棒络新妇生物学特性研究初报

棒络新妇１年一代，以卵在树干，叶片内越冬。卵期１９９－２２０天，４月下旬孵化。幼蛛八龄，８月中旬成熟，９月中旬产卵。幼蛛生活历期１２１．１天，成蛛寿命４７－６２天，雌雄比６：１。成蛛日食量０．７７３７克，是一些害虫的重要天敌。该蛛发生与气候，海拔高度，天敌等关系密切。采取封山林，禁止在林内使用化学农药，移动卵块庳大繁殖。     

从12S rRNA基因部分序列探讨络新妇亚科升格为科级阶元的有效性

络新妇亚科曾归入园蛛科,后改为属于肖蛸科,目前又升格为科级阶元。为对络新妇亚科的分类地位作进一步研究,测定了9种蜘蛛线粒体12SrRNA基因的部分序列;另外还从GenBank检索到17种蜘蛛的12SrRNA基因的的相应序列。基于12SrRNA基因序列进行的分子系统发生分析结果表明络新妇亚科即不属于园蛛科、也不属于肖蛸科,而是与肖蛸科或园蛛科均无直接关联的独立支系,这个结果证实了将络新妇亚科升格为科级阶元的有效性。     

4种常见蜘蛛蛛丝光学显微镜观察及机械性能的测定

对4种常见蜘蛛大腹园蛛Araneus ventricosus、迷宫漏斗蛛Agelena labyrinthica、草间钻头蛛Hylyphantes graminicola和棒络新妇Nephila clavata蛛丝的物理特性和机械性能进行了初步研究.结果 表明:捕丝是由2根核心丝构成,4种蛛丝呈现不同的颜色;4种蜘蛛蛛丝的密度略有不同,棒络新妇的蛛丝密度最大,草间钻头蛛的蛛丝密度最小;蛛丝中棒络新妇的断裂伸长率和断裂强度都最大,分别为47.3%和852.6 Nmm-2,草间钻头蛛蛛丝的断裂伸长率和断裂强度都最小,分别为32.1%和652.3 Nmm-2.与其它物理化学材料相比,蛛丝具有优异的综合力学性能,生物学特性与生物学功能具有高度一致性.     

棒络新妇和悦目金蛛丝腺形态初步观察

研究比较了结网型蜘蛛棒络新妇Nephila clavata和悦目金蛛Argiope amoena的丝腺形态特征,为国内蜘蛛丝腺蛋白的研究提供原始的丝腺解剖图,同时结合对2种蜘蛛卵袋的解剖、网的特征和室内捕食黄粉虫Tenebrio molitor幼虫行为的观察比较,探讨了2种蜘蛛丝腺的生物学功能与其生存繁殖策略之间的关系。本文分别观察描述了棒络新妇和悦目金蛛的大壶状腺、小壶状腺、鞭状腺、柱状腺、葡萄状腺和梨状腺共6种丝腺。2种蜘蛛丝腺形态特征基本相似;部分丝腺在形态结构和颜色上有些差异;悦目金蛛的葡萄状腺比棒络新妇发达。观察表明2种蜘蛛的网和卵袋特征差异较大,两者捕食策略也不同,棒络新妇采用咬一捆缚（Bit—Wrapping）策略,悦目金蛛则采用捆缚一咬（Wrapping-Bit）策略。棒络新妇和悦目金蛛的网和卵袋特征与丝腺的颜色相一致。同时,其葡萄状腺数量和大小与其各自的捕食策略相关。     

棒络新妇和悦目金蛛拖丝超微结构与力学行为

采用SEM对棒络新妇Nephila clavata腹部向上和向下在水平纱窗上爬行时纺出的拖丝、悦目金蛛Argiope amoena捕食拖丝与垂直向下缓慢纺出的拖丝及其圆网的铆钉丝进行了超微结构观察,采用电子单纤强力仪对棒络新妇拖丝与悦目金蛛圆网铆钉丝进行了力学拉伸试验.结果 表明棒络新妇和悦目金蛛拖丝均呈现出一至多根细丝纤维的多样化超微结构特征,其中悦目金蛛圆网铆钉丝还呈现出"S"形似弹簧的结构.两种蜘蛛丝的力学行为和性能与各自的功能要求相一致.蜘蛛能调节拖丝的超微结构、纤维组成和直径大小以适应其在不同环境条件下对力学性能和功能的瞬时需要.研究结果有助于拓宽和加深人们对蜘蛛丝超微结构、力学性能与生物学功能之间关系的认识和理解.     

