Number Of Cocoons Research Articles

Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Field and the Hatching Rate of Fasciola hepatica Eggs, the Fecundity and Survival of Liver Fluke-infected Snail, Lymnaea truncatula

Eggs of Fasciola hepatica were exposed for 10 days to extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELFMF) at the frequency of 50 Hz and density of 2 mT (rms). The results show an accelerated hatching of F. hepatica eggs in relation to control (non-exposed) group. The host snails, Lymnaea truncatula, were divided into three groups; those of groups I and II were infected with the miracidia of F. hepatica hatched from control egg culture, whereas those of group III were infected with miracidia hatched from eggs affected by ELFMF. Thereafter, snails of groups II and III were exposed to ELFMF for 53 days, whereas those of group I were not exposed. At day 14 post infection, a significant decrease was observed in the number of cocoons laid by snails of group III, compared with control. Also, significant mortality in group III snails was observed 42 days post infection. The increased mortality and a lower number of cocoons laid by group III snails have probably resulted from enhanced stimulation of metacercarial parthenogenetic reproduction in consequence of infecting the molluscs with miracidia reared under ELFMF.

Beneficial Effect of Verminephrobacter Nephridial Symbionts on the Fitness of the Earthworm Aporrectodea tuberculata

Almost all lumbricid earthworms (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) harbor species-specific Verminephrobacter (Betaproteobacteria) symbionts in their nephridia (excretory organs). The function of the symbiosis, and whether the symbionts have a beneficial effect on their earthworm host, is unknown; however, the symbionts have been hypothesized to enhance nitrogen retention in earthworms. The effect of Verminephrobacter on the life history traits of the earthworm Aporrectodea tuberculata (Eisen) was investigated by comparing the growth, development, and fecundity of worms with and without symbionts given high (cow dung)- and low (straw)-nutrient diets. There were no differences in worm growth or the number of cocoons produced by symbiotic and aposymbiotic worms. Worms with Verminephrobacter symbionts reached sexual maturity earlier and had higher cocoon hatching success than worms cured of their symbionts when grown on the low-nutrient diet. Thus, Verminephrobacter nephridial symbionts do have a beneficial effect on their earthworm host. Cocoons with and without symbionts did not significantly differ in total organic carbon, total nitrogen, or total hydrolyzable amino acid content, which strongly questions the hypothesized role of the symbionts in nitrogen recycling for the host.

Influence of animal wastes on growth and reproduction of the African earthworm species Eudrilus eugeniae (Oligochaeta)

The growth and reproduction of Eudrilus eugeniae were evaluated in four animal species wastes under laboratory conditions. Two hatchlings were introduced in 100 g of each animal waste i.e. cow, sheep, pig, and chicken after 15 days of pre-composting. Biomass gain, mortality, sexual maturity, and cocoons production were monitored periodically for 21 weeks. No mortality was observed in any waste. The maximum weight gain per worm and the highest growth rate per worm per week were obtained in chicken waste. Net biomass gain per worm were 1.01 ± 0.52 g, 1.318 ± 0.07 g, 0.87 ± 0.1 g, and 1.69 ± 0.15 g respectively for cow, sheep, pig, and chicken wastes. The highest number of cocoons produced per worm per day was obtained in chicken waste followed in decreasing order by sheep, cow, and pig waste. The mean number of cocoons produced per worm per day in chicken waste was 40.87% greater than these produced per day in pig waste. Among the four animal species, chicken, sheep, and cow were the most favourable wastes for the growth and reproduction of E. eugeniae, and hence can be recommended as feed materials in large scale vermicomposting facilities.

