The distribution and colocalization of neuropeptides and catecholamines in nerves supplying the gall bladder of the toad,Bufo marinus

The indirect immunofluorescence technique was used to determine the distribution of peptide-containing axons in the gall bladder of the cane toad, Bufo marinus. In addition, the adrenergic innervation of the gall bladder was examined by use of immunoreactivity to the catecholamine-synthesizing enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase, and glyoxylic acid-induced fluorescence. On the basis of peptide coexistence, two intrinsic populations of neurones and their projecting fibres could be distinguished substance P neurones and vasoactive intestine peptide neurones. Neither of these two types of neurones contained any other colocalized neuropeptides. Four populations of nerve fibres arising from cell bodies outside the gall bladder were identified: nerves containing colocalized galanin, somatostatin and vasoactive intestinal peptide; nerves containing colocalized calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P; adrenergic nerves containing neuropeptide Y; and nerves containing only adrenaline.     

Revision of fossil Metretopodidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) in Baltic amber – Part 2: Description of a new species of Metretopus Eaton, 1901

In the second part of the revision of fossil Metretopodidae, a new species of the genus Metretopus Eaton, 1901 is described and illustrated based on a male imago. Metretopus dividussp. nov. is the second fossil species of the genus. Distinguishing characters for its separation from other fossil and recent representatives of Metretopus are discussed. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BCC5CB69-8014-4DA1-A0DA-DCF714969081     

New records of Cynipidae (Hymenoptera) from Italy

New records of Cynipid gall wasps and inquilines for the Italian peninsula and Sicily and their new host plants for the Palaearctic Region are listed and commented on. Among them we find: Cerroneuroterus cerrifloralis (Müllner 1901) as new for Italy and new for the Palaearctic region as host on Quercus suber; Andricus multiplicatus Giraud 1859 on Q. suber, as new host for the Palaearctic region; Aylax papaveris (Perris 1839), reported in Italy over a century ago, but later overlooked; Cerroneuroterus minutulus (Giraud 1859), also reported more than a century ago from Sicily, but later overlooked. Among the inquilines are here listed: Synergus variabilis Mayr 1872, emerged from Janetia cerris (Kollar 1850) galls (Diptera Cecidomyiidae), and found for the first time in the Palaearctic Region as host on Q. suber; Saphonecrus haimi (Mayr 1872) and Saphonecrus barbotini Pujade-Villar & Nieves-Aldrey 1986, are new records for Italy.     

The fine structure of the sperm bundles of the coccid,Aspidiotus perniciosus Cumst., and sperm movement

The mature sperm of A. perniciosus are organized into bundles, about 350 μm long by 9–10 μm wide. Each bundle contains 32 sperm enclosed by a common sheath. The sperm contains an elongated ‘central core’, representing nuclear material, surrounded by a spiral microtubular sheath and cytoplasm. The electron-dense nuclear material is localized in the more pointed half of the sperm. The spiral microtubular sheath is composed of 30— 100 microtubules (depending on the cross-sectional level), situated parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sperm. On the basis of this ultrastructural organization, the motility of the sperm and sperm bundle as a whole is discussed. The sperm of A. perniciosus provide strong evidence that the microtubules arranged asymmetrically represent the elements directly involved in sperm motility.     

Gall midge olfaction: Pheromone sensitive olfactory neurons in Contarinia nasturtii and Mayetiola destructor

This study describes the morphology and function of the antennal sensilla in two gall midge species, Contarinia nasturtii and Mayetiola destructor, where multi-component sex pheromones have been identified. Both species possess sensilla trichodea, s. coeloconica, s. chaetica and s. circumfila. Sensilla circumfila, which consist of several sensilla that bifurcate and fuse into one structure, are unique for the gall midges. In C. nasturtii s. circumfila are sexually dimorphic. In males, they form elongated loops suspended on cuticular spines, whereas in females they run like worm-like structures directly on the antennal surface. Single sensillum recordings demonstrated that olfactory sensory neurons housed in male s. circumfila in C. nasturtii responded to the female sex pheromone. In M. destructor, s. circumfila were attached to the antennal surface in both sexes, and displayed no response to sex pheromone components.A sexual dimorphism was also found in the number of s. trichodea per antennal segment in both C. nasturtii (male 1 vs. female 7) and M. destructor (male 13 vs. female 10). OSNs located in male M. destructor s. trichodea responded to the sex pheromone. This is the first gall midge single sensillum study, and the first demonstration of the functional significance of s. circumfila.     

