bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Collective orientation by nocturnally migrating Australian plague locusts, Chortoicetes terminifera (Walker) (Orthoptera: Acrididae): a radar study
Authors: Drake V. A.
Published: July 2009

The collective orientation of Chortoicetes terminifera (Wlk.) migrating at night in New South Wales was studied with a radar. Measurements of the distribution of insect echoes on the radar's plan-position-indicator display provide information about the variation of both the direction and the degree of orientation with both height and time. A quantitative analysis procedure used in a detailed study of one particularly interesting series of observations is described. It was found that collective orientation occurred frequently, and that it sometimes became very well-developed. The direction of orientation remained approximately constant for long periods, but did not appear to be consistently related to any obvious directional cue; changes in direction were observed on occasions, however, and one such change was clearly associated with a change in the direction of the wind. The degree of collective orientation was a rather more variable quantity than the direction, and increases in degree were sometimes associated with increases in the number of locusts arriving at the observation site.
Some factors influencing variability in water-trap catches of Tipula spp. (Diptera: Tipulidae)
Authors: Blackshaw R. P.
Published: July 2009

Experiments were undertaken in July and August 1982 in Northern Ireland to examine the effects of some factors which could influence the number of craneflies caught by water traps. Tipula paludosa Mg. and T. oleracea L. were caught, but the latter only in small numbers. Catches of males of T. paludosa, but not of females, decreased as the height of the trap walls increased. All catches were larger in traps of greater diameter. A significant colour preference was found for males of T. paludosa, in the order green > red > yellow > white > blue > black. Increasing the number of traps per unit area increased the mean catch per trap. It is concluded that the attraction of traps for craneflies, if any, is only slight and that the insects may descend randomly over traps so that greater numbers are caught in wide, low-walled traps. Catch is possibly greatest in green traps because of an inability of craneflies to distinguish them from grass.
Effects of introduced dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on the breeding and abundance of the Australian bushfly, Musca vetustissimaWalker (Diptera: Muscidae)
Authors: Hughes R. D. , Tyndale-Biscoe Marina , Walker Josephine
Published: July 2009

In laboratory experiments in Australia under standard conditions, densities of the dung beetle Euoniticellus intermedius (Reiche) exceeding 150/1-litre pad of cattle dung were shown to suppress breeding of Musca vetustissima Wlk. The experiments also suggested that it was the effect of dung disturbance on the survival of eggs of the fly that led to suppression. Natural vaiation in the quality of cattle dung obscured but did not alter the effects of high beetle densities. The mobility of M. vetustissima in particular, obscured the relationship of its abundance to dung beetle numbers in the field in 1974–75 and 1975–77 an intial high level of flies was apparently reduced and suppressed by a seasonally late but otherwise similar level of beetle attack on dung pads.
Large-scale field propagation and the purification of the granulosis virus of the potato moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidotera: Gelechiidae)
Authors: Matthiessen J. N. , Christian R. L. , Grace T. D. C. , Filshie B. K.
Published: July 2009

Approximately 300 000 larvae of Phthorimaea operculella (Zell.) infected with granulosis virus were collected from virus-treated potato crops in Western Australia. Modified crop culture and releases of laboratory-reared adults were used to boost the natural populations. Virus was applied as an aqueous suspension of pulverised diseased larvae. Infested foliage was collected into large polythene bags; the larvae were forced from their mines by heat and collected by washing in water. Collection and extraction took 100 h; field propagation of virus is thus inexpensive. The purification of the virus was carried out by differential centrifugation and separation on sucrose gradients. A total of 35 g of pure freeze-dried material containing approximately 1·35×1015 particles was obtained.
In vitro maintenance of Glossina palpalis palpalis (Robineau-Desvoidy) (Diptera: Glossinidae)
Authors: Bauer B. , Aigner H.
Published: July 2009

A silicone membrane was developed to meet the feeding requirements of Glossina palpalis palpalis (R.-D.). Starting with a total of 1050 females, a self-sustaining colony fed on defibrinated pig blood was established. The colony performance in terms of mean daily mortality, mean pupal weight and fecundity was evaluated. With the exception of June 1976, the mean daily mortality ranged between 0·40% and 1·20%. During June 1976, bacterial infections caused a sudden increase in mortality. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus spp. were predominant in the gut of dead and diseased flies. Pure cultures of either organism caused the same symptoms in teneral flies within one week after uptake of an infected blood-meal. The weight of the offspring significantly decreased with increasing female age. Starting with a mean pupal weight of 30 mg there was a decrease of 4–6 mg over a period of 90 days. The innate capacity for increase in numbers (r-) was calculated based on data from 340 females. The value of rm = 0·0095 would result in a 32-fold increase of the colony in one year.
The field biology of the adult sheep headfly, Hydrotaea irritans (Fallén) (Diptera: Muscidae), in south-western Scotland
Authors: Berlyn A. D.
Published: July 2009

