苏云金杆菌对甜菜夜蛾毒性的筛选

测定了 10 0株野生型苏云金芽孢杆菌菌株对夜蛾科甜菜夜蛾幼虫的毒力活性 ,经回归分析 ,2 3株对甜菜夜蛾初孵幼虫的毒力与浓度有高相关性 (R >0 .90 ) ,按LC50 计算 ,CN73活性最强 ,LC50 达 2 .393微升培养液 /克饲料 ( μL/g) ;另有 2 3株进行了不同浓度下校正死亡率的比较 ,得到高毒株 13株 ,CN33在 5μL/g浓度下校正死亡率达到 10 0 %。该结果为进一步研究奠定了基础。     

Species-specific herbivore–herbivore interactions and plant responses to sequential attack by multiple herbivores on a perennial woody plant

When plants are sequentially attacked by multiple herbivores, herbivore identity and host specialization can greatly influence the patterns of herbivore–herbivore and plant–herbivore interactions. However, how prior herbivory and the resulting induced plant responses potentially affect subsequent herbivores deserves further investigation. In this study, we conducted a common-garden experiment that manipulated sequential herbivory by the specialist caterpillar Gadirtha fusca Pogue (Lepidoptera: Nolidae) and the generalist caterpillar Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Chinese tallow, Triadica sebifera (L.) Small (Euphorbiaceae). We tested how prior exposure to herbivores with different levels of host specialization affected the performance of subsequently arriving con- and heterospecifics, as well as plant growth and defense responses under subsequent herbivory. We found that prior exposure to the specialist G. fusca facilitated the performance of subsequent conspecifics, resulting in a significant decrease in the growth (height and stem diameter at ground level) of tallow plants. However, prior exposure to the generalist S. litura did not affect the feeding of subsequent con- or heterospecifics or the growth of tallow plants. Sequential herbivory by specialist and generalist conspecifics resulted in lower levels of tannins and flavonoids, respectively, in leaves of tallow plants, whereas sequential herbivory by the two species did not affect the levels of tannins or flavonoids, compared to a single damage event. We conclude that herbivore species-specific plant responses appear to be more important than herbivore identity or specialization in determining herbivore–herbivore interactions and plant responses to sequential herbivore attack.     

Efficient separation of fatty acyl precursors of Spodoptera littoralis sex pheromone by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Chromatographic conditions are reported for the efficient separation of fatty acyl precursors of Spodoptera littoralis sex pheromone by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The procedure was optimized with a mixture of phenacyl derivative standards, using an octadecylsilane column, mixtures of acetonitrile-water, methanol-water, and methanol-isopropanol-water as mobile phases, and temperature control. This optimized method allowed the satisfactory separation of phenacyl esters obtained directly from S. littoralis sex pheromone gland extracts. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Persistence and Effects of Parasitic Genotypes in a Mixed Population of the Spodoptera exigua Nucleopolyhedrovirus

Spod-X, a commercialized bioinsecticide for the control of the pest Spodoptera exigua, is based on a nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) of S. exigua (SeMNPV) isolated in Florida (US2wt). This field isolate is made up of at least seven genotypic variants, of which two (US2C and US2E) have defective genomes and act as parasites, reducing the pathogenicity of the viral population. Upon co-infection of US2wt and a Spanish field isolate of the same virus (SP2wt), persistence of the defective variants (US2C, US2E) in the viral progeny was observed. This persistence diluted the presence of intact, self-infectious genotypes in the progeny, decreasing the pathogenicity of these viral inocula. Further passages of viral occlusion bodies produced after the co-infection revealed that the parasite US2C continued replicating and constituted up to 30% of the viral progeny in some samples. In addition, the presence of US2C within SP2wt significantly decreased the pathogenicity of contaminated inocula by 3.6-fold. The use of foreign virus field isolates containing defective genomes and their possible impact on the biological activity of native NPV populations may be a cause for concern where these viruses are used as agents for biological control.     

