四种食料植物对八字地老虎生长发育和繁殖的影响

研究了油菜、甜菜、白菜和莴苣 4种食料植物对八字地老虎Agrotisc nigrumLinnaeus幼虫发育历期、蛹期、蛹重、成虫寿命和产卵量的影响。幼虫取食油菜时发育历期最短 (1 5 4d) ,蛹最重 (2 0 3 5mg) ,产卵量最多 (3 89 5粒 ) ,甜菜次之。幼虫取食莴苣时发育历期最长 ,蛹最轻 (1 3 6 1mg) ,产卵量最少(1 44 7粒 )。 4种食料植物对寄主的蛹期和成虫的寿命没有显著的影响     

小地老虎的交配行为和能力

在温度为(25±1)℃、相对湿度为70%±7%、光周期(L∶D)为14∶10h的条件下对小地老虎Agrotis ypsilon(Rottemberg)的交配行为和能力进行研究。结果表明:成虫在羽化后1d才进行交配。雄蛾和雌蛾都可以多次交配。交配能力受性比的影响很大,当1头雄蛾仅与1头雌蛾相处时,其交配能力低;当1头雄蛾与多于2头的雌蛾在一起时或1头雌蛾与多于2头的雄蛾在一起时,交配能力则显著增加。还讨论了该研究结果应用的可能性。     

New cell lines derived from the black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon, that support replication of the A. ipsilon multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus and several group I nucleopolyhedroviruses

New cell lines were recently developed from the embryos of the black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). A primary culture was initiated from 4-day-old A. ipsilon eggs in ExCell420 medium supplemented with 5% fetal bovine serum. This initial culture produced sufficient cell growth to allow subcultivation and eventually led to the establishment of eight distinct strains. Two of these strains (AiE1611T and AiEd6T) were selected for further characterization. Extracts of these strains were compared to an extract from A. ipsilon eggs by isozyme analysis and shown to be from the same species. Both strains were susceptible to infection by the A. ipsilon multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgipMNPV), as well as to lepidopteran group I NPVs from A. californica, Anagrapha falcifera, Anticarsia gemmatalis, Galleria mellonella, Helicoverpa armigera, Plutella xylostella, and Rachiplusia ou, with large numbers of occlusion bodies produced in most of the inoculated cells. The cell lines did not support the replication of group II NPVs from Helicoverpa zea, Lymantria dispar, and Spodoptera exigua. Both cell lines produced confluent monolayers in plaque assays and supported the formation of plaques upon infection with AgipMNPV and Autographa californica (Ac)MNPV. Twenty AgipMNPV plaques were picked from either AiE1611T or AiEd6T monolayers, and the plaque isolates were serially passaged three times through A. ipsilon cells. Only one isolate from AiE1611T cells exhibited genotypic variation in the form of an altered restriction fragment profile. Our results suggest these new lines can be useful in the study of AgipMNPV and A. ipsilon cellular and molecular biology.     

Mating disruption in Agrotis segetum monitored by harmonic radar

The long-range, pheromone-mediated, flight behaviour of male moths under natural and mating disruption conditions was monitored by means of harmonic radar. Individual male turnip moths, Agrotis segetum (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), tagged with radar transponders, were released and tracked in plots with or without disruptive doses of sex pheromone. In addition, male attraction to pheromone-baited traps and mating of calling females in treated and untreated plots was investigated. High doses of a four-component pheromone blend reduced trap catch by 79% and mating of females by 62% when compared with control plots in pre-radar experiments. Surprisingly, this effect was not associated with any pronounced differences in flight behaviour of males between a treatment and a control plot as revealed by harmonic radar recordings. In total, 20 flight tracks from a control plot and 22 flight tracks from a treatment plot were analysed. Moths could be followed for up to 77 min, corresponding to a track length of 7350 m. Mean ground speed ranged from 0.7 m s^–1 to 5.4 m s^–1. There was a strong trend (P = 0.06) for a greater number of male orientations to traps from downwind in the control field compared to the treatment field. Many flight tracks were fragmented due to radar shadow. Advantages and constraints using harmonic radar to study the pheromone-mediated flight behaviour of nocturnal moths are discussed.     

