Potential cotton aphid,Aphis gossypii,population suppression by arthropod predators in upland cotton

The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, predation rate of convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville, was determined by assigning a single predator randomly to each of four prey density treatments in the laboratory. Prey densities included 25, 50, 100, and 200 aphids per Petri dish arena. Predation response was recorded at 1, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 48 h after assigning predators to their prey treatments. Rate of consumption increased through time, with all 25 aphids consumed during the first 4 h of the experiment. At the highest density, adult lady beetle consumed on average 49, 99, 131, 163, 183, and 200 aphids within 1, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 h, respectively. Predators showed a curvilinear feeding response in relation to total available time, indicating that convergent lady beetles have the potential to suppress larger populations of aphids through continuous feeding by regulating their predation efficiency during feeding. The analysis of age-specific mortality in absence of prey revealed that lady beetles could survive for an extended period of time （more than 2 weeks） without prey. The ability of a predator to survive without prey delays or prevents the rebound of pest populations that is a significant factor in natural biological control. A two-year field sampling of 10 cotton arthropod predator species showed that spiders （27%） were the most dominant foliage dwelling predators in the Texas High Plains cotton followed by convergent lady beetles （23.5%）, hooded beetles （13.5%）, minute pirate bugs （11%）, green lacewings （9.5%）, bigeyed bugs （7.5%）, scymnus beetles （3%）, soft-winged flower beetles （2%）, damsel bugs （1.5%）, and assassin bugs （1.5%）. A field cage study showed that one H. convergens adult per plant released at prey density of one aphid per leaf kept the aphid population below economic threshold for the entire growing season.     

BIOLOGY OF CHRYSOPA PHYLLOCHROMA WESMAEL （NEUROPTERA： CHRYSOPIDAE）. Ⅱ： INTRASPECIFIC INTERFERENCE AND SEARCHING CAPACITY

The present study examined intraspecific interference and searching behavior of Chrysopa phyllochroma Wesmael (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) for Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae) nymphs under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The results were shown as follow: 1) In four different arenas (i.e. Petri dish, glass vessel, glass vessel with barriers in it, and cage with potted cotton plant), the predaceous efficiency of C. phyllochroma larvae varied with the predator density, the hunt constant (Q) and the intraspecific interference (m)increased with the prey density but decreased with the space heterogeneity; 2) In cage with potted cotton plant, the first- and second-instar green lacewing larvae consumed 13.6 and 29.4 cotton aphids/day respectively. The number of cotton aphids consumed by C. phyllochroma on lower leaves was significantly less than that on upper leaves; and 3) In cage with potted cotton plant, the percentage of the first- and second-instar green lacewing larvae located on upper leaves was significant less than that on lower leaves.     

Diet,Food Intake of Phrynocephalus frontalis （Agamidae） and Its Potential Role in Desert Habitat

We examined the dietary diversity and food intake of Phrynocephalus frontalis, compared the difference of insect diversity in the natural habitats with different lizard densities, and discussed the potential role of this lizard in the desert ecosystem. The results show that： （1） arthropodans of the orders Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Hemiptera were major dietary components of P. frontalis; （2） coleoptera larvae always formed the predominant component of lizard diets; （3） dietary diversities of P. frontalis were not significantly different between summer and autumn or between the two sexes; （4） the similarity in trophic niches between seasons was 0.756, whereas the similarity in trophic niches between sexes was 0.994; （5） stomach content weight of lizards varied significantly among different seasons, but there was no significant difference in stomach content weight between sexes; （6） insect diversity differed significantly among the groups of the habitat with different degrees of lizard density, and the habitat with moderate lizards density had the highest insect diversity. We infer that P. frontalis prey mainly on insects and change their diet and food intake with season; males and females consumed similar preys in types and weights. As an important predator, P. frontalis could affect the insect community in the arid ecosystem of Hunshandak Desert on the Mongolian Plateau.     