Life cycle and reproductive traits of the earthworm Aporrectodea trapezoides (Dugès, 1828) in laboratory cultures

The parthenogenetic earthworm Aporrectodea trapezoides (Dug es, 1828) is widely distributed all over the world due to European agricultural practices. In order to provide baseline life cycle data, cocoons were obtained from field-collected individuals and their features and viability, incubation period, number of hatchlings and mortality rate were recorded. Singleton and twin earthworms from this first experiment were cultured from hatching during a 490-day period under controlled conditions with biomass, survival, reproductive condition and cocoon production recorded at intervals of 15 days. On average, individuals of isolated-reared A. trapezoides reached maturity at day 153 and body weight at maturity was approximately 1 g. In order to record reproductive traits and differences between fieldcollected and laboratory-reared individuals, 40 microcosms with an isolated earthworm (20 with fieldcollected individuals and 20 with laboratory-reared ones) and 40 containing groups of three (20 with each type of individual) were maintained during a complete year under controlled conditions. The amount of soil per individual was the same in both types of microcosm. Both the individuals kept in isolation and those cultured in groups produced cocoons, hence completely proving the obligatory parthenogenetic reproduction in this species without copulation or need of any physical–chemical stimulus. In general, isolated earthworms produced a significantly higher number of cocoons than those in groups of three, and the same was recorded for laboratory-reared earthworms when compared with field-collected ones. This study highlights the importance of knowing the life cycle and reproductive traits of one possible key species in soil management due to its vast distribution and high density in soils, and the species’ highly recommended use in applied studies because of its ease of culture.

Improved performance of red worms (Eisenia andrei) in compost of cattle manure rinsed with water

To achieve satisfactory results with vermiculture, it is important to know how many times to rinse cattle manure to eliminate salts. Treatments under evaluation were 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 rinses in a tap water: manure ratio of 1 : 1 (v/v). Electrical Conductivity (EC), Biomass of Worms (BW) and Number of Cocoons (NC) were evaluated. The EC ranged from 2.57 to 0.5 dS·m−1 for T0 and T4. The lowest BW (569.33 ± 68.8 mg) and NC (0 cocoon/week) were observed with T0. The highest BW (1218.8 ± 45.28 mg) and NC (3.35 ± 1.05 cocoons/week) were recorded for T5 and T7.

Impact of Integrated Pest Management Modules on the Activity of Natural Enemies in Castor Ecosystem

Investigations were carried out during 2001-2004 to study the impact of biointensive integrated pest management (BIPM), chemical pesticide intensive integrated pest management (CIPM) modules and non-integrated pest management (non-IPM) modules (farmers' practice) on the natural enemies of insect pests of castor in Andhra Pradesh. BIPM module proved to be relatively safer to natural enemies with 16.13 and 66.10 % average field parasitization of Achaea janata (L.) eggs and larvae by Trichogramma chilonis Ishii and Microplitis maculipennis Szepligeti, compared to 6.92 and 21.2, 8.80 and 24.00, 8.92 and 22.35 % in CIPM module and non-IPM modules 1 and 2, respectively. M. maculipennis cocoon number per plant increased with increase in duration after treatment in the BIPM module whereas it decreased in CIPM and non-IPM modules. Similarly, average parasitisation by Charops obtusus Morley (3.54%), Rhogas spp. (4.60%), Apanteles hyposidrae Wilkinson (13.85%), Euplectrus maternus Bhatnagar (7.92%) on A. janata larvae and Cotesia flavipes Cameron (8.96%) on Spodoptera litura (F.) was higher in the BIPM module compared to CIPM module (1.65, 1.59, 3.50, 2.37 and 2.49%) and non-IPM modules 1(1.16, 0.80, 2.70, 1.20 and 2.68%) and 2 (1.50, 1.19, 2.80, 3.82 and 1.99%), respectively. BIPM module had higher population of predators like Chrysoperla sp., Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius), Cantheconidea furcellata (Wolff), Rhynocoris kumarii Ambrose and Livingstone and spiders per 10 plants (8.45, 3.41, 3.27 and 7.10) than CIPM module (1.75, 2.90, 1.38, 1.45 and 1.40) and non-IPM modules 1(1.20, 1.82, 1.00, 1.00 and 1.80) and 2 (1.97, 2.41, 1.32, 1.22 and 2.90), respectively. Black drongo ( Dicrurus adsimilis Blyth) and Indian myna ( Acridotheres tristis (L.)) were the predominant predatory birds which used bird perches frequently while predating on A. janata, S. litura and Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenee) larvae in BIPM and CIPM modules compared to non-IPM modules.

