Fruit diet of Alouatta guariba and Brachyteles arachnoides in Southeastern Brazil: comparison of fruit type, color, and seed size

Fruit is an important food resource for neotropical primates. In this study I compare the fruit diet of sympatric brown howlers (Alouatta guariba) and southern muriquis (Brachyteles arachnoides). Feeding behavior was studied over 12 months and fruit species consumed were identified and assigned to the categories fruit type, fruit color, and seed size. Observed-fruit feeding records were compared with expected records determined from local availability of the fruit of the tree species. I also determined dietary overlap. Fruit consumption occupied 8 and 12% of the feeding time of A. guariba and B. arachnoides, respectively. Fruit from eight tree species were consumed by the former and fruit from twenty-two species by the latter. Patterns of fruit selection of A. guariba and B. arachnoides varied widely. Although howlers and muriquis converge behaviorally by selecting fruit with common attributes (fleshy/unprotected, violet and brown/black-colored), unlike A. guariba, B. arachnoides fed on immature seeds of fleshy/protected and dry fruit. Large seeds were ingested, and defecated intact, by B. arachnoides only. There was little overlap of fruit diet even within categories that had been selected by both, suggesting that dietary divergence is occurring at the interspecific level. Different resource exploitation probably mediates the coexistence of A. guariba and B. arachnoides in low diversity, semideciduous forests, where the environment imposes narrow limits on primate food choices.     

Abscisic acid-glu cose es ter as an allelopathy agent from cit rus fruit

Aqueousmethanol extracts of Cit rus junos, C. unshiu and C. sudachi fruit peel in hib ited the growth of the roots and hypocotyls of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), cress (Lepidiumsativum L.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seedlings. Signifi cantreductions in the root and hypocotyl growth were observed as the extract concentration in creased in all bioassays. The in hibitory activity of C. junos ex tract on the growth of test plants was 3.3-to 17.9-fold and 3.6- to 20.6-fold greater than that of C. unshiu and C. sudachi extracts, respectively. Theconcent rationin C. junos was 3.5- and 4.9-fold greater than that in C. unshiu and C. sudachi, re spectively. Thus, there was a good correlation-between abscisic acid-b-D-glucopyranosylester (ABA-GE) concentrationsin C. junos, C. unshiu and C. sudachi fruit peel and theinhibito ryactivities of the irextracts. The concentration of ABA-GE in C. junos fruit peel was in creased with fruit maturityasgrowthinhibit oryactivity of C. junos fruit peel was reported to be in creased with fruit maturity, in dicating that the concentrations of ABA-GEin C. junos fruit peel was correlated withgrowthinhibit oryactivity of C. junos fruit peel in time course of fruit maturation. These findings suggest that ABA-GE may be involved in the growth inhibitory effect of C. junos, C. unshiu and C. sudachi fruit peel.     

海巴戟果实发育过程中果糖、果糖激酶及其基因的变化

为揭示海巴戟果实风味形成机制,对果实发育过程的果糖激酶(FRK)活性及其基因的表达模式进行了研究.结果表明,海巴戟果实中的果糖、蔗糖、葡萄糖含量随发育不断积累,均在果实完全成熟时达到最高值,而果糖激酶活性随果实发育不断下降.从果实中克隆了果糖激酶基因TRINITY_DN17192_c0_g1,命名为McFRK2,Gen...     

Effects of recent experience on foraging in tephritid fruit flies

In field-cage studies, we investigated how the foraging behavior of tephritid fruit flies is modified by experience immediately prior to release on host plants. We observed females of a relatively monophagous species,Rhagoletis mendax (blueberry maggot fly), an oligophagous species,Rhagoletis pomomella (apple maggot fly), and a polyphagous species,Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly). Just prior to release on a host plant, the following kinds of stimuli were supplied: (1) single oviposition in a host fruit, (2) contact with 20% sucrose, (3) contact with a mixture of protein food (bird feces and sucrose), (4) contact with water, and (5) a walk over a host-plant leaf. When flies foraged on host plants without resources, search was most intensive (as measured by number of leaves visited) following a single oviposition in fruit, but residence time generally was the same following exposure to sugar, protein, and fruit stimuli.Rhagoletis mendax andC. capitata females visited the fewest leaves following exposure to water or host leaves, whereasR. pomonella foraged equally intensively following exposure to food stimuli, water, or leaves. On host plants containing resources (fruit and protein food), a single oviposition dramatically increased the number of females of all three species that found fruit compared to females that received experience with food, water or foliar stimuli. We found no significant effect of recent brief experience with any of the stimuli on subsequent attraction to protein food. Overall,C. capitata exhibited a higher propensity to abandon host plants than eitherR. mendax orR. pomonella. We suggest that this may reflect adaptations to differences in distribution of host plants in nature, strategies of dispersal, and host range.     

