Effects of dietary Tenebrio molitor meal inclusion in free‐range chickens

Insects are currently being considered as a novel protein source for animal feeds, because they contain a large amount of protein. The larvae of Tenebrio molitor (TM) have been shown to be an acceptable protein source for broiler chickens in terms of growth performance, but till now, no data on histological or intestinal morphometric features have been reported. This study has had the aim of evaluating the effects of dietary TM inclusion on the performance, welfare, intestinal morphology and histological features of free‐range chickens. A total of 140 medium‐growing hybrid female chickens were free‐range reared and randomly allotted to two dietary treatments: (i) a control group and (ii) a TM group, in which TM meal was included at 75 g/kg. Each group consisted of five pens as replicates, with 14 chicks per pen. Growth performance, haematological and serum parameters and welfare indicators were evaluated, and the animals were slaughtered at the age of 97 days. Two birds per pen (10 birds/treatment) were submitted to histological (liver, spleen, thymus, bursa of Fabricius, kidney, heart, glandular stomach and gut) and morphometric (duodenum, jejunum and ileum) investigations. The inclusion of TM did not affect the growth performance, haematological or serum parameters. The morphometric and histological features were not significantly affected either, thus suggesting no influence on nutrient metabolization, performance or animal health. Glandular stomach alterations (chronic flogosis with epithelial squamous metaplasia) were considered paraphysiological in relation to free‐range farming. The observed chronic intestinal flogosis, with concomitant activation of the lymphoid tissue, was probably due to previous parasitic infections, which are very frequently detected in free‐range chickens. In conclusion, the findings of this study show that yellow mealworm inclusion does not affect the welfare, productive performances or morphological features of free‐range chickens, thus confirming that TM can be used safely in poultry diets.     

一种从藤粉蝶分离的微孢子虫的生物学特性和分子系统发育研究

从广州市萝岗桑园周边捕捉到的野外昆虫藤粉蝶(Delias pasithoe)成虫体内分离到1株微孢子虫,经人工接种可在家蚕体内全身性寄生。用透射电子显微镜观察到该微孢子虫为双核,极丝11～12圈,极丝同型,基本符合Nosema属微孢子虫超微结构特征。该微孢子虫在其生活史发育过程中以偶倍数核为主,以二分裂方式增殖,形成双核孢子,发育周期为108 h。基于SSU rRNA和rRNA ITS序列的相似性比较和系统进化分析进一步证实该微孢子虫与Nosema属亲缘关系最近,应被分类为Nosema属‘true’Nosema亚群。     

从野外昆虫体内分离的5株微孢子虫的生物学特性与分子系统发育研究

从广西蚕区的野外昆虫菜粉蝶(Pieris rapae)、桑尺蠖(Hemerophila atrilineata)、斜纹夜蛾(Spodoptera litura)的体内收集到5株对家蚕有一定食下感染力的微孢子虫,通过生物学性状、分子系统发育研究,为其分类鉴定提供依据。来自野外昆虫的5株微孢子虫均具有Nosema属的生物学特性:显微镜下观察形状均呈长卵圆形,与家蚕微孢子虫(Nosema bombycis,Nb)有较明显差异;在生活史的各发育阶段均为双核,以二分裂方式增殖,最后形成双核成熟孢子;与Nb抗血清均产生阳性凝聚反应;超微结构观察均具双核,极丝圈数在12～14圈之间,极丝倾斜角与Nb有差异。根据5株野外昆虫微孢子虫与其它昆虫微孢子虫基于SSU rRNA基因序列构建的系统发育树,以及基于SSU rRNA和rRNA ITS基因序列进行的相似性和遗传距离分析,初步认为5株野外昆虫微孢子虫与家蚕微孢子虫同属异种。     

豫西地区酢浆草草坪昆虫种类调查及群落分析

对河南省豫西地区主要城市酢浆草Oxalis corniculate草坪昆虫群落进行了调查,共鉴定出昆虫12目36科75种,其中有害昆虫56种,有益天敌18种,其他昆虫1种.在有害昆虫中,不同季节优势种不一样,春季的优势种为蚜虫,夏季的优势种为酢浆草茹叶螨Tetranychina harti和朱砂叶螨T.cinnabarinus,秋季的优势种是酢浆草茹叶螨T.Hharti和蛴螬Holotrichia diomphalia.它们都是综合治理的主要对象.     

