Bees have rules

Honey bees frequently dance with some view of the sky, orienting themselves to the sun or natural patterns of polarized skylight. Three new conventions have been discovered in the dance language which are used in these circumstances to eliminate potential ambiguity in the dance message.     

The virus-vector relationship of the tomato leafcurl virus (TLCV) and its vector,Bemisia tabaci gennadius (Hemiptera: aleyrodidae)

Basic studies carried out in India showed that the incubation period of TLCV in plants varied from 8 days in August to 90 days in winter. The acquisition threshold for the whitefly,Bemisia tabaci Gen., was 31 min; it resulted in 3% transmission. An acquisition access of 24 h for a female whitefly on a TLCV source resulted in 30% transmission. A minimum feeding period of 32 min was required by a viruliferous whitefly to cause infection on tomato test plants; this gave 4% transmission. With inoculation access of 24 h on tomato test plants, the transmission rose to 24%. Starving the vector for 1 h pre-acquisition or 1 h pre-inoculation resulted in higher levels of transmission of TLCV: 36 and 40%, respectively, compared with 20% for non-starved whiteflies. Extending the fasting period beyond 1 h resulted in a reduced transmission level. The whiteflies could acquire the virus from the cotyledonary leaves of an infected tomato plant, with a resultant 28% transmission; but infection did not occur when the whiteflies had an inoculation access to such leaves. Higher transmission rates were obtained when the younger leaves on tomato plants were used for acquisition and inoculation. Transmission was 8 and 38% when five whiteflies per plant were allowed 24 h of acquisition access to 11- and 2-month-old virus sources, respectively. After an acquisition access of 24 h to a TLCV source, male and female whiteflies retained their infectivity for 5 and 53 days, respectively. Nymphs can acquire and transmit the virus. When ten whiteflies of each sex were given 24 h of acquisition and of inoculation access, the subsequent transmission rate of males and females was 56 and 86%, respectively. This virus is not transovarially transmitted. Whitefly colonies raised on brinjal were more efficient (70 and 84% transmission in two experiments) than those raised on chilli, cotton, cowpea, tobacco or tomato.     

A light and scanning-electron microscopic study of infection of tomato plants by virulent and avirulent races of Cladosporium fulvum

Infection of tomato plants byCladosporium fulvum Cooke was studied using light and scanning-electron microscopy. Races 1.2.3 and 4 ofCladosporium fulvum were used, whereas tomato cultivars, carrying the Cf2 gene (susceptible to race 1.2.3 and immune to race 4) and the Cf4 gene (immune to race 1.2.3 and susceptible to race 4) served as differentials. No differences were observed in growth between compatible and incompatible combinations during germination, subsequent formation of runner hyphae and stomatal penetration. Runner hyphae did not show directional growth towards stomata. Penetration usually occurred on the third or fourth day after inoculation. In compatible combinations the fungus grew intercellularly, often in close contact with spongy mesophyll cells. Under optimal conditions it did not cause visible damage to plant cells during early stages of infection. Under suboptimal conditions in winter, the host cells often reacted with callose deposition, but growth of the fungus did not appear to be inhibited. Ten to twelve days after inoculation conidiophores emerged through the stomata and produced conidia. In incompatible combinations fungal growth was arrested one to two days after penetration and confined to stomata and surrounding cells. Very soon the host cells, in contact with the fungus, deposited extensive amounts of callose. Later these cells turned brown and collapsed. At the surface of the host cells, contacted by fungal hyphae, abundant extracellular material could be observed by scanning-electron microscopy. Removing the epidermis of leaves before inoculation delayed the resistant response. On stripped leaves the rate of fungal growth was equal for both interactions up to ten days after inoculation, but the incompatible combination lacked sporulation.