Preliminary Insights into the Habitat Preferences of the Centralian Bandy Bandy （Vermicella vermiformis）（Squamata： Elapidae） in Central Australia

Bandy Bandy’s（Vermicella spp.）are a striking,black-and-white ringed genus of small elapid snakes endemic to Australia.All taxa are burrowers and little is known of their biology and ecology.We investigated the habitat preferences of the only arid-dwelling species,the centralian bandy bandy（Vermicella vermiformis）,in the MacDonnell Ranges west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.Using systematic road-cruising,we encountered 16V.vermiformis over a 12 months period between 2009 and 2010.We used logistic regression to model the occurrence of the species against a range of different habitat variables collected at multiple scales.Despite the small sample size,V.vermiformis exhibited a clear preference for acacia shrubland habitats,with acacia variables present in all AICc ranked models in the 95%confidence set.The factors driving this association,together with the preference for habitat not burnt in the most recent wildfires,may be related to the abundance of their only known prey,blind snakes（Ramphotyphlops spp.）.     

Nutritional quality of Drosophila melanogaster as factitious prey for rearing the predatory bug Orius majusculus

The predatory bug,Orius majusculus(Reuter),is an important predator of thrips commercially produced for augmentative releases using the eggs of the Mediterranea n flour moth Ephestia kuehniella(Zeller).In this study,we assessed the potential for using frozen adults of fruit flies,Drosophila melanogaster(Meigen),either as nymphal rearing diet or as diet throughout the entire life-cycle.We compared life-hi story traits and reproduction of predators when fed D.melanogaster with high lipid body content(lipid-rich)and with high protein body content(protein-rich),using a diet of 100%E.kuehniella eggs as control.We also analyzed the biochemical composition of both prey and predator in order to assess the nutritional quality of each diet,which partially explained the adequacy of the different diets for O.majusculus.There were significant differences between predators fed the two types of D.melanogaster,with the protein-rich flies as diet providing the best results in terms of mortality and fecundity.Furthermore,we show that while feeding O.majusculus throughout their development with D.melanogaster increases mortality and reduces reproduction,protein-rich D.melanogaster can be used as nymphal diet with minimal reduction in reproductivity and minimal increase in mortality.     

Energy Transfer from Phycobilisomes to Photosystems of Nostoc flagelliforme Born. et Flah. During the Rewetting Course and Its Physiological Significance

During the non-frost season, the condensation of dew makes Nostocflagelliforme Born. et Flah., a highly drought-tolerant terrestrial cyanobacterium, frequently undergo rehydration-dehydration.Rehydration begins in the dark at night. After rewetting in the dark, photochemical activity and the structure of photosystem (PS) Ⅱ were not recovered at all; the structure of PSⅠ, energy transfer in phycobilisomes, and energy transfer from phycobilisomes to PSⅠ were recovered within 5 min, as in the light. The recovery of energy transfer from phycobilisomes to PSⅡ was light dependent and energy transfer from phycobilisomes to PSⅡ was only partially recovered in the dark. These results suggest that the two-trigger control (water and light) of photosynthetic recovery may make N. flagelliforme avoid unnecessary energy consumption and, at the same time, the partial recovery of energy transfer from phycobilisomes to PSⅡ in the dark could help N. flagelliforme accumulate more photosynthetic products during the transient period of rehydrationdehydration.     

Energy Transfer from Phycobilisomes to Photosystems of Nostoc flagelliforme Born. et Flah. During the Rewetting Course and Its Physiological Significance

During the non-frost season, the condensation of dew makes Nostocflagelliforme Born. et Flah., a highly drought-tolerant terrestrial cyanobacterium, frequently undergo rehydration-dehydration.Rehydration begins in the dark at night. After rewetting in the dark, photochemical activity and the structure of photosystem (PS)II were not recovered at all; the structure of PSI, energy transfer in phycobilisomes, and energy transfer from phycobilisomes to PSI were recovered within 5 min, as in the light. The recovery of energy transfer from phycobilisomes to PSII was light dependent and energy transfer from phycobilisomes to PSII was only partially recovered in the dark. These results suggest that the two-trigger control (water and light) of photosynthetic recovery may make IV, flagelliforme avoid unnecessary energy consumption and, at the same time, the partial recovery of energy transfer from phycobilisomes to PSII in the dark could help N. flagelliforme accumulate more photosynthetic products during the transient period of rehydration-dehydration.     

