Isolation and characterization of microsatellite primers for Ceratosolen fusciceps, the fig-pollinating wasp of Ficus racemosa, and amplification in two populations

Ten microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized for Ceratosolen fusciceps, the pollinating wasp of Ficus racemosa, based on individuals from Xishuangbanna (China) and Chiangmai (Thailand). High levels of variation were found among loci for both populations; allelic number varied from two to 18 (respectively from two to 22), expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.362 to 0.890 (respectively from 0.430 to 0.930).     

Transferability and characterization of microsatellite markers in two Neotropical Ficus species

Microsatellite markers were transferred and characterized for two Neotropical fig tree species, Ficus citrifolia and Ficus eximia. Our study demonstrated that microsatellite markers developed from different subgenera of Ficus can be transferred to related species. In the present case, 12 of the 15 primer pairs tested (80%) were successfully transferred to both of the above species. Eleven loci were polymorphic when tested across 60 F. citrifolia and 60 F. eximia individuals. For F. citrifolia, there were 4 to 15 alleles per locus, whereas expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.31 to 0.91. In the case of F. eximia, this was 2 to 12 alleles per locus and expected heterozygosities from 0.42 to 0.87.     

韦氏缩腹榕小蜂的产卵行为

通过对聚果榕上一种非传粉榕小蜂———韦氏缩腹小蜂ApocryptawestwoodiGrandi的产卵行为的详细观察 ,发现该小蜂的产卵行为与具有可伸缩的腹节这种奇特的腹部结构高度相关。该小蜂的产卵过程主要分为 3个阶段 :( 1 )寻找产卵位置 ,小蜂在果面快速搜索 ,以触角或口器触须感受产卵位点 ;( 2 )刺壁 ,小蜂将产卵针垂直于果面 ,刺入果壁 ,进入果腔 ;( 3 )产卵与拉出产卵针。通过与Ansari对于韦氏缩腹小蜂的产卵行为的描述进行比较 ,发现有如下不同之处 :( 1 )在产卵针刚刺入果面时 ,伸长的腹部末端超过头 ,整个伸长的腹部几乎与果面平行 ;( 2 )后足具有下拉产卵鞘的行为 ,并且后足除下拉产卵鞘时与果面分离外 ,均抓住果面 ;( 3 )产卵针不需要产卵鞘支撑时 ,产卵鞘与产卵针分离。     

发酵无花果香料的挥发性成分分析

利用微生物发酵无花果开发特色香料,并采用同时蒸馏萃取装置收集挥发性成分并用气相色谱一质谱仪对生物技术制备的无花果香料挥发性成分进行分离和鉴定,经毛细管色谱分离出47种组分,确认了其中的45种成分,并用面积归一化法测定了各种成分的百分含量,其主要成分为：9,12-十八碳二烯酸乙酯(27．34％)、十六酸乙酯(23．99％)、邻苯二甲酸二丁酯(6．18％)、邻苯二甲酸二异丁酯(5．52％)、9,12-十八碳二烯酸甲酯(4．72％)、十六酸甲酯(4．67％)、9,12,15-十八碳三烯酸乙酯(4．48％)、9-十八碳烯酸乙酯(3．80％)、糠醛(2．53％)、9,12,15-十八碳三烯酸甲酯(1．85％)、十八酸乙酯(1．42％)、9-十八碳烯酸甲酯(1．26％)等。     

The Ficus erecta genome aids Ceratocystis canker resistance breeding in common fig (F. carica)

Ficus erecta, a wild relative of the common fig (F. carica), is a donor of Ceratocystis canker resistance in fig breeding programmes. Interspecific hybridization followed by recurrent backcrossing is an effective method to transfer the resistance trait from wild to cultivated fig. However, this process is time consuming and labour intensive for trees, especially for gynodioecious plants such as fig. In this study, genome resources were developed for F. erecta to facilitate fig breeding programmes. The genome sequence of F. erecta was determined using single‐molecule real‐time sequencing technology. The resultant assembly spanned 331.6 Mb with 538 contigs and an N50 length of 1.9 Mb, from which 51 806 high‐confidence genes were predicted. Pseudomolecule sequences corresponding to the chromosomes of F. erecta were established with a genetic map based on single nucleotide polymorphisms from double‐digest restriction‐site‐associated DNA sequencing. Subsequent linkage analysis and whole‐genome resequencing identified a candidate gene for the Ceratocystis canker resistance trait. Genome‐wide genotyping analysis enabled the selection of female lines that possessed resistance and effective elimination of the donor genome from the progeny. The genome resources provided in this study will accelerate and enhance disease‐resistance breeding programmes in fig.     

岩木瓜化学成分的分离、结构鉴定与杀虫活性

为明确岩木瓜Ficus tsiangii Merr. ex Corner的杀虫活性成分及杀虫活性,利用活性跟踪分离技术,通过硅胶柱层析、薄层层析及葡聚糖凝胶等手段对岩木瓜茎和根皮的化学成分进行了分离、纯化,结合化合物理化性质和波谱数据对其结构进行了鉴定.结果表明,从岩木瓜中分离得到4个生物活性化合物,分别为β-香树脂醇乙酸酯、蒲公英赛酮、柯依利素及齐墩果酸.利用胃毒法测定了这些化合物（500μg/g糖）对家蝇Musca domestica成虫的生物活性,其中蒲公英赛酮处理试虫48 h后的校正死亡率达到83.33%,表现出较强杀虫活性,并进一步测定了其对试虫的毒力.结果表明,蒲公英赛酮处理家蝇成虫48 h后表现出较强毒力,其LC₅₀值为89.82μg/g糖,略低于对照药剂鱼藤酮毒力（LC₅₀值为67.58μg/g糖）.因此,蒲公英赛酮值得进一步深入研究.     

