Sensory organs of the thoracic legs of the moth Manduca sexta

Summary The thoracic legs of the moth Manduca sexta acquire a new form and develop a new complement of sensory organs and muscles during metamorphosis from larva to adult. Because of our interest in the reorganization of neural circuitry and the acquisition of new behaviors during metamorphosis, we are characterizing sensory elements of larval and adult legs so that we may determine the contribution of new sensory inputs to the changes in behaviors. Here we describe the sensory structures of adult legs using scanning electron microscopy to view the external sensilla and cobalt staining to examine innervation by underlying sensory neurons. We find that, in contrast to larval legs, the adult legs are covered with a diverse array of sensilla. All three pairs of thoracic legs contain scattered, singly innervated scalelike sensilla. Campaniform sensilla occur singly or in clusters near joints. Hair plates, consisting of numerous singly innervated hairs, are also present near joints. Other more specialized sensilla occur on distal leg segments. These include singly innervated spines, two additional classes of singly innervated hairs, and three classes of multiply innervated sensilla. Internal sensory organs include chordotonal organs, subgenual organs, and multipolar joint receptors.     

Spatio-temporal distribution patterns of two tachinid flies,Epicampocera succincta andCompsilura concinnata parasitizingPieris

Larvae of genus Pieris in the northern part of Kyoto City are parasitized by two tachinid flies:Epicampocera succincta, a specialist on genus Pieris, and Compsilura concinnata, a generalist with very wide host-range. We surveyed the parasitism rates of Pieris by both flies for two years at six study areas. In these study areas, there lived three host species in the genus Pieris: P. rapae, P. melete, and P. napi, but neither tachinid parasitized P. napi to any significant extent. In the mountainous district, P. rapae and P. melete coexisted and their populations were relatively continuous, while in the lowland, only P. rapae larvae were abundant in spring and autumn, but even they disappeared in summer. Parasitisms by E. succincta occurred mainly in mountainous district and never in the lowland. C. concinnata parasitized Pieris in all the areas, but its parasitisms occurred mainly in autumn. We analyzed the factors affecting the spatial and temporal patterns of parasitism rates and presumed that the temporal discontinuity of host population restricted the distribution of the specialist parasitoid.     

Eclosion hormone-stimulated cGMP levels in the central nervous system of Manduca sexta: inhibition by lipid metabolism blockers,increase in inositol(1,4,5)trisphosphate and further evidence against the involvement of nitric oxide

Previous studies have shown that the neuropeptide, eclosion hormone, stimulates a nitric oxide-independent increase in the levels of cGMP in the nervous system of Manduca sexta. By contrast, recent results in Bombyx mori suggest that eclosion hormone increases cGMP via the production of nitric oxide. In view of these conflicting results we have carried out additional studies to test whether nitric oxide is involved in this process in Manduca. Evidence presented here supports our earlier observations that in Manduca the eclosion hormone-stimulated increase in cGMP is nitric oxide-and carbon monoxide-independent. In addition, we show that a wide variety of inhibitors of lipid metabolism block the eclosion hormone-stimulated cGMP increase. This supports the hypothesis that the activation of the guanylate cyclase is mediated by a lipid messenger. We also show that eclosion hormone stimulates an increase in the levels of inositol(1,4,5)trisphosphate. The time-course of this increase is consistent with the hypothesis that eclosion hormone stimulation of a phospholipase C is an early event in the cascade that results in an increase in cGMP. Receptor-mediated lipid hydrolysis is often mediated by G protein-coupled receptors. Experiments using pertussis toxin show that the eclosion hormone-stimulated increase in cGMP is not mediated by a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein.Abbreviations AACOCF ₃ arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone - 4-BPB 4-bromophenacyl bromide - cGMP guanosine 3,5 cyclic monophosphate - D609 tricyclodecan-9-yl-xanthogenate - DEDA 7,7 dimethyleicosadienoic acid - DAG diacylglycerol - EH eclosion hormone - ET-18-OCH ₃ 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine - ETYA 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid - InsP ₃ inositol(1,4,5)trisphosphate - LO lipoxygenase - Lyso-PA lysophosphatidic acid - HPLC highpressure liquid chromatography - NDGA nordihydroguaiaretic acid - NOS nitric oxide synthase - OEPC oleoxyethyl phosphorylylcholine - ONO-RS-082 2-(p-amylcinnamoyl)amino-4-chlorobenzoic acid - oxo-M oxotremorine-M - PAF platelet-activating factor - PKC protein kinase C - PLA ₂ phospholipase A₂ - PLC phospholipase C - PLD phospholipase D - PPH phosphatidate phosphohydrolase - PtdIns(4,5)P ₂ phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate - PTX pertussis toxin - TEA triethylamine - TFA trifluoroacetic acid - U-73122 1-(6-((17-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl)amino)hexyl)-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione     

