Presence and distribution of sensory structures on the mouthparts of self-medicating moths

Unique structures often accompany unusual feeding behaviors in erebid moths. We test whether self-medicating (e.g., pharmacophagous) adult tiger moths have specialized structures on their mouthparts. We examined mouthparts of pharmacophagous and non-pharmacophagous adults using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Self-medicating adults had significantly higher numbers of chemosensory structures when compared with non-self-medicating adults. Putative olfactory sensilla are reported on the proboscis of Nyctemera coleta and pollen grains were found adhered to the proboscis of Nyctemera secundiana. Sensilla on the observed tiger moth proboscides may play a role in the recognition of pyrrolizidine alkaloid plants by pharmacophagous adults.     

吉林珲春自然保护区野生东北虎捕食家畜的状况

2002 年5 月至2004 年10 月通过跟踪调查,我们搜集到野生东北虎捕食珲春自然保护区居民家畜的数据,共计38 起捕食事件,有51 头家畜遭到捕食。这些数据包括:捕食事件发现时间、被捕食家畜的数量、类型、年龄、性别、虎痕迹照片和捕食点的GPS 数据。运用Mann-Whitney U 检验对数据的差异性进行了检验;结合ArcView GIS和MapIn fo 分析,对捕食点的空间属性进行了量化,用多个生态因子对其进行了表征;运用PCA 分析了多因子中的主要成分。这些数据表明:在珲春,东北虎主要捕食牛和马,对猪和羊没有捕食,对牛和马的捕食也不存在偏好。东北虎倾向捕食成年个体,并且,大多数情况下只捕食1～2 个个体。成功的捕食事件中,多为1 头遭捕食;该捕食策略为虎权衡后的选择。捕食家畜事件多发生在3 ～11 月的非冰冻期。影响捕食地的生态变量重要性排序为:距最近居民区距离> 海拔> 距最近道路距离> 土地利用(Ⅱ型)类型> 坡度> 坡向> 距最近水源距离> 植被类型> 道路类型> 土地利用(I 型)类型。距最近居民区距离为:3 666 ± 2 308 m,极显著地近于休息卧迹、警戒卧迹和刨痕。该距离更多地集中在4 000 m以下区域。海拔为280 ± 114 m,极显著地低于休息卧迹,显著低于警戒卧迹和刨痕。由于当地居民区多集中在海拔较低的区域,因此,这种显著的不同可以看成是一个伴生的结果。距最近道路距离为:522 ± 543 m,极显著地近于刨痕,显著近于休息卧迹和警戒卧迹。上述2 个人为干扰因子,对捕食的影响具有相似性。对上述3 个生态因子的详细研究说明,虎并不愿意有意识地如此接近人类聚居区,而是家畜食物的诱惑,令虎冒险前往。在26 个捕食点中,14 个在用材林,6 个在特护林,3 个在农田,2 个在灌木林,1个在居民区。被调查的当地居民共损失了 11 851 kg家畜,合人民币116 126元。     

野生华南虎是怎样走向濒危的--兼谈华南虎保护拯救之希望

近20年来,关于华南虎的数量及保护、拯救工作的报道频频见于各种学术期刊、杂志和报纸、广播、电视新闻中,近几年来更常见于Internet网。有关华南虎野生数量的变化众说纷纭,多是“估计”值,本文就各估计值做一归纳统计,以阐述其走向濒危的过程,分析原因,并建议在目前国家财力不是十分雄厚的情况下,华南虎的保护拯救工程应积极寻求国际资金的支持。     

Brucellacapt、RBT、SAT、iELISA四种血清学检测方法对布鲁氏菌病检测价值的比较研究

目的:探讨布鲁氏菌病血清学试验(Brucellacapt)、虎红平板凝集试验(RBT)、试管凝集试验(SAT)、间接酶联免疫吸附试验(i ELISA)四种血清学检测方法对布鲁氏菌病检测价值的比较研究。方法:收集近两年110例布鲁氏菌病疑似病例人员的静脉血分离得到血清后进行Brucellacapt、RBT、SAT、i ELISA四种血清学检测,以卫生部制定的《布鲁氏菌病诊疗指南》中布鲁氏菌病确诊方法为诊断金标准,将检测结果与其确诊结果进行比较,评价比较各组血清检测方法对布鲁氏菌病的检测价值。结果:110例疑似人员中确诊为布鲁氏菌病阳性91例、阴性19例。Brucellacapt试验阳性89例、阴性21例;RBT试验阳性79例、阴性31例;SAT试验阳性71例、阴性39例;i ELISA检验阳性82例、阴性28例。Brucellacapt试验的灵敏度、符合率、Kappa值、ROC曲线下面积均最大,i ELISA试验、RBT试验、SAT试验依次减小;i ELISA试验的ROC曲线下面积最大,Brucellacapt试验次之,其次为RBT试验,SAT试验的ROC曲线下面积最小。结论:Brucellacapt、RBT、SAT、i ELISA四种血清学检测方法对于布鲁氏菌病检测均有一定的检测价值,对于常规普通患者可采用RBT试验、SAT试验进行检查,而对于疑似病例人员可采用灵敏度更高的Brucellacapt试验、i ELISA试验。     

