虫媒植物招引昆虫传粉的奥秘

自然界中大约80%的绿色开花植物是靠昆虫传粉的,这些植物统称为虫媒植物。在长期的自然选择过程中,其花在形态、结构和内部生理方面都形成了一系列适于昆虫传粉的特点,与昆虫配合的十分默契。色彩的作用许多虫媒花都以艳丽的色彩招引昆虫。花的色彩往往是花冠的色彩,但有些植物的花不是由花冠而是由花的其他部分表现的。如养麦、荭草、八仙花、一串红、紫茉莉的美丽颜色是花蕊的颜色;美人蕉、合欢、含羞草的美色是雄蕊的颜色;而蘘荷科的草三蔻花中最     

齐白石的昆虫画和相关邮品欣赏

齐白石(1864～1957)生于湖南湘潭,是我国近代艺术大师,他擅长画花鸟鱼虫。他继承了中国传统绘画和民间艺术的精华,常以写意笔法画花卉,以工笔画昆虫,形成了独特的艺术风格。本文介绍邮票上的齐白石昆虫绘画。     

关于建立《昆虫系统生物学》的设想

<正> 昆虫生物学特性,是昆虫种性的体现,由于昆虫长期生活在各自的环境条件下,通过变异、淘汰、适应而逐步形成,并通过遗传基因,传递给下一代。每种昆虫所处的环境条件不可能完全相同,因此,正如其在外部形态上所表现出的那样,没有一种昆虫的生物学特性是完全相同     

中国地质博物馆昆虫化石展览简介

古昆虫学（Palaeoentomolog）是以昆虫化石为研究对象,研究昆虫的起源、演化、物种多样性在地质历史中的变化,以及与古环境和其它生物类群相互作用、协同发展的科学。现生昆虫种类繁多,个体数量十分庞大,分布在世界上几乎所有的生态环境中,与人类及其动植物有着极为密切的关系。因此,昆虫学就成为生物学中一个非常重要的支柱学科。并且,昆虫因其形态各异,色彩斑斓,也是我国及世界文化生活中的一个重要组成部分,观赏昆虫已成为各类文化活动（如展览、收藏、邮票、绘画、文学作品、民间节日等）的主要题材和载体。可以说,人们对现…     

昆虫的生物光电效应与虫害治理应用

农业虫害的治理需要依据为害昆虫的特性提出与环境适宜、生态兼容的技术体系和关键技术。为害昆虫表现了对敏感光源具有个体差异性和群体一贯性的趋光性行为特征,并通过视觉神经信号响应和生理光子能量需求的方式呈现出生物光电效应的作用本质。利用昆虫的这种趋性行为诱导增益特性,一些光电诱导杀虫灯技术以及害虫诱导捕集技术广泛地应用于农业虫害的防治,具有良好的应用前景。     

纸坊沟流域植被恢复区灌木林昆虫群落时间结构及动态

通过对纸房沟流域不同植被恢复区昆虫进行调查,结果表明:昆虫种类数以天然灌木林最高,混交林次之,单纯林分较低,个体数量以柠条林昆虫数量最高,其次为混交林和沙棘林,天然灌木林变化幅度最小。各植被昆虫种类和数量季节变化符合y=ax3 bx2 cx d函数变化规律。从特征指数来分析:昆虫群落多样性指数5～9月份大小次序均为天然灌木林>混交林>单纯林分,均匀度以单纯林和混交林的昆虫群落变化幅度较大,天然灌木林变化幅度最小。群落的优势度与均匀度值的变化呈相反趋势。主分量分析表明:植物类型不同的昆虫群落,其主导因素和时间格局不同,且结构越复杂,主导因素和时间格局越明显;相反,则主导因素和时间格局分化不明显;通过排序植食性昆虫、捕食性昆虫、寄生性昆虫在各植被昆虫群落变化的不同时期占主导因素。     

昆虫的变态发育研究

昆虫变态发育使得昆虫成为地球陆地上种类最多、数量最大、分布最广、生活环境最多样化的一群生物。变态使昆虫在其生命周期中的不同发育时期表现出完全不同的形态、结构、功能和生活习性的变化,有利于昆虫迁飞转移,扩大其求偶交配、生活和生存环境空间。昆虫变态发育的变化是长期自然环境适应、协同进化的结果,受激素、营养和基因的精确调控。本文简要介绍了昆虫变态的类型、激素调控、营养调控和基因调控方面的研究进展,以及研究昆虫变态发育的科学和应用意义。     

