The performance of Oomyzus sokolowskii (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) parasitizing Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) on different host plants

Oomyzus sokolowskii Kurdjumov is a larval endoparasitoid of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., which is one of the most destructive pests of cruciferous vegetables worldwide. The performance of O. sokolowskii parasitizing P. xylostella on cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis), Chinese cabbage (Brassica pekinensis), pakchoi (Brassica chinensis), cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata), and broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) was determined under laboratory conditions. Our results showed that O. sokolowskii performed best on cauliflower compared with the others, with the greatest net reproductive rate (R _o = 34.99), intrinsic rate of increase (r _m = 0.196), offspring emerged/host larva (9.0), percentage of parasitized host larvae with adults emerged (67.6 %), adults produced (43.6/female), and the shortest developmental time from egg to adult (15.8 days). Chinese cabbage-, pakchoi-, cabbage-, and cauliflower-adapted O. sokolowskii performed the best in percentage of parasitized host larvae with adults emerged, offspring adults produced per female, and offspring produced per host larva when parasitizing fourth instar P. xylostella larvae on cauliflower. The percentage of host-adapted female O. sokolowskii parasitizing different host-adapted fourth instar P. xylostella larvae was similar. Based on our results, we suggest that O. sokolowskii had performed best on cauliflower, which might be the best host plant to rear O. sokolowskii.     

Effect of temperature on life table parameters of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) on two brassicaceous host plants

Life table parameters of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), were studied at seven constant temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, 28, 30, and 35 °C) on two brassicaceous host plants, cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata). Survival, longevity and reproduction were examined and used to construct a life table. The survival at immature stages varied from 53.0 to 84.1% on cauliflower and from 58.3 to 86.2% on cabbage at 10–30 °C. P. xylostella did not survive at 35 °C. The female adult longevity ranged from 12.9 days at 30 °C to 30.4 days at 10 °C on cauliflower and 9.7 days at 30 °C to 40.0 days at 15 °C on cabbage. The net reproductive rate (R₀) increased with increasing temperature, while generation time (T) decreased. This caused the intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) to increase from 0.038 to 0.340 on cauliflower and 0.033 to 0.315 on cabbage from 10 to 28 °C. The significant decrease in R₀ caused a decrease in r_m at 30 °C. The r_m values on cauliflower were significantly higher than cabbage at 15, 20, 28 and 30 °C.     

茚虫威和高效氯氰菊酯对小菜蛾的亚致死效应

【目的】通过研究茚虫威和高效氯氰菊酯两种杀虫剂对小菜蛾Plutella xylostella (L.)的亚致死效应, 进一步了解农药的杀虫机制, 同时为合理使用农药、 减少农药给环境和农业生产带来的一系列不良影响提供理论依据。【方法】浸叶法测定茚虫威和高效氯氰菊酯对小菜蛾2龄幼虫的毒力; 选择茚虫威的3个实验浓度（TI-LC₁₅, TI-LC₃₀和TI-LC₅₀）和高效氯氰菊酯的3个实验浓度（TB-LC₁₅, TB-LC₃₀和TB-LC₅₀）分别处理小菜蛾2龄幼虫48 h, 记录各虫态存活率和发育历期, 3龄、 4龄幼虫及蛹的重量, 并记录单雌产卵量和成虫寿命; 应用特征年龄 龄期及两性生命表方法, 研究不同处理组小菜蛾后代的生长发育、 存活率以及种群增长。【结果】TI-LC₃₀, TI-LC₅₀, TB-LC₁₅, TB-LC₃₀和TB-LC₅₀处理组各虫态发育历期比对照组显著延长（P<0.05）, 3龄、 4龄幼虫和蛹的重量以及单雌产卵量均显著低于对照组（P<0.05）, 但TI-LC₁₅组小菜蛾3龄和4龄幼虫发育历期均显著低于对照组（P<0.05）。TI-LC₃₀, TI-LC₅₀, TB-LC₃₀和TB LC50组小菜蛾后代的总产卵期显著短于相应对照组（P<0.05）, 产卵量也都显著降低（P<0.05）; TI和TB实验组小菜蛾后代种群内禀增长率r_m、 周限增长率λ、 净生殖率R₀以及总生殖率GRR都比对照显著降低（P<0.05）。【结论】低剂量的茚虫威和高效氯氰菊酯能显著抑制处理当代小菜蛾的生长发育和生殖, 并对其下一代的生长发育及种群增长也有明显的抑制。     

