The multicoloured Asian ladybird Harmonia axyridis is an invasive insect that can negatively influence biodiversity and human economy in invaded areas. According to the enemy release hypothesis, invasive alien species are often little affected by parasites and other enemies. We studied the prevalence of common parasites of insects infesting and infecting H. axyridis in NW Poland. A large sample of 2351 individuals was collected and divided into two groups: 1180 beetles were dissected and examined for the presence of eugregarines, nematodes and Laboulbeniales fungi, and 751 were checked for phoretic mites. Our results show that H. axyridis is indeed parasitized infrequently. The prevalence of eugregarines and nematodes was very low (1.5% and 0.4%, respectively). No specimens of Laboulbeniales or phoretic mites were found. Our study indicates that in NW Poland H. axyridis is rarely infested or infected by parasites. This paper reports for the first time the infection of H. axyridis by the eugregarine Gregarina barbarara., Kryzstof Dudek, Paweł Sienkiewicz, Dariusz J. Gwiazdowicz, Piotr Tryjanowski., and Obsahuje bibliografii
A thioredoxin-like protein (txl) gene was cloned from the bumblebee, Bombus ignitus. The B. ignitus txl (Bitxl) gene spans 1777 bp and consists of three introns and four exons coding for 285 amino acid residues with a conserved active site (CGPC). The deduced amino acid sequence of the Bitxl cDNA was 65% similar to the Drosophila melanogaster txl. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of Bitxl transcripts in all tissues examined. When H2O2 was injected into the body cavity of B. ignitus workers, Bitxl mRNA expression was up-regulated in the fat body tissue. In addition, the expression levels of Bitxl mRNA in the fat body greatly increased when B. ignitus workers were exposed to low (4°C) or high (37°C) temperatures, or injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which suggests that the Bitxl possibly protects against oxidative stress caused by extreme temperatures and bacterial infection.
Small bowel obstruction is a common clinical problem presenting with abdominal distention, colicky pain, absolute constipation and bilious vomiting. There are numerous causes, most commonly attributed to an incarcerated hernia, adhesions or obstructing mass secondary to malignancy. Here we present an unusual cause of a small bowel obstruction secondary to an incarcerated incisional hernia in association with an acute organoaxial gastric volvulus. and N. R. Kosai, H. S. Gendeh, M. Noorharisman, P. A. Sutton, S. Das
Twenty eight species of winter-active Heleomyzidae were collected during a long-term study in Poland. More than 130 samples of insects, including Heleomyzidae, were collected from the surface of snow in lowland and mountain areas using a semi-quantitative method. Lowland and mountain assemblages of Heleomyzidae recorded on snow were quite different. Heleomyza modesta (Meigen, 1835) and Scoliocentra (Leriola) brachypterna (Loew, 1873) dominated in the mountains, Tephrochlamys rufiventris (Meigen, 1830) mainly in the lowlands and Heteromyza rotundicornis (Zetterstedt, 1846) was common in both habitats. Heleomyzidae were found on snow during the whole period of snow cover, but the catches peaked from late November to the beginning of February. In late winter and early spring the occurrence of heleomyzids on snow decreased. Most individuals were active on snow at air temperatures between -2 and +2.5°C. A checklist of 78 winter active European Heleomyzidae is presented. Helomyza nivalis Wahlgren, 1918 is herein considered as a new junior synonym of Helomyza caesia Meigen, 1830, syn. n., Agnieszka Soszyńska-Maj, Andrzej J. Woźnica., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The meadow spittlebug genus Philaenus (Auchenorrhyncha: Aphrophoridae) is known to display marked colour polymorphism. This study presents the results of a karyotype analysis of P. arslani from Lebanon using conventional chromosome staining, C-banding, fluorescent banding using base-specific fluorochromes (CMA3 and DAPI) and AgNOR-staining. This species has 2n = 18 + neo-XY, and differs from P. spumarius both in the number of chromosomes and sex chromosome system. During meiosis, the neo-XY bivalent is clearly heteromorphic being the largest in the complement. Furthermore, sex chromosomes show marked differences in C-banding pattern. The NOR-bearing chromosomes are the first and one of the middle-sized pairs of autosomes. NORs are G-C rich. Furthermore, some blocks of constitutive heterochromatin on the sex chromosomes are also G-C rich. All other C-bands are DAPI or DAPI/ CMA3 positive, thus containing A-T rich DNA. The significant difference in the karyotype of P. arslani and P. spumarius indicates chromosomal transformations during the evolution of the genus Philaenus.