Impact of predatory ants on two lepidopteran insect pests in Indian cauliflower agroecosystems

Abstract:  The impact of predatory, agroecosystem-nesting ant species on the larval stages of the two major lepidopteran pests, the diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella and the black cutworm (BC), Agrotis ipsilon , in cauliflower agroecosystem in Uttar Pradesh, India, was investigated in farmers' fields. Field observations revealed that six ant species, the most important being Pheidole sp., preyed on the crop-damaging stages of DBM and BC. Bait experiments with larvae of DBM and BC, placed randomly on the ground, demonstrated significant active retrieval by Pheidole sp. Investigations on larval density of both the insect pests on cauliflower crops, located within 1–5 m distances from nests of Pheidole sp., revealed a significant increase in the level of infestation of the crop plants with increasing distance from the ant nests. While a significant negative correlation was found between infested plants with low larval densities, a positive correlation was found between plants with high larval densities with regard to the distance of crop plant location from the ant nest. Ant-inclusion and -exclusion experiments under field conditions further confirmed the role of predatory ants, with Pheidole sp. having the major impact in the direct retrieval of the lepidopteran larvae from the crop plants. A significant difference was found in the leaf area damaged by BC larvae between the ant-included and -excluded potted plants during the 6-h observation period. Thus, this study provides direct evidence of the role of ants in actively searching and directly preying on the larval stages of DBM and BC, on cauliflower plants. Moreover, we demonstrate that in ephemeral, annual cropping agroecosystems, predatory ants are important natural enemies of lepidopteran pests, playing a significant role in plant protection.     

Enantiomers of cis- and trans-3-(4-propyl-cyclopent-2-enyl) propyl acetate. A study on the bioactive conformation and chiral recognition of a moth sex pheromone component

The enantiomers of cis- and trans-3-(4-propyl-cyclopent-2-enyl) propyl acetate, which are conformationally constrained analogues of (Z)-5-decenyl acetate (1), a sex pheromone component of the turnip moth, Agrotis segetum, have been synthesized and tested using the electrophysiological single-sensillum technique. The analogues mimic a cisoid and transoid conformation of 1, respectively. In addition, the enantiomers of each of the cis- and trans-isomers are conformationally constrained analogues of enantiomeric cisoid and transoid conformations of 1. Thus, the compounds prepared and tested are well suited to investigate the nature of the bioactive conformation of the natural pheromone component 1 and the chiral sense of its interaction with the receptor. Electrophysiological single-sensillum recordings show that the activity of the most active cis-isomer, which has a (1S,4R)-configuration, is more than two orders of magnitude higher than that of the most active trans-isomer. Furthermore, the (1S,4R)-isomer is at least 100 times more active than its enantiomer. These results strongly support a previously proposed cisoid bioactive conformation of 1. Furthermore, the (1S,4R)-configuration of most active stereoisomer identifies the chiral sense of the interaction between the natural pheromone component 1 and its receptor.     

小地老虎飞行肌的超微结构与飞行能力的研究

电镜观察的结果表明,小地老虎Agrotis ypsilon Rottem。的飞行肌具有十分发达的肌原纤维与线粒体;肌原纤维的收缩率较小,说明肌纤维对翅的高频振荡有很强的适应能力;在吊飞状态下,翅振频率高达100—120赫兹,飞速为7,500米/小时,一次能持续飞行10多小时。飞行时的呼吸率较静息时增加100倍左右,胸温升高5—9℃,每小时消耗脂肪5毫克。起飞的临界温度为8℃,其飞速随温度升高而提高。     

Biology ofMicroplitis mediator [Hym.: Braconidae] a gregarious endoparasite ofAgrotis segetum [Lep.: Noctuidae]

