Females In September Research Articles

Drivers of torpor during the active season of Hazel Dormouse

Torpor is a life history strategy within more than half of mammalian orders, to achieve the conservation of energy particularly when species are experiencing unfavourable conditions. Daily torpor is limited to a duration of less than 24 hours and occurs when an animal reduces its metabolic rate and lowers its body temperature between bouts of activity. Hazel Dormice utilise daily torpor as an energy saving strategy during their active period (April-October) and the prevalence of torpor varies from year to year. The intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of daily torpor in Hazel Dormice are not yet well understood. I have identified drivers of torpor among Hazel Dormice which include climatic variables and the life history of individual animals. Dormice were more likely to be found in torpor on colder and wetter days and during colder and wetter seasons. Weight was a strong predictor of torpor; lighter individuals were more likely to be torpid earlier in the year (April-August) and heavier individuals later in the year (September-October). Individuals found in breeding nest boxes rarely enter torpor and solitary animals are more likely to be torpid. Sex only affects the prevalence of torpor in two months, August and September; males were more likely to be torpid in August and females in September. Using the resulting model I can predict how daily torpor occurrence might change under a changing climate. This will have consequences for Hazel Dormice in the UK as it is likely to affect survival and breeding rates.

Agricultural landscape affects sex‐specific differences in the abundance of Drosophila suzukii in raspberry orchards

AbstractIn recent decades, the spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) (Drosophila suzukii), an invasive pest, has caused a great deal of damage to fruit crops. There is therefore an urgent need to develop strategies to control the populations of this species. It has been found that the landscape context can buffer or increase the severity of pest outbreaks in agriculture, and it is important to understand how this process works in SWD for all crops. Given this background, we investigated the influence of forest on SWD populations in raspberry orchards and surrounding agricultural land. We selected 10 locations in the central part of Slovenia, five of which were closer than 200 m from the forest edge and five of which were more than 200 m from the forest edge. We collected SWD adults in three habitat types per location from the end of June until the end of October 2020. The results showed that forest harboured a larger SWD population than orchards and agricultural land. Over the season, the number of individuals increased exponentially over time, and the difference between forest and other habitat types increased. The distance from the forest had a negative effect on the abundance of SWD. There was a difference in abundance observed between males and females, with males being less abundant farther away from the forest than females. However, the distance from the forest only had a negative effect on the abundance of females in September. Based on the results, we propose potential measures for the control of SWD in raspberry orchards.

Food Habits of the Javelin Sand Boa Eryx jaculus (Linnaeus 1758; Serpentes, Erycidae) in Sicily, Italy

The Javelin Sand Boa, Eryx jaculus, is reported to be a predator of mammals, lizards and their eggs, and occasionally of birds and invertebrates, but data on its diet are scarce and fragmentary. Here we describe some aspects of the feeding behavior of E. jaculus on the Mediterranean island of Sicily. A total of 132 individual snakes were examined. Prey remains were found in 43% of them, both in their feces (82.5%) and gut contents (17.5%). The number of snakes observed and their feeding rate decreased in August, probably as a result of the relatively higher temperatures. Feeding rate increases were observed in adult females in September, perhaps to enhance body reserves before hibernation. The overall prey spectrum is dominated by small mammals, with a frequency of occurrence of 71.4%, but also consisted of lizard eggs (30.2%) and lizards (7.9%). Lizards seem to be occasional prey, and our frequent detection of ingested autotomized tails suggests E. jaculus has low efficiency as a saurian predator. We observed a relationship between prey type and snout–vent length of the snakes. Lizard eggs are most frequently eaten by smaller snakes, which could be linked to gape size ontogenetic variation. We found differences in the prey spectrum between sexes and age classes. Our results indicate that juveniles, adult males, and females seem to adopt different foraging strategies. Females probably adopt ambush predation on small mammals, while juveniles are active foragers of lizard eggs. Adult males appear to be slightly more versatile predators, consuming both types of prey, probably because of their high mobility rates during the mating period.