绘画语态的形式探究

从绘画自身的本质特征为着重点,将具象绘画语言划分为形体、结构、光影、空间、色调、调性、情绪气氛、厚薄干湿等基本语汇,以造型语言、色彩语言、结构语言三个体系为框架,揭示绘画构成的一般规律。     

昆虫色素研究进展

昆虫体表具有丰富的色彩,这一优势有助于其更有效地实现性别识别、伪装警戒、趋敌避害等功能。相对于微纳米结构对昆虫体表色彩效应影响的研究,昆虫色素的研究相对较弱,而且一些已知的色素在成色机制中的作用也不是特别清楚。本文对昆虫色素的种类、存在部位、理化性质、部分目(11目300多种昆虫)中的色素、生物合成途径等进行了概述;对目前昆虫色素研究中存在的问题提出了可能的解决办法,并对昆虫色素的应用现状、研究意义及可能的仿生应用进行了总结和展望。     

昆虫色素研究进展

昆虫体表具有丰富的色彩,这一优势有助于其更有效地实现性别识别、伪装警戒、趋敌避害等功能。相对于微纳米结构对昆虫体表色彩效应影响的研究,昆虫色素的研究相对较弱,而且一些已知的色素在成色机制中的作用也不是特别清楚。本文对昆虫色素的种类、存在部位、理化性质、部分目(11目300多种昆虫)中的色素、生物合成途径等进行了概述;对目前昆虫色素研究中存在的问题提出了可能的解决办法,并对昆虫色素的应用现状、研究意义及可能的仿生应用进行了总结和展望。     

Possible significance of the red patches of the female crab-spider, Misumena vatia

The female of the crab-spider, Misumena vatia, is one of the few spiders known to be able to change its colour reversibly. Adult females usually have red patches on each side of the abdomen. The most likely insect enemies of Misumena are red-blind, and because the red patches absorb ultraviolet exactly as does the rest of the abdomen the patches are not distinguishable to insects in the ultraviolet. It is suggested that the red patches function as a warning colour for birds and other vertebrates, which are not red-blind.     

Colour change ability and its effect on prey capture success in female Misumenoides formosipes crab spiders

1. Changing between white and yellow body colour in certain crab spider species has been interpreted as an adaptation for matching the background colour where they hunt and thereby remaining cryptic to prey and/or their own predators. The potential costs and benefits of colour change in female Misumenoides formosipes Walckenaer were investigated via assessment of prey opportunities and capture success, in conjunction with the tendency for and rate of colour change on different backgrounds. 2. It was tested whether being matched or mismatched to their background affected foraging by moving females between white and yellow inflorescences. Female colour was quantified in digital photos using the Lab colour space component of Adobe photoshop , providing the first empirical assessment of the rate of colour change for a crab spider species. 3. Insect visits (potential prey) on inflorescences with and without spiders and prey capture success with females matched and mismatched to their background were quantified. 4. Yellow females abandoned white inflorescences, whereas white females remained on and underwent colour change on yellow inflorescences. This difference supported the notion that the costs of colour change differ depending on the starting colour. Female departures from white flowers were apparently not due to a lack of insect visitation, as white inflorescences had higher visitation rates than did yellow inflorescences, even in the presence of spiders. 5. An increase in the prey capture success of females who transitioned from white to yellow body colour on a yellow background supported the hypothesis that colour matching functions to deceive prey.     

棉蚜体色变化的生态遗传学研究

调查了不同寄主上棉蚜刀Aphis gossypll自受精卵孵化出的自然种群、室内混合饲养以及单个饲养蚜虫的体色变化。结果表明：不论是自然还是实验种群,是群体还是个体饲养,不论寄主、栽培条件、生育期营养相同与否,棉蚜体色在世代内稳定不变,即出生时是什么颜色保持终生不变;在世代间则随温度升高体色渐变为黄色,温度降低体色逐渐转绿。伏蚜由苗蚜而来。X²检验证实：棉蚜体色变化与营养、寄主种类、光照、光质、栽培条件等无关,仅与温度密切相关,属于同一基因型在不同环境条件下的反应规范。但在太槿上还发现有个别深黄色棉蚜,从卵孵化到迁飞体色不随温度变化,表明棉蚜体色变化中还存在遗传多态现象。胚胎学观察与染色体校型分析结果证实了上述结论与观点。     

