Insecticidal effect of the combined application of spinosad,Beauveria bassiana and diatomaceous earth for the control of Tribolium confusum

Laboratory bioassays were carried out to evaluate the insecticidal effect of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) germinated conidia, a commercial formulation of diatomaceous earth and a liquid formulation of spinosad, applied alone or in all possible combinations on wheat, against adults of the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Diatomaceous earth was applied at one (200 ppm), the fungus at two (100 and 300 ppm) and spinosad at three (0.01, 0.1 and 0.5 ppm) dose rates, whereas all combinations of two or three of the insecticide concentrations were also tested. Insect mortality was determined after 2, 7 and 14 d of exposure. The simultaneous use of B. bassiana germinated conidia with diatomaceous earth notably increased mortality of T. confusum adults by sixfold 7 d after exposure, as compared with either B. bassiana or diatomaceous earth alone. When diatomaceous earth and spinosad were combined, diatomaceous earth did not increase the efficacy of spinosad. In general, the combination of all three agents did not differ from either the application of the agents tested alone, or their binary combinations, in most treatments examined.     

Galls induced by Calophya latiforceps (Hemiptera: Calophyidae) reduce leaf performance and growth of Brazilian peppertree

Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (Anacardiaceae) (Brazilian peppertree) is one of the most serious terrestrial invasive plants in Florida. The leaf galling psyllid, Calophya latiforceps Burckhardt (Hemiptera: Calophyidae), was discovered feeding on the Brazilian peppertree in Bahia, Brazil, in 2010, and is being evaluated for release as a biological control agent. In order to understand how this candidate biological control agent affects the growth of S. terebinthifolia, we measured the effect of the psyllid on photosynthesis, leaf chlorophyll content and plant growth. Infested plants had lower photosynthesis compared to uninfested plants 30 and 45 days after gall initiation, and chlorophyll content was lower over a 70-d period. Plant height was reduced 31% and biomass 11% after three months of infestation. Results of these studies suggest that C. latiforceps will negatively affect the growth of the Brazilian peppertree if released in Florida.     

Differential herbivory of the specialist beetle Stolas punicea on chemical phenotypes of its host Mikania micrantha

We assessed the preference of two populations of the specialist beetle Stolas punicea, on plants from three phytochemically differentiated geographical mosaics of the American weed Mikania micrantha. Our results show a significant geographic variation in host preference in S. punicea that could affect its success as a biocontrol agent.     

Phlebiopsis gigantea and associated viruses survive passing through the digestive tract of Hylobius abietis

Phlebiopsis gigantea (Fr.) Jül. is one of the most common fungal species in coniferous forests and commonly used as a biological control agent to prevent aerial infections of conifers by Heterobasidion fungi. We used feeding experiments to examine whether Hylobius abietis L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) could serve as a vector for P. gigantea and associated viruses by disseminating the fungus in its faecal pellets. Two different P. gigantea strains were used in the experiments: the virus-free Rotsop biocontrol strain and P. gigantea 93073 infected with the virus strain PgLV-1. The Rotstop strain showed 100% viability during insect feeding, while the viability of the virus-infected strain 93073 was only 35%. Virus persistence was 100% during the passage of the host fungus through the alimentary tract. Based on growth experiments using virus-infected and virus-free strains obtained by hyphal tip or oidial isolation, the presence of PgLV-1 did not significantly affect the growth rate of the host fungus.     

Host tissue identification for cryptic hymenopteran parasitoids associated with Sirex noctilio

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Signal transduction and regulation of IbpreproHypSys in sweet potato

