Pygidial gland chemistry and potential alarm-recruitment function in column foraging,but not solitary,Nearctic Messor harvesting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae)

We investigated the role of the pygidial gland on foraging behavior in two ecologically dominant column foraging Nearctic harvesting ants (Messor pergandei and Messor andrei). Using chemical analyses and behavioral tests, we show that n-tridecane is the major biologically active compound of pygidial gland secretions in both species, and that this chemical functions as a powerful alarm-recruitment pheromone. Another major compound of pygidial gland contents is benzaldehyde; this substance does not release behavioral reactions in M. pergandei workers but might function as a defensive secretion. Six solitary foraging Nearctic Messor and two column foraging Palearctic Messor species, did not have large pygidial gland reservoirs.     

Inhibition of tumour and non-tumour cell proliferation by pygidial gland secretions of four ground beetle species (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Inhibition of the proliferation of human tumour cells and porcine non-tumour cells by the pygidial gland secretion released by adults of four ground beetle species was observed in this study. The sulphorhodamine B (SRB) assay was applied to establish the percentages of inhibition of the net growth of four human tumour cell lines and porcine liver primary non-tumour cells. The secretions of all tested ground beetle species were shown to have an antiproliferative effect on the tested cell lines. Special emphasis is put on the secretion of Abax parallelepipedus, which showed the highest antitumour potential and weakest inhibition of non-tumour cell proliferation. The antitumour and antiproliferative potential of the pygidial gland secretions of ground beetles is here demonstrated for the first time. It is suggested that certain organic acids are responsible for the action. Further investigation needs to be conducted in order to better understand the mechanisms governing the observed cytotoxic and antitumour activity.     

Trophic and Non-Trophic Interactions in a Biodiversity Experiment Assessed by Next-Generation Sequencing

Plant diversity affects species richness and abundance of taxa at higher trophic levels. However, plant diversity effects on omnivores (feeding on multiple trophic levels) and their trophic and non-trophic interactions are not yet studied because appropriate methods were lacking. A promising approach is the DNA-based analysis of gut contents using next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. Here, we integrate NGS-based analysis into the framework of a biodiversity experiment where plant taxonomic and functional diversity were manipulated to directly assess environmental interactions involving the omnivorous ground beetle Pterostichus melanarius. Beetle regurgitates were used for NGS-based analysis with universal 18S rDNA primers for eukaryotes. We detected a wide range of taxa with the NGS approach in regurgitates, including organisms representing trophic, phoretic, parasitic, and neutral interactions with P. melanarius. Our findings suggest that the frequency of (i) trophic interactions increased with plant diversity and vegetation cover; (ii) intraguild predation increased with vegetation cover, and (iii) neutral interactions with organisms such as fungi and protists increased with vegetation cover. Experimentally manipulated plant diversity likely affects multitrophic interactions involving omnivorous consumers. Our study therefore shows that trophic and non-trophic interactions can be assessed via NGS to address fundamental questions in biodiversity research.     

Communication in the migratory termite-hunting ant Pachycondyla (= Termitopone) marginata (Formicidae, Ponerinae)

The Neotropical species Pachycondyla marginata conducts well-organized predatory raids on the termite species Neocapritermes opacus and frequently emigrates to new nest sites. During both activities the ants employ chemical trail communication. The trail pheromone orginates from the pygidial gland. Among the substances identified in the pygidial gland secretions, only citronellal was effective as a trail pheromone. Isopulegol elicited an increase in locomotory activity in the ants and may function as a synergist recruitment signal. The chemical signal is enhanced by a shaking display performed by the recruiting ant.     

