Net‐spinning caddisfly distribution in large regulated rivers

1. Most of the world's large rivers are dammed for the purposes of water storage, flood control, and power production. Damming rivers fundamentally alters water temperature and flows in tailwater ecosystems, which in turn affects the presence and abundance of downstream biota.
2. We collaborated with more than 200 citizen scientists to collect 2,194 light trap samples across 2 years and more than 2,000 river km. Samples contained 16,222 net‐spinning caddisfly (Hydropsyche) individuals across six species. We used these data to model the distribution of Hydropsyche throughout the Colorado River Basin in the western U.S.A. to identify the roles of water temperature, flows, and species‐specific morphology in determining aquatic species distributions throughout a large arid watershed that has been heavily altered by damming.
3. We predicted that water temperatures would determine Hydropsyche presence and abundance to a greater extent than diel variation in river stage associated with hydropower production. Among many species, adult female Hydropsychids are morphologically adapted to swim to deep‐water oviposition sites. We predicted that the presence of this ability would negate the otherwise deleterious effects of high stage change on caddisfly egg mortality.
4. We found that distributions of the two most widespread species, Hydropsyche occidentalis and Hydropsyche oslari (92% of total Hydropsyche captured), were both predicted by water temperatures. However, we also found that the abundance of H. oslari decreased by as much as 10‐fold as diel stage change increased, despite the presence of female morphological adaptations for deep‐water oviposition. We found sexual dimorphism and evidence for deep‐water swimming adaptations in 5/6 species.
5. Our results show that net‐spinning caddisflies have species‐specific responses to environmental variation and suggest that environmental flows designed to reduce diel stage change and destabilise water temperatures may improve habitat quality for these ubiquitous and important aquatic insects.

     

Fitness costs of worker specialization for ant societies

Division of labour is of fundamental importance for the success of societies, yet little is known about how individual specialization affects the fitness of the group as a whole. While specialized workers may be more efficient in the tasks they perform than generalists, they may also lack the flexibility to respond to rapid shifts in task needs. Such rigidity could impose fitness costs when societies face dynamic and unpredictable events, such as an attack by socially parasitic slavemakers. Here, we experimentally assess the colony-level fitness consequences of behavioural specialization in Temnothorax longispinosus ants that are attacked by the slavemaker ant T. americanus. We manipulated the social organization of 102 T. longispinosus colonies, based on the behavioural responses of all 3842 workers. We find that strict specialization is disadvantageous for a colony''s annual reproduction and growth during slave raids. These fitness costs may favour generalist strategies in dynamic environments, as we also demonstrate that societies exposed to slavemakers in the field show a lower degree of specialization than those originating from slavemaker-free populations. Our findings provide an explanation for the ubiquity of generalists and highlight their importance for the flexibility and functional robustness of entire societies.     

Patterns of intra- and interspecific association in leaf-mining insects on three oak host species

Abstract. 1. We determined mortality and distributional patterns of leaf miners on three oak host species (Quercus falcata, Q.nigra and Q.hemisphaerica) in northern Florida, U.S.A.
2. Patterns of intra- and interspecific occurrence within leaves, and mortality of five most abundant leaf miner species were analysed as a test of competition.
3. Miners co-occurred on leaves more often that expected by chance (P<0.05) in six of ten possible species combinations and log-linear model analysis showed no negative higher-order interactions.
4. All five miner species had highly clumped distributions between leaves (P<0.01).
5. Leaf miner survival was less than expected for four of five species when co-occurring on leaves with conspecifics than when mining with heterospecifics or alone (P<0.05).
6. We conclude that interspecific competition is unapparent within this leaf miner guild and that intraspecific competition occurs in four of the five major leaf miner species. We discuss leaf miner selection of common leaves, perhaps based on chemical/physical leaf characters, as a cause of intra- and interspecific aggregation.     

Patterns of variation in desiccation resistance in a set of recombinant inbred lines in Drosophila melanogaster

Desiccation, resulting from extremely dry environmental conditions, is a serious obstacle to the survival of organisms. Water is vital for the maintenance of intracellular structure and prevents the irreversible formation of aggregates, an occurrence leading to loss of cellular function. To characterize genetic variation in desiccation stress resistance (DSR) in Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, an intercontinental set of recombinant inbred lines (RIL) is used. Flies are exposed to a low humidity environment (<10% relative humidity) at a constant temperature of 25 °C. Desiccation stress resistance is higher in RIL derived from a backcross to the parental stock sensitive to heat stress (from Denmark) than in RIL derived from the reciprocal backcross to the heat‐stress resistant stock (from Australia). Composite interval mapping reveals significant quantitative trail loci (QTL) for DSR in the set of RIL. Both major and minor effects QTL are detected, suggesting a complex genetic architecture. When compared with a previous investigation performed on the same set of RIL, the present study indicates that not all traits of resistance to environmental stressors are affected in the same direction by segregating co‐localized QTL.     