Identity and expression pattern of chemosensory proteins in Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)

Analyzing the chemosensory organs of the moth Heliothis virescens, three proteins belonging to the family of insect chemosensory proteins (CSPs) have been cloned; they are called HvirCSP1, HvirCSP2 and HvirCSP3. The HvirCSPs show about 50% identity between each other and 30–76% identity to CSPs from other species. Overall, they are rather hydrophilic proteins but include a conserved hydrophobic motif. Tissue distribution and temporal expression pattern during the last pupal stages were assessed by Northern blots. HvirCSP mRNAs were detected in various parts of the adult body with a particular high expression level in legs. The expression of HvirCSP1 in legs started early during adult development, in parallel with the appearance of the cuticle. HvirCSP1 mRNA was detectable five days before eclosion (day E-5), increased dramatically on day E-3 and remained at high level into adult life. The tissue distribution and the time course of appearance of HvirCSPs are in agreement with a possible role in contact chemosensation.     

Night and day service: Distyly and mixed pollination system in Faramea cyanea (Rubiaceae)

Currently, pollination is seen as involving more generalist interactions than specialized ones. Supporting this trend, some nocturnal distylous flowers may also receive floral visitors during the day, and since the latter contribute to fruit set, the pollination system is mixed and less specialized. Common among the Rubiaceae, distyly has been regarded as a reproductive strategy which requires a precise and specialized pollination system, and in this important tropical family, environmental disturbance and pollination failure have been used to explain anomalies in distylous features. Faramea cyanea Müll. Arg. is a common tree species in forest formations in the increasingly threatened Cerrado biome, the Neotropical savannas in Central Brazil. We evaluated the floral morphology, pollination biology and breeding system of a population of F. cyanea. Despite their moth pollination features, flowers were visited by diurnal (bees) as well as nocturnal (moths) pollinators. Experimental results showed that both pollinator groups contributed equally to pollen flow and legitimate pollination. The population presented distyly, isoplethy and heteromorphic self-incompatibility. Although F. cyanea did not present exact reciprocal herkogamy between floral morphs, pollination and reproductive success were not impaired. Floral features, which allowed pollination by complementary groups of pollinators, may explain the absence of anomalies in the isoplethy and distylous features in the studied population, anomalies which have been observed in other sympatric distylous Rubiaceae.     

Coordination of wing motion and walking suggests common control of zigzag motor program in a male silkworm moth

The male silkworm moth, Bombyx mori, exhibits a zigzagging pattern as it walks upwind to pheromones. This species usually does not fly, but obvious wing-beating accompanies the pheromone-mediated walking. Males supported by a `sled', after having their legs removed, also moved upwind in a pheromone plume along zigzagging tracks, indicating that wing-generated thrust and torque result in locomotory paths similar to those observed from walking moths. Using a high-speed video system we investigated the correlation between the wing movements and zigzag walking. The wing ipsilateral to the direction of the turn showed a greater degree of retraction with respect to the contralateral wing. The timing of the wing retraction pattern was synchronized with changes of direction in the walking track. Coordination of wing movements and walking pattern was not dependent on visual feedback or sensory feedback generated from neck movements associated with turning. The results presented here, taken together with our previous studies of descending interneurons suggest that the coordination of wing movements with the walking pattern may result from the activity of a set of identified interneurons descending from the brain to the thoracic ganglia and/or may be coordinated by coupling of oscillating circuits for walking and wing beating. Accepted: 15 May 1997     

The structure of the salivary gland of the moth (Manduca sexta)

Summary The salivary glands of the moth,Manduca sexta, are described, emphasizing correlations between structure and function in an attempt to explain the production of a dilute saliva. Each of the paired glands consists of five distinct regions: protein secreting, fluid secreting, thin duct, bulbous duct, and common duct. Each region constists of a single, ultrastructurally distinct, cell type. It is proposed that the protein and fluid secreting regions produce an enzyme-containing primary saliva isosmotic with the haemolymph; this saliva is modified in the remaining regions of the gland to yield a dilute saliva. Acknowledgements. We thank Professor T. Weis-Fogh for accommodation in the Department of Zoology and Dr. J. E. Treherne for use of A.R.C. facilities. We are especially grateful to Dr. Nancy Lane for encouragement, advice and critical comments and to Drs. M. J. Berridge and S.H.P. Maddrell for helpful discussion. H.A.R. is grateful to Clare College, Cambridge for financial aid.     