Orientation behavior of predaceous ground beetle species in response to volatile emissions identified from yellow starthistle damaged by an invasive slug

We investigated indirect defense in the yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis)–grey garden slug (Deroceras reticulatum)–ground beetle (Pterostichus melanarius and Scaphinotus interruptus) system. In this host plant/herbivore/predator system, the ground beetles are the primary predator of D. reticulatum, the dominant herbivore of the highly invasive weed, C. solstitialis. The aim of our study was to examine the behavioral responses of two species of ground beetle to olfactory stimuli emitted from yellow starthistle damaged by D. reticulatum. The beetle P. melanarius showed a significant preference for the odor of damaged yellow starthistle relative to the odor of intact plants, while S. interruptus did not. Volatiles from D. reticulatum-damaged yellow starthistle were collected and identified as trans-β-farnesene, germacrene D, bicyclogermacrene, and 1,5,9-trimethyl-1,5,9-cyclododecatriene. No quantitative relationship was observed between beetle plant choice or decision time and the level of herbivory. Similarly, there was no relationship between volatile compound relative abundance and level of herbivory, suggesting that our range of leaf damage produces either undetectable semiochemicals or no variation in volatile emission.     

Defensive substances from pygidial glands of water beetles

The pygidial gland secretions of water beetles of the dytiscidae have been shown to contain phenylpyruvic acid p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, hydrocinnamic acid and 2-methyl-2-butenoic acid by a combination of several mass spectroscopical techniques, thin layer chromatography, UV spectometry and gas chromatography. The possible role of these compounds (auxin activity, antimicrobial properties, surfactant properties) and the co-occuring 3-indoleacetic     

Functional anatomy of the explosive defensive system of bombardier beetles (Coleoptera,Carabidae, Brachininae)

This paper provides the first comparative anatomical study of the explosive pygidial defensive system of bombardier beetles in species classified in three brachinine subtribes: Brachinus (Brachinina), Pheropsophus (Pheropsophina) and Aptinus (Aptinina). We investigated the morphology and ultrastructure of this system using optical, fluorescence, and focused ion beam (FIB/SEM) microscopy. In doing so, we characterized and comparatively discussed: (1) the ultrastructure of the gland tissues producing hydroquinones and hydrogen peroxide (secretory lobes), and those producing catalases and peroxidases (accessory glands); (2) the complex anatomy of the collecting duct; (3) the arrangement of the muscular bundles and the folding of the cuticle of the reservoir, suggesting a functional division of this chamber (dynamic part and storage part); (4) the great structural diversity of sculpticles inside the reaction chamber, where we could recognize six main types of microsculpture located in specific districts of the chamber. Additionally, using fluorescence microscopy, we highlighted the presence of resilin in two structures strongly subjected to mechanical stress during the discharge, the valve and the turrets of the reaction chamber. The results of this paper give a solid anatomic overview of the most popular beetle defensive system, contributing to the debate on its evolution within the Carabidae.     

Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen Determine Submersion Time in Aquatic Beetle <Emphasis Type="Italic">Peltodytes callosus</Emphasis> (Coleoptera: Haliplidae)

Global climate change affects aquatic habitats in a number of ways that pose challenges for aquatic insect populations. Increasing water temperature and corresponding decreases in dissolved oxygen can impact respiratory behaviors, even in air-breathing aquatic taxa. Crawling water beetles (Coleoptera: Haliplidae) exhibit a combined respiratory strategy that employs an air store that is periodically replenished at the water surface. The frequency at which beetles surface to replenish the bubble is determined both by oxygen demand and by the capacity of the air store to uptake oxygen from the surrounding water via diffusion. However, little is known of how changes in water temperature and dissolved oxygen will affect submersion time. We investigated this question in Peltodytes callosus, a species of crawling water beetle that is widely distributed across the American West. We manipulated temperature and dissolved oxygen to mimic changes associated with global climate change and recorded the time between surfacing events. We found that beetles stayed submerged for shorter durations in response to both increasing water temperature and decreasing dissolved oxygen. Our results suggest that beetles may be able to modify their surfacing behavior to respond to climate-induced changes in water quality.     