Whole-genome sequencing to detect mutations associated with resistance to insecticides and Bt proteins in Spodoptera frugiperda

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a major pest native to the Americas that has recently invaded the Old World. Point mutations in the target-site proteins acetylcholinesterase-1 (ace-1), voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) and ryanodine receptor (RyR) have been identified in S. frugiperda as major resistance mechanisms to organophosphate, pyrethroid and diamide insecticides respectively. Mutations in the adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter C2 gene (ABCC2) have also been identified to confer resistance to Cry1F protein. In this study, we applied a whole-genome sequencing (WGS) approach to identify point mutations in the target-site genes in 150 FAW individuals collected from China, Malawi, Uganda and Brazil. This approach revealed three amino acid substitutions (A201S, G227A and F290V) of S. frugiperda ace-1, which are known to be associated with organophosphate resistance. The Brazilian population had all three ace-1 point mutations and the 227A allele (mean frequency = 0.54) was the most common. Populations from China, Malawi and Uganda harbored two of the three ace-1 point mutations (A201S and F290V) with the 290V allele (0.47–0.58) as the dominant allele. Point mutations in VGSC (T929I, L932F and L1014F) and RyR (I4790M and G4946E) were not detected in any of the 150 individuals. A novel 12-bp insertion mutation in exon 15 of the ABCC2 gene was identified in some of the Brazilian individuals but absent in the invasive populations. Our results not only demonstrate robustness of the WGS-based genomic approach for detection of resistance mutations, but also provide insights for improvement of resistance management tactics in S. frugiperda.     

A novel domain-duplicated SlitFAR3 gene involved in sex pheromone biosynthesis in Spodoptera litura

Fatty acyl reductases (FARs) are key enzymes that participate in sex pheromone biosynthesis by reducing fatty acids to fatty alcohols. Lepidoptera typically harbor numerous FAR gene family members. Although FAR genes are involved in the biosynthesis of sex pheromones in moths, the key FAR gene of Spodoptera litura remains unclear. In this work, we predicted 30 FAR genes from the S. litura genome and identified a domain duplication within gene SlitFAR3, which exhibited high and preferential expression in the sexually mature female pheromone glands (PGs) and a rhythmic expression pattern during the scotophase of sex pheromone production. The molecular docking of SlitFAR3, as predicted using a 3D model, revealed a co-factor NADPH binding cavity and 2 substrate binding cavities. Functional expression in yeast cells combined with comprehensive gas chromatography indicated that the SlitFAR3 gene could produce fatty alcohol products. This study is the first to focus on the special phenomenon of FAR domain duplication, which will advance our understanding of biosynthesis-related genes from the perspective of evolutionary biology.     

Interactions of allelochemicals with dietary constituents: effects on deterrency

Abstract. That variation in the water and nutrient content of plant tissues affects allelochemical toxicity to insects is well established. However, little is known about how these dietary constituents influence allelochemical deterrency. In vertebrates, deterrency of particular allelochemicals increases with dietary water, and decreases with an increase in dietary nutrients. We determined if these findings were relevant to phytophagous insects through an experimental design that allowed us to vary independently the content of water (70–90% fresh mass, fm, with nutrient level at 10% fm) and nutrients (10–30% fm with water level at 70% or 80% fm) in an artificial diet through use of alphacel, a non-nutritive cellulose fibre. We examined the effect of these dietary manipulations on allelochemical deterrency by comparing larval feeding responses of two noctuid species, the oligophagous Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner and the polyphagous Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), to a control diet and an allelochemical-treated diet in two consecutive, no-choice tests. These tests were restricted to 3 min to minimize post-ingestive influences. From an initial twelve compounds tested, all but two were excluded for the following reasons: (i) failure to elicit an intermediate level of deterrency at <1% fm (i.e. albizziin, amygdalin, hordenine, ouabain, pipecolic acid, salicin, sinigrin and umbelliferone); (ii) an apparently rapid toxic effect (nicotine hydrogen tartrate); and (iii) adsorption to alphacel (quinine hydrochloride), which may have reduced deterrency. The deterrency of caffeine and linamarin increased with dietary water but was unaffected by nutrient content for both species. The similar results for an alkaloid and a cyanogenic glycoside, with two species differing considerably in feeding habits, suggest that dietary water is likely to influence the defensive efficacy of a broader range of deterrent allelochemicals to a variety of plant-feeding insects.     

