Life-table study of Anagrus atomus, an egg parasitoid of the green leafhopper Empoasca decipiens, at four different temperatures

The objective of our study was to assess thepotential of the egg parasitoid Anagrusatomus L. (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) for controlof the greenhouse leafhopper Empoascadecipiens Paoli (Homoptera: Cicadellidae). Theegg-adult development time, survivorship andreproduction of A. atomus were evaluatedat four constant temperatures (16, 20, 24 and28°C). Developmental time ranged from33.6 days at 16°C to 13.3 days at 28°C. Based on a linear regression ofdevelopment rate on temperature the lowerthreshold was estimated at 8.39°C. Anagrus atomus required 263.2 degree-days tocomplete its development from egg to adult. Theegg-adult survival rate and the sex ratio weresignificantly lower at 28°C than at theother three temperatures tested. The intrinsicrate of increase (r _m) variedsignificantly between all four temperatures.The potential of A. atomus to attackdifferent host ages was additionallyinvestigated. Host eggs were parasitizedthroughout their development but rate ofparasitism was reduced in host eggs older thansix days. The number of eggs parasitized waspositively density dependent but the rate ofparasitism decreased with increasing hostdensity. A maximum rate of parasitism of 62.5%was recorded. The potential impact of the eggparasitoid on the population dynamics of E. decipiens is discussed.     

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure Analyses of Wild Relatives and Cultivated Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) from Senegal Using Simple Sequence Repeat Markers

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.)) is an important crop for food security in Senegal; therefore, understanding the genetic diversity of local germplasm is relevant for crop improvement and genetic maintenance in the era of climate change. For this purpose, 15 microsatellite markers were used to estimate the genetic diversity of Senegalese cowpea germplasm, including 671 accessions grown in eight regions and 66 wild relatives and intermediate forms (weedy). For the cultivated, the main expected heterozygosity (mHe) ranged between 0.317 (Fatick) and 0.439 (South). A narrow genetic variation between accessions from the different regions was observed with genetic similarity ranging from 0.861 to 0.965 and genetic differentiation indices (Fst) between 0.018 and 0.100. The accessions from southern Senegal (Kédougou, Sédhiou, and Kolda regions) are more diverse than the others. However, the accessions from the North (Saint-Louis) are genetically different from other regions. The diversity analysis in wild relatives from Senegal, which had never been performed before, revealed that the wild/weedy forms remain more diverse than the cultivated with genetic diversity values (He) of 0.389 and 0.480, respectively. STRUCTURE software divided the Senegalese germplasm into five subpopulations. Three of them (i, ii, and iii) included only cultivated accessions from several regions, one (v) mainly from Saint-Louis, and one (iv) the wild/weedy with some cultivated accessions. Our results support the hypothesis that Vigna unguiculata var. spontanea is the wild progenitor of cowpea. The accessions from the South, the northern recession accessions, and the wild/weedy could serve as sources of new genes for the genetic improvement of cowpea in Senegal.

     

Searching and Oviposition Behavior of Anagrus atomus L. (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) on Four Host Plants of Its Host, the Green Leafhopper Empoasca decipiens Paoli (Homoptera: Cicadellidae)

Anagrus atomus L. is an important egg parasitoid of the green leafhopper Empoasca decipiens Paoli. In this study the ability of the parasitoid to locate and parasitize its host was investigated on four host plants, i.e., broad beans (Vicia faba L.), sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), and French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). For each plant species, the behavior of the parasitoid was observed on E. decipiens infested and noninfested plants. Searching and oviposition behavior were characterized by drumming, probing, and resting. Parasitoids spent significantly less time on non-infested than infested plants, 274.5 and 875.7 s, respectively, and no probing behavior was observed on non-infested plants. Frequency of resting behavior was significantly greater on non-infested than on infested plants. Total foraging time was significantly longer on infested than on non-infested plants, indicating that A. atomus females can efficiently discriminate between leaves with and without infestation. Parasitism of A. atomus was influenced by parasitoid density, with the highest parasitism rate (64.0%) obtained at a density of 10 A. atomus females/0.1356 m² but the number of parasitized eggs per female and the searching efficiency decreased with increasing parasitoid density.     

First partial cranium of Togocetus from Kpogamé (Togo) and the protocetid diversity in the Togolese phosphate basin

Earliest cetaceans (whales) originated from the early Eocene of Indo-Pakistan, but the group dispersed through most of the oceans of the planet by the late middle to late Eocene. This late Eocene global distribution indicates that important dispersal events took place during the middle Eocene (Lutetian), a globally undersampled time interval that is well documented in the Togolese phosphate series. We report here the first discovery of a partial cetacean cranium from middle Eocene deposits of Togo (West Africa). A 3D model of the cranium and teeth was reconstructed in order to reveal hidden anatomical features. The dental and cranial characteristics of the Togolese specimen recall those of protocetid taxa described in Africa, Asia, and North America, but also display significant differences. In particular, we show that the new specimen shares a number of morphological features with the Togolese taxon Togocetus. Such a hypothesis is further supported by a cladistic analysis including 45 taxa and 167 morphological characters, which recovers the new specimen close to Togocetus as the first offshoot of protocetids. Phylogenetic analysis including all the protocetids remains of Kpogamé confirms the singular diversity of the Togolese phosphate basin, and enables to examine potential connections with faunas from contemporaneous localities in Africa.     