A <Emphasis Type="Italic">Colletotrichum gloeosporioides</Emphasis>-induced esterase gene of nonclimacteric pepper (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Capsicum annuum</Emphasis>) fruit during ripening plays a role in resistance against fungal infection

Ripe fruits of pepper (Capsicum annuum) are resistant to the anthracnose fungus, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, whereas unripe-mature fruits are susceptible. A pepper esterase gene (PepEST) that is highly expressed during an incompatible interaction between the ripe fruit of pepper and C. gloeosporioides was previously cloned. Deduced amino acid sequence of PepEST cDNA showed homology to both esterases and lipases, and contained -HGGGF- and -GXSXG- motifs and a catalytic triad. Inhibition of PepEST activity by a specific inhibitor of serine hydrolase demonstrated that a serine residue is critical for the enzyme activity. Expression of PepEST gene was fruit-specific in response to C. gloeosporioides inoculation, and up-regulated by wounding or jasmonic acid treatment during ripening. PepEST mRNA and protein was differentially accumulated in ripe vs. unripe fruit from 24 h after inoculation when C. gloeosporioides isinvading into fruits. Immunochemical examination revealed that PepEST accumulation was localized inepidermal and cortical cell layers in infected ripe fruit, but rarely even in epidermal cells in infected unripe one. Over-expression of PepEST in transgenic Arabidopsis plants caused restriction of Alternaria brassicicola colonization by inhibition of spore production, resulting in enhanced resistance against A.brassicicola. These results suggest that PepEST is involved in the resistance of ripe fruit against C.gloeosporioides infection.^†These authors contributed equally to the work     

Effect of cultural methods on leaf spot (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycosphaerella fragariae</Emphasis>) and gray mold (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Botrytis cinerea</Emphasis>) damage in strawberries

Damage of leaf spot, caused by Mycosphaerella fragariae and gray mold also called Botrytis fruit rot, caused by Botrytis cinerea, average fruit weight and yield were evaluated with regard to cultural methods over 2years. Leaf spot damage decreased significantly by around 90% due to leaf sanitation (removal of dead and leaf spot infected leaves in early spring) and by 50% due to plantation in a one-row-system instead of a two-row-system. When all leaves including the healthy green ones were removed in early spring, average fruit weight decreased significantly by 10%. Fruit sanitation – the third treatment – did not influence any of the measured parameters. Neither leaf sanitation nor fruit sanitation (removal of damaged fruits during harvest) reduced B. cinerea damage significant. Only the combination of a one-row-system, leaf sanitation and fruit sanitation almost halved (not significantly) B. cinerea damage in the first crop year compared to a two-row-system without leaf and fruit sanitation. B. cinerea damage correlated significantly and positively with the biomass of plants by R²= 0.47. According to this study and the cited literature it is suggested for humid Central European conditions to apply a one-row-system combined with leaf sanitation in early spring and fruit sanitation during harvest if fruit density is high, to reduce the risk of damages in larger dimension caused by M. fragariae and B. cinerea.     

