Identification of spawning sites and natural nurseries of fishes in the upper Paraná River,Brazil

Synopsis We studied the timing of migratory fish spawning in the last dam-free stretch of the upper Paraná River and in Itaipu Reservoir. Eggs were more common in the Amambai and Ivaï Rivers, while larvae predominated in the Paraná River and in Itaipu Reservoir. Both eggs and larvae were more abundant at night. The highest abundance of eggs was in October and that of larvae in November. Migratory species predominated in the Amambai and Paraná Rivers, and non-migratory species in the Ivaï River and Itaipu Reservoir. The predominance of eggs in the upper and middle portions, and larvae in the lower, infer that there are spawning sites in the former and nurseries in the latter. The high nocturnal abundance of eggs is associated with spawning at sunset and that of larvae with feeding, avoidance of predators and nocturnal disorientation. The presence of tributaries such as the Amambai and Ivaí Rivers in the last dam-free stretch of the Paraná River is extremely important to the maintenance of regional fish diversity and fish stocks in both the Paraná River and Itaipu Reservoir.     

4种生态因子对虎斑乌贼幼体生长与存活的影响

旨在研究温度、盐度、饵料种类、投饵量对虎斑乌贼（Sepia pharaonis）幼体生长与存活率的影响,以确定其生长发育的最佳生态条件,为人工育苗提供理论依据。在室内控制条件下,采用单因子试验研究了不同温度（18、21、24、27、30和33℃）、不同盐度（18、21、24、27、30和33）、不同饵料种类（虾糜、活糠虾、卤虫无节幼体、桡足类、死糠虾、虾糜＋强化卤虫后无节幼体、强化卤虫后无节幼体）、活糠虾不同投饵量（0、2、4、6、8和10 g/d）对虎斑乌贼幼体生长发育的影响。结果显示：不同温度对虎斑乌贼幼体生长影响显著（P〈0.05）,最适温度为24-27℃,在最适温度下,存活率为84.4%-91.1%,特定生长率为4.82%-6.13%,存活率（y）与温度（x）的函数关系为y=-0.15x3＋30.637x-447.002（r2=0.923）。幼体适宜盐度为24-33,最适盐度为27,在最适盐度条件下,其存活率为（90.0±5.29）%,特定生长率为（3.71±0.34）%。投喂7种开口饵料,以活糠虾效果最佳,存活率为（96.7±2.94）%,特定生长率为（3.77±0.23）%;强化卤虫后无节幼体效果次之,存活率为（95.6±2.31）%,特定生长率为（2.54±0.15）%,其余各组培养效果均不理想。投喂活糠虾,随着投饵量的增加,其存活率随之提高,摄食量（y）与个体重（x）的回归方程为y=0.227x-0.063（r2=0.921）。     

湖北省钟祥市粘虫发生规律研究

为了明确粘虫Mythimna separata(Walker)在湖北省钟祥市的发生规律,对小麦玉米轮作田粘虫成虫和幼虫种群的发生动态、粘虫雌蛾卵巢发育进度以及粘虫越冬虫量作了调查,分析了粘虫种群虫源性质。结果表明,钟祥市为1代粘虫多发区,其虫源为外地迁入的越冬代成虫,1代粘虫危害高峰期在4月中下旬,羽化盛期在5月中下旬,羽化后以迁出为主。第2代粘虫发生量很小,羽化后基本全部迁出;在田间未调查到第3代粘虫幼虫,本区发现的第3代成虫可能为由北方南迁的过境种群;第4代粘虫发生量也很小,羽化后全部迁出,不在本区繁殖危害。在田间未调查到准备越冬的粘虫。     

Faecal case architecture in the gibbosus species group of Neochlamisus Karren, 1972 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae: Chlamisini)

Constructions composed of faeces are rare in insects, but occur in certain leaf-beetle clades. Members of the subfamily Cryptocephalinae share a complex behavioural and morphological synapomorphy, involving portable faecal cases that house the immature stages. A maternally initiated egg case is expanded and enlarged through four larval stadia, then sealed to provide a pupal chamber from which adults eventually emerge. We analyse and compare faecal-case architecture in ten taxa of the cryptocephaline genus Neochlamisus , and assess structural variation within a life cycle, between different 'host forms' of Neochlamisus bebbianae , and among species. These cases proved to be comprised primarily of faeces, with plant trichomes representing the only common secondary component. General architectural trends reflected variation in shape, faecal texture, and the incorporation and density of trichomes. Deviations of the Neochlamisus case from a simple geometrical gnomon reflect the changing body size of the animal, differential application of faeces, and shifts in the orientation of the carriage of the case. Neochlamisus cases are presumably energetically costly to produce, carry, and maintain, and some adaptive hypotheses of case evolution are proposed. Additionally, literature on case morphology in other camptosomates is reviewed.  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 152 , 315–351.     

