Long-term preservation of eri and ailanthus silkworms using frozen gonads

Cryopreservation of eri and ailanthus silkworms using frozen gonads was investigated. First, we evaluated the freeze tolerance of ovary and testis in the eri silkworm, which showed high tolerance. Mating between frozen ovary-transplanted females and frozen testis-transplanted males produced 163.0 eggs, yielding 105.7 larvae per moth. In a second experiment, we tested the use of the eri silkworm as a host insect for gonad transplantation from ailanthus silkworm donors. A high success ratio for laid and hatched eggs was demonstrated for ovary transplantation (97.8 and 51.3 eggs per moth, respectively). For testis transplantation, however, the average number of hatched larvae was low (12.0). Mating between host eri females and males in which both frozen ovary and testis of the ailanthus silkworm had been transplanted produced 6.4 fertilized eggs per host moth. Our success in using cross subspecies cryopreservation between these wild silkworms could lead to the alternative use of hosts between species in other insects.     

Mapping invasive plants with citizen science. A case study from Trieste (NE Italy)

A citizen science initiative was launched in the province of Trieste, aimed at mapping the distribution of Ailanthus altissima, Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Senecio inaequidens. The reliability of citizen data was tested against control data obtained by trained personnel with a stratified random sampling. In spite of the lack of a strict sampling strategy, citizen data were highly correlated with control data. This was mainly due to: 1) the easy identification of the species and 2) the instructions given to citizens for selecting their observation areas and for avoiding duplicate records. The three species tend to be most frequent in disturbed areas; Ailanthus is highly concentrated in the urban area, Senecio is widely distributed but avoids the city centre, with the highest frequency in the industrial area and along the railways, Ambrosia has a similar pattern, but is most frequent in areas with calcareous substrata. The interpretation of the distribution patterns in terms of land use and ecological factors proved to be quite easy when the three species are considered together (higher frequency in disturbed areas), less so when they are considered separately, most probably because of historical and sociological factors, such as incomplete migration into the survey area, and “gentrification effects”.     

Effects of simulated submergence on survival and recovery growth of three species in water fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges reservoir

Paspalum distichum, Cynodon dactylon and Hemarthria altissima distribute widely in natural water fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges region. To investigate whether they are suitable for growing in the artificial water fluctuation zone, which has longer submergence time and different submergence rhythm, of the Three Gorges reservoir, three complete submergence depths (0.5, 1 and 2 m) were conducted for about 6 months (from 12 November 2007 to 30 April 2008), and the survival and recovery growth of the three species were recorded after re-emergence for two weeks. The three species could start recovery growth within one week and more than 50% plants could survive. Among the three species, P. distichum had the largest increments in branch number and maximum stem length, and the smallest root shoot ratio. C. dactylon, however, had the smallest maximum stem length increment, and its survival and branch number increment were both larger than those of H. altissima. For C. dactylon and H. altissima, the survival and branch number increment significantly increased, while maximum stem length increment tended to decrease when submergence depth went higher. For P. distichum, the survival and the shoot mass were the lowest after 2 m submergence depth, but the other parameters were not different among different submergence treatments. Compared with control plants, submergence increased root shoot ratio of C. dactylon and H. altissima, but did not affect that of P. distichum. These results demonstrated that the three species are submergence-tolerant and can be applied in vegetation reconstruction in water fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges reservoir. Meanwhile, the results also suggested that the three species developed different survival tactics during the long-term submergence.     

Plant genetics shapes inquiline community structure across spatial scales

Recent research in community genetics has examined the effects of intraspecific genetic variation on species diversity in local communities. However, communities can be structured by a combination of both local and regional processes and to date, few community genetics studies have examined whether the effects of instraspecific genetic variation are consistent across levels of diversity. In this study, we ask whether host-plant genetic variation structures communities of arthropod inquilines within distinct habitat patches – rosette leaf galls on tall goldenrod ( Solidago altissima ). We found that genetic variation determined inquiline diversity at both local and regional spatial scales, but that trophic-level responses varied independently of one another. This result suggests that herbivores and predators likely respond to heritable plant traits at different spatial scales. Together, our results show that incorporating spatial scale is essential for predicting the effects of genetically variable traits on different trophic levels and levels of diversity within the communities that depend on host plants.     

