The Light and Magnetic Compass of the Weaver Ant,Oecophylla smaragdina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Some of the foraging of the arboreal Australian weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina takes place on the ground. Odor trails and compass orientation are used to return to the trunk of their nesting tree. Field experiments established directional responses to light and the natural magnetic field. The precision of the light compass orientation is much greater than that of the magnetic compass orientation: the respective average wrapped-around standard deviations (WSD) of directional choices towards home are WSD = ± 48° and WSD = ± 105°.     

Genetic diversity and population structure of Sepiella japonica (Mollusca: Cephalopoda: Decapoda) inferred by mitochondrial DNA (COI) variations

In order to describe the genetic diversity of five geographical populations of cuttlefish (Sepiella japonica) along with Chinese coast and determined their phylogenetic relationship, partial mitochondrial COI gene (681bp in length) was amplified from 96 individuals collected from these populations and sequenced. The 5 populations of cuttlefish inhabit Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea. Out of 22 polymorphic nucleotides identified, 8 were represented by a single sequence, 12 were parsimony informative, which defined 22 haplotypes. Haplotype and nucleotide diversity were low among populations. Of 22 haplotypes, 15 appeared only in a single population, 6 appeared in 2 or 3 populations and 1 was shared by all populations. The COI gene was monomorphic in Qingdao population. The haplotypes identified clustered into 2 clades, each covered individuals from 5 populations each. Pairwise F_ST were not proportional to the geographical distances. Among the 5 populations, relatively high level of genetic diversity was found in Ningde population which was recommended to be the best choice of germplasm resources for artificial releasing project.     

Analysis of mitochondrial COI sequences of the Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) species complex in Thailand

Diachasmimorpha longicaudata is an Opiinae parasitoid used to control tephritid fruit flies, which cause tremendous economic losses of fruits worldwide. In Thailand, D. longicaudata is classified as three sibling species, DLA, DLB and DLBB, based on the morphological and biological species concepts but their genetic variation has not been studied. Therefore, we investigated the genetic differentiation of the mitochondrial COI gene to clarify the ambiguous taxonomy of this species complex. The 603‐bp COI region was sequenced from laboratory‐bred colonies and field‐collected specimens from seven locations representing five geographical regions in Thailand. DLA was associated with the host Bactrocera correcta while DLB and DLBB were associated with Bactrocera dorsalis. The interspecific nucleotide differences of COI sequences among the three groups ranged from 6.70% to 7.62% (Kimura 2‐parameter distance), which adequately separates species complexes within the order Hymenoptera and supports the current sibling species classification. The neighbor joining, maximum likelihood and consensus Bayesian phylogenetic trees constructed from COI sequences revealed that the three sibling species of laboratory and field‐collected D. longicaudata are monophyletic with 100% support. The high genetic variation and molecular phylogeny of the COI sequences were shown to discriminate between the D. longicaudata species examined in this study.     

基于线粒体COI基因序列的大豆食心虫中国东北地理种群遗传多样性分析

【目的】大豆食心虫Leguminivora glycinivorella (Matsumura)是一种危害大豆的主要害虫,在中国北方地区危害较重。本研究旨在探讨大豆食心虫在中国东北不同地理种群间的遗传变异。【方法】测定了10个不同地理种群153个个体的线粒体细胞色素氧化酶亚基Ⅰ (mtCOI)基因的657 bp序列,利用DnaSP 5. 0和Arlequin 3. 5. 1. 2等软件对大豆食心虫种群间的遗传多样性、基因流水平和分子变异进行分析。【结果】结果表明：10个地理种群间的COI基因共有36个变异位点和17个单倍型,其中1个单倍型为10个种群所共享。总种群的单倍型多样性指数Hd为0.456,各地理种群单倍型多样度范围在0~0.634之间。总群体的固定系数Fst为0.12545,遗传分化系数Gst为0.06326,总基因流Nm为3.49,且各种群间的基因流均大于1,种群间基因交流的水平较高。【结论】大豆食心虫种群内遗传多样性水平处于中低等水平。总群体和各种群的Tajima’s D检验结果皆不显著,说明中国东北地区大豆食心虫在较近的历史时期内没有出现种群扩张现象。AMOVA分子变异分析结果表明,大豆食心虫的遗传分化主要来自种群内部,而种群间未发生明显的遗传分化。各地理种群的单倍型在系统发育树上和中介网络图上散布在不同的分布群中,缺乏明显的地理分布格局。各种群的遗传距离与地理距离之间没有显著线性相关性,种群间的基因交流并未受到地理距离的影响。     

