Improving the Control of Tetranychus urticae on Edible Glasshouse Crops Using a Specialist Coccinellid ( Stethorus punctillum Weise) and a Generalist Mite ( Amblyseius californicus McGregor) as Biocontrol Agents

Current glasshouse biological control practice relies on regular prophylactic introductions of one or two 'best' species of natural enemy. Whilst this is effective for much of the time, occasional failures occur due to factors such as differences in response to seasonal changes in environmental conditions and/or host plant effects. This study looks at the predatory behaviour of a specialist coccinellid, Stethorus punctillum Weise, and a generalist mite, Amblyseius californicus McGregor (which predate on the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae ) in order to assess how they responded to temperatures and relative humidities typical of glasshouse conditions on four edible crop plant species. Activity (distance covered, time spent walking, walking speed, angular velocity, and turning rate) was recorded at 20, 25 and 30 o C and at relative humidity (RH) levels of 33, 65 and 90%, on tomato, pepper, aubergine and cucumber leaves, and analysed using video-computer techniques. The results show that the activity of S. punctillum significantly increased at higher temperature levels. Host plant species also strongly influenced the performance of the predator, with it being most active on pepper and tomato and least active on aubergines. RH had no significant influence. The activity and predation by A. californicus increased at low humidity levels, especially in terms of time spent moving and number of prey killed. Temperature levels had no significant influence, but host plant species strongly influenced the performance of the predator, which was most active on pepper, and least active on aubergines. Further research was conducted with semi-field trials to investigate the efficacy in controlling TSSM with different combination of predators. When contrasting the commercially available predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis , used alone, compared with its use in a treatment with a combination of predator species, there was a stronger decrease in TSSM numbers on the crop plants in the latter treatment.     

松果体昼夜节律生物钟分子机制的研究进展

在各种非哺乳类脊椎动物中 ,松果体起着中枢昼夜节律振荡器的作用。近来 ,在鸟类松果体中相继发现了几种钟基因 ,如Per、Cry、Clock和Bmal等 ,其表达的时间变化规律与哺乳类视交叉上核 (SCN)的非常相似。钟的振荡由其自身调控反馈环路的转录和翻译组成 ,鸟类松果体和哺乳类SCN似乎具有共同的钟振荡基本分子构架 ;若干钟基因产物作为正向或负向调节子影响钟的振荡 ;昼夜性的控时机制同时也需要翻译后事件的参与。这些过程对钟振荡器的稳定性和 /或钟导引的光输入通路有着重要的调控作用     

Landscape simplification increases vineyard pest outbreaks and insecticide use

Diversifying agricultural landscapes may mitigate biodiversity declines and improve pest management. Yet landscapes are rarely managed to suppress pests, in part because researchers seldom measure key variables related to pest outbreaks and insecticides that drive management decisions. We used a 13‐year government database to analyse landscape effects on European grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana) outbreaks and insecticides across c. 400 Spanish vineyards. At harvest, we found pest outbreaks increased four‐fold in simplified, vineyard‐dominated landscapes compared to complex landscapes in which vineyards are surrounded by semi‐natural habitats. Similarly, insecticide applications doubled in vineyard‐dominated landscapes but declined in vineyards surrounded by shrubland. Importantly, pest population stochasticity would have masked these large effects if numbers of study sites and years were reduced to typical levels in landscape pest‐control studies. Our results suggest increasing landscape complexity may mitigate pest populations and insecticide applications. Habitat conservation represents an economically and environmentally sound approach for achieving sustainable grape production.     

Design,synthesis, biological activities and DFT calculation of novel 1,2,4-triazole Schiff base derivatives

Series of 1,2,4-triazole Schiff bases (2a-2d, 2f-2h and 3a-3h) have been designed and synthesized. The structure of title compounds was confirmed on the basis of their spectral data and elemental analysis. All the target compounds were screened for their in vitro antifungal activity and antibacterial activity. Two of the tested compounds (2a and 2b) exhibited significant antifungal activity against most fungi, especially compound 2a showed better antifungal activity than triadimefon. Meanwhile, the antibacterial activity assay also indicated compound 2a exhibited excellent antibacterial activities comparable to chloramphenicol. The SAR manifested no substitution at position 5 of the triazole ring caused an increase in activity, and 3-phenoxy phenyl group introduced in 1,2,4-triazole scaffold can enhance the antibacterial activity. The DFT calculation indicated triazole ring, S atom and benzene ring in both of the 2a and 3a make a major contribution to the activity.     

