bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HLA-G Expression in the Skin of Patients with Systemic Sclerosis
Authors: WASTOWSKI ISABELA J. , SAMPAIO-BARROS PERCIVAL D. , AMSTALDEN ELIANE M.I. , PALOMINO GUSTAVO MARTELLI , MARQUES-NETO JOÃO FRANCISCO , CRISPIM JANAINA C.O. , BIRAL ANA C. , RASSI DIANE M. , CAROSELLA EDGARDO D. , MOREAU PHILIPPE , DONADI EDUARDO A.
Published: April 2009

Objective.

To determine HLA-G expression in skin biopsies from patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), and its association with epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory variables and survival.

Methods.

Paraffin-embedded skin biopsies obtained from 21 SSc patients (14 limited SSc, 7 diffuse SSc) and from 28 healthy controls were studied. HLA-G expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry.

Results.

HLA-G molecules were detected in 57% of skin biopsies from patients with SSc (9 from limited SSc, 3 from diffuse SSc), whereas no control sample expressed HLA-G (p = 0.000004). In patients, HLA-G molecules were consistently observed within epidermal and some dermal cells. HLA-G expression was associated with a lower frequency of vascular cutaneous ulcers (p = 0.0004), telangiectasias (p = 0.008), and inflammatory polyarthralgia (p = 0.02). After a 15-year followup, SSc patients who exhibited HLA-G survived longer than patients who did not.

Conclusion.

HLA-G is expressed in skin biopsies from patients with SSc, and this is associated with a better disease prognosis. This suggests a modulatory role of HLA-G in SSc, as observed in other skin disorders.
The Hypoxic Synovial Environment Regulates Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Osteopontin in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Authors: BOSCO MARIA CARLA , DELFINO SILVANA , FERLITO FRANCESCA , PUPPO MAURA , GREGORIO ANDREA , GAMBINI CLAUDIO , GATTORNO MARCO , MARTINI ALBERTO , VARESIO LUIGI
Published: April 2009

Objective.

Synovial angiogenesis, a critical determinant of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) pathogenesis, is sustained by various mediators, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and osteopontin (OPN). We characterized the contribution of the local hypoxic environment to VEGF and OPN production by monocytic cells recruited to the synovium in JIA.

Methods.

Paired synovial fluid (SF) and peripheral blood (PB) samples were collected from 20 patients with JIA. Mononuclear cells (MC) were isolated, and monocytic cells were purified by adherence, maintained in a hypoxic environment, or subjected to reoxygenation. VEGF and OPN protein concentrations were tested in SF, plasma, and culture supernatants by ELISA, and mRNA expression was assessed in freshly purified and cultured cells by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Synovial tissue was obtained at synovectomy from 4 patients with JIA, and analyzed by immunohistochemistry for VEGF, OPN, CD68, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α).

Results.

VEGF mRNA expression was increased in SFMC and SF monocytic cells compared to matched PBMC and PB monocytic cells or SF lymphocytes, correlating with significantly higher protein levels in SF relative to plasma samples. Accordingly, OPN mRNA expression in SF monocytic cells was associated with significant increase of SF protein. Immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of both factors in synovial tissues at the level of the lining and sublining layers, which colocalized with intense CD68 and HIF-1α staining, suggesting production by hypoxic synovial monocytic cells. VEGF and OPN expression was abrogated upon SF monocytic cell reoxygenation and maintained by exposure to prolonged hypoxia.

Conclusion.

Hypoxic synovial monocytic cells are a likely source of VEGF and OPN in JIA. These data point to a role for hypoxia in the perpetuation of synovitis in JIA.
The Relationship Between Renal Activity and Quality of Life in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: APPENZELLER SIMONE , CLARKE ANN E. , PANOPALIS PANTELIS , JOSEPH LAWRENCE , ST. PIERRE YVAN , LI TRACY
Published: April 2009

Objective.

To evaluate the relationship between renal activity and quality of life (QOL) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods.

Three hundred eighty-six patients completed annual Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 questionnaires and physicians completed the SLE Disease Activity Index and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index. Concurrent association between renal activity and QOL was evaluated through regression models that adjusted for demographics and nonrenal disease activity and nonrenal damage. To characterize the longitudinal relationship between change in renal activity and change in QOL, all renal activity and QOL data over the entire study were used to estimate a linear trend within each individual patient through hierarchical modeling.

Results.

In the regression model that assessed the association between renal activity and QOL, on average, each additional renal activity item fulfilled was associated with a 2.04-unit (95% CI 0.88, 3.24) decrease in the physical function subscale, a 5.28-unit (95% CI 2.76, 7.76) decrease in the role-physical subscale, a 2.24-unit (95% CI 0.72, 3.80) decrease in the social function subscale, and a 1.16-unit (95% CI 0.60, 1.72) decrease in the physical component summary score. In the hierarchical model, no association was observed between changes in renal activity and QOL.

Conclusion.

Patients with SLE and active renal disease concurrently experience a slightly poorer QOL than those without renal disease, especially in the physical domains. Because the confidence intervals were wide, we could not accurately estimate whether a longitudinal change in renal activity was associated with a change in QOL.
Systemic Autoimmune Diseases in Patients with Hepatitis C Virus Infection: Characterization of 1020 Cases (The HISPAMEC Registry)
Authors: RAMOS-CASALS MANUEL , MUÑOZ SANDRA , MEDINA FRANCISCO , JARA LUIS-JAVIER , ROSAS JOSÉ , CALVO-ALEN JAIME , BRITO-ZERÓN PILAR , FORNS XAVIER , SÁNCHEZ-TAPIAS JOSE-MARIA
Published: April 2009

Objective.