Analysis of a predator-prey model with herd behavior and disease in prey incorporating prey refuge

In this work,we have introduced an eco-epidemiological model of an infected predator prey system.Incorporation of prey refuge gives that a fraction of the infected prey is available to the predator for consumption.Moreover,to make the model more realistic to the environment,we have introduced strong Allee effect in the susceptible population.Boundedness and positivity of the solution have been established.Local stability conditions of the equilibrium points have been found with the help of Routh-Hurwitz criterion and it has been observed that if a prey population is infected with a lethal disease,then both the prey(susceptible and infected)and predator cannot survive simultaneously in the system for any parametric values.The disease transmission rate and the attack rate on the susceptible have an important role to control the system dynamics.For different values of these two key parameters,we have got only healthy or disease-free or predation-free or a fluctuating disease-free or even a fluctuating predator-free system with some certain parametric conditions.     

Functional response and predation of Nabis kinbergii （Hemiptera. Nabidae） to Plutella xylostella （Lepidoptera. Plutellidae）

The functional response of adult Nabis kinbergii （Hemiptera： Nabidae） to density of diamondback moth Plutella xylostella （Lepidoptera： Plutellidae） was investigated under laboratory conditions. Holling＇ s （1959） type Ⅱ model was found to be a good fit for the observed functional response of this predator. The numbers of P. xylostella consumed increased with temperature from 15℃ to 35℃. The maximum number of prey killed was observed at 35℃, with average of 10.3 and 8.3 forth instar larvae consumed by adult females and males of N. kinbergii, respectively. The predation of N. kinbergii on P. xylostella increased with successive immature stages. The number of prey consumed by predators decreased as the body size of prey increased. An average of 131 eggs or 95 larvae of P. xylostella were killed by a single of female adult in 24 hours at 24＂C. The pupae of P. xylostella were observed to be eaten by fifth instar nymphs and adults N. kinbergiiin numbers of less than an average of 0.7 pupae per predator in 24 hours at 24＂C. Predation preference by N. kinbergii was also investigated. The number of P. xylostella and Myzus persicae killed by female N. kinbergii was not significantly different, but males killed significantly more P. xylostella than M. persicae. Both eggs and larvae of P. xylosteUa were killed in significantly greater number than those of Pieris rapae in the same feeding arena.     

The influence of time and temperature on molecular gut content analysis： Adalia bipunctata fed with Rhopalosiphum padi

Gut content analysis is a useful tool when studying arthropod predator-prey interactions. We used polymerase chain reaction （PCR） technique to examine how detection of prey DNA in the gut content of predators was influenced by digestion time and temperature. Such knowledge is critical before applying PCR-based gut content analysis to field collected predators. Larvae of the two-spotted ladybeetle （Adalia bipunctata L.） were fed with the bird cherry-oat aphid （Rhopalosiphum padi L.） at either 21℃ or 14℃. After consuming one aphid, the predators were allowed to digest the prey for a range of time periods up to 24 hours. The influence of temperature on A. bipunctata feeding behavior was also recorded. From the fed larvae, total DNA was extracted and PCR reactions with R. padi specific primers were run. The number ofA. bipunctata that tested positive for R. padi DNA was negatively related to the length of digestion time. Temperature influenced larval feeding behavior but did not have a significant effect on R. padi DNA detection. After pooling the data from both temperature treatments we estimated the time point when R. padi DNA could be amplified from 50% of the fed A. bipunctata by PCR to be 4.87 hours. With such a rapid decrease in prey DNA detection success, positive PCR reactions will most likely be the result of predation events occurring shortly before capture. If a defined digestion temperature range has proven not to influence prey detection, PCR data obtained from predators collected within that particular range can be interpreted in the same way.     