Effects of fruit fly host, fruit species, and host egg to female parasitoid ratio on the laboratory rearing of Biosteres arisanus

The host suitability of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), for development of Biosteres arisanus (Sonan), a braconid parasitoid, was compared with three other fruit fly species, namely, Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata Weidemann, melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae Coquilett, and Malaysian fruit fly, Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel). In addition, effects of five different fruit species, namely, Carica papaya L. (solo papaya), Musa sapientum (L.) O. Ktze. (apple banana), Mangifera indica (L.) (Haden mango), Terminalia catappa (L.) (false kamani), and Citrus aurantiifolia (Christman) Swingle (common lime), on the parasitization rate of B. dorsalis and sex ratio of parasitoid progenies were evaluated. Effects of host egg to female B. arisanus ratios on parasitoid progeny yields were likewise determined. The host suitability of fruit flies for development of B. arisanus was ranked as: B. dorsalis>C. capitata=B. latifrons=B. cucurbitae. Based on percent parasitization of B. dorsalis, preference of B. arisanus females for host eggs varied with fruit species, however, preferential oviposition displayed by female parasitoids did not influence sex ratios of subsequent parasitoid progenies. Increases in host egg to female parasitoid ratios of 5:1, 10:1, 20:1, 25:1, and 30:1 corresponded with increases in parasitoid progeny yield reaching a plateau at 20:1.     

In Planta Transformation of Tomato

In this study, in planta transformation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), using fruit injection and floral dip, is reported. Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA 105 containing one of three constructs, i.e., pROKIIAP1GUSint (carrying the Apetala 1 [AP1] gene), pROKIILFYGUSint (carrying the LEAFY [LFY] gene), or p35SGUSint (carrying the β-glucuronidase [GUS] gene), was used for plant transformation. For fruit injection transformation, no significant effects (p > 0.05) of the construct used were observed. The highest frequency of transformation was obtained following 48-h incubation of tomato fruit with bacterial cells harboring either one of the three constructs; transformation frequencies of 17%, 19%, and 21% for AP1, LFY, and GUS gene constructs, respectively, were obtained. When fruit maturity was evaluated in fruit injection experiments, mature red fruit resulted in higher frequency of transformants than immature green fruit with 40%, 35%, and 42% for AP1, LFY, and GUS gene constructs, respectively. For floral dip transformation, a higher number of transformants was obtained when the GUS gene construct was used instead of either the AP1 or LFY gene construct, thus suggesting a possible inhibitory effect of the flowering genes used. When flowers were transformed prior to rather than following pollination, they yielded a higher transformation frequency, 12% for the LFY construct and 23% for the GUS construct (p < 0.05), although no transformant was obtained with the AP1 gene construct. All putative GUS-positive transformants were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction and confirmed for the presence of the transgene. Compared to control plants, transgenic plants carrying either the AP1 or LFY transgene flowered earlier and showed several different morphological characters.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of morel fruiting

The biotic and abiotic factors conditioning morel fruit body production are incompletely known. We examined spatial and temporal patterns of Morchella esculenta fruiting over five years in a wooded site in Missouri, USA. Fruiting onset was inversely correlated with spring air and soil temperatures, whereas abundance was positively correlated with rain events (>10 mm) during the 30 d preceding fruiting. The two years with the greatest fruiting had the shortest fruiting seasons (6–7 d). Fruiting season length was positively correlated with soil warming, suggesting that a narrow range of optimum soil temperatures favour the explosive production of fruit bodies. All woody stems of at least 1 cm diam were mapped and stem diameter and crown condition were noted. Morel fruit bodies were significantly closer to stems of Carya spp., Tilia americana and Ulmus americana than predicted by the frequencies of these woody species or their contribution to the total basal area on the site. Although intra-annual clustering of fruit bodies was often observed, inter-annual clustering was not. The spatial pattern of M. esculenta fruiting appears to be associated with vegetation pattern, whereas the onset and abundance of fruiting are determined by the interaction of spring temperatures with availability of supporting precipitation.     

Olfactory Learning of Fruit Odors in the Eastern Yellow Jacket, Vespula maculifrons (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Food-seaching workers of eastern yellow jackets, Vespula maculifrons, are attracted by the natural odors of a wide variety of succulent fruits; particularly effective was pear. The only part of a fruit that repelled was the leathery epicarp of oranges. After rewarding with sugar water, odors of six fruits, including the pulpy mesocarp of oranges and, in addition, the leaves of catmint Nepeta cataria, all become highly attractive. To learn the distinctive odors of any one of three fruits (pear, apple, quince), nondiscrimination training with a rewarded fruit was sufficient for the subsequent olfactory preference of the training fruit over the control fruit. In the other cases [banana, hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli), grape] simultaneous discrimination training with a rewarded and an unrewarded fruit was necessary and effective for obtaining differential responses to the odors of the training fruits. As far as current evidence goes, olfactory learning plays similar roles in the fruit foraging of this wasp and in the nectar foraging of the honey bee (Apis mellifera).     