To describe the clinical and immunologic characteristics of a large series of patients with systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD) associated with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Methods.

The HISPAMEC Registry is a multicenter international study group dedicated to collecting data on patients diagnosed with SAD with serological evidence of chronic HCV infection. The information sources are cases reported by physicians of the HISPAMEC Study Group and periodic surveillance of reported cases by a Medline search updated up to December 31, 2007.

Results.

One thousand twenty HCV patients with SAD were included in the registry. Patients were reported from Southern Europe (60%), North America (15%), Asia (14%), Northern Europe (9%), South America (1%), and Australia (1%). Countries reporting the most cases were Spain (236 cases), France (222 cases), Italy (144 cases), USA (120 cases), and Japan (95 cases). The most frequently reported SAD were Sjögren’s syndrome (SS; 483 cases), rheumatoid arthritis (RA; 150 cases), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; 129 cases), polyarteritis nodosa (78 cases), antiphospholipid syndrome (59 cases), inflammatory myopathies (39 cases), and sarcoidosis (28 cases). Twenty patients had 2 or more SAD. Epidemiological data were available in 677 cases. Four hundred eighty-seven (72%) patients were female and 186 (28%) male, with a mean age of 49.5 ± 1.0 years at SAD diagnosis and 50.5 ± 1.1 years at diagnosis of HCV infection. The main immunologic features were antinuclear antibody (ANA) in 61% of patients, rheumatoid factor (RF) in 57%, hypocomplementemia in 52%, and cryoglobulins in 52%. The main differential aspect between primary and HCV-related SAD was the predominance of cryoglobulinemic-related markers (cryoglobulins, RF, hypocomplementemia) over specific SAD-related markers (anti-ENA antibodies, anti-dsDNA, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide) in patients with HCV.

Conclusion.

In the selected cohort, the SAD most commonly reported in association with chronic HCV infection were SS (nearly half the cases), RA and SLE. Nearly two thirds of SAD-HCV cases were reported from the Mediterranean area. In these patients, ANA, RF and cryoglobulins are the predominant immunological features.
The 1000 Canadian Faces of Lupus: Determinants of Disease Outcome in a Large Multiethnic Cohort
Authors: PESCHKEN CHRISTINE A. , KATZ STEVEN J. , SILVERMAN EARL , POPE JANET E. , FORTIN PAUL R. , PINEAU CHRISTIAN , SMITH C. DOUGLAS , ARBILLAGA HECTOR O. , GLADMAN DAFNA D. , UROWITZ MURRAY , ZUMMER MICHEL , CLARKE ANN , BERNATSKY SASHA , HUDSON MARIE
Published: April 2009

Objective.

To describe disease expression and damage accrual in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and determine the influence of ethnicity and socioeconomic factors on damage accrual in a large multiethnic Canadian cohort.

Methods.

Adults with SLE were enrolled in a multicenter cohort. Data on sociodemographic factors, diagnostic criteria, disease activity, autoantibodies, treatment, and damage were collected using standardized tools, and results were compared across ethnic groups. We analyzed baseline data, testing for differences in sociodemographic and clinical factors, between the different ethnic groups, in univariate analyses; significant variables from univariate analyses were included in multivariate regression models examining for differences between ethnic groups, related to damage scores.

Results.

We studied 1416 patients, including 826 Caucasians, 249 Asians, 122 Afro-Caribbeans, and 73 Aboriginals. Although the overall number of American College of Rheumatology criteria in different ethnic groups was similar, there were differences in individual manifestations and autoantibody profiles. Asian and Afro-Caribbean patients had more frequent renal involvement and more exposure to immunosuppressives. Aboriginal patients had high frequencies of antiphospholipid antibodies and high rates of comorbidity, but disease manifestations similar to Caucasians. Asian patients had the youngest age at onset and the lowest damage scores. Aboriginals had the least education and lowest incomes. The final regression model (R2= 0.27) for higher damage score included older age, longer disease duration, low income, prednisone treatment, higher disease activity, and cyclophosphamide treatment.

Conclusion.

There are differences in lupus phenotypes between ethnic populations. Although ethnicity was not found to be a significant independent predictor of damage accrual, low income was.
Minimal Clinically Important Difference in the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire
Authors: BENNETT ROBERT M. , BUSHMAKIN ANDREW G. , CAPPELLERI JOSEPH C. , ZLATEVA GERGANA , SADOSKY ALESIA B.
Published: April 2009

Objective.

The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) is a disease-specific composite instrument that measures the effect of problems experienced by patients with fibromyalgia (FM). Utilization of the FIQ in measuring changes due to interventions in FM requires derivation of a clinically meaningful change for that instrument. Analyses were conducted to estimate the minimal clinically important difference (MCID), and to propose FIQ severity categories.

Methods.

Data from 3 similarly designed, 3-month placebo-controlled, clinical treatment trials of pregabalin 300, 450, and 600 mg/day in patients with FM were modeled to estimate the change in the mean FIQ total and stiffness items corresponding to each category on the Patient Global Impression of Change. FIQ severity categories were modeled and determined using established pain severity cutpoints as an anchor.

Results.

