The brown marmorated stink bug,Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Malta

Halyomorpha halys, commonly known as the brown marmorated stink bug, has been recorded for the first time from the Maltese Islands. The record is currently based on the capture of a single specimen. Information is provided on the distribution range of this polyphagous species which was accidentally introduced into Europe (Switzerland) in 2007 and since then has invaded many European countries. Morphological details are also included to aid in the discrimination of this species from similar species occurring in the Mediterranean region. Notes are provided on the feeding strategies used by this insect and the type of damage incurred on agricultural commodities, which are often rendered unsaleable.     

Assessing the efficacy and impact of management of an invasive species in a protected area: Poa annua on sub‐Antarctic Macquarie Island

Plant eradication is difficult, particularly in remote, protected areas. The Southern Ocean Islands are very isolated and highly protected, but the flora contains many alien plants. Small restricted populations have been eradicated, but eradication of established species has proven difficult. A better understanding of the efficacy of control methods at sub‐Antarctic temperatures and their off‐target impacts may increase eradication success. With interest in controlling non‐native Poa annua in the region, we aimed to determine if physical and chemical methods can control P. annua (the sub‐Antarctic biotype) in sub‐Antarctic conditions and examined their impact on native plants. We quantified the effectiveness of physical control methods on P. annua in situ on sub‐Antarctic Macquarie Island through field‐based experiments and assessed their selectivity on P. annua compared with native grasses. We also quantified the effectiveness of several herbicides on P. annua at sub‐Antarctic temperatures and assessed their selectivity on native grasses. Of the four physical disturbance methods tested, none effectively reduced P. annua cover as one‐off treatments. Of the herbicide treatments, glyphosate and trifloxysulfuron sodium were effective and were less damaging to native grass species, indicating potential selectivity. Physical control was of limited effectiveness, but did not affect native species richness. An integrated weed management programme utilising the strategic use of selective herbicides with follow‐up chemical and physical intervention may balance control and biodiversity outcomes. This research highlights the importance of site‐specific testing of control methods and understanding off‐target impacts of control when managing alien plant species in protected areas.     

Site‐specific management is crucial to managing Mikania micrantha

Increasingly, weeds have been taking on global distributions. With the proliferation of invasive weeds has come the challenge of managing these species over broad geographical regions, with diverse habitats and political jurisdictions. Here, we review the management of Mikania micrantha Kunth (Asteraceae; mile‐a‐minute) throughout its invaded range, extending through most of the Pacific islands and southern and south‐east Asia. Context matters when determining the best course of action for managing M. micrantha, as it has invaded a large variety of agricultural and natural systems. In Queensland, Australia and Florida, USA, M. micrantha has been targeted in relatively successful eradication campaigns, highlighting the importance of early detection and rapid response methods, while elsewhere in its invaded range, populations are either still increasing or showing limited signs of decline. An inter‐regional approach to research and management should incorporate successful management strategies employed throughout the invaded range including, but not limited to, chemical and cultural control practices, manual and mechanical control, classical biological control using the rust fungus Puccinia spegazzinii, plant–plant competition and integrated approaches utilising two or more control methods concurrently. Additional knowledge of M. micrantha genetics is required to determine if management approaches could be fine‐tuned for particular populations. Countries bordering the Mekong River formed a network in 2011 to co‐ordinate the management of invasive species such as M. micrantha. Expanding such a collaborative approach to other regions could further reduce populations of M. micrantha and limit its spread.     

The importance of reduced light intensity on the growth and development of six weed species

Crops limit light for photosynthesis and growth of weeds. We studied the effect of reduced light on performance of six weed species [one invasive species (Amsinckia micrantha), three common species (Veronica persica, Capsella bursa‐pastoris, Viola arvensis) and two less common weeds (Anagallis arvensis and Scleranthus annuus)]. In two glasshouse experiments, six light levels were achieved aiming at 0%, 20%, 50%, 80%, 90% and 95% reduction of light and corresponding with daily light integrals (DLI) of 12.4, 9.63, 7.13, 2.74, 0.95 and 0.69 mol m^?2 day^?1 in experiment 1 and 21.2, 18.0, 10.7, 3.71, 1.64 and 1.20 mol m^?2 day^?1 in experiment 2. The number of leaves was strictly controlled by DLI. Chlorophyll content index, maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (F_v/F_m), stomatal conductance, flowering and dry matter were strongly reduced when DLI was reduced to 0.69–3.71 mol m^?2 day^?1 for all species. Threshold DLI for flowering was ca. 3.71 mol m^?2 day^?1 for S. annuus, V. arvensis, A. arvensis and V. persica, while C. bursa‐pastoris deviated by flowering at DLI of 0.95 mol m^?2 day^?1. This may explain why C. bursa‐pastoris is common in the seedbank of Danish arable soils in spite of intensive farming with well‐fertilised and dense crops.     

Ornamental lakes — an overlooked conservation resource?