Colony growth and reproductive ability of feral nests of the introduced bumblebee Bombus terrestris in northern Japan

The introduced Bombus terrestris has been blamed for the decline of native bumblebee populations in Japan. To control this invasive species, it is necessary to understand its ecological traits in its newly established range. Here, we investigated the colony growth pattern and reproductive ability of feral nests of B. terrestris in northern Japan from 2003 to 2006. Nests collected at various times showed initially slow growth followed by rapid development. This pattern is consistent with findings in previous studies using laboratory-raised colonies. Our results also suggested that protandrous colonies tend to specialize in male production, whereas protogynous colonies specialize in gyne production, producing a split sex ratio in feral colonies of B. terrestris. The numerical population sex ratio was 1.40 gynes per male, calculated from the numbers of pre-emergence cocoons for gynes and males, showing a female-biased sex ratio at the population level. Mature colonies produced a mean of 376.5 cocoons and 90.2 gyne cocoons (22.1% of the total). The proportion of gynes produced by B. terrestris nests exceeded both those of conspecifics observed in other countries and those of consubgeneric native Japanese species. The propagule pressure hypothesis appears to explain the probability of establishment of this invasive species. Suitable nest sites for B. terrestris queens appeared to be in short supply, and B. terrestris may win usurpation contests against native species due to its large size, resulting in the decline of native bumblebee species.

Assessing effects of transgenic Cry1Ac cotton on the earthworm Eisenia fetida

Transgenic insect-resistant cotton containing a synthetic version of the insecticidal toxin gene from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki has been planted in China in a large scale and may have adverse impacts on soil organisms. The leaves of the transgenic cotton and the non-transgenic parental cotton were collected and their impacts on the earthworm, Eisenia fetida, were tested in laboratory studies. No significant acute toxicity on E. fetida from oral exposure to the transgenic cotton line, GK19, was detected. The average weight, numbers of cocoons and new offsprings of E. fetida in the GK19 groups were all higher than in the Simian3 groups, but the differences were not significant.

Bioremediation of Agricultural Wastes through Vermicomposting

ABSTRACT The post-harvest residues of some local crops, e.g., wheat (Triticum aestivum), millets (Penniseum typhoides and Sorghum vulgare), and a pulse (Vigna radiata) were subjected to recycle through vermicomposting. The crop residues were amended with animal dung, and three types of vermibeds were prepared: (i) millet straw (S. vulgare + P. typhoides in equal quantity) + sheep manure (1: 2 ratio) (MS); (ii) pulse bran (V. radiata) + wheat straw (T. aestivum) + cow dung (1: 1: 2 ratio) (PWC); and (iii) mixed crop residues (mixing of all types crop residues, used in this study) + cow dung in 1:1 ratio (MCR + CD). The fourth treatment was cattle shed manure (CSM). Vermicomposting resulted in a significant increase in total N (97.3% to 155%), available P (67.5% to 123.5%), exchangeable K (38.3% to 112.9%), and exchangeable Ca (23.3% to 53.2%), and decrease in organic C content (20.4% to 29.0%) in the different vermibeds. The earthworm showed the higher biomass gain, growth rate (mg wt. worm−1 day−1) and cocoon numbers in the CSM vermibed. The quality of crop residues was directly related to the rate of organic matter mineralization during the vermicomposting. This study suggests that agriculture wastes could be converted into some value-added products, e.g., vermicompost and worm biomass through vermicomposting technology. The higher concentrations of plant nutrients in end products indicate a potential for using agriculture wastes in sustainable crop production.

Influences of Bedding Material in Vermicomposting Process

Rapid growth of urbanization and industrialization has led to generation of large quantities of wastes. Major portion oforganic waste is dumped in landfill sites, creates the organic load on the ground water, and more emissions of landfillgases. The best possible alternative to reduce these potential pollutants is through vermicomposting. Vermicompostingis essentially composting with worms. This experiment was done to determine which bedding materials (eithernewspaper or sawdust) is more suitable for vermicomposting by using biological parameter which measured the growthrate (pH), number of worm, number of cocoons and worm biomass. The worms were breed in vermicomposter and theperiod of vermicomposting using Perionyx excavatus worm is six weeks. All of the four biological parameters showedthat there are significant different between this two type of bedding using ANOVA test. The Duncan test demonstratedthat newspaper bedding is more influential in worm biomass production and growth rate while sawdust bedding is betterfor cocoons production and number of worm. For pH analysis it reveals that the optimum pH for worm growth rate isnear to neutral condition. As conclusion, different types of bedding material will influence the worm growth.

