Artificial diet for the Japanese nine‐spotted moth Amata fortunei fortunei (Arctiidae: Syntominae)

The Japanese nine‐spotted moth Amata fortunei has not been successfully reared using artificial diets. We investigated three diets for rearing A. fortunei from egg to adult: (i) leaves of common dandelion Taraxacum officinale (DL); (ii) an artificial diet used to rear the silkworm Bombyx mori (Insecta LFS^®; AD); and (iii) a mixture of AD and an artificial mouse diet (MF). The survival rate from the first instar to adult emergence on AD + MF (80.77%) was significantly higher than that on AD or DL (30.77 and 20.0%, respectively). No significant differences in developmental periods at each stage were found among the diets. Moreover, body size indices of larvae reared on AD + MF were the same as or greater than those of larvae reared on the other diets and of wild individuals. Larval nutritional indices showed that food requirements changed after the third instar; this agrees with our observations of cannibalism and survival rate. Our results suggest that AD + MF is a suitable artificial diet for A. fortunei.     

Green lacewing phylogeny, based on three nuclear genes (Chrysopidae, Neuroptera)

Abstract.  Systematic relationships among higher taxa within Chrysopidae, a large and agriculturally significant neuropteran family, are poorly understood. A molecular phylogenetic survey of Chrysopidae was performed with three nuclear genes, namely wingless (546 bp), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (483 bp), and sodium/potassium ATPase alpha subunit (410 bp). We examined 83 species in 24 genera, mainly from Japan, Eurasia and Africa. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses of combined datasets of a total of 1439 bp demonstrated that (1) monophyly of the subfamily Chrysopinae was supported but the relationship between Nothochrysinae and Apochrysinae was unclear, although the two subfamilies together may constitute the sister taxon of Chrysopinae; (2) of the three tribes examined within Chrysopinae (Ankylopterygini, Belonopterygini and Chrysopini), monophyly of Ankylopterygini and Belonopterygini was supported, but the relationships among the three remain unclear; (3) seven sub-clades in Chrysopini were indicated, namely (i) Brinckochrysa , (ii) Chrysemosa  +  Suarius , (iii) Chrysotropia  +  Nineta , (iv) Mallada  +  Chrysoperla  +  Peyerimhoffina , (v) Cunctochrysa  +  Meleoma  +  Nipponochrysa  +  Apertochrysa albolineatoides , (vi) Chrysopa  +  Plesiochrysa , and (vii) Dichochrysa  +  Apertochrysa eurydera ; and (4) most genera were monophyletic, except for Apertochrysa and Cunctochrysa , each of which was shown to have two distinct origins. Our molecular analysis allowed the assignment of several species of uncertain affinities to known genera. There was some disagreement between the molecular and previously published morphological phylogenies, but in general our results confirmed existing morphological hypotheses of evolution within the family.     

A View of Comparative Endocrinology and Aubrey Gorbman

Analyses of papers published in General and Comparative Endocrinologyfrom 1961 to 1981 were made from several aspects. Number ofpapers published has increased year after year. Molluscan endocrinologypapers have increased and overtaken annelid publications. Duringthe past 20 yr studies using crustaceans and insects have comprised25–50% of all endocrine research on invertebrate groups.Papers on protochordates, elasmobranchs, and cyclostomes arefew but constant in number, indicating that these three groupsare important from phylogenic aspects. Studies on birds andteleosts have increased, while those on amphibians have decreased.Biochemical techniques were employed in 50% of all publicationsin this journal. Radioimmunoassay has replaced autoradiography.Immunohistochemistry increased in popularity. Studies on thepars distalis and gonads are predominant among all endocrineorgans. Research at the molecular level is decreasing, but isincreasing at the organismal level. Research at the organismallevel may be characteristic of comparative endocrinology. Largelythrough the initiative of Aubrey Gorbman, General and ComparativeEndocrinology was first published in 1961, and the InternationalCommittee of the Symposium on Comparative Endocrinology wasformed in 1957. Gorbman has produced many students. His originaland important contributions are in diversified areas: thyroidphysiology and its evolution, hormones and the brain and behavior,cyclostome endocrinology and neurosecretory systems in lowervertebrates. In addition, he has influenced investigators throughhis ideas of evolution. He has had particular impact on thedevelopment of comparative endocrinology in Japan.