Inert dust insecticides: Part III. The effect of dusts on stored products pests other than Calandra granaria

The inert dusts used in Parts I and II against the grain weevil have been found effective in vitro against a variety of other insects infesting stored products, both larvae and adults. The order, as well as the magnitude, of effectiveness of a series of dusts differs for different species, but the mechanism of action appears to be the same, viz. promotion of evaporation of moisture, leading to death by desiccation. In contrast to the results with Calandra , highly adsorbent dusts like charcoal are much more effective on larvae than are mineral powders.
Dusts have a particularly striking action on the mealworm, and this case has therefore been investigated more fully. Dead mealworms when dusted do not lose water nearly as rapidly as live dusted ones.     

Inert dust insecticides: Part II. The nature of effective dusts

The conditions required in an inert dust for it to become an effective insecticide against grain weevils have been investigated. Particle size and intrinsic hardness are important, but not the only, factors. In the case of carborundum, particles larger than 15μ are without action, probably because they do not adhere to insects, and effectiveness increases as the size is reduced from 10μ to about 2μ where a maximum effectiveness is reached.
The effectiveness of a large number of different substances has been tested by a simple method which eliminates complications arising from particle size differences, and the results show a rough correlation of effectiveness with hardness. In general, materials softer than calcite are ineffective, and effectiveness increases with hardness, but the method of preparation of dusts is also important. Some dry-ground powders are inferior to those wet-ground, a phenomenon which appears to be due to some kind of surface change—possibly the formation of a Beilby polish layer. The effectiveness of some dusts can also be considerably altered by superficial chemical treatment.
A theory is proposed, based on an experiment with an artificial membrane system, to explain the mechanism by which dusts promote evaporation of water from insects. It is suggested that clean crystalline surfaces of effective dusts can absorb, or in some way penetrate, the water-resistant epicuticle.     

Inert dusts and their effects on the poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae)

The haematophagous poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) is the most important pest of egg laying hens in many parts of the world. Control has often relied on chemical pesticides, but inert dusts, which are thought to kill target hosts primarily by desiccation, have become one of the most commonly applied alternative control methods for poultry red mite in Europe. This development has occurred despite a lack of knowledge of the efficacy of the different types of inert dusts and how this is affected by environmental parameters, e.g. the high relative humidity found in poultry houses. In this laboratory study the efficacy of different commercial inert dust products against D. gallinae is compared. All tested compounds killed mites, but there was a clear ranking of efficacy (measured as weight loss after 24 h and as time until 50% mortality), particularly at 75% relative humidity (RH). At 85% RH the efficacy was significantly lower for all tested compounds (P < 0.001). Weight changes over time followed an exponential evaporation model until the mites started dying whereafter the rate of evaporation increased again and followed a slightly different exponential evaporation model. A tarsal test showed that 24 h exposure to surfaces treated with doses much lower than those recommended by the producers is sufficient to kill mites as fast as when they were dusted with massive doses. These data emphasise the need for thorough treatment of all surfaces in a poultry house in order to combat D. gallinae.     

The Importance of Osmosis in Nectar Secretion and its Consumption by Insects

SYNOPSIS. Nectar is a simple food consisting of varying proportionsof sucrose, glucose and fructose dissolved in water. The mechanismsof its secretion are poorly understood. Osmosis may explainwhy hexose-rich nectars are produced in larger volumes and aremore dilute than sucrose-rich nectars. Unless protected, nectartends to equilibrate with ambient humidity, and the concentrationsavailable to flower visitors can vary from 7–70% w/w.Most nectars are osmotically concentrated, especially when richin hexose sugars. The only digestion needed is sucrose hydrolysis,and monosaccharides and water are rapidly absorbed across themidgut of insects. Large flying insects feeding on nectar producean excess of water which must be eliminated by evaporation andexcretion. Animals which utilise this attractively packagedand easily digested food source may have osmoregulatory problemswhen nectar concentrations do not match their water requirements.     

