The use of volatile cues in recognition of kin eggs by predatory mites

1. Several animal species are known to distinguish between their own eggs and eggs of unrelated conspecifics. However, the cues involved in this discrimination are often unknown. These cues were studied using the predatory mite Gynaeseius liturivorus Ehara.
2. Adult females of these predatory mites oviposit in clusters and avoid oviposition close to eggs laid by other females, resulting in reduced cannibalism between offspring. Because predatory mites are blind, it was tested whether volatiles of eggs were used as a cue for egg recognition.
3. Adult female predatory mites were offered volatile cues of their own eggs and of unrelated conspecific eggs, and females were prevented from contacting the eggs. Predatory mites oviposited closer to their own eggs than to unrelated eggs. This preference was observed even when one own and one unrelated egg were offered as a volatile source.
4. These results suggest that adult female predatory mites can determine kinship using volatiles released from the eggs.

     

Acoustic stimuli from predators trigger behavioural responses in aggregate caterpillars

Prey detect their predators through predator signals and cues and, consequently, respond with anti‐predatory behaviours to inhibit the action of their aggressors. Lepidopterans can intercept signals emitted by predators and may defend themselves through chemical, morphological or behavioural responses. In this study, we investigated the effect of acoustic stimuli of different predators on defensive behaviour of gregarious caterpillars. Our results demonstrated that Hylesia nigricans (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae) caterpillars alter their behaviour (i.e. abruptly raising the head) in response to the acoustic stimulus of the predators (i.e. predation risk signals from birds and wasps). The magnitude of this response depended on predator identity and caterpillar body size. Larger caterpillars responded more strongly to predatory stimuli than smaller caterpillars. However, regardless of the size of the caterpillars, they responded more strongly to the stimuli of wasps. In addition, we identified that H. nigricans caterpillars emit ultrasonic noise after detecting the stimuli of the predators – this noise seems to function as an alert about the risk of predation during the early stages of development (second and fifth instars). The duration of ultrasonic emission (i.e. milliseconds) increases with the number of repetitions of the stimuli (i.e. wing‐beat sounds of the wasps and insectivorous birds). These results provide novel information about predation risk in interactions among caterpillars and their predators, and indicate possible communication among invertebrates mediated by the risk of predation.     

人工饲料饲养的叉角厉蝽对昆虫的捕食能力评价

叉角厉蝽Eocanthecona furcellate(Wolff)是广泛分布于热带亚热带地区的一种重要捕食性天敌昆虫。为评估人工饲料饲养的叉角厉蝽的捕食能力,在实验室采用捕食功能反应的方法,以黄粉虫作为中介猎物饲养的叉角厉蝽为对照,评价了人工饲料饲养的叉角厉蝽3龄若虫、5龄若虫以及雌成虫对黄粉虫Tenebriomolitor(L.)幼虫及斜纹夜蛾Spodoptera litura(Fabricius)3龄幼虫、5龄幼虫的捕食效能。结果表明,两种饲料饲养的不同虫态叉角厉蝽的捕食量均随着猎物密度的增加而上升,当猎物密度增加到一定水平,捕食量趋于稳定,其捕食功能反应均符合HollingII模型。人工饲料组饲养的各虫态叉角厉蝽与对照组的对黄粉虫幼虫的捕食量没有明显差异;在饱和猎物密度条件下,人工饲料饲养的叉角厉蝽3龄若虫、5龄若虫以及雌成虫对斜纹夜蛾3龄幼虫的日最大捕食量分别为7.20、9.20、14.60头,对斜纹夜蛾5龄幼虫的日最大捕食量分别4.20、5.80、6.20头,均略低于对照组,但从取食猎物数量上来看,仍保持较强的捕食能力。     

星天牛寄主选择研究

为了明确华南地区星天牛主要寄主植物种类,本文筛选了21种有代表性的植物,对星天牛进行了室内、室外寄主选择试验。结果表明,星天牛在不同植物上的取食量和刻槽数量差异极显著,偏好在砂糖橘、苦楝、金桔和柠檬上取食,在砂糖橘、柠檬、金桔和小叶紫薇上刻槽产卵,取食对象和刻槽产卵对象不一致。研究证实,星天牛能在华南地区砂糖橘、玫瑰和柠檬三种植物上完成生活史,是星天牛的寄主植物。     

