Butterfly migration from and to peninsular Florida

Abstract.

• 1 Migrating butterflies were monitored with traps for 10 years at a site in north peninsular Florida, to determine seasonal and annual variation in numbers and directions of flight.
• 2 In the spring, 81–96% of the principal migrants, Phoebis sennae (L.), Agraulis vanillae (L.), Precis coenia (Hübner) and Urbanus proteits (L.), flew northward; in the autumn, 86–95% flew southward.
• 3 Estimated mean net numbers of these four species flying northward in spring across each ENE-WSW metre were 3, 6, 69 and <1 respectively; numbers flying southward in autumn were 222, 413, 37 and 146.
• 4 During a 5-year period, the ratio of highest to lowest seasonal migration for a species did not exceed 9.3.
• 5 The average median date of spring migration was 27 March for P.sennae, 23 April for P.coenia, and 12 May for A.vanillae. The average median date of autumn migration was 2–5 October except for U.proteus, whose average date was 14 October.
• 6 The autumn migratory period, as measured by the duration of the middle half of migration, was about 2 weeks in P.coenia and about 4 weeks in the other three species.
• 7 Compared to previously reported butterfly migrations, the ones studied here were notably uniform in magnitude and regular in timing.
• 8 These and other data suggest that 4 million or more of these butterflies migrate northward from peninsular Florida almost every spring and that 40 million or more migrate southward to peninsular Florida almost every autumn.

     

Microbiological Synthesis of Fat: THE EFFECTS OF NITROGEN LEVEL ON THE METABOLISM OF PENICILLIUM LILACINUM THOM IN A SUCROSE MEDIUM

1. A study has been made of the relationships between the synthesesof carbohydrate, protein, and fat by Penicillium lilacinum Thomin presence of different amounts of sodium nitrate us a definedsucrose salts medium.
2. Under the defined experimental conditionsincreases in the concentrationof NO^–₂ in the medium werefollowed by increases in therates at which nitrogen and sugarwere taken up by the fungus,in the quantities assimilated,and in total and protein nitrogenin the felt. These conditionsprevailed so long as unassimilatedsugar was available.
3. Mediaof lower NO^–₃ concentration (for example, 0·32or 0·64 per cent. (w/v) NaNO^–₂;) yielded feltsricher in carbohydrate than were those grown in media of higherNO^–₂; content (0·96 or 1·28 per cent. (w/v)NaNO₃ The carbohydrate content of the felts increased graduallyuntil the sugar in the medium was exhausted; carbohydrate contentthen decreased.
4. Media of lower NO^–₃; concentration weremore conduciveto fat synthesis than those of higher NO^–₃;content.

     

An overview of malaria transmission from the perspective of Amazon Anopheles vectors

In the Americas, areas with a high risk of malaria transmission are mainly located in the Amazon Forest, which extends across nine countries. One keystone step to understanding the Plasmodium life cycle in Anopheles species from the Amazon Region is to obtain experimentally infected mosquito vectors. Several attempts to colonise Ano- pheles species have been conducted, but with only short-lived success or no success at all. In this review, we review the literature on malaria transmission from the perspective of its Amazon vectors. Currently, it is possible to develop experimental Plasmodium vivax infection of the colonised and field-captured vectors in laboratories located close to Amazonian endemic areas. We are also reviewing studies related to the immune response to P. vivax infection of Anopheles aquasalis, a coastal mosquito species. Finally, we discuss the importance of the modulation of Plasmodium infection by the vector microbiota and also consider the anopheline genomes. The establishment of experimental mosquito infections with Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium yoelii and Plasmodium berghei parasites that could provide interesting models for studying malaria in the Amazonian scenario is important. Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of the parasites in New World vectors is crucial in order to better determine the interaction process and vectorial competence.