Additions to the checklist of Scoliidae,Sphecidae, Pompilidae and Vespidae of Peru,with notes on the endemic status of some species (Hymenoptera,Aculeata)

The first checklist of the Peruvian Hymenoptera listed 1169 species and subspecies of aculeate wasps, including 173 species of Pompilidae, seven of Scoliidae, 39 of Sphecidae and 403 of Vespidae. Herein are reported 32 species as new for Peru based mainly on the collection of the Natural History Museum, London. The loss of the endemic status of two species is also reported: Entypus peruvianus (Rohwer) (Pompilidae: Pepsinae) and Omicron ruficolle schunkei Giordani Soika (Vespidae: Eumeninae).     

Using genome-wide associations to identify metabolic pathways involved in maize aflatoxin accumulation resistance

Background

Aflatoxin is a potent carcinogen that can contaminate grain infected with the fungus Aspergillus flavus. However, resistance to aflatoxin accumulation in maize is a complex trait with low heritability. Here, two complementary analyses were performed to better understand the mechanisms involved. The first coupled results of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) that accounted for linkage disequilibrium among single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with gene-set enrichment for a pathway-based approach. The rationale was that the cumulative effects of genes in a pathway would give insight into genetic differences that distinguish resistant from susceptible lines of maize. The second involved finding non-pathway genes close to the most significant SNP-trait associations with the greatest effect on reducing aflatoxin in multiple environments. Unlike conventional GWAS, the latter analysis emphasized multiple aspects of SNP-trait associations rather than just significance and was performed because of the high genotype x environment variability exhibited by this trait.

Results

The most significant metabolic pathway identified was jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis. Specifically, there was at least one allelic variant for each step in the JA biosynthesis pathway that conferred an incremental decrease to the level of aflatoxin observed among the inbred lines in the GWAS panel. Several non-pathway genes were also consistently associated with lowered aflatoxin levels. Those with predicted functions related to defense were: leucine-rich repeat protein kinase, expansin B3, reversion-to-ethylene sensitivity1, adaptor protein complex2, and a multidrug and toxic compound extrusion protein.

Conclusions

Our genetic analysis provided strong evidence for several genes that were associated with aflatoxin resistance. Inbred lines that exhibited lower levels of aflatoxin accumulation tended to share similar haplotypes for genes specifically in the pathway of JA biosynthesis, along with several non-pathway genes with putative defense-related functions. Knowledge gained from these two complementary analyses has improved our understanding of population differences in aflatoxin resistance.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1874-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Reproductive isolation between two populations of Aglaoctenus lagotis,a funnel‐web wolf spider

Aglaoctenus lagotis (Lycosidae: Sosippinae) is a spider that, in contrast to the predominant wandering habit of the family, constructs funnel webs. The species is widely distributed throughout the Neotropics and is credited with high levels of intraspecific variation. Here, we evaluate whether reproductive isolating barriers operate between some populations of A. lagotis. We used heterotypic encounters between individuals from two distant localities: southern Uruguay (SU) and Central Argentina (CA). Additionally, we used spiders from an intermediate locality, western Uruguay (WU), where both forms of the species overlap (SU.WU was used to describe individuals from WU reminiscent of those from SU; and CA.WU was used to describe individuals from WU reminiscent of those from CA). No copulations occurred between SU and CA individuals, whereas a single and atypical copulation occurred between SU.WU and CA.WU individuals. Attacks (only by females on males) were rare. In tests of choice based on silk cues, SU males did not prefer homotypic cues but almost did not court CA females, whereas CA males preferred homotypic cues but usually courted heterotypic females. These findings, with a previously reported temporal asynchrony between populations, suggest the occurrence of reproductive isolation between both spider forms and a speciation process favoured by the wide distribution and plasticity of the species. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 114 , 646–658.     

