Developmental Host-Specificity of Mozena obtusa (Heteroptera: Coreidae), a Potential Biocontrol Agent for Prosopis Species (Mesquite) in Australia

Mozena obtusa Uhler (Heteroptera: Coreidae) was examined in quarantine for its potential as a biological control agent of Prosopis species (mesquite) in Australia. Trials were conducted on 16 nontarget plant species to estimate its developmental host range. Complete development occurred on all Prosopis species that have become naturalized in Australia as well as on four Australian native species (Neptunia species and Paraserianthes lophantha), although reproductive diapause prevented assessment of subsequent fecundity. Development through the first feeding nymphal instar also occurred on other plant species representing two subfamilies. Nymphal performance was highly variable on both target and nontarget species, possibly because variation in plant nitrogen composition affected plant quality. The correlation between environment, plant nitrogen, and plant quality is likely to be sufficiently strong to determine whether a plant species can support development. Plant quality should therefore be considered when predicting the field host range of M. obtusa and of sap-sucking coreids generally. Nonetheless, our preliminary results suggest that M. obtusa may not be sufficiently specific for release in Australia, although insufficient understanding of its oviposition behavior in the field and the effect of plant quality on development means that its rejection would be premature.     

中国缘蝽科部分种类细胞色素b基因序列及系统进化研究

以线粒体细胞色素b(Cyt b)基因作为分子标记,首次对缘蝽科4亚科14种昆虫进行序列测定,获得Cyt b基因412 bp的序列片段,该片段中碱基T、C、A、G的平均含量分别为34.2%、11.4%、35.7 %和18.7 %,A T平均含量为69.9 %,明显高于G C含量(30.1 %).密码子第3位点的A T含量高达82.8%,亚科间序列变异大,有193个核苷酸位点发生变异,碱基替换多发生于第3位点.以筛豆龟蝽为外群构建系统发育树,表明在亚科级关系上,姬缘蝽亚科最原始,蛛缘蝽亚科次之,巨缘蝽亚科和缘蝽亚科亲缘关系较近,为较进化种类.     

Male specific natural products in the bug, Leptoglossus phyllopus: Chemistry and possible function

In the Coreoidea and some allied groups, male adults possess an abdominal gland opening through a midventral ostiole in the 7–8th abdominal intersegmental membrane. Using a GC-MS system, the following aromatic volatiles were identified in the abdominal gland secretion from males of the leaf footed bug, Leptoglossus phyllopus: guaiacol, benzyl alcohol, syringaldehyde, methyl p-hydroxybenzoate, acetosyringone, and vanillin. Males from which the glands were removed still mated and were competitive with control males for a limited number of females. The ventral abdominal gland secretion may act as a long-range attractant of females. The possibility that attraction of females by males in Heteroptera is an adaptation facilitating colonization of successional habitats is discussed.     

Effect of temperature on the survival and infectivity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudotheraptus devastans</Emphasis> vector

The aim of this study was to investigate under a controlled environment, the effect of temperature on the survival and infectivity of Pseudotheraptus devastans Distant, a cassava anthracnose disease vector. The insect P. devastans was collected from young cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) field plots, at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria. A mixture of the different developmental stages of eggs, first to fifth instar nymphs, and adults, were incubated in controlled environment chambers, under various constant temperatures of: 15, 17, 22, 25, 27, 30, and 35°C. Relative humidity at different temperature conditions were recorded and maintained at 90%, 85%, 80%, 75%, 70%, 65%, and 60%, respectively. A significant increase in insect survival was observed between 22 and 27°C temperature conditions while a significant decrease in survival was observed at 15°C and above 30°C. Lesion number, lesion diameter and infectivity among the insect stages varied as a function of temperature and relative humidity. Infectivity was highest at 22–25°C maintained at 75–80% RH and lowest at 15°C and above 30°C maintained respectively, at 65% RH and 90% RH. There was considerable low vector infectivity due to low survival of the insects at extreme temperatures.     

狭义巨缘蝽族支序分析研究——以亚洲材料为研究对象(异翅亚目:缘蝽科)(英语)

此文以狭义巨缘蝽族的亚洲各属为基础,对该族进行了支序分析,结果表明,尽管它们外形诸多变异,但其外生殖器结构甚为一致,此类群为一单系群无疑.文中支序图表明肖采瑜定的奇缘蝽族为一并系群,应为巨缘蝽族之次异名.支序图还说明主要分布于非洲的安缘蝽属与亚洲各属形态上有较大差异.     