p-CPA enhances growth and quality of muskelon fruits

The effects of para-chlorophenoxyacetic acid(p-CPA) application in improving the reduction in growthrate and sugar accumulation, and on the peel color and firmness ofparthenocarpic fruit, and its residual content in the treated fruit wereexamined. p-CPA application to parthenocarpic fruit duringthe rapid growth stage [5 or 10 days after anthesis (DAA)] enhanced the fruitweight, but was ineffective when applied at 40 DAA. p-CPA– promoting of fruit growth increased as the applied concentration rose,so the weight of fruit treated by p-CPA at 500 mgL^–1 (the highest level) was the greatest in all plots;however the peel was considerably softer and abnormal swelling occurred in thenet. p-CPA applied to parthenocarpic fruit from 5 to 25DAAincreased sucrose content, the most effective application time being justbeforethe onset of sucrose accumulation (25 DAA). Fructose and glucose contents wereconsiderably lower than that of sucrose, and were not affected byp-CPA. p-CPA promoted sucroseaccumulation when applied to pollinated fruit, which showed the highest levelofenhancement in all plots. During the maturation period, the peel ofparthenocarpic fruit was a darker green color and the netting did not fullydevelop compared to pollinated fruit. p-CPA applicationsat10 or 25 DAA improved the peel color and netting of parthenocarpic fruits;therefore, the L value was similar to that of seeded fruit and the hue angledeclined. Applications of p-CPA during the early growthstage reduced the firmness of the mesocarp concomitant with increases in theapplied concentrations. p-CPA was present in the fruit atharvest, when applied from 10 to 25 DAA, even at 20 mgL^–1. The residue level increased as the appliedconcentration rose, but p-CPA was not detected in thenon-treated plot.     

Natural establishment of a parasitoid complex on Bactrocera latifrons (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Hawaii

Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is the most recent of four tephritid fruit fly species accidentally introduced into Hawaii. Although parasitoids have been released against other tephritid fruit fly species and have shown partial success in Hawaii, no parasitoids were released until 2004 to suppress populations of B. latifrons. The present study was conducted to document the parasitoid complex that has naturally established against B. latifrons in Hawaii and to assess whether there is a need for improving the biological control of this species. Based on ripe turkeyberry (Solanum torvum Sw) fruit collections over three consecutive years B. latifrons was the dominant tephritid fruit fly infestating turkeyberry at all four sites surveyed, across three major islands in Hawaii. The overall percentage parasitism of B. latifrons ranged from a low of 0.8% (Hana, Maui) to a high of 8.8% (Kahaluu, Oahu). Five primary parasitoid species were recovered from individually held B. latifrons puparia: Fopius arisanus (Sonan), Psyttalia incisi (Silvestri), Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead), D. tryoni (Cameron), and Tetrastichus giffardianus Silvestri. F. arisanus was the predominant parasitoid at three of the four sites. Low levels of parasitism suggest that there is a need to improve biological control of B. latifrons, to minimize chances of this species causing economic impacts on crop production in Hawaii. We discuss the possibility of improving biological control of B. latifrons through augmentative releases of F. arisanus or introduction and release of specific and efficient new parasitoid species.     

The effect of the mirid bug Capsodes infuscatus on fruit production of the geophyte Asphodelus ramosus in a desert habitat

The effect of feeding of the mirid bug Capsodes infuscatus on fruit production of the geophyte Asphodelus ramosus was studied in a desert area in Israel. Plant and bug densities and percent loss of fruit production were measured in a relatively dry lower colluvial slope, an intermediate upper colluvial slope, and a relatively mesic wadi. Overall damage levels were very high, with 100% loss of fruit production in many plants. Within each habitat, the number of nymphs per plant clone was positively correlated with the number of ramets per clone and percent damage was positively correlated with number of nymphs per clone. However, percent damage was not correlated with number of plants per clone in any habitat. Although damage did significantly increase with plant density in the slope habitats, mean damage to fruit production per clone was lowest (50%) in the wadi where Asphodelus density was highest. As new ramets are tightly interwoven with their mother plants, occupation of new microsites depends on establishment of new clones from seeds. Therefore, the strong and density-dependent reduction in fruit production inflicted by Capsodes on the Asphodelus population on the slope has the potential to regulate the plant density in this habitat.     