The Role of Socio-Economic Factors in Earning of Women in Education Sector District Peshawar (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

This paper overviews socio-economic factors as determinants of working women earnings in education department of district Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. For this purpose, a primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire from 126 working females in September, 2017. Multinomial logistic regression technique has been used for the estimation of results. The main findings of the study are that education, experience, family income, and locality of job area showed positive relationship with working women earnings. However, marital status remained insignificant. Based on the findings of this study the researchers recommended that females are significantly contributing in family expenditures. Therefore, government should invest more in female’s education and prioritize it.

Field notes on the reproduction of the Cheat Mountain Salamander (Plethodon nettingi).

In 1989, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated the Cheat MountainSalamander as a federally threatened species. I have collected data on this speciesover a 39-year period spanning from 1976 through 2015. Sexually mature malesdisplay two secondary sexual characteristics, squared snouts and swollen cloacae.Squared snouts are usually first observed in late July and early August. Cloacae startto swell in late August and early September. By mid-September, both characteristicsare obvious and these traits continue to be observable until late May of the ensuingyear. Mature ovarian eggs are visible through the body wall of sexually maturefemales in late August or early September. Gravid females, i.e., those with matureovarian eggs, are easily distinguished from nongravid females in September, October, and November or until they submerge into their winter subterraneous refugia. Gravid females continue to be easily identified the ensuing spring after emergence from winter refugia to early June. The latest date I have found gravid females in the spring/summer is June 10. By early June, gravid females have deposited their eggs and are tending them in nests under rocks, logs, or in logs. I have observed nests with eggs and tending females from May 15 to July 26. I have found neonates in nests with females in September, indicating that eggs hatch in September.

Seasonal physiological dynamics of maturing female southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma)

Physiological information is rarely used in descriptions of maturity for managed, wild fish species; however, the use of physiological data holds great promise to provide important detail on the complexities of oocyte development and maturity. Investigating southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma)-an overfished commercial and recreational fishery resource-we examined pre-spawn physiological changes in females to provide further detail of the maturation process. Given that adults of this species complete maturation and spawn in unknown offshore locations, information on pre-spawn physiological changes is particularly informative for both size- and age-based patterns of maturity. We evaluated seasonal and ontogenetic changes in hormone concentrations in blood plasma that are commonly associated with sexual maturation, in addition to quantifying and classifying lipid stored in liver tissue. We found a strong positive relationship between body weight and lipid content during all months, as well as evidence for mobilization of lipids among larger females in September and October, presumably for gonadal development. Throughout the sampling period, the lipid content of smaller individuals was dominated by structural lipids (as opposed to storage lipids). In contrast, larger individuals possessed greater amounts of storage lipids. This suggests that larger, putatively maturing individuals were accumulating storage lipids for later production of vitellogenin. Females sampled for blood sex steroids and ovarian histology showed different testosterone and estradiol concentrations between putatively maturing and immature fish, and temporal variation with peaks in October and November. Overall, emerging patterns of liver lipid content and composition and blood steroid concentrations describe a multi-month maturation process that is often managed one dimensionally over short time periods. Insights from this work will improve our understanding of the life history of southern flounder, with the potential for better understanding of the dynamics of offshore spawning migration and informing subsequent species management.

Diurnal Rhythm of Plasma Oxytocin Concentration in Lactating Buffalo Cows

The aim of this study was analyze the diurnal rhythm of plasma oxytocin (OT) concentration in lactating buffalo cows during autumn and spring. Data were obtained from 10 females in May (autumn) and 10 females in September (spring) at 3-h intervals for 3 consecutive days. Cosinor and spectral analyses showed that, in autumn, 30-40% of the animals showed a significant 24-h rhythm of plasma OT concentration, whereas in spring the animals did not present a diurnal rhythm of plasma OT concentration. The majority of the acrophases for OT in autumn occurred at early morning and morning while in spring it was distributed along the day. Our study shows that diurnal rhythm of plasma OT concentration was more evident in some animals in the autumn that in the spring, what may suggest that photoperiod among others factors can influence in this response.

