Patterns of intra- and interspecific association in leaf-mining insects on three oak host species

Abstract. 1. We determined mortality and distributional patterns of leaf miners on three oak host species (Quercus falcata, Q.nigra and Q.hemisphaerica) in northern Florida, U.S.A.
2. Patterns of intra- and interspecific occurrence within leaves, and mortality of five most abundant leaf miner species were analysed as a test of competition.
3. Miners co-occurred on leaves more often that expected by chance (P<0.05) in six of ten possible species combinations and log-linear model analysis showed no negative higher-order interactions.
4. All five miner species had highly clumped distributions between leaves (P<0.01).
5. Leaf miner survival was less than expected for four of five species when co-occurring on leaves with conspecifics than when mining with heterospecifics or alone (P<0.05).
6. We conclude that interspecific competition is unapparent within this leaf miner guild and that intraspecific competition occurs in four of the five major leaf miner species. We discuss leaf miner selection of common leaves, perhaps based on chemical/physical leaf characters, as a cause of intra- and interspecific aggregation.     

Residual effects of High Temperature Pre-Treatments on the Germination of Celery Seeds (Apium graveolens)

Celery seeds (Apium graveolens L.) were allowed to imbibe in the dark for different periods at 28. 32. 37 or 41°(the high temperature pre-treatmem or HTP) prior to transfer to 15, 17, 19.5 or 22°C in white light (the low temperature treatment or LTT). The effect of HTP's at 28. 32 and 37°C was to lower the upper temperature limit for germination and this effect increased with increase in the temperature and duration of the HTP. Increasing exposure to an HTP of 41 °C, however, did not appear to lower the upper temperature limit for germination but reduced the viability of the seeds. This trend of increased inhibition of germination caused by increasingly higher temperatures was reversed when the transfer was to a 22°C LTT after a 4 day HTP at 37°C. When the temperature of (he HTP was relatively low and transfer was to a low LTT. or if the HTP was of a brief duration, the rate of germination was increased as compared to seeds not given an HTP. However, when the temperature and duration of the HTP were increased, the rate of germination became slower than that of seeds not given an HTP, i.e. the time taken for the seeds to recover from the HTP-induced dormancy increased with the temperature and duration of the HTP. The decrease in the germination rate was caused by a delay in the start and not a slowing of the rate of embryo elongation within the seed.     

Modeling mate-finding behavior of the swarming polychaete,Nereis succinea,with TangoInSilico,a scientific orkflow-based simulation system for sexual searching

Summary

Pheromones can be used as attractants for the opposite sex in many environments; however, little is known about the search strategies employed in responding to pheromones in the marine environment. The spawning behavior of males of the polychaete Nereis succinea is known to be triggered at close range by a high concentration (>～10^?7 M) of pheromone, cysteine glutathione disulfide (CSSG), released by females. Since CSSG also causes acceleration of swimming and increased turning, in addition to eliciting ejaculation, we proposed the hypothesis that these behaviors elicited by low concentrations of pheromone can be used by males to find females. The current study develops a computer simulation model of male and female N. succinea behavior for testing whether male responses to low concentrations of CSSG can facilitate finding females. Video recording of female swimming behavior in the field showed spontaneous loops, spirals, and circles that have been incorporated into the model. The scientific workflow paradigm within which the computer model has been developed also incorporates a data provenance system to enable systematic replay and testing of responses to individual parameters. Output of the model shows complex turning behavior leading to successful mating encounters at concentrations as low as 3×10^?9 M CSSG. Behavior resembling the output of the model was recorded in field observations. Application of the model in the future will be used to determine what pheromone concentrations produce significant increases in the probability of mating encounters.     

INDUCTION OF OVARIAN DEVELOPMENT IN AUTOGENOUS AEDES ATROPALPUS BY JUVENILE HORMONE AND 20-HYDROXYECDYSONE

Aedes atropalpus is an autogenous mosquito characterized by a first gonadotropic cycle which results in approximately 200 mature oocytes without a bloodmeal. Ovarian development is completely inhibited if these animals are decapitated or ligated between the thorax and abdomen shortly after adult emergence. Injection of 4.8 ng of 20-hydro- xyecdysone into decapitated females 12 h after eclosion restores ovarian development in all females so treated. However, the same amount of 20-hydroxyecdysone injected into isolated abdomens obtained shortly after adult emergence had no discernible effect on vitellogenesis. In contrast, all abdomens which received 0.5 ng of topically applied JH I followed by the injection of 4.8 ng 20-hydroxyecdysone produced mature oocytes. Isolated abdomens were also capable of oocyte maturation when treated with excess amounts of JH alone; JH I was the most effective followed by JH II and then JH III.

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis of vitellin extracted from the ovaries of hormonally-treated animals did not reveal any qualitative differences compared to intact normal controls. However, less yolk protein was present in the former. This was verified by counting the number and measuring the size of ovarian follicles in individual females.