弯曲姿态蛾类幼虫的自动识别方法研究

【目的】为害态幼虫现场识别时, 幼虫常出现姿态弯曲情况, 使提取的特征向量失真, 影响幼虫的匹配识别结果。本文提出了一种基于扇形变换的姿态不变胡氏矩特征向量提取方法, 提取的病害幼虫特征向量具有平移、 比例、 旋转和姿态不变性, 可以实现粗短弯曲姿态幼虫的自动识别。【方法】首先在幼虫图像细化的基础上采用最优一致逼近法确定了幼虫的弯曲区域和非弯曲区域。然后, 幼虫的弯曲区域采用扇形变换实现校正变直, 非弯曲区域经旋转和平移与扇形变换后的区域拼接组成完整虫体; 采用八邻域均值法填充变换后虫体区域中的空白点, 实现幼虫像的弯曲自动校正; 在此基础上提取胡氏不变矩具有姿态不变性, 采用最小距离分类器实现了多姿态幼虫的自动识别。最后, 以多种弯曲姿态的斜纹夜蛾Prodenia litura、 棉铃虫Heliocoverpa armigera、 甜菜夜蛾Spodoptera exigua、 玉米螟Ostrinia nubilalis等病害蛾类幼虫为识别对象进行了识别验证。【结果】对于24种不同姿态的幼虫图像, 在80%的识别阈值条件下, 基于经典胡氏不变矩的幼虫识别率为25%, 基于姿态不变胡氏矩的识别率为100%。【结论】实验结果表明该方法对多种弯曲姿态的粗短幼虫具有较高的识别率。     

Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin - a Promising Microbial Control Agent of the Satin Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae)

A new isolate of the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana , was tested by laboratory bioassays for potential use as a microbial control agent of the early (third) and last (seventh) instars of the satin moth, Leucoma salicis L. Results demonstrate that this fungus is very effective against last instars of this lepidopteran pest. Although B. bassiana was cultured successfully from internal contents of all cadavers examined, vegetative hyphae emerged from intact cadavers of L. salicis infected as early (third) instar caterpillars only.     

The Role of Formulation Additives in Increasing the Potency of Cydia pomonella Granulovirus for Codling Moth Larvae,in Laboratory and Field Experiments

Studies were undertaken to improve the biological efficacy of the granulovirus (CpGV) of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella , by evaluating the performance of some formulation additives that might improve virus persistence and/or virus uptake by first instar larvae. Laboratory studies, using a leaf disc bioassay, demonstrated that 15% cane molasses incorporated within a formulation of purified CpGV dramatically reduced the median lethal exposure time (LET 50 ) to CpGV for neonate larvae at a CpGV dosage rate of 10 7 occlusion bodies (OBs) ml -1 . Screening of a range of other compounds showed that sucrose, fructose and sorbitol (at 10% concentrations) and extracts of apple flesh and skin also gave significant reductions in the LET 50 of CpGV formulations containing these ingredients. Pectin, malic acid and &#102 -farnesene did not significantly reduce the LET 50 . In a field trial, molasses included at 15% (v/v) in a CpGV formulation, containing a dosage rate of 10 12 OBs ha -1 , gave as good control of codling moth damage as virus formulations containing the 'sticker' 0.2% skimmed milk at higher dosage rates of 10 13 and 10 14 OBs ha -1 . Studies of CpGV persistence on foliage revealed no significant improvement of virus persistence on apple foliage using 10% or 15% molasses formulations. A second field trial demonstrated that 10% molasses, 10% sorbitol or 0.08% &#102 -farnesene significantly reduced codling moth deep damage to fruit when these ingredients were added to formulations of pure CpGV. Substantial sooty-mould growth ( Cladosporium spp.) was observed on apple foliage treated with formulations containing molasses, indicating that this formulation additive has secondary consequences that would need to be taken into account if molasses was to be used in commercial CpGV formulations. Nonetheless, these studies clearly demonstrate that major biological improvements in CpGV performance can be achieved by the incorporation of formulation additives, including molasses and several other compounds, that probably function as attractants and/or feeding stimulants for codling moth larvae.