Ion-exchange properties of cell walls of Spinacia oleracea L. roots under different environmental salt conditions

Ion-exchange properties of the polymeric matrix of cell walls isolated from roots of 55-day-old Spinacia oleracea L. (Matador cv.) plants grown in nutrient solution in the presence of 0.5, 150, and 250 mM NaCl and from roots of Suaeda altissima L. Pall plants of the same age grown in the presence of 0.5 and 250 mM NaCl were studied. The ion-exchange capacity of the spinach cell walls was determined at pH values from 2 to 12 and different ionic strength of the solution (10 and 250 mM NaCl). In the structure of the root cell walls, four types of ionogenic groups were found: amine, two types of carboxyl (the first being galacturonic acid residue), and phenolic groups. The content of each type of group and their ionization constants were evaluated. The ion-exchange properties of spinach and the halophyte Suaeda altissima L. Pall were compared, and the qualitative composition of the ion-exchange groups in the cell walls of roots of these plants appeared to be the same and not depend on conditions of the root nutrition. The content of carboxyl groups of polygalacturonic acid changed in the cell walls of the glycophyte and halophyte depending on the salt concentration in the medium. These changes in the composition of functional groups of the cell wall polymers seemed to be a response of these plants to salt and were more pronounced in the halophyte. A sharp increase in the NaCl concentration in the medium caused a decrease in pH in the extracellular water space as a result of exchange reactions between sodium ions entering from the external solution and protons of carboxyl groups of the cell walls. The findings are discussed from the standpoint of involvement of root cell walls of different plant species in response to salinity.     

植物吸收根的增殖和生长与养分变异的关系——臭椿、翠菊、加拿大一枝黄花分根实验的启示

构件理论认为植物根可以相对独立地吸收养分和对所处环境的养分条件做出响应。根据成本-收益理论, 单个根(构件)的生死、生长发育与其吸收的养分收益和自身建造、维持的消耗有关。基于此, 该文提出两个关于吸收根生死条件的假设: 1)当可利用养分低于低临界值, 根死亡在一段时滞(数天到几周)后发生; 2)当可利用养分高于高临界值并持续一段时间, 新的侧根产生。为了检验这两个假设, 用臭椿(Ailanthus altissima)、翠菊(Callistephus chinensis)、加拿大一枝黄花(Solidago canadensis)作实验物种, 设计了温室分根实验。每株植物选3个一级根, 分别引入3个不同养分水平的斑块: 0、20、200 μg N·g^-1。每4天将根暴露并拍照, 查数新根数并测量细根总长度和一级侧根长。由于高养分处理斑块内根的快速生长, 实验在开始后8天或12天结束。结果显示: 除臭椿在0养分处理外, 三物种在各养分处理下都有侧根产生, 总根长均有增加; 臭椿、翠菊、加拿大一枝黄花在不同观测时间和养分水平处理间的侧根数目和总根长差异显著, 而一级侧根长除臭椿外变异均较小; 整个过程中没有根死亡。研究结果部分支持两个假设。本研究还为进一步探究根模块构件增殖、生死过程机制提出新的建议, 即除需要更长的实验时间外, 还应该考虑: 1)多种资源各自及联合对根生长、生死过程的影响; 2)资源斑块和整个根系生长背景的资源丰度对比; 3)根构建和根维持的相对C消耗。     

Development and comparison of trunk traps to monitor movement of Halyomorpha halys nymphs on host trees