Hydroxyproline‐rich glycopeptides (HypSys) are small signalling peptides containing 18–20 amino acids. The expression of IbpreproHypSys, encoding the precursor of IbHypSys, was induced in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas cv. Tainung 57) through wounding and IbHypSys treatments by using jasmonate and H₂O₂. Transgenic sweet potatoes overexpressing (OE) and silencing [RNA interference (RNAi)] IbpreproHypSys were created. The expression of the wound‐inducible gene for ipomoelin (IPO) in the local and systemic leaves of OE plants was stronger than the expression in wild‐type (WT) and RNAi plants after wounding. Furthermore, grafting experiments indicated that IPO expression was considerably higher in WT stocks receiving wounding signals from OE than from RNAi scions. However, wounding WT scions highly induced IPO expression in OE stocks. These results indicated that IbpreproHypSys expression contributed towards sending and receiving the systemic signals that induced IPO expression. Analysing the genes involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway demonstrated that lignin biosynthesis was activated after synthetic IbHypSys treatment. IbpreproHypSys expression in sweet potato suppressed Spodoptera litura growth. In conclusion, wounding induced the expression of IbpreproHypSys, whose protein product was processed into IbHypSys. IbHypSys stimulated IbpreproHypSys and IPO expression and enhanced lignin biosynthesis, thus protecting plants from insects.     

Seasonal incidence of aphid,Amphorophora ampullata Bukton (Homoptera: Aphididae) on fern,Hypolepis polypodioides (Blume) Hook (Hypolepidaceae) from Western Himalaya

Seasonal incidence of aphid, Amphorophora ampullata on Hypolepis polypodioides was recorded throughout the year from November 2012 to November 2013 at weekly interval. Peak incidence of aphid was recorded during third week of November 2012 (25.94 ± 2.39 aphids/pinna), later the aphid population gradually decreased from December 2012 onwards and reached below threshold level during the last week of January (0.1 ± 0 aphids/pinna). The aphid population starts building up again from first week of February 2013 (1.6 ± 0.13 aphids/pinna) and attained its peak in the last week of August (32.17 ± 1.22 aphids/pinna) then decreased gradually in the first week of September (20.82 ± 4.70 aphids/pinna). Aphid densities again increased gradually from second week of September (21.62 ± 3.02 aphids/pinna) to November 2013 and reached maximum aphid densities during November (56.55 ± 4.34 aphids/pinna). Among weather parameters, aphid population showed significant positive correlation with relative humidity during morning hours.     

缅甸琥珀内含物形态结构在X射线下的可辨识性

【目的】产自缅甸北部胡康河谷的缅甸琥珀形成于白垩纪中期。其艺术价值很高,同时其内含物的生物多样性程度也很高,故其科学价值也不可估量。显微CT能够提供化石(琥珀)内部解剖结构的高分辨率断层图像,故该方法日渐成为目前琥珀研究中的常用方法之一。然而在可见光下可见的琥珀内的生物结构,在X射线下却有不同的结果,这与现生研究材料在显微CT下的表现非常不同。本研究对产自胡康河谷的9块缅甸琥珀进行显微CT检测,试图对这个特殊的现象进行较为系统的解读。【方法】利用数码相机(Nikon 5200D)拍摄琥珀照片,并用Helicon Focus 5.3软件合成。通过显微CT技术扫描琥珀和计算机断层重建技术重建出缅甸琥珀内含物的三维结构形态。【结果】显微CT检测结果主要分为3种:完全无衬度、部分结构有衬度和整体结构有较好衬度。本研究对有较好衬度的琥珀内含物进行了三维重建,展示了琥珀内含物的外部和内部三维结构。【结论】琥珀内含物的可见光成像和X射线成像不存在一一对应关系,其原因和琥珀保存的好坏以及琥珀的密度差、琥珀围岩之间的对比度差异有关。琥珀形成和埋藏过程中的物理和化学变化非常复杂,其机理的探究也更为复杂和困难,本文对这个现象的主要类型做了较为初步的阐述,后续研究需要更为全面的选样和更为严格的实验设计才能够最终解决这个埋藏学上的难题。     

昆虫触角转录组研究进展

昆虫通过信息交流感受内外坏境的变化,影响着昆虫定位、搜索食物源、寻找产卵地点和选择配偶等行为。在昆虫中,触角分布着较多的嗅觉感受器,可以感知挥发性分子、气味和激素,是昆虫重要的嗅觉器官,参与信息交流。综述和展望昆虫触角转录组的研究进展,有利于促进害虫管理、害虫防治和社会性昆虫级型分化与劳动分工的研究,也能为昆虫触角后续研究和昆虫触角仿生的应用提供参考。