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PloS One 2014Seasonal and diurnal flight patterns of the invasive walnut twig beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis, were assessed between 2011 and 2014 in northern California, USA in the...
Seasonal and diurnal flight patterns of the invasive walnut twig beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis, were assessed between 2011 and 2014 in northern California, USA in the context of the effects of ambient temperature, light intensity, wind speed, and barometric pressure. Pityophthorus juglandis generally initiated flight in late January and continued until late November. This seasonal flight could be divided approximately into three phases (emergence: January-March; primary flight: May-July; and secondary flight: September-October). The seasonal flight response to the male-produced aggregation pheromone was consistently female-biased (mean of 58.9% females). Diurnal flight followed a bimodal pattern with a minor peak in mid-morning and a major peak at dusk (76.4% caught between 1800 and 2200 h). The primarily crepuscular flight activity had a Gaussian relationship with ambient temperature and barometric pressure but a negative exponential relationship with increasing light intensity and wind speed. A model selection procedure indicated that the four abiotic factors collectively and interactively governed P. juglandis diurnal flight. For both sexes, flight peaked under the following second-order interactions among the factors when: 1) temperature between was 25 and 30 °C and light intensity was less than 2000 lux; 2) temperature was between 25 and 35 °C and barometric pressure was between 752 and 762 mba (and declined otherwise); 3) barometric pressure was between 755 and 761 mba and light intensity was less than 2000 lux (and declined otherwise); and 4) temperature was ca. 30 °C and wind speed was ca. 2 km/h. Thus, crepuscular flight activity of this insect can be best explained by the coincidence of moderately high temperature, low light intensity, moderate wind speed, and low to moderate barometric pressure. The new knowledge provides physical and temporal guidelines for the application of semiochemical-based control techniques as part of an IPM program for this invasive pest.
Topics: Animal Distribution; Animals; Circadian Rhythm; Coleoptera; Female; Flight, Animal; Introduced Species; Male; Seasons; United States
PubMed: 25157977
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105945 -
BMC Evolutionary Biology Nov 2016Dung beetles (subfamily Scarabaeinae) are popular model organisms in ecology and developmental biology, and for the last two decades they have experienced a systematics...
BACKGROUND
Dung beetles (subfamily Scarabaeinae) are popular model organisms in ecology and developmental biology, and for the last two decades they have experienced a systematics renaissance with the adoption of modern phylogenetic approaches. Within this period 16 key phylogenies and numerous additional studies with limited scope have been published, but higher-level relationships of this pivotal group of beetles remain contentious and current classifications contain many unnatural groupings. The present study provides a robust phylogenetic framework and a revised classification of dung beetles.
RESULTS
We assembled the so far largest molecular dataset for dung beetles using sequences of 8 gene regions and 547 terminals including the outgroup taxa. This dataset was analyzed using Bayesian, maximum likelihood and parsimony approaches. In order to test the sensitivity of results to different analytical treatments, we evaluated alternative partitioning schemes based on secondary structure, domains and codon position. We assessed substitution models adequacy using Bayesian framework and used these results to exclude partitions where substitution models did not adequately depict the processes that generated the data. We show that exclusion of partitions that failed the model adequacy evaluation has a potential to improve phylogenetic inference, but efficient implementation of this approach on large datasets is problematic and awaits development of new computationally advanced software. In the class Insecta it is uncommon for the results of molecular phylogenetic analysis to lead to substantial changes in classification. However, the results presented here are congruent with recent morphological studies and support the largest change in dung beetle systematics for the last 50 years. Here we propose the revision of the concepts for the tribes Deltochilini (Canthonini), Dichotomiini and Coprini; additionally, we redefine the tribe Sisyphini. We provide and illustrate synapomorphies and diagnostic characters supporting the new concepts to facilitate diagnosability of the redefined tribes. As a result of the proposed changes a large number of genera previously assigned to these tribes are now left outside the redefined tribes and are treated as incertae sedis.
CONCLUSIONS
The present study redefines dung beetles classification and gives new insight into their phylogeny. It has broad implications for the systematics as well as for various ecological and evolutionary analyses in dung beetles.
Topics: Animals; Bayes Theorem; Biological Evolution; Coleoptera; Ecology; Likelihood Functions; Phylogeny
PubMed: 27899070
DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0822-x -
PloS One 2018The heritable endosymbiotic bacterium Spiroplasma is found in the harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis. The proportion of beetles infected with Spiroplasma in different...
