To determine the causes of the variation in the seasonal dynamics of Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) in Central Europe, numbers of adults and larvae of this invasive species were recorded on trees (Acer, Betula, Tilia) throughout the growing seasons from 2011 to 2016. Each year beetles were collected every two weeks, using a standardized sweeping method. The seasonal dynamics was expressed as plots of abundance (number of individuals per 100 sweeps) against time (Julian day) and these plots (seasonal profi les) were compared in terms of their size (area under the seasonal profi le curve), range, timing and height of the mode (maximum abundance). Timing and size of seasonal profi les varied among hostplants, years and sites. Abundance of larvae paralleled aphid occurrence and peak abundance of adults followed that of larvae 10 to 20 days later. Population dynamics before and after the peak were determined by dispersal. Adults arrived at sites before the start of aphid population growth and persisted there long after aphid populations collapsed. The abundance of H. axyridis decreased from 2011 to 2013 and then increased, achieving the previous levels recorded in 2015 and 2016. The variation in seasonal profi les revealed that H. axyridis, in terms of its response to environmental conditions, is a plastic species and this fl exibility is an important factor in its invasive success.
Small rodents are increasingly gaining importance as agricultural pests, with their distribution and abundance known to vary across landscapes. This study aimed at identifying ecological factors in the landscape that may influence small rodent distribution and abundance across agricultural landscapes in Uganda. This information may be used to inform the development of adaptive control measures for small rodent pests. Small rodent trapping surveys were conducted in three agro-ecosystem landscapes: Butaleja, Mayuge and Bulambuli districts in Eastern Uganda between November 2017 to June 2018 covering both dry and wet seasons. Data on small rodent abundance and richness, vegetation characteristics, land use/cover characteristics, farm management practices and soil characteristics were collected from quadrats. Additionally, Geographic Information System and remote sensing were used to determine vegetation characteristics (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index – NDVI) and land use/cover from satellite images. and Our results showed that crop field state (including hygiene, crop type and growth stage) is the most important variable with an overall relative importance of 34.4% prediction value for the abundance of Mastomys natalensis across the landscape studied. In terms of number of species encountered (species richness), results showed field crop status scoring highest with an overall relative importance of 39.8% at predicting small rodent species richness. Second in importance for overall rodent abundance was percentage composition soil silt particles with 15.6% and 18.1% for species richness and abundance respectively. Our findings have important implications for small rodent management, where land use characteristics, especially field crop state, is a critical factor as different conditions tend to affect rodent abundances differently. The study thus recommends that control efforts should be planned to consider field crop state; i.e. field hygiene where fields should be kept free of weeds to eliminate potential rodent breeding/habitation sites thus lowering rates of reproduction and population increase.