Annual re-sightings of photographically identified white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) at an eastern Pacific aggregation site (Guadalupe Island, Mexico)

A systematic, reliable method for identifying white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias Linnaeus, from underwater photographs was developed and applied to examine site fidelity at Guadalupe Island, Mexico (29˚N, 118˚W). The most reliable features for repeat identification in multiple years were the pigment patterns on the gill flaps, pelvic fins, and caudal fins. Pigment patterns in all three regions were asymmetrical on the right and left sides making it necessary to photograph both sides to catalog each individual. However, once cataloged, an individual could be re-identified using a partial body image. Using this method, 73 individuals were identified between 2001 and 2005. Site fidelity was indicated through repeated annual sightings of individuals with 78% of the identified sharks observed over at least 2 years. Males were found to arrive at Guadalupe Island as early as July and females in September. Peak abundances at the site occurred August–December. The sex ratio was not significantly different from unity in 2002, 2004, and 2005. This monitoring technique has shown Guadalupe Island to be an important white shark aggregation site in the eastern Pacific.

Effects of insulin-like growth factor I on GnRH-induced gonadotropin subunit gene expressions in masu salmon pituitary cells at different stages of sexual maturation

Effects of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and salmon gonadotropin-releasing hormone (sGnRH) on expression of gonadotropin (GTH) subunit genes were examined using primary pituitary cell cultures of masu salmon ( Oncorhynchus masou). Fishes were assessed at three reproductive stages, i.e., in April (early maturation), in June (maturing), and in September (spawning). Amounts of GTH subunit mRNAs in pituitary cells were determined using real-time PCR after incubation with IGF-I and/or sGnRH. IGF-I alone had almost no effects on three GTH subunit mRNAs in both sexes, except for decrease in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) β mRNA in males in June. sGnRH alone was effective in stimulation of FSHβ and luteinizing hormone (LH) β gene expression in males in April. Thereafter it had no significant effects on GTH subunit mRNAs, although in September it tended to increase FSHβ and LHβ mRNAs in females. Co-administered IGF-I counteracted the sGnRH-induced expression of FSHβ and LHβ genes in males in April, but not in females in September. These results suggest that IGF-I is involved in direct regulation of GTH subunit genes during sexual maturation. In particular, IGF-I differently modulates sGnRH-induced GTH subunit gene expression, depending on reproductive stages.

Reproductive biology of a deposit-feeding amphipod, Casco bigelowi , with extended parental care

The reproductive traits of a deposit-feeding amphipod that engages in extended parental care were examined. At the study site in Lowes Cove, Maine, USA, Casco bigelowi (Blake, 1929) occurred in highest densities in soft sediments just below mean low water (MLW). During most months, the sex ratio was ≃1. Many females hosted males in their burrows throughout the summer, but after fertilization of females in September, all adult males disappeared from the study area. In October almost 80% of the females were ovigerous, and in November about the same percentage was parental, i.e. caring for juveniles in their burrows. The females produced only one brood each in late fall which they accommodated in their burrows for 2 mo or longer. The average number of juveniles per female was ∼20 in November, and continuously decreased until January. Juveniles reached sizes >10 mm length in the maternal burrows. In early December the first juveniles were found in their own burrows, but major recruitment took place in late December and January. It is concluded that for C. bigelowi, the delay of recruitment into the winter months with low predation pressure and the large offspring size at this time are major advantages gained by extended parental care. C. bigelowi is host to the peritrich ciliate Cothurnia sp. on its gills, and during the summer months >70% of all amphipods had ciliates on their gills. Juveniles still living in their mother's burrows showed infestation rates similar to that of the parent; those of highly infested mothers were more heavily infested than those of “clean” mothers. Facilitated epibiont transmission during intimate and long-lasting (2␣mo) parent–offspring associations may be a consequence of extended parental care.