小菜蛾幼虫对不同寄主的取食嗜好性及其适宜性

对不同寄主种类、不同寄主形态和不同寄主饲喂的小菜蛾(Plutella xylostella)幼虫之间的取食嗜好性比较试验表明,小菜蛾幼虫优先取食大白菜、萝卜或菜心幼苗,其次为油菜和甘蓝幼苗,在大白菜与油菜幼苗之间的取食选择比例是93.33%和6.67％;在甘蓝与菜心幼苗之间的取食选择比例是16.67%和83.33%.小菜蛾幼虫的取食嗜好性受饲喂寄主种类的影响,偏食大白菜或菜心幼苗.小菜蛾幼虫选择寄主取食的次序与寄主体内可溶性糖或淀粉含量没有明显关系,但与两者的相对量呈一定的负相关.取食大白菜或菜心幼苗的小菜蛾生长良好,单头取食达0.583～0.637 cm², 单头体重达2.07～2.18 mg, 与取食甘蓝或油菜幼苗的幼虫在取食量、个体发育方面有明显差异.小菜蛾幼虫也喜好取食已经被虫危害过的幼苗.     

Isolation and characterization of Pseudomonas cedrina infecting Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, is one of the most destructive pests worldwide and its management relies exclusively on frequent application of chemical insecticides. Resistance to common insecticides is now widespread, and novel classes of insecticides are needed. Entomopathogenic bacteria and their related products play an important role in the management of this pest. In the present work, one bacterial strain was separated from infected pupae of P. xylostella collected from field and its pathogenicity was evaluated. On the basis of the 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing, BLASTN, and phylogenetic analysis, this bacterial isolate was identified as Pseudomonas cedrina. Oral administration of P. cedrina at levels above 10,000 CFU/ml gave significant mortality to P. xylostella larvae. The pathogenicity was also observed by reduced longevity and fecundity in adult females. However, when live bacterial cells were removed, the cultured broth lost any pathogenicity. In response to the bacterial infection, P. xylostella expressed antimicrobial and stress‐associated genes. A mixture treatment of P. cedrina and Bacillus thuringiensis showed an additive effect on larval mortality of P. xylostella. These results indicated that P. cedrina is an opportunistic entomopathogen without secretion of toxins. Furthermore, the additive effect of P. cedrina and B. thuringiensis provide a new insight to develop new strategy for controlling P. xylostella.     

Oviposition by Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) and effects of phylloplane waxiness

Three approaches were used to investigate effects of host plant epicuticular waxes on oviposition site selection by Plutella xylostella (L.). In the first approach, oviposition on canola (Brassica napus L.) that had epicuticular wax reduced by application of a carbamate herbicide (S-ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate) was compared with oviposition on untreated control plants. A second approach compared oviposition on sibling strains of B. napus with different wax blooms (glossy and waxy), and a third approach compared oviposition by P. xylostella on parafilm that had been applied to glossy and waxy B. napus strains for transfer of leaf components. Significantly more eggs were deposited on herbicide-treated plants (with reduced epicuticular wax) than on untreated controls. Similarly, more eggs were deposited on glossy than on waxy sibling strains of B. napus. In parafilm assays significantly more eggs were deposited on treated than on untreated parafilm. Several mechanisms could explain the differences in attractiveness of surfaces with varying wax content as oviposition sites for P. xylostella, including visual, chemical, and tactile differences between substrates. These mechanisms are discussed.     

不同地理种群小菜蛾的遗传多样性分析

采用水平切片淀粉凝胶电泳方法,分析了北京、河北、云南和武汉4个不同地理种群的小菜蛾的等位酶,得到了3个酶系统（甘油醛磷酸脱氢酶（GPD）、苹果酸酶（ME）和苹果酸脱氢酶（MDH-1,MDH-2和MDH-3）5个基因位点的资料。用Biosys2.0软件计算了不同地理种群的遗传变异指标（N、A、P、H0和He）,结果表明小菜蛾各种群内的基因多样性大于各种种群间的基因多样性（约15倍）,武汉种群小菜蛾的遗传性最大。并计算了遗传距离D和相似性系数,并由此得出聚类图,分析了小菜蛾不同地理种群间的遗传关系。     

Evaluating trap crops for diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