一些常见的蜘蛛

直到如今,我们对于蜘蛛的世界还是十分陌生的。甚至对自己祖国的蜘蛛类也知道得很少。就拿学名来讲,有几本高等学校的动物学教科书中,也还存在不统一的地方;而这种不杭一,有的是由于观察得不够深入而致。横带黄金蛛就是一个例子。1.防带黄金蛛(Argiope amoena L.Koch)是最常见的带有鲜明色彩的蜘蛛之一。因为在长江南北一带它比络新妇(Nephila clavata)更常见,而后者却经常的被动物学者引以为例,加之它和络新妇的生活行为有很多相似的地方,所以有不少人杷它当成是络新妇。横带黄金蛛是一种体型较大的蜘蛛。雌者体长在25毫米左右,雄者却只有8毫米左右。头胸部坛状,披银白色毛。触肢肉色。腹部明显可见到4块淡棕色的带状斑。其中第2块上有1对黑点。第3块除1对     

大腹园蛛拖丝蛋白一级结构初步研究

采用部分酸水解的方法对大腹园蛛（Ａｒａｎｅｕｓｖｅｎｔｒｏｃｏｓｕｓ）拖丝纤维蛋白进行水解,通过反相高液相色谱分离到一些重复小肽片段,对其序列分析表明,该蜘蛛拖丝蛋白与肖蛸科的棒络新妇蛛（Ｎｅｐｈｉｌａｃｌａｖｉｐｅｓ）丝蛋白的序列比较,有一个完全相同的肽段ＧＹＧＰＧ,其余所测片段测存在差异,显示不同种属的蜘蛛丝在一级结构上的同异,并探讨了结构和功能的关系。     

驼背额角蛛和隆背微蛛各龄期比较

图1一龄幼蛛(1.驼背额角蛛2.隆背微蛛)图2二龄幼蛛(1.驼背额角蛛2.隆背微蛛)驼背额角蛛(Gnathonarium gibberum)和隆背微蛛(Erigone prominens)是农田害虫的重要天敌。由于发生量大,分布较广,对控制飞虱、叶蝉等水稻害虫有一定作用。在野外采集以及农田统计害虫天敌蜘蛛的种类和数量时,往往对幼蛛的鉴定和计数有一定困难,而国内外关于蜘蛛各龄期特征的描述和研究报道较少。为此,对该二种蜘蛛作了饲养观察,并对其幼蛛各龄期特征描述如下。方法从田间采回成蛛,待产卵、孵化后从卵袋中剥出一龄幼蛛及经蜕一次皮后爬出卵袋的二龄幼蛛。以后各龄…     

真水狼蛛幼蛛各龄期的形态特征和生长发育

幼蛛在蜘蛛的种群中占有很大比例。通过室内饲养。获得了不同龄期的真水狼蛛幼蛛。其体重、体长、背甲宽、步足长、眼域宽以及中斑下的条形纵斑长度都随着龄期的增大而增加。背甲宽和中斑下的条形斑纹长度可用来判断真水幼蛛的龄期。雌蛛的取食量大于雄蛛,高龄幼蛛大于低龄幼蛛。幼蛛在蜕皮时不取食,蜕皮后,取食量明显增加。     

蚊幼对狼蛛的营养作用研究

研究蚊子幼虫（子孓）以拟水狼蛛（Ｐｉｒａｔａｓｕｂｐｉｒａｔｉｃｕｓ）的营养,繁殖作用,结果表明狼蛛对蚊幼的捕食符合ＨｏｌｌｉｎｇⅡ型功能反应,喂以蚊幼和不喂蚊幼处理狼蛛的体重增长率和生殖有极显著差异,在相同蚊幼密度下,狼蛛初始体重越小,增长率越大,经计算狼蛛每增重１ｍｇ,需消耗１０．５８ｍｇ蚊幼,这基本符合生态系统营养级能量流动的１／１０法则,狼蛛体重大小对褐飞虱的捕食量有明显差异,体重大的个体     