A total of 2228 patients, mean age 49 years, 93% women, with a mean baseline FIQ total score of 62 were treated in the 3 studies. Estimated MCID on a given measure were similar across the studies. In a pooled analysis the estimated MCID (95% confidence interval) was 14% (13; 15) and for FIQ stiffness it was 13% (12; 14). In the severity analysis a FIQ total score from 0 to < 39 was found to represent a mild effect, ≥ 39 to < 59 a moderate effect, and ≥ 59 to 100 a severe effect.

Conclusion.

The analysis indicates that a 14% change in the FIQ total score is clinically relevant, and results of these analyses should enhance the clinical utility of the FIQ in research and practice.
Stilbenes as enhancers for gypsy moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) nucleopolyhedrovirus
Authors: Shapiro Martin , Argauer Robert A.
Published: April 2009

The stilbenes 4,4′-diaminostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid, 4-aminostilbene disulfonic acid, and dinitrostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid were tested as enhancers for the gypsy moth,Lymantria dispar(L.), nucleopolyhedrovirus (LdNPV). 4-Amino nitrostilbene disulfonic acid had no effect on the activity (LC50) ofLdNPV, whereas both 4,4′-diaminostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid and 4-aminostilbene disulfonic acid were inhibitory. Diethylstilbestrol, a stilbene synthetic estrogen, and two synthetic estrogens (i.e., estradiol-17-acetate, estrone acetate) had no effects on viral activity. Two stilbene dyes (i.e., direct yellow 62, brilliant yellow 6) and a stilbene optical brightener (i.e., Tinopal LPW) significantly increased the activity ofLdNPV. Activity was increased by approximately 230-fold by Tinopal LPW, 26-fold by direct yellow 62, and 36-fold by brilliant yellow 6. This study demonstrates that some stilbenes can act as enhancers, whereas others do not.
Modelling insect demography from capture–recapture data: comparison between the constrained linear models and the Jolly–Seber analytical method
Authors: Schtickzelle Nicolas , Baguette Michel , Boulengé Éric Le
Published: April 2009

Entomologists traditionally use the Jolly–Seber analytical method (JSAM) to estimate demographic parameters from capture–mark–recapture data, although more powerful approaches like the constrained linear models (CLM) have been developed and are commonly and successfully applied to vertebrates. Demographic parameters (i.e., survival, capture, and recruitment rates, population size, and sex ratio) of a patchy population of the Bog Fritillary butterfly, Proclossiana eunomia (Esp.) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), were estimated using CLM on the basis of daily captures of imagoes during 11 yearly generations (1992–2002). Comparing these results with JSAM results obtained on the same data lead us to stress that CLM are far more powerful tools which allow for optimal exploitation of capture–mark–recapture data. This method allows the identification of the variation patterns of demographic parameters and to link them to life-history traits; furthermore it gives more precise estimates of these crucial input parameters for the modelling of population trends and population viability analysis.
Seasonal abundance and synchrony betweenLaricobius nigrinus(Coleoptera: Derodontidae) and its prey, the hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae)
Authors: Zilahi-Balogh G.M.G. , Humble L.M. , Lamb A.B. , Salom S.M. , Kok L.T.
Published: April 2009

Laricobius nigrinusFender, native to the Pacific Northwest, is being evaluated as a potential biological control agent of the hemlock woolly adelgid,Adelges tsugaeAnnand, in the eastern United States. Members of the genusLaricobiusfeed exclusively on adelgids.Adelges tsugaeis found on hemlocks (Tsugasp.) in North America and Asia, but is considered only a pest of eastern [Tsuga canadensis(L.) Carrière] and Carolina (Tsuga carolinianaEngelmann) hemlocks in eastern North America. This is the first detailed study of the life history ofL. nigrinusand its interaction withA. tsugae. Results of a 2-year field study conducted in a seed orchard in British Columbia on the seasonal abundance ofL. nigrinusand its prey,A. tsugae, revealed that (i) the sistens generation ofA. tsugaematures 2-3 months earlier than previously reported in Virginia and Connecticut, (ii) noA. tsugaesexuparae were observed, which differs from findings in Virginia and Connecticut, (iii)L. nigrinusadults undergo an aestival diapause that coincides with diapausing first instarA. tsugaesistens, and (iv) oviposition and subsequent larval development ofL. nigrinuscoincides with oviposition by theA. tsugaesistens adults, indicating good synchrony betweenL. nigrinusand suitable prey stages ofA. tsugae.
Timing of acaracide treatments for control of low-level populations of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) and implications for colony performance of honey bees
Authors: Gatien P. , Currie R.W.
Published: April 2009

The timing of acaracide treatments for control of low-level populations of Varroa destructor Anderson et Trueman has implications for colony performance of honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Replicated colonies with low levels of V. destructor were left untreated, exposed to fluvalinate at each of two doses for 42 days, or exposed to three applications of formic acid, with the four treatments applied in either spring or fall. Varroa destructor densities were measured by alcohol wash and drop boards, and both gave similar estimates. Over the course of one season, the mean abundance of V. destructor increased from 0.002 to 0.11 mites per bee. Extended broodless periods during winter reduced the mean abundance of V. destructor by 28%, but mite mortality over winter was not high enough to prevent the need for treatment the following year. Apistan® was more effective than formic acid in both spring and fall treatments. Doses of one or two strips of Apistan® per colony were equally effective in spring or fall treatments. The mean abundance of V. destructor remained low throughout the season following spring treatment with either dose of Apistan®. Fall formic-acid treatments were more effective than spring treatments. Fluvalinate residues in samples of honey and wax collected from brood chambers and from honey supers were slightly higher in colonies treated with two strips of Apistan® than with one strip, but no detectible residue was found in extracted honey from 4500 commercial colonies treated in spring with Apistan® one strip per brood chamber for single or double storey hives. The levels of V. destructor in this study did not affect honey production or colony survival over winter.
Biology, ecology, and management of dogwood borer in eastern apple orchards
Authors: Bergh J. Christopher , Leskey Tracy C.
Published: April 2009

