Comparative studies of acetylcholinesterases purified from two field populations of the oriental migratory locust (Locusta migratoria manilensis): implications of insecticide resistance

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was purified by affinity chromatography from two populations of the oriental migratory locust, Locusta migratoria manilensis (Meyen), collected from Huanghua and Pingshan Counties, Hebei Province of China. The purification factors and yields were 1661-fold and 19.3%, respectively, for the Huanghua population, and 3897-fold and 39.6% for the Pingshan population. Both the purification factor and yield were significantly lower in the Huanghua population than in the Pingshan population. AChE activity was almost completely inhibited by 10⁻⁶ M eserine and BW284C51, but ?5.8% of AChE activity was inhibited by ethopropazine at the same concentration, suggesting that purified AChE from either population was a typical insect AChE. However, AChE purified from the Huanghua population was 62-, 2.0-, and 1.6-fold less sensitive to inhibition by the three organophosphate compounds, chlorpyrifos oxon, demeton-S-methyl, and paraoxon, respectively, than that from the Pingshan population. Significantly lower purification factor and low yield associated with reduced sensitivity of AChE to inhibition by the organophosphates indicated that AChE purified from the Huanghua population was biochemically and pharmacologically different from that of the Pingshan population. Reduced sensitivity of AChE appeared to contribute to organophosphate resistance in the locust from Huanghua County, where insecticides have commonly been used to manage outbreaks of the locust.     

Movement patterns of seaward migrating European eel (Anguilla anguilla) at a complex of riverine barriers: implications for conservation

River infrastructure such as weirs and hydropower stations commonly present migrating fish with multiple potential passage routes. Knowledge of the cues fish use to navigate such environments is required to protect migrants from hazardous areas and guide them towards safe passage; however, this is currently lacking for many species. Employing high‐resolution positioning telemetry, this study examined movements of downstream migrating adult European eel, Anguilla anguilla, as they encountered a complex of water control structures in one location on the River Stour, southern England. The distribution of eels across five potential routes of passage differed from that predicted based on proportion of discharge alone. Certain routes were consistently avoided, even when the majority of flow passed through them. Passage distribution was partially explained by avoidance in the vicinity of a floating debris boom. Movement paths were nonrandomly distributed across the forebay and eels moved predominantly within a zone 2–4 m from the channel walls. Understanding of avoidance and structure oriented movementation exhibited by eels will help advance effective guidance and downstream passage solutions for adults.     

Impact of Honey Bee Migratory Management on Pathogen Loads and Immune Gene Expression is Affected by Complex Interactions With Environment,Worker Life History,and Season

The effects of honey bee management, such as intensive migratory beekeeping, are part of the ongoing debate concerning causes of colony health problems. Even though comparisons of disease and pathogen loads among differently managed colonies indicate some effects, the direct impact of migratory practices on honey bee pathogens is poorly understood. To test long- and short-term impacts of managed migration on pathogen loads and immunity, experimental honey bee colonies were maintained with or without migratory movement. Individuals that experienced migration as juveniles (e.g., larval and pupal development), as adults, or both were compared to control colonies that remained stationary and therefore did not experience migratory relocation. Samples at different ages and life-history stages (hive bees or foragers), taken at the beginning and end of the active season, were analyzed for pathogen loads and physiological markers of health. Bees exposed to migratory management during adulthood had increased levels of the AKI virus complex (Acute bee paralysis, Kashmir bee, and Israeli acute bee paralysis viruses) and decreased levels of antiviral gene expression (dicer-like). However, those in stationary management as adults had elevated gut parasites (i.e. trypanosomes). Effects of environment during juvenile development were more complex and interacted with life-history stage and season. Age at collection, life-history stage, and season all influenced numerous factors from viral load to immune gene expression. Although the factors that we examined are not independent, the results illuminate potential factors in both migratory and nonmigratory beekeeping that are likely to contribute to colony stress, and also indicate potential mitigation measures.     

Variation in growth and aggression of juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta) from upstream and downstream reaches of the same river

Abstract –  To investigate differences in behaviour and growth between juvenile brown trout from spatially separated reaches, fish were collected from above and below a weir in Silverstream, New Zealand. Population level differences in mass-specific growth rates and aggression level were examined in tank experiments. Monitoring of mass-specific growth rates found that relative growth rates between fish of different sizes varied between fish from the upstream reach but not between fish from the downstream reach. Large individuals grew faster than smaller individuals from the upstream reach but no effect of relative fish size on growth was found among fish from the downstream population, indicating that social organisation in the two populations differed. When tested in pairs, juvenile brown trout from the downstream population were found to be more aggressive than those from the upstream population. Differences in the allometric relationship between growth rate and fish size and in the levels of aggressiveness appear to be related to the failure to form dominance hierarchies among fish from the downstream reach, a fixed behavioural trait most likely related to prior experience of crowding or different genetic backgrounds.     