Potential trap crops for the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), were evaluated through a series of ovipositional preference and larval survival experiments in outdoor screenhouses in 2002 and 2003. Hosts examined as trap crops were glossy and waxy collards, Brassica oleracea L. variety acephala; Indian mustard, Brassica juncea (L.) Czern; and yellow rocket, Barbarea vulgaris (R. Br.) variety arcuata. More eggs were laid on the potential trap crops, with the exception of waxy collards, than on cabbage. When P. xylostella was offered multiple hosts at the same time, numbers of eggs laid on glossy collards, Indian mustard, and yellow rocket were 3, 18, and 12 times greater than on cabbage, respectively. Similarly, when P. xylostella was offered a single trap crop host and cabbage, numbers of eggs laid on glossy collards, Indian mustard, and yellow rocket were 300, 19, and 110 times greater than on cabbage, respectively. Our studies suggest differences in oviposition between the potential trap crops and cabbage were likely due to host volatiles, leaf morphology and color, or a combination of these factors, rather than to total leaf areas, leaf shape, or plant architecture. Two-choice tests with a Y-tube olfactometer indicated that plant volatiles were major factors in P. xylostella host preference. The percentage larval survival from egg to pupation was 22.2% on cabbage, 18.9% on waxy collards, and 24.4% on Indian mustard, whereas survival was significantly lower on glossy collards (6.7%) and yellow rocket (0%). Based on our tests, it seems that yellow rocket may be the best candidate for use as a trap crop for P. xylostella because it is highly attractive for oviposition, but larvae do not survive on it.     

Effects of temperature and humidity on emergence dynamics of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

The effects of temperature and humidity on the emergence patterns of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), were studied at four temperatures (20, 25, 28, and 33 degrees C),three relative humidities (50, 70, and 90%) and a photoperiod of 14:10 (L:D) h. Both sexes emerged primarily in the late afternoon to early morning, and the peaks of emergence varied depending on temperature and humidity. Females emerged significantly earlier than males. Incubation at 33 degrees C and 90% RH had a significant effect on the emergence rate, but no significant interaction was found between temperature and humidity. Emergence duration was 25.3 h for both sexes at 90% RH, with emergence duration at 33 degrees C lower than the other treatments. The sex ratios of diamondback moth under different temperature and humidity treatments were approximately 1:1, and there were no significant effects of temperature and humidity or interactions between these two factors.     

Effect of electron beam irradiation on developmental stages of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

The effect of electron beam irradiation on each developmental stage of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), was examined. Eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults were irradiated at target doses of 30, 50, or 100 Gy or they were left untreated as controls in replicated experiments. When eggs and pupae were irradiated with 100 Gy, emergence rates greatly decreased and, although some adults laid eggs, they did not hatch. Egg hatching of irradiated larvae and adult decreased with increasing irradiation doses. However, electron beam irradiation did not kill P. xylostella directly. Adult longevity was not affected. Reciprocal crosses between irradiated and unirradiated moths demonstrated that females were more radiosensitive than males in hatchability; however, the difference was not significant. In addition, electron beam-irradiated larvae showed typical DNA fragmentation in a dose-dependent manner compared with cells from unirradiated larvae. Our findings suggest that electron beam irradiation induces abnormal development and reproduction of P. xylostella; therefore, it may contribute to effective disinfestation and quarantine treatments of P. xylostella.     

Resistance of some cultivated Brassicaceae to infestations by Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

Selecting insect-resistant plant varieties is a key component of integrated management programs of oligophagous pests such as diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), but rigorous research on important life history parameters of P. xylostella in relation to host plant resistance is rare. We evaluated six conventional brassicaceous species, namely, Brassica napus L. 'Q2', B. rapa L., B. juncea (L.) Czern., B. carinata L., B. oleracea L., and Sinapis alba L., and two herbicide-tolerant cultivars, namely, B. napus 'Liberty' and B. napus 'Conquest' for their resistance against P. xylostella. Brassicaceae species and cultivars varied considerably in their susceptibilities as hosts for P. xylostella. Sinapis alba and B. rapa plants were highly preferred by ovipositing females and trichome density on adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces had nonsignificant effects on P. xylostella oviposition. Larval survival was similar on the genotypes we tested, but host plants significantly affected larval and pupal developmental time, herbivory, pupal weight, silk weight, adult body weight, forewing area and longevity (without food) of both male and female P. xylostella. Larval and pupal development of females was fastest on B. juncea and S. alba, respectively. Specimens reared on B. napus Liberty and B. oleracea, respectively, produced the lightest female and male pupae. Defoliation by both female and male larvae was highest on B. rapa, whereas least herbivory occurred on S. alba. Females reared on S. alba were heavier and lived longer in the absence of food than their counterparts raised on other tested host plants. Brassica oleracea could not compensate for larval feeding to the level of the other species we evaluated. B. napus Conquest, B. napus Q2, B. carinata, B. rapa, and S. alba produced, respectively, 1.6-, 1.8-, 1.8-, 3.9-, and 5.5-fold heavier root systems when infested than their uninfested counterparts, suggesting that these species were better able to tolerate P. xylostella infestations.     

