Measurement of fluorescence intensity in microscope preparations using a photodiode detector

The development of a photodiode detector to measure fluorescence intensity in biological samples is described and the circuit is given for the amplication of the signal.     

The effects of temperature on development of the large narcissus fly (Merodon equestris)

Eggs, larvae, pupae and adults of the large narcissus fly (Merodon equestris) were reared at a series of constant temperatures between 9–24°C. Egg development required from 37 days at 9°C to 7 days at 21.5°C. The low-temperature threshold for development was 6.7°C. Larvae reared at 1424°C were fully-grown after 18 weeks, but it took much longer for such insects to pupate, and adult flies emerged only after about 45 weeks of development. Large narcissus flies enter diapause during the larval stage and overwinter as fully-fed larvae, forming pupae in the following spring. Post-winter pupation and pupal development took from 169 days at 10°C to 36 days at 21.5°C. Of this, pupal development required from 91 days at 10°C to 19 days at 21.5°C. The low-temperature threshold for post-winter pupation and pupal development was 7.1°C, and for pupal development alone, 7.2°C. Females maintained at or below 19°C laid few eggs, whereas some females kept at or above 21.5°C laid more than 100 eggs (mean 69 ± 36). Approximately 50% of females maintained at or above 21.5°C laid less than 10 eggs during their lifetime. The mean egg-laying time was 6 to 9 days. Although temperatures at or below 19°C inhibited mating, once a female had mated, such temperatures did not prevent oviposition.     

A review of the biology and control of the vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

At the turn of the century, damage by Otiorhynchus sulcatus was sporadic and limited to small areas. Increasing horticultural intensification and the adoption of husbandry techniques favourable to the weevil, such as the use of polythene mulches, increased its pest status. The development of the early inorganic pesticides reduced the number of serious outbreaks of this pest and weevil control was further improved by the development of the persistent organochlorine insecticides in the 1940's. The banning of a number of the more persistent insecticides over recent years has now left the horticultural industry in a very vulnerable position. O. sulcatus is now a pest on a range of horticultural crops throughout the temperate regions of the world. Infestations are most common in Europe (where it originated) and the USA, and nearly 150 plants species have been identified as potential hosts to O. sulcatus. Damage is most frequently caused by the root feeding larval stage. Populations as low as one larva plant can kill sensitive species such as Cyclamen. Severe damage by the leaf feeding adults is less common, although low levels of damage or contamination by adults may be unacceptable in certain situations. There is one generation a year. Oviposition by the flightless parthenogenetic females occurs over the summer months with oviposition rates of c. 500 and 1200 eggs adult^-1for outdoor and laboratory populations, respectively. O. sulcatus mainly overwinters as larvae, although significant numbers of adults may survive in areas where winter temperatures are not too severe. A number of natural enemies, such as hedgehogs, frogs and predatory beetles, help to maintain O. sulcatus populations at a low level in natural environments, but they are less successful in intensive horticultural systems where persistent chemicals have been heavily relied on to maintain the population below the economic threshold level. Increasing environmental concern is now forcing growers to consider new pest control strategies. Controlled release formulations of non-persistent products, such as fonofos and chlorpyrifos, have shown potential as control agents for O. sulcatus larvae. Biological control agents, such as insect parasitic nematodes, have been developed commercially and new microbial control agents are in the process of development. Most of the new control products are directed towards control of O. sulcatus larvae. Adult vine weevils are nocturnal and a much more difficult target for the new control agents. It is likely that an integrated approach to pest control will be required to maintain O. sulcatus populations below their economic threshold level.     

A rapid non-destructive technique for screening carrot seedlings for resistance to carrot fly damage

A technique based on fluorescence of carrot root tissues has been devised to enable large numbers of accessions to be screened for resistance to carrot fly using an epi-fluorescence microscope. The technique is non-destructive, and has been partly automated to assess at least 400 seedlings/hour. A data-capture and handling package provides prompt summarising and print-out of the results.     