Auswirkungen von Diatomeenerde auf den Wasserhaushalt des Kornkäfers: Sitophilus granarius (L.) (Col., Curculionidae) und möglicher Einsatz innerhalb des Vorratsschutzes

Effects of diatomoceous earth on water content of Sitophilus granarius (L.) (Col., Curculionidae) and its possible use in stored product protection Increased problems caused by application of chemical pesticides within pest protection has led to the demand for non‐polluting, biologically specific active countermeasures. This study aimed to test the possible use of diatomaceous earth against Sitophilus granarius. It will also examine the physiological effects of amorphous diatomaceous earth against this insect. After 2 weeks, 100% mortality was observed of the adults treated with 2 g Fossil Shield^® per kilogram wheat, at 11–12% corn moisture content and relative humidity of about 62 ± 2%. The rise in grain moisture and relative humidity decreased the effectiveness of the Fossil Shield^®. It was observed, that the diatomaceous earth reduced the number of adult granary weevils and increased the mortality rate at development stages, but they did not completely prevent the hatching of the next generation. After contact with diatomaceous earth, the individuals of S. granarius had lost weight and reduced their water content, respectively. The adults significantly lost weight and body water after 1 day exposure to Fossil Shield^®. This showed that silica dusts break the water barrier of the cuticle. However, it increases the transpiration rate of water across the cuticle and several insects died through dehydration. At higher relative humidity diatomaceous earth was less effective toward S. granarius, because there was a lower permeability for water across the cuticle. This delays or rather prevents the drying action of diatomaceous earths. Furthermore, the addition of food affected the effectiveness of dusts against S. granarius. A lot of stored product beetles are able to produce metabolic water in the feed substrates. This ability protects them and works contrary to the loss of water.     

六类常见泌蜡昆虫的蜡腺和蜡泌物研究进展

泌蜡昆虫体表除了具有和其他昆虫一样的薄蜡层之外,还具有特殊的蜡腺,在生长发育过程中能够分泌蜡质覆盖于体表,从而有利于昆虫防止体内水分过度蒸发、抵御外界多种不利条件、阻碍病原物入侵和躲避天敌寄生或捕食,对昆虫的生存和繁衍具有重要的保护作用。本文概述了蚧虫、蚜虫、蜡蝉、木虱、粉虱和粉蛉等6类常见泌蜡昆虫的蜡腺和蜡泌物的超微形态结构、蜡泌物的主要化学组成及泌蜡的分子机制等方面的研究进展,以期为今后其在昆虫分类学和系统发育学的研究以及在害虫防治中的应用提供参考。     

Cumulative effects of volcanic ash on the food preferences of two Orthopteran species

Inert dusts are an early form of insecticide which is still in use. One of the most common inert dusts is volcanic ash. In order to study the reaction of rangeland grasshoppers, Dichroplus vittigerum (Acrididae) and a katydid, Burgilis mendosensis (Phaneropteridae), to the presence of volcanic ash in their food sources and how this reaction changed as a function of time, we conducted paired preference tests between clean leaves of their preferred host plant and leaves exposed to volcanic ash of different grain size. The behavioral response was measured as the rating on the Thurstonian preference scale of leaves with ash in relation to clean leaves. The results showed that the avoidance of volcanic ash increased as a function of time in both species. Both species studied are occasionally exposed to volcanic activity, and come from an area in which a volcanic eruption had recently occurred. As their populations did not decrease after the ash fall, we propose that some behavioral responses such as avoidance of places with ash, works as tolerance mechanism to inert dusts exposure.     

Oxygen radical-mediated mutagenic effect of asbestos on human lymphocytes: suppression by oxygen radical scavengers.

The mutagenic effect of chrysotile asbestos fibers and zeolite and latex particles on human lymphocytes in whole blood has been studied. It was concluded that their mutagenic activities were mediated by oxygen radicals because they were inhibited by antioxidant enzymes (SOD and catalase) and oxygen radical scavengers (rutin, ascorbic acid, and bemitil). It was proposed that oxygen radicals were released by phagocytes activated upon exposure to mineral dusts and fibers. The study of lucigenin- and luminol-amplified chemiluminescence of peritoneal macrophages stimulated by chrysotile fibers and zeolite and latex particles has shown that their mutagenic action is probably mediated by different oxygen species, namely, by the iron-oxygen complexes (perferryl ions) plus hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide ion, respectively. From the oxygen radical scavengers studied, rutin was the most effective inhibitor of the mutagenic effect of mineral fibers and dusts.     