小菜蛾不同地理种群遗传多样性的ISSR标记研究

为阐明小菜蛾Plutella xylostella不同地理种群的遗传多样性, 应用ISSR技术对我国小菜蛾8个地理种群的遗传多样性进行了研究分析。15条引物扩增出395条ISSR条带, 其中多态性条带占89.11%, 全部个体显示了各自独特的ISSR图谱。ISSR标记的遗传多样性分析结果表明： 小菜蛾无论在物种水平上（P=89.11%, H=0.2706, I=0.4286）, 还是在种群水平上（P=88.80%, H=0.2759, I=0.4349）都表现出较高的遗传多样性。其中, 北京南口种群内遗传变异最大, 海南海口和甘肃兰州种群内遗传变异最小, 南方地区（云南、 湖北）小菜蛾种群遗传多样性明显高于北方地区（北京、 天津、 山东、 黑龙江、 甘肃）种群。据种群变异来源分析, 有5.66%的遗传变异来自种群间, 94.34%的变异来源于种群内（N_m=8.3399）, 不同地理种群间没有明显的遗传分化。本文有关小菜蛾不同地理种群基因流动和遗传变异的研究为小菜蛾抗药性的控制及田间种群的综合防治提供了有价值的分子生物学依据。     

小菜蛾抑制性谷氨酸受体的RNA干扰

谷氨酸门控的氯离子通道（glutamate-gated chloride channels, GluCls）或抑制性谷氨酸受体（inhibitory glutamate receptor, IGluR）是阿维菌素类药剂（avermectins）主要的作用靶标, 目前人们对于昆虫的IGluR知之甚少。本实验采用RNA干扰（RNAi）技术对小菜蛾Plutella xylostella IGluR的功能进行了初步研究。结果表明： 小菜蛾2龄和3龄幼虫中双链RNA（dsRNA）的最佳注射量分别为50.6 nL和71.3 nL。实时荧光定量（quantitative real-time PCR, qRT-PCR）检测结果表明, 2龄和3龄幼虫在注射dsRNA 36 h和24 h后IGluR基因的转录后水平分别下降了32.67%和49.30%。幼虫发生RNA干扰后对阿维菌素的敏感性结果显示, 注射了IGluR dsRNA的幼虫死亡率显著低于对照。结果说明, 小菜蛾IGluR是阿维菌素的潜在靶标之一, 为进一步阐明小菜蛾对阿维菌素靶标抗性机理奠定了基础。     

Management of diamondback moth,Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) by mating disruption

Abstract Field trials were conducted in China in 2008 and 2009 to evaluate the efficacy of mating disruption (MD) on diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, in cabbage, Brassica oleracea var. capitata. Effectiveness was positively correlated with the MD dispenser density in the field. A density of 167 MD dispensers per ha produced an average population decrease of about 50% compared to the conventional‐practice field. Significant fewer males were captured in pheromone‐treated and conventional‐practice fields than in the blank control field, but the difference was not significant between the pheromone‐treated and conventional‐practice fields. In addition, fewer eggs and larvae were observed in pheromone‐treated fields. Our results suggest mating disruption coupled with minimal insecticidal supplements is a promising solution for resistance management and control of diamondback moth infestation.     

小菜蛾取食对寄主植物蛋白质和糖含量影响研究

小菜蛾Plutella xylostella (L.)是重要的十字花科作物害虫,寄主植物体内营养物质的变化影响小菜蛾生长发育。本研究以小菜蛾嗜好性不同的菜心、芥菜、白菜和芥蓝等4种寄主植物为材料,应用生化方法测定了被小菜蛾取食后寄主植物体内蛋白和糖含量的变化。结果表明:小菜蛾取食2、4、6、8d后,菜心体内蛋白质含量显著升高2%～35%,葡萄糖含量明显下降9%～33%;芥菜、白菜和芥蓝体内蛋白质和葡萄糖含量显著下降1%～38%和3%～36%。小菜蛾取食后,白菜和菜心体内蔗糖含量显著升高,以菜心为害2d后升高最显著,达23.32%;芥菜和芥蓝则随为害程度的不同蔗糖含量略有差异。     

