In the present work, we have characterized the chromosomes of 13 Cassidinae beetles, belonging to four tribes, the broad aim being to increase the cytogenetic data and establish the mechanisms involved in chromosome evolution of this subfamily, which appear to be conserved karyotypically, i.e. 2n = 16 + Xyp. The analysis of mitotic and meiotic cells revealed a high diversity of diploid numbers (2n = 18, 2n = 22, 2n = 26, 2n = 32, 2n = 36, 2n = 40, 2n = 42), and the presence of sex chromosome system of the Xyp type in most species, with the exception of two representatives that exhibited Xyr and XY systems. C-banding showed constitutive heterochromatin predominantly localized in the pericentromeric region of the chromosomes, but differences regarding the number of chromosomes with positive C-bands, intensity of the blocks, and presence of additional bands in autosomes and/or sex chromosomes were observed among the species investigated. Our data revealed that the karyotype 2n = 16 + Xyp does not occur in all 13 tribes of the Cassidinae characterized cytogenetically, seeming to be only a shared feature among the species of the Cassidini. Variations in the C-band pattern, mainly in closely related species, suggest that the interspecific karyotype diversification occurred as a result of changes in the quantity and distribution of constitutive heterochromatin. The occurrence of the Xyp sex chromosome system in the tribe Mesomphaliini, which showed the highest diversity of simple and multiple systems among the coleopteran as a whole, reinforces the view that derived systems originated by chromosome rearrangements involving the Xyp ancestral system., Amália T. Lopes, Flávia R. Fernandes, Marielle C. Schneider., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The objective of this work was to evaluate the relative trap efficiency of the three modified traps baited with 1-octen-3-ol as attractant, Box, Nzi and Canopy, for horse fly (Tabanidae) survey. Nine traps (three traps per trap type) were tested in 3 × 3 Latin square designs during summer 2011 in riparian oak-ash forests in the Danube floodplain of Croatia. Overall, the traps caught 1,986 specimens of 11 horse flies species during the study period. The most abundant species caught was Tabanus bromius (58%), followed by Tabanus tergestinus (21%), Tabanus maculicornis (16%), Tabanus sudeticus (2%), Atylotus loewianus (1%) and Tabanus autumnalis (1%). Both the Box traps and the Nzi traps had significantly greater catch efficiencies than the Canopy traps (βbox = 2.47, X2 = 65.48, df = 1, P < 0.001 and βnzi = 1.54, X2 = 25.12, df = 1, P < 0.001, respectively). Nzi traps had a catch rate 4.65 (95% CI: 2.55, 8.48) times greater than Canopy traps and Box traps had a catch rate 11.77 (95% CI: 6.48, 21.39) times greater than Canopy traps. Based on Shannon-Wiener diversity indices Nzi traps were better suited for diversity survey and had higher (H' = 1.33) indices than Box (H' = 1.08) or Canopy traps (H' = 1.00)., Alma Mikuška, Selma Mlinarić, Lidija Begović, Erin Curran., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Fifteen different mitochondrial haplotypes of the mtDNA gene COI encoding cytochrome C oxidase subunit I were identified in the 127 individuals of Adalia bipunctata studied. Two mitochondrial haplotypes, H9 and H10, differed greatly from the others. The mitochondrial polymorphism in A. bipunctata is ancient, though its age remains to be evaluated. It is shown that mitochondrial haplotypes H9 and H10 and others coexisted in the original population of A. bipunctata before it spread throughout Eurasia from Western Europe to the Baikal Area, and before the differentiation of the subspecies A. bipunctata fasciatopunctata, which differs from the European form in its elytral pattern. In order to evaluate the possible origin of the ancient mitochondrial haplotypes in the gene pool of A. bipunctata sequences of the mtDNA gene COI and of the rRNA second internal transcribed spacer of the four species of Adalia: A. bipunctata, A. decempunctata, A. frigida and A. tetraspilota, were compared. It is suggested that infection with Rickettsia had an important role in the preservation of the mitochondrial haplotypes H9 and H10 during the evolution of Adalia., Ilya Zakharov, Elena Shaikevich., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The growth parameters of the green lacewing, Chrysoperla nipponensis-B (Okamoto), were studied under laboratory conditions. The highest mortality was recorded in the immature stages (instars 1st, 2nd, 3rd and pupae) of C. nipponensis fed on the eggs of Corcyra cephalonica (37.26%). The sex ratios (proportion of female to male) when reared on the eggs of C. cephalonica and an artificial diet with ginger were 0.93 : 1.00 and 0.87 : 1.00, respectively. The maximum life spans of females reared on the eggs of C. cephalonica and an artificial diet with ginger were 63 and 64 days, respectively. The females reared on the eggs of C. cephalonica produced the highest number of eggs (10.4) on the fifth day of oviposition, whereas on the artificial diet with ginger it was 9.26 on the eighth day of oviposition. The net reproductive rate (Ro) and maximum gross reproductive rate (GRR) of C. nipponensis fed on the eggs of C. cephalonica were 69.50 and 223.10 females per female per generation, respectively, whereas for the artificial diet with ginger they were 117.24 and 236.89 females per female per generation, respectively. Mean generation time (T) was 37.06 and 48.16 for the eggs of C. cephalonica and artificial diet with ginger, respectively. The intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) was 0.11 and 0.09 females per female per day for the eggs of C. cephalonica and artificial diet with ginger, respectively. The finite rate of increase (λ) was 1.12 and 1.11 females per female per day for the eggs of C. cephalonica and artificial diet with ginger, respectively. The population doubling time (DT) was 6.05 days on the diet of eggs of C. cephalonica and 7.00 on the artificial diet with ginger., Shafique A. Memon, Dzolkhifli Omar, Rita Muhamad, Ahamd S. Sajap, Norhayu Asib, Arfan A. Gibal., and Obsahuje bibliografii
