Anthraquinones as defensive compounds in eggs of Galerucini leaf beetles: Biosynthesis by the beetles?

Eggs of leaf beetles of the tribe Galerucini, subfamily Galerucinae, contain polyketides that are unusual in insects: 1,8-dihydroxylated anthraquinones (chrysazin, chrysophanol) and anthrones (dithranol, chrysarobin) deterring predators. The host plants do not contain these compounds. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the beetles, but not bacterial or fungal microorganisms living as endosymbionts within the beetles, produce the anthraquinones. The tansy leaf beetle Galeruca tanaceti was used as Galerucini model organism. It was treated with antimicrobial substances to eradicate the microorganisms and inhibit the hypothesised endosymbiotic anthraquinone production. Despite treatment, female G. tanaceti laid eggs containing anthraquinones. Although broad spectrum antimicrobials were used, it cannot be excluded that the potential endosymbiotic microorganisms are resistant. Given that the hypothesised endosymbionts are transferred via the eggs from one generation to the next, bacterial or fungal DNA was expected to be present in the eggs. With the exception of Wolbachia pipientis, however, no further 16S rDNA from bacteria responsible for anthraquinone biosynthesis was detected in eggs of untreated beetles. Because Wolbachia were also found in closely related anthraquinone-free insects, we exclude these bacteria as producers of the defensive polyketides. Nor was any 18S rDNA from fungi with anthraquinone biosynthetic abilities detected. Our results indicate that anthraquinones and anthrones in eggs of Galerucini are produced by beetle enzymes and not by endosymbiotic microorganisms within the eggs.     

Wolbachia infection complexity among insects in the tropical rice-field community

Wolbachia are a group of intracellular bacteria that cause reproductive alterations in their arthropod hosts. Widely discordant host and Wolbachia phylogenies indicate that horizontal transmission of these bacteria among species sometimes occurs. A likely means of horizontal transfer is through the feeding relations of organisms within communities. Feeding interactions among insects within the rice-field insect community have been well documented in the past. Here, we present the results of a polymerase chain reaction-based survey and phylogenetic analysis of Wolbachia strains in the rice-field insect community of Thailand. Our field survey indicated that 49 of 209 (23.4%) rice-field insect species were infected with Wolbachia. Of the 49 infected species, 27 were members of two feeding complexes: (i) a group of 13 hoppers preyed on by 2 mirid species and parasitized by a fly species, and (ii) 2 lepidopteran pests parasitized by 9 wasp species. Wolbachia strains found in three hoppers, Recilia dorsalis, Nephotettix malayanus and Nisia nervosa, the two mirid predators, Cyrtorhinus lividipennis and Tytthus chinensis, and the fly parasitoid, Tomosvaryella subvirescens, were all in the same Wolbachia clade. In the second complex, the two lepidopteran pests, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis and Scirpophaga incertulas, were both infected with Wolbachia from the same clade, as was the parasitoid Tropobracon schoenobii. However, none of the other infected parasitoid species in this feeding complex was infected by Wolbachia from this clade. Mean (+/- SD) genetic distance of Wolbachia wsp sequences among interacting species pairs of the hopper feeding complex (0.118 +/- 0.091 nucleotide sequence differences), but not for the other two complexes, was significantly smaller than that between noninteracting species pairs (0.162 +/- 0.079 nucleotide sequence differences). Our results suggest that some feeding complexes, such as the hopper complex described here, could be an important means by which Wolbachia spreads among species within arthropod communities.     

Local versus longitudinal biological variability in a high gradient stream

An examination was made of the integration of local biological variation within the longitudinal profile of a stream due to patchy hydraulic patterns. Invertebrates were collected monthly in pool, run and riffle biotopes at five sites on a 20-km mountain stream in Northern Italy, running from 1050 to 235 m a.s.l., and showing a good biological status. About 26000 individuals belonging to 60 different insect taxa were collected and variation in their distribution and abundance were analysed by Principal Component Analysis. The results provide evidence on pool-riffle biological differences and a discussion is included on the taxa unique to each hydraulic habitat. The pool biotope shows a relatively high insect diversity, but separation of biotopes with high current velocity into riffles and runs did not provide further insight on the patterns of insect distribution. Variation in insect taxonomic structure near the mid-point of the stream longitudinal profile was representative of the total longitudinal variation. This suggests that hydraulically fragmented habitats at one particular site can provide information on invertebrate structure that can be extrapolated to sites upstream and downstream of the sampled site.     

A simple rearing chamber for lotic insect larvae

An effective rearing chamber for aquatic insects can be made from inexpensive commercially available products. An angled air line is attached to a round 400 ml Rubbermaid® dish with a snap-on lid to create a circular flow with bubbles. The lid included with the dish can be modified to accept a tube with fine mesh screen at one end for capturing emerging adults. This chamber is a reliable and effective technique for studying larval behavior and obtaining adults for species identification.     