• 1. Shallow lakes excavated for ornamental purposes during the 18th and 19th centuries are abundant in lowland Europe. However, relative to older man‐made and/or natural lakes, these lakes may have been undervalued from the perspective of nature conservation.
• 2. To evaluate this idea a comparison was made between the aquatic macrophyte communities (submerged and floating‐leaved vegetation) of 66 shallow, English lakes including 34 ornamental lakes and 32 flooded medieval peat workings (the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads system), the latter being widely protected by conservation legislation.
• 3. Some 47%, 38% and 15% of the lakes studied were phytoplankton‐dominated, macrophyte‐dominated or deemed too shallow (<50 cm water depth), respectively, to support a macrophyte vegetation. A higher proportion of the ornamental lakes were macrophyte‐dominated (51%) by comparison with the broads (34%). In addition, many of the ornamental lakes contained diverse plant communities including abundant populations of Characeae, a common feature of lakes in the region before the major onset of eutrophication.
• 4. From the perspectives of macrophyte species richness, charophyte communities and indeed ‘reference condition macrophyte assemblages’, many of the studied ornamental lakes can be considered to be of high conservation value. Yet, in contrast to the broads, the vast majority of ornamental lakes have little conservation protection and are rarely subject to biological monitoring and/or surveying, thus leaving them vulnerable to eutrophication and inappropriate management. This study suggests that ornamental lakes are worthy of much greater attention from conservation organizations.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Aeromonas hydrophila B-haemolysin: purification and examination of its role in virulence in 0-group channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque)

Abstract. A single step procedure for purification of B-haemolysin from Aeromonas hydrophila is described which recovered 94% of the haemolytic activity with a sixfold increase in specific activity. Toxicity of haemolysin in 0-group channel catfish was 0–6 mg of purified protein per gram offish. Of six strains of A. hydrophila evaluated for differential toxin production and virulence in 0-group channel catfish, three B-haemolysin-deficient strains were virulent while three B-haemolysin-producing strains were avirulent.     

Spawning,egg attachment and egg retention in captive lobsters (Homarus americanus)

The numbers of eggs spawned, attached, and carried through to hatching were examined in three groups of captive lobsters (Homarus americanus). Wild born/lab spawned H. americanus, lab born/lab spawned H. americanus, and hybrids of H. americanus ♂ × H. gammarus ♀ spawned 8800–11500 eggs per female (weight range 336–945 g). Hybrid females attached 77% of all spawned eggs. Purebred females attached either most eggs of a spawn or fewer than 10%. In some instances where attachment was poor, females were known to be virgins or had been mated to a sterile hybrid male. Unfertilized eggs could attach, but the percentage which did was low. Some wild born/lab spawned H. americanus carried portions of their clutches through until hatching; however, many purebreds and all hybrids dropped their clutches before hatching. Possible factors which cause eggs to drop prematurely are discussed.     

Mycoplasma contamination in fish cell lines: an evaluation of detection by differential incorporation of 3H-uridine and 14C-uracil

Abstract. Differential incorporation of uridine and uracil was used to assay for mycoplasma contamination in five fish cell lines: bluegill fry (BF-2), chinook salmon embryo (CHSE-214), epithelioma papillosum cyprini (EPC), fathead minnow (FHM) and rainbow trout gonad (RTG-2). The method was not suitable for monitoring BF-2, CHSE-214, FHM, and RTG-2 cell lines because they incorporated uracil. Differential incorporation of uridine and uracil may be applicable for screening EPC cells because only this cell line could distinguish cultures experimentally infected with Mycoplasma orale from cultures known to be free from microbial contaminants.     

The disease status of Australian salmonids: bacteria and bacterial diseases

Abstract. Eleven freshwater salmonid hatcheries in southern Australia were surveyed for bacterial pathogens and diseases between 1981 and 1985, Twenty-five populations of fish were examined in the study, representing a total of 2755 fish, from which kidney, liver, spleen, and in some cases peritoneum, blood and faeces were cultured. Bacteria of pathogenic significance isolated included Aeromonas hvdrophila, Streptococcus sp., Lactobacillus piscicola, Yersinia ruckeri, Mycobacterium fortuitum, M. chelonei and a filamentous acid-fast organism of uncertain taxonomic position. Lacto-bacillus piscicola and Streptococcus sp. were associated with clinical and subclinical peritonitis. Mycobacterium chelonei was isolated from visceral granulomas in an externally normal fish. Aeromonas salmonicida, Renibacterium salmoninarum and Edwardsiella tarda were not isolated, indicating that the diseases furunculosis, bacterial kidney disease and edwardsiellosis are exotic to Australian salmonids. Similarly, while Y. ruckeri was isolated, enteric redmouth disease had not been recorded and is considered an exotic disease.     

The DAWGPAWS pipeline for the annotation of genes and transposable elements in plant genomes

Background  

High quality annotation of the genes and transposable elements in complex genomes requires a human-curated integration of multiple sources of computational evidence. These evidences include results from a diversity of ab initio prediction programs as well as homology-based searches. Most of these programs operate on a single contiguous sequence at a time, and the results are generated in a diverse array of readable formats that must be translated to a standardized file format. These translated results must then be concatenated into a single source, and then presented in an integrated form for human curation.