Species diversity of freshwater shrimp in Henan Province,China, based on morphological characters and COI mitochondrial gene

Freshwater shrimp are a rich species group, with a long and problematic taxonomic history attributed to their wide distribution and similar morphological characteristics. Shrimp diversity and species identification are important cornerstones for fisheries management. However, identification based on morphological characteristics is a difficult task for a nonspecialist. Abundant freshwater shrimp species are distributed in the waters of Henan Province, but investigations of freshwater shrimp are limited in this region, especially concerning molecular features. Here, we combined morphology and DNA barcodes to reveal the species diversity of freshwater shrimp in Henan province. A total of 1,200 freshwater shrimp samples were collected from 46 sampling sites, and 222 samples were chosen for further microscopic examination and molecular delimitation. We used tree‐based methods (NJ, ML, and bPTP) and distance‐based methods (estimation of the paired genetic distances and ABGD) to delimit species. The results showed that there were nine morphospecies based on morphological characteristics; all could effectively be defined by molecular methods, among which bPTP and ABGD defined 13 and 8 MOTUs, respectively. The estimation of the paired genetic distances of K2P and the p‐distances had similar results. Mean K2P distances and p‐distances within species were both equal to 1.2%. The maximum intraspecific genetic distances of all species were less than 2%, with the exception of Palaemon modestus and M. maculatum. Various analyses have shown that P. modestus and M. maculatum have a large genetic differentiation, which may indicate the existence of cryptic species. By contrast, DNA barcoding could unambiguously discriminate 13 species and detect cryptic diversity. Our results demonstrate the high efficiency of DNA barcoding to delimit freshwater shrimp diversity and detect the presence of cryptic species.     

Differences in worker caste behaviour of Oecophylla smaragdina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in response to larvae of Anthene emolus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

The larvae of Anthene emolus (Lycaenidae) cannot survive in the wild without their associated ant Oecophylla smaragdina (Formicidae) . The ants groom the lycaenid larvae for secretions and, in turn, protect them from parasitoids and predators. Both major and minor worker ants tend larvae, although, in the present study, the frequencies of tending by different castes proved to be significantly different. Ants also tended late instars significantly more than young larvae. O. smaragdina ants of the same colony were observed fighting when A. emolus larvae were present. Aggression was exhibited by the major workers against the minor workers that tried to tend secreting larvae. Major ants precluded the minors from the most nutritious secretions, leaving minors to tend the less productive, early instars. On a few occasions, aggression was unchecked and major workers killed the larvae they were tending (presumably accidentally). When larvae were experimentally reared with only one caste of ant, the resulting butterflies showed no differences in dry weight. Mortality was high when larvae were reared with only minor ants or in the absence of ants.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 88 , 391–395.     

利用COI基因序列分析长江与澜沧江水系日本沼虾群体的遗传结构

测定了我国长江水系和澜沧江水系的日本沼虾9个群体,共79个个体的线粒体COI基因序列片段(约450bp),结果发现有89个变异位点,共计有46个单倍型。其中云南昆明(KM)群体具有较丰富的遗传多样性(h=1.000,π=0.028),而重庆(CQ)群体的遗传多样性最小(h=0.700,π=0.008)。AMOVA分析表明,群体间的遗传变异占总遗传变异的9.66%,而90.34%的遗传变异源于群体内。采用邻接法(NJ)构建的分子系统树显示,46个单倍型明显地聚为长江中下游和长江上游与澜沧江两个族群。其结果可以为合理开发和利用日本沼虾自然野生资源,以及建立和保护日本沼虾种质资源库及基因库提供必要的参考。     

Observations on the Ecology of Weaver Ants (Oecophylla smaragdina Fabricius) in a Thai Mangrove Ecosystem and Their Effect on Herbivory of Rhizophora mucronata Lam.

Ants of the genus Oecophylla are predators of other insects and are able to protect a variety of terrestrial plants against pest insects; however, observations on the ecology of these ants in mangrove forests are lacking. General observations on the ecology of Oecophylla smaragdina were carried out in a Thai mangrove forest to determine if these ants can protect their host plants in less favorable mangrove habitats. Leaf herbivory and the density of O. smaragdina ants were measured on Rhizophora mucronata trees at two sites. The results showed a negative correlation between ant density and herbivory. At both sites, the mean percent damaged leaf area was more than four times higher on trees without ants compared to “ant‐trees.” A significant negative correlation was found between tree mean percent leaf damage and the density of ants on the tree. Furthermore, on trees with ants, there was less herbivory on leaves close to ant nests compared to other leaves on the tree. Most damage was caused by chrysomelid beetles (62%) and sesarmid crabs (25%) and both types of herbivory were significantly reduced on ant‐trees.     