Ribeiroia marini: pathogenesis and larval trematode antagonism in the snail, Biomphalaria glabrata

Larval trematode antagonism between Ribeiroia marini and Schistosoma mansoni was studied in the snail Biomphalaria glabrata. A laboratory-raised Puerto Rican strain of B. glabrata was exposed to single and double infections with given numbers of: (1) embryonated eggs of R. marini from laboratory rats, and (2) miracidia of S. mansoni from mice. Snails were maintained in outside environmental tanks in San Juan, Puerto Rico and larval trematode interactions were examined in a series of five experiments. Snails of all sizes were highly susceptible to single infections with R. marini. Rediae and cercariae caused extensive damage to the digestive gland and ovotestis resulting in premature death of snails. Heavily infected snails were castrated and stopped laying eggs. Snails infected first with S. mansoni were only partly susceptible to superinfection with R. marini given on Day 23. In a reverse experiment, snails infected first with R. marini were only partly susceptible to a second infection with S. mansoni given on Day 23. In simultaneous exposures, snails developed double infections (22%) with R. marini dominant and S. mansoni sporocyst and cercaria production reduced. While R. marini is not a strong direct antagonist against established S. mansoni infections, it has several attributes as a possible biological control agent: hardy eggs easily produced in rats; high infectivity to snails of all ages; and ability to castrate and prematurely kill B. glabrata. The R. marini-rat system described here provides a convenient laboratory and field model for the study of intrasnail trematode antagonism and biological control.     

苔藓植物对环境变化的响应及适应性研究进展

苔藓植物由于其结构相对简单,对环境变化的反应较为敏感,是一类良好的生物指示植物.本文综述了水分、光照、温度等方面的环境因子变化对苔藓植物的影响以及苔藓植物对环境污染的响应及适应的最近研究进展,以期促进国内深入开展苔藓植物对环境污染和全球变化的响应、适应及其生态指示作用等研究.     

西南岩溶地区黄荆和檵木叶片结构对其生态环境的响应

应用常规石蜡切片法对生长于桂林毛村岩溶区和非岩溶区的黄荆(Vitex negundo)和檵木(Loropetalumchinense)的解剖特征进行了比较研究,并对两区的黄荆叶片表皮形态进行了扫描电镜观察.结果显示:(1)两地的黄荆叶片背面均有浓密的绒毛,但致密程度有差异,岩溶区黄荆叶片的气孔深藏于绒毛间隙,这种结构可减少水分蒸发,降低因岩溶干旱带来的水分缺失.(2)岩溶区黄荆和檵木的叶片厚度、上下表皮厚度、栅栏组织的厚度以及栅栏组织的致密程度均大于非岩溶区,这些特征有利于减少水分蒸腾.(3)岩溶区黄荆和檵木叶片的维管组织发达程度高于非岩溶区,有利于在蒸腾减小的情况下促进水分运输和营养元素的迁移,说明2种植物叶片结构特征在不同生境区的改变是其长期在岩溶区干旱环境条件下形成的适应性变化.     

Alginate embedding and subsequent sporulation of in vitro-produced Conidiobolus thromboides hyphae using a pressurised air-extrusion method

Conidiobolus thromboides is an entomophthoralean fungus with potential as a biological control agent of aphids. However, its application in biological control is limited due to its formulation requirements. The objective of this study was to develop and optimise a novel air-extrusion method to embed C. thromboides hyphae at high density in alginate pellets. An orthogonal experimental design was used to investigate selected combinations of parameters known to affect hyphal density within pellets. The diameter of pellets produced, and the calculated density of hyphae within them, ranged from 0.18 ± 0.09 to 3.17 ± 0.06 mm and from 0.02 to 350.56 mg/mm³ respectively. These data were used to predict the optimal parameter combination to deliver the greatest density of hyphae of C. thromboides per pellet: 1% sodium alginate, a 1:2 ratio of hyphae to sodium alginate, an orifice diameter of 0.232 mm and an air pressure of 0.05 MPa. Pellets made under the optimal conditions predicted produced a mean total of 4.3 ± 0.6 × 10⁵ conidia per pellet at 100% relative humidity which was significantly greater than the mean total number of conidia produced from infected aphid cadavers of comparable size (9.35 ± 0.85 × 10⁴) (p < 0.001). In conclusion, air-extrusion embedding appears to be a promising method for formulating in vitro-produced hyphae of C. thromboides for use in biological control.     

Influence of foraging behavior and host spatial distribution on the localized spread of the emerald ash borer, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrilus planipennis</Emphasis>

Management programs for invasive species are often developed at a regional or national level, but physical intervention generally takes place over relatively small areas occupied by newly founded, isolated populations. The ability to predict how local habitat variation affects the expansion of such newly founded populations is essential for efficiently targeting resources to slow the spread of an invasive species. We assembled a coupled map lattice model that simulates the local spread of newly founded colonies of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), a devastating forest insect pest of ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees. Using this model, we investigated the spread of A. planipennis in environments with different Fraxinus spp. distributions, and explored the consequences of ovipositional foraging behavior on the local spread of A. planipennis. Simulations indicate that increased larval density, resulting from lower host tree density or higher initial population sizes, can increase the spread rate during the first few years after colonization by increasing a density-dependent developmental rate and via host resource depletion. Both the radial spread rate and population size were greatly influenced by ovipositional foraging behavior. Two known behaviors of ovipositing A. planipennis females, attraction towards areas with high ash tree density and attraction to stressed trees, had opposing effects on spread. Results from this model illustrate the significant influence of resource distribution and foraging behavior on localized spread, and the importance of these factors when formulating strategies to monitor and manage invasive pests.