光周期对中华通草蛉自然越冬成虫及实验种群幼虫耐寒能力的影响

【目的】滞育诱导期进行短光照处理可影响昆虫耐寒性。为明确光周期对中华通草蛉Chrysoperla sinica (Tjeder)耐寒性的影响, 针对中华通草蛉滞育解除过程及非滞育虫态的耐寒性进行了一系列研究。【方法】测定了中华通草蛉自然越冬成虫的过冷却点（supercooling point, SCP）以及长光周期（15L∶9D）和短光周期（9L∶15D）条件下自然越冬成虫在滞育解除过程中在-12℃下的死亡率, 并测定了室内长、 短两种光周期下实验种群2龄和3龄幼虫的过冷却点（SCP）、 结冰点（freezing point, FP）以及-7℃下的死亡率。【结果】中华通草蛉12月份的自然越冬成虫SCP集中在-10~-14℃之间。SCP低于-12℃的个体占43.70%, 且-12℃处理1 d死亡率为62.00%。-12℃处理1 d条件下的长、 短光周期处理自然越冬成虫, 除处理0 d外, 长光周期处理死亡率均高于短光周期处理的, 且在处理15 （P=0.012）, 20 （P=0.01）和25 d （P=0.001）差异显著。中华通草蛉试验种群相同龄期幼虫在短光周期下的SCP和FP均高于长光周期下, 但差异不显著(P>0.05); 但在-7℃下, 2龄幼虫短光周期下的低温死亡率为67.00%±4.04%, 显著低于长光周期下的低温死亡率（78.00%±1.33%）（P=0.011）, 3龄幼虫短光周期条件下低温死亡率为24.33%±1.33%, 显著低于长光周期下的低温死亡率（53.00%±3.46%）（P=0.002）。【结论】中华通草蛉为结冰敏感型, 诱导滞育的短光照处理可提高其幼虫期及滞育解除过程中成虫的耐寒能力。     

Effects of Alpine land‐use changes: Soil macrofauna community revisited

Although soil invertebrates play a decisive role in maintaining ecosystem functioning, little is known about their structural composition in Alpine soils and how their abundances are affected by the currently ongoing land‐use changes. In this study, we re‐assessed the soil macrofauna community structure of managed and abandoned Alpine pastureland, which has already been evaluated 14 years earlier. Our results confirm clear shifts in the community composition after abandonment, in that (1) Chilopoda and Diplopoda were recorded almost exclusively on the abandoned sites, (2) Coleoptera larvae and Diptera larvae were more abundant on the abandoned than on the managed sites, whereas (3) Lumbricidae dominated on the managed sites. By revisiting managed and abandoned sites, we infer community patterns caused by abandonment such as changes in the epigeic earthworm community structure, and we discuss seasonal and sampling effects. Our case study improves the still limited understanding of spatio‐temporal biodiversity patterns of Alpine soil communities.     

不同含水率饲料对黑水虻生长发育的影响及其对饲料的转化特征研究

饲料的含水率是影响黑水虻生长发育及其对饲料养分转化的重要因素,本研究旨在探究黑水虻生物转化过程中饲料最佳含水率。将3龄黑水虻幼虫接入含水率为40%、50%、60%、70%、80%的饲料中,每隔3 d记录黑水虻的体重,至预蛹数达总数的50%时结束试验,计算预蛹历期、预蛹总产量及有效转化率,测定黑水虻及饲料残渣养分及总能。结果发现：1）黑水虻预蛹总产量及其对饲料的有效转化率随水分含量升高而线性增加,在80%水分下达到最大值。2）黑水虻在70%水分下最先预蛹,预蛹历期为14 d。3）黑水虻体内CP含量随水分含量增加而线性下降,EE、GE含量随水分增加线性上升。4）黑水虻对饲料GE的代谢消耗率在60%水分下最高,而在80%水分下对饲料养分的累积量最高。因此,生产中为了高效运转黑水虻生物转化体系,应根据生产目的调节饲料水分以获取最大效益。     