The dogwood borer,Synanthedon scitula(Harris) (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), has the broadest host range of the clearwing moths and is considered to be an economically important pest of many ornamental, fruit, and nut trees. Since the 1980s, dogwood borer has been recognized as an increasingly important, indirect pest of apple,Malus domesticaBorkh. (Rosaceae), in eastern North America, owing mainly to increased plantings of apple on size-controlling rootstocks that promote the formation of adventitious root initials (burr knots) on the rootstock and scion. Burr knots appear to be preferred oviposition sites for dogwood borer females, although infestations can also be initiated in wounds, pruning cuts, and crotches on the branches and trunk. Larval feeding in burr knots does not adversely affect the growth and vigor of apple trees, but their mining outward from burr knots into vascular tissue can ultimately cause tree decline and death. Chlorpyrifos is the most effective insecticide for controlling dogwood borer. A supplemental label in the United States permits post-bloom, trunk drench applications of chlorpyrifos specifically for control of borers in apple, with several restrictions that preclude control of infestations higher in the tree. The ongoing review of pesticide tolerances dictated by the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act of the United States of America makes the long-term availability of this chemical uncertain. Cultural practices, such as deeper planting or berming, can reduce the likelihood of infestation of new apple plantings by dogwood borer, although they do not preclude infestations from developing above the graft union. This review and discussion is based on our contention that research toward the development of alternative, behaviorally based management strategies for dogwood borer in apple and other economically important host plants is warranted. Our review and synthesis of the dogwood borer literature revealed important gaps in knowledge about basic aspects of its biology that pertain directly to the development of alternative control tactics based on behavioral manipulation. There is considerable confusion surrounding the sex pheromone of dogwood borer and conflicting results on the response of males to isomers and blends of isomers of its purported pheromone. Studies using sex attractants to monitor its phenology in apple and non-apple habitats have yielded discrepant results and conclusions. Differences in the effectiveness of commercially available pheromone lures for trapping dogwood borer have been reported and the ability of pheromone traps to accurately reflect emergence or population density remains in question. Regardless of pronounced differences in the duration and modality of the seasonal flight of dogwood borer among different geographical regions within its range, the conclusion of univoltinism across most of its range has been perpetuated, based on extremely limited developmental data collected exclusively from individuals that developed on dogwood.
Release of native Trichogramma minutum to control grape berry moth
Authors: Nagarkatti Sudha , Tobin Patrick C. , Saunders Michael C. , Muza Andrew J.
Published: April 2009

We studied the effects of inundative releases of the egg parasitoid Trichogramma minutum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) on economic injury by grape berry moth, Endopiza viteana (Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Trichogramma minutum originally collected from natural host populations near North East, Pennsylvania, was mass produced in tobacco hornworm hosts and Mediterranean flour moth. We released T. minutum in border rows, where grape berry moth infestation is typically high, of experiment field station and commercial vineyards from 1996 to 1999. We recorded significant reductions in economic injury in plots where parasitoids were released. In vineyards with low to moderate grape berry moth abundance, four releases during the growing season were adequate in reducing damage at harvest to below 3%. In high-risk vineyards, T. minutum releases reduced damage to levels below 15%. The use of buckwheat as a cover crop to provide nectar in combination with parasitoid releases showed potential benefits in parasitoid activity. A biocarrier and Biosprayer™ were used in mechanized parasitoid-release operations, and no adverse effect on parasitoid emergence was recorded from parasitized eggs using this approach.
Neotropical species ofDietta(Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Leiodinae: Estadiini)
Authors: Peck Stewart B. , Cook Joyce
Published: April 2009

The genusDiettaSharp, 1876 was previously known in the Neotropics only byD. sharpiMatthews, 1887 from Panama. This paper describes a new subgenus ofDietta, Mesodiettasubgen. nov., occurring in Middle America and northern South America west of the Andes, composed ofD. (M.)sharpiMatthews and eight additional new species:D. (M.)esmeraldassp. nov.,D. (M.)latidenssp. nov.,D. (M.)lobidenssp. nov.,D. (M.)mesoamericasp. nov.,D. (M.)mexicanussp. nov.,D. (M.)puntarenassp. nov.,D. (M.)rectispinasp. nov., andD. (M).uncinatasp. nov.Additionally, seven new species ofDietta, subgenusDietta, are described:D. (D.)argentinensissp. nov.,D. (D.)atlanticasp. nov.,D. (D.)geraisensissp. nov.,D. (D.)guianasp. nov.,D. (D.)huanucosp. nov.,D. (D.)pauloensissp. nov., andD.(D.)sucumbiossp. nov.
Are bumble bee colonies in tomato greenhouses obtaining adequate nutrition?
Authors: Whittington Robin , Winston Mark L.
Published: April 2009