中国浙江发现树蛙属一新种（两栖纲：树蛙科）

依据形态特征比较和分子系统发育分析,将采自浙江丽水的树蛙属物种订为一新种——丽水树蛙Rhacophorus lishuiensis Liu,Wang and Jiang,sp.nov.。新种丽水树蛙主要鉴别特征为:1)体型较小,雄性体长34.2~35.8 mm,雌性体长45.9 mm;2)鼓膜直径大于眼径之半;3)后肢较短,胫跗关节前伸贴体达眼后角;4)背面光滑,无明显疣粒;5)生活时背面绿色,无斑或散有稀疏的浅蓝绿色细点;6)咽喉部白色,虹彩黄色;7)雄性具单咽下内声囊,第一指基部具浅黄色婚垫。依据线粒体基因12S rRNA、tRNAval和16S rRNA共2 038 bp序列以贝叶斯法构建树蛙属41个物种间的系统发育关系,新种丽水树蛙为一个独立的支系,并与绿背树蛙(R.dorsoviridis)支系以高支持率形成姐妹群(后验概率1.00),支长较长。     

Yellow–green color polymorphism in males of a pea aphid clone and its genetic pattern

Although most aphid species living on leaves have a green body color, little is known regarding the biosynthetic pathways of green pigments. We found that a clone of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) produced both green- and yellow-colored males. The females of this clone were green in color, while 8.4% of the males produced were yellow. To date, yellow body color has been reported only in a single mutant clone in A. pisum. To explore the genetic pattern of yellow body color, green or yellow males were mated with green females of the same clone. The hatchability of the eggs sired by yellow males (26.2%) was less than half that of the eggs sired by green males (79.0%). The hatched foundresses of both groups were all green, with no yellow foundresses. Because aphids have an XX-XO sex determination system, color polymorphism in males suggests that male body color may be governed by an X-linked locus. If females possess heterozygosity at the putative locus, they can produce alternative phenotypes in males. The small proportion of yellow males and absence of yellow foundresses imply that the allele responsible for yellow body color has a deleterious effect. The present study suggests that this clone could be used to elucidate the biosynthetic pathways and underlying genetics of green pigments in aphids.     

The body size of the New Zealand orb-weaving spider Waitkera waitakerensis (Uloboridae) is directly related to temperature and affects fecundity

Abstract. Waitkera waitakerensis occupies lowland forests of New Zealand's North Island, where temperatures decrease in a southwestward direction. The mean annual temperatures of 18 collecting sites, as extracted from GIS data, are directly related to the first femur length of adult females. Neither site elevation nor phylogeny affected spider size or other variables examined. The direct relationship between spider body size and environmental temperature followed a pattern observed in other terrestrial arthropods with a univoltine life cycle and can probably be explained by the longer growing season of warmer regions. Egg diameter was uniform across the species. Site temperature and female first femur length were each directly related to the number of eggs deposited in egg sacs. The date of egg sac collection was inversely related to egg number, suggesting that clutch size declines during the reproductive season. Females deposit eggs beneath a triangular platform and then cover them with a lower silk sheet. The area of this upper platform and the volume of the egg sac were each directly related to egg number, but not to female first femur length. The depth of the lower covering was not related to egg number or to spider first femur length. This suggests that spiders use information about the volume of eggs in their abdomens to construct an egg sac whose volume will accommodate the volume of eggs to be laid and that females do so principally by adjusting the size of the sac's upper triangular platform.     

Sexing the human sternum

For differentiating a male from a female sternum, a metrical study of 400 adult North Indian sterna (312 males and 88 females) obtained from medicolegal postmortems was made. If the combined length of the manubrium and mesosternum was more than 140 mm. the sternum was male, and if less than 131 mm. it was female. No opinion could be given if the length was between 131 and 140 mm. By this measurement 72.12% male and 62.50% female sterna could be sexed with 100% accuracy. The length of the mesosternum alone could also determine the sex correctly in 50.32% male and 29.55% female specimens. The length of the manubrium, manubrium–corpus index, width of the first or third sternebra or their index, were not found to be useful in sexing a given sternum. By using multivariate analysis the probability of correctly identifying the sex of a sternum was over 85%.     