Peritrophic membrane of the penaeid shrimp Sicyonia ingentis: structure, formation, and permeability

Peritrophic membranes (PTMs) are secreted acellular layers that separate ingested materials from the gut epithelium in a variety of invertebrates. In insects and crustaceans, PTMs are produced in the midgut trunk (MGT, or intestine), but the MGT in decapod crustaceans, unlike that of insects, is not involved with digestion or absorption of food. We demonstrate that the PTM in the penaeid shrimp Sicyonia ingentis is similar to that in other crustaceans that have been studied and is primarily composed of chitin. The lectin WGA binds only to the PTM and glycocalyx along the microvilli of the midgut cells, which is consistent with the suggestion that the chitin is synthesized along the microvilli. The PTM is only permeable to inert particles smaller than 20 nm. We also describe the secretion of granules, which fill the apices of the epithelial cells, into the ectoperitrophic space. Although their function is not clear, they do not contribute to the PTM.     

The effect of certain antibiotics on reproduction of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae Scop.

The antibiotic terramycin at 0.2% concentration was consistently effective in greatly reducing the populations of Aphis fabae on Vicia faba when sprayed on larvae on and off the plant. The insects were not killed, but their fertility was decreased by over 97% in the first generation, leading to total sterility in the second generation. At 0.01% concentration, terramycin was not effective and only moderately so at 0.1% Larval development was invariably delayed by 1 day and the weight and size of the resulting adults were significantly reduced. After the most effective treatments, the adults were very inactive in their feeding and excretion, and sometimes became completely sterile. Even when the aphids reproduced, they ceased to do so after 6–10 days in different terramycin treatments and frequently the larvae were born dead. The affected insects could not, apparently, regain their reproductive capacity even after their transfer to untreated plants. When the insects were sprayed on the plants, terramycin in water was as effective as with surfactants: but when the insects were sprayed off the plants an oxyethyl phenol derivative (NP 10) greatly increased the efficiency of terramycin: surfactants alone had no effect on the insects. The other four antibiotics, namely tetracycline, aureomycin, chloramphenicol and reverin were not effective at the 0.2% concentration when the plants alone were sprayed before introducing the apids. The addition of glycerin to the antibiotics and keeping plants in a high humidity for 24 hr. after the treatment also had no effect.     

Metal Sources for Freshwater Invertebrates: Pertinence for Risk Assessment

Ecological risk assessments are likely to be more effective if they are built upon knowledge of from where and in what manner animals take up contaminants. We discuss the relative importance of various metal sources for aquatic invertebrates. First, we address the question do sediment-dwelling animals take up their metals from the overlying water compartment or the sediment compartment or both (both compartments include water and particles). We find that the overlying water column is more important as a metal source for insects, whereas the sediment compartment is more important for oligochaete worms. We explain this tendency by the behaviors of the animals involved. Second, we ask the question do animals take up their metals from food or water within a given compartment. Through case studies on three widespread freshwater invertebrates, we conclude that for some predatory insects food is their major source of several metals, whereas for the crustacean Hyalella both food and water appear to be important depending on the metal involved and the experimental protocol used to study the question. We conclude that ignoring food as a metal source could severely underestimate metal exposures for some animals. We suggest that integrating these complexities into laboratory tests and risk assessment protocols will improve their meaningfulness and thus their ability to protect aquatic ecosystems.     

Significance of the surface of crystalline silicogenic dusts in experimental silicosis.

Crystalline, silicogenic quartz dusts possess a marked basic dye-binding capacity even in strong acid media (pH 1.0), which points to negative surface charges of the dusts. Presumably this surface property of the dusts may be related to their silicogenic effect. This hypothesis has been tested by pretreatment of the dusts with basic dyes for binding the negative surface charges. The dusts were administered intratracheally to rats. The results obtained after 8 and 12 months revealed that staining by basic dyes of the dusts decreases their silicogenic activity.     