Speciation and phylogeography of Hawaiian terrestrial arthropods

The Hawaiian archipelago is arguably the world's finest natural laboratory for the study of evolution and patterns of speciation. Arthropods comprise over 75% of the endemic biota of the Hawaiian Islands and a large proportion belongs to species radiations. We classify patterns of speciation within Hawaiian arthropod lineages into three categories: (i) single representatives of a lineage throughout the islands; (ii) species radiations with either (a) single endemic species on different volcanoes or islands, or (b) multiple species on each volcano or island; and (iii) single widespread species within a radiation of species that exhibits local endemism. A common pattern of phylogeography is that of repeated colonization of new island groups, such that lineages progress down the island chain, with the most ancestral groups (populations or species) on the oldest islands. While great dispersal ability and its subsequent loss are features of many of these taxa, there are a number of mechanisms that underlie diversification. These mechanisms may be genetic, including repeated founder events, hybridization, and sexual selection, or ecological, including shifts in habitat and/or host affiliation. The majority of studies reviewed suggest that natural selection is a primary force of change during the initial diversification of taxa.     

Fungus gnats vector Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. radicislycopersici1

Fungus gnat adults transported Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. radicis-lycopersici from Petri dish culture and infected host plants to the roots and hypocotyls of healthy tomato and bean plants. The source of the fungus did not affect the ability of fungus gnats to transport the fungus to healthy hosts. The presence of fungus gnat larvae in media in which young tomato plants were grown did not increase the incidence of plant infection by the pathogen. Fungus gnat adults appear to aid in the dissemination of F. oxysporum f.sp. radicis-lycopersici.     

Poly U Tracts absent from Viral RNA

Polyadenylic acid (poly A) is covalently attached to the RNA molecules in which it occurs^1–4, but its exact location is not definitely established. It was at first thought to exist only at the 3′OH terminus of RNA molecules^5–6 but recently Ryskov et al. claimed to have found it at the 5′ terminus of light nuclear RNA7 and it is possible that it also exists internally.     

Spermatophore Transfer and Subsequent Sperm Development in a Homalorhagid Kinorhynch

The cuticular morphology and precise location of male and female gonopores and penile spines of the homalorhagid kinorhynch Kinorhynchus phyllotropis Brown & Higgins, 1983 are described and illustrated. In this species spermatozoa are transferred from male to female by a spermatophore. This is the first record of the mechanism of sperm transfer in a kinorhynch. The spermatophore is presumably extruded through the male gonopore and directed towards the female by the ductless penile spines. Spermatozoa in the spermatophore are rod-shaped and catenulate. The spermatophore is pressed directly against the cuticular plates of the female, and usually covers the female gonopores. The spermatophore contains a mass of intertwined spermatids and spermatozoa surrounded by clear material covered with a layer of debris. Spermatozoa are found in the female lodged in the seminal receptacle tissue applied to the dorsal aspect of posterior oocytes. There the spermatozoa complete their development. Nuclei change from filiform to geniculate, and oval corpuscles surrounding the nuclei disappear, so that the spermatozoa are seen as densely-packed, polyhedral cells. These observations conform with literature reports of aberrant spermatozoa of unknown origin seen in female Pycnophyes . The fertilization process remains unknown.     

The relationship between cabbage root fly egg laying and volatile hydrolysis products of radish

Radish populations selected from the cvs Asmer Tip Top and Sparkler on the basis of high or low preference by the cabbage root fly for egg laying were tested at different ages by exposing them to the pest in a laboratory test chamber. Results confirmed the existence of a cycle of changing attractiveness of radish for egg laying, the peak occurring as plants reached a marketable age. Selection within radish cvs for different levels of preference resulted in a shift in the cycle of attraction such that ‘high-preference’ plants reached a peak in attractiveness earlier than ‘low-preference’ ones. Egg laying was correlated with the total amounts of two volatile glucosinolate hydrolysis products (4–methylthio-3–butenyl isothiocyanate and 1–cyano-4–methyl-thio-3–butene) detected in ether extracts of macerated radishes. The relationship between chemicals and egg laying suggested a possible chemical assay to complement biological techniques for identifying cabbage root fly-resistant radish for breeding work.