Managed bumble bees are important pollinators of greenhouse crops, but few studies have examined factors that affect the health and productivity of commercially produced colonies. We investigated whether supplemental feeding with diverse pollens affected worker longevity and colony size of Bombus occidentalis Greene (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies in tomato (Solanaceae) greenhouses. We found no differences in colony worker populations, brood production, or queen and drone production between supplemented and nonsupplemented treatments, suggesting that B. occidentalis colonies obtain adequate nutrition from the tomato pollen available in greenhouses. Adult populations did not increase in any treatment, but either remained stable or declined after colonies were placed in greenhouses. Because brood-rearing increased in all treatments but adult populations did not, adult mortality due to a non-nutritional factor such as disease or disorientation appears to be an important problem limiting the size of bumble bee colonies, and thus the effectiveness of bumble bees for greenhouse tomato pollination.
Revision of the East AsianPlagiophorus hispidusspecies group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae, Cyathigerini)
Authors: Sugaya Hiroshi , Nomura Shûhei , Burckhardt Daniel
Published: April 2009

Thehispidusspecies group is formed for four new species from East Asia of the genusPlagiophorusMotschulsky:P. hispidussp. nov.,P. hlavacisp. nov.,P. serratussp. nov., andP. grandoculatussp. nov.Uncoated specimens were examined using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and micrographs of the holotypes are presented. Keys to the species groups of the genus occurring in East Asia and to the species of thehispidusgroup are given. Thehispidusgroup is probably monophyletic, having peculiar spinous setae on the male metasternum. The chaetotaxy of the labrum and clypeus is useful for distinguishing species ofPlagiophorus.
New synonymy and new sawfly host records for Cirrospilus vittatus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in North America
Authors: Huber John T. , Moreau Gaétan
Published: April 2009

Cirrospilus flavoviridis Crawford, syn. nov., is synonymized under C. vittatus Walker. It is newly recorded as a solitary egg parasitoid from eggs of Neodiprion abietis Harris (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae) on balsam fir, Abies balsamea (L.) Mill. (Pinaceace), in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and from eggs of Neodiprion nanulus nanulus Schedl in Wisconsin.
Host species influences body size and egg load of the bark beetle parasitoid Roptrocerus xylophagorum (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)
Authors: VanLaerhoven Sherah L. , Stephen Fred M.
Published: April 2009

As early as 1844, it was stated that the size of the host may influence the size of parasitoid adults (Ratzeburg 1844) and that parasitoid size may affect fecundity (Salt 1941). Although positive relationships between host and parasitoid body size have been supported in the literature (Tillman and Cate 1993; Heimpel and Rosenheim 1995), this relationship is not universal to all host–parasitoid systems (King 1991; Morse 1994). Although the relationship between host size and body size of parasitoid adults has been observed for some bark beetle parasitoids (Bushing 1967; Samson 1984), the relationship between body size and fecundity has not been studied for bark beetle parasitoids. Roptrocerus xylophagorum Ratzeburg (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is a bark beetle parasitoid with a wide host range that includes beetles in the genera Dendroctonus, Ips, and Scolytus (Bushing 1967).
Opiine and Eucoiline (Hymenoptera: Braconidae and Figitidae, respectively) parasitoids ofAnastrepha fraterculus(Diptera: Tephritidae) in citrus orchard areas in Corrientes, northeastern Argentina
Authors: Ovruski S.M. , Schliserman P.
Published: April 2009

Anastrepha fraterculus(Wiedemann), the South American fruit fly, andCeratitis capitata(Wiedemann), the Mediterranean fruit fly, are the only economically important Tephritidae species present in the citrus-growing areas in the province of Corrientes, northeastern Argentina. Both fruit fly species severely limit the export of fruit because of quarantine restrictions in importing countries. In this Argentinean region,C. capitatahas been reported mostly infesting cultivatedCitrusspecies such asC. sinensisL. (Osbeck) (Rutaceae) andC. paradisiMacfadyn (Rutaceae), whereasA. fraterculushas been found almost exclusively in wild guava (Psidium guajavaL. (Myrtaceae)), a wild host plant (Turica and Mallo 1961).
Dry season parasitoids of adult corn leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) on irrigated maize in Mexico
Authors: Moya-Raygoza Gustavo , Kathirithamby Jeyaraney , Larsen Kirk J.
Published: April 2009

Parasitoids of adult corn leafhoppers, Dalbulus maidis (DeLong et Wolcott), were studied in irrigated maize (Gramineae) growing during the dry season in Mexico. Dalbulus maidis was parasitized by Metadorylas spinosus (Hardy) (Diptera: Pipunculidae), Halictophagus naulti Kathirithamby et Moya-Raygoza (Strepsiptera: Halictophagidae), and Gonatopus bartletti Olmi (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae) at 24 of the 54 sites where D. maidis were collected. Greater rates of parasitism occurred at higher elevations (R2 = 0.41) and at more southern latitudes (R2 = −0.52). Metadorylas spinosus is a previously unreported parasitoid of D. maidis, and this is the first report of H. naulti parasitizing Dalbulus elimatus (Ball) and Dalbulus gelbus DeLong. Gonatopus bartletti has the broadest geographic and temporal distribution of the parasitoids found.
Revision of the New World species of the genusMonomachusKlug (Hymenoptera: Proctotrupoidea, Monomachidae)
Authors: Musetti Luciana , Johnson Norman F.
Published: April 2009