Adults of Hydrotaea irritans (Fall.) in south-western Scotland were caught in a Manitoba trap and a black suction trap baited with carbon dioxide. Trapped flies were dissected to investigate their reproductive condition, their blood feeding activity and whether they were newly emerged. Trapping of the first gravid females in August was accompanied by a sharp decline in adult activity. The proportions of females in the various ovarian categories suggested that there is a preliminary phase before host-seeking begins, attraction to animals during most of the cycle and a behavioural change at the end. Females with eggs at stages I, II and III accounted for 94% of all females caught; the only females with blood in the gut were in these categories. Some males also were obviously blood-fed. There was a single mating period lasting five weeks. Inseminated females were first trapped in the third week of July, when the numbers of males started to decline, and within five weeks all females trapped were found to have been inseminated. After this, no more males were caught. Only females with eggs in stages later than stage II of the first ovarian cycle were inseminated. H. irritans was univoltine, with two but not three complete ovarian cycles during the summer. There was no difference in feeding or reproductive development between flies from the two traps.
Differential response to oviposition site by feral and domestic populations ofAedes aegypti(L.) (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Leahy Sister M. G. , VandeHey R. C. , Booth K. S.
Published: July 2009

Low fecundity in the laboratory was found in populations ofAedes aegypti(L.) exhibiting Black tergite (Bt), a phenotype characteristic of the feralA. a. formosus(Wlk), whereas high fecundity was found in six domestic populations ofA. a. aegyptiin which the phenotype was absent. An investigation of the cause of low oviposition by the feral population indicated that behavioural differences in mating and feeding were not responsible; egg retention was identified as the major factor. Introduction into laboratory procedure of a variable simulating the feral environment,i.e., coconut-shell infusion at the oviposition site, induced a highly significant increase in feral fecundity both through its chemical constituents and visual attraction. Differential response to oviposition site is discussed in relation to the evolution of subspecies ofA. aegypti.
The distribution and biology of Eldana saccharinaWalker (Lepidoptera Pyralidae) and its relationship to other stem-borers in Uganda
Authors: Girling D. J.
Published: July 2009

All available records showed that Eldana saceharina Wlk. occurs in wild plants in all suitable areas of Africa south of the Sahara. Until a few years ago, it was only of economic importance in West Africa as an occasional pest of maize and sugar-cane, but a crop-feeding form has recently appeared in East Africa. Biological studies were carried out in the field and laboratory at Kawanda, Uganda, between 1970 and 1972 using natural and artificial larval diets. The life-cycle lasted 2–3 months, depending on temperature, and the number of larval instars depended partly on the diet. The adults lived for two weeks, during which time the females each laid 400–600 eggs. The majority of eggs and small larvae were taken by ants, but sufficient larvae survived to cause considerable damage. The pupae and larger larvae lacked efficient natural enemies in East Africa, and the introduction of parasites is suggested to prevent serious crop damage. The relatively evenly spread rainfall at Kawanda allowed maize to be planted every month so that field populations of E. saccharina and the other stem-borers Chilo partellus (Swinh.), Busseola fusca (Fuller) and Sesamia calamistis Hmps. could be studied throughout the year. Collections from maize, sorghum and sugar-cane showed that, although the four species attack the same host-plants, they occupy different ecological niches.
The role of non-dipterous insects in the pollination of cocoa in Brazil
Authors: Winder J. A.
Published: July 2009

Field collections in Bahia State, Brazil, of open cocoa flowers from an untreated plantation and one treated with insecticide and fungicide showed that Homoptera, including the cicadellidXesrocephalus ancoriferLinnavuori, the aphididToxoptera aurantii(Boy.), and species of Pseudococcidae and Margarodidae (Coccoidea), constituted 96% of the total number of insects collected. In the untreated area,Wasmannia rochaiFord formed 22% of the ants collected andBrachymyrmex pictusMayr,Crernatogaster ? parabioticaForel,Iridomyrmexsp.,Pheidolesp. andSolenopsissp., a further 48%, whereas in the treated area, 47% wereC. parabiotica, 14%W. rochaiand 9%B. heeriForel. There was evidence of a mosaic distribution pattern for the ant species. No cocoa pollen was found on any of the insects collected. Total pollination ranged between 7·4 and 8·1 % and effective pollination between 3·7 and 2·8 % in the treated and untreated areas, respectively. Approximately 76% of the pollen masses were stylar, with 38% of the ball type and 54% of the smear type, whereas the 16% stigmatic pollen masses consisted of 63% ball and 29% smear types; 44% of the stigmatic pollinations were effective, compared with only 33 % of the stylar ones. Some quadrats were more attractive to pollinators than others, and there was a significant positive correlation between percentage effective pollination and insolation, probably due to the favourable effect of sunshine onForcipomyiaactivity.
Destruction of eggs as an alternative to chemical control of the grasshopper pest Zonocerus variegatus (L.) (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphidae) in Nigeria
Authors: Page W. W.
Published: July 2009