Temporal abundance of African weaver ant,Oecophylla longinoda (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) under unimodal rainfall pattern in Tanzania

Weaver ants, Oecophylla spp., provide adequate protection to crops against insect pests when their populations are high and stable. A study was conducted in a cashew field in Tanzania from November 2012 to October 2014 to determine temporal abundance of O. longinoda. We determined (i) the number of shoots with O. longinoda in a tree (established fortnightly) monitored at four cardinal points of a tree, using 1 m² wooden quadrats, (ii) the percentage of branches with ant trails per tree per month and (iii) the number of visible ant nests within the tree canopy per month. Furthermore, we assessed the association of weather and phenology with O. longinoda populations. More weaver ant populations were recorded during reproductive and vegetative phases of cashew. We recorded significant positive associations between rainfall and temperature with the number of shoots with O. longinoda (p < .001), as well as relative humidity with the number of nests (p < .001). The percentage of shoots with O. longinoda was significantly associated with cashew growth phases. Rainfall and temperature negatively affected the number of nests. Consideration of cashew phenology and weather parameters can greatly enhance successful weaver ant augmentation strategies.     

基于COⅠ基因序列的蜜蜂属系统发育分析及其舞蹈和筑巢行为进化分析

【目的】分析蜜蜂属Apis的系统发育关系,并在此基础上探讨蜜蜂属舞蹈方向、舞蹈声音、营巢环境、巢脾结构的祖先状态和演变过程。【方法】PCR扩增并测定中国分布的蜜蜂属内东方蜜蜂A. cerana、西方蜜蜂A. mellifera、大蜜蜂A. dorsata、黑大蜜蜂A. laboriosa、小蜜蜂A. florea和黑小蜜蜂A. andreniformis的线粒体COⅠ基因序列,并从NCBI数据库中下载分布于其他国家或地区的上述6种蜜蜂以及绿努蜂A. nulunsis、苏拉威西蜂A. nigrocinta、沙巴蜂A. koschevnikovi、炳式大蜜蜂A. dorsata binghami的COⅠ同源序列。分别利用最大简约法(MP)、最大似然法(ML)和贝叶斯分析(BI)依据这些序列数据构建蜜蜂属系统发育关系。对蜜蜂属上述种的舞蹈语言和筑巢行为进行编码并作为性状特征标记到系统发育树中,利用简约法对祖先状态进行追溯。【结果】系统发育分析结果表明,蜜蜂属可划分为3大类群,即穴居蜜蜂类群(东方蜜蜂、西方蜜蜂、苏拉威西蜂、绿努蜂、沙巴蜂)、大蜜蜂类群(大蜜蜂、黑大蜜蜂)和小蜜蜂类群(小蜜蜂、黑小蜜蜂);小蜜蜂类群更加接近于祖型,大蜜蜂类群和穴居蜜蜂类群是两支单系;炳式大蜜蜂是独立于大蜜蜂和黑大蜜蜂的蜂种,且与黑大蜜蜂的亲缘关系更近。祖先状态重建结果显示：蜜蜂属祖先在露天环境下筑造垂直的单脾,且在传播食物或巢址信息时跳水平方向的无声摆尾舞,有嗡嗡声的舞蹈及筑造复脾是后来形成的。【结论】COⅠ基因可作为分子标记用于分析蜜蜂属的舞蹈和筑巢行为的祖先状态及进化过程;蜜蜂筑造复脾、跳有嗡嗡声的舞蹈是后期的适应性进化行为。     

Genetic variation of Mytilus coruscus Gould (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) populations in the East China Sea inferred from mtDNA COI gene Sequence

In order to characterize the genetic relationship of six populations of Mytilus coruscus Gould in the East China Sea, a 681 bp region of mtDNA COI gene was sequenced and analyzed. Eighty four individuals in total were collected from three cultured populations and three wild populations from three localities of the coast of East China Sea. The sequences from these different populations identified 62 polymorphic sites, which included 41 singleton variable sites and 21 parsimony informative sites that defined 45 distinct haplotypes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that most haplotypes were highly interconnected with each other. Thirty seven of the 45 haplotypes were only found in their own populations, seven were found at two-four localities and only haplotype NO.2 was found in all six populations, indicating that most haplotypes were locally restricted. All haplotypes had shaped two similar branches, each including individuals from all six strains. The results of F_ST values indicated that the genetic distances between populations are not closely associated with their geographic distances.     