Evaluating germinability of eight desert halophytes under long-term seed storage: Implications for conservation

Ex situ conservation in seed banks is a potential complementary conservation strategy for native plant species.It is well established that ex situ seed banking of native wild plants prolongs seed viability and thereby preserves genetic and species diversity for future use.We evaluated ex situ storage potential of eight halophytic species from deserts in the United Arab Emirates(UAE)by studying seed germination.Specifically,we examined the germinability of freshly collected seeds and seeds stored for three years in a seed bank.We also examined the effect of light conditions on fresh and stored seed germination.Fresh seeds of seven of the eight species tested had a higher germination rates under 12/12 h light/dark fluctuations than did those exposed to total darkness.Storage reduced light sensitivity in Halocnemum strobilaceum,Suaeda aegyptiaca,Salsola drummondii and Salsola imbricata,but increased the requirement for light in Arthrocnemum macrostachyum.In Anabasis setifera,storage decreased germination percentage when there was a 12-hour light/dark fluctuation,but increased germination rate when exposed to the dark treatment.Storage significantly reduced germination in both the light/dark and dark treatments in Suaeda vermiculata and S.aegyptiaca.Germination speed also responded differently to storage;whereas Timson's index significantly increased in A.macrostachyum and H.strobilaceum,it significantly decreased for S.drummondii,S.aegyptiaca and S.vermiculata.Germination of these species at a range of temperatures requires further testing;additionally,we strongly suggest that these laboratory findings be complemented by field studies.     

Foliar persistence and residual activity of methoxyfenozide against beet armyworm （Lepidoptera： Noctuidae）

A greenhouse study was conducted to investigate the persistence of methoxyfenozide in pepper （Capsicum annuum L.） foliage. An aqueous suspension of methoxyfenozide was sprayed on pepper plants at concentrations of 72 and 144 mg of active ingredient （a.i.）/L. Foliage was collected at different intervals of time （0, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 days） after the treatment, and the methoxyfenozide residue was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. The foliage was also used in bioas- says to determine the residual toxicity on and the consumption rate of the third-instar larvae of the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua （Htibner） （Lepidoptera： Noctuidae）. The methoxyfenozide concentrations observed after 50 days had decreased to 19 and 69μg/g per sample, corresponding to a loss of 61% and 28% from the application concentrations of 72 and 144 mg a.i./L, respectively. When fitting a first-order kinetics degradation model, the half-life （DT50） of this compound was 76 days. Both application concentrations of methoxyfenozide caused a high mortality rate （〉97%） when the larvae were fed the pepper foliage collected at all of the time intervals. Lastly, at all of the time points, the consumption rate by the larvae was reduced to between 57% and 92% for both concentrations that were bioassayed. Our results indicate that, under the present greenhouse conditions, the degradation of methoxyfenozide was slower than that reported by other authors and that its residues were highly toxic to S. exigua larvae. The implications of these results for the management programs of this pest are discussed.     

Seasonal changes on two different spatial scales： response of aquatic invertebrates to water body and microhabitat

