GEOGRAPHIC AND TEMPORAL VARIATION IN MOTH CHEMICAL COMMUNICATION

In moth pheromone communication signals, both quantitative and qualitative intraspecific differences have been found across geographic regions. Such variation has generally been hypothesized to be due to selection, but evidence of genetic control of these differences is largely lacking. To explore the patterns of variation in pheromone signals, we quantified variation in the female sex pheromone blend and male responses of two closely related noctuid moth species in five different geographic regions for 2–3 consecutive years. We found significant variation in the ratios of sex pheromone blend components as well as in male response, not only between geographic regions but also within a region between consecutive years. The temporal variation was of a similar magnitude as the geographic variation. As far as we know, this is the first study reporting such temporal variation in moth chemical communication systems. The geographic variation seems to at least partly be controlled by genetic factors, and to be correlated with the quality of the local chemical environment. However, the pattern of temporal variation within populations suggests that optimization of the pheromonal signal also may be driven by within-generation physiological adjustments by the moths in response to their experience of the local chemical environment.     

In Vitro Spermatogenesis in Lepidopteran Larvae: Role of the Testis Sheath

Summary

Premeiotic spermatocysts from testes of Heliothis virescens larvae were cultured in vitro. These eupyrene cysts progressed through meiosis and elongation in a medium containing calf serum in the absence of ecdysteroids. However, they also required the presence of the testis sheaths. The spermatogenesis-promoting effect of testis sheaths was dose dependent and varied with the donor's age. The active material was extractable from the tissue and was heat stable.     

Intrinsic and extrinsic competitive interactions between two larval parasitoids of Heliothis virescens

1. Competition between parasitoid species may be a key factor in the community dynamics of plant–herbivore-parasitoid systems and is an important consideration in the selection and management of effective biological control agents. 2. Interspecific competition can occur between adult parasitoids searching for hosts (extrinsic competition) and between multiple parasitoid larvae developing within a single host individual (intrinsic competition). A model system comprising the lepidopteran pest Heliothis virescens and two key hymenopteran endoparasitoids, Microplitis croceipes and Cardiochiles nigriceps, was employed to explore parasitoid host-location strategies and the consequences of intrinsic and extrinsic competitive interactions between parasitoid species. 3. The less specialised of the two parasitoids, M. croceipes, was found to have a shorter hatching time and to dominate intrinsic competition, except when its oviposition followed that of the more specialised parasitoid, C. nigriceps, by 16 h or more. This interval corresponded to the differential in hatching time between the two species. 4. Cardiochiles nigriceps, however, displayed superior host-searching efficiency that may compensate for its disadvantage in intrinsic competition. This parasitoid was more effective at detecting host infestation sites via airborne odours and at locating and attacking early instar host larvae than was M. croceipes.     

Maternally induced host regulation by the egg parasitoid Telenomus heliothidis

ABSTRACT. The egg parasitoid Telenomus heliothidis Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) arrested development and prevented emergence of its host, the egg of Heliothis virescens F. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Arrestment was due to a factor injected by the ovipositing parasitoid just prior to egg release. T. heliothidis prevented hatching of H. virescens eggs up to 62 h old. Implantation of the distal region of the parasitoid common oviduct also prevented host emergence. Examination of the distal common oviduct revealed large numbers of protein-containing vesicles in the cytoplasm of the oviduct epithelial cells. These vesicles may be the source of the arrestment factor. The arrestment factor did not prevent emergence of Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), an interspecific competitor of T. heliothidis.     

Plant effects on prey choice by a vespid wasp, Polistes arizonensis

1. The effects of sunflower, Helianthus annuus , and groundcherry, Physalis pubescens , eaten by the tobacco budworm ( Heliothis virescens ), on predation by paper wasps ( Polistes arizonensis ) were examined.
2. Polistes arizonensis foragers took more caterpillars from H. annuus plants than P. pubescens in paired-choice tests.
3. They took longer to locate prey and apparently gave up searching faster on artificial plants mimicking P. pubescens than on artificial plants mimicking H. annuus .
4. In paired-choice tests for chemical effects, wasps chose more caterpillars within H. annuus odour than in P. pubescens odour.
5. They also chose more H. annuus -reared larvae than P. pubescens -reared larvae when they were presented without plants. Handling time was not affected.     