Pharmacological profile of the tachykinin receptor involved in the stimulation of corticosteroid secretion in the frog Rana ridibunda

It has recently been shown that the adrenal gland of the frog Rana ridibunda is densely innervated by a network of fibers containing two novel tachykinins, i.e. ranakinin (the counterpart of substance P) and [Leu³, Ile⁷]neurokinin A. Both ranakinin and [Leu³, Ile⁷]neurokinin A stimulate corticosteroid secretion from frog adrenal glands in vitro. In the present study, we have investigated the pharmacological profile of the receptors involved in the stimulatory action of ranakinin on perifused frog adrenal slices. The selective NK-1 receptor antagonists [ -Pro⁴, -Trp^7,9]substance P 4–11 and CP-96,345, did not affect the stimulatory action of ranakinin. The selective NK-1 agonist substance P 6–11 had no effect on corticosteroid secretion. The non-peptidic NK-1 receptor antagonist RP 67580 significantly reduced the stimulatory effect of ranakinin on corticosterone and aldosterone secretion by 57 and 55%, respectively. In addition, the dual NK-1/NK-2 receptor antagonist FK-224 significantly inhibited the effect of ranakinin on corticosterone (−80%) and aldosterone secretion (−95%). Finally, the amphiphilic analogue of substance P, [ -Pro², -Phe⁷, -Trp⁹]substance P, had no effect on corticosteroid secretion. These data suggest that in the frog adrenal gland the stimulatory action of ranakinin on steroid secretion is mediated by a novel type of receptor which differs substantially from the mammalian NK-1 receptor subtype.     

Biostratigraphy and geodynamic impact in the uppermost part of the northeastern coastal basin of Togo

Lithological and micropaleontological studies of core-samples from five boreholes drilled in the northeastern part of the coastal basin of Togo allow for a specification of the stratigraphy and the paleogeography of this area during the Maastrichtian and Paleogene. A lithological analysis reveals a marine series consisting of a Lower Maastrichtian unit, a Middle Paleocene to Eocene unit, and an upper unit attributed to the Continental terminal sensu lato. The biostratigraphical study, based on planktonic foraminifera, has led to a characterization of the basin in terms of biozones ranging from the Globotruncana aegyptiaca to the Abathomphalus mayaroensis biozones and biozones P5 to P11, thus specifying a Middle to Upper Maastrichtian, an Upper Paleocene and a Lower to Middle Eocene units. The paleogeographical evolution of the area shows that the series recorded two sedimentary cycles: the first one stops at the end of the Cretaceous and the second one in the Paleogene.     

New data on the Dyrosauridae (Crocodylomorpha) from the Paleocene of Togo

Following our fieldwork in Paleogene deposits of Togo, we herein report cranial as well as postcranial elements belonging to the family Dyrosauridae. This assemblage is dated to the Late Paleocene (Thanetian) from two quarries in southern Togo. The specimens include a partial skull presenting two large supratemporal fossae and a massive occipital condyle; long and slender isolated teeth; amphicoelous vertebrae including several articulated ones; and two osteoderms devoid of carina. The morphology of the partial skull reveals similarities with some African longirostrine forms such as Rhabdognathus spp., although this attribution cannot be confirmed. Longirostrine forms, known in the late Paleocene and early Eocene of the Iullemmeden basin (Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Algeria) and in the phosphates of Morocco and Tunisia, is only represented in Thanetian levels in Togo. Different palaeoenvironmental settings seem to have characterized the various African basins during the lower Eocene, with consequences for the geographic distribution of dyrosaurids. These dyrosaurid remains confirm the presence of the family in Togo during the Paleocene and underline the fossiliferous potential of the coastal sedimentary basin in Togo and in the bay of Benin.     

The role of the coypu (Myocastor coypus), an invasive aquatic rodent species,in the epidemiological cycle of leptospirosis: a study in two wetlands in the East of France

Leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic species of the Leptospira genus. Animals can have two roles in the epidemiological cycle: they can be an accidental host and suffer of the disease or a reservoir host which does not express any clinical sign and shed bacteria in their urine. Some of the most known reservoirs for leptospirosis are certain rodent species, but the situation is less clear for aquatic rodents, especially for coypu (Myocastor coypus). It has been shown that this species can have kidney carriage for leptospirosis, but the relationship between carriage and individuals or population health has not been investigated yet. We trapped 133 coypus in two wetlands in the East of France during 3 years. For each animal, a complete necropsy, leptospirosis serology, and a specific real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) for pathogenic leptospires were performed; in addition, for some animals, a specific kidney culture for leptospires and histology on kidney were performed. In spite of a high seroprevalence (respectively 76 % and 64 %) and of a significant prevalence of kidney carriage in both areas (respectively 12.1 % and 8.0 % of positive qPCR on kidney), the trapped animals seemed in good health, and the population did not seem to be affected by the circulation of the bacteria. These findings are concurring arguments to consider coypu as a real reservoir for leptospirosis.