Zonocerus variegatus (L.) is a chronic but relatively minor pest of crops in West Africa, and expensive control measures are not generally warranted. Egg pods, which take approximately six months to develop, are deposited in highly aggregated sites found scattered throughout cultivated areas. To test the feasibility of reducing populations in large areas by digging up the egg pods, two areas, of 18·5 and 20 ha, were selected near Ibadan, Nigeria, for investigation. Egg-laying sites were identified by observation and the egg pods subsequently dug up. There were on average one or two sites, 5·7 m2 in area, per hectare. Counting the following season's hatching populations in the two areas showed that the potential hatches had been reduced by 83 and 91%, respectively. Control by community self-help is suggested, where individual farmers identify and dig up laying sites on their own land, exposing the egg pods to desiccation on the soil surface. If this was carried out by all the farmers in an area, populations of Zonocerus could be reduced and crop damage minimised. Such control can be carried out at little or no cost and with very little labour.
Factors attracting the sheep headfly, Hydrotaea irritans (Fallén) (Diptera:Muscidae), with a note on the evaluation of repellents
Authors: Berlyn A. D.
Published: July 2009

An investigation using modified Manitoba traps on a forest track in Scotland showed that carbon dioxide, coloured spheres, movement, heat, Haematopota pluvialis (L.) and a swarm of other adults of Hydrotaea irritans (Fall.) were attractive. Traps with coloured spheres attracted more flies than traps without spheres. Matt black, shiny black and shiny red spheres attracted more males and females than did shiny green, white or yellow spheres. Significant increases in the number of flies caught did not occur when carbon dioxide was released from a trap at rates above 2 litres/min. Carbon dioxide seems to act as a long-range attractant, with vision becoming important near the host. Manitoba traps were also used with three repellents for H. irritans in order to evaluate the trap's potential for testing repellents.
Metabolic strategies of male and female tsetse (Diptera: Glossinidae) in the field
Authors: Rogers D. J. , Randolph Sarah E.
Published: July 2009

A scattergram method was developed for explaining the variability in the levels of fat, residual blood-meals and residual dry weights (RDW) of field samples ofGlossina. The pattern of changes in mean RDW and fat levels was shown to be similar for five species ofGlossina (G. morsitans morsitansWestw.,G. swynnertoniAust.,G. fuscipes fuscipesNewst.,G. palpoiis palpalis(R.-D.) andG. tachinoidesWestw.) but different for the two sexes. On the basis of previous laboratory and field work, a simple descriptive model is developed that suggests priority pathways during the life of the adult fly for the products of successive blood-meals. Initially, for tenerals of both sexes, the priority is to increase thoracic musculature (RDW) without excessive production of fat. Subsequently, male flies devote each blood-meal exclusively to the production of fat, an energy store used mainly for flight activity. Females show a gradual increase in both fat and RDW levels, which probably corresponds with the development of the larva in utero. Wing-fray measurements support this interpretation. During each pregnancy cycle, females accumulate a reserve of fat over and above that necessary for the production of each larva. This is apparently required at the end of each cycle when res piratory losses exceed the energy supply from blood-meals taken. Mean thaematin levels of the four larger species studied (G. morsirans, G. swynnertoni, G. fuscipesandG. palpails) also showed a consistent pattern of change during each pregnancy cycle. Females apparently feed once at the beginning of each cycle, once at a stage of pregnancy when the larva in utero is approaching the moult from the second to the third instar and finally during the middle of the third larval instar, when the meal may be quite small and repeated.
The effect of caste composition on wood consumption in cultures of Nasutitermes exitiosus (Hill) (Isoptera: Termitidae)
Authors: Watson J. A. L. , Ruyooka D. B. A. , Howick C. D.
Published: July 2009

Altering the proportions by weight of first-stage workers in groups of large workers from 26 to 40%, or of fourth-and fifth-stage reproductive nymphs in groups of mixed workers from 0 to 15%, did not affect wood consumption by laboratory cultures of Nasutitermes exitiosus (Hill). However, increasing the proportion of soldiers in groups of mixed workers from 0 to 15% decreased food consumption, which was very closely related to: the weight of workers present. The presence of 7·5% of large workers near to ecdysis had no significant effect, but food consumption was depressed when the proportion reached 15%, apparently due to high mortality among the moulting workers. It is concluded that caste composition can be an important factor in laboratory tests of materials against termite attack and that, unlike soldiers or large workers near to ecdysis, first-stage workers and late-stage reproductive nymphs of N. exitiosus are substantially independent castes, at least in their feeding.
The host-feeding patterns of some culicine mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in The Gambia
Authors: Snow W. F. , Boreham P. F. L.
Published: July 2009

