Effects of the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi on the leafhopper Psammotettix alienus under laboratory conditions

The Japanese giant looper, Ascotis selenaria cretacea, is a serious defoliator of tea gardens in Japan. The females produce racemic (Z,Z)-6,9-cis-3,4-epoxynonadecadiene (epo3,Z6,Z9-19:H, main component) and (Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-nonadecatriene (Z3,Z6,Z9-19:H, minor component). The orientation of the males to the synthetic pheromone placed in a trap was strongly disrupted by Z3,Z6,Z9-19:H or a mixture of its monoepoxy derivatives (epoxydiene mixture, EDM) impregnated in septa and placed around the trap. Based on this result, polyethylene tubes containing Z3,Z6,Z9-19:H or EDM were prepared and effect of these dispensers was examined in a field. Disruption of male orientation to synthetic pheromone traps was achieved in orchards permeated with Z3,Z6,Z9-19:H at dispenser density of 3000 and 5000 tubes ha^–1 (release rate: 0.55–0.61 mg day^–1 tube^–1) and with EDM at every tested dose, 250–5000 tubes ha^–1 (release rate: 0.25–0.39 mg day^–1 tube^–1). Furthermore, disruption of mating in tethered females was observed in these orchards; particularly, the mating was perfectly inhibited in the areas treated with EDM at 3000 and 5000 tubes ha^–1. This is the first formulation for the mating disruption of a geometrid pest.     

Chemical Communicators in Nematodes

Chemical signals released by one organism and perceived by another organism are classified as semiochemicals. Semiochemicals are divided into pheromones, which elicit intraspecific responses, and allelochemics, which elicit interspecific responses. Nematodes utilize and (or) recognize signals from both categories of semiochemicals. The existence of pheromones, specifically sex and aggregation pheromones, has been demonstrated in numerous plant and animal parasitic and free-living nematodes. Sex pheromones have been isolated and purified from Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and Heterodera glycines, and epidietic pheromones have been shown to be responsible for initiation of dauer juvenile formation in Caenorhabditis elegans. Allelochemics cause interspecific responses in insects and other invertebrates but are only postulated to occur in nematodes. Food-finding behavior of nematodes is almost certainly caused by host-released allelochemic messengers. Understanding of the behavioral responses and the chemical messengers that affect bioregulation of various processes in nematodes will influence future management strategies.     

Laboratory experiments on factors affecting oviposition site selection in Toxorhynchites amboinensis (Diptera: Culicidae), with a report on the occurrence of egg cannibalism

Laboratory experiments tested the effects of water quality and the presence of conspecific and heterospecific immatures on oviposition by Toxorhynchites amboinensis (Doleschall). The females showed a highly significant preference for oak leaf infusion water over distilled water. When twenty starved third and fourth instar Tx.amboinensis larvae were present in the water, substantially fewer eggs were counted from pots containing these conspecifics, than from controls in which no larvae were present. Numbers of eggs from pots containing starved second instar larvae did not differ significantly from controls. Observations of larval behaviour while oviposition was occurring suggested that egg numbers were reduced in containers because of egg cannibalism with third and fourth instar larvae, and not because the larvae caused a deterrent effect. Subsequent experiments confirming the occurrence of substantial egg cannibalism by third and especially fourth instar larvae are described. As with larvae, the presence of Tx.amboinensis pupae in the water had little effect on oviposition. If placed in the water 24 h prior to test, pupae very slightly enhanced its attractiveness, but if introduced immediately before test there appeared to be a slight deterrent effect. With heterospecific larvae, twenty fourth instar Ae.aegypti larvae introduced into infusion water 24 h before test rendered the water slightly attractive, while water in which Ae.aegypti larvae had been reared for 48 h proved highly repellent.     

根癌农杆菌化学受体MCP1912调节趋化响应功能的鉴定

【目的】本研究以根癌农杆菌C58为材料,鉴定其甲基趋化受体蛋白（methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein,MCP） MCP₁₉₁₂能够识别的配体,并研究该蛋白在调控根癌农杆菌趋化响应中的具体功能。【方法】通过异源表达MCP₁₉₁₂的配体结合结构域（ligand binding domain,LBD）,获得带有His标签的LBD蛋白(LBD₁₉₁₂)。利用基于荧光的热位移测定法（fluorescence-based thermal shift assay,TSA）筛选出LBD₁₉₁₂的潜在配体;通过等温滴定量热（isothermal titration calorimetry,ITC）,进一步确定筛选出的潜在配体,并测定LBD₁₉₁₂与配体结合之后的解离平衡常数K_D。利用基于同源重组的精准DNA片段删除方法,敲除根癌农杆菌C58中编码MCP₁₉₁₂的基因atu1912,获得MCP_{1 912}     

两种诱集方式对田间金龟甲诱集效果的比较研究

为了明确灯诱和引诱剂对田间金龟害虫的诱捕效果,利用自动虫情测报灯和2种引诱剂诱捕器对同一块花生田发生的金龟甲的诱集效果进行了对比试验。结果表明,两种方式对金龟甲的诱集效果差异明显。诱虫灯对东北大黑鳃金龟Holotrichia diomphalia和铜绿丽金龟Anomala corpulenta的日均诱虫量分别为3.30头和1.27头,引诱剂诱捕器对两种金龟甲的日均诱虫量分别为1.25头和0.34头。自动虫情测报灯的诱虫总量和持效性较好,均明显优于引诱剂诱捕器的诱捕效果。引诱剂诱捕器对雌性东北大黑鳃金龟的特异诱集效果优于自动虫情测报灯。尽管两种诱捕方式全年诱虫量存在较大差异,但两者所监测得到的金龟甲发生动态趋势基本一致,且特殊气象条件诱集数据可相互补充,并提出大面积防治工作中应以虫情测报灯为主,引诱剂诱捕器可作为重要辅助手段。     