皱胸尖裂姬蜂对机敏异漏斗蛛的拟寄生行为及其发育特征

寄生蜂是蜘蛛的主要天敌类群之一,但寄生于漏斗蛛的寄生蜂种类较少,且缺乏相关寄生蜂的详细研究报道。我们研究了皱胸尖裂姬蜂(Oxyrrhexis rugosus)对机敏异漏斗蛛(Allagelena difficilis)的拟寄生,旨在揭示蜘蛛寄生蜂的拟寄生行为及其发育特征。显微镜下观察了12头机敏异漏斗蛛头胸部背面的皱胸尖裂姬蜂卵,并以均值法统计了皱胸尖裂姬蜂各发育阶段的历期,进一步观察了皱胸尖裂姬蜂寄生机敏异漏斗蛛后对寄主的影响。交配后的雌性皱胸尖裂姬蜂经过寻找、降落、蛰刺蛛体后伺机将卵产在机敏异漏斗蛛的头胸部背面后部;孵化后的皱胸尖裂姬蜂幼虫头部形成一个特殊摄食导管,通过摄食导管获取蛛体的营养;幼虫随着龄期增长,体色由浅变深,历期约10 d;幼虫老熟后在蛛网的漏斗状管道内结茧化蛹,蛹期约为12 d;成体雌、雄蜂寿命约为11 d,皱胸尖裂姬蜂的平均生活史周期约为33 d。皱胸尖裂姬蜂寄生后对寄主蜘蛛的行为和生活状态造成了严重的影响,随着幼虫龄期增长被寄生机敏异漏斗蛛不再进食、蜕皮,活动减少,蛛体逐渐萎缩,直至老熟幼虫离开蛛体时,蜘蛛死亡。该研究不仅增加了漏斗蛛寄生性天敌的已知种类,而且初步了解了以漏斗蛛为寄主的姬蜂的产卵行为、后代的发育特征以及对寄主蜘蛛的影响,这将为研究蜘蛛寄生蜂及其与寄主蜘蛛之间的化学通讯和协同进化提供重要的基础资料。     

External coincidence and photoperiodic time measurement in the spider mite Tetranychus urticae

The incidence of diapause in the spider mite Tetranychus urticae was predicted for various photoperiodic regimes, according to the external coincidence model of photoperiodic time measurement. A phase response curve was constructed for the hypothetical photoperiodic oscillator in these mites: entrainment of this photoperiodic oscillator to a variety of ‘complete’ and ‘skeleton’ photoperiods was calculated using a transformation method for circadian rhythms. The external coincidence model proved adequate to describe experimental results with T. urticae in ‘complete’ photoperiods (T = 24 hr), symmetrical ‘skeleton’ photoperiods (T = 24 hr), asymmetrical ‘skeleton’ photoperiods (T = 24 hr) (night-interruption experiments), and ‘resonance’ experiments, in which the light component of a light/dark cycle was held constant at 8 hr and the dark component was varied over a wide range in successive experiments, providing cycles with period lengths up to 92 hr. The external coincidence model proved inadequate to explain results obtained in a ‘T-experiment’ with T. urticae comprising 1 hr pulses of light in a cycle of LD1:17.5 (T = 18.5 hr) with the first pulse of the train starting at different circadian phases. The validity and limitations of the external coincidence model as an explanation of photoperiodic time measurement in T. urticae are discussed in view of the above results.     

鸡抗CHO细胞蛋白的IgY消长规律及其制备的试验研究

采用五种免疫程序分别免疫来亨鸡以制备抗体;ELISA检测不同免疫方案鸡抗体水平变化规律。结果显示,不同免疫程序接种来亨鸡后抗体产生水平不同。末针免疫28d后,4针低剂量肌肉免疫组抗体水平显著低于4针高剂量肌肉免疫组(P<0.01);3针低剂量肌肉免疫组抗体水平显著低于3针高剂量肌肉免疫组(P<0.01);肌肉免疫组抗体水平低于皮下免疫组(P<0.05)。所有组均在末针免疫20d后出现抗体高峰,抗体水平可持续30d以上;SDS-PAGE结果显示纯化IgY纯度可达99%,抗体ELISA效价大于1∶105。