The species of the genusMonomachusKlug occurring in the Americas are revised. The genus is found from Chile and Argentina north to the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Chiapas. A total of 20 species are considered to be valid and 9 are described as new:M. atratussp. nov.,M. aurifersp. nov.,M. cultratussp. nov.,M. exulsp. nov.,M. intonsussp. nov.,M. paulussp. nov.,M. satyrussp. nov.,M. serratussp. nov., andM. velatussp. nov.The speciesM. bicolorSzépligeti,M. cubicepsSchrottky,M. eurycephalusSchletterer,M. fuscator(Perty),M. glaberrimusSchletterer,M. klugiiWestwood,M. megacephalusSchletterer,M. pallescensSchletterer,M. porteriBrèthes,M. segmentatorWestwood, andM. variegatusSchletterer are redescribed.Monomachus lateralisWestwood is considered a nomen dubiumstat. nov.; a lectotype is designated forM. cubiceps; andMonomachus fuscator andinusSchulz is treated as a junior synonym ofM. fuscator,syn. nov.A key to the species of the New World and a checklist of the world species is provided.Monomachus fuscatorandM. eurycephalusare parasitoids of the coffee pestChiromyza vittataWiedemann (Diptera: Stratiomyidae, Chiromyzinae).
From parasitoid behavior to biological control: applied behavioral ecology
Authors: Roitberg Bernard D.
Published: April 2009

A hypothetical parasitoid mass rearing facility is used to unite principles from behavioral ecology and biological control. The key to the problem is variation in the tendency of solitary parasitoids to superparasitize. Superparasitism affects individual and population parasitoid productivity, though not necessarily to the same degree. Herein, the interest is in determining conditions that will maximize parasitoid population productivity when superparasitism varies. To accomplish this, a combination of graphical marginal analysis (to provide an economic context), dynamic optimization models (to determine individual parasitoid superparasitism tendency), and functional response models (to determine parasitoid population productivity) has been used. Marginal analysis shows that marginal returns decrease with an increase in the number of parasitoids released but that the slope of the marginal returns curve depends upon the sensitivity of superparasitism to environmental conditions. In addition, results show that parasitoid responses can be highly nonlinear and, as such, can greatly affect optimal numbers of parasitoids released in a nonintuitive manner. This behavioral ecology approach greatly increases efficiency and predictability of parasitoid production.
Two new species of litter-inhabiting spiders of the genus Leptoneta from Korea (Araneae: Leptonetidae)
Authors: Kim Seung-Tae , Jung Myung-Pyo , Kim Hun-Sung , Lee Joon-Ho , Koo Han-Mo
Published: April 2009

Two new species of litter-inhabiting leptonetid spiders from Korea are described: Leptoneta namkungisp. nov. from Mt. Buyong, Chungcheongbuk-do, and Leptoneta kwangreungensissp. nov. from Kwangreung, Gyeonggi-do.
Cumulative temperature requirements and development thresholds in two populations of Dicyphus hesperus (Hemiptera: Miridae)
Authors: Gillespie David R. , Sanchez J. Antonio Sanchez , McGregor R.R.
Published: April 2009

Cumulative temperature requirements and development thresholds were determined for two populations of Dicyphus hesperus Knight, 1943 to compare their suitability for use in biological control in greenhouse vegetable crops. The populations were from near Summerland, British Columbia, Canada (49°36′N, 119°40′W, at 334 m elevation) and from near Woody, California, United States of America (35°42′N, 118°50′W, at 500 m elevation). Eggs of the California (CA) population had a higher cumulative temperature requirement for hatch than those of the British Columbia (BC) population. Males of the CA population had a slightly lower cumulative temperature requirement for development from hatch to adult than males of the BC population. The populations did not differ with respect to development thresholds. Males of the CA population experienced higher mortality during development at 35 °C than BC males or females of either population. Males and females of both populations developing at 35 °C were significantly smaller than those developing at more moderate temperatures. The differences between populations with respect to development were biologically trivial. With respect to the effects of temperature on development time under greenhouse conditions, the two populations appear to be equally suitable for use in greenhouses.
New records of Melyridae (Coleoptera) from the Maritime Provinces of Canada
Authors: Majka Christopher G.
Published: April 2009

The Melyridae (soft-winged flower beetles) are a diverse, abundant, and widespread family of beetles found throughout the world, with more than 300 genera and 6000 species worldwide (Mayor 2002). Melyrids are particularly abundant in dry, temperate regions of the world. Mayor's (2002) synopsis of the North American fauna includes 58 genera and 520 species. Bright (1991) tabulates 49 species in 14 genera in the Canadian fauna. Only one species, the introduced Palearctic Malachius aeneus (L.), was reported for Atlantic Canada, with records in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.
Ecology and management of Ericaphis fimbriata (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in relation to the potential for spread of Blueberry scorch virus
Authors: Raworth D.A.
Published: April 2009

Aphids were sampled in commercial blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum L. (Ericaceae), fields in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, from 2001 through 2003. Ericaphis fimbriata (Richards), the dominant aphid, overwintered as eggs on blueberry and emerged in late February and March during bud break. Apterous adult fundatrices were found during April. The fundatrices produced both alate and apterous virginoparae. There was a positive curvilinear relationship between production of alatae and aphid density on flower clusters, but not on leaf terminals. Peak densities in late June or early July varied from 300 to 9000 aphids per plant in different fields, suggesting that there may be considerable variation in Blueberry scorch virus transmission rates among fields infected with the virus. Production of alate virginoparae (percentage of all fourth-instar aphids with wing pads) declined from May through August. Sexual morphs were produced in late September and October. The efficacy of postbloom insecticide applications in June, by growers, was variable. Experimental trials showed that dormant oil is not effective in preventing aphid emergence. Aphids on blueberry should be controlled before bloom, before alatae are produced and large populations occur, but the efficacy of this approach in reducing virus transmission needs to be tested.
Revision of the East Asian Plagiophorus fujiyamai species group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae, Cyathigerini)
Authors: Sugaya Hiroshi
Published: April 2009