Influence of prey on developmental performance, reproduction and prey consumption of Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

The Spical strain of the predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) is used as a biological control agent, but little is known about its preferred prey and host plants in Japan. Here we studied the development, reproduction and prey consumption of the Spical strain when fed on eggs of five different spider mite species deposited on both their laboratory-rearing plant and cherry, on which all five spider mite species developed well. The developmental periods of immature N. californicus females and males were significantly affected by the prey species they fed on, but not by the plants. No difference was found between males and females. The developmental period was shorter on eggs of two Tetranychus species than on eggs of Panonychus ulmi. Immature females had a higher predation rate than immature males. Preoviposition period, oviposition period and the number of eggs laid per female were not significantly affected by either the plants or the type of prey eggs. The postoviposition period and total adult longevity were shorter on eggs of P. ulmi than of the other four prey species, but there was no effect of plant substrate. The postoviposition period of the Spical strain was much longer than that of other N. californicus strains or other predatory mite species: the postoviposition period of the Spical strain was more than three times longer than the oviposition period, accounting for more than 75% of the total adult longevity. This suggests that the females need multiple mating to reach full egg load, but this remains to be tested. Total consumption by N. californicus adults was lower for eggs of P. ulmi than for eggs of the other four species, apparently because of the shorter postoviposition period when fed on eggs of P. ulmi. The intrinsic rates of natural increase (r _m) on the rearing plant did not differ among prey species, whereas those on cherry were significantly different: the value was higher on Tetranychus urticae eggs than on eggs of other species. Only when N. californicus fed on T. urticae eggs, the r _m-values were significantly different between the rearing plant and cherry (higher on cherry). Thus, the Spical strain of N. californicus could feed on eggs of all five spider mite species, deposited on a variety of plants with similar r _m-values, suggesting that it could be successfully used to control spider mites in orchards and various crop fields of Japan.     

The Social Behavior of Brown Spider Monkeys (Ateles hybridus) in a Fragmented Forest in Colombia

Forest fragmentation and habitat loss are two of the main drivers of wildlife population declines. Animals exposed to habitat disturbances must develop behavioral strategies to adapt to novel, rapidly fluctuating socioecological challenges. Understanding the behavioral flexibility of endangered primates as a response to ecological challenges, e.g., anthropogenic habitat disturbance, is a key element in the design of successful conservation initiatives for remaining populations. We studied the social behavior of a group of 11 adult and subadult brown spider monkeys (Ateles hybridus) living in a recently isolated and densely populated forest fragment in the Magdalena River Valley, Colombia, and compared their behavior to that of other wild spider monkey populations. From June 2009 to July 2010 we assessed diet, activity budgets, and the rates of affiliative and agonistic interactions initiated and received by adult male and female spider monkeys. The diet of our focal group was quite different from that in most previous studies of Ateles: leaves accounted for ca. 40?% of their diet, and fruits represented barely half of their diet, suggesting that this population has had to adjust its feeding strategies to the local ecological challenges. We found no sex differences in the time males and females spent resting, moving, and socializing, but females tended to invest more time in feeding than males did. Male-to-female aggression was the most common agonistic interaction, and same-sex aggressions were almost absent. We found no significant differences in rates of grooming or embracing between the different types of dyads. The resemblance of our results to those of similar studies in less disturbed habitats suggests that spider monkeys might adapt to certain levels of ecological and social disturbance, at least initially, and are a starting point to understand better the initial effects of fragmentation on the behavioral repertoire of these primates.     