A review of chemical control options for invasive social insects in island ecosystems

Social insects present unique challenges to chemically based management strategies, especially because fast‐acting compounds commonly applied for many pest insects may not be the most effective for colony elimination. The reproductive caste of a colony is the most protected from direct damage by insecticides, and compounds that cause rapid mortality among foragers frequently do not impact the reproductive members or even markedly reduce overall colony size. With recent bans on persistent insecticides that previously have been used to control social insects, especially termites, new compounds must be used. Island and coastal ecosystems are particularly sensitive to the effects of widespread pesticide use and concerns about unintentional water pollution and runoff are common, and international attention is being paid to developing sustainable pesticide options for agricultural and urban pest insects in particularly sensitive environments. Given the precarious status of many native insects and arthropods care must be taken to minimize exposure to potentially harmful insecticides and the non‐target impacts of these chemicals. However, recent developments in the synthesis and discovery of highly selective insecticides with low mammalian and non‐target toxicity provide viable alternatives to the broad‐spectrum persistent organochlorine insecticides that have been largely deregistered. Novel technologies, particularly synthetic analogues of biologically active compounds, yield new chemical control options and management strategies for island and other sensitive ecosystems; case studies from Australia, the Galapagos Islands and New Zealand highlight current challenges and successes.     

Wettability and Contaminability of Insect Wings as a Function of Their Surface Sculptures

Abstract The wing surfaces of 97 insect species from virtually all relevant major groups were examined by high resolution scanning-electron-microscopy, in order to identify the relationships between the wing microstructures, their wettability with water and their behaviour under the influence of contamination. Isolated wings with contact angles between 31.6° and 155.5° were artificially contaminated with silicate dusts and subsequently fogged until drops of water (“dew”) formed and rolled off. The remaining particles were counted via a digital image analysis system. Remaining particle values between 0.41% and 103% were determined in comparison with unfogged controls. Some insects with very unwettable wings show a highly significant “self-cleaning” effect under the influence of rain or dew. Detailed analysis revealed that there is a correlation between the wettability and the “SM Index” (quotient of wing surface/(body mass)^0.67) with values ranging from 2.42 to 57.0. Furthermore, there is a correlation between the “self-cleaning” effect and the SM Index, meaning that taxa with a high SM Index, e.g. “large-winged” Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Planipennia, and many Lepidoptera, have very unwettable wings and show high particle removal due to dripping water drops. The “small-winged” insects, such as Diptera and Hymenoptera, and insects with elytra, such as Blattariae, Saltatoria, Heteroptera and Coleoptera, show completely opposite effects. This is clearly a result of the fact that species with a high SM Index are, in principle, more restricted in flight by contamination than species with a low SM Index which can also actively clean their own wings. The wings primarily serve a protection function in insects with elytra, so that the effects of contamination are probably of minor importance in these insects. Copyright © 1996 The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.     

Types of parasitism by larvae of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnellae)

The larvae of Hydrachnellae can be divided into three types, based on the habits of the parasitic (larval) stage in the life cycle. (1) The larvae do not leave the water. Parasitizing aquatic insects, they are permanently submerged and wet. Only some species of the family Hydrachnidae belong to this type. (2) The larvae leave the water. The parasitic phase occurs either on insects living on the water surface, or in the air stores of aquatic insects. In both cases the larvae are not in direct contact with water during the parasitic phase. The Limnocharidae, Eylaidae and some species of the Hydrachnidae belong to this type. (3) The larvae parasitize insects which live in the air and which can leave the direct proximity to water; therefore it may be difficult for the mite larva to return to water. Except for the Hydrachnidae, Limnocharidae and Eylaidae, all families of the Hydrachnellae belong to this type.     

Mosquitocidal toxins, genes and bacteria: the hit squad

Certain entomopathogenic species of bacilli and Clostridium produce one or more toxins that kill mosquito larvae even at concentrations in the picomolar range. Altogether, 19 distinct genes are known that encode mosquitocidal toxins, which vary in their potency, species specificity and mode of action. Unlike chemical insecticides, mosquitocidal bacilli used as larvicides are safe for animals and the environment, and do not affect non-pest insects. Mosquitocidal bacteria are effective to varying degrees against Culex, Anopheles and Aedes mosquito larvae, but their rapid sedimentation from the larval feeding zone, UV-light sensitivity and narrow host range have hampered their development. New genetic engineering approaches are being investigated that could overcome these limitations and allow stable expression of broad host range combinations of toxins in UV-resistant, buoyant recombinant bacteria, as discussed here by Alan Porter.     