The heritable endosymbiotic bacterium Spiroplasma is found in the harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis. The proportion of beetles infected with Spiroplasma in different native H. axyridis populations varies from 2% to 49%. We investigated the polymorphism of Spiroplasma strains in samples from individual beetles from Kyoto, Vladivostok, Troitsa Bay, Novosibirsk, and Gorno-Altaisk. To identify Spiroplasma strains, we analyzed nucleotide polymorphisms of the 16S rRNA gene and the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS1). The majority of infected beetles were infected with two or more Spiroplasma strains. We measured Spiroplasma density in beetles with different infection status using quantitative PCR. The abundance of Spiroplasma in samples with a single infection is an order of magnitude lower than in samples with multiple infections. Density dependent biological effects of Spiroplasma are discussed.
Topics: Animals; Biodiversity; Coleoptera; Female; Intracellular Space; Larva; Male; Phylogeny; Spiroplasma
PubMed: 29813113
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198190 -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences Jul 2011Complex morphological or functional traits are frequently considered evolutionarily unique and hence useful for taxonomic classification. Flea beetles (Alticinae) are...
Complex morphological or functional traits are frequently considered evolutionarily unique and hence useful for taxonomic classification. Flea beetles (Alticinae) are characterized by an extraordinary jumping apparatus in the usually greatly expanded femur of their hind legs that separates them from the related Galerucinae. Here, we examine the evolution of this trait using phylogenetic analysis and a time-calibrated tree from mitochondrial (rrnL and cox1) and nuclear (small subunits and large subunits) genes, as well as morphometrics of femora using elliptic Fourier analysis. The phylogeny strongly supports multiple independent origins of the metafemoral spring and therefore rejects the monophyly of Alticinae, as defined by this trait. Geometric outline analysis of femora shows the great plasticity of this structure and its correlation with the type and diversity of the metafemoral springs. The recognition of convergence in jumping apparatus now resolves the long-standing difficulties of Galerucinae-Alticinae classification, and cautions against the value of trait complexity as a measure of taxonomic significance. The lineage also shows accelerated species diversification rates relative to other leaf beetles, which may be promoted by the same ecological factors that also favour the repeated evolution of jumping as an anti-predation mechanism.
Topics: Animals; Coleoptera; Escape Reaction; Extremities; Fourier Analysis; Phylogeny; Predatory Behavior; RNA, Ribosomal; Sequence Analysis, DNA
PubMed: 21159678
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.1500 -
Journal of Insect Science (Online) 2013The evolution of parental care is a complex process, and many evolutionary pathways have been hypothesized. Maternal care is common, but paternal care is not. High... (Review)
Review
The evolution of parental care is a complex process, and many evolutionary pathways have been hypothesized. Maternal care is common, but paternal care is not. High confidence of paternity should favor the evolution of paternal attendance in caring for young; biparental care is rare because paternity assurance is typically low compared to maternity. Biparental care in insects has evolved several times and has high diversity. To evaluate the conditions for the evolution of biparental care, a comparison across taxa is suitable. In this review, common traits of biparental species are discussed in order to evaluate previous models of biparental care and the life history of insects. It will be shown that nesting is a common feature in biparental insects. Nest structure limits extra-pair copulations, contributing to the evolution of biparental care.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Cockroaches; Coleoptera; Hymenoptera; Insecta; Maternal Behavior; Models, Biological; Nesting Behavior; Paternal Behavior
PubMed: 24766389
DOI: 10.1673/031.013.13101 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2017To investigate the characteristics of compression, buffering and energy dissipation in beetle elytron plates (BEPs), compression experiments were performed on BEPs and...
To investigate the characteristics of compression, buffering and energy dissipation in beetle elytron plates (BEPs), compression experiments were performed on BEPs and honeycomb plates (HPs) with the same wall thickness in different core structures and using different molding methods. The results are as follows: 1) The compressive strength and energy dissipation capacity in the BEP are 2.44 and 5.0 times those in the HP, respectively, when the plates are prepared using the full integrated method (FIM). 2) The buckling stress is directly proportional to the square of the wall thickness (t). Thus, for core structures with equal wall thicknesses, although the core volume of the BEP is 42 percent greater than that of the HP, the mechanical properties of the BEP are several times higher than those of the HP. 3) It is also proven that even when the single integrated method (SIM) is used to prepare BEPs, the properties discussed above remain superior to those of HPs by a factor of several; this finding lays the foundation for accelerating the commercialization of BEPs based on modern manufacturing processes.
Topics: Algorithms; Animals; Bionics; Coleoptera; Models, Theoretical
PubMed: 28667299
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03767-w -
International Journal of Environmental... Sep 2020The present study investigates the interaction between cannabidiol (CBD) oil and three biopesticides: Azatin and two baculovirus formulations (Madex and Helicovex), both...