基于线粒体COI、COII和Cyt b基因的蚁属13种的分子系统学研究（膜翅目：蚁科：蚁亚科）

以线粒体mtDNA中的COI、COII及Cyt b基因序列为分子标记,对蚁属13种进行分析研究。结果表明,蚁属线粒体基因组成具有昆虫基因的普遍特征,如有明显的A+T偏向性,A、T密码子使用频率高等特点。基于蚁属线粒体基因进行遗传距离分析,并结合构建系统发育树,结果表明蚁属内各物种间遗传距离相差较小,遗传距离值基本在0.1以内,遗传距离较远的种发生在北京凹头蚁和掘穴蚁之间,蚁属内各种间分化与形态学研究结果基本一致。     

Seasonal pattern in food gathering of the weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in mango orchards in Benin

Prey capture and food scavenging activities of Oecophylla longinoda were monitored through regular weekly samplings during two consecutive years (2009–2010) in a large mango orchard of the Borgou Department of Benin, West Africa, a main mango production area located in the Sudan agro-ecological zone. In both years, interspecific competition with other ants occurred mainly during the dry season (January to March) resulting in increased captures of Formicinae, Myrmicinae and Ponerinae. More prey was caught during the rainy season (end April to end October) than during the rest of the year, with Diptera and Coleoptera prey peaking in May and June, respectively, along with the mango season. As insect prey quickly decreased during November to December weaver ants increasingly collected seeds and plant debris. A total of 241 species of insects were captured including 61 species (25.3%) associated with mango and a few with cashew, among which 48 mango pest species (78.7% of species associated with mango tree). Only five species (2.1%) of beneficial insects were captured. It is concluded that the presence of O. longinoda colonies is beneficial to perennial tree cropping systems such as mango and cashew.     

A molecular phylogeny of the Cephinae (Hymenoptera, Cephidae) based on mtDNA COI gene: a test of traditional classification

Cephinae is traditionally divided into three tribes and about 24 genera based on morphology and host utilization. There has been no study testing the monophyly of taxa under a strict phylogenetic criterion. A molecular phylogeny of Cephinae based on a total of 68 sequences of mtDNA COI gene, representing seven genera of Cephinae, is reconstructed to test the traditional limits and relationships of taxa. Monophyly of the traditional tribes is not supported. Monophyly of the genera are largely supported except for Pachycephus. A few host shift events are suggested based on phylogenetic relationships among taxa. These results indicate that a more robust phylogeny is required for a more plausible conclusion. We also report two species of Cephus for the first time from Turkey.     

基于线粒体COI基因的中国西南地区木领针蓟马地理种群的遗传分化分析

【目的】木领针蓟马Helionothrips mube近年来成为芋头Colocasia esculenta上的一种常见害虫。本研究旨在探讨其中国西南地区地理种群间的遗传变异。【方法】通过Sanger法测定了21个地理种群132头木领针蓟马的线粒体COI基因序列,利用MEGA, DnaSP, Arlequin和Network等软件对木领针蓟马种群间的遗传多样性、遗传分化、分子变异等进行分析。【结果】获得的木领针蓟马132条线粒体COI序列(643 bp)中共发现34个变异位点、16种单倍型,其中单倍型H1出现频率最高、分布最广。木领针蓟马总群体的遗传多样性较高(Hd=0.712, Pi=0.00413, K=2.655),遗传分化程度极大(Fst=0.3443),基因交流水平不高(Nm=0.96)。分子方差分析(AMOVA)表明,木领针蓟马的遗传分化主要来自种群内部,Mantel检测出种群地理距离与遗传距离呈正相关。总群体中性检验Tajima’s D值显著负值,Fu’s Fs值不显著,错配分布曲线呈多峰。综合种群间遗传距离、单倍型系统发育树及中介网络图结果,表明四川成都(CHD)、云南昌宁(CHN)和贵州遵义(ZY)3个种群的遗传分化程度均高于其他种群。【结论】中国西南地区木领针蓟马总群体的遗传多样性较高,遗传分化明显,种群间的基因交流受到地理距离的影响,总群体在较近的历史时期内没有出现扩张现象。     