The fujiyamai species group is formed for two East Asian species of the genus Plagiophorus Motschulsky, P. fujiyamai (Kubota) from Japan, South Korea, and China (Beijing) and P. subcorticarissp. nov. from Taiwan. The fujiyamai group is unique in that the antennal club is not excavated in the male and antennomere III has two distinct sutures. A key to the species of the fujiyamai group is given.
Using Malaise traps to sample ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)
Authors: Ulyshen Michael D. , Hanula James L. , Horn Scott
Published: April 2009

Pitfall traps provide an easy and inexpensive way to sample ground-dwelling arthropods (Spence and Niemela 1994; Spenceet al.1997; Abildsnes and Tommeras 2000) and have been used exclusively in many studies of the abundance and diversity of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Despite the popularity of this trapping technique, pitfall traps have many disadvantages. For example, they often fail to collect both small (Spence and Niemela 1994) and “trap-shy” species (Benest 1989), eventually deplete the local carabid population (Digweedet al.1995), require a species to be ground-dwelling in order to be captured (Liebherr and Mahar 1979), and produce different results depending on trap diameter and material, type of preservative used, and trap placement (Greenslade 1964; Luff 1975; Worket al.2002).
Attraction of male Pandemis limitata (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) to natural and synthetic pheromone sources: importance for assessing communication disruption
Authors: DeLury Naomi C. , Judd Gary J.R. , Gardiner Mark G.T.
Published: April 2009

In flight-tunnel assays in both clean and pheromone-permeated air, we compared attraction and behavioural responses of male Pandemis limitata (Robinson) to “calling” females, female pheromone gland extract (FGE), and synthetic sources of pheromone. In clean air, female-baited traps caught significantly more males than traps baited with rubber septa lures loaded with 10 or 100 µg of the known pheromone components ((Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (Z11-14:Ac) and (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate) blended in a 91:9 or 94:6 ratio. Traps baited with septa loaded with 500 µg of the 94:6 blend caught as many males as did female-baited traps. Proportions of males engaging in wing fanning, take-off flight, locking onto the plume, and upwind flight towards a rubber septum loaded with 100 or 500 µg of the 94:6 blend were not significantly different from proportions exhibiting these behaviours in response to calling females. Only 500 µg lures elicited as much source contact in the same time as did a calling female. In clean air, traps baited with FGE applied to filter paper at 5 or 10 female equivalents caught as many males as did calling females. In air treated with Z11-14:Ac applied as a pheromone disruptant, females attracted more males and did so sooner than did five equivalents of FGE on filter paper. Consequently, disruption of male orientation to calling females was significantly shorter (74 h) than disruption of orientation to FGE (146 h). However, FGE dispensed from a piezoelectric microsprayer at a rate equivalent to 50 pg of Z11-14:Ac·min–1 caught as many males as a calling female. At this delivery rate, two-choice microsprayer bioassays revealed that FGE containing the two known components at a 91:9 ratio was more attractive than a synthetic blend of these two pheromone components alone at the same ratio. In air permeated with Z11-14:Ac, disruption of orientation to this FGE lasted 74 h, equivalent to disruption of orientation to females. These results suggest the published two-component pheromone blend for P. limitata is likely incomplete, and in the absence of suitable synthetic attractants, we recommend use of calling females or FGE delivered using a microsprayer system for any laboratory examination of communication disruption in this species.
Comparison of two different box styles for mass rearing of Sasajiscymnus tsugae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a biological control agent of hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae)
Authors: Conway Huge E. , Burton Karen B. , Hendrix Carolyn A. , Burgess LayLa W. , Culin Joseph D.
Published: April 2009

The hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae Annand, is the number one threat to hemlock (genus Tsuga Carr.; Pinaceae) forests in eastern North America. Sasajiscymnus tsugae (Sasaji et McClure), an introduced coccinellid from Japan, is a promising biological control agent for HWA. In mass rearing of S. tsugae, the main goals are to maximize adult beetle production, reduce the amount of human labor, and minimize production costs. Significantly higher adult S. tsugae production and survivorship from egg to adult were observed in a modified rearing box compared with a conventional rearing box. The 30 modified boxes produced 4400 more beetles than the 30 conventional boxes. Over time, egg to adult survivorship decreased because of larval cannibalism at densities above 1650 larvae per rearing box. Additionally, warmer weather conditions increased the number of insect and spider predators incidentally introduced via HWA-infested hemlock twigs. There was no significant difference in the time required to prepare modified and conventional boxes for initial introduction of eggs, but significantly less time was required to add water, honey, and HWA-infested twigs to the modified boxes. The additional cost and time required to add modifications to each box was compensated for by the increased number of adult S. tsugae produced and the time saved during the 35 days of scheduled maintenance as eggs hatched and larvae developed to adults.
Buprestid sampling at nests of Cerceris fumipennis (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) in southern Ontario: the first Canadian records of three buprestids (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)
Authors: Marshall Stephen A. , Paiero Steven M. , Buck Matthias
Published: April 2009