Until recently, the Canadian distribution of the blueberry maggot, Rhagoletis mendax Curran (Diptera: Tephritidae), was restricted to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. The insect was first mentioned in southern Quebec in 1996 and, to date, it has not reached the Lac St-Jean region, where 34% of Canadian blueberry acreage is located. Two questions concerning the northern limit of distribution of the blueberry maggot in Quebec were addressed. First, are wild plants suitable hosts for larval development? We collected the fruit of five wild plants, (e.g. Vaccinium corymbosum, Vaccinium angustifolium, Vaccinium myrtilloides, Gaylussacia baccata, and Aronia melanocarpa) growing in southern Quebec and allowed larvae to complete their development into pupae. Blueberry maggot pupae were recovered from Vaccinium corymbosum, Vaccinium angustifolium, and Gaylussacia baccata, indicating that these plants are suitable for larval development. Second, are harsh winter temperatures a factor limiting the northern distribution of the blueberry maggot? Pupae collected in Quebec and Nova Scotia were put in the soil in the fall and were brought back to the laboratory to determine their supercooling points at different times during winter. The supercooling points of pupae collected in Quebec and Nova Scotia averaged -22.6°C. In natural conditions, air temperatures <-20°C are frequently observed in Quebec in January, February and March. However, due to snow cover, soil temperatures are rarely <-12°C. If -22.6°C constitutes the lower limit for the survival, then winter temperatures are probably not a limiting factor to its northern distribution in Quebec, because blueberry maggot pupae overwinter in the soil., Charles Vincent, Pierre Lemoyne, Sonia Gaul, Kenna Mackenzie., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH) type 1, caused by a heterozygous inactivating mutation of the gene encoding the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), is characterized by mild to moderate hypercalcemia, hypocalciuria and inappropriately normal or elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH). FHH must be differentiated from primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) because parathyroidectomy is ineffective in the former. Herein, we report a 39-year-old male patient with a 13-year history of asymptomatic PTH-dependent hypercalcemia (mean calcium of 2.88 mmol/l; reference range 2.15-2.55 mmol/l) and calcium-tocreatinine clearance ratio (Ca/Cr) ranging from 0.007 to 0.0198, which is consistent with either FHH or PHPT. Although a family history of hypercalcemia was negative, and PET-CT with fluorocholine was suggestive of a parathyroid adenoma, genetic analysis of the CaSR gene identified a heterozygous inactivating mutation NM_000388.4:c.1670G>A p. (Gly557Glu) in exon 6 and a polymorphism NM_000388.4:c.1192G>A p. (Asp398Asn) in exon 4. The G557E mutation has been previously reported in a Japanese family in which all family members with the mutation had Ca/Cr below 0.01 consistent with FHH. The biochemical profile of FHH and PHPT may overlap. Our FHH patient with a G557E CaSR mutation illustrates that the differential diagnosis can be difficult in an index case with no family history, (false) positive parathyroid imaging and higher calciuria than expected for FHH. Calcium intake, vitamin D status and bone resorption might have contributed to the Ca/Cr variations over a 13-year clinical follow up. This case thus emphasizes the irreplaceable role of genetic testing of the CaSR gene when clinical evaluation is inconclusive., Kateřina Zajíčková, Marcela Dvořáková, Jitka Moravcová, Josef Včelák, David Goltzman., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The article describes the approach and method of Family Housing Pathways. This process of gathering and presenting data makes it possible to include the extended family’s housing resources, the management of these resources, and the transformations of households within a family. Twenty-eight Family Housing Pathways were gathered and collected as part of an assignment given to students as part of an undergraduate course on housing problems. The exercise shed light on recurring themes in the transformation of the housing system in Poland that influence individual and family management of housing resources. Even a sample of relatively privileged families demonstrates that housing is clearly a crucial dimension, especially in times of transition, e.g. in post-communist Poland after 1989. The Family Housing Pathways approach could be a promising tool as well as an approach that combines biographical and historical housing perspectives, without losing sight of concerns of a practical and ethical nature.