神农架常绿落叶阔叶混交林凋落物养分特征

凋落物是联结陆地生态系统植物与土壤养分的重要媒介,了解凋落物养分特征有助于理解陆地生态系统物质循环的机理。该研究于2015年收集了神农架地区常绿落叶阔叶混交林的新鲜凋落物及现存凋落物,测定其不同器官中大量元素(C、N、P、K、Ca、Mg)的含量,据此分析其养分含量、养分归还量、养分储量及化学计量比的特征。结果发现:该常绿落叶阔叶混交林新鲜凋落物的C、K养分含量显著高于现存凋落物,N、P、Ca、Mg养分含量显著低于现存凋落物;其凋落物大量元素的养分归还量及养分储量大小顺序均为C Ca N Mg K P,分别为1569.84、52.44、34.82、6.24、5.24、1.30 kg hm~(-2) a~(-1)及1835.29、87.87、51.17、12.12、3.90、1.95 kg hm~(-2) a~(-1);其新鲜凋落物及现存凋落物的C∶N∶P分别为1307.33∶27.73∶1及976.48∶26.77∶1,新鲜凋落物的C∶N、C∶P显著高于现存凋落物,N∶P无显著区别。研究表明,新鲜凋落物与现存凋落物养分含量之间的差异与不同元素在分解过程中的可淋溶性及生物固持等因素有关。该地区常绿落叶阔叶混交林凋落物养分归还量及养分储量相对于亚热带阔叶林平均水平较低;且显著低于喀斯特地区同类型森林,主要与其凋落物产量、降水量及植被类型有关。该森林生态系统新鲜凋落叶与中国及全球范围内阔叶树种凋落叶相比C∶N较低,C∶P、N∶P较高,这可能是由于该地区N沉降及P限制现象较为严重所致。     

长沙市不同污染程度区域桂花和香樟叶表面PM2.5吸附量及其影响因素

为阐释不同污染程度下城市绿化植物吸滞PM_2.5机理、解析污染物来源,应用气溶胶再发生器定量测定长沙市常见的2种园林绿化树种(桂花和香樟)植物叶片PM_2.5吸附量,同时应用原子力显微镜(AFM)观察了不同污染区(交通区、文教区、清洁区)植被的叶表面微形态特征,使用离子色谱仪测定样品中水溶性离子含量.结果表明: 污染程度与植物叶表面PM_2.5吸附量呈正相关,不同植物单位叶面积PM_2.5吸附量全年均值表现为交通区(0.56±0.04 μg·cm^-2)＞文教区(0.48±0.06 μg·cm^-2)＞清洁区(0.33±0.02 μg·cm^-2),植物单位叶面积PM_2.5吸附量季节变化为冬季(0.70±0.10 μg·cm^-2)＞春季(0.43±0.14 μg·cm^-2)＞秋季(0.39±0.12 μg·cm^-2)＞夏季(0.31±0.09 μg·cm^-2),桂花的单位叶面积PM_2.5吸附量大于香樟;污染程度轻的区域的植物叶片比较光滑,污染程度重的区域的叶片较粗糙,植物粗糙度排序为交通区(195.45±16.09 nm)＞文教区(176.99±8.45 nm)＞清洁区(131.88±12.98 nm);不同污染程度地区PM_2.5离子含量均表现为冬季最大,其次是春季和秋季,夏季最低;3个污染区PM_2.5离子成分均以Na⁺、NH₄⁺、Cl^-和Br^-这4种离子为主,不同程度污染区PM_2.5污染均以移动源污染为主.     