A New Species of the Genus Paravelia Breddin 1898 from Argentina (Heteroptera: Veliidae)

A new species of the genus Paravelia (Heteroptera: Veliidae) is described, increasing the number of species of the genus known from Argentina to three: P. platensis Berg 1883, P. paxila Drake 1957, and the new sp. P. correntina. Some ecological and statistical notes are included. Scanning electron micrographs and illustrations are provided.     

Thermal responses of an insect subjected to temperature variations

Temperature responses of the cockroach, Blaberus craniifer, to rapid changes of ambient temperature (T_a) have been studied. In static conditions at T_a = 27°C the body-to-ambient temperature difference was only 0.10 ± 0.07°C. Two test situations were used, either a ramp increase of T_a from 27 to 31°C (0.1°C/min) or “step” changes from 27 to 28°C and back (0.5°C/min). In both cases body temperature closely followed Newtonian model, the body time constants measured in various conditions being very similar: 543 ± 99 sec in ramp tests, 550 ± 68 sec and 542 ± 124 sec in rising and falling step tests respectively. It is concluded that in spite of evident differences between the cockroach and an inert solid, the Newtonian model adequately represents the thermal responses of this insect to moderate changes in ambient temperature.     

The influence of intercropping with Allium on some insect populations in potato (Solatium tuberosum)

Two field experiments were conducted in West Java, Indonesia to investigate the effects on insect populations in a potato crop of intercropping with Allium cepa or A. sativum. Intercropping reduced populations of Myzus persicae, Aphis gossypii and Empoasca spp. when less than 0.75 m separated the potato plants and Allium spp. Leaf damage to potato by Henosepilachna sparsa was also reduced at this spacing; but populations of Thrips palmi or T. parvispinus were increased. The implications of these trends are noted.     

虎杖象甲培植真菌营养特性及对菌丝附属物形成的影响

虎杖象甲培植共生真菌形成的共生体系是植菌昆虫菌业中的典型代表。共生真菌Penicillium herquei如何向虎杖象甲Euops chinensis提供营养尚未明确。本研究发现共生真菌P. herquei的菌丝表面存在大量瘤状凸起物及由凸起物衍生的附属丝等特化结构,该结构可能为虎杖象甲提供营养;对共生真菌的营养研究表明,共生真菌能高效利用山梨醇、蔗糖、海藻糖、葡萄糖等单糖或双糖,以及酪氨酸、甘氨酸、谷氨酰胺等昆虫非必须氨基酸,同时在高碳和最适碳源条件下有利于菌丝特化附属物的产生。研究结果不仅提供了植菌卷叶象甲菌业中共生真菌在营养方面的适应性进化证据,而且为进一步揭示共生真菌适应卷叶象甲的营养机制奠定了基础。     

滇川桂3省暗褐网柄牛肝菌菌腔虫瘿的寄主植物与介壳虫种类调查

暗褐网柄牛肝菌Phlebopus portentosus与介壳虫形成的菌腔虫瘿是该菌营养机制研究的关键环节。本研究先后在云南、四川和广西3省区暗褐网柄牛肝菌产区的16个地点,对菌腔虫瘿的生态和生物学进行了大量的野外调查。发现根部着生菌腔虫瘿的寄主植物有31种,涉及16个科的28个属。与暗褐网柄牛肝菌形成菌腔虫瘿的介壳虫种类有12种,其中10种隶属粉蚧科Pseudococcidae、绵蚧科Monophlebidae、蚧科Coccidae各1种。在不同的寄主植物上菌腔虫瘿的寄生位置和形状会有所不同,与暗褐网柄牛肝菌菌丝形成菌腔虫瘿的寄主植物和介壳虫之间不存在专一性。上述研究结果为暗褐网柄牛肝菌的仿生栽培奠定了基础。     

黑水虻卵胚胎发育过程及在生产上的应用

黑水虻作为近年来广受关注的资源昆虫,其规模化应用的基础理论研究成为热点。本文对其胚胎发育过程进行研究,利用显微镜对资源昆虫黑水虻卵孵化发育过程进行观察并拍照,对胚胎各个时期的发育时间和形态进行记录。试验发现,在32℃下,黑水虻卵的发育历期为51 h。黑水虻的胚胎发育经过卵裂期、胚盘胚带形成期、原肠形成期、胚体分节期、体壁形成期、器官形成期6个典型时期。试验对孵化过程中的15个具体发育时期的特征和发育时间进行记录,形成了一套虫卵镜检技术应用于实际生产。在生产上,通过镜检技术对每一批次待孵化虫卵进行镜检观察,可初步判定该批次待孵化虫卵所处的发育阶段和死亡率,预估虫卵孵化时间和孵化率,为规模化稳定培育黑水虻苗种提供理论依据。