THE TOXICITY OF DDT IN ABRASIVE AND NON-ABRASIVE DUSTS TO THE RICE WEEVIL, CALANDRA ORYZAE L. (COLEOPT., CURCULIONIDAE)*

The toxicity of DDT in different dust carriers to the rice weevil, Calandra oryzae , was determined under standardized conditions, using deposits large enough to ensure that the insects accumulated an excess of dust.
Some evidence was obtained that DDT is transported to the cuticle as a vapour.
At high humidity, the toxicity of DDT was not markedly affected by any carrier except charcoal which reduced the toxicity, probably by absorption of DDT vapour. Small differences in toxicity of DDT caused by other carriers could not be accounted for by differences in their average particle size, bulk density, amount adhering to insect, surface area, abrasiveness to insects or effect on behaviour of the insect.
At low humidity, abrasive dusts killed the insects by desiccation, thus adding to the toxic effect of DDT. Abrasion of the insect's cuticle did not affect the apparent rate of penetration of DDT at 50% R. H. or at 95% R. H.
Starved insects were more susceptible to DDT poisoning, and in some experiments abrasive carriers increased the toxicity of DDT by preventing the insects from feeding.     

Nonadaptive host‐use specificity in tropical armored scale insects

Most herbivorous insects are diet specialists in spite of the apparent advantages of being a generalist. This conundrum might be explained by fitness trade‐offs on alternative host plants, yet the evidence of such trade‐offs has been elusive. Another hypothesis is that specialization is nonadaptive, evolving through neutral population‐genetic processes and within the bounds of historical constraints. Here, we report on a striking lack of evidence for the adaptiveness of specificity in tropical canopy communities of armored scale insects. We find evidence of pervasive diet specialization, and find that host use is phylogenetically conservative, but also find that more‐specialized species occur on fewer of their potential hosts than do less‐specialized species, and are no more abundant where they do occur. Of course local communities might not reflect regional diversity patterns. But based on our samples, comprising hundreds of species of hosts and armored scale insects at two widely separated sites, more‐specialized species do not appear to outperform more generalist species.     

The effects of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) on the arthropod fauna of wheat fields in Chile

The role of carabid beetles in reducing populations of phytophagous insects has been an elusive subject. A field experiment was established on a commercial wheat crop (cv. Otto) with an area of 4.5 ha in Valdivia, Chile, during the spring and summer of 1996-1997. The field had been under a prairie system for two years, before wheat sowing (fertilization and a pesticide had been applied during crop development). Samples were taken at approximately monthly intervals. Carabid beetles were sampled with a grid of pitfall traps and other insects were sampled with a vacuum insect net and soil cores. The genera of the carabids found are of neotropical origin. Exclusion by polythene barriers, together with removal of carabid beetles using traps, was an effective technique for controlling carabid populations in a commercial wheat crop. A reduction in the number of carabid beetles was associated with an increase in the number of springtails and arachnids, and a decrease of agromyzid adults. Phytophagous insects, such as homopterans and lepidopterous larvae, were not affected by carabid exclusion and removal. The action of carabid beetles on the arthropod fauna can be extremely complex, due to its predatory activity at multitrophic levels.     

植物蛋白酶抑制剂基因结构、调控及其控制害虫的策略

各种不同类型的植物蛋白酶抑制剂基因已被分离,它们的特异产物(单基因或多基因组合),对昆虫体内各种生化和生理过程会产生不同程度的影响,在对昆虫和病原体防御体系中起重要作用。多种蛋白酶抑制剂重组,协同保护植物的方法,已成为害虫综合防治计划的一部分。尽管它们近期内尚不能代替化学杀虫剂,但可作为有效的替补。目前,大多数抑制剂的作用和机理正在详尽地研究中,该文综述了植物蛋白酶抑制剂的基因结构、调控与表达并讨论了培育转基因作物控制害虫的策略。