M., Puche, H., Bardunias, P., 2004. Characterization of tunneling geometry of subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) by computer simulation. Sociobiology 44 (3), 471–483.). Using this model and two of its modified versions, we explored the relationship between the food encounter rate and food distributions and analyzed how this relationship is influenced by changes in the tunnel characteristic constituents, such as the branching tunnel length and frequency. Additionally, we investigated the effects of landscape heterogeneity on the foraging efficiency. In the discussion, we briefly introduced our novel individual-based model comprising individual termites and their surroundings, and we addressed the necessity of this model in the functioning of the network and the formation of the network in relation to foraging behavior.     

Religiosity and Support for Killing Animals: Evidence of a Curvilinear Relationship

ABSTRACT

Prior research shows that the correlation between religiosity and support for animal rights can be positive, negative, or zero. We hypothesized that this relationship may actually be curvilinear, where a moderate degree of religiosity may reduce support for killing animals (compared with non-religiosity or atheism), but a very high degree of religiosity (e.g., fundamentalism) might increase support for killing animals. We tested this hypothesis in a large sample of American undergraduate students, using a correlational study design with self-report measures of religiosity and of support for killing animals in different domains. The results indicated that, in support of our hypothesis, the relationship between religiosity and support for killing animals is curvilinear, as moderate levels of religiosity were related to less support for killing animals. People who were either not religious at all or very religious were the ones who most supported the killing of animals. Belief in God in itself was related to less support for killing animals. We then replicated the curvilinear relationship between religiosity and support for killing animals using data from four experiments from a previously published article on support for killing animals. We briefly consider possible explanations for these findings, the limitations of the study, and propose directions for future research. Overall, we believe that this study helps clarify the complex relationship between religiosity and support for killing animals, and advances the scientific understanding of the psychological forces that motivate people to support or object to the killing of animals.     

Colony Populations and Biomass in Nests of the Amazonian Forest Termite Anoplotermes banksi Emerson (Isoptera: Termitidae)

The arboreal nests of the termite Anoplotermes banksi are abundant in Central Amazonian primary rain forests. Colony size of 7 nests (weight 92–6891 g) varied between 2,593 and 39,256 individuals/nest (1.5 – 22.1 g termites/nest). Average body fresh weight was 0.9 mg for workers and 2.1 mg for alates. Queens weighed 10–30 mg. No relationship between nest weight and maturity was detected, as the ratio of workers to larvae was 1:1, independent of nest size, and alates were found in nests weighing less than 200 g. Nests of A. banksi (12–18 ha -1) accounted for 12–15% of the nest density of all Isopteran species, but the calculated fresh weight of the termites of this species (15–23 mg/m 2) represented only 0.2–0.4% of the total termite biomass in the study area.