The presence of adipokinetic activity in crude extracts of corpora cardiaca (CC) from the butterfly (Vanessa cardui L., Nymphalidae) was demonstrated by bioassay and Mas-AKH was revealed as the major adipokinetic hormone (AKH) by use of two different technologies of sequence elucidation: HPLC separation of the peptide followed by Edman degradation and Q-TOF mass spectrometry. In contrast to the time- and material-consuming conventional methods of peptide purification and sequencing, substantial structural data of the peptide were confirmed - post factum - from one pCC (pair of CC) by Q-TOF mass spectrometry. Only males of our laboratory colony showed a significant lipid increase in the haemolymph after injection of either crude CC extract (1 pCC equivalent) or 10 pmol of synthetic peptide., Gabriele Köllisch, Peter D. Verhaert, Matthias W. Lorenz, Roland Kellner, Gerd Gäde, Klaus H. Hoffmann, and Lit
In order to manage the risks posed to domestic crop production by quarantine pests such as Thrips palmi, their potential to establish in a new environment must be assessed. The thermal requirements for development of T. palmi were determined and compared with UK temperatures, to estimate its potential for development under UK conditions. Temperature and rate of development of T. palmi from egg to adult were linearly related between 15 and 30°C, allowing calculation of an overall threshold of 10.1°C, and a sum of effective temperatures of 194 degree-days. In the UK, development of T. palmi would be possible outdoors during the summer when a maximum of up to four or five generations could occur. Comparison of these data with those of the recently established and biologically similar pest, Frankliniella occidentalis, shows that establishment of T. palmi in the UK is unlikely to be limited by an inability to complete the life cycle during the favourable season., Jamie R. McDonald, Jeffrey S. Bale, Keith F.A. Walters, and Lit
The male of Tetanoptera leucodactyla Verbèke, a genus and species of Sciomyzidae known until now only from one female specimen from the Congo, is described, and the genus is more fully characterized. The external morphology is illustrated and the male genitalia are described and figured for the first time. The relationships of Tetanoptera to genera of the Sepedon group and certain other genera of Tetanocerini are discussed. Tetanoptera appears to be related to Verbekaria, and intermediate in an evolutionary lineage between the relatively primitive Tetanocera and the advanced Thecomyia., Lloyd V. Knutson, Jean-Claude Vala, and Lit
Four species new to science are described from Vanuatu, namely Holophygdon nishidae sp. n., Idiocysta vanuatuensis sp.n., Nesocypselas minicysta sp. n., and Tingis parvoroe sp. n. New records are provided for six species, five of them being new to Vanuatu: Cysteochila idonea Drake, Stephanitis subfasciata Horváth, Teleonemia scrupulosa Stål, Tingis chazeaui Guilbert, and Tingis irregularis (Montrouzier). A key to genera and species of Vanuatu is added., Eric Guilbert, and Lit
Přes obrovský pokrok v molekulárních fylogenetických metodách a množství v nedávné době objevených fosilních taxonů nemáme o fylogenezi a evoluci mravenců (čeleď Formicidae) mnoho ověřených faktů. V současnosti se rozlišuje 16 žijících a tři fosilní podčeledi. Podčeleď Leptanillinae je považována za bazální, zatímco skupina Apoidea (včely a kutilky) se ukazuje jako sesterská k čeledi mravenců., In contrast to the huge progress of molecular phylogenetic methods and many recently discovered fossil taxa, the phylogeny and evolution of ants (Formicidae) remains poorly understood. Today 16 extant and three fossil ant subfamilies are known. The subfamily Leptanillinae is considered as basal, while Apoidea seems to be a sister family to the ants., and Pavel Pech.
Rychlý růst počtu nepůvodních druhů je jednou z nejzávažnějších hrozeb pro světovou biodiverzitu i pro zemědělství. V článku jsou představeny dva druhy kněžic, jejichž rozšíření do České republiky v nejbližších letech očekáváme: invazní kněžice mramorovaná (Halyomorpha halys) pochází z východní Asie, kosmopolitní kněžice zeleninová (Nezara viridula) se šíří ze Středomoří patrně přirozeně v závislosti na globálním oteplování. Jelikož oba druhy jsou významnými zemědělskými škůdci, jsou uvedeny základní znaky sloužící k jejich rozlišení a rovněž údaje o jejich biologii a škodlivosti., A rapid increase in the number of alien species is one of the most important threats to global biodiversity as well as to agriculture. The article presents two species of the family Pentatomidae which are expected to reach the Czech Republic in the near future - the invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys) native to East Asia, and the cosmopolitan Southern Green Stink Bug (Nezara viridula), probably spreading naturally northwards from the Mediterranean due to global warming. Because both species are serious pests in agriculture, the key characteristics facilitating their identification are provided and illustrated along with information on their bionomics and pest status., and Petr Kment.