Evaluation of Beauveria bassiana and B. brongniartii strains and four wild-type fungal species against adults of Bactrocera oleae and Ceratitis capitata

The virulence of two isolates of the hyphomycete fungi, Beauveria bassianaand B. brongniartii, and additional fungal species isolated from diseased Bactrocera oleae pupae and Sesamia nonagrioideslarvae were assessed against adults of the olive fruit fly B. oleae and the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae). Contact and oral bioassays revealed that moderate to high mortality rates for the olive fruit fly occurred when the adults were exposed to conidia of Mucor hiemalis, Penicillium aurantiogriseum, P. chrysogenum and B. bassianaisolates. A strain of M. hiemalis isolated from S. nonagrioides larvae was the most toxic resulting in 85.2% mortality to the olive fruit fly adults. B. brongniartiiand B. bassiana were the most pathogenic to the C. capitataadults causing 97.4 and 85.6% mortality. Metabolites collected from the M. hiemalis and P. chrysogenum isolates were toxic to adults of both species.     

油棕鲜果穗产量构成因素的相关性和回归分析

为明确油棕鲜果穗产量构成因素之间的关系,利用相关性、回归和通径等分析方法,对58株油棕单株鲜果穗产量与其它性状相关性进行了研究。结果表明:油棕鲜果穗产量与鲜果穗重和每株果穗数的相关性最为密切。另外,在油棕高产品种选育过程中,应着重对平均果穗重、每株果穗数、果实大小和含油量等性状进行选择,并综合权衡这些产量性状之间的相互作用。产量性状变异和相关性分析表明,平均种壳厚度变异程度最大(88.34%),平均果长变异最小(11.99%),鲜果穗产量与鲜果穗重、每株果穗数、平均果重呈极显著正相关关系(0.882**,0.714**,0.439**),与平均果长呈显著正相关关系(0.334*)。多元线性回归和通径分析结果表明,通过比较多元线性回归方程的相关参数,建立了可实用的最优多元线性回归方程x_1=-281.511+2.787x_4+3.455x_5-2.672x_6+0.411x_7+6.690x_8+3.664x_9,平均鲜果穗重和每株果穗数对单株鲜果穗产量的直接作用最大(0.670,0.439),其它性状对单株产量的直接作用较小,平均果重和平均果长对单株鲜果穗产量的间接作用最大(0.335,0.322)。该研究结果为油棕高产品种选育提供了依据。     

Larval <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptothelea gloverii</Emphasis> (Lepidoptera: Psycidae), an arthropod predator and herbivore on Florida citrus

The orange bagworm (OBW), Cryptothelea gloverii (Packard) (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) was previously reported feeding on citrus fruit and foliage and preying upon the camphor scale Pseudaonidia duplex (Cockerell) (Homoptera: Coccidae). In this study using laboratory assays, OBW preyed upon citrus rust mite, Phyllocoptruta oleivora (Ashmead) (Acari: Eriophyidae) and consumed eggs and adults of both P. oleivora and Panonychus citri (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae), two important pest mites on Florida citrus. OBW was also observed to feed on the purple scale, Lepidosaphes beckii (Newman) (Homoptera: Diaspididae) and on a fungus (Penicillium sp.). OBW fed on orange and grapefruit leaves by starting from the border and eating part of the leaf, by chewing holes, or consuming the outer epithelium of either the axial or abaxial surface of the leaf without penetrating through the leaf. OBW was observed in orange orchards in association with fruit extensively russeted by P. oleivora feeding. Laboratory assays revealed that OBW larvae preferred to feed on oranges infested with P. oleivora rather than on clean fruits that were free of mite feeding damage. Feeding damage to citrus fruit by OBW larvae results in one to several holes being eaten into the rind or albedo, without damage to the fruit sacs.