Predator interference limits fly egg biological control by a guild of ground-active beetles

We examined whether predator interference could prevent effective conservation biological control of Delia spp. flies, important pests of cole crops, by an assemblage of carabid and staphylinid beetles. In laboratory feeding trials we found that the smaller (<1 cm) beetle species common at our site readily ate dipteran eggs, while the most common large carabid species, Pterostichus melanarius, rarely did. However, P. melanarius did eat several of the smaller beetle species. We conducted two field experiments where we manipulated immigration rates of the ground predator guild and then measured predation on fly eggs. Predation rates were consistently higher in cages where predators were added at ambient densities, compared to cages where ground predators were removed. However, in the second field experiment, when we quadrupled predator immigration rates neither beetle activity-density nor predation rate increased. High immigration rate plots had a higher proportion of P. melanarius in the predator community, compared to plots with beetles added at ambient densities, suggesting that P. melanarius was reducing activity-densities of the smaller beetles, perhaps through intraguild predation. Thus, tactics to improve the biological control of Delia spp. by conserving generalist predators, such as providing in- or extra-field refuges, could be thwarted if the primary predators of fly eggs, small carabids and staphylinids, are the targets of intraguild predation by also-conserved larger predators.     

Predation by Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) on immature Rhagoletis mendax Curran (Diptera: Tephritidae) in semi-field and field conditions

Practices that enhance abundance and diversity of generalist predators are often employed with the objective of improving biological control of insect pests. Ground beetles and other predators can prey on blueberry maggot, an important pest of blueberries, when mature larvae pupate in the ground. We conducted mesocosm and field experiments to determine if Pterostichus melanarius, a common predatory ground beetle, lowers maggot numbers in compost mulch or when predator and alternative prey abundances are manipulated. At background (field) densities of alternative prey, increasing densities of P. melanarius did not significantly reduce pest numbers in mesocosms containing compost or soil. When alternative prey were removed from compost, beetles reduced pest numbers by up to 35%. In field experiments, maggot numbers were higher when beetles and other predators were excluded from soil plots, but beetle exclusion had no effect in compost plots where both predator and alternative prey numbers were high. Our results indicate that there can be some reduction of blueberry maggot by P. melanarius and other potential predators when there are few alternative prey. However, despite attracting large numbers of predators compost mulch did not lead to a significant reduction in blueberry maggot; in fact, the high abundance of alternative food associated with compost appeared to interfere with beetle predation on blueberry maggot.     

Behavioral responses of three species of ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) to olfactory cues associated with prey and habitat

The responses ofPterostichus melanarius Illiger,Harpalus rufipes DeGeer, andNebria brevicollis Fabricius (Coleoptera: Carabidae) to olfactory cues of prey and habitat were studied in a four-arm continuous-airflow olfactometer. The process was semiautomated using time-lapse image analysis by microcomputer. The primary constituent of the aphid alarm pheromone, (E)--farnesene (EBF), was synthesized and tested for a kairomonal role in prey detection by carabids. In addition, individual beetles were exposed to odors from live aphids, live collembolans, and a crude extract of wheat. All three beetle species showed evidence of olfaction.P. melanarius responded to all the odors except collembolans,H. rufipes responded to EBF and wheat, andN. brevicollis to collembolans. The use of a defence allomone as a prey-finding kairomone by certain carabid species has implications for pest management. Manipulation of predator chemical ecology by the inclusion of behavior-modifying compounds in a crop spray mix with reduced amounts of insecticide may allow for efficient aphid control with less environmental contamination.     

Do pygidial secretions of dung beetles have the potential to repel urban pest ants?

Various organisms emit malodorous secretions against competitors, and the potential use of these secretions in pest management should be investigated. For example, some ant species feed on similar resources as dung beetles, which might have led to counter chemical defences in dung beetles. We tested whether pygidial secretions of the dung beetle Canthon smaragdulus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) alter the locomotor behaviour of the exotic urban pest ant Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), specifically whether these secretions repel those ants. We also tested whether the disturbance in the locomotor behaviour of T. melanocephalum increases with the amount of pygidial secretion. We found that individual T. melanocephalum displayed changes in their locomotor behaviour when exposed to pygidial secretions of coupled dung beetles, single males, and single females. Additionally, the pygidial secretions from male and female dung beetles could repel ants. The change in the locomotor behaviour of T. melanocephalum increased with the amount of pygidial secretion. Our results suggest that the pygidial secretions of dung beetles have potential as a biological repellent of T. melanocephalum. Hence, pygidial secretions from dung beetles may be used in the future for the development of urban pest management strategies.     