三种昆虫的营养成分测定

黄粉虫、蝇蛆和大麦虫是市场上最常见的饲用昆虫.本试验采用或借鉴饲料营养成分测定的国家标准方法,测定了3种昆虫的常规营养成分、矿物元素、氨基酸和中长链脂肪酸的含量.结果表明,黄粉虫、蝇蛆和大麦虫的粗蛋白含量(％)依次为50.20、45.62和45.08,粗脂肪含量(％)依次为28.96、30.10和41.71,总能含量(KJ/g)依次为26.16、25.95和28.66;蝇蛆中钙、磷、铁和锰的含量(mg/100 g)最高,依次为500.0、885.7、1.17和3.06,黄粉虫中铜和锌的含量(mg/100 g)最高,分别为1.49和10.51;黄粉虫中支链氨基酸、直链氨基酸、必需氨基酸和总氨基酸的含量(％)均最高,依次为8.51、5.71、16.76和39.88,蝇蛆中苯丙氨酸、谷氨酸和赖氨酸的含量(％)较高,依次为2.71、6.29和3.19;黄粉虫中C14∶0和顺C18∶2的相对含量较高,分别为6.15％和33.17％,蝇蛆中C16∶0和C16∶1的相对含量较高,分别为39.62％和4.08％,大麦虫中C18∶0和顺C18∶1的相对含量较高,依次为23.33％和43.54％.上述结果表明,三种昆虫均具有较高的营养价值,可用于养殖业中蛋白质饲料原料的开发.     

Transfer of Hessian fly resistance from rye to wheat via radiation-induced terminal and intercalary chromosomal translocations

Summary A new Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor) resistance gene derived from Balbo rye and its transfer to hexaploid wheat via radiation-induced terminal and intercalary chromosomal translocations are described. Crosses between resistant Balbo rye and susceptible Suwon 92 wheat and between the F₁ amphidiploids and susceptible TAM 106 and Amigo wheats produced resistant BC₂F₃ lines that were identified by C-banding analysis as being 6RL telocentric addition lines. Comparative chromosomal analyses and resistance tests revealed that the resistance gene is located on the 6RL telocentric chromosome. X-irradiated pollen of 6RL addition plants was used to fertilize plants of susceptible wheats TAM 106, TAM 101, and Vona. After several generations of selection for resistance, new sublines were obtained that were homogeneous for resistance. Thirteen of these lines were analyzed by C-banding, and three different wheat-6RL chromosomal translocations (T) were identified. Wheat chromosomes involved in the translocations were 6B, 4B, and 4A. Almost the complete 6RL arm is present in T6BS · 6BL-6RL. Only the distal half of 6RL is present in T4BS · 4BL-6RL, which locates the resistance gene in the distal half of 6RL. Only a very small segment (ca 1.0 m) of the distal region of 6RL is present in an intercalary translocation (Ti) Ti4AS · 4AL-6RL-4AL. The 6RL segment is inserted in the intercalary region between the centromere of chromosome 4A and the large proximal C-band of 4AL. The break-points of the translocations are outside the region of the centromere, indicating that they were induced by the X-ray treatment. All three translocations are cytologically stable and can be used directly in wheat breeding programs.Cooperative investigations of the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Departments of Entomology and Plant Pathology, the Wheat Genetics Resource Center, Kansas State University, and the US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Contribution No. 91-117-JDeceased     

Timing and size of blooms of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in relation to temperature in Narragansett Bay, RI

The ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi is at the northern extreme of its geographic range in Narragansett Bay, an estuary on the northeast coast of the United States. Blooms have typically been observed in late summer and fall according to records from 1950 to 1979. We document an expansion of the seasonal range of this important planktonic predator to include springtime blooms during the 1980s and 1990s. This shift to an earlier seasonal maximum is associated with increasing water temperature in Narragansett Bay. Temperatures in spring have risen, on average, 2 °C from 1950 to 1999 with warm years being associated with the positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation. During 1999, M. leidyi appeared earlier in spring and was more abundant than during any previous year for which records are available. Changes in the seasonal pattern and abundance of this predator are likely to have important effects on planktonic ecosystem dynamics of Narragansett Bay. These include reduction of zooplankton abundance in spring followed by increases in size and frequency of summer phytoplankton blooms. Earlier blooms of M. leidyi may also reduce survival of eggs and larvae of fish because, as in 1999, they coincide with the period of peak spawning.