a1_Quantitative behavioural traits associated with egg-laying, such as the level of selectivity for host-supports and the size of egg clutches, are generally thought to be of great importance for the subsequent survival and development of offspring. These quantitative traits, however, are often difficult to assess reliably by direct observation in the field. This is particularly the case when the insects are very tiny, which is the case for most galling and leaf mining insects. However, a new approach, the "Melba" procedure, allows the indirect inference of these quantitative traits, using easily recorded field-data only. Application of this diagnostic procedure to a large series of samples of beech leaves (Fagus silvatica), harbouring either a leaf miner, Phyllonorycter maestingella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) or one or the other of two galling insects, Mikiola fagi or Hartigiola annulipes (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) indicates that the leaf miner differs significantly from the two species of galling insect in term of combined values of host-acceptance ratio and average clutch-size, while the two gall-inducing species remain substantially undistinguishable from each other according to these traits. Thus, the galling insects (i) show stronger selectivity for a host than does the miner at any given average clutch-size and (ii) show larger average clutch-size at any given level of selectivity. That is, for at least these three species, the galling insects show a greater level of selectivity when choosing leaves to oviposit on but, then, tend to lay larger egg-clutches. These differences may be due (i) to the gall-inducing process requiring far more of leaf tissues than being simply palatable, which makes it likely that galling species will be more selective in their choice of leaves than leaf miners and (ii) to the capacity of galls to become nutrient sinks, which may help explain why the galling insects laid larger, a2_egg clutches. However, whether these trends can be regarded as general rather specific to this particular case, depends on the outcome of future studies on other groups of insects with similar life histories., and Jean BÉGUINOT.
Two new microleafhopper genera of Empoascini within the subfamily Typhlocybinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), Condensella Xu, Dietrich & Qin gen. n., based on the type species C. filamenta Xu, Dietrich & Qin sp. n., and Endogena Xu, Dietrich & Qin gen. n., based on the type species E. flava Xu, Dietrich & Qin sp. n., are described from southern China and Thailand. Male habitus photos and illustrations of male genitalia of the two new species are provided. Comparative notes on related genera are provided. Phylogenetic relationships and the status of genus groups within the tribe are also discussed., Ye Xu, Christopher H. Dietrich, Wenhui Zhao, Daozheng Qin., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This study of the proteins in the silk of the summer and winter cocoons of the horse chestnut leaf miner Cameraria ohridella revealed they can inhibit protease activity. The inhibitory activity of the summer silk was higher against both the fungal proteinase K and bacterial subtilisin than that of the winter silk. Also, the winter silk was more effective in inhibiting proteinase K than subtilisin. Further, it was demonstrated that some of the silk proteins are glycosylated probably by mannose carbohydrates. An electron microscopy study of the cocoons revealed the presence of silk fibres with different diameters in some pupal chambers. and Veronika Hněvsová, Dalibor Kodrík, František Weyda.
A positive correlation between the parental effort of a male and female should promote stable biparental care. In order to prevent infanticide male and female burying beetles are said to guard against intruders cooperatively and the presence of a male partner is said to increase the probability of successful defence. However, this hypothesis is supported only by indirect evidence. In this study this hypothesis is tested by direct observation. Whether the intruder was male or female, contests between the same and the opposite sex occurred, although there were few contests between resident females and intruding males. In addition, resident pairs tended to win irrespective of the sex of the intruder, although it is reported that among burying beetles large beetles usually win intra-sexual contests. In the presence of a partner, a small resident can defend a carcass against a large con-sexual intruder. These results suggest that by means of biparental cooperation burying beetles can repel stronger intruders and supports the hypothesis that the threat of infanticide is the primary explanation for extended biparental care in these beetles. and Seizi Suzuki.
The effects of landscape attributes on Lepidoptera communities were studied in an agricultural area in Calabria (S-Italy). The association between a set of community descriptors and landscape metrics was determined using a multi-scale approach. Lepidoptera were sampled using yellow sticky traps in 10 olive groves. The landscape in 5 concentric areas, with radii from 250 to 1250 m, around each sampling site was analyzed. The composition and configuration of the landscape were calculated both at the landscape and class level based on the main classes of land use. The following life-history traits of Lepidoptera were considered: (i) dispersal ability of adults, (ii) habitat preferences and (iii) diet breadth of larvae. An index of community vulnerability was calculated by combining life-history traits and species diversity. There were no significant correlations between any of the landscape metrics and species richness or between species richness and abundance of natural or semi-natural habitats. However, life-history traits were significantly correlated with some landscape metrics, depending on the spatial scale. Most notably, landscape diversity is positively correlated with community vulnerability. The presence of sensitive species in olive orchards, but not species richness per se, is associated with the presence of natural and semi-natural habitats in the surrounding agricultural landscape. In conclusion, responses of communities to landscape changes are more likely to be revealed by an analysis of ecological traits, than species richness. In particular, the vulnerability index, used in this joint analysis of the main ecological traits, seems to be an effective descriptor of the relationships between communities and landscape., Stefano Scalercio ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Most species of ants inhabiting the temperate zone overwinter underground, whereas those of the genus Temnothorax remain in nests aboveground. I studied the cost of aboveground overwintering. Workers of Temnothorax crassispinus survived in higher numbers (median = 88%) in artificial nests experimentally buried at a depth of 5 cm than those in nests on the surface (48%) of the soil. The results support the hypothesis that overwintering aboveground could be a consequence of a limited supply of nests and/or the advantage of being able to respond quickly to warm temperatures in spring. Address, Slawomir Mitrus., and Obsahuje seznam literatury