Knowledge about the spatial and temporal scales of both habitat use and the functional significance of different adaptations is essential for an understanding of the population dynamics of invertebrate assemblages. This fundamental knowledge is not only interesting from an academic point of view, but is sorely lacking and needed in the field of restoration ecology. Many species are threatened due to degradation. Knowing what environmental conditions are needed dtLring the life cycle of these species is important in the design of restoration measures which aim to lift existing bottlenecks for threatened species. To assess the relative importance of water type and microhabitat in structuring the invertebrate assemblage during different seasons, invertebrates were sampled in three water bodies differing in trophic level and acidity. Different parts within a water body （microhabitats） were sampled separately and each water body was sampled in all four seasons. Results show that water body is an important factor structuring the invertebrate assemblage early in the season, whereas microhabitat became more important later in the season. Structural complexity of microhabitats was related to the type of locomotion employed by invertebrates. Seasonal differences could be related to population dynamics （reproduction, mortality）. Moreover, fluctuations in resource availability were expected to differ between the water bodies, with highest fluctuations in the eutrophic water body and with fluctuations becoming less predictable later in the season. This was confirmed by the data： species synchronization to pulses in food availability was strongest in the eutrophic water body. Moreover, synchronization was strongest in summer, while in autumn waters were invaded by dispersive species. Based on these results a synthesis is presented on the functioning of the different waters during the different seasons.     

Neither Biased Sex Ratio nor Spatial Segregation of the Sexes in the Subtropical Dioecious Tree Eurycorymbus cavaleriei （Sapindaceae）

Knowledge of sex ratio and spatial distribution of males and females of dioecious species is both of evolutionary interest and of crucial importance for biological conservation. Eurycorymbus cavaleriei, the only species in the genus Eurycorymbus （Sapindaceae）, is a dioecious tree endemic to subtropical montane forest in South China. Sex ratios were investigated in 15 natural populations for the two defined ages （young and old）. Spatial distribution of males and females was further studied in six large populations occurring in different habitats （fragmented and continuous）. The study revealed a slight trend of male- biased sex ratio in both ages of E. cavaleriei, but sex ratio of most populations （13 out of 15） did not display statistically significant deviation from equality. All of the four significantly male-biased populations in the young class shifted to equality or even female-biased, The Ripley＇s K analysis of the distribution of males with respect to females suggested that individuals of the opposite sexes were more randomly distributed rather than spatially structured. These results suggest that the male-biased sex ratio in E. cavaleriei may result from the precocity of males and habitat heterogeneity. The sex ratio and the sex spatial distribution pattern are unlikely to constitute a serious threat to the survival of the species.     

Humidity and seasonality drives body size patterns in males of the bush cricket Isophya rizeensis Sevgili, 2003 （Orthoptera： Tettigoniidae： Phaneropterinae）

Two primary patterns of body size variation have been recorded in ectotherms in relation to latitudinal/altitudinal shifts. In some, body size increases with increasing latitude/altitude whereas, in others, body size decreases with increasing latitude/altitude. This clinal variation is generally assumed to be caused by local adaptation to environmental conditions however the selective variable（s） （temperature, humidity, diet quality, etc.） is still heavily debated. Here we investigate geographic variation in body size of dark and pale color morphs of males of the bush-cricket lsophya rizeensis collected from 15 locations along an elevation gradient ranging from 350 to 2 500 m. Using an information theoretical approach we evaluate the relative support of four different hypotheses （the temperature size rule, the moisture gradient hypothesis, the seasonal constraint hypothesis, and the primary productivity hypothesis） explaining body size variation along the altitudinal gradient. Body size variation in pale color morphs showed a curvilinear relationship with altitude while dark color morphs showed no variation in body size. Body size variation in pale color morphs was highly correlated with precipitation and temperature seasonality values thus giving strong support for the moisture gradient and seasonal constraint hypothesis. Our results reinforce the importance of gradients in humidity and seasonality over temperature in the creation of altitudinal body size clines and the role of selection for resistance to stress factors in the establishment of these clines. Whether a body size cline is observed or not might also depend on the phenotypic properties of the individuals, like coloration.     