Thrips are important agricultural pests and accurate identification is important for their effective management. In order to determine species, however, they need to be mounted on slides and the traditional process is time-consuming. The aim of this paper is to describe a simple and fast method to prepare temporary slides for the routine identification of thrips, which is not dependent on their colour and hardness. Four species of thrips of different colours were used in the preparations: Frankliniella occidentalis (yellow with brown tergal markings), Frankliniella schultzei (entirely brown), Haplothrips gowdeyii (dark brown to carmine) and Caliothrips phaseoli (brown to black). Slides of each species were prepared using three different methods: traditional (3 days), simplified (6 h) and fast method (10 min). The thrips on the resulting slides were observed under a microscope and important structures used in their identification were compared. The quality of the slides prepared using the traditional method was superior to those prepared using the other two methods if only the transparency and general position of the insects on the slides were considered. The transparency of the slides prepared using the simplified method was also good, but only for the pale coloured species (yellow and grey-brown). The fast method, on the other hand, was very efficient for routine identification since it resulted in slides of sufficient quality for identifying species regardless of their colour. It is important, however, to stress that the fast method is only suitable for preparing temporary slides for routine identification and is not a substitute for the traditional method of preparing permanent slides., Luís C.P. Silveira, Marcelo M. Haro., and Obsahuje bibliografii
EGY1 (ethylene-dependent gravitropism-deficient and yellow-green 1) is an intramembrane metalloprotease located in chloroplasts, involved in many diverse processes including chloroplast development, chlorophyll biosynthesis, and the ethylene-dependent gravitropic response. Plants deprived of this protease display pleiotropic effects such as the yellow-green early senescence phenotype and a poorly developed thylakoid system membrane in the mature chloroplasts. We applied the GC/MS technique to analyze the changes in fatty acid composition in two egy1 mutant lines. We used DAPI staining and transmission electron microscopy methods to establish the number of nucleoids and the amount of chloroplast DNA. Our results indicated that the lack of EGY1 protease led to a dramatic overaccumulation and a dramatic decrease in the content of linolenic acid C18:3 and hexadecatrienoic acid C16:3, respectively. The amount of chloroplast DNA and the number of nucleoids were severely reduced in egy1 mutant lines. Similarly, a reduced correlation between DAPI and autofluorescence signal was observed, which may indicate some perturbations in nucleoid anchoring.
We investigated the effect of the feeding behaviour of young larvae of Pieris rapae crucivora Boisduval (Pieridae) on parasitism by the parasitoid wasp, Cotesia glomerata (L.) (Braconidae). Young, 1st-3rd instar larvae used approximately three sites for feeding each day. When not feeding, they moved a short distance away from the feeding sites (= feeding marks) and rested. For first, second and third instar larvae, the distances from the new mark, made within 24 h, to larva at rest were, respectively, about 3.5 mm, 5 mm and more than 10 mm. To resume feeding, they moved back to one of the former feeding sites or a new site. The percentage of the feeding marks older than 24 h that attracted parasitoids was less than 50%. Time spent searching for hosts by a parasitoid was short. Larvae placed 5 mm or more from a feeding mark were less parasitized than the larvae placed near a mark. The number of feeding marks affected parasitism. When comparing single-marked and triple-marked leaves, the percentage parasitism of the larvae on the latter was significantly lower than that of the larvae on the former. On triple-marked leaves, parasitoids visited each mark unevenly. Accordingly, the time spent searching each mark differed significantly among the marks. Because of this confusing effect, hosts are considered to be reducing the risk of parasitism. Our results demonstrate that the feeding habits of young larvae of P. rapae crucivora are adaptive in terms of reducing the risk of parasitism by C. glomerata., Aya Nakayama, Keiji Nakamura, Jun Tagawa., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Haemadipsid leeches are among the most successful terrestrial invertebrates in Bornean rainforests. They are very common ectoparasites of vertebrates, and their abundance has facilitated the conduction of numerous projects in the fields of ecology, zoogeography and taxonomy. We undertook research on two species inhabiting lowland dipterocarp forest, Haemadipsa picta Moore, 1929 and Haemadipsa subagilis (Moore, 1929), in order to address the following questions: (a) is there a difference in leech abundance between trails and off-trails?; (b) is ambush location dependent on specimen size or is species-specific?; (c) is intra- and interspecific competition limited by differences in foraging behaviours or vertical niche partitioning? Our results clearly show that H. picta is more abundant on trails than on off-trails and is vertically dispersed within the understory; the size of a specimen is strongly correlated with plant height. Haemadipsa subagilis was found not to exhibit such patterns. We suggest a possible lowering of interspecific competition between these species as a result of: (i) size-dependent dispersion of H. picta (together with reduction of intraspecific competition); and (ii) habitat specialisation of H. subagilis. Moreover, we provide new observations on their foraging behaviour., Piotr Gąsiorek, Hanna Różycka., and Obsahuje bibliografii