Seasonal levels of metabolic hormones and substrates in male and female reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus)

Seasonal levels of cortisol, growth hormone (GH), insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), glucose, triiodothyronine (T 3), free T 3, thyroxine and free fatty acids (FFA) were measured every 3 weeks for 54 weeks in the plasma of five adult bulls, and four barren and five pregnant Alaskan reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus) cows. Three consecutive samples were taken from each animal. Cortisol levels exhibited wide seasonal variation (9–45 μg/100 ml) without any peak or difference in levels among groups. Rising levels were detected between the 3 consequent samples. Peak GH levels, detected during January and February, were higher in the non-pregnant group (54 ng/ml) than the pregnant (26 ng ml −1) and the male (27 ng ml −1) groups. Low GH levels (2–10 ng ml −1) were recorded between May and September. IGF-1 reached peak levels (715 ng ml −1) in males in August, in non-pregnant females in September (677 ng ml −1), and in the pregnant females in October (505 ng ml −1). Seasonal minima (404 in males, 172 and 93 in pregnant and non-pregnant groups) were detected in February. Glucose was fairly stable throughout the year (100–200 mg/100 ml). A rising levels were found between the three consecutive samples. Triiodothyronine (T 3) (2.16–2.30 ng ml −1) peaked in all three groups during the spring and early summer, and minimal levels (0.61–0.97 ng ml −1) were detected from October to January. Conversely, thyroxine or free T 3 did not exhibit seasonal variation. FFA fluctuated widely (97–1076 nmol l −1) throughout the year. Only in pregnant females were concentrations more stable (150–460 nmol l −1). Perhaps, because of ad libitum supply of food in captive reindeer, only T 3 and GH exhibited pronounced seasonal fluctuations which could be related to the metabolic changes expected during the annual cycle.

Diurnal Flight Activity of Diadegma insulare (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), a Parasitoid of the Diamondback Moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), in the Field

We studied the diurnal flight activity of Diadeg>ma insulare (Cresson) at the Collins Road Entomology Research Farm Michigan State University during the summers of 1992 and 1993. Foraging activity was measured using sticky traps placed within the broccoli canopy and by direct visual observation. Flight activity of D. insulare males was positively correlated with light intensity, whereas activity of females was positively correlated with light intensity, temperature, and wind speed. Relative humidity, percentage cloud cover, and time of day did not influence D. insulare catch. There was no significant difference between male and female catch. The patterns of males' and females' flight activity throughout the day were significantly different from a uniform distribution except on 14 and 22 August 1993 for males and 14 August for females. Activity generally began between 0800 and 1000 hours, peaked between 1100 to 1300 hours, and stopped by 2100 hours. There was no significant correlation between the numbers of males and females caught on the same trap, suggesting that an increase in numbers of females does not attract more males. Males were caught more frequently than females in September of both years, suggesting that males were more abundant or active at the end of the season. The total numbers caught (both sexes) at different times of the day in sticky traps were generally proportional to the numbers of parasitoid visually observed. The numbers of D. insulare caught were positively correlated with the numbers of diamondback moth larvae per plant. This information could be useful for developing a model that can predict the peak diurnal activity of D. insulare in the field which would help with decisions on whether pesticides should be sprayed.

Glycemic Response to Exercise in the Subarctic Depends on Time of Day, Season and Sex

Between December 1992 and September 1996, a total of 62 healthy athletes (32 males and 30 females) exercised for 30 minutes, with an intensity of 60% VO 2, in one or more morning and afternoon sessions in the months December, February, April, June and September. Blood samples obtained for determinations of glucose were drawn at 0, 1, 5, 10 and 30 minutes of each exercise span. The total area under the glucose-time curves was calculated both in original units (mmol/l) and after normalization to percent of starting value for 263 exercise spans. These calculated areas, representing the glucose “response” during exercise, were tested for the effect of sex, time of day and season by ANOVA and by the least-squares fit of a 1-year cosine. During exercise a significant effect was found by ANOVA for sex (p < 0.001), time of exercise (p =0.006) and month (p =0.007). No significant interactions were found. Exercise in the morning beginning at 11:30h produced a smaller glucose response for both sexes, when compared with exercise in the afternoon beginning at 16:30h. With regard to sex, a smaller integrated glucose response to exercise occurred in females. The response was lowest for both sexes in Dec (winter) compared to other months, while the response was greatest for females in September, and for males in April and June. A circannual rhythm was found both for baseline glucose (p =0.005, acrophase= Feb 20) and glucose–time response areas in mmol/l (p <0.001, acrophase=Feb 4), and normalized values (p =0.05, acrophase=Dec 19). This finding is in accordance with previous reports that, at least in the subarctic area, the glycemic response to a standardized exercise is influenced by season and timing of exercise. This observation may be of importance for athletes involved in vigorous training and patients with Diabetes Mellitus, among others.