Daily shoaling patterns in the zebrafish Danio rerio

Shoaling intensity in zebrafish Danio rerio is believed to vary throughout subjective day and night hours. This experiment examines long term variations in shoaling behavior. Adult zebrafish Dan io rerio were maintained under a 12：12 LD cycle （with dim red light serving as reduced visibility during subjective dark hours）, and their shoaling behavior was monitored every hour for a three-day period of time. Our results show that zebrafish perform shoaling behavior throughout subjective day and under reduced visibility conditions, although mean shoaling times during the light phase were significantly higher than mean shoaling times during the dark phase. However, on the 3^rd day of the experiment, mean shoaling times during the subjective night had increased and mean shoaling times during the subjective day had decreased. This shift in intensity was not seen on the first two days of the study, and may represent the influence of experience on the behavior of the test fish. We believe this study shows that shoaling behavior changes with light/dark cycles and that fish shoal even during reduced visibility conditions.     

Astaxanthin Accumulation in the Green Alga Haematococcus pluvialis： Effects of Cultivation Parameters

The green alga, Haematococcus pluvlalis Flotow is used as a source of the ketocarotenoid astaxanthin for application in fish aquaculture, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Ceils of the green alga were induced by the application of different light and starvation conditions to evaluate the effect in astaxanthin accumulate. The conditions used for the Induction were high light intensity （170 μmol·m^-2·s^-1）, iron starvation, sulfur starvation and phosphate starvation. The results show that stresses applied in culture, which interfere with cell division, trigger the accumulation of astaxanthin. Notably, sulfur starvation results in a massive accumulation of this commercially important carotenoid.     

Orientation of larval and juvenile horseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus to visual cues: Effects of chemical odors

<正> Adult horseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus have long served as models for the study of vision in marine arthropods.Yet,little is known about the ability of early life history stages to detect and respond to visual cues.We examined the visuallydirected movements of larvae and first stage juveniles to horizons containing dark visual targets of different sizes.The studytested the hypotheses that (1) larval and juvenile crabs can detect and respond to visual targets and (2) the direction of orientationvaries with the presence of chemical cues associated with settlement habitats.Orientation of larval and juvenile crabs torectangles subtending angles from 30-330° was tested in a circular arena containing water that either lacked estuarine chemicalcues (offshore water) or contained odors from aquatic vegetation or known predators.In the absence of chemical odors,larvaeoriented toward and juveniles moved away from dark horizons subtending angles 60°.When placed in water containingchemical odors from potential nursery habitats,including the seagrasses Halodule wrightii and Syringodium filiforme,crabsreversed their direction of orientation relative to their responses in offshore water.Odors from two known predators,themummichug Fundulus grandis and blue crab Callinectes sapidus,had no affect on the orientation of larvae.Yet,juvenilesresponded to both odors by moving toward the visual target.Results support the hypothesis that the visual orientation of larvaland juvenile horseshoe crabs changes upon exposure to habitat and predator cues and that the direction of the response undergoesan ontogenetic shift following metamorphosis     

Effect of Water Deficit on Self-thinning Line in Spring Wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） Populations

Monocultures of spring wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） were grown at overcrowded densities （10 000 and 3 000 plants per m^2） under well-watered and water-stressed conditions to investigate the effects of water deficits on self-thinning. The results showed that density reduction in water-stressed populations was delayed compared with that In well-watered populations. Populations grown In well-watered conditions conformed to the -3/2- power law. Compared with the well-watered condition, there was no significant decrease of the self-thinning line under water-stressed conditions In this experiment, although the rate of average shoot blomass accumulatlon decreased. This result Implied that the exponent of the -3/2-power equation Is not as sensitive as the rate of average shoot blomass accumulation to water stress. Further analysis indicated that, In each density treatment, the lines of the height versus shoot blomass relationships did not differ significantly between the two water conditions. However, the Intercepts of the height versus shoot blomass relationships were greater In the higher-density populations （10 000/m^2） than those In the lower-density populations （3 000/m^2）. These results showed that water deficit did not change plant geometry In this experiment. That Is to say, shoot competition for light remains constant at a given blomass, although root competition for water becomes more serious In water deficit conditions. Based on these results and previous reports we propose that, to affect the thinning line slope, changes In symmetric competition are not as efficient as changes In asymmetric competition.