Evaluation of five antibiotics on larval gut bacterial diversity of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

Larvae of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), have rich microbial communities inhabiting the gut, and these bacteria contribute to the fitness of the pest. In this study we evaluated the effects of five antibiotics (rifampicin, ampicillin, tetracycline, streptomycin sulfate and chloramphenicol) on the gut bacterial diversity of P. xylostella larvae. We screened five different concentrations for each antibiotic in a leaf disc assay, and found that rifampicin and streptomycin sulfate at 3 mg/mL significantly reduced the diversity of the bacterial community, and some bacterial species could be rapidly eliminated. The number of gut bacteria in the rifampicin group and streptomycin sulfate group decreased more rapidly than the others. With the increase of antibiotic concentration, the removal efficiency was improved, whereas toxic effects became more apparent. All antibiotics reduced larval growth and development, and eventually caused high mortality, malformation of the prepupae, and hindered pupation and adult emergence. Among the five antibiotics, tetracycline was the most toxic and streptomycin sulfate was a relatively mild one. Some dominant bacteria were not affected by feeding antibiotics alone. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis graph showed that the most abundant and diverse bacteria in P. xylostella larval gut appeared in the cabbage feeding group, and diet change and antibiotics intake influenced gut flora abundance. Species diversity was significantly reduced in the artificial diet and antibiotics treatment groups. After feeding on the artificial diet with rifampicin, streptomycin sulfate and their mixture for 10 days, larval gut bacteria could not be completely removed as detected with the agarose gel electrophoresis method.     

Sublethal effects of pyriproxyfen,a juvenile hormone analogue,on Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae): life table study

The sublethal effects of pyriproxyfen (PYR, a juvenile hormone analogue) were investigated for two consecutive generations on life-history parameters, such as developmental time, pupal weight, fecundity, fertility and longevity of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). After topical application bioassay of third instar larvae, the LC₂₅ and LC₅₀ values (as sublethal doses) were determined to be 1.49 and 2.01 μg/μl, respectively. The results showed that the egg incubation period, larval and pupal duration times and oviposition period were increased in treated groups compared with the control (treated with distilled water). Pupal weight, adult longevity, fecundity and fertility were significantly reduced in the treatment groups compared with the control. Using the age-stage, two-sex life table analysis, we found that the intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ), gross reproduction rate (GRR) and net reproductive rate (R ₀) significantly decreased while the mean generation time (T) and doubling time (DT) increased in two treatment groups compared with the control. In addition, administration of PYR induced morphogenetic abnormalities including untanned pupae, larval–pupal intermediates and various defective adults. The LC₅₀ value was more effective on all of the above biological characteristics than the LC₂₅ for both generations, although parents were more affected than the offspring. In general, our results revealed that PYR was highly effective against P. xylostella in the laboratory both directly (causing mortality) and indirectly (disruption of normal growth and development). We conclude that PYR is an excellent candidate for suppressing populations of P. xylostella through its sublethal effects.     

Nickel hyperaccumulation by Streptanthus polygaloides protects against the folivore Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

We determined the effectiveness of Ni as an elemental defence of Streptanthus polygaloides (Brassicaceae) against a crucifer specialist folivore, diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella. An oviposition experiment used arrays of S. polygaloides grown on Ni-amended (high-Ni) soil interspersed with plants grown on unamended (low-Ni) soil and eggs were allowed to hatch and larvae fed freely among plants in the arrays. We also explored oviposition preference by allowing moths to oviposit on foil sheets coated with high- or low-Ni plant extract. This was followed by an experiment using low-Ni plant extract to which varying amounts of Ni had been added and an experiment using sheets coated with sinigrin (allyl glucosinolate) as an oviposition stimulant. Diamondback moths laid 2.5-fold more eggs on low-Ni plants than on high-Ni plants and larval feeding was greater on low-Ni plants. High-Ni plants grew twice as tall, produced more leaves, and produced almost 3.5-fold more flowers. Low-Ni plants contained more allyl glucosinolate than high-Ni plants and moths preferred to oviposit on foil sheets dipped in low-Ni plant extract. Moths showed no preference when Ni concentration of low-Ni extract was varied and overwhelmingly preferred sinigrin coated sheets. We conclude that Ni hyperaccumulation is an effective elemental defence against this herbivore, increasing plant fitness through a combination of toxicity to DBM larvae and decreased oviposition by adults.