Stimulating effects of the insecticide chlorpyrifos on host searching and infestation efficacy of a parasitoid wasp

Hymenopterous parasitoids play an important role in the control of insect populations. During oviposition, Hymenopterous parasitoids use cues such as odours from their environment to locate their specific host. Leptopilina heterotoma (parasitoid of Drosophila larvae) locate their host by probing the substrate with the ovipositor. This behaviour can be induced by the odour of the host substrate alone. We analysed the sub-lethal effects of chlorpyrifos at LD20 on the probing activity in response to a fruit odour (banana). The insecticide increased the percentage of females spontaneously probing in response to the odour. Parasitoid females were then conditioned to associate banana odour with the oviposition in host larvae. This conditioning enables parasitoids to memorize the odour and to increase their probing response to this odour. During the olfactory conditioning, females exposed to the insecticide found and oviposited in host larvae more quickly than control females. One hour after the olfactory conditioning, females exposed to the insecticide presented a higher increase of their probing response to the odour than controls. Twenty-four hours after conditioning, the stimulation produced by chlorpyrifos was no longer perceptible, but the level of response of conditioned females was still higher than that of non-conditioned females, showing that odour memory was not impaired by the insecticide treatment. These sub-lethal effects, that stimulate host searching by parasitoids without impairing odour memorization, could increase their parasitic efficiency.     

Risks to the aquatic ecosystem from the application of Metarhizium anisopliae for locust control in Australia

Laboratory tests of Metarhizium anisopliae var acridum Driver & Milner, at a dose of 1.3 x 10(6) conidia ml-1, had no adverse effects on nymphs of mayfly, Ulmerophlebia sp or 8-week-old fry of the rainbow fish, Melanotaenia duboulayi Castelnau. This dose was toxic to the cladoceran, Ceriodaphnia dubia Richard, causing 100% mortality in 48 h. When this test was repeated at doses of up to 6.7 x 10(3) conidia ml-1, there was only 5% mortality after 192 h. Spraying of artificial water sources with a very high dose of the fungus as an aqueous spray resulted in 80-130 conidia ml-1 at 15 cm depth in the first 24 h after spraying. The conidia rapidly settled out and were absent from the top 15 cm layer of water after about 50 h. A similar experiment using the oil formulation as used in field control resulted in a 2- to 20-fold lower level of conidia in the water. Finally, sampling actual water sources in spray areas revealed a very low level of contamination of the water, with a maximum mean level of 29 conidia ml-1 in the first 24 h after treatment. Thus the level of conidia likely to enter water during control campaigns is a small fraction of that required to kill cladocerans, the only sensitive non-target organism tested. It is concluded that the biopesticide is very unlikely to pose any hazard to aquatic organisms.     

Heterosis, direct and maternal genetic effects on semen quality traits of rabbits

A complete diallel cross involving two rabbit sire lines (C and R) was carried out to estimate the crossbreeding genetic parameters of seminal traits. 2140 ejaculates from 153 males were analyzed. The traits studied were: presence of gel plugs (G), urine (U), and calcium carbonate deposits (CC), number of useful ejaculates (UE), pH, volume (V), mass and individual motility (Mm, Mi), useful Mi (UM), concentration (Cn), number of spermatozoa per ejaculate (TSE), percentage of viable spermatozoa (Vi), spermatozoa with normal apical ridge (NAR), normal spermatozoa (Nr), spermatozoa with morphological abnormalities of head (H), neck-midpiece (Nm), and tail (T), presence of proximal and distal cytoplasmic droplet (Dp, Dd).

Estimates of heterosis, direct and maternal genetic effects were obtained from the solutions of the mixed model. There were major differences in direct genetic effects between lines, which were favourable to line C for Cn and TSE, and unfavourable for CC, Nm and Dp. Smaller differences were also observed in Vi and NAR favourable to line R. Differences between lines with respect to the maternal genetic effects were relevant and favourable to line C for V and to line R for U, UM, Cn, TSE, Nm, Mi, and Mm. Individual heterosis was high for Dp and Dd.     

肉鹅H5亚型禽流感疫苗免疫效果的研究

选用H 5亚型禽流感油乳剂灭活疫苗(H 5N 1,R e1株)对马岗鹅作首免日龄、免疫次数与免疫剂量的免疫试验。结果表明,雏鹅在7、14或21日龄作1次免疫均产生免疫应答,其中14与21日龄免疫组免疫后第5周抗体水平均达4 log2以上,抗体动态变化均值与峰值均高于7日龄免疫组2~3个滴度。用0.5、1和2 m l/只3个剂量对14日龄雏鹅的免疫试验中,0.5m l组抗体水平上升过程缓慢,免疫后4周抗体水平才达4 log2以上,1与2 m l组在免疫1周后上升速度较快,免疫后2周即达4 log2以上,抗体水平相近,但2 m l免疫组免疫后5~7周抗体水平均低于1 m l免疫组。说明接种剂量为1或2 m lH 5N 1油苗比接种0.5 m l的免疫效果好,尤以1 m l免疫剂量效果最好。雏鹅在7、14日龄或14、21日龄作2次免疫和7、14、21日龄作3次免疫,首免后抗体上升速度快,各检测点抗体水平均值相近,均在首免后3周达到4 log2以上,4~5周达6 log2以上,4~7周的抗体水平均高于14日龄1次免疫组,且提前2周达到4 log2以上,说明2次、3次免疫组的抗体水平高于1次免疫组,而2次与3次免疫组的抗体水平无明显差异。以上结果说明,在肉鹅生产的禽流感免疫中,选择以14日龄首免0.5 m l/只,21日龄2免接种1 m l/只可取得较为理想的免疫效果。     

