Caterpillar‐induced plant volatiles attract conspecific herbivores and a generalist predator

Plants release volatiles in response to caterpillar feeding that attracts natural enemies of the herbivores, a tritrophic interaction which has been considered to be an indirect plant defence against herbivores. On the other hand, the caterpillar‐induced plant volatiles have been reported to either repel or attract conspecific adult herbivores. This work was undertaken to investigate the response of both herbivores and natural enemies to caterpillar‐induced plant volatiles in apple orchards. We sampled volatile compounds emitted from uninfested apple trees, and apple trees infested with generalist herbivore the pandemis leafroller moth, Pandemis pyrusana (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) larvae using headspace collection and analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Infested apple trees uniquely release six compounds (benzyl alcohol, phenylacetonitrile, phenylacetaldehyde, 2‐phenylethanol, indole and (E)‐nerolidol). These compounds were tested on two species of herbivores and one predator in apple orchards. Binary blends of phenylacetonitrile + acetic acid or 2‐phenylethanol + acetic acid attracted a large number of conspecific male and female adult herbivores. The response of pandemis leafroller to herbivore‐induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) was so pronounced that over one thousand and seven hundred conspecific male and female adult herbivores were caught in traps baited with HIPVs in three‐day trapping period. In addition, significantly higher number of male and female obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae), was caught in traps baited a binary blend of 2‐phenylethanol + acetic acid, or a ternary blend contains 2‐phenylethanol and phenylacetonitrile + acetic acid. This result challenges the current paradigm hypothesized that HIPVs repel herbivores and question the indirect defensive function proposed for these compounds. On the other hand, a ternary blend of phenylacetonitrile and 2‐phenylethanol + acetic acid attracted the largest numbers of the general predator, the common green lacewing, Chrysoperla plorabunda. To our knowledge, this is the first record of the direct attraction of conspecific adult herbivores as well as a predator to the caterpillar‐induced plant volatiles in the field.     

中华结缕草(Zoysia sinica Hance)组织培养和再生植株研究

以中华结缕草(Zoysia sinica Hance)成熟种子为外植体在附加2．5mg／L2,4-D、0．25mg／L 6-BA和1～2mg／L VB1的改良MS培养基(MSm)上愈伤组织的诱导率最高为43．0％。愈伤组织的最佳继代培养基为MSm附加0．1mg／L 6-BA和2．0mg／L 2,4-D。在无生长调节物质的MS培养基(MS0)上,外观呈白色到淡黄色、含有密实颗粒的愈伤组织再生率为30％～60％。     

Prey-mediated effects of Cry1Ab toxin and protoxin and Cry2A protoxin on the predator Chrysoperla carnea

Laboratory feeding experiments were carried out to study prey-mediated effects of artificial diet containing Bacillus thuringiensis proteins on immature Chrysoperla carnea. Activated Cry1Ab toxin and the protoxins of Cry1Ab and Cry2A were mixed into standard meridic diet for Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) larvae at the following concentrations; for Cry1Ab toxin, 25, 50, 100 g g^–1 diet were used; for Cry1Ab protoxin, the concentration was doubled (50 g g^–1 diet, 100 g g^–1 diet and 200 g g^–1 diet) to give relative comparable levels of toxin concentration. Cry2A protoxin was incorporated into the meridic diet at one concentration only (100 g g^–1 diet). For the untreated control, the equivalent amount of double distilled water was added to the meridic diet. Individual C. carnea larvae were raised on S. littoralis larvae fed with one of the respective treated meridic diets described above. The objectives were to quantify and compare the resulting effects on mortality and development time of C. carnea with those observed in two previous studies investigating prey-mediated effects of transgenic Cry1Ab toxin-producing corn plants and the other studying effects of Cry1Ab toxin fed directly to C. carnea larvae. Mean total immature mortality for chrysopid larvae reared on B. thuringiensis-fed prey was always significantly higher than in the control (26%). Total immature mortality of C. carnea reared on Cry1Ab toxin 100 g g^–1 diet-fed prey was highest (78%) and declined with decreasing toxin concentration. Cry1Ab protoxin-exposed C. carnea larvae did not exhibit a dose response. Prey-mediated total mortality of Cry1Ab protoxin-exposed chrysopid larvae was intermediate (46–62%) to Cry1Ab toxin exposed (55–78%) and Cry2A protoxin (47%) exposed C. carnea. In agreement with the previous studies, total development time of C. carnea was not consistently, significantly affected by the Bt-treatments except at the highest Cry1Ab toxin concentration. However, both highest mortality and delayed development of immature C. carnea raised on Cry1Ab toxin 100 g g^–1 diet – fed prey may have been confounded with an increased intoxication of S. littoralis larvae that was observed at that concentration. At all other B. thuringiensis protein concentrations S. littoralis was not lethally affected. Comparative analysis of the results of this study with those of the two previous studies revealed that in addition to prey/herbivore by B. thuringiensis interactions, also prey/herbivore by plant interactions exist that contribute to the observed toxicity of B. thuringiensis – fed S. littoralis larvae for C. carnea. These findings demonstrate that tritrophic level studies are necessary to assess the long-term compatibility of insecticidal plants with important natural enemies.     