The occurrence of summer mastitis in Jutland (Denmark) in relation to meteorological factors

Data for incidence of summer mastitis in 14 veterinary practices in Jutland (Denmark) were related to meteorological factors using statistical methods. A correlation and regression analysis showed that summer mastitis occurred earlier in years with high temperature and precipitation in early summer. The annual number of cases markedly increased over the years 1953 to 1980. This increase was described by applying a linear increase with with year to a logarithmic transformation of the annual incidence.Analysis of 10-day incidences from the veterinary practices and daily incidence from a test site at St. Vildmose (Jutland) showed that incidence of summer mastitis could be related to temperature and wind velocity within the previous 10 days. High temperature and low wind velocity in this period increase the incidence. This indicates that the incubation period of summer mastitis is at maximum about 10 days. The activity of the fly (Hydrotaea irritans Fall), which acts as mechanical vector for the bacteria is influenced by temperature and wind velocity. This may explain the variation in incidence of summer mastitis during the season and from year to year.     

The dimpling bug,Campylomma austrina Malipatil (Hemiptera: Miridae): the damage and its relationship with ants in mango orchards in the Northern Territory of Australia

The dimpling bug, Campylomma austrina Malipatil, has been recognised since 2002 as a serious mango pest in the Northern Territory, Australia. To fully understand the damage the bug causes and its relationship with ants, field experiments were conducted in five mango orchards in the Darwin area from 2001 to 2003 along with laboratory rearing trials. The latter revealed that the dimpling bug sucked sap mainly from the ovary of the flowers. As the ovary ripened, each puncture resulted in a black pimple on the skin of the marble-sized fruit (<5 mm in diameter). All of the most heavily damaged marble-sized fruits (>10 pimples/fruitlet) dropped from the trees. A field survey and field experiments showed that marble-sized fruit damage levels on trees bearing abundant weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina Fabricius, were similar to those protected by chemical insecticides, however both suffered less damage than trees bearing fewer or no weaver ants or black ants, Iridomyrmex sp. We propose that the weaver ant is an efficient bio-control agent of the dimpling bug, and to limit the bug damage, high levels of weaver ant populations are required in mango orchards.     

昆虫滞育虫态及感应光周期的敏感阶段

昆虫属变温动物,为度过不良环境条件,许多昆虫利用滞育特性适应环境的变化,通过对昆虫滞育及感应光周期的敏感阶段进行描述,拟让人们更清楚地了解昆虫滞育期及感应光周期敏感阶段昆虫生物学特性。     

生态因子在马铃薯甲虫地理分布中的作用

本文依据已有的研究,通过探讨马铃薯甲虫Ｌｅｐｔｉｎｏｔａｒｓａ ｄｅｃｅｍｌｉｎｅａｔａ地理分布与各种生态因子之间的相互关系,阐述了马铃薯甲虫地理分布主要是由气候和寄主综合作用决定的,热量因子决定了该虫在纬度上的分布,寄主在其南界形成中起一定作用,而滞育是其适应气候和寄主季节性变化的最主要机制。     

甘蓝夜蛾核型多角体病毒杀虫剂的研制及药效测定

用麦胚人工饲料饲养甘蓝夜蛾幼虫,饲料添毒接种生产甘蓝夜蛾核型多角体病毒(MbNPV,东北农学院分离的菌株)。以2×10~6PIB/ml接种8龄末期幼虫为最佳接种条件,增殖效果最好,产量最高达4.55×10~9PIB/虫。自制MbNPV可湿性粉剂,室内毒力测定的LC_(50)为4.89×10~4PIB/ml,杀虫效力明显优于液剂。     

基于转录组数据的害虫抗药性综合检测方法

为建立基于转录组数据的害虫抗药性检测方法,以3种重要害虫家蝇Musca domestica、白纹伊蚊Aedes albopictus和小菜蛾Plutella xylostella的8个抗性/敏感种群的转录组数据为对象,使用已开发的乙酰胆碱酯酶抗性突变检测程序ACE检测不同种群中的乙酰胆碱酯酶抗药性突变,并使用Bowtie 2软件和R程序包DESeq2检测其解毒酶基因的表达量变化,分析这3种害虫对有机磷类和氨基甲酸酯类杀虫剂的抗性分子基础。结果显示,在家蝇2个抗性种群KS8S3和ALHF中检测到ace2基因上发生了G227A抗药性突变,突变频率分别为0.318和1.000;在白纹伊蚊抗性种群Tem-GR中检测到CCEae3a基因的表达量较敏感种群Par-GR上调了7.175倍;在小菜蛾抗性种群ZZ中检测到ace1基因上发生A201S和G227A抗药性突变,突变频率分别为0.656和0.692。根据上述突变频率和解毒酶基因表达量变化评估的3种害虫种群抗药性情况与其之前的报道基本相符,表明基于转录组数据同时对靶标抗性机制和代谢抗性机制进行检测的害虫抗药性综合检测方法可以很好地反映害虫种群的抗药性状况。