Key traits in a threatened butterfly and its common sibling: implications for conservation

We ask here which traits predispose one species to extreme rarity and possible extinction while a sympatric sibling is geographically widespread. With background knowledge on the level of habitat specialization of the two species, the population structure and movement of the localized and threatened Orachrysops ariadne were compared to those of the common and highly sympatric O. subravus, using mark-release-recapture. Of a total of 290 marked O. ariadne individuals 42.8% were recaptured, while of 631 O. subravus individuals 49.3% were recaptured. The Jolly-Seber model was used to estimate daily population numbers (N _i ), survival rates (ϕ _i ), recruitment rates (B _i ), proportion of marked animals in the total population (∝_i), and the number of marked animals at risk (M _i ). O. ariadne is a remarkably rare animal, averaging only 10 individuals ha⁻¹ within its small, remaining colonies. Average residence times of male adults were generally similar in both species, being just over 5 days. O. ariadne is a strong and rapid back and forth flier, covering mean recapture distances of 157 m, almost twice that of O. subravus, principally in search of scarce nectar sources. In short, the rarity of O. ariadne is not so much to do with behaviour, survivorship or longevity, but rather with limited availability of the specialized habitat patches for both larvae and adults, and, in particular, the extreme scarcity of the host plant. Evidence suggests that there has been very high selection pressure on the key trait of strong flight as a compensation for going down the apparently highly risky path of extreme microhabitat specialization. Of concern for conservation of this rare species is that these rare habitat patches have become increasingly isolated through transformation of the surrounding landscape. Reduction of the barrier effects of agroforestry through creation of linkages between colonies is recommended, especially as O. ariadne is such a strong flier. Such corridors are indeed now being implemented.     

Seasonal Occurrence of Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (F.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Its Parasitoid on Ashwagandha in India

The outbreak of Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (F.) was noticed on a medicinal plant, Withania somnifera Dunal during 2004-05. The population level of the pest was reached its peak in August. The parasitoid Pediobius foveolatus caused 51.94%±12.20% parasitism. The pest completed its life cycle in 20.15±1.50 days on W. somnifera. The longevity of the male and female adults of the pest was 22.07±3.71 and 31.07±4.38 days, respectively. The gravid females of H. vigintioctopunctata laid an average of 287.64±33.38 eggs during their oviposition period of 10.40±2.80 days.     

Influence of the community of associates on Sirex noctilio brood production is contextual

1. Competition and predation are important components of biotic resistance, which helps define the invasibility of an ecosystem. 2. To search for evidence of biotic resistance to the European woodwasp, Sirex noctilio Fabricius, in North America, cages were used to experimentally exclude the community of associates (natural enemies and competitors) from infested logs. Specifically, the study assessed S. noctilio brood production in pine forests in Ontario and New York, where there was a rich existing community of associates (other wood borers, bark beetles and associated fungi, and parasitoids), and in South Africa, where siricid wasps and pines are not native and a similar associate community is not present. In addition, in Ontario, associates were excluded by size, and for different periods of time to identify important associates and their temporal dynamics. 3. Evidence was found that biotic factors limit S. noctilio in North America, whereby exclusion of natural enemies and competitors had a positive influence on the abundance or presence of S. noctilio brood in Ontario and New York. This influence was absent in South Africa. 4. It is unclear which member(s) of the associated insect community in North America were most important in limiting S. noctilio brood production, although they probably acted quickly (< 2 weeks) following S. noctilio oviposition. 5. Further study is needed to determine whether associates have limited S. noctilio populations in pine forests throughout northeastern North America, and which specific natural enemies and/or competitors are important.     

Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 June 2010 - 31 July 2010

This article documents the addition of 205 microsatellite marker loci to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Bagassa guianensis, Bulweria bulwerii, Camelus bactrianus, Chaenogobius annularis, Creontiades dilutus, Diachasmimorpha tryoni, Dioscorea alata, Euhrychiopsis lecontei, Gmelina arborea, Haliotis discus hannai, Hirtella physophora, Melanaphis sacchari, Munida isos, Thaumastocoris peregrinus and Tuberolachnus salignus. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Halobaena caerulea, Procellaria aequinoctialis, Oceanodroma monteiroi, Camelus ferus, Creontiades pacificus, Dioscorea rotundata, Dioscorea praehensilis, Dioscorea abyssinica, Dioscorea nummularia, Dioscorea transversa, Dioscorea esculenta, Dioscorea pentaphylla, Dioscorea trifida, Hirtella bicornis, Hirtella glandulosa, Licania alba, Licania canescens, Licania membranaceae, Couepia guianensis and 7 undescribed Thaumastocoris species.     

Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 May 2009-31 July 2009

This article documents the addition of 512 microsatellite marker loci and nine pairs of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Alcippe morrisonia morrisonia, Bashania fangiana, Bashania fargesii, Chaetodon vagabundus, Colletes floralis, Coluber constrictor flaviventris, Coptotermes gestroi, Crotophaga major, Cyprinella lutrensis, Danaus plexippus, Fagus grandifolia, Falco tinnunculus, Fletcherimyia fletcheri, Hydrilla verticillata, Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus, Leavenworthia alabamica, Marmosops incanus, Miichthys miiuy, Nasua nasua, Noturus exilis, Odontesthes bonariensis, Quadrula fragosa, Pinctada maxima, Pseudaletia separata, Pseudoperonospora cubensis, Podocarpus elatus, Portunus trituberculatus, Rhagoletis cerasi, Rhinella schneideri, Sarracenia alata, Skeletonema marinoi, Sminthurus viridis, Syngnathus abaster, Uroteuthis (Photololigo) chinensis, Verticillium dahliae, Wasmannia auropunctata, and Zygochlamys patagonica. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Chaetodon baronessa, Falco columbarius, Falco eleonorae, Falco naumanni, Falco peregrinus, Falco subbuteo, Didelphis aurita, Gracilinanus microtarsus, Marmosops paulensis, Monodelphis Americana, Odontesthes hatcheri, Podocarpus grayi, Podocarpus lawrencei, Podocarpus smithii, Portunus pelagicus, Syngnathus acus, Syngnathus typhle,Uroteuthis (Photololigo) edulis, Uroteuthis (Photololigo) duvauceli and Verticillium albo-atrum. This article also documents the addition of nine sequencing primer pairs and sixteen allele specific primers or probes for Oncorhynchus mykiss and Oncorhynchus tshawytscha; these primers and assays were cross-tested in both species.     

Chemical integration of Thorictus myrmecophilous beetles into Cataglyphis ant nests

Thorictus beetles of the Dermestidae are obligate myrmecophiles. To understand how these beetles are integrated into and tolerated by their host colonies, the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of different species of the Thorictus castaneus group that are generally associated with Cataglyphis were examined. The beetles are characterized by small amounts of cuticular hydrocarbons, which render them partly chemically “insignificant”. They also have the same cuticular hydrocarbon profiles as their hosts and thus likely use chemical mimicry to evade worker hostility but, like slaves in slave-maker species, they maintain some partial chemical identity. Thorictus martinezi from Burkina Faso were immediately adopted by conspecific colonies of their host, Cataglyphis sp. aff. bicolor, but were never adopted by colonies of other species (i.e. Cataglyphis viatica and Formica selysi). Thorictus buigasi from Morocco also mimicked the chemical profile of its host, C. viatica, but, in contrast to T. martinezi, individuals were adopted by colonies of Cataglyphis velox from Spain. This result can be explained by the similarity between the hydrocarbon profiles of C. viatica and C. velox, which may facilitate adoptions. T. buigasi beetles remained in Formica selysi colonies for some time but were ultimately rejected, probably due to their very different hydrocarbon profiles. In contrast, they were sometimes adopted by Camponotus herculeanus colonies and eventually chemically matched their new hosts, probably by passive camouflage. These data suggest that Thorictus of castaneus group myrmecophily is the result of coevolution with Cataglyphis hosts and that the mimicry is plastic, such that beetles can live with different hosts if the hosts show very limited CHC differences.     

Invertebrate herbivory decreases along a gradient of increasing land-use intensity in German grasslands

Land use is a major driver of biodiversity loss in many taxa including species-rich invertebrate assemblages, but consequences for invertebrate-mediated processes are still little studied. We assessed invertebrate herbivory in 146 managed temperate grasslands across a broad range of land-use intensities in three regions of Germany. Average herbivory decreased with increasing land-use intensity independent of region from 1.3 to 0.4% leaf area assessed. Among grassland land-use practices, the frequency of mowing and the degree of fertilization decreased herbivory while the intensity of vertebrate grazing had no significant effect on invertebrate herbivory. Thus, grassland management not only affects the diversity and abundance of invertebrate assemblages but also the amount of leaf tissue consumed.     

Polar tube protein gene diversity among Nosema ceranae strains derived from a Greek honey bee health study

Honey bee samples from 54 apiaries originating from 37 geographic locations of Greece were screened for Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. Furthermore 15 samples coming from 12 geographic locations were screened also for Paenibacilluslarvae and Melissococcus plutonius and seven honey bee virus species, for the first time on a nation-wide level. There was a tendency in finding proportionally higher spore counts in samples from apiaries that suffered important colony losses. P. larvae bacteria were identified in two samples and each of the tested bee viruses could be detected in at least one of the examined samples, with IAPV, CBPV and SBV being the least abundant and BQCV and DWV being the most abundant. In the study we focused on polymorphism of a N. ceranae gene encoding a polar tube protein (PTP) as similar genes were proven to be highly polymorphic in the microsporidian parasites Encephalitozoon cuniculi and Encephalitozoon hellem. The polymorphism observed in the PTP gene sequences from a single sample (bee hive) was unexpected and can thus be considered to be a major obstacle for genotyping.     

Taxonomic review of the genus Eupoecilia Stephens (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Tortricinae) in Korea with descriptions of two new species

Eupoecilia Stephens (Lepidoptera: Tortricoidea: Tortricidae) comprises 39 described species worldwide. Eight species of the genus are recognized from Korea, two of which, Eupoecilia curvifasciata sp. nov. and E. koreana sp. nov., are described as new. Also, Eupoecilia sanguisorbana (Herrich-Schäffer, 1856) is reported for the first time from Korea. All the known species are described or redescribed, and the adults and genitalic structures are illustrated. In addition, a key to the Korean species is also provided.