大石鸡兰州亚种的mtDNA种群遗传结构、单倍型分布和遗传多样性

大石鸡(Alectorismagna)是中国西北部的特有种。我们测定了大石鸡兰州亚种(A.m.lanzhouensis)8个地理种群106个样本的线粒体DNA控制区5′端458bp序列,研究其种群遗传结构和遗传多样性。27个变异位点共确定25种单倍型,其中单倍型M2广泛分布,而许多单倍型为一些地方种群特有。单倍型分布沿着南北方向变化,存在明显的地理结构。8个种群中核苷酸多样性最高的是定西种群,0.0069,最低的是海原种群,0.0028;单倍型多样性最高的是武山种群,0.86,最低的是北道种群,0.52。北方种群比南方种群具有更高的遗传多样性。系统发生树和单倍型分布表明,大石鸡兰州亚种存在两个明显的分支。溯祖理论、更新世冰期和花粉支持兰州亚种起源于兰州盆地,这个盆地是其遗传多样性的中心。     

线蛱蝶亚科蝶类部分类群线粒体COI基因的分子系统发生分析

以线粒体细胞色素氧化酶I（COI）基因作分子标记,对线蛱蝶亚科蝴蝶进行序列测定．序列分析的结果表明．经比对和处理后的序列总长度是645bp,其中有199个变异位点,147个简约信息位点;所编码的氨基酸序列中有18个变异位点,7个信息位点．A＋T平均含量为69．6％,G＋C平均含量为30．4％,碱基组成出现AT偏斜．以蛱蝶亚科及秀蛱蝶亚科物种为外类群,用NJ、MP及贝叶斯法重建了该亚科的系统发生树,探讨了它们主要类群间的系统发生关系．分子系统树显示,线蛱蝶亚科由以下3大支系：环蛱蝶族＋翠蛱蝶族、线蛱蝶族、丽蛱蝶族构成;其中,环蛱蝶族为单系群（NJ树也支持线蛱蝶族的单系性）;翠蛱蝶族与环蛱蝶族亲缘关系较近：丽蛱蝶族可能是该亚科较早分化出的一支．     

Use of a mitochondrial COI sequence to identify species of the subtribe Aphidina (Hemiptera, Aphididae)

Aphids of the subtribe Aphidina are found mainly in the North Temperate Zone. The relative lack of diagnostic morphological characteristics has hindered the identification of species in this group. However, DNA-based taxonomic methods can clarify species relationships within this group. Sequence variation in a partial segment of the mitochondrial COI gene was highly effective for identifying species within Aphidina. Thirty-six species of Aphidina were identified in a neighbor-joining tree. Mean intraspecific sequence divergence in Aphidina was 0.52%, with a range of 0.00% to 2.95%, and the divergences of most species were less than 1%. Mean interspecific divergence within previously recognized genera or morphologically similar species groups was 6.80%, with a range of 0.68% to 11.40%, with variation mainly in the range of 3.50% to 8.00%. Possible reasons for anomalous levels of mean nucleotide divergence within or between some taxa are discussed.     

Genetic diversity of Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae) populations in the Republic of Korea based on COI sequence

Riptortus pedestris (Fabricius) has caused severe agricultural damage in Asian regions. To clarify genetic relationships among different populations of R. pedestris in Korea, 294 COI sequences were generated from 294 individual samples collected in 42 local regions. In total, 36 haplotypes were detected from the 294 COI sequences, and the genetic distances among the 42 local populations ranged from 0.00 % to 1.50 %. In the AMOVA results, a variability of more than 98 % was observed within populations, and the median joining (MJ) networks revealed that R. pedestris has expanded by crossing the nine geographical groups. Most of the samples shared one haplotype, H2; however, some samples obtained from the same regions displayed slight genetic differences. These results indicate that R. pedestris have undergone a series of genetic variations.     

Phylogeny of anopheline (Diptera: Culicidae) species in southern Africa,based on nuclear and mitochondrial genes

A phylogeny of anthropophilic and zoophilic anopheline mosquito species was constructed, using the nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) genes. The ITS2 alignment, typically difficult due to its noncoding nature and large size variations, was aided by using predicted secondary structure, making this phylogenetically useful gene more amenable to investigation. This phylogeny is unique in explicitly including zoophilic, non‐vector anopheline species in order to illustrate their relationships to malaria vectors. Two new, cryptic species, Anopheles funestus‐like and Anopheles rivulorum‐like, were found to be present in Zambia for the first time. Sequences from the D3 region of the 28S rDNA suggest that the Zambian An. funestus‐like may be a hybrid or geographical variant of An. funestus‐like, previously reported in Malawi. This is the first report of An. rivulorum‐like sympatric with An. rivulorum (Leeson), suggesting that these are separate species rather than geographic variants.