Aspects of the Life History of the Calico Crayfish with Special Reference to Egg Hatching Success

Abstract Life history data were collected on adult (≥25 mm carapace length) female calico crayfish (Orconectes immunis) in conjunction with an egg-hatching study during 1986–1988. Eggs stripped from 10 females in October 1986 and 10 females in September 1987 were pooled each year and hatching success was monitored for samples of 100 eggs placed in each of eight diluter aquaria at 12°C. In fall 1987, berried calico crayfish were cultured at 12, 25, and 30°C and hatching was monitored. Data on length, weight, and number of eggs produced were collected for 28 females in September 1987 and 36 females in April 1988. An additional 456 female crayfish were checked for the presence of eggs. Hatching success was 86% in 1986 and 89% in 1987. The eggs on berried females held at 12°C started to hatch within 33 d. At 25°C, hatching started within 10 d. At 30°C, no hatching occurred, the eggs became orange (indicating death), and most of the eggs later developed fungal infections. The average number of eggs carried was...

Characteristics of the Home Range of Mountain Hares Lepus timidus

(1) The home range of mountain hares in north-east Scotland was studied by radiotracking between 1982 and 1986. (2) Home ranges (minimum convex polygon) were large; 113 ha for males, 89 ha for females. Using 90% of radio-fixes reduced the intersexual difference in size because males moved around the periphery of their range in the breeding season. Some of these movements may lead to the establishment of new centres of activity. (3) Home ranges comprised day resting places in long heather and discrete night feeding areas downhill. (4) Heavier, presumably dominant, males had smaller home ranges than lighter males. (5) Male mountain hares moved to day resting places higher on the hill in July, females in September, in both cases after the end of reproductive activity. (6) Hares formed larger groups after the breeding season, up to thirty hares in January and February. (7) Male hares flushed at greater distances than females, which occupied better cover. (8) Home ranges needed to provide shelter and food during severe weather and extensive snow-lie. They were larger than those of brown hares in a more sheltered environment with a diversity of food within a short distance.

Ecology and physiology of the northern quoll, Dasyurus hallucatus (Marsupialia, Dasyuridae), at Mitchell Plateau, Kimberley, Western Australia

Breeding, population dynamics and seasonal changes in physical and physiological parameters were examined in the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) at Mitchell Plateau, Western Australia, between September 1981 and November 1982. Females gave birth to a single litter of young in July or August. Births were earlier on near‐coastal sites than on inland sites. Litter size was greater on inland sites and litter size differed between years. By September all females were either carrying pouch young or were lactating. Lactation ceased by April. Testosterone levels in males peaked in July. There were significantly more male than female pouch young. However, in only one grid was the adult sex ratio different from parity, with an excess of females in September 1981 and 1982. Embryonic mortality was &gt; 53% but loss of pouch young was small. Although males and females moved similar distances between successive recaptures, the extent of movement varied seasonally, being greatest in September. Males were generally larger and heavier than females. Seasonal variations were recorded for most physical and physiological parameters. The most pronounced changes occurred towards the end of the dry season (July to September) for both males and females. Over this period there was a significant decline in weight (males), haematocrit (males), plasma albumin (males) and leucocytes (both males and females) and significant elevations in values of haemoglobin and both free and protein‐bound Cortisol in both males and females. Few males survived the post‐mating period from July to September. They appeared to decline in condition over this period more markedly than females: they lost more weight, their haematocrit and plasma albumin values declined to a greater extent, and they were more heavily infected with lice (Boopia uncinata). Males with lower testosterone and higher free and protein‐bound Cortisol had increased prospects of surviving the breeding season, which suggests that it is the dominant males that are less likely to survive the breeding season. Individuals in the three major populations at Mitchell Plateau differed greatly in their physiological values. The high‐density population in a sandstone area had intermediate levels of free Cortisol and higher haematocrit values than both the other populations, and higher levels of haemoglobin than the population on laterite substratum.