Bacteriophage WO-B and Wolbachia in natural mosquito hosts: infection incidence, transmission mode and relative density

Bacteriophages of Wolbachia bacteria have been proposed as a potential transformation tool for genetically modifying mosquito vectors. In this study, we report the presence of the WO-B class of Wolbachia-associated phages among natural populations of several mosquito hosts. Eighty-eight percent (22/25) of Wolbachia-infected mosquito species surveyed were found to contain WO-B phages. WO-B phage orf7 sequence analysis suggested that a single strain of WO-B phage was found in most singly (23/24) or doubly (1/1) Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. However, the single Wolbachia strain infecting Aedes perplexus was found to harbour at least two different WO-B phages. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that horizontal transmission of WO-B phages has occurred on an evolutionary scale between the Wolbachia residing in mosquitoes. On an ecological scale, a low trend of co-transmission occurred among specific WO-B phages within Wolbachia of each mosquito species. Assessment of the density of WO-B phage by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTQ-PCR) revealed an average relative density of 7.76 x 10(5)+/- 1.61 x 10(5) orf7 copies per individual mosquito for a single Wolbachia strain infecting mosquitoes, but a threefold higher density in the doubly Wolbachia-infected Aedes albopictus. However, the average combined density of WO-B phage(s) did not correlate with that of their Wolbachia hosts, which varied in different mosquito species. We also confirmed the presence of WO-B-like virus particles in the laboratory colony of Ae. albopictus (KLPP) morphologically, by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The viral-like particles were detected after purification and filtration of Ae. albopictus ovary extract, suggesting that at least one WO-B-like phage is active (temperate) within the Wolbachia of this mosquito vector. Nevertheless, the idea of utilizing these bacteriophages as transformation vectors still needs more investigation and is likely to be unfeasible.     

Wolbachia symbiosis and insect immune response

Bacterial intraceUular symbiosis is very common in insects, having significant consequences in promoting the evolution of life and biodiversity. The bacterial group that has recently attracted particular attention is Wolbachia pipientis which probably represents the most ubiquitous endosymbiont on the planet. W. pipientis is a Gram-negative obligatory intracellular and maternally transmitted a-proteobacterium, that is able to establish symbiotic associations with arthropods and nematodes. In arthropods, Wolbachia pipientis infections have been described in Arachnida, in Isopoda and mainly in Insecta. They have been reported in almost all major insect orders including Diptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera and Lepidoptera. To enhance its transmission, W. pipientis can manipulate host reproduction by inducing parthenogenesis, feminization, male killing and cytoplasmic incompatibility. Several polymerase chain reaction surveys have indicated that up to 70% of all insect species may be infected with W. pipientis. How does W. pipientis manage to get established in diverse insect host species？ How is this intracellular bacterial symbiont species so successful in escaping the host immune response？ The present review presents recent advances and ongoing scientific efforts in the field. The current body of knowledge in the field is summarized, revelations from the available genomic information are presented and as yet unanswered questions are discussed in an attempt to present a comprehensive picture of the unique ability of W. pipientis to establish symbiosis and to manipulate reproduction while evading the host＇s immune system.     

Description of the larva of Kempnyia colossica (Navás) (Plecoptera: Perlidae) with biological notes

In this paper, the larva of Kempnyia colossica (Navás 1934) is described based on material collected in Parque Estadual Intervales, São Paulo State, and biological notes are presented.     

Palerasnitsynus gen. n. (Trichoptera, Psychomyiidae) from Burmese amber

Palerasnitsynus ohlhoffigen. et sp. n. is described fromBurmese amber of late Albian (Lower Cretaceous) age. This is the first record of the family Psychomyiidae from Burmese amber, and the earliest fossil record of the family. The genus Palerasnitsynusgen. n. differs from all other known psychomyiid genera by the absence of fork III in the forewings.     

A size selective underwater light trap

A size selective underwater light trap is described. Trap records indicate that the trap is effective in taking a wide variety of organisms within size limits that can be set by the experimenter.     

The Maternal Effect Gene Wds Controls Wolbachia Titer in Nasonia

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浙江B型与非B型（China-ZHJ-1）烟粉虱种群共生细菌的检测及系统发育分析

烟粉虱体内存在共生细菌,包括初生共生细菌（primary endosymbiont）和次生共生细菌（secondary endosymbiont）。本项研究应用PCR技术检测了烟粉虱浙江B型和非B型China-ZHJ-1种群中共生细菌的分布。结果表明,烟粉虱B型和非B型体内均存在初生共生细菌,而两者次生共生细菌的组成存在差异。一种肠杆菌科次生共生细菌仅在B型烟粉虱中发现,而另两种次生共生细菌Wolbachia和杀雄菌Arsenophonus仅在非B型中发现。初生共生细菌的系统发育分析表明,B型是入侵生物型,而浙江非B型是本地生物型。     

No evidence for Wolbachia‐induced parthenogenesis in the social Hymenoptera

In some parasitoid wasps, infection by the micro‐organism Wolbachia leads to asexual reproduction. Within the Hymenoptera, the limits of distribution of parthenogenesis inducing Wolbachia have not yet been established. To address this issue, we screened all known thelytokous social hymenopteran species using a PCR assay. None was infected, and therefore we conclude that worker thelytoky evolves independently of Wolbachia in ants and bees. This supports the previously proposed hypothesis that a sex determining system based on heterozygosity may form a proximate limitation to Wolbachia‐induced parthenogenesis.     

The effect of long pools on the drift of macro-invertebrates in a mountain stream

Macro-invertebrate drift was measured entering and leaving two pools on the Middle Fork of the Cosumnes River, a third order California stream. Drift rates for Baetis spp., Chironomidae, Simulium spp., Capniidae and total drift were calculated. Significant differences in the numbers of organisms entering the two pools were found for Baetis, Chironomidae, and Capniidae. Comparisons of drift rates at the upstream and downstream ends of each pool showed that the abundance of Chironomidae, Simulium, Capniidae and total drift changed in different directions across the pools. The numbers of organisms leaving the two pools, however, were not significantly different for Baetis, Simulium, Capniidae and total drift. These findings lead us to hypothesize that long pools act as barriers, not filters, to stream macro-invertebrate drift. The composition of drift leaving the pools in this experiment appeared to be controlled by the composition of the benthic habitat at the tail of the pool and not by the composition of upstream drift entering the pools.