A comparison of the pre-calling period between Japanese and southeastern Asian populations of Spodoptera litura

The pre-calling behavior of female adults of the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura （Lepidoptera： Noctuidae） collected in southern Japan and southeastern Asian countries was investigated. Most females started calling on days 1-4 after adult emergence. In three populations obtained in Saga prefecture in Kyushu mainland, Japan, two different patterns of pre-calling period （PCP） were observed： one was the above-mentioned pattern shown by most individuals, and the other was a pattern in which females sexually matured within several hours after emergence. Diel periodicity was shown in the time of calling activity, and its pattern varied among the populations. Pre-calling period was stable over successive generations in the laboratory.     

Does immunization of cucumber against anthracnose by Colletotrichum lagenarium affect host suitability for arthropods?

Restricted infection of a lower leaf of cucumber,Cucumis sativus L., with the anthracnose fungusColletotrichum lagenarium has been previously shown by others to induce persistent, systemic resistance to the same fungus and to at least 12 other diverse plant pathogens. The non-specificity of pathogen-induced resistance has fueled speculation that it might also affect arthropod herbivores. However, we found that immunization of cucumber withC. lagenarium had no effect on population growth of twospotted spider mites,Tetranychus urticae Koch, reared on foliage for which induced resistance to the same pathogen was confirmed. Similarly, immunization withC. lagenarium had no systemic effect on weight gain, duration of development, or pupal weight of fall armyworms, or on progeny production by melon aphids. In reciprocal tests, previous feeding injury from spider mites or fall armyworms did not induce systemic resistance toC. lagenarium. These results indicate that, at least for cucumber, pathogen-activated induced resistance is specific to plant pathogens, suggesting separate mechanisms of induced resistance to pathogens or herbivores.

---

Résumé Dans une étude de résistance induite, l'infection basale des feuilles du concombre,Cucumis sativus L., avecColletotrichum lagenarium, le champignon de l'anthracnose, a généré une induction systémique et persistante, non seulement au même champignon, mais aussi et surtout à l'égard de douze autres. La nature non-spécifique de cette résistance a dès lors engendré une hypothèse, celle de savoir si cette non-spécificité pourrait s'entendre au niveau d'arthropodes phytophages. Cependant, nos travaux ont démontré que l'immunité vis-à-vis deC. lagenarium n'affecte ni la population de tétraniques,Tetranychus urticae Koch, élevée sur des feuilles résistantes de concombre; ni le gain pondéral, ni la durée de développement, ni le poids nymphal deSpodoptera frugiperda, ou la fertilité des aphides de melon. De ces résultats, il peut-être déduit que, au moins chez le concombre, l'induction de résistance due àC. lagenarium démeure spécifique aux champignons saprophytes, c'est à dire qu'il existe des mécanismes séparés pour la résistance, soit aux champignons, soit aux arthropodes phytophages.

     

Nutrient utilization by caterpillars of the generalist beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua

Abstract.  Beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), caterpillars are destructive crop pests responsible for considerable annual economic losses. These generalist herbivores are challenged with a diversity of dietary choices that can impact their survival, development and fecundity. In the present study, dietary choices of S. exigua caterpillars, based on the protein to digestible carbohydrate (P : C) ratio of the food, and the impact of nutritionally unbalanced foods on caterpillar performance are assessed. In choice experiments, individual third-instar caterpillars are offered simultaneously a P-biased and a C-biased food until pupation. Caterpillars feed nonrandomly and select a slightly P-biased diet (22P : 20C). In no-choice experiments, second instar caterpillars are reared until pupation on diets ranging in P : C ratio from extremely P- to extremely C-biased. High mortality and delayed development are observed on the C-rich, P-poor diets, highlighting the potential deleterious effects of excess carbohydrates and the importance of protein for growth and development. Diet-dependent differences in pupal weight or pupal lipid reserves are not observed. This contrasts with closely-related Spodoptera species where pupal mass and lipid stores increase on C-rich, P-poor diets. On the extremely P-biased diet, performance is similar to that of individuals reared on the self-selected diet, suggesting that these caterpillars may efficiently be deaminating excess amino acids to generate carbon skeletons, which are shunted into lipid biosynthesis. Spodoptera exigua caterpillars exhibit flexible and efficient pre-ingestive nutrient intake regulation and post-ingestive utilization, allowing these generalist feeders to cope with the heterogeneous diets they may encounter.