大气CO2浓度增加对昆虫的影响

大气CO2浓度增加已经受到国内外的极大关注.CO2浓度升高不但影响植物的生长发育,而且还改变植物体内的化学成分的组成与含量,从而间接地影响到植食性昆虫,并进而通过食物链影响到以之为食的天敌.根据国内外研究进展,结合多年的研究,系统介绍了CO2浓度变化对植物-昆虫系统影响的研究方法,论述了CO2浓度变化对植食性昆虫、天敌的作用规律及作用机理,探讨了CO2浓度变化对植物-植食性昆虫系统影响的特征,分析了未来研究发展的趋势及其存在的问题.     

Exposure and Multiple Lines of Evidence Assessment of Risk for PCBs Found in the Diets of Passerine Birds at the Kalamazoo River Superfund Site,Michigan

Dietary exposures of passerine birds at the Kalamazoo River, Michigan, were examined due to the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the terrestrial and aquatic food webs. Average potential daily doses in diets were 6- to 29-fold and 16- to 35-fold greater at a contaminated location than at a reference location for PCB exposures quantified as total PCBs and 2,3,7,8–tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TEQs), respectively. Birds with diets comprised of primarily aquatic insects had greater dietary exposure than birds with diets of primarily terrestrial insects. Risk associated with dietary exposure varied with the selection of the threshold for effects including hazard quotients, which exceeded 1 in instances where the most conservative toxicity reference values were utilized. Risk based on concentrations of PCBs in the tissues indicated little risk to avian species, and co-located studies evaluating reproductive health did not suggest that observed incidences of diminished reproductive success were related to PCB exposure. Measures of risk based on comparison to toxicity reference values (TRVs) were consistent with direct measures of ecologically relevant endpoints of reproductive fitness, but uncertainty exists in the selection of threshold values for effects in these species especially based on TEQs. This is largely due to the absence of species-specific, dose-response relationships. Therefore, the best estimate of risk is through the application of multiple lines of evidence.     

铜污染对昆虫生长发育及繁殖影响的研究进展

铜(Cu)是生物体生长发育所必需的微量营养元素,参与或构成许多含铜酶及含铜生物活性蛋白质,但是过度摄入Cu会对生物体产生危害。Cu中毒由许多因素而定,如物种、遗传、年龄和食物等。在生态系统中昆虫种类多,数量大,分布广,往往会取食、转移和代谢环境中的Cu,从而对自身生长发育及繁殖造成影响。通常表现为发育历期延长,体重下降,体长变短,化蛹率、羽化率、产卵率、孵化率、存活率降低,种群数量减少等。本文以近几年Cu2+胁迫对昆虫生长发育及繁殖影响的研究进行综述。     

昆虫与寄主植物营养关系的DNA分子追踪

农田生态系统中昆虫与寄主植物的食物营养关系错综复杂,利用田间直接观察法、肠道内含物形态学分析、同位素标记等方法都难于全面解析,常造成营养关系的缺失。近年来,DNA分子追踪技术迅速发展,利用一段较短的DNA序列能有效鉴别植食性昆虫取食寄主植物的种类,为这一领域研究提供了新方法。本文全面介绍了3种DNA分子追踪技术——诊断PCR技术、克隆测序技术和下一代测序技术(next generation sequencing,NGS)。其中诊断PCR技术包括单一PCR技术和多重PCR技术,适用于目标昆虫与已知寄主植物之间的营养关系分析;克隆测序技术能够在寄主植物种类未知的前提下,解析目标昆虫完整的寄主植物种类信息;下一代测序技术实现了短时间内对混合样品的测序,加之昆虫与植物DNA条形码序列数据库大量扩增,有效地提高寄主植物的鉴别能力。诊断PCR技术和克隆测序技术已在追踪地下害虫的取食行为、植食性昆虫取食范围及其在寄主植物间的转移与选择习性等方面被广泛应用,且进展明显。综合考虑各种技术的优缺点,本文提出将DNA分子追踪技术与同位素标记等其他方法相结合的研究策略,以便系统解析农田生态系统中昆虫与寄主植物之间的营养关系。     

A survey of scale insects in soil samples from Europe (Hemiptera,Coccomorpha)

In the last decades, several expeditions were organized in Europe by the researchers of the Hungarian Natural History Museum to collect snails, aquatic insects and soil animals (mites, springtails, nematodes, and earthworms). In this study, scale insect (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) specimens extracted from Hungarian Natural History Museum soil samples (2970 samples in total), all of which were collected using soil and litter sampling devices, and extracted by Berlese funnel, were examined. From these samples, 43 scale insect species (Acanthococcidae 4, Coccidae 2, Micrococcidae 1, Ortheziidae 7, Pseudococcidae 21, Putoidae 1 and Rhizoecidae 7) were found in 16 European countries. In addition, a new species belonging to the family Pseudococcidae, Brevennia larvalis Kaydan, sp. n. and a new species of Ortheziidae, Ortheziola editae Szita & Konczné Benedicty, sp. n. are described and illustrated based on the adult female stage. Revised keys to the adult females of Brevennia and Ortheziola are presented.