Investigations on potential dietetic effects of lactulose in pigs

Effects of lactulose (lac) as feed additive on chyme and feces quality in pigs (reared piglets: n = 10; fattening pigs: n = 20) were tested. Furthermore, fattening pigs were experimentally infected with Salmonella Derby (orally 2.6 × 10⁸ cfu/pig, single dose infection on 1 day) to examine potential prophylactical effects. Pigs were fed a conventional diet ad libitum (in the control group without lac, in the experimental group including lac: 28.6/26.9 g lac/kg dry matter). In piglets and fattening pigs lac intake did not alter fecal dry matter (DM) content or feces pH. Contrary to findings in human beings only small amounts of lac reached the hindgut, although higher lac concentrations were measured in ileal chyme (in piglets: 10–40 g, in fattening pigs 40–70 g lac/kg DM of chyme). Lac ingestion led neither to increased concentrations of lactic acid or volatile fatty acids (vfa) nor to reduced pH data in chyme of small intestine, but in cecum and colon contents higher vfa concentrations (significant effects in piglets) were measured. Furthermore, lac ingestion resulted in reduced ammonia levels in small and large intestine contents. But no protective effects of lac ingestion were recognized when fattening pigs were infected orally with Salmonella Derby. Due to the fact that only parts of lac reach the hindgut there are doubts, whether lac can lead to comparable dietetic effects in pigs as known from human beings (laxation, forced elimination of bacteria a.s.o.). The obtained results in pigs underline the necessity of experimental studies in the target species before substances are used and recommended for dietetic purposes in feeding of pigs.     

水杨酸与蔬菜作物抗性关系的研究进展

水杨酸在植物的抗病性方面发挥着重要的作用,近年来的研究表明,水杨酸在植物抗冷、热、盐、干旱、臭氧、重金属等环境胁迫方面有明显的作用。对近年来有关水杨酸在蔬菜抗逆境胁迫方面的研究进展进行综述,并提出一些研究思路。     

不同药剂对山楂叶螨的亚致死效应

在室内采用叶碟饲养的方法,利用生命表技术研究了四螨嗪、阿维菌素、甲氰菊酯及三唑锡对山楂叶螨的亚致死效应.结果表明,在成虫期,LC10、LC25剂量的阿维菌素、甲氰菊酯及三唑锡可使成螨的产卵量显著降低,除甲氰菊酯LC10外,其余处理可使次代种群的内禀增长率（rm）由0.173降低至0.133～0.167;在若螨Ⅰ期,LC10、LC25剂量的阿维菌素可使rm由0.237降低至0.197～0.199;甲氰菊酯LC10对雌螨的产卵有明显的刺激作用,rm由0.237提高到0.259,而LC25则无明显影响;在卵期,四螨嗪LC10对rm无明显影响,但LC50、LC25可使rm由0.173降低至0.149～0.154.     

Factors Associated with Grassland Bird Species Richness: The Relative Roles of Grassland Area, Landscape Structure, and Prey

The factors responsible for widespread declines of grassland birds in the United States are not well understood. This study, conducted in the short-grass prairie of eastern Wyoming, was designed to investigate the relationship between variation in habitat amount, landscape heterogeneity, prey resources, and spatial variation in grassland bird species richness. We estimated bird richness over a 5-year period (1994–1998) from 29 Breeding Bird Survey locations. Estimated bird richness was modeled as a function of landscape structure surrounding survey routes using satellite-based imagery (1996) and grasshopper density and richness, a potentially important prey of grassland birds. Model specification progressed from simple to complex explanations for spatial variation in bird richness. An information-theoretic approach was used to rank and select candidate models. Our best model included measurements of habitat amount, habitat arrangement, landscape matrix, and prey diversity. Grassland bird richness was positively associated with grassland habitat; was negatively associated with habitat dispersion; positively associated with edge habitats; negatively associated with landscape matrix attributes that may restrict movement of grassland bird; and positively related to grasshopper richness. Collectively, 62% of the spatial variation in grassland bird richness was accounted for by the model (adj-R² = 0.514). These results suggest that the distribution of grassland bird species is influenced by a complex mixture of factors that include habitat area affects, landscape pattern and composition, and the availability of prey.     

Landscape attributes and life history variability shape genetic structure of trout populations in a stream network

Spatial and temporal landscape patterns have long been recognized to influence biological processes, but these processes often operate at scales that are difficult to study by conventional means. Inferences from genetic markers can overcome some of these limitations. We used a landscape genetics approach to test hypotheses concerning landscape processes influencing the demography of Lahontan cutthroat trout in a complex stream network in the Great Basin desert of the western US. Predictions were tested with population- and individual-based analyses of microsatellite DNA variation, reflecting patterns of dispersal, population stability, and local effective population sizes. Complementary genetic inferences suggested samples from migratory corridors housed a mixture of fish from tributaries, as predicted based on assumed migratory life histories in those habitats. Also as predicted, populations presumed to have greater proportions of migratory fish or from physically connected, large, or high quality habitats had higher genetic variability and reduced genetic differentiation from other populations. Populations thought to contain largely non-migratory individuals generally showed the opposite pattern, suggesting behavioral isolation. Estimated effective sizes were small, and we identified significant and severe genetic bottlenecks in several populations that were isolated, recently founded, or that inhabit streams that desiccate frequently. Overall, this work suggested that Lahontan cutthroat trout populations in stream networks are affected by a combination of landscape and metapopulation processes. Results also demonstrated that genetic patterns can reveal unexpected processes, even within a system that is well studied from a conventional ecological perspective.