Effects of transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton on the growth and reproduction of earthworm Eisenia foetida

With the expansion of the planted area of transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton, the effects of this crop on non-target organisms in soil, including earthworms, are becoming the most important aspect of their ecological risk assessment. Laboratory toxicity studies were conducted to determine the effects of transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton leaves, containing high concentrations of the Bt toxin and cowpea trypsin inhibitor, on the earthworm Eisenia foetida. In comparison with the non-transgenic cotton line Zhong23, transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton Zhong41 had no significant acute toxicity on E. foetida. Moreover, the leaves of transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton were more suitable than the non-transgenic cotton Zhong23 for E. foetida growth and reproduction (time of reproduction, the number of cocoons and newly incubated offspring).

Vermicomposting of solid textile mill sludge spiked with cow dung and horse dung: a pilot-scale study

This paper reports the vermicomposting of Solid Textile Mill Sludge (STMS) spiked with Cow Dung (CD) and Horse Dung (HD) in a six-month pilot-scale experiment employing Eisenia foetida. Growth and fecundity of Eisenia foetida were significantly affected by temperature variations. The lesser number of cocoons and hatchlings were produced in pilot scale experiments than in controlled temperature experiments. Whereas, the number of earthworms had increased between 1.2-1.4 fold. Vermicomposting resulted in lowering of pH, electrical conductivity, potassium and C : N ratio and increase in nitrogen and phosphorus contents of the feed mixtures. Vermicomposting can be an alternate technology for STMS management under suitable climatic conditions.

Toxic effects of Lignite Fly ash During Vermicomposting on the growth and Reproduction of Earthworm Lampito Mauritii

Fly ash is a serious source of air pollution since it remains air borne for a long period of time and causes health hazards. Besides being a health hazard, fly ash degrades the environment, fly ash (FA) a waste material of national concern, arising out of lignite based thermal power plants was mixed with cashew leaf litter(CLl) and cow dung (CD) utilized for the present study. In the present study , the feed substrates were prepared on weight basis as control(C)cow dung alone,T1-FA+CLl+CD (2:4:4), T2FA+CLl+CD(3:3.5:3.5), T3-FA+CLl+CD(4:3:3), T4-FA+CLl+CD(5:2.5:2.5), T5-FA+CLl+CD(6:2:2). For each treatment 1 kg of feed substrate was taken in plastic troughs and 15 grams of Lampito mauriti was inoculated and reared in laboratory at room temperature with 60-70% moisture. Once in 15 days, up to 90 days the zoomass of earthworms, number of cocoons and hatchlings were observed .The best growth and reproduction of L. mauritri was observed in T2. It could be due to the availability of optimum nutrients from leaf litter than other treatments.

Impact of natural parasitism by two eucharitid wasps on a potential biocontrol agent ant in southeastern Mexico

Eucharitids are specialized parasitoids of ants. The biology, life cycle and chemical ecology are known for a number of species, but the study of the impact of eucharitid wasps upon their ant hosts has been seldom addressed. Here, we determine the prevalence of the parasitism of two sympatric Kapala species upon a population of the neotropical ant Ectatomma ruidum, along a 12-month sampling period. Adult and immature parasitoids were present in the nests all year round, and several cases of superparasitism were observed. Parasitism varied strongly among the nests for any collecting date and among collecting dates, but the prevalence of Kapala parasitoids increased significantly during the rainy season, and the probability for a nest of being parasitized was positively correlated with colony size, particularly with cocoon number. At the population scale, more than 28% of all E. ruidum pupae produced during the ant reproductive and dispersal period (June) were infested. Our results are discussed from the point of view of the impact of these parasitoids on the colonies of E. ruidum, a potential biocontrol agent in coffee and cocoa plantations in southeastern Mexico.

