EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY OF DATURA STRAMONIUM L. IN CENTRAL MEXICO: NATURAL SELECTION FOR RESISTANCE TO HERBIVOROUS INSECTS

It has been assumed that herbivores constitute a selective agent for the evolution of plant resistance. However, few studies have tested this hypothesis. In this study, we look at the annual weed Datura stramonium for evidence of current natural selection for resistance to herbivorous insects. Paternal half-sib families obtained through controlled crosses were exposed to herbivores under natural conditions. The plants were damaged by two folivorous insects: the tobacco flea beetle Epitrix parvula and the grasshopper Sphenarium purpurascens. Selection was estimated using a multiple-regression analysis of plant size and of damage by the two herbivores on plant fitness measured as fruit production for both individual phenotypes and family breeding values (genetic analysis). Directional phenotypic selection was detected for both larger plant size and lower resistance to the flea beetles, whereas stabilizing phenotypic selection was revealed for resistance to S. purpurascens. However, performing the same analyses on the breeding values of the characters revealed directional and stabilizing selection only for plant size. Thus, no agreement existed between the results of the two types of analyses, nor was there any detectable potential for genetic change in the studied population because of selection on herbivore resistance. The narrow-sense heritability of every trait studied was small (all <0.1) and not different from zero. The potential for evolutionary response to natural selection for higher resistance to herbivores in the studied population of D. stramonium is probably limited by lack of genetic variation. Natural selection acts on phenotypes, and the detection of phenotypic selection on resistance to herbivores confirms their ecological importance in determining plant fitness. However, evolutionary inferences based solely on phenotypic selection analyses must be interpreted with caution.     

Notes on the Anacroneuria (Plecoptera: Perlidae) of Guyana with the Description of a New Species

A new species of perlid, Anacroneuria takutu sp. n., from Guyana is described and a new record of A. arawak Stark is given. Two additional species of Anacroneuria, represented only by female specimens, are described under informal designations.     

三线钩蛾的生物学初步观察

三线钩蛾Pseudalbara parvula(Leech)是胡桃科和壳斗科树木的食叶害虫,核桃树受害很普遍。该虫1年发生2代,以蛹越冬。越冬代和第1代成虫于4月下旬和7月下旬开始羽化。文章报道其分布、寄主、生物学特性和天敌情况及防治方法。     

中国顶丝藻科（Acrochaetiaceae）新记录I

中国顶丝藻科新记录６种。密集旋体藻Ａｕｄｏｕｉｎｅｌｌｅｄｅｎｓａ,亮管旋体藻Ａ．ｈｙａｌｏｓｉｐｈｏｎｉａｅ,小旋体藻Ａ．ｐａｒｖｕｌａ,羽状旋体藻Ａ．ｐｌｕｍｏｓａ,顶生旋体藻Ａ．ｔｅｒｍｉｎａｌｉｓ,图氏旋体藻Ａ．ｔｈｕｒｅｔｉｉ。     

GENETICS OF CHAMPIA PARVULA (RHODYMENIALES. RHODOPMYTA): MENDELIAN INHERITANCE OF SPONTANEOUS MUTANTS1,2

Spontaneous mutants affecting the morphology and pigmentation of the small marine red alga Champia parvula were genetically characterized. All of the variants were transmitted in the Mendelian pattern expected for recessive nuclear mutations. The results permit the identification of four mutant genes affecting morphology and four mutant genes affecting pigmentation. One of the latter, designated yell, was interesting in that it also appeared to act as a recessive lethal during carposporophyte development. So linkage bas been discovered in crosses conducted thus far. Champia parvula was found to have many desirable features for genetic studies, especially a very rapid sexual life cycle, and it is suggested that this species should be considered as a possible model organism for future genetic studies on the Rhodophyta or for teaching seaweed genetics.     

Differing effects of suspended sediments on the performance of native and exotic Daphnia

1. Although large cladocerans are usually uncommon in large rivers, Daphnia lumholtzi (an exotic species in North America) is widespread and occasionally abundant. We collected zooplankton on the Illinois River (Illinois, U.S.A.) in 1995 and 1996 and found that the peak density of D. lumholtzi (25 L⁻¹) typically exceeded that of all native species combined. Maximum density occurred during warm periods (up to 27 °C) when concentrations of inorganic suspended sediments were high (>50 mg L⁻¹).
2. Using a life table experiment, we examined the effects of variation in suspended sediment (0 and 80 mg L⁻¹) and food (10⁴ and 10⁵ Ankistrodesmus cells mL⁻¹) on fitness of D. lumholtzi and the native Daphnia parvula. Daphnia lumholtzi had greater survivorship than D. parvula in most treatments and higher life-time fertility than D. parvula in all treatments. Both species achieved their fastest intrinsic rates of growth in treatments with high food, but their responses to suspended solids differed. The growth rate of D. lumholtzi in high food was slightly increased by higher turbidity, whereas that of D. parvula was depressed.
3. Results suggest that the ability of D. lumholtzi to tolerate suspended solids is an important factor contributing to its success in invading North American rivers.     

A comparison of individual distinctiveness in three vocalizations of the dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula)

Individual specificity can be found in the vocalizations of many avian and mammalian species. However, it is often difficult to determine whether these vocal cues to identity rise from “unselected” individual differences in vocal morphology or whether they have been accentuated by selection for the purposes of advertising caller identity. By comparing the level of acoustic individuality of different vocalizations within the repertoire of a single species, it is possible to ascertain whether selection for individual recognition has modified the vocal cues to identity in particular contexts. We used discriminant function analyses to determine the level of accuracy with which calls could be classified to the correct individual caller, for three dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula) vocalizations: contact, snake, and isolation calls. These calls were similar in acoustic structure but divergent in context and function. We found that all three call types showed individual specificity but levels varied with call type (increasing from snake to contact to isolation call). The individual distinctiveness of each call type appeared to be directly related to the degree of benefit that signalers were likely to accrue from advertising their identity within that call context. We conclude that dwarf mongoose signalers have undergone selection to facilitate vocal individual recognition, particularly in relation to the species’ isolation call.     

微小泰泽球虫内生阶段虫体内多糖的细胞化学的研究

采用纯种微小泰泽球虫(Tyzzeria parvula)卵囊,人工感染四日龄雏鹅,定时剖杀,取肠道组织进行石蜡切片,细胞化学染色,观察微小泰泽球虫内生阶段虫体内多糖的分布。结果表明:滋养体、多核体、小配子体以及早期的大配子体内均不含多糖。裂殖子PAS反应阳性,但也有少数第二代裂殖子阴性。随着大配子体的发育,多糖逐渐在其体内合成,合子时期达到高峰。提示:微小泰泽球虫体内的多糖是一个合成—积累—消耗的过程。