假暗盘菌属一新种——中华假暗盘菌

报道了分离自福建蛇足石杉上的假暗盘菌属Pseudoplectania一新种,中华假暗盘菌Pseudoplectania sinica。基于形态学及分子系统学分析对其进行了鉴定。研究标本保存于齐鲁医药学院实验室和中国普通微生物菌种保藏管理中心（CGMCC）。     

球孢白僵菌对桃蚜及其两种捕食性天敌的影响

从自然感病的温室桃蚜上分离到一株球孢白僵菌Bb21,测定了该菌株对桃蚜的致病性及其对两种捕食性天敌的影响.结果表明:Bb21菌株对桃蚜的致病力强,LD5o为97孢子·mm-2,95％置信区间为45～191孢子·mm-2;对草蛉2龄幼虫有较弱的致病性,LD50为1089孢子·mm-2,是桃蚜的11.2倍;对异色瓢虫致病性极小,高浓度处理(5×108孢子·mL-1)的平均感染率仅为l3％.该菌株低浓度处理对两种捕食性天敌的发育历期和生殖力均无显著影响,但高浓度处理(5×108孢子·mL-1)使异色瓢虫的幼虫期平均缩短1.4d,羽化率降低33％,产卵量减少14％,使普通草蛉的幼虫期平均缩短0.7d,羽化率降低24％,产卵量减少11％.该菌株对桃蚜的半致死剂量远低于对两种捕食性天敌的半致死剂量,并且在防治桃蚜使用浓度下对两种捕食性天敌成虫羽化率和繁殖力的影响极小,可作为温室桃蚜的生物控制因子在有害生物综合治理中应用.     

木虱啮小蜂对枸杞、枸杞木虱的行为反应

木虱啮小蜂Tetrastichus sp.是枸杞木虱Paratrioza sinica Yang & Li若虫外寄生蜂,是控制枸杞木虱种群数量动态的重要因子之一。为查明其寻找寄主的信息素,应用四臂嗅觉仪、培养皿两种方法测定了枸杞Lycium barbarum L.的健康叶、虫伤叶、枸杞木虱若虫、若虫与叶复合体、卵与叶复合体和若虫分泌物等不同物质对木虱啮小蜂行为反应的影响。结果证明枸杞木虱若虫分泌物对木虱啮小蜂有明显的吸引作用,四臂嗅觉仪测定时有73%的雌蜂趋向分泌物材料区（P=0.0000）。枸杞健康叶, 虫伤叶及其水、正丁烷提取物, 卵与枸杞叶复合体对木虱啮小蜂无明显吸引作用。木虱若虫水提物及正丁烷提取物在培养皿中可吸引木虱啮小蜂并可引起刺探行为,但嗅觉仪测定时单独若虫并不吸引木虱啮小蜂,只有活体若虫与枸杞叶片复合体才对木虱啮小蜂有吸引作用（P=0.0004）。木虱啮小蜂通过与寄主若虫的接触,可提高其搜索效率。接触过寄主若虫的雌蜂第一次找到寄主的时间显著少于未曾接触寄主若虫的雌蜂,前者只用后者1/4的时间,说明该寄生蜂能对其寄主若虫进行学习。     

Predators mediate host plant resistance to a phytophagous pest in cabbage with glossy leaf wax

This study examined the role of generalist predators in producing higher mortality ofPlutella xylostella L. (Plutellidae) larvae on glossy vs. normal-wax cabbage,Brassica oleracea var.capitata L. To test this, survival and feeding ofP. xylostella were measured on individually caged glossy and normal-wax plants with and without each of three generalist predators,Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Chrysopidae),Orius insidiosus (Say) (Anthocoridae), andHippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville (Coccinellidae). In the greenhouse, predators always significantly reduced survival ofP. xylostella larvae on glossy plants, but never on normal-wax plants. In the field, predators significantly reducedP. xylostella survival on glossy plants, but onlyC. carnea was effective on normal-wax plants. In similar experiments with excised leaves,O. insidiosus andC. carnea were more effective predators on the glossy leaves, whileH. convergens was equally effective on both kinds of leaves. Patterns for feeding were similar, but significance levels differed from those forP. xylostella survival. The greater effectiveness of predators on glossy plants is apparently due to the reported improved mobility of these animals on glossy leaf surfaces. The data also suggest that reduced mining byP. xylostella exposes the larvae to more predation on glossy plants and contributes some to the resistance. Regardless of the mechanism, resistance toP. xylostella on glossyB. oleracea appears to depend on the action of generalist predators for its full expression. This dependence on predation must be considered in the development and deployment of glossy insect-resistantB. oleracea.     

Chemical egg defence in the large milkweed bug,Oncopeltus fasciatus,derives from maternal but not paternal diet

Many herbivorous insects sequester defensive compounds from their host‐plants and incorporate them into their eggs to protect them against predation. Here, we investigate whether transmission of cardenolides from the host‐diet to the eggs is maternal, paternal, or biparental in the large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae). We reared individual bugs on either milkweed seeds [MW; Asclepias syriaca L. (Apocynaceae)] that contain cardenolides, or on sunflower seeds [SF; Helianthus annuus L. (Asteraceae)] that do not contain cardenolides. We mated females and males so that all four maternal/paternal diet combinations were represented: MW/MW, MW/SF, SF/MW, and SF/SF. Using larvae of the common green lacewing, Chrysoperla (Chrysopa) carnea (Stevens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), we conducted two‐choice predation trials to assess whether maternal, paternal, or biparental transmission of cardenolides into the eggs of O. fasciatus increased protection against predation. Furthermore, we used high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to assess putative cardenolide content of eggs from the various parental diet treatment groups. The predation trials suggested that regardless of male diet, eggs were afforded better protection when females had been raised on milkweed. However, many eggs were at least partially consumed. This suggests that although chemical defence of eggs does not guarantee protection to eggs on an individual basis, they may increase the probability that some eggs in a clutch are left intact thereby potentially conferring a fitness advantage to more offspring than if eggs are left unprotected. Based on HPLC analysis we found that maternal contribution of cardenolides was significantly greater than paternal contribution of cardenolides to the eggs, supporting the results of our predation trials that a maternal diet of milkweed makes eggs more distasteful than a paternal diet of milkweed.