Introduction into Italy of Gryon pennsylvanicum (Ashmead), an egg parasitoid of the alien invasive bug Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann

Leptoglossus occidentalis (Heteroptera, Coreidae), a Nearctic species, was accidentally introduced into Northern Italy in the late 1990s, from where it has spread throughout Europe. The bug causes abortion of immature cones of Pinus pinea L., with economic impact on the pine‐nut industry. As part of a pest control research program, the egg parasitoid Gryon pennsylvanicum Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae) was collected from British Columbia, Canada, and legally introduced to a quarantine climatic chamber in Florence, Italy. The egg parasitoid will be tested against native non‐target heteropterans, an environmental impact assessment will be conducted, and a mass rearing method will be developed if appropriate. The ultimate goal is to release G. pennsylvanicum into Italian P. pinea forests for classical biological control of L. occidentalis.     

Suppression of nematodes in a coastal grassland soil

The nematophagous fungi Arthrobotrys oligospora and Myzocytiopsis glutinospora increase to large numbers (>10³ propagules/g of soil) when moth larvae killed by entomopathogenic nematodes are added to soil microcosms. In spite of these increases, it is unclear how effective these nematophagous fungi are in suppressing nematodes. We measured nematode mortality in microcosms with small numbers of assay nematodes, and we examined assay nematodes recovered at the end of the experiment for signs of fungal parasites. Because the microcosms did not have a moat or other refuge, the assay nematodes remained vulnerable for the 3 days that they were in the soil. Mortality in this experiment was not substantially increased compared to a previous experiment, which measured the mortality of a larger number of assay nematodes in microcosms surrounded by a moat. Mortality, however, increased from 34 to 50% when recovered assay nematodes were examined and when those with conidia of the nematophagous fungus Hirsutella rhossiliensis were considered dead. The zoosporic fungus M. glutinospora was not detected, perhaps because the soil water potential was too low. Contrary to our expectations, there was no evidence of negative feedback on nematodes (i.e., no evidence of density-dependent mortality) because the addition of dead moth larvae greatly increased numbers of resident nematodes and A. oligospora but did not greatly affect the probability of nematode mortality.     

Kinematic Motion Patterns of the Cranial and Caudal Canine Cervical Spine

Objective: To define the kinematic motion patterns of the canine cervical spine, with a particular emphasis on identifying differences between the cranial (C₂–C₄) and caudal (C₅–C₇) segments, and to determine the significance of coupled motions (CM) in the canine cervical spine. Study Design: Cadaveric biomechanical study. Sample Population: Cervical spines of 8 Foxhounds. Methods: Spinal specimens were considered free of pathology based on radiographic, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging examinations. All musculature was removed without damaging ligaments or joint capsules. Spines were mounted in a customized pure‐moment spine testing jig, and data were collected using an optoelectronic motion capture system. Range of motion, neutral zone and CM in flexion/extension, left/right lateral bending and left/right axial rotation were established. Data were analyzed using mixed‐effects maximum likelihood regression models. Results: Total flexion/extension did not change across the 4 levels. There was no difference between flexion and extension, and no CM was identified. Lateral bending was not different across levels, but tended to be greater in the cranial spine. Axial rotation was ～2.6 times greater in the caudal segments. Lateral bending and axial rotation were coupled. Conclusions: Kinematics of the cranial and caudal cervical spine differed markedly with greater mobility in the caudal cervical spine.