Comparative chemical composition of Agastache mexicana subsp. mexicana and A. mexicana subsp. xolocotziana

A comparative chemical analysis of Agastache mexicana subsp. mexicana and A. mexicana subsp. xolocotziana reveals that their methanol extracts constituents were very similar, with acacetin and (2-acetyl)-7-O-glucosyl acacetin being the most abundant compounds obtained. These results are consistent with the information reported for other species of Agastache. However, GS-MS analyses showed that methyl chavicol, limonene and linalool were the main constituents of the essential oils of A. mexicana subsp. mexicana, while pulegone, menthone and isopulegone were the major constituents found in A. mexicana subsp. xolocotziana. Furthermore, a different composition was found in their respective hexane extracts. These chemical composition dissimilarities between the two taxa support their recognition as distinct subspecies.     

Specific features of the life cycle of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pterostichus melanarius</Emphasis> (Coleoptera,Carabidae) in mosaic floodplain meadows

Some features of the spatial and temporal distribution of Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger, 1798) in a mosaic of meadow floodplain landscape, as well as its habitat and interannual variations of its life cycle, are discussed. In the studied landscape, P. melanarius preferred flooded meadows of the medium and low levels that were residential for this species during three years of research. In most habitats, the annual life cycle was successively replaced by the facultative and then by the obligate biennial life cycle, primarily due to interannual variations in the hydrological and temperature regimes. The transformation of the life cycle and redistribution of individuals between adjacent habitats appear to determine the interannual fluctuations in the abundance of P. melanarius. The age heterogeneity of the local populations also contributes to maintaining the total abundance at a relatively stable level.     

Flavonoid chemistry of arceuthobium (viscaceae)

Flavonoid compounds from 36 of the 38 known taxa of the genusArceuthobium (dwarf mistletoes) were examined. The flavonoid chemistry of the genus is rather uniform, all taxa producing 3-O-glycosides of the flavonols quercetin and myricetin. No infraspecific chemical variation was encountered, and in those instances where subspecific taxa are recognized, their chemistry was uniform. At the subgeneric level, members of subgenusArceuthobium synthesize primarily glucosides, whereas galactosides are more common in subgenusVaginata. In two of the four Old World species of subgenusArceuthobium (A. juniperi- procerae andA. oxycedri) only myricetin 3-O-glucoside was detected. There are no absolute flavonoid differences between subgenera, sections, or series. On the other hand, flavonoids are useful in several instances at the species level. In several cases, chemical data lend support to the recognition of species which in the past have been considered doubtfully distinct on the basis of morphology.     

Contrasting predation pressure of different ground beetles on slugs and their eggs

Slugs such as Deroceras reticulatum Müller (Pulmonata: Agriolimacidae) cause crop losses in temperate regions worldwide. Numerous species of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) feed on slugs, but possible interactive effects are poorly known. Here, we compared predation pressure on slug eggs and slug immatures among Abax parallelepipedus Piller and Mitterpacher, Pterostichus niger Schaller, and Pterostichus melanarius Illiger. The latter was most effective against slug eggs but least effective against immature slugs compared to the other species, demonstrating some specificity of ground beetle predation on life stages. Slug egg predation of P. niger in combination with both other species was synergistic, with up to twice as many eggs consumed as for single species treatments. The effect of species combinations on immature slugs showed no differences from expectations based on single species treatments. Our results indicate that combinations of ground beetle species are favourable for the suppression of slugs in early life stages.     

Chemical communication during foraging in the harvesting ants Messor pergandei and Messor andrei

We combined behavioral analyses in the laboratory and field to investigate chemical communication in the formation of foraging columns in two Nearctic seed harvesting ants, Messor pergandei and Messor andrei. We demonstrate that both species use poison gland secretions to lay recruitment trails. In M. pergandei, the recruitment effect of the poison gland is enhanced by adding pygidial gland secretions. The poison glands of both species contain 1-phenyl ethanol. Minute quantities (3 μl of a 0.1 ppm solution) of 1-phenyl ethanol drawn out along a 40 cm long trail released trail following behavior in M. pergandei, while M. andrei required higher concentrations (0.5–1 ppm). Messor pergandei workers showed weak trail following to 5 ppm trails of the pyrazines 2,5-dimethylpyrazine and 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, whereas M. andrei workers showed no behavioral response. Minute quantities of pyrazines were detected in M. pergandei but not in M. andrei poison glands using single ion monitoring gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.     

