Biodiversity in Ramogi Hill, Kenya, and its evolutionary significance

Journal Article The Survival of Several Species of Insects in a Nitrogen Atmosphere Get access Gary D. Knipling, Gary D. Knipling Entomology Research Division, Agric. Res. Serv., U.S.D.A. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar W. N. Sulliyan, W. N. Sulliyan Entomology Research Division, Agric. Res. Serv., U.S.D.A. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar R. A. Fulton R. A. Fulton Entomology Research Division, Agric. Res. Serv., U.S.D.A. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Journal of Economic Entomology, Volume 54, Issue 5, 1 October 1961, Pages 1054–1055, https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/54.5.1054 Published: 23 September 2014 Article history Accepted: 18 April 1961 Published: 23 September 2014

Precocene II metabolism: Comparative in vivo studies among several species of insects, and structure elucidation of two major metabolites

Several species of insects have been found in propagules of species of mangrove forest, but Coccotrypes rhizophorae (Hopkins) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) has been recorded as one of the main pest of Rhizophora mangle (L.) (Malpighiales: Rhizophoraceae). While the species of mangrove is common in the Gulf of Mexico, the insect fauna associated with its propagules and characteristics of the damage they cause are unknown. This study evaluated the relationship between the presence of insects and damage characteristics in R. mangle propagules. Eleven mangrove forest sites in seven municipalities of the state of Veracruz (Mexico) were sampled, and 10 R. mangle propagules were collected from each site (110 in total). We found 192 individual insects of Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera at different stages of development in the propagules; Coleoptera was the most abundant order (64.3%). Qualitative characteristics such as perforations and galleries were not always associated with the presence of insects. However, other damage characteristics such as perforation size and gallery volume were significantly related to insect presence. Gallery volume, estimated as a measure of the intensity of tissue removal, was significantly greater when C. rhizophorae shared the gallery with other species of insects than when the beetle or other insects were found alone in the propagule. The results showed that R. mangle propagules could maintain colonization dynamics in insects of different orders, consuming tissue that jeopardized the survival and establishment of propagules. The damage can increase under stress in R. mangle, caused by environmental factor generating potential damage to tropical sentinel ecosystems that can eventually become irreversible.

<i>Studies in the Systematics of</i> Troides <i>Hübner</i> (<i>Lepidoptera Papilionidœ</i>) <i>and its Allies; Distribution and Phytogeny in Relation to the Geological History of the Australasian Archipelago.</i>

sInsect lipids: Carbon number distribution of triglycerides in five species

Reducing the global environmental impact of livestock production: the minilivestock option

Journal Article Toxicity of Some Nitro-Phenols as Stomach Poisons for Several Species of Insects Get access J. Franklin Kagy J. Franklin Kagy Iowa State College, Ames Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Journal of Economic Entomology, Volume 29, Issue 2, 1 April 1936, Pages 397–405, https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/29.2.397 Published: 01 April 1936

Evaluation of the effects of Azadirachtin on internal structures of Rhodnius prolixus head using low-energy X-ray microfluorescence

Antisera to aldehyde reductase from fruit-fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and chicken were cross-reacted with aldehyde reductase from several species of insects and birds using the technique of microcomplement fixation. Large differences in immunological distances are evident between species of the Class Insecta and of the Class Aves indicating considerable differences in the amino acid sequences of the aldehyde reductase of these species. Immunological distances for aldehyde reductase between pairs of insect species or bird species when plotted against the immunological distances for transferrin, albumin, lysozyme and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase for the same pairs of species gave a linear relationship in each case. From these relationships the rate of evolution of aldehyde reductase in terms of a unit evolutionary period (UEP) was calculated to be 12 which agreed favorably with the value previously obtained from compositional comparisons. A UEP of 12 is approximately half that of lactate dehydrogenase and shows that aldehyde reductase is evolving at twice the rate of glycolytic enzymes. This may indicate a relatively non-essential metabolism role for the enzyme.

Spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) is found in over 3 million ha of rangeland and forests across North America, and evidence supporting the use of biological control as a regional method to reduce infestations and their associated impacts remains inconclusive. Several species of insects have been reported to reduce plant densities in some areas; however, rigorous studies that test combinations of these species and the influence of resource availability are lacking. We examined the singular and combined effects of herbivory by a root weevil (Cyphocleonus achates) and a flower head weevil (Larinus minutus) on the growth and flower production of C. stoebe. We also manipulated soil resource fertility as an additional factor that could explain the outcomes of contradictory biological control herbivore effects on C. stoebe. In a greenhouse study, herbivory by C. achates decreased flower production for plants across all resource environments. In a caged common garden study, the negative effects of herbivory also did not interact with soil nutrient status. However, the presence of plant competition further decreased knapweed growth, and the negative effects of concurrent herbivory by C. achates and L. minutus on plant biomass and flower production were additive. Derived within the context of variable levels of soil nutrient availability and competing vegetation, these results support the cumulative stress hypothesis and the contention that combined above- and belowground herbivory can reduce spotted knapweed densities and reduce the ecological and economic impacts of this species in rangelands of western North America.

Dyes and dusts have been used to mark insects internally and externally for decades, the majority of examples coming from laboratory-reared pest species used in mark-release-recapture studies. Using dyes or dusts to mark populations of pests and beneficial insects simultaneously in the field has received less attention. We evaluated a water-soluble fluorescent dye and a resin-based fluorescent pigment sprayed on crops to mark beneficial and pest insects, and monitored the dispersal of marked insects. Our results show that resin-based dyes provide an effective mark on several species of insects among several orders. The resin-based dye is also relatively inexpensive, non-toxic, UV-stable and water resistant, unlike a water-soluble dye. Using the resin-based dye in a broccoli production system, we were able to monitor simultaneously the movement of field populations of the parasitoids, Diadegma semiclausum (Hellén) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), and Apanteles ippeus (Nixon) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and the adult stage of the host, diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). Resin-based dye applied on a crop is an effective way to mark and monitor the dispersal of populations of beneficial and pest insects in relation to agricultural practices, integrated pest management and conservation biological control.

For more than 30 years, field studies have shown that chimpanzees ingest items of low nutritional value such as rough leaves, bitter stems of Vernonia amygdalina and clay, apparently thereby protecting themselves against parasites and renforcing their health. Among animals, several species of insects and birds as well as other mammals have been evidenced to use secondary compounds to recover or to maintain health. Recently, we described the diversity and the biological activities of items of low nutritional value used by wild chimpanzees in Uganda suggesting a broad repertoire of natural substances that our closest relatives are able to use.

Density-dependent melanism, i.e., the phenomenon that individuals at high population densities develop into a dark-colored phenotype, is often explained as a defense against density-dependent responses of natural enemies, in particular, disease organisms. In the work reported here, we wanted to test whether density-dependent melanism in insects may yield protection against parasitoids, which are important regulators of many outbreak populations. This was carried out by collecting comprehensive field data on parasitoid attack rates and overall mortality of both larvae and pupae of the outbreak species Operophtera brumata L. (winter moth) in relation to degree of cuticular melanism. As expected, the results showed that parasitoids were the dominating mortality factor, but unexpectedly, parasitoid attack was positively associated with the degree of melanism. Also, mortality caused by unknown factors seemed to be highest in melanic larvae. These results indicate that density-dependent melanism, which is known to protect several species of insects against disease agents, does not confer protection against parasitoids in this outbreak species, which is largely regulated by parasitoids in nature.

Infectivity tests utilizing Bacillus thuringiensis against several species of insects

Biomaterials have attracted worldwide attention due to the concerns regarding health and the environment. Silk, a natural protein produced by several species of insects, has been examined as a potential material for applications in many biotechnological and biomedical fields. However, regenerated silk fibroin has poor ductility and mechanical properties. Therefore, in this study, silk fibroin-cellulose composite films were prepared in an aqueous system to increase the ductility of regenerated silk fibroin. The morphology of the silk fibroin-cellulose composite film was observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy. The structure of the silk fibroin-cellulose composite films was examined by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. The flexibility was analyzed using a bending test.