斑管巢蛛对柑桔害虫的捕食作用研究

在系统观察桔园蜘蛛优势种斑管巢蛛与主要柑桔害虫自然种群数量季节消长相关关系的基础上,采用血清学方法检测了蜘蛛对柑桔害虫的自然控制作用。在不同实验条件下测定了斑管巢蛛对柑桔害虫的捕食量、功能反应,以及相互干扰、温度对蜘蛛捕食作用的影响,建立了模拟模型。     

Prey preference of the predatory mite Neoseiulus womersleyi Schicha is determined by spider mite webs

Abstract:  We experimentally verified a proximate cause for the preference of prey species by the predatory mite Neoseiulus womersleyi , which prefers the eggs of Amphitetranychus viennensis Zacher to those of Tetranychus urticae Koch. To separate the effects of spider mite eggs and spider mite webs on the prey preference of the predatory mite, we manipulated combinations of eggs and webs of the two prey species. The number of eggs consumed by adult female N. womersleyi was compared with respect to two factors: eggs of the same species under webs of the different species and eggs of different species under webs of the same species. The results revealed that the prey preference of N. womersleyi was determined by the webs, and not by the eggs.     

Comparative incidence of cotton spider mites on transgenic Bt versus conventional cotton in relation to contents of secondary metabolites

With the wide adoption of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton, the incidence of bollworm has reduced significantly, but secondary pests such as cotton spider mites have become serious problems in Bt cotton fields. The objective of the present study was to investigate the underlying mechanism of increased incidence of secondary pests in Bt cotton. Two transgenic cotton varieties, sGK321 and Bt-C12, and their non-transformed counterparts, SY321 and C12, were used to study differences in the incidence of spider mites in relation to secondary metabolites. Plants of each cotton cultivar were infested with five female adult spider mites and then isolated. Leaf samples with a pair of adult mites of the same age were transferred individually into Petri dishes for examination of egg laying and duration of development stages. The number of spider mites on Bt-C12 and sGK321 was more than that on C12 and SY321. The cotton spider mites feeding on Bt-C12 laid significantly more eggs than those feeding on C12; those feeding on sGK321 laid significantly more eggs than those feeding on SY321. The generation time of spider mites feeding on Bt-C12 was greatly reduced relative to those feeding on C12. Also, the generation time of mites feeding on sGK321 was shorter than those feeding on SY321. Gossypol and tannin contents in leaves of Bt-C12 were substantially lower than those in C12, and the contents in leaves of sGK321 were significantly lower than those in leaves of SY321. The occurrence of spider mites was more serious on Bt than non-Bt cotton, and the fitness of the mites on Bt cotton was higher than on non-Bt cotton. Reductions in gossypol and tannin contents in Bt cotton decreased the generation time and increased the number of eggs of cotton spider mites.     

Euseiusfinlandicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as a potential biocontrol agent against Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae): life history and feeding habits on three different types of food

Life history and reproductive parameters of the generalist predatory mite Euseius (Amblyseius) finlandicus (Oudemans) were studied in the laboratory at 25 +/- 1 degrees C, with a 16L:8D photoperiod and 60 +/- 15% RH, to investigate its response to different food sources: an eriophyid mite Aceria sp., tulip pollen Tulipa gesnerana L., and two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch. Total developmental time of the immature stages was the shortest on eriophyid mites, followed by pollen, and then spider mites. Fecundity was highest on pollen (43.69 eggs; 1.63 eggs/female/day), then eriophyid mites (39.73 eggs; 1.37 eggs/female/day) and lowest on spider mites (18.16 eggs; 0.80 eggs/female/day). Intrinsic rate of increase (Rm), net reproductive rate (Ro) and finite rate of increase (lambda) followed the same pattern [pollen (0.168, 27.96 and 1.183, respectively), eriophyid mites (0.153, 20.81 and 1.167), spider mites (0.110, 9.44 and 1.119)]. Mean generation time (days) was the shortest on pollen (19.90), followed by eriophyid mites (20.02), and then spider mites (20.59). Average spider mite larvae consumed by E. finlandicus during immature stages were 9.18 for males and 11.85 for females. Adult E. finlandicus females consumed an average of 166.38 spider mite protonymphs during adult stage compared to an average of 66.55 by males. The number of prey protonymphs consumed per day by females was highest in the oviposition period, lower in the pre-oviposition period and the lowest in the post-oviposition period. The eriophyid mite as a prey recorded the shortest developmental time, while pollen as food recorded the highest oviposition rate in E. finlandicus. The potential of this predator as a biocontrol agent against T. urticae is discussed.