Testing Local Independence between Two Point Processes

Dependencies between two types of points in a spatial point process can be due either to a real dependence between the two types or to the dependence on common underlying variables. We propose a global test for dependence between two point processes that is valid for a wide range of models. In contrast with previously proposed methods, it is based on a number of local test statistics, which makes it possible to map the local association between the two processes. The behavior of the test is evaluated by a simulation study. It is then applied to a vegetation pattern data set from Burkina Faso.     

PCR-CTPP: a rapid and reliable genotyping technique based on ZFX/ZFY alleles for sex identification of tiger (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Panthera tigris</Emphasis>) and four other endangered felids

An inexpensive, time-saving and reliable method, polymerase chain reaction with confronting two-pair primers (PCR-CTPP), was developed for sex identification in tiger (Panthera tigris) based on zinc finger alleles (ZFX/ZFY). A site of “C/G” transversion representing fixed differences that discriminated between ZFX and ZFY exons among felids was identified for primers designing. This primer set was successfully tested on samples including blood, shed hairs, dried skin, and stool which contained potential contamination caused by prey DNA. Cross species tests shown that this primer set was also useful for sex identification in four other endangered felids.     

Lethal infection by a novel reassortant H5N1 avian influenza A virus in a zoo-housed tiger

In early 2013, a Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) in a zoo died of respiratory distress. All specimens from the tiger were positive for HPAI H5N1, which were detected by real-time PCR, including nose swab, throat swab, tracheal swab, heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, aquae pericardii and cerebrospinal fluid. One stain of virus, A/Tiger/JS/1/2013, was isolated from the lung sample. Pathogenicity experiments showed that the isolate was able to replicate and cause death in mice. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that HA and NA of A/Tiger/JS/1/2013 clustered with A/duck/Vietnam/OIE-2202/2012 (H5N1), which belongs to clade 2.3.2.1. Interestingly, the gene segment PB2 shared 98% homology with A/wild duck/Korea/CSM-28/20/2010 (H4N6), which suggested that A/Tiger/JS/1/2013 is a novel reassortant H5N1 subtype virus. Immunohistochemical analysis also confirmed that the tiger was infected by this new reassortant HPAI H5N1 virus. Overall, our results showed that this Bengal tiger was infected by a novel reassortant H5N1, suggesting that the H5N1 virus can successfully cross species barriers from avian to mammal through reassortment.     

Living on the Edge: Attitudes of Rural Communities toward Bengal Tigers (Panthera tigris) in Central India

To date, most studies of the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) are of biological research, techniques, conservation, population modeling, or tiger– human conflicts. Few studies have attempted to understand the rural population that share a region with the tigers, and some of the villages are even displaced in the name of conservation. Hence, we undertook a survey of 10 villages that are located in the buffer zone of the Bor Tiger Reserve (BTR). Most of the villagers interviewed had encountered tigers, most considered them a boon and beneficial to their livelihood, and almost all displayed environmental awareness and stressed the necessity to conserve tigers in order to ensure their own continued survival. Some stressed the religious connotation and significance because the tiger is the animal of transport of the Goddess Durga. A minority expressed a negative attitude that resulted not from damages incurred by the tigers, but from discontent following inept handling of property losses by the authorities, who did not provide compensation in time, or paid only a small part of the original value of the loss. We conclude that in order to ensure the continued goodwill of the local stakeholders, it is important that the state and national governments react in a timely manner and ensure that the farmer is compensated in full. Support of the villagers who cohabit with tigers will ensure the continued survival of the two entities.     

Habitat segregation in four species of adult tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)

ABSTRACT.

• 1 Habitat segregation in four species of tiger beetles, Cicindela cancellata Dejean, C.cardoni Fleutians, C.minuta Olivier and C.sumatrensis Herbst in a river bank ecosystem was studied in dry and wet seasons.
• 2 The four species segregated distinctly along the river beds into separate habitats, with occasional overlapping in both the seasons.
• 3 Among the habitat characteristics considered, vegetation, soil moisture and available prey-size were found to be important in species segregation.
• 4 D ²-analysis showed that the habitat preferences of C.cardoni and C.cancellata were closer to that of C.sumatrensis. The habitat of C.minuta was distinctly separated.
• 5 There was a positive correlation between the mandible length of each tiger beetle species and the length of prey captured.
• 6 Variance in mandible length within species was related to prey-length distribution pattern and to variance in habitats.