朱红毛斑蛾嗜食性的研究

通过野外调查和室内选择实验,研究了朱红毛斑蛾的食性。自然条件下,朱红毛斑蛾为害榕属植物中的小叶榕和垂叶榕,为害率分别为67.39%和47.61%。在T50时,朱红毛斑蛾对印度榕、对叶榕、无花果、黄葛树、高山榕、小叶榕和垂叶榕的平均取食量分别为0、0、0、0、0、8.62±1.6 cm2和3.79±1.8 cm2;平均取食选择指数分别为0、0、0、0、0、0.69和0.31,说明朱红毛斑蛾仅为害小叶榕和垂叶榕,且对小叶榕有明显偏好性。研究结果证明朱红毛斑蛾为寡食性害虫,提示在园林绿化过程中应尽可能避免选择易受害的单一树种大面积栽种。     

Floral constraint resulting from intersexual mimicry in a gynodioecious fig tree

Fig trees (Ficus: Moraceae) are pollinated by female fig wasps (Agaonidae) whose larvae develop inside galled flowers of unusual inflorescences (figs). Most fig trees also support communities of non‐pollinating fig wasps. Figs of different species display great size variation and contain tens to tens of thousands of flowers. Around one‐half the species of fig trees have the gynodioecious breeding system, where female trees have figs that produce seeds and male trees have figs that support development of pollinators. Mutual mimicry between receptive male and female figs ensures that pollinators enter female figs, even though the insects will die without reproducing, but the need to give no sex‐specific cues to the pollinators may constrain differences in size between receptive male and female figs. We compared relationships between inflorescence size and some measures of reproductive success in male and female figs of Ficus montana grown under controlled conditions in the presence of the pollinator Kradibia tentacularis and its main parasitoid Sycoscapter sp. indesc. Female figs that contained more flowers produced more seeds, but male figs did not increase the production of female pollinator K. tentacularis fig wasps in proportion of the flower number. Although more flowers were galled by the pollinators in male figs containing more female flowers, the high larval mortality caused by parasitism and nutritional limitation prevented the increase in the production of adult female offspring. Selection may favor the increase in flower numbers within figs in female plants of F. montana, but contrarily constrain this attribute in male plants.     

喜光榕树和耐荫榕树光适应机制的差异

100%和36%光强下生长的喜光的斜叶榕的光合能力高于耐荫的假斜叶榕,而热耗散能力与之相似,说明强光下斜叶榕主要通过光合作用利用光能和热耗散、假斜叶榕主要通过热耗散防御光破坏.100%光强下生长的两种榕树的日间光抑制程度相似,但叶表光强相同情况下各光强下生长的假斜叶榕的光抑制均比斜叶榕严重.100%光强下假斜叶榕叶片悬挂角大于斜叶榕,导致日间叶表光强低于斜叶榕,这可能是两种榕树日间光抑制程度相似的原因,表明叶片悬挂角的适应变化对假斜叶榕有重要的意义.     

An altitudinal comparison of caterpillar (Lepidoptera) assemblages on Ficus trees in Papua New Guinea

Aim This analysis of caterpillar (Lepidoptera) beta‐diversity between tropical lowlands and highlands attempts to separate the effects of between‐site (1) turnover of herbivore species on particular host plants, (2) changes in host use by herbivores, and (3) turnover of plant species on changes in herbivore assemblages. Location Two rain forest areas 130 km and 1700 altitudinal metres apart were studied in Papua New Guinea: one in the lowlands (100 m a.s.l.) on the northern coast of the island and one in the central New Guinean cordillera at 1800 m a.s.l. Methods The analysis is based on caterpillar feeding records obtained by quantitative sampling and rearing of caterpillars from four Ficus species studied in the mountains and 21 Ficus species and 62 plant species from other genera and families studied in the lowlands, including three Ficus species studied in both areas. Results Only 17% of species feeding on Ficus in the highlands also occurred in the lowlands. These species represented 1–46% of individuals in caterpillar assemblages on particular Ficus hosts. Widespread species included both Ficus specialists and generalists feeding on numerous plant families. Some of the Ficus specialists changed their preferred host species with altitude. High species turnover was not explained by changes in the species composition of host plants with altitude as lowland and montane assemblages feeding on the same Ficus species showed high turnover. Despite the rarity of widespread caterpillars, the lowland and montane Ficus assemblages were remarkably similar in their dominance structure, species richness, host specificity, generic composition and familial composition. Main conclusions Ficus‐feeding Lepidoptera assemblages between tropical lowlands and highlands are characterized by substantial species turnover not explained by altitudinal changes in the composition of the vegetation. Further, species‐rich plant genera can support caterpillar assemblages with relatively low beta‐diversity compared with species‐poor genera as caterpillars can switch their host preferences from one congeneric host species to another along an altitudinal gradient. Closely related plant species can thus represent a broad, continuously distributed resource along such gradients.