Halyomorpha halys Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) has recently become a major orchard pest in the Mid‐Atlantic, USA. Large H. halys populations can develop on wild tree hosts adjacent to orchards, posing an ongoing threat to fruit. Adults and nymphs feed on tree fruit, causing economic injury. Understanding the seasonal patterns of nymphal host use among trees at the orchard‐woodland interface may aid the development of integrated pest management strategies for this pest. In laboratory and field experiments, modified versions of published trap designs – ‘Circle’, ‘Hanula’, ‘M&M’ (after Moeed & Meads) traps – were compared for their effectiveness for capturing H. halys nymphs walking up and down tree trunks. In the laboratory, second instars were released at the top and bottom of ailanthus (tree of heaven), Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (Simaroubaceae), logs and captures were recorded after 24 h. Circle and M&M traps, respectively, were most effective for capturing nymphs walking up and down. In the field, traps were deployed on ailanthus trees next to apple orchards and captures were recorded weekly from 24 July to 11 September 2013. As in the laboratory, Circle and M&M traps captured the greatest number of upward‐ and downward‐walking nymphs. Hanula traps were least effective in both experiments. In the field, 88% of total captures were of nymphs walking up trees. This was at least partially explained by behavioral assays in the laboratory demonstrating that nymphs exhibited negative gravitaxis and positive phototaxis. Stage‐specific trends in captures of instars walking up during field sampling were observed. These results suggest that trunk traps can be used to address important ecological questions about seasonal patterns of host use by H. halys nymphs.     

臭椿种子萌发最适条件研究

采用不同浓度赤霉素(GA3)处理臭椿种子,在不同温度及不同光照条件下,研究了GA3、温度及光照对臭椿种子萌发的影响。结果表明,40 mg.L-1的GA3质量浓度、30℃温度以及自然光暗交替处理为臭椿种子萌发的最适条件,臭椿属于喜高温型种子。     

The effects of host race, gender, and host plant distribution on alighting behavior, mating, and oviposition in Eurosta solidaginis

Eurosta solidaginis Fitch (Diptera: Tephritidae) has formed host races on Solidago altissima L. and Solidago gigantea Ait. (Asteraceae), and reproductive isolation between these host races is brought about in part by host‐associated assortative mating. Any non‐assortative mating creates the potential for gene flow between the populations, and we investigated the conditions that favored non‐assortative mating. We hypothesized that the frequency of non‐assortative mating would be influenced by differences in the behaviors of the host races and sexes and by the presence and pattern of distribution of the two host species. To test these hypotheses, we caged flies on four combinations of 32 potted host plants: all S. altissima, all S. gigantea, and cages with both host species arranged in either two pure species blocks or randomly dispersed. We recorded the number of flies of each host race that alighted on each host species and the frequency of mating within and between the host races. Males of both host races were observed on plants more frequently than females. Flies of the host race from S. gigantea (gig flies) were observed on plants in greater absolute numbers, and they mated more frequently than flies of the host race from S. altissima (alt flies). In all treatments, gig flies of both sexes were found on non‐natal host plants significantly more frequently than alt flies, and gig females showed a weaker preference for their host species than did gig males or alt flies of either gender for their respective natal hosts. Assortative mating predominated in all treatments, and flies from each host race mated more frequently in cages containing their own host plant. The frequency of non‐assortative mating varied among treatments, with the matings between alt ♀ × gig ♂ being more common in the pure S. altissima treatment and the gig ♀ × alt ♂ being more frequent in the pure S. gigantea and random treatments. Matings between gig ♂ × alt ♀ were more common overall than the reciprocal mating, because gig males were more active in pursuing matings and in alighting on the non‐natal host plant than alt flies. Non‐assortative matings were more frequent in the random than in the block treatments, but this difference was not significant. Because of strong selection against oviposition into the alternate host, we hypothesized that host plant distribution would not affect oviposition preference. We tested this hypothesis by examining the oviposition behavior of naïve, mated females in two treatments in which both host species were present: either arranged in blocks or randomly dispersed. Females oviposited only into their natal host, regardless of host plant distribution.