The tale of the shrinking weapon: seasonal changes in nutrition affect weapon size and sexual dimorphism,but not contemporary evolution

Sexually selected traits are often highly variable in size within populations due to their close link with the physical condition of individuals. Nutrition has a large impact on physical condition, and thus, any seasonal changes in nutritional quality are predicted to alter the average size of sexually selected traits as well as the degree of sexual dimorphism in populations. However, although traits affected by mate choice are well studied, we have a surprising lack of knowledge of how natural variation in nutrition affects the expression of sexually selected weapons and sexual dimorphism. Further, few studies explicitly test for differences in the heritability and mean‐scaled evolvability of sexually selected traits across conditions. We studied Narnia femorata (Hemiptera: Coreidae), an insect where males use their hind legs as weapons and the femurs are enlarged, to understand the extent to which weapon expression, sexual dimorphism and evolvability change across the actual range of nutrition available in the wild. We found that insects raised on a poor diet (cactus without fruit) are nearly monomorphic, whereas those raised on a high‐quality diet (cactus with ripe fruit) are distinctly sexually dimorphic via the expression of large hind leg weapons in males. Contrary to our expectations, we found little evidence of a potential for evolutionary change for any trait measured. Thus, although we show weapons are highly condition dependent, and changes in weapon expression and dimorphism could alter evolutionary dynamics, our populations are unlikely to experience further evolutionary changes under current conditions.     

Photoperiod and food regulate termination of diapause in the squash bug, Anasa tristis

The squash bug, Anasa tristis DeGeer (Heteroptera: Coreidae), is a major pest of cultivated cucurbits in much of North America. Its seasonal population dynamics are determined in large part by the early season phenological adaptations of the overwintered adults. Squash bugs were maintained on pumpkin, Cucurbita moschata Duchesne (Cucurbitaceae), seedlings. Factors influencing the termination of diapause in squash bugs were studied. Squash bugs transferred from outdoors to long-day conditions during their prediapause period in October (when the respiratory rate declines to diapause levels) required longer to terminate diapause than squash bugs transferred in the winter after the prediapause period was completed. Females did not oviposit after up to 150 days in short-day conditions. Squash bugs maintained outdoors under natural photoperiods remained in diapause until at least late April. Food was shown to be necessary for the prompt termination of diapause.

---

Résumé A. tristis (Hétéropt.: Coreidae) est un ravageur important des cucurbitacées dans une grande partie de l'Amérique du Nord, particulièrement de Cucurbita spp. Les événements phénologiques du début de la saison conditionnent la dynamique de population pour la saison entière. Cette étude concerne l'influence de la photopériode et de l'alimentation dans l'achèvement de la diapause. Les adultes ont été maintenus sur des plantules de Cucurbita moschata Duchesne (var. Libbey's Select). La diapause était établie par la mesure du taux respiratoire et par l'absence de ponte. La diapause était surveillée chez des insectes maintenus à l'extérieur en conditions naturelles, leurs taux respiratoires se maintenaient au taux correspondant à la diapause jusqu'à la fin avril au moins. Placés après novembre en jours longs et à 25°C, la diapause s'interrompait rapidement. Ceux transférés en jours longs plus tôt ont interompu leur diapause mais ont demandé plus de temps pour réagir au changement de photopériode. Transférés à 25°C mais en jours courts, leur diapause n'était pas interrompue jusqu'à la fin de l'expérience 150 jours plus tard. L'alimentation est nécessaire pour une interruption rapide de la diapause en jours longs. L'alimentation associée à des jours longs ou croissants semble nécessaire à l'achèvement de la diapause de A. tristis dans les conditions naturelles.

     

Sexual selection is influenced by both developmental and adult environments

Sexual selection is often assumed to be strong and consistent, yet increasing research shows it can fluctuate over space and time. Few experimental studies have examined changes in sexual selection in response to natural environmental variation. Here, we use a difference in resource quality to test for the influence of past environmental conditions and current environmental conditions on male and female mate choice and resulting selection gradients for leaf‐footed cactus bugs, Narnia femorata. We raised juveniles on natural high‐ and low‐quality diets, cactus pads with and without ripe cactus fruits. New adults were again assigned a cactus pad with or without fruit, paired with a potential mate, and observed for mating behaviors. We found developmental and adult encounter environments affected mating decisions and the resulting patterns of sexual selection for both males and females. Males were not choosy in the low‐quality encounter environment, cactus without fruit, but they avoided mating with small females in the high‐quality encounter environment. Females were choosy in both encounter environments, avoiding mating with small males. However, they were the choosiest when they were in the low‐quality encounter environment. Female mate choice was also context dependent by male developmental environment. Females were more likely to mate with males that had developed on cactus with fruit when they were currently in the cactus with fruit environment. This pattern disappeared when females were in the cactus without fruit environment. Altogether, these results experimentally demonstrate context‐dependent mate choice by both males and females. Furthermore, we demonstrate that simple, seasonal changes in resources can lead to fluctuations in sexual selection.     

秦巴山区巨缘蝽亚科三种昆虫同工酶的初步研究(半翅目:缘蝽科)

为对缘蝽科分类提供生物化学和遗传数据,本研究运用聚丙烯酰胺垂直板电泳技术对巨缘蝽亚科三个种的酯酶同工酶进行了检测。结果表明:斑背安缘蝽Anoplocnemis binotataDistant不同组织酯酶酶谱不同,可能与适应特殊生理功能相关。斑背安缘蝽与波赫缘蝽Ochrochira potaniniKiritshenko、月肩奇缘蝽Derepteryx lu-nate(Distant)之间明显的遗传差异说明系统发育关系较远。三种缘蝽酯酶同工酶具有遗传多态现象,控制酯酶的基因位点均为5个,而且酯酶均为单体酶。