The Orthocladiinae (Diptera: Chironomidae) of India genus Cricotopus van der Wulp

This is the eleventh part of our series of studies on Orthocladiinae from India. Two new species of the genus Cricotopus, C. albipes and C. tenuisetosus are described in this paper.     

酸水解蚕蛹制备复合氨基酸的研究

采用硫酸水解法,以蚕蛹制取复合氨基酸产品,得到氨基酸态氮分别为９．０５％和１３．４５％的食用复合氨基粉和精制复合氨基酸粉。食用复合氨基酸粉含有１８种氨基酸,其中必需氨基酸含量为３９．２％。食用复合氨基酸粉的制备方法经工厂小批量生产证实,其工艺简单易行,适合于中小企业采用,该产品的质量优良,生产成本低廉,具有市场竞争力。     

Evaluation of the risk of overwintering Helicoverpa spp. pupae under irrigated summer crops in south-eastern Australia and the potential for area-wide management

Surveys were undertaken to determine the distribution of overwintering pupae of two species of Helicoverpa in south‐eastern Australia. The results indicate that significant populations of H. armigera have the potential to overwinter as pupae in the region under residues of their summer crop hosts. H. punctigera, conversely, was found not to overwinter in the region to any significant degree. The results also suggest that a high proportion of the overwintering H. armigera population are located in relatively few high risk fields. The overwintering population represents an ideal opportunity for control on an area‐wide basis using post harvest cultivation or “pupae busting”. The risk of overwintering H. armigera pupae occurring was largely associated with crop type, the mechanism being related to the date that the crop flowers, the level of pupal parasitism and the use of larval control measures. The results are discussed in terms of recommendations for farmers and it is suggested that a concerted effort to cultivate high risk fields has the potential to significantly reduce the population on an area‐wide basis.     

Host related factors affecting oviposition behavior in Brachymeria intermedia

Some behavioral and physical defenses of Lymantria dispar (L.) pupae are described. It was found that the layer of webbing surrounding pupae significantly reduced oviposition rates in the pupal parasitoid Brachymeria intermedia (Nees) (Hymenoptera, Chalcididae). The reasons for this reduction and consequent parasitoid responses were investigated. The role of these behaviors in this host parasitoid relationship are discussed.

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Résumé Le comportement défensif des chrysalides de Lymantria dispar L. consiste en cambrage et en tournoiement. Les chrysalides encoconées étaient plus sensibles aux stimuli tactiles que celles qui ont été extraites des cocons. Brachymeria intermedia Nees avait moint de succès dans l'insertion complète de la tarière dans des chrysalides encoconées qu'extraites, car elles devenaient empêtrées dans le cocon quand la chrysalide se défendait. Il y avait différentes réponses du parasitoïde à l'empêtrement. Elles comprenaient l'abandon de l'attaque par un départ, la remise en selle sur l'hôte, la morsure à travers les fils du cocon, l'attaque d'un hôte voisin, le repos ou la toilette. Les taux d'insertion de la tarière pouvaient être augmentés par l'élimination artificielle de quelques fils. La durée des opérations était plus courte sur les chrysalides plus petites. La discussion a porté sur l'importance de ces comportements sur les relations de ces parasitoïdes avec leurs hôtes.

     

Patterns of protein synthesis following heat shock in pupae of Drosophila melanogaster

Pupae of Drosophila melanogaster were heat-shocked under conditions required to induce phenocopies in more than 90% of the flies that subsequently emerge. The effects of these treatments on protein synthesis in two tissues (thoracic epithelium and brain) were followed for several hours after the heat treatments. Results from pulse-labeling and protein separations on sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) acrylamide gels showed a virtually complete cessation of protein synthesis immediately after the shock, followed by a noncoordinate resumption of the starting pattern. Similar experiments following double heat shocks demonstrated a more rapid resumption of synthesis of heat shock proteins after two successive heat treatments than after a single one.     

春尺蠖蛹雌雄外部形态特征快速鉴别分析

为依据春尺蠖Apocheima cinerarius Erschoff蛹的形态特征快速、无损、准确鉴别雌雄个体,对其头部、胸部、腹部和体色外部鉴别特征进行了分析,并通过解剖生殖系统验证准确性.结果表明:以春尺蠖蛹的胸部和腹部特征识别雌雄准确率明显高于头部和体色特征,识别率可达100％.首先,雌蛹第8腹节腹板前缘中部具有"Y"型沟,与第7腹节腹板后缘形成倒三角状,而雄蛹无此特征.其次,雌蛹生殖孔与产卵孔连接形成裂缝,两侧平坦无突起,而雄蛹第9腹节腹板中央有一纵裂缝的生殖孔,两侧各有半圆状瘤状突起.最后,雌蛹的胸部背板各节间相对长度均小于雄蛹,而雄蛹中胸背板最宽,其后缘明显向外凸起.因此,春尺蠖蛹胸部或腹部特征可用于快速、准确地鉴别雌雄性别.     

