Long‐term rearing affects pheromone‐mediated flight behaviour of the Indian meal moth,Plodia interpunctella

The pest Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) is reared in many research laboratories. In a culture established in 1996, attraction of males to the female‐produced sex pheromone in flight tunnel assays gradually decreased after ≈15 years of rearing. A new culture was established to enable comparison with the old culture regarding traits associated with mate finding. Female calling activity, pheromone titre and male antennal response to pheromone components did not differ between cultures. In contrast, very few males from the old culture reached the pheromone source in flight tunnel assays compared with 61%–81% of males from the other culture. Our results highlight the importance of maintaining viable insect cultures for research purposes and suggest frequent evaluation of traits involved in chemical communication in such cultures to ensure reliable results in experiments.     

“Pinching” the ammonia tunnel of CTP synthase unveils coordinated catalytic and allosteric-dependent control of ammonia passage

Molecular gates within enzymes often play important roles in synchronizing catalytic events. We explored the role of a gate in cytidine-5′-triphosphate synthase (CTPS) from Escherichia coli. This glutamine amidotransferase catalyzes the biosynthesis of CTP from UTP using either l-glutamine or exogenous NH₃ as a substrate. Glutamine is hydrolyzed in the glutaminase domain, with GTP acting as a positive allosteric effector, and the nascent NH₃ passes through a gate located at the end of a ~25-Å tunnel before entering the synthase domain where CTP is generated. Substitution of the gate residue Val 60 by Ala, Cys, Asp, Trp, or Phe using site-directed mutagenesis and subsequent kinetic analyses revealed that V60-substitution impacts glutaminase activity, nucleotide binding, salt-dependent inhibition, and inter-domain NH₃ transport. Surprisingly, the increase in steric bulk present in V60F perturbed the local structure consistent with “pinching” the tunnel, thereby revealing processes that synchronize the transfer of NH₃ from the glutaminase domain to the synthase domain. V60F had a slightly reduced coupling efficiency at maximal glutaminase activity that was ameliorated by slowing down the glutamine hydrolysis reaction, consistent with a “bottleneck” effect. The inability of V60F to use exogenous NH₃ was overcome in the presence of GTP, and more so if CTPS was covalently modified by 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine. Use of NH₂OH by V60F as an alternative bulkier substrate occurred most efficiently when it was concomitant with the glutaminase reaction. Thus, the glutaminase activity and GTP-dependent activation act in concert to open the NH₃ gate of CTPS to mediate inter-domain NH₃ transport.     

棉铃虫成虫对性信息素的电生理和行为反应研究

通过EAG和风洞实验,研究了棉铃虫雌雄成虫对性信息素组分和诱芯(Z-11-16Ald∶Z-9-16Ald=97∶3)的电生理反应。其中棉铃虫雌、雄蛾对诱芯的平均EAG反应测定值分别为1.06mV和4.32mV,分别高出对照(无性信息素空白诱芯)0.67mV和0.366mV,差异均达到极显著水平(雌蛾：t＝25.020, P≤0.01;雄蛾：t＝44.269,P≤0.01);棉铃虫雌蛾对性信息素组分(Z-11-16-Ald和Z-9.16Ald)的EAG反应值随浓度增加而增加;雄蛾在被剪除触角后与雌蛾不能正常交配,而雌蛾在被剪除触角后仍有40%的交配率,比正常雌雄蛾的交配率(70%)有所下降;在风洞实验中,雄蛾没有顺风远离诱源的飞行行为,趋向诱源的比率为81.8%,与对照有显著差异。研究表明性信息素组分对棉铃虫的交配活动有明显的影响。     

Behaviors of Naïve vs. Pheromone-Exposed Leafroller Moths in Plumes from High-Dosage Pheromone Dispensers in a Sustained-Flight Wind Tunnel: Implications for Mating Disruption of These Species