Growth and fecundity of earthworms: Perionyx excavatus and Perionyx sansibaricus in cattle waste solids

Epigeic earthworms (Oligochaeta) have been appeared as key organisms to convert organic waste resources into value-added products, i.e., vermicompost and worm biomass. The assessment of reproduction potential of composting earthworm may be beneficial for large-scale earthworm production. Although, the waste minimizing potential of Perionyx excavatus and Perionyx sansibaricus is well proved, but little information is available about their fecundity rate. In this study, the efforts have been made to explore the growth and reproduction biology of P. excavatus and P. sansibaricus, using cattle waste solid as culture substrate, under laboratory conditions. Earthworms were weighed weekly and number of cocoons produced per week assessed. Biomass productions, fecundity, maturation, natality all were significantly different between P. excavatus and P. sansibaricus. The highest mean individual biomass was 767.7 ± 18.4 mg and 612.6 ± 20.6 mg, respectively in P. sansibaricus and P. excavatus. However, the highest cocoon numbers occurred in P. excavatus (492.3 ± 13.6), significantly higher than P. sansibaricus (269.6 ± 17.1). Fecundity was slightly different in both species: 1.38 ± 0.77 cocoons adult worm−1 week−1 (P. excavatus) and 1.58 ± 0.74 cocoons adult worm−1 week−1 (P. sansibaricus). The hatchling success rate (%) was highest in P. excavatus. Overall natality (juveniles adult−1 week−1) was highest in P. sansibaricus (1.52) than P. excavatus (1.26), which suggests that P. sansibaricus may be a better candidate for rapid propagation of earthworms in cattle waste solid.

An eco-zonal assessment of eight mulberry varieties in North Central Nigeria

Eight varieties of mulberry plant namely; NG1, K2, S14, S30, S34, S36, S41 and S54 were evaluated at the Ahmadu Bello University farm in Zaria for survival, yield and nutrient contents. The samples of the mulberry plant were collected from the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) Ibadan. The 8 varieties were planted out using 8 x 8 Latin Square experimental layout. Leaves from these varieties were used separately to feed the domesticated silkworm Bombyx mori L. The study revealed that all the eight varieties could survive in the Northern Guinea Savanna area of the country. The S41 variety had the highest survival rate (78.2%) while S34 variety had the highest leaf yield (28095kg/ha). The performances of varieties S14, S36, NG1 and K2 in terms of leaf yield were low. Leaf analysis revealed that the Nitrogen and Calcium contents of S54 were significantly higher than those of the other seven varieties. This was followed by those of K2, S30 and S34. Sodium content was found to be very high in NG1, S41, S54 and K2. Worms fed with S34 variety produced the highest cocooning percent and also performed well in the production of good cocoons. S54 produced the heaviest single cocoon, the lowest number of cocoons in 1.0kg cocoons, produced cocoons with the least quantity of leaves and its effective rate of rearing determined by the weight of the cocoon produced was superior to others. Variety S54 based on the performances of the silkworms fed with its leaves has therefore been selected for cultivation in the semi arid area of Nigeria. Keywords : Mulberry; Variety; survival; yield; moisture content; chemical content; bombyx mori; cocoon Moor Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 7 (1&2) 2006 pp. 21-27

Bioecology of <I>Stenoma catenifer</I> (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae) and Associated Larval Parasitoids Reared from Hass Avocados in Guatemala

A 10-wk study of the avocado seed-feeding moth Stenoma catenifer Walsingham (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae), was conducted in a commercial 'Hass' avocado (Persea americana Miller [Lauraceae]) orchard in Guatemala. Up to 45% of fruit in the orchard were damaged by larval S. catenifer. Larval-to-adult survivorship for 1,881 S. catenifer larvae in Hass fruit was 37%, and adult sex ratio was 51% female. Four species of larval parasitoid were reared from field-collected S. catenifer larvae. The most common parasitoid reared was a gregarious Apanteles sp., which parasitized 53% of larvae and produced on average eight to nine cocoons per host. Apanteles sp. sex ratio was 47% female and 87% of parasitoids emerged successfully from cocoons. Apanteles sp. longevity was approximately equal to 1.5 d in the absence of food, and when provisioned with honey, parasitoids survived for 5-7 d. The mean number of cocoons produced by Apanteles sp. per host, and larval parasitism rates were not significantly affected by the number of S. catenifer larvae inhabiting seeds. Oviposition studies conducted with S. catenifer in the laboratory indicated that this moth lays significantly more eggs on the branch to which the fruit pedicel is attached than on avocado fruit. When given a choice between Hass and non-Hass avocados, S. catenifer lays up to 2.69 times more eggs on Hass.