Defensive agents of the American water beetles Agabus seriatus and Graphoderus liberus

Electrical shocking and rapid temperature reduction induced the dytiscid beetles Agabus seriatus and Graphoderus liberus to excrete pygidial and prothoracic defensive substances. When minnows (Pimephales promelas) were introduced into aqueous solutions of the defensive excretions from either beetle, they were rapidly inactivated and killed. The active agent was extractable in chloroform and constituted the major lipid component of the prothoracic defensive excretions. By means of thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography, and ultraviolet and mass spectrometry, the biologically active material from the prothoracic defensive glands of both beetles was identified as a single steroid 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC).The sensitivity of P. promelas to low levels of DOC made possible the development of a quantitative bioassay for this steroid in the defensive excretions. Quantitation by u.v. absorption at 240 nm and by the Pimephales bioassay showed A. seriatus contained ca. 40 μg DOC per beetle and G. liberus contained ca. 20 μg DOC per beetle.The major lipid component of the pygidial excretions of both beetles, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, exhibited no toxic effect against test fish.     

Movement Behaviour of the Carabid Beetle Pterostichus melanarius in Crops and at a Habitat Interface Explains Patterns of Population Redistribution in the Field

Animals may respond to habitat quality and habitat edges and these responses may affect their distribution between habitats. We studied the movement behaviour of a ground-dwelling generalist predator, the carabid beetle Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger). We performed a mark-recapture experiment in two adjacent habitats; a large plot with oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus) and a plot with rye (Secale cereale). We used model selection to identify a minimal model representing the mark-recapture data, and determine whether habitat-specific motility and boundary behaviour affected population redistribution. We determined movement characteristics of P. melanarius in laboratory arenas with the same plant species using video recording. Both the field and arena results showed preference behaviour of P. melanarius at the habitat interface. In the field, significantly more beetles moved from rye to oilseed radish than from radish to rye. In the arena, habitat entry was more frequent into oilseed radish than into rye. In the field, movement was best described by a Fokker-Planck diffusion model that contained preference behaviour at the interface and did not account for habitat specific motility. Likewise, motility calculated from movement data using the Patlak model was not different between habitats in the arena studies. Motility (m² d⁻¹) calculated from behavioural data resulted in estimates that were similar to those determined in the field. Thus individual behaviour explained population redistribution in the field qualitatively as well as quantitatively. The findings provide a basis for evaluating movement within and across habitats in complex agricultural landscapes with multiple habitats and habitat interfaces.     

Two species of Tsinania (Trilobita,Corynexochida) from upper Furongian (Cambrian) of northern Anhui,China and their intraspecific variation

Hundreds of specimens of the trilobite Tsinania were collected from the Cambrian (upper Jiangshanian through Stage 10) at Fenghuangshan in northern Anhui, China, and were identified as Tsinania canens (Walcott, 1905) and Tsinania dolichocephala (Kobayashi, 1933). Comparisons between these two species and others referred to Tsinania, allow the redefinition of the two species. Fourteen synonyms and thirteen synonyms have been incorporated into T. canens and T. dolichocephala respectively. The key diagnosis of T. canens includes: the preglabellar field is flat, relatively short (sag.), has a slightly to obviously angular anterior margin; pygidium is rounded triangular and strongly convex; pygidial border is absent or very narrow. The key diagnosis of Tsinania dolichocephala comprises: the glabella is moderately convex with flat anterior part and convex posterior part (sag.); anterior border is relatively long (sag.), rounded to sharply angulated; pygidium is rounded triangularly with a wide, concave border. Upon such diagnoses, the potential intraspecific variations (e.g., the angularity of the anterior margin, the triangularity of the pygidium, and the width of the pygidial border) of the two species are discussed and listed. The late ontogeny of both species is described to further support the intraspecific variations.