Microplitis mediator (Haliday) a gregarious endoparasite was recorded for the first time fromAgrotis segetum (Schiff) in Ankara, Turkey. The female parasites found their hosts by responding to the faeces of the caterpillars. An average, females laid 15.5±1.6 eggs in the bodies of their hosts. The newly laid eggs were elongated, oval in shape and 0.23±0.004 mm long and 0.07 mm wide. They hatched in 5, 4 and 3 days at 20±2°C, 25±2°C and 30±2°C respectively when maintained at 60–70% R.H. and 14∶10 light∶dark regime. At the same temperatures, the larval stage lasted for 24.9±0.6, 18.2±0.4 and 17.1±0.5 days respectively. The prepupal stage was completed in 2 days at 25±2°C, whereas the prepupal and pupal (cocoon) stage lasted 10.9±0.2, 7.0±0.1 and 6.2±0.1 days respectively at the temperatures mentioned above. The adults started mating and feeding shortly after emergence. Female parasites started laying after one day, 7–11 hours and 5–7 hours at the temperatures stated above. At these temperatures females lived for 10.8±0.2, 5.4±0.1, 4.6±0.1 days and laid on average 556, 484 and 363 eggs respectively, whereas the males survived 10.5±0.3, 4.7±0.1 and 4.4±0.1 days respectively.      

卵孢白僵菌及添加杀虫助剂对两种地老虎的生物活性测定

【目的】确定卵孢白僵菌Beauveria brongniartii菌株NEAU30503对八字地老虎Xestia c-nigrum(Linnaeus)和小地老虎Agrotis ypsilon(Rottemberg)的杀虫活性。【方法】采用浸叶法测定NEAU30503对地老虎低龄幼虫的生物活性,土壤处理法测定对高龄幼虫的杀虫活性。【结果】NEAU30503对5日龄八字地老虎幼虫第15天毒力回归方程为y=0.6568x-0.1636(r=0.9846),其LC_(50)、LC_(80)分别为7.28×10~7孢子/m L、139.14×10~7孢子/m L;对5龄八字地老虎幼虫毒力回归方程为y=1.0929x-3.2893(r=0.9801),其LC_(50)、LC_(80)分别为3.85×10~7孢子/L、22.65×10~7孢子/L。未死幼虫化蛹后仍有部分蛹死于白僵菌感染,并能明显降低成虫羽化率。白僵菌与Bt、茶皂素、以及亚致死剂量的高效氯氢菊酯和阿维菌素混用能明显提高其杀虫活性和杀虫速度。【结论】NEAU30503对地老虎具有较高的杀虫活性,土壤处理防治高龄幼虫效果好,喷雾处理防治低龄幼虫加入少量的高效氯氢菊酯或茶皂素效果明显。本研究为开展白僵菌田间防治地老虎提供了科学依据。     

Mating Behavior and Reproductive Potential in the Turnip Moth Agrotis segetum (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

We investigated the lifetime mating potential and the reproductive behavior of male and female turnip moths Agrotis segetum (Schiff.) under field and laboratory conditions. The sex ratio was 1 : 1 in a lab-reared population as well as in two wild populations. Males were capable of mating repetitively a relatively large number of times (mean of 6.7 ± 2.7 matings) when given access to new virgin females throughout their lifetimes. Females seldom mated more than once (mean ± 1.3 ± 0.6 matings), indicating a male-biased operational sex ratio. The mean potential lifetime mating was five times higher in males, while the coefficient of variance was lower in males. There was no differences in longevity between animals that were allowed to mate and animals not allowed to mate, indicating no direct costs or benefits of mating in physiological terms. In males, the number of matings was positively correlated with longevity, but this was not the case in females. Nor was there a correlation between the number of female matings and the number of fertilized eggs. There was a negative correlation between the number of eggs fertilized and the number of times males had previously mated, indicating that male ejaculates were limited. Male spermatophore size also decreased with number of achieved matings. Laboratory-reared females attracted males in the field throughout their lifetimes, with a peak at 3–7 days of age. Wild males, allowed to choose between pairs of caged females in the field, were attracted in equal numbers to females of different ages. Females did not show any mate-rejection behavior in the field. They mated with the first male that courted them. No incidence of mate replacement by males arriving later to already courted females were recorded.