Three buprestid species, Actenodes acornis (Say, 1836), Dicerca asperata (Laporte et Gory, 1837), and Dicerca lepida LeConte, 1857, are newly recorded from Canada on the basis of a collection of 57 buprestid specimens taken from females of the crabronid wasp Cerceris fumipennis Say, 1837 in Rondeau Provincial Park, Chatham-Kent region, Ontario, in July 2004. Nine additional buprestid species were taken from wasps that were intercepted as they approached their nests, demonstrating the effectiveness of C. fumipennis nest sites as sampling stations for buprestid beetles. We suggest that this sampling method could be applied to efficiently monitor the spread of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in eastern North America.
Life-history parameters and population dynamics of Ericaphis fimbriata (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum
Authors: Raworth D.A. , Schade Daynika
Published: April 2009

Development rate and age-specific fecundity and survival of Ericaphis fimbriata (Richards) virginoparae were determined during the spring on young leaves of blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum L., as functions of temperature. The same traits were measured during the summer and the autumn on both young and mature leaves at 21.2 °C. The temperature threshold for development was 4.1 ± 0.5 °C (SE). For apterae, development time from birth to adult was 157.7 ± 5.9 day-degrees (dd). Proportional lengths of instars I–IV were 0.16, 0.14, 0.34, and 0.36, respectively. Adult life was 434.5 ± 17.5 dd and proportional lengths of the pre-reproductive, reproductive, and post-reproductive periods were 0.05, 0.74, and 0.21, respectively. Mean fecundity was 23.6 ± 1.0 nymphs per female. Mean survival was 602.9 ± 14.6 dd, and more than 80% of apterae survived the peak reproductive period. Alate fecundity was 16.5 ± 3.2 nymphs per female and alate survival was 460.9 ± 47.5 dd. Leaf type and season of measurement had significant effects on development time and fecundity: development time was 158.2 dd (+4.9 upper asymmetric SE) on young V. corymbosum ‘Duke’ leaves in the spring but 312.4 dd (–16.9 lower asymmetric SE) on mature ‘Bluecrop’ leaves, the dominant leaf type, from a commercial field in the summer. Fecundity for the respective leaf types and seasons was 16.7 (–1.6) and 1.4 (+0.5) nymphs per female. From summer to autumn, development time increased on young ‘Duke’ and ‘Bluecrop’ leaves but decreased on mature ‘Bluecrop’ leaves; fecundity decreased on young ‘Duke’ and ‘Bluecrop’ leaves but remained at low levels on mature ‘Bluecrop’ leaves. A simulation model showed that seasonal changes in development time and fecundity were capable of reducing population growth rates to near zero depending on aphid distribution with respect to young and mature leaves. The results support a combined bottom-up and top-down view of aphid population regulation and suggest that control efforts should focus on the spring, when the population growth rate is maximal.
Potential for combining sex pheromones for the forest tent caterpillar (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) and the large aspen tortrix (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) within monitoring traps targeting both species
Authors: Evenden Maya L.
Published: April 2009

Trembling aspen, Populus tremuloides Michx. (Salicaceae), is the most widely distributed tree species in North America (Perala 1990) and is considered to be an ecologically (Hogg et al. 2002) and economically important (Brandt et al. 2003) component of the boreal forest. Due to the recently increased economic value of trembling aspen (Brandt et al. 2003), the impact of native insect defoliators on tree growth and mortality has become commercially important. Two of the most significant defoliators of trembling aspen throughout its range in Canada are the forest tent caterpillar (FTC), Malacosoma disstria Hübner (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), and the large aspen tortrix (LAT), Choristoneura conflictana Walker (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).
Giselia arizonica, a new genus and species of mite (Acari: Tarsonemidae) associated with bark beetles of the genus Pseudopityophthorus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in North America
Authors: Magowski Wojciech L. , Lindquist Evert E. , Moser John C.
Published: April 2009

A new genus and species of the mite family Tarsonemidae, subfamily Tarsoneminae, is described and illustrated. Its systematic position among genera of Tarsoneminae and its host association with bark beetles of the genus Pseudopityophthorus Swaine, 1918 in North America are briefly discussed.
Olfactory and feeding preferences of Cryptorhynchus lapathi among hosts and nonhosts
Authors: Broberg Cynthia L. , Borden John H. , Gries Regine
Published: April 2009

In British Columbia, native willows (Salix spp.) (Salicaceae) and, to a lesser extent, black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa Torr. & Gray) (Salicaceae) are frequently attacked by the poplar and willow borer, Cryptorhynchus lapathi (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) (Betulaceae), trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), and bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum Pursh) (Aceraceae) are not attacked. We studied olfaction and feeding preferences in the laboratory and feeding, oviposition, and emergence in the field. Female C. lapathi preferred Scouler's willow (Salix scouleriana Barratt ex Hook.) over all other species by olfaction, but males did not discriminate between Scouler's willow and black cottonwood or trembling aspen. All species elicited at least some attraction in no-choice situations. Willow was generally preferred for feeding, but black cottonwood and red alder were also acceptable, unlike trembling aspen or bigleaf maple. In field caging experiments, adult weevils emerged from willow, black cottonwood, and red alder. We conclude that olfaction and feeding preferences are sufficiently powerful to mediate the frequent attack observed on native willows, the intermediate levels of attack on cottonwood, and the absence of attack on red alder. Successful development on red alder suggests that C. lapathi could expand its host range to include this species.