Colour in the eyes of insects

Many insect species have darkly coloured eyes, but distinct colours or patterns are frequently featured. A number of exemplary cases of flies and butterflies are discussed to illustrate our present knowledge of the physical basis of eye colours, their functional background, and the implications for insect colour vision. The screening pigments in the pigment cells commonly determine the eye colour. The red screening pigments of fly eyes and the dorsal eye regions of dragonflies allow stray light to photochemically restore photoconverted visual pigments. A similar role is played by yellow pigment granules inside the photoreceptor cells which function as a light-controlling pupil. Most insect eyes contain black screening pigments which prevent stray light to produce background noise in the photoreceptors. The eyes of tabanid flies are marked by strong metallic colours, due to multilayers in the corneal facet lenses. The corneal multilayers in the gold-green eyes of the deer fly Chrysops relictus reduce the lens transmission in the orange-green, thus narrowing the sensitivity spectrum of photoreceptors having a green absorbing rhodopsin. The tapetum in the eyes of butterflies probably enhances the spectral sensitivity of proximal long-wavelength photoreceptors. Pigment granules lining the rhabdom fine-tune the sensitivity spectra.     

基于计算机视觉技术评价光照度对斜纹夜蛾幼虫体色的影响

【目的】为揭示光照度对斜纹夜蛾Prodenia litura(Fabricius)幼虫体色变化的影响,建立一套新的昆虫体色评价体系。【方法】采用计算机视觉检测技术,将斜纹夜蛾幼虫的颜色数值化,评价了斜纹夜蛾幼虫体色随日龄的变化规律及光照度对斜纹夜蛾幼虫体色变化的影响。【结果】随着日龄的增加,斜纹夜蛾幼虫的明度(B)和彩色指数(CI)逐渐减少,体色偏差系数(BDV)逐渐增加,色泽从开始的绿色占主导逐渐转变为红色占主导,不同日龄间主观色各颜色指标都差异显著(P<0.01);在低光照度(0~1 000 lx)下,明度(B)和体色偏差系数(BDV)主要受光照影响,而彩色指数(CI)和归一化RGB值主要受发育日龄的影响,在高光照度下(1 000 lx以上),所有颜色指标均受发育日龄影响较大,受光照处理相对较小,光照度对斜纹夜蛾幼虫体色影响的阈值为1 000 lx,在阈值下,明度(B)、彩色指数(CI)及体色分化系数(BDC)都随光照度的增加显著增加,体色偏差系数(BDV)、RGB色差则随光照度的增加而减少。【结论】光照度主要影响斜纹夜蛾幼虫体色的明暗程度,对色彩程度影响不大,且光照度的影响阈值大约为1 000 lx。     

Conservation of a phenomenon: rapid,reversible colour change in both sexes of one of the world’s most threatened damselflies

Physiological colour change is rare in insects. Unusually, both the males and females of Spesbona angusta (Odonata: Platycnemididae), Red Listed as Endangered, are capable of rapid and reversible colour change. There is only one known population of this species, which occurs in a unique habitat in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. Appreciation of this unusual phenomenon of distinct physiological colour change helps us appreciate that we need to conserve phenomena in the insect world as well as the species themselves. Using controlled experiments, we evaluated the importance of ambient temperature as the possible primary cue for physiological colour change. We found that S. angusta responds rapidly to short-term changes in ambient temperature, even in the absence of additional environmental stimuli and without the body temperature matching the ambient temperature. Colour change is reversible when temperature returns to its earlier level. The reason why S. angusta shows this rapid and reversible colour change may be a combination of reproductive enhancement, competitive advantage and thermoregulation. This colour change appears to have strong selective advantage in a very particular habitat type, meaning that careful conservation of its habitat in all respects is important, and must be considered in any possible future translocations.     