CULTURE AND BIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF A TEA ALGAL PATHOGEN,CEPHALEUROS PARASITICUS1

To assess the current situation regarding the incidence of red rust disease in tea plants, an extensive survey was conducted in southern Indian tea plantations covering different tea cultivars and agroclimatic zones. The results indicated that the incidence of disease was more severe in tea seedlings than clones in all the agroclimatic zones. On the other hand, a simple, reliable, and reproducible technique was standardized for culturing Cephaleuros parasiticus G. Karst. isolated from infected tea leaves. Ten isolates were obtained, of which two were screened based on growth rate and culture characters for further studies. Ten culture media were tested for the culturing of C. parasiticus in which Trebouxia and Bristol media were the best followed by George, Go algal, and tea leaf extract media. Variations between isolates (Valparai C. parasiticus field number 27 [VCP27], Munnar C. parasiticus field number 11 [MCP11], and University of Texas culture number 2412 [UTEX2412]) of C. parasiticus were studied based on the growth pattern, protein expression profile, and cellular constituents in the filaments. The quantitative estimation of cellular constituents showed that there was no significant difference in these constituents among isolates. The detection of amino acids in the filaments of C. parasiticus isolates showed 16 free forms and 11 bound forms. Amino acids in bound form were higher in all the isolates than in free form of amino acids. The three isolates of C. parasiticus were closely related, with bands lying between the molecular weight of 116 and 35 kDa.     

Source and characterization of an egg recognition kairomone of Telenomus heliothidis, a parasitoid of Heliothis virescens

ABSTRACT. The ability of Telenomus heliothidis Ashmead (Hymenoptera; Scelionidae) to recognize its host, the eggs of Heliothis virescens (F.) (Lepidoptera; Noctuidae), was determined in laboratory studies. The material present in the accessory gland of female H. virescens adults acted as an egg recognition kairomone for T. heliothidis. Host eggs which lacked the kairomone were not attacked, while glass beads the size of H. virescens eggs and coated with the accessory gland material were. The parasitoid failed to respond to the kairomone unless it was associated with a target the size and shape of normal hosts. The kairomone is heat stable, but was deactivated by proteolytic enzymes. The accessory gland contained 200 mg/ml protein which suggests that the kairomone is proteinaceous.     

Flight of Heliothis virescens males in the field in response to sex pheromone

Abstract. The behaviour of Heliothis virescens males flying upwind in the field in a sex pheromone plume was videorecorded and analysed. Males flew faster and straighter, with less counterturning, and heading more directly into the wind when they were 9-11m away from the odour source than when they were 1–3 m away. Regardless of their distance from the source or the windspeed, they maintained an average groundspeed of c. 200 cm s^_1, except when they arrived within 1 m of the source, when their groundspeed slowed significantly. Two or more males flying in the plume at the same instant often exhibited either extremely straight and directly upwind tracks or else zigzagging tracks with significant counterturning (as did males flying through the field of view of the cameras at slighdy different times). The males' position, either in the centre of the plume's axis or along one side, might explain these differences in track straightness, which previous studies with H.virescens have shown to be caused by higher frequencies of contact with plume filaments. When a significant shift in wind direction occurred, males tended to make an initial movement in the direction of the shift, perhaps due to latencies of response in both the olfactory and visual systems associated with flying into clean air. The males' behaviour in the field overall was similar to that observed in the wind tunnel, except that their airspeeds and groundspeeds were significantly higher than those observed in the laboratory. The fact that they flew faster in the field can be explained both by the significandy higher windspeeds that males need to compensate for in the field to attain a preferred velocity of image motion, as well as by a higher height of flight over the ground in die field causing a slower apparent motion of images at a given groundspeed compared with the laboratory.     

Optomotor regulation of ground velocity in moths during flight to sex pheromone at different heights

ABSTRACT. Males of two species of moths ( Grapholitha molesta (Busck) and Heliothis virescens (F.)) were flown in a sustained-flight tunnel in horizontal pheromone plumes. The up-tunnel velocity of the moths increased with increasing height of flight and for G.molesta was independent of tunnel wind velocities. Use of moving ground patterns verified that the height of flight above the ground was the factor related to the changes in up-tunnel velocity. Even though up-tunnel velocity increased with increased flight height, angular velocity of image motion did not. Males appeared to use visual cues from the ground pattern and from other sources to determine their up-tunnel velocities. The relationship of preferred retinal velocities to optomotor anemotaxis is discussed.     

Modes of action of fraxinellone against the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens

Fraxinellone significantly reduced the relative growth rate, food consumption rate as well as the efficiency of conversion of ingested food into biomass of Heliothis virescens when incorporated into artificial diets at concentrations of 4.31 × 10⁻⁵ mol/L and above. After being fed with fraxinellone-treated diets for 24 h, the larval midguts of H. virescens possess significantly lower activities of α-amylase and non-specific proteases and higher activities of cytochrome P450s. In vitro , the compound did not inhibit the activities of α-amylase and non-specific proteases extracted from the larval midguts. Clear evidence of post-ingestive toxicity of fraxinellone to midgut cells was observed under an electron microscope. The modes of action of the compound against insects were discussed.