Heritability of male mandible length in the stag beetle Cyclommatus metallifer

Numerous coleopteran species express male‐specific “weapon traits” that often show size variations among males, even within a single population. Many empirical studies have demonstrated that environmental conditions during development affect absolute weapon size. However, relatively few studies in horned beetles support the hypothesis that the relationship between weapon size and body size, also referred to as a “scaling relationship” or “static allometry”, is largely determined by genetic factors. In this study, the heritability of absolute mandible length and static allometry between mandible length and body size were estimated in the stag beetle Cyclommatus metallifer. While no significant heritable variation was observed in absolute mandible length, high heritability (h² = 0.57 ± 0.25) was detected in the static allometry between mandible length and body size. This is the first report on the genetic effect on male mandible size in Lucanidae, suggesting that absolute mandible size is largely determined by environmental conditions while the static allometry between weapon size and body size is primarily determined by genetic factors.     

A comparison of gibberellin-like substances in germinating cotyledons of tall and dwarf varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Amounts of gibberellin-like substances (gibb.) in seed cotyledonsof tall and dwarf varieties of kidney bean were compared throughfractionation with various solvents. Cotyledons of tall varietiescontained greater amounts of gibb. in all fractions than didthose of dwarf varieties. The amounts of gibb. in both varietiesdecreased as seedlings grew, but in the tall variety they decreasedmore rapidly in the acidic ethylacetate and in n-butanol fractions.Growing modes of seedlings may correlate with the activity ofgibb.; especially in the non-acidic ethylacetate fraction, whichis detectable only in the tall variety after germination. (Received November 12, 1969; )     

Food plants and life cycle of Lymantria bantaizana Matsumura (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) in northern Honshu, Japan

The food plants and life cycle of Lymantria bantaizana were investigated in Iwate Prefecture, northern Honshu, Japan from 2000 to 2002. Eggs laid in July hatched approximately 10 days after oviposition. Hatched larvae fed only on Juglandaceae, Juglans mandshurica var. sachaliensis, J. regia var. orientalis and Pterocarya rhoifolia when reared in the laboratory. In field rearing, the plants of Juglans enabled the moth to complete its life cycle. Differing from all other known Lymantria species in Japan, the moth overwintered not in the egg stage but in the fifth or sixth instar larval stage. Lymantria bantaizana had eight larval instars in both sexes. Moth emergence occurred mostly in July at a field‐trapping site in Iwate Prefecture.     

Origins of Laboratory Mice Deduced from Restriction Patterns of Mitochondrial DNA

To determine the origins of laboratory mice, the restriction patterns of mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) from various strains were compared with those of relevant subspecies and/or races of mus musculus . In most strains and substrains of laboratory mice examined (50/55), the cleavage patterns were identical to those of the European subspecies M. m. domesticus . Those that varied include two sublines of NZB, the strain NZC, and the Japanese strain RR. The NZB and NZC patterns were identical to that of the European subspecies M. m. brevirostris , which itself has restriction patterns similar to M. m. domesticus . On the other hand, the RR pattern was identical to M. m. molossinus -like mice trapped in Western China and slightly different from Japanese M. m. molossinus . These findings suggest that the strains NZB and NZC stemmed from a European founder stock which differed from the ancestral stocks of other laboratory strains and that the ancestral mice of the RR strain had been transported from China to Japan. Therefore, most laboratory strains of mice are derived from the European subspecies M. m. domesticus while M. m. brevirostris and M. m. molossinus have made minor contributions. M. m. musculus does not appear to have made any contribution.     

Geographic distribution of phytoseiid mite species (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on crops in Okinawa,a subtropical area of Japan

We extensively identified phytoseiid mites co‐occurring with spider mites on crops throughout the islands of Okinawa, southwestern Japan to obtain fundamental information for controlling spider mites in the area using natural enemies. Of the 19 species found, three were new to Japan and eight were new to Okinawa. Neoseiulus womersleyi was the most common species with respect to the distribution range. Following N. womersleyi, six species including Amblyseius eharai were common, whereas N. californicus was not, suggesting that the recent change in dominant species from N. womersleyi to N. californicus observed on the main islands of Japan had not happened in Okinawa. On one small island (Tarama Island) located in the southwestern part of Okinawa, N. womersleyi was not found, and instead N. longispinosus, which is morphologically similar to N. womersleyi and has not been found in Japan, occurred. This suggests interisland differences in the relative frequencies of N. womersleyi and N. longispinosus in Okinawa.     

Atypical Mesothelial Cells Associated With Eosinophilic Pleural Effusions: Nuclear Dna Content and Immunocytochemical Staining Reaction With Epithelial Markers

The nuclear DNA contents of atypical mesothelial cells from five patients who had an eosinophilic pleural effusion (EPE) were studied by the use of DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride) DNA staining. Analysis of the nuclear DNA content revealed a polyploid pattern, with a major peak in the tetraploid region. Using an immunocytochemical technique, the atypical mesothelial cells showed a positive reaction for cytokeratin. In contrast carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was always negative in these cells. It is suggested that the atypical mesothelial cells with EPE had a higher rate of proliferation than did the normal mesothelial cells.     

Juvenile Hormone titre and vitellogenin gene expression related to ovarian development in primary reproductives compared with nymphs and nymphoid reproductives of the termite Reticulitermes speratus

To elucidate the reproductive cycle of termite queens, incipient colonies of Reticulitemes speratus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) are established under laboratory conditions, and the transition of colony development is observed at 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and 7.5 months (stages I–V, respectively) after colony foundation. Ovarian development, vitellogenin gene expression and Juvenile Hormone (JH) titres are examined in the queens and in nonphysogastric nymphoids collected from natural colonies. A reproductive cycle in queens is observed, in which the oviposition rate is relatively higher during stages I and II, and then decreases during stages III and IV. Vitellogenic oocytes are not observed in the ovaries during stages III and IV, and the expression level of the vitellogenin gene is low, suggesting that egg production in queens is repressed during these stages. However, vitellogenin gene expression and egg deposition in queens resumes during stage V. Juvenile Hormone levels rise during the transition from nymphs to stage I queens, and elevated JH titres are observed also during stages III and IV. The decrease in JH titre in queens at stage II precedes the decline in vitellogenesis at stages III and IV. Thus, JH titre and vitellogenesis are correlated in an offset pattern. However, nonphysogastric nymphoid reproductives do not have vitellogenic oocytes in their ovaries, and their JH titre is two‐fold higher than that of queens, suggesting that elevated JH titre precedes vitellogenesis, as in queens.