東京都心におけるケブカクロバエの周年経過

The breeding and emerging periods of Aldrichina grahami (Aldrich) were studied along with the fluctuation of adults for tracing its life cycle by using both baited and emergence traps in the backyard of the National Institute of Health, Tokyo, from December 1981 to March 1983. Seasonal activity of the adult in each year was similar, which confirmed the previous works reported from the same locality. A number of both sexes were trapped from March to July, and a large amount of females were caught in September to December. The first flight in early fall represents only aged females attracted. The breeding stage first appeared in the beginning of September and ended in the middle of coming May. Early fall generation derived from eggs deposited in September quickly grew up and emerged as adults in late fall (October to November). Prepupae or pupae of late fall generation derived from eggs in November to December became dormant during winter. After the dormancy, most adults emerged in March, though a few appeared in the end of January and the beginning of February. Spring generation from eggs in February to May normally developed within relatively short periods (0.5-1.5 months). No developing stages were observed from late May to early September, although male and female adults were trapped until the end of July. From the above, it is concluded that this blow fly can develop in the Tokyo area during 8.5 months from September to the middle of May excepting the coldest season in which dormant prepupae and pupae are dominant. The first appearance of aged females in September may suggest the adult aestivation in Aldrichina grahami.

Juvenile hormone metabolism, binding and esterase activities in the haemolymph of the adult monarch butterfly ( Danaus p. plexippus L.: Lepidoptera)

The interaction of [ 3H]juvenile hormone I (JHI) with haemolymph of the adult monarch butterfly, Danaus p. plexippus L. was investigated. Whole haemolymph bound [ 3H]JHI preferentially in vitro compared to bovine serum albumin or buffer alone using a charcoal binding assay. [ 3H]JHI was converted to polar metabolites by adult haemolymph as assessed by an octane: methanol-H 2O partition assay and thin layer chromatography. Phenyl methyl sulphonyl fluoride (PMSF), a potent esterase inhibitor, was effective in decreasing the conversion of [ 3H]JHI to polar metabolites, thus suggesting the presence of JH esterase (JHE) activity. Post eclosion JHE activity assessed in vitro increased in females, peaking at day 6 post eclosion; while in males there was an initial decrease followed by a small peak at day 6. The fluctuations observed were not attributable to haemolymph volume changes. [ 3H]JHI metabolism assessed in vivo at 40, 140, 240 and 1380 min post injection, tested at four different stages or periods of the life cycle, indicated that the greatest metabolism of [ 3H]JHI occurred at day 3 post eclosion in both sexes followed respectively by January males and females, June-July males and females, September females and finally September male wild caught adults. JH binding assays carried out on haemolymph fractions separated by Sephadex G-100 column chromatography indicated a peak of JH binding activity corresponding to 29,500 ± 6000 mol. wt ( x ± SEM , n = 6). Bioassay indicated that the bulk of endogenous JH was associated with this peak of JH binding activity. JHE activity assessed in these same fractions indicated two major peaks one > 100,000 mol. wt and the other at 79,000 ± 5000 mol. wt ( x ± SEM , n = 6). The fractions of the smaller mol. wt peaks were found to inactivate both [ 3H]JHI and endogenous JH biological activity when assessed using the Galleria wax test.

Reproductive Patterns of Pacific Ocean Perch (Sebastodes alutus) off Washington and British Columbia and their Relation to Bathymetric Distribution and Seasonal Abundance

Females of the ovoviviparous species Sebastodes alutus release their larvae in March in the Washington–British Columbia area. Male maturity data from Queen Charlotte Sound indicated that males probably inseminate females in September or October. Examination of the annual bathymetric cycle in three major commercial trawling areas showed that mating and insemination occur while Pacific ocean perch are moving to deep water from the shallow-water regions inhabited in summer and that females release their larvae while in the deepest part of their bathymetric range.Total 1955 through 1965 catch by month, and 11-year mean monthly catch rates were used to indicate relative seasonal abundance on major fishing grounds. Where deepwater regions were trawled, these indices showed a spring maximum associated with the March spawning period. In all areas studied there was a midsummer slump in catch and catch rate, and an October maximum occurring during the suggested mating period.