Pollinator visits to floral colour phases of Fuchsia excorticata

Abstract

Fuchsia excorticata is a gynodioecious tree (endemic to New Zealand) which is pollinated by honeyeater birds. Red, tubular flowers are common among bird-pollinated plants, and the tubular flowers of F. excorticata change colour from green to red. The purpose of the present study was to describe the timing of the colour change, dropping of the floral tube, and nectar production of F. excorticata and to determine how bellbirds (Anthornis melanura) and two introduced species of nectar robbers (Zosterops lateralis and Bombus sp.) respond to the different colour phases.

Floral tubes fell off about 11 days after anthesis in both sexes, with colour change occurring on about Day-4 for female trees and on about Day-5 for hermaphrodite trees. Green-phase hermaphrodite flowers produced significantly more nectar/day than did green-phase female flowers, while red-phase flowers did not produce nectar in either sex. All three floral visitors studied preferentially visited green-phase flowers and virtually ignored the nectarless flowers in the red phase. These results contrast with the general association between red, bird-pollinated flowers and the presence of a nectar reward. We suggest that the non-migratory habit of the New Zealand honeyeaters and the lack of native insect visitors to this species may account for this anomalous green-to-red colour change.     

Bumble-bee foragers infected by a gut parasite have an impaired ability to utilize floral information

Parasitic infection can influence a variety of behavioural mechanisms in animals, but little is known about the effects of infection on the cognitive processes underlying ecologically relevant behaviours. Here, we examined whether parasitic infection alters cognitive aspects of foraging in a social insect, the bumble-bee (Bombus impatiens). In controlled experiments, we assessed the ability of foraging bees to discriminate rewarding from non-rewarding flowers on the basis of colour and odour. We found that natural and experimental infection by a protozoan parasite (Crithidia bombi, which lives exclusively within the gut tract), impaired the ability of foragers to learn the colour of rewarding flowers. Parasitic infection can thus disrupt central nervous system pathways that mediate cognitive processes in bumble-bees and as a consequence, can reduce their ability to monitor floral resources and make economic foraging decisions. It is postulated that this infection-induced change to cognitive function in bumble-bees is the result of communication between immune and nervous systems. Parasitized animals, including invertebrates, can therefore show subtle behavioural changes that are nonetheless ecologically significant and reflect complex mechanisms.     

Historical and projected interactions between climate change and insect voltinism in a multivoltine species

Climate change can cause major changes to the dynamics of individual species and to those communities in which they interact. One effect of increasing temperatures is on insect voltinism, with the logical assumption that increases in surface temperatures would permit multivoltine species to increase the number of generations per year. Though insect development is primarily driven by temperature, most multivoltine insect species rely on photoperiodic cues, which do not change from year‐to‐year or in response to climate warming, to initiate diapause. Thus, the relationship between climate change and voltinism could be complex. We use a phenology model for grape berry moth, Paralobesia viteana (Clemens), which incorporates temperature‐dependent development and diapause termination, and photoperiod‐dependent diapause induction, to explore historical patterns in year‐to‐year voltinism fluctuations. We then extend this model to predict voltinism under varying scenarios of climate change to show the importance of both the quality and quantity of accumulated heat units. We also illustrate that increases in mean surface temperatures > 2 °C can have dramatic effects on insect voltinism by causing a shift in the ovipositional period that currently is subject to diapause‐inducing photoperiods.     

Opponent colour coding is a universal strategy to evaluate the photoreceptor inputs in Hymenoptera

Summary Behavioural tests were carried out with 9 hymenopteran insect species, which ranked certain sets of coloured stimuli according to their subjective similarity to a previously memorized stimulus. Kendall's coefficient is employed for the analysis of correlation between these similarity rankings and the colour distance rankings predicted by various models of neural colour computation. The models are based on the measured spectral sensitivities of photoreceptor colour types and use a variety of simple colour coding systems to derive hypothetical colour distances. The correlation between the predictions of the models and the behavioural results serves as a measure for the likelihood of existence of a colour coding system. In all species, the similarity rankings can be best explained by assuming that colour is coded on a perceptual level by two colour opponent mechanisms. Brightness differences are ignored, indicating that an intensity-coding sub-system is not used in colour discrimination by the insects investigated. The weighting factors of the colour opponent mechanisms differ between species in detail, but not in the principles involved. It is thus possible to employ a standard measure of perceptual colour distance (colour hexagon distance) to predict the capacities of colour discrimination adequately in all the tested insects.