Contribution to the genome size knowledge of New World species from the Heliantheae alliance (Asteraceae)

This article contributes first genome size assessments by flow cytometry for 16 species, 12 genera, and 3 tribes from family Asteraceae, mostly belonging to the Heliantheae alliance, an assembly of 13 tribes from subfamily Asteroideae with a large majority of its species in the New World. Most genome sizes are accompanied by their own chromosome counts, confirming in most cases, although not all, previous counts for the species, and revealing possible cases of unknown dysploidy or polyploidy for certain taxa. The data contribute to the pool of knowledge on genome size and chromosome numbers in the family Asteraceae and will further allow deeper studies and a better understanding on the role of dysploidy in the evolution of the Heliantheae alliance. However, we still lack data for tribes Chaenactideae, Neurolaeneae, Polymnieae, and Feddeeae (the latter, monospecific) to complete the alliance representation.     

嗜盐噬菌弧菌BALOs10菌株的分离、鉴定及其裂解谱

【目的】从海水中分离得到蛭弧菌类群(Bdellovibrio-and-likeorganisms,BALOs)新型菌株,丰富BALOs的种质资源。【方法】从中国深圳大亚湾取回海水样品后,使用本实验室分离得到的Vibrio alginolyticus LF TCBS 15作为宿主,通过海水双层平板法分离得到BALOs菌株,通过光学显微镜及透射电镜观察菌体形态,对16S rDNA序列进行系统发育分析,完成分子鉴定。采用双层平板滤纸片法分析NaCl浓度、pH及温度对菌株BALOs10生长的影响并测定菌株BALOs10对16株细菌的裂解效果。【结果】成功分离出一株以Vibrio alginolyticus LF TCBS 15为宿主的BALOs菌株BALOs10。噬菌斑呈圆形、透明且边缘光滑整齐,菌体为弧状,极生单鞭毛,菌体大小(0.21–0.44)μm×(1.25–1.87)μm。菌株最佳生长温度、NaCl浓度和pH范围分别为35–37°C、2%–3%(W/V)和7–8。菌株BALOs10可以裂解9株不同种的受试菌,占总试验菌株数(16株)的56.3%,主要是海杆菌属和弧菌属;菌株BALOs10的16S rDNA与最相近的典型菌株Halobacteriovorax marinus SJ的相似性只有92.14%,可能是一个全新的物种,将其命名为Halobacteriovorax sp. BALOs10。【结论】本文研究发现了Halobacteriovorax属(嗜盐噬菌弧菌属)的一个新型菌株,丰富了BALOs种质资源,为后续的应用及理论研究奠定物质基础。     

松嫩平原农业区土壤理化性质与真菌代谢产物——球囊霉素相关土壤蛋白的关系

对不同土壤深度的真菌特征代谢产物球囊霉素相关土壤蛋白(glomalin-related soil protein,GRSP)与土壤理化性质相关关系的研究,有助于揭示土壤真菌在不同土壤深度对养分的调节作用。本研究在松嫩平原农田5个土层(0~100 cm)采集360个土样,分析了易提取球囊霉素相关土壤蛋白(EE-GRSP)、总提取球囊霉素相关土壤蛋白(T-GRSP)含量和11个土壤理化性质指标及其相关关系。结果表明:表层EE-GRSP和T-GRSP平均含量为0.74和6.0 mg·g-1,随土层加深均呈显著下降趋势;深层土壤养分储量较大,有机碳、全氮、全磷、全钾、碱解氮、速效磷和速效钾储量在深层(40~100 cm)占总储量的41.2%~62.8%;土壤p H、容重、含水量和电导率也表现了明显的垂直变化规律;各理化性质在不同土层与GRSP的相关关系不同,有机碳在全部深度与GRSP均有显著的相关关系,而p H与GRSP均在20~100 cm深度有极显著的相关性(P0.01),且与EE-GRSP、T-GRSP显著相关的理化性质指标分别在60~80、20~60 cm最多,在表层最少;GRSP在深层土壤与各指标的相关性与表层不同,可能会影响GRSP对不同土壤深度养分的调节功能;鉴于深层土壤中GRSP与养分显著相关,本研究提出,种植与土壤真菌具有共生关系的深根性植物是对富集养分的深层土壤进行生物修复的有效方法。