黄河三角洲东亚飞蝗夏蝗发生的气象预测模型

利用黄河三角洲地区5个重点沿海蝗区1983-2008年东亚飞蝗夏蝗的调查资料和相应的气象资料,分别对飞蝗发生期、发生量与主要气象因子进行相关分析并组建回归预测模型。结果表明,夏蝗出土始期和出土盛期均与上年9月和当年2月的降水量呈显著的负相关关系,但方程系数不同;在发生量预测中,夏蝗发生密度与4月平均气温和2月降水量呈显著负相关,发生面积与3月和上年8月的平均气温呈显著正相关、与上年9月降水量呈显著负相关。利用历史资料对预测模型进行回代检验,模拟值的平均相对准确率达90.2%,可以满足实际需求。     

昆虫生长调节剂对东亚飞蝗表皮和脑神经分泌细胞的影响(Ⅱ)

通过光学显微镜及电子显微镜观察，综合分析了昆虫生长调节剂卡死克对东亚飞蝗表皮与脑的显微及亚显微形态结构的影响。结果表明，处理后的若虫表皮由于真皮细胞结构被破坏导致内表皮变薄、板层结构消失，而且真皮细胞层与内表皮层分离，细胞质内小泡变大而分布不均，核染色质凝结成为小颗粒且分布不匀。脑神经分泌细胞受药物影响数量明显减少，结构松散，胞间空泡变大，引起轴突变形。经透射电子显微镜检查发现，脑神经分泌细胞的轴突与胞体分离并膨大变形。线粒体结构发生改变，膜与内嵴消失。另外，轴浆运输中的神经分泌颗粒明显减少。     

转Bt基因水稻对东亚飞蝗抗寒性的影响

为了探究转Bt基因水稻对东亚飞蝗抗寒性的影响,在室内条件下以转Bt基因水稻和非转基因水稻分别喂养东亚飞蝗3代,用过冷却点仪测定东亚飞蝗的过冷却点和冰点。结果表明,转Bt基因水稻饲养的东亚飞蝗的4龄、5龄幼虫、成虫（雌和雄）的过冷却点分别为-5.89、-7.59、-6.64和-6.79,与对照组无显著差异。     

Coexistence of anadromous and lacustrine life histories of the shirauo, Salangichthys microdon

The environmental history of the shirauo, Salangichthys microdon, was examined in terms of strontium (Sr) and calcium (Ca) uptake in the otolith, by means of wavelength dispersive X‐ray spectrometry on an electron microprobe. Anadromous and lacustrine type of the shirauo were found to occur sympatric. Otolith Sr concentration or Sr : Ca ratios of anadromous shirauo fluctuated strongly along the life‐history transect in accordance with the migration (habitat) pattern from sea to freshwater. In contrast, the Sr concentration or the Sr : Ca ratios of lacustrine shirauo remained at consistently low levels throughout the otolith. The higher ratios in anadromous shirauo, in the otolith region from the core to 90–230 μm, corresponded to the initial sea‐going period, probably reflecting the ambient salinity or the seawater–freshwater gradient in Sr concentration. The findings clearly indicated that otolith Sr : Ca ratios reflected individual life histories, enabling these anadromous shirauo to be distinguished from lacustrine shirauo.     

Female-biased mortality rate and sexual size dimorphism of migratory masu salmon, Oncorhynchus masou

Abstract –  We examined whether mortality and growth during the migration phase (the lacustrine phase after smolting) differ between sexes in migratory (lake-run) masu salmon ( Oncorhynchus masou ) in a lacustrine population, northern Hokkaido, Japan. The sex ratio of 1+ smolts was more skewed to females than that of the returning adults in three annual cohorts examined, indicating that females have a higher mortality rate during the migration phase. Although there was no difference in smolt length between sexes, female adults were larger in body length than males of the same age: female-biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD) occurs. We suppose that breeding selection favouring a larger body size for females than for males in this population probably requires that females undertake more intensive foraging behaviour with its greater inherent risks but faster growth rates during the migration phase. It therefore seems to be likely that the selection is the ultimate cause of the female-biased mortality rate and SSD.     

中国东部暖温带刺槐花期空间格局的模拟与预测

模拟刺槐开花日期与气温之间的空间关系,对于揭示蜜源植物物候空间格局形成的生态机制和掌握养蜂生产的时宜,具有重要的科学意义.利用中国东部暖温带26个站点1986-2005年的刺槐开花始期、盛期和末期数据,建立了基于日均温的多年平均和逐年物候空间模型,模拟多年平均和逐年刺槐开花日期的空间格局,并对模型进行了空间外推检验.进而,将1986-2005年8 km×8 km分辨率的日均温格点数据代人多年平均和逐年物候空间模型,得到连续地理空间多年平均和逐年刺槐开花日期的空间格局,并尝试设计了研究区内转地放蜂的适宜路线.结果表明:中国东部暖温带1986-2005年多年平均及逐年最佳期间日均温的空间格局分别控制着多年平均和逐年刺槐开花日期的空间格局.各地多年平均刺槐开花日期的空间序列与最佳期间日均温的空间序列呈显著负相关(P＜0.001),多年平均气温—物候空间模型对刺槐开花始期、盛期和末期的方差解释量分别为87％、86％和77％,模拟的均方根误差(RMSE)分别为2.5、2.7d和4.1d.同样,各地逐年刺槐开花日期的空间序列与最佳期间日均温的空间序列均呈显著负相关(P＜0.05),逐年气温-物候空间模型对刺槐开花始期、盛期和末期的方差解释量分别介于44％-94％、57％-92％和39％-84％之间,模拟的平均RMSE分别为3.9、4.0d和5.4d.预测得到的连续地理空间多年平均刺槐开花日期呈现出自南向北、从平原向丘陵和山地逐渐推迟的空间演进特征.据此,中国东部暖温带地区转地放蜂可以沿西线、中线和东线进行,放蜂的大致持续时间可达40-50 d.此外,预测得到的连续地理空间1986-2005年期间刺槐开花始期、盛期和末期的线性趋势以提前为主,呈显著提前的面积分别占总面积的78％、26％和32％.