Antioxidant defense in mitochondria during diapause and postdiapause development of European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis, Hubn.)

Antioxidant enzymes (CAT, catalase; GPx, selenium nondependent glutathione peroxidase; GST, glutathione-S-transferase; GR, glutathione reductase; DHAR, dehydroascorbate reductase) were determined in the mitochondria of diapausing and non-diapausing larvae and pupae of both diapausing and non-diapausing larvae of the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis, Hubn., Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). CAT, GST, and DHAR activity in mitochondria of diapausing larvae were reduced compared to non-diapausing larvae. Pupae of diapaused-larvae possessed lower GST, but higher DHAR activities compared to pupae of non-diapaused individuals. Comparison between larvae and pupae revealed lower GPx activity in the mitochondria of pupae. CAT activity in the mitochondria of pupae was higher compared to diapausing larvae, but lower than in non-diapausing ones. Correlation and canonical discriminant analyses revealed different antioxidant enzyme compositions for a particular stage and developmental pattern. Our results show that antioxidant enzymes have a similar role in the regulation of energetics in mitochondria as that in diapause and metamorphosis.     

Comparison of cold hardiness and sugar content between diapausing and nondiapausing pupae of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract. To understand overwintering of the cotton boll worm Helicoverpa armigera, cold hardiness and sugar content are compared between diapausing and nondiapausing pupae. Diapausing and nondiapausing pupae reared at 20 °C under short and long photoperiods are acclimatized with a reduction of 5 °C per 5 days to 0 °C. When the acclimation temperature reaches 0 °C, the survival of diapausing pupae is assessed. The survival gradually decreases as the period of treatment progresses and approximately half survive for 112 days. However, nondiapausing pupae survive only 14 days after exposure to 0 °C. The surpercooling points of nondiapausing, diapausing and acclimatized pupae are approximately −17 °C. The major sugars contained in pupae are trehalose and glucose. Even though trehalose contents in diapausing pupae (initial level: 0.6 mg 100 mg⁻¹ fresh weight) increase significantly during cold acclimation and continue increasing until 58 days after exposure to 0 °C (maximum level: 1.8 mg 100 mg⁻¹), glucose is maintained at low levels (0.02 mg 100 mg⁻¹) for 56 days at 0 °C. However, glucose contents increase (maximum level: 0.8 mg 100 mg⁻¹) with decreasing contents of trehalose 84 days after exposure to 0 °C. Glycogen content gradually decreases during cold acclimation. When nondiapausing pupae are acclimatized with a reduction of 5 °C per 5 days to 5 °C from the beginning of pupation until the eyespots move, trehalose content increases (maximum level: 1.0 mg 100 mg⁻¹). Glucose contents in nondiapausing pupae increase before eclosion (0.09 mg 100 mg⁻¹). From these results, diapausing pupae of H. armigera can overwinter in regions where average winter temperatures are higher than 0 °C, but nondiapausing pupae cannot.     

Role of Caterpillar Silk Thread in Location of Host Pupae by the Parasitoid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Diadromus pulchellus</Emphasis>

Diadromus pulchellus is a solitary ichneumonid parasitoid. Its only known host is the pupa of Acrolepiopsis assectella, a specialist herbivore of Allium species. D. pulchellus females parasitize A. assectella pupae within 48 h after the caterpillars spin their cocoon and begin to pupate. Having observed that the cocoon produced by the leek moth caterpillar stimulates parasitoid egg-laying and that caterpillar leaves a silk thread, we studied the hypothesis that silk thread might be involved in host-finding by the parasitoid. Behavioral tests showed that when D. pulchellus females encounter a host silk thread, they change directions, follow the thread, and quickly locate the host. These findings show that pupal parasitoids can use signals produced by their hosts at the developmental instar preceding the one that they parasitize.     

Isolation of mannose-binding C-type lectin from Heliothis virescens pupae

A mannose-binding C-type lectin (MBL) was isolated by affinity chromatography from Heliothis virescens immune pupal hemolymph. The immune pupal hemolymph was obtained after bacterial injection of live Enterobacter cloacae bacteria. MBL in mammals acts as an opsonin for phagocytosis and activates the lectin complement pathway of the innate immune response, which leads to killing of gram-negative bacteria and enveloped viruses. The affinity-purified and reduced pupal MBL showed a single band of 36 kDa by SDS-PAGE (12% gel). A dot-immunoblot ELISA (using guinea pig anti-MBL IgG as primary antibody) demonstrated specificity of the antibody for the affinity-purified pupal MBL. The immune pupal hemolymph contained 21 microg of MBL per ml of hemolymph. The amino acid composition of the purified pupal MBL was determined with high amounts of arginine and histidine detected. The presence of MBL in insect pupae has not before been reported and could be important in pupal innate immunity to bacterial infection.