Response of the fruit fly parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata to host and host‐habitat volatile cues

Chemical information is crucial to insect parasitoids for successful host location. Here, we evaluated the innate response of Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a fruit fly larval parasitoid, to cues from host and host habitat (i.e., fruit infested with host larvae). We first assessed the preference of female parasitoids between oranges infested with Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) and non‐infested fruit. Females were highly attracted towards infested oranges on the basis of volatile chemical cues. After this initial experiment, we aimed at revealing the potential sources of volatile cues present in an infested fruit. To this end, we considered five potential sources: (1) punctured fruit; (2) fly feeding, frass, or host‐marking pheromone deposited on the orange surface; (3) larval activity inside the fruit; (4) the larvae themselves; and (5) fungi associated with infestation of oranges. Habitat cues associated with host activity and those produced by rotten oranges or oranges colonized by fungi were highly attractive for female wasps, whereas odours associated with the activity of the adults on the surface of the fruit, and those released by the fruit after being damaged (as happens during fruit fly egg‐laying) were not used as cues by female parasitoids. Once the female had landed on the fruit, direct cues associated with larval activity became important although some indirect signals (e.g., products derived from larval activity inside the fruit) also increased host searching activity. Our findings indicate that naïve D. longicaudata uses chemical cues during host habitat searching and that these cues are produced both by the habitat and by the host larvae.     

对性引诱剂监测桔小实蝇雄成虫技术的改进

研究了添加方式、监测点位置以及监测区域环境对应用性引诱剂甲基丁香酚监测桔小实蝇Bactrocera dorsalisHendel雄成虫动态效果的影响。试验结果表明,采用分期分批、多次添加性引诱剂的方式监测桔小实蝇雄成虫动态,可消除因监测区域内所有诱瓶同一时间添加性引诱剂而造成的浓度突变所引起的成虫出现干扰性高峰,获得更准确的虫情监测结果;监测点的设置位置明显影响监测结果,监测点应包括果园内和果园外;选择较大且环境复杂的区域作为监测点可获得更明确的年发生动态规律。在以上研究基础上,提出了应用性引诱剂监测桔小实蝇雄成虫动态的监测方法。     

人尿及汗液中几种化合物对黄脊竹蝗的引诱活性

黄脊竹蝗Ceracris kiangsu Tsai成虫对发酵人尿及汗液有明显的趋向行为。利用昆虫触角EAG反应和林间诱蝗试验对氯化钠、碳酸氢氨及乙醇3种主要的人尿、汗液化合物的诱蝗活性进行测定。结果表明:3种物质均能明显激发黄脊竹蝗雌、雄成虫的触角电位反应,激发活性的强弱次序为乙醇>碳酸氢氨>氯化钠。3种化合物对雌蝗触角的刺激作用强于雄蝗。在林间,氯化钠、碳酸氢氨及乙醇及其混合物对竹蝗的引诱效果不明显,化合物浓度及药剂种类是影响竹蝗引诱量的因子之一。     

Kairomonal effect of sex pheromone components of two lepidopteran olive pests on Trichogramma wasps

Egg parasitoids are known to use a wide range of chemicals, emitted by plants, host eggs or adults, for host selection. The effect of the sex pheromone components of the lepidopteran olive pests Prays oleae (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) and Palpita unionalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was studied under laboratory conditions, on the foraging behaviour of the egg parasitoid Trichogramma oleae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). The response of T. oleae wasps to ( Z )-7-tetradecenal and ( E )-11-hexadecenal, major sex pheromone components of P. oleae and P. unionalis respectively, depended on the dose of the pheromone used in a Y-tube olfactometer bioassay. ( E )-11-hexadecenal elicited maximum attraction (70%) at a dose of 1 μg, while a dose of 100 μg ( Z )-7-tetradecenal attracted 80% of the tested wasps. ( E )-11-hexadecenyl acetate, the second sex pheromone component of P. unionalis , and the binary blend of ( E )-11-hexadecenyl acetate: ( E )-11-hexadecenal (7:3) were not attractive at these doses. The results of this research are discussed in view that they may be considered as alternatives in the biological control of these pests.     

甜菜夜蛾对性信息素的行为反应及其田间诱捕效果

人工合成的甜菜夜蛾性信息素两组分（顺,反）-9,12-十四碳二烯醇醋酸酯（Z9,E12-14：Ac）和（顺）-9-十四碳烯醇（Z9-14：OH）按不同配比制成诱芯,在风洞中均能引起雄蛾搜索气迹、定向飞行及接近诱芯的行为反应.不同配比和剂量的诱芯诱虫效果差异显著（p＜0.05）.Z9,E12-14：Ac和Z9-14：OH按7：3配比,诱虫活性最高,表现在风洞中,搜索气迹、定向飞行和接近诱芯的蛾数最高,与处女蛾的引诱效果相当.以此配比制成的性诱剂在田间诱捕的虫量最多,与风洞的试验结果基本一致.诱芯剂量在0.05～0.5mg范围内均有显著的诱虫效果,但剂量过低或过高均导致诱捕率下降.同一配比诱芯在风洞中引起雄蛾接近诱芯的蛾量与田间诱蛾量呈显著相关（R1=0.968,R2=0.961）.并对这些结果在甜菜夜蛾田间性诱剂防治应用的前景进行了讨论.