Cocoon production and hatching rates of Branchiura sowerbyi Beddard (Oligochaeta: Tubificidae)

Branchiura sowerbyi Beddard, 1892 is a Tubificidae species abundant in tropical limnic environments and associated with sediments rich in organic matter and elevated temperatures. The present study aimed at obtaining information on laying and hatching rates of B. sowerbyi cocoons under laboratory conditions. In order to do this, specimens of B. sowerbyi were placed in beakers (250 ml) containing clay sediment and distilled water and kept at 25ºC. The obtained cocoons were placed in beakers of 100 ml and kept in conditions similar to the mature individuals. Fifty seven cocoons were collected, with a mean of 0.13 cocoons·individual-1·day-1 and 1.21 (±0.08) eggs·cocoon-1. Hatching time was approximately two weeks and hatching rate was 44.93%. The results obtained were different from the ones found by other authors for B. sowerbyi. According to the literature, different populations of the same species can present distinct biological aspects, such as the number of cocoons, hatching rates and growth.

Effects of broodstock density and diet on reproduction and juvenile culture of the Leech, Hirudinaria manillensis Lesson, 1842

The leech Hirudinaria manillensis, Lesson 1842 is of much interest for clinical and medicinal use. In this study, the effect of broodstock density (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 50 ind tank−1) on the reproductive efficiency of H. manillensis was examined. After 4 months of culture, the number of cocoons produced was significantly different among the different broodstock densities (F6, 34=4.560, P<0.05), but fertilization ratio was not (F6, 34=1.319, P=0.285). The average number of hatchlings per cocoon (5.72±0.13 ind) and hatching rate (96.82±1.31%) of the cocoons in the 5 ind tank−1 treatment were significantly higher than those of the other treatments. The 50 ind tank−1 treatment had the highest mortality of parent leeches (29.60±2.48%). The size and wet weight of the cocoons were significantly different among the treatments, with the 5 ind tank−1 treatment having the largest cocoon size (standard length and diameter) and wet weight. The time of juvenile release from the cocoons did not differ significantly among the different broodstock densities (P>0.05).The effect of diet (FT1: live bullfrog, FT2: fresh cattle blood, and two blood plasma preparations FT3: NP-2002a and FT4: NP-2002b) on the feeding, growth and survivorship of the juvenile leeches was also studied. After 2 months of culture, juveniles in the FT2 (fresh cattle blood) treatment had the highest total food intake (13.11±0.07 g). Juveniles in the FT3 (NP-2002a) and FT1 (live bullfrog) treatments had a significantly high feeding ratio 95.00±1.16% and 91.33±1.20%, respectively. Percentage weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) of the juveniles in the treatment FT4 (NP-2002b) were the lowest, at 168.52±15.82% and 1.64±0.10%, respectively. Juveniles in the FT3 (NP-2002a) and FT4 (NP-2002b) treatments had the highest survival rates, at 96.00±0.58% and 84.33±0.88%, respectively.

The impact of cadmium and mercury contamination on reproduction and body mass of earthworms

The accumulation of heavy metals in the tissues of earthworms is a helpful indicator of environmental contamination. The degree of substrate contamination can be additionally evaluated on the basis of survivability, reproduction and body mass of earthworms. In this study &lt;I&gt;Eisenia fetida&lt;/I&gt; Sav. earthworms were exposed to a series of increasing concentrations of cadmium and mercury. The numbers of animals and their body mass were checked after 4 and 8 months. The strongest impact of substrate contamination was exerted upon the number of young individuals and cocoons. The cadmium contamination did not affect adversely the mass of earthworms, whereas in the mercurycontaminated group the decline in body mass was evident. After 8 months of experiments, the content of heavy metal in the bodies of earthworms was determined. An evident relationship between the cadmium and mercury contents in the substrate and their accumulation in earthworms’ tissues was found. The concentration in the bodies exceeded the level in the substrate.