The present study investigates the interaction between cannabidiol (CBD) oil and three biopesticides: Azatin and two baculovirus formulations (Madex and Helicovex), both separately and in combination, in order to investigate their interaction against adults of four major coleopteran stored-product pests: (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and (Coleoptera: Dermestidae). CBD, which has been understudied for its insecticidal properties, was applied at three different doses (500, 1500 and 3000 ppm). The biopesticides were administered at 1500 ppm. Interactions in the combined treatments were mathematically estimated as not synergistic and mostly competitive except for the combined treatments of CBD (1500 and 3000 ppm) with Azatin (1500 ppm) which were marked by an additive interaction. In its individual application, CBD oil generated the highest insect mortality while its effect was clearly dose-dependent. The findings reveal a promising effect of CBD oil against these coleopterans which had not been previously tested together.
Topics: Animals; Cannabidiol; Coleoptera; Dominica; Insecticides; Pesticides; Weevils
PubMed: 32933140
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186664 -
Journal of Insect Science (Online) Nov 2018In this study, we newly sequenced five mitogenomes of representatives of phytophagous scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) by using next-generation sequencing...
In this study, we newly sequenced five mitogenomes of representatives of phytophagous scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) by using next-generation sequencing technology. Two species have complete (or nearly complete) mitogenome sequences, namely Popillia mutans Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and Holotrichia oblita Faldermann (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). The remaining three species have the partial mitogenomes, and the missing genes are mainly located adjacent to the control region. The complete (or nearly complete) mitogenomes have the same genome structure as most of the existing Scarabaeidae mitogenomes. We conducted phylogenetic analyses together with 24 published mitogenomes of Scarabaeoidea. The results supported a basal split of coprophagous and phytophagous Scarabaeidae. The subfamily Sericinae was recovered as sister to all other phytophagous scarab beetles. All analyses supported a non-monophyletic Melolonthinae, which included two different non-sister clades. The Cetoniinae was recovered as sister to a clade including Rutelinae and Dynastinae. Although the Rutelinae was rendered paraphyletic by Dynastinae in the Bayesian trees inferred under the site-heterogeneous CAT-GTR or CAT-MTART model, discordant patterns were given in some of ML trees estimated using the homogeneous GTR model.
Topics: Animals; Coleoptera; Genome, Mitochondrial; Models, Biological; Phylogeny
PubMed: 30508200
DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iey076 -
Scientific Reports Mar 2017Structure-dependent colour is caused by the interaction of light with photonic crystal structures rather than pigments. The elytra of longhorn beetles Tmesisternus...
Structure-dependent colour is caused by the interaction of light with photonic crystal structures rather than pigments. The elytra of longhorn beetles Tmesisternus isabellae appear to be iridescent green in a dry state and turn to red when exposed to humidity. Based on the hygroscopic colouration of the longhorn beetle, we have developed centimeter-scale colorimetric opal films using a novel self-assembly method. The micro-channel assisted assembly technique adopts both natural evaporation and rotational forced drying, enhancing the surface binding of silica particles and the packing density by reducing the lattice constant and structural defects. The fabricated large-scale photonic film changes its structural colour from green to red when exposed to water vapour, similarly to the colorimetric feature of the longhorn beetle. The humidity-dependent colour change of the opal film is shown to be reversible and durable over five-hundred cycles of wetting and drying.
Topics: Animals; Coleoptera; Colorimetry; Photons; Pigmentation; Wettability
PubMed: 28322307
DOI: 10.1038/srep44927 -
Scientific Reports Aug 2021Predators can induce phenotypic plasticity in prey through selection driven by predation risk. However, defense plasticity is rarely reported in insects, let alone...
Predators can induce phenotypic plasticity in prey through selection driven by predation risk. However, defense plasticity is rarely reported in insects, let alone trans-generational plasticity, meaning the mechanisms underlying plasticity, how it impacts ecosystem evolution and how it might be exploited in pest control are poorly understood. Here we examine the morphological plasticity of small brown planthoppers (SBPHs), Laodelphax striatellus, elicited by caged predators, Paederus fuscipes in the parent or F1 generation and reveal the risk cues mediating these effects. We also uncover the survival outcomes in SBPHs with predator-induced defensive morphological traits by examining their survival probability and behavioral plasticity. Results showed that caged predators or predator odor cue gave rise to a higher proportion of long-winged, female SBPHs in the parent and F1 generations, but the proportion of males and their wing length were unaffected. The visual cue from predators elicited weaker effects. Surprisingly, we discovered these long-winged forms suffered a lower predation rate when attacked by P. fuscipes, owing to an enhanced agility level. Our results suggest the within- and trans-generational plasticity of induced defenses may cause profound effects on SBPH population dynamics and prey-predator interaction. Understanding this interaction and its underlying mechanisms illuminates important aspects of ecosystem evolution and helps predict pest dispersal or migration, which in turn may be exploited for pest control.
Topics: Animals; Coleoptera; Food Chain; Predatory Behavior
PubMed: 34408199
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96005-3