Brief exposures of male Choristoneura rosaceana and Argyrotaenia velutinana to the plumes generated by lures releasing 3-component pheromone blends specifically tuned for each species or by commercially distributed Isomate OBLR/PLR Plus pheromone rope dispensers induced markedly different subsequent behavioral responses to pheromone. A greater proportion of C. rosaceana males took flight and successfully oriented toward lures 24 h after preexposure to a lure, a rope, or the lure–rope combination in a sustained-flight wind tunnel compared to naïve moths. Flights were also longer for preexposed than naïve moths. Preexposed male C. rosaceana were not more likely to fly toward ropes 24 h after preexposure. By contrast, fewer male A. velutinana oriented to lures 24 h after preexposure than did naïve moths. Those preexposed A. velutinana successfully locking onto plumes from lures flew for significantly shorter intervals than did unexposed moths. Electroantennograms revealed no changes at the periphery 15 min and 24 h after preexposure. For A. velutinana, the long-lasting effect was decreased attraction to a lure and increased attraction to a rope. For C. rosaceana, pheromone preexposure increased responsiveness to its authentic blend. This behavioral evidence is sufficient to explain why sexual communication of C. rosaceana is more difficult to disrupt than that of A. velutinana. Furthermore, it suggests a more complete blend of pheromone may be necessary to disrupt the former species but not the latter when using rope dispensers.     

Electroantennogram and behavioural responses of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae to human-specific sweat components

Afrotropical malaria vectors of the Anopheles gambiae complex (Diptera: Culicidae), particularly An. gambiae sensu stricto, are attracted mainly to human hosts. A major source of human volatile emissions is sweat, from which key human-specific components are the carboxylic acids (E)- and (Z)-3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid and 7-octenoic acid. Electrophysiological studies on the antennae of An. gambiae s.s. showed selective sensitivity to these compounds, with a threshold at 10(-6) g comparable to that of known olfactory stimulants 1-octen-3-ol, p-cresol, isovaleric acid, and lower than threshold sensitivity to L-lactic acid and the synthetic mosquito repellent N,N-diethyltoluamide (DEET). A combination of the acids released at concentrations > 10(-5) g in wind tunnel bioassays significantly reduced the response to CO2, the major attractant released by human hosts, for strains of An. gambiae s.s. originating from East and West Africa. Field trials with odour-baited entry traps (OBETs) in Burkina Faso showed that 7-octenoic acid significantly increased (by 1.7-fold) the catch of females of An. gambiae sensu lato (comprising two sibling species: An. arabiensis Patton and An. gambiae s.s.) in OBETs baited with CO2, whereas combinations of the acids significantly reduced the catch in CO2-baited traps (by 2.1-fold) and in whole human odour-baited traps (by 1.5-fold). The pure (E) and (Z) geometric isomers of 3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid gave comparable results to the (EIZ) isomer mixture. These results provide the first experimental evidence that human-specific compounds affect the behaviour of highly anthropophilic An. gambiae s.l. mosquitoes. The compounds appear to inhibit the upwind flight' response to known long-range attractants, and may serve either to mask' the attractants present or, more probably, to 'arrest' upwind flight when mosquitoes arrive at a host under natural conditions. In the final approach to hosts, vectors are known to reduce their flight speed and increase their turning rate, to avoid overshooting the source. In our experimental apparatus, these changes in flight behaviour would reduce the number of mosquitoes entering the ports of the collection devices.     

The Role of Elytra in Beetle Flight: I. Generation of Quasi-Static Aerodynamic Forces

We conducted a comprehensive study to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics and force generation of the elytra of abeetle,Allomyrina dichotoma.Our analysis included wind tunnel experiments and three-dimensional computational fluiddynamics simulations using ANSYS-CFX software.Our first approach was a quasi-static study that considered the effect ofinduced flapping flow due to the flapping motion of the fore-wings (elytra) at a frequency of around 30 Hz to 40 Hz.The dihedralangle was varied to represent flapping motion during the upstroke and downstroke.We found that an elytron producespositive lift at 0° geometric angle of attack,negative lift during the upstroke,and always produces drag during both the upstrokeand downstroke.We also found that the lift coefficient of an elytron does not drop even at a very high geometric angle of attack.For a beetle with a body weight of 5 g,based on the quasi-static method,the fore-wings (elytra) can produce lift of less than 1%of its body weight.     

Testing semiochemicals from aphid,plant and conspecific: attraction of Harmonia axyridis

Abstract Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is an invasive specie affecting the dynamics and composition of several guilds. Nowadays, no biological control method is available to reduce the populations of this harmful coccinellid. Attractants and semiochemicals seem to be the best alternative but only few studies have tested the impact of semiochemicals on this Asian lady beetle. In this work, through wind‐tunnel experiments, semiochemicals from aphids (Z,E‐nepetalactone, [E]‐β‐farnesene, α‐pinene and β‐pinene), from coccinellids ([‐]‐β‐caryophyllene) and from the nettle Urtica dioica L. were evaluated as potential attractants. The nettle volatile compounds ([Z]‐3‐hexenol and [E]‐2‐hexenal) were extracted using a Clevenger Apparatus^® and identified by headspace gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy. In the wind‐tunnel experiments, the main components of the aphid alarm pheromone as well as a component of the aphid sexual pheromone strongly attracted both sexes of the Asian lady beetle while (‐)‐β‐caryophyllene only attracted few individuals and had no impact on the males. The nettle extract as well as the (Z)‐3‐hexenol oriented both males and females to the odor source. The (E)‐2‐hexenal was shown to have no effect on females even if this green leaf volatile attracted males. Because Z,E‐nepetalactone was identified as the most efficient attractant in the wind‐tunnel experiments, this volatile was also tested in a potato field where H. axyridis has been showed to respond to this semiochemical. This study highlighted that Z,E‐nepetalactone orientated the Asian lady beetle H. axyridis under natural conditions, indicating that this volatile compound could certainly help for an efficient biological control approach against this invasive specie.     

尺神经原位松解术与尺神经皮下前置术治疗肘管综合征近期疗效比较的回顾性研究

目的:比较尺神经原位松解术与尺神经皮下前置术治疗肘管综合征(CuTS)近期疗效。方法:本研究为回顾性研究,选取2016年7月～2017年7月期间我院二部收治的60例CuTS患者,根据手术方式的不同分为A组(n=32,尺神经原位松解术)和B组(n=28,尺神经皮下前置术),比较两组患者优良率、并发症、围术期指标、感觉运动功能(肌力、小指指端两点辨别觉、神经传导速度)以及DASH上肢功能障碍(DASH)评分。结果:B组术后12个月的优良率为92.86%(26/28),高于A组的68.75%(22/32)(P0.05)。两组术后并发症总发生率比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。两组术后12个月肌力、神经传导速度升高,且B组高于A组(P0.05),两组术后12个月小指指端两点辨别觉降低,且B组低于A组(P0.05)。两组术后3个月、术后6个月、术后12个月DASH评分呈下降趋势,且B组低于A组(P0.05)。B组手术切口长度、手术时间长于A组(P0.05),两组术后住院时间比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:与尺神经原位松解术相比,尺神经皮下前置术治疗CuTS患者,虽然手术切口长度、手术时间相对较长,但其优良率更高,同时可有效恢复患者感觉运动功能及减轻其上肢功能障碍,且不增加并发症发生率,具有一定的临床应用价值。     

Crocodile swim tracks from the latest Cretaceous of Europe

Recently discovered evidence of tracks in the continental beds of the Late Cretaceous Tremp Formation in the southern Pyrenees (NE Iberian Peninsula) has been identified as scratch marks made by buoyant crocodiles. The tracks are preserved in two distinct environments and substrates (marly limestones originating in a littoral mud flat and fine‐grained sandstones deposited in fluvial settings). Most of the crocodylian traces are ascribed to ichnogenus Characichnos, whereas a single plantigrade pes track is assigned to ichnogenus cf. Crocodylopodus. The crocodylian swim traces (Characichnos ichnofacies) found in the early and late Maastrichtian co‐occur with Brontopodus ichnofacies attributable to terrestrial tetrapods (titanosaur sauropods, cf. Brontopodus ichnogenus; and hadrosaurid ornithopods, Hadrosauropodus ichnogenus). Analysis of the tracks allows the interpretation of palaeoenvironmental settings and track production. Thus, in lagoonal environments, swim tracks of crocodylians were produced during the rise of the water level in successive tide cycles; in fluvial settings, the swim traces of crocodylians were produced within the channel at the low‐water stage. To date, there are no reports of Late Cretaceous crocodylian tracks in Europe, and the studied evidence represents the first and youngest track record of the group in the latest part of the Cretaceous (C29r) in this continent and probably in the world.