A total of 2609 blood-fed females of 23 species of Aedes and Culex was collected, mainly from outdoor resting sites or in unbaited suction traps, at two localities in The Gambia. The host-feeding patterns of the mosquitoes indicated by the results of precipitin tests on the blood-meals were of thiee types: those in which large mammals were the predominant hosts, those where mammals, birds and reptiles were represented and those in which avian feeds predominated. C. tritaeniorhynchus Giles had fed predominantly on cattle, and small numbers of nine species of Aedes had fed on large mammals. C. thalassius Theo. was non-specific in its feeding habits, with feeds from a wide range of mammals and birds and a few reptiles. No evidence was found for a change in the feeding habits of C. thalassius with increasing age. C. poicilipes (Theo.) also fed on mammals and birds. Birds were the primary hosts of C. tigripes Grp. Charm., C. nebulosus Theo./ C. cinereus Theo., C. decens Theo., C. invidiosus Theo. and C. neavei Theo., although the feeds of C. decens included a large proportion on bats.
Inheritance of organochlorine resistance in the cattle tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae) in East Africa
Authors: Lourens J. H. M
Published: July 2009

Single pair progenies (sibships) of three organochlorine resistant strains of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Neum. from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda showed similarity in dose-mortality response to γ-BHC. The homogeneous dose-mortality responses indicated such larvae have a similar high level of resistance, whereas the stepped nature of the dose-mortality curve for the heterogeneous sibships indicated that these sibships include both resistant and susceptible larvae. Crosses between the Uganda strain and the susceptible reference strain (Mwanza) indicated that a dominant gene exerts a major influence on resistance to γ-BHC and dieldrin. For some heterogeneous sibships the dose-mortality response indicated a significant departure from a 1:1 ratio of susceptible: resistant larvae. The deviation could be reduced by increasing the susceptible background genotype. The deviation differed in direction for different crosses, suggesting a genetic influence. The deviations occurred in all three resistant strains. Line selection of deviating sibships in either direction was unsuccessful.
Intraspecific antagonism in Coptotermes acinaciformis (Froggatt) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)
Authors: Howick C. D , Creffield J. W
Published: July 2009

Coptotermes acinaciformis (Frogg.) was collected from three different mound colonies and placed in holding jars in a matrix of mound material from an alien colony. After transportation and maintenance in a controlled insectary for 28 days, they were separated from the holding jars and pooled according to colony origin. They were then used in mixed groups of various combinations in a bioassay test of their feeding capacity and survival. Termites from a fourth colony were used to determine whether pooling of individuals originating from the same colony but maintained in different holding jars had any effect on their feeding and survival in the laboratory. It was shown that, although termites from the same original colony can be re-united without detriment after transportation and maintenance, those from different colonies cannot be mixed to form reproducible bioassay groups. Although chilling before mixing produced a slight improvement, the resulting groups were still unsuitable for use in bioassays. It is noteworthy that when brought together after maintenance in the holding jars under identical conditions in an identical matrix, the termites were able to recognise and accept fellows from their own colony and to detect and reject those from other sources.
A new species of Phyllonorycter (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) on Lonicera quinquelocularis in northern Pakistan
Authors: Bradley J. D
Published: July 2009

A gracillariid moth belonging to the subfamily Lithocolletinae that was reared from larvae mining the leaves of Lonicera quinquelocularis (Caprifoliaceae), a weed in northern Pakistan, is described and named Phyllonorycter montanella sp. n. The larvae make blotch mines on the underside of the leaves and were discovered in the Murree Hills at about 2600 m.
Genetic control of Delia antiqua (Meigen) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae). Sensitivity to diapause interfering with a field-cage experiment using a homozygous chromosomal translocation
Authors: Robinson A. S. , Herfst M. , Vosselman L
Published: July 2009

A translocation homozygous strain (TT) of Delia antiqua (Mg) was released into a field cage in Wageningen, The Netherlands, together with a standard laboratory strain (++). During the course of the season, the fecundity and fertility of the adults were measured together with the karyotype frequencies (TT+; T+; ++) of the F1 progeny. No selective disadvantage of the translocation karyotypes was observed. However, only four F1 adults emerged in the field cage; therefore a sample of pupae was removed from the cage, and it was shown that nearly 100% of the surviving pupae had entered diapause. This figure was confirmed from the remainder of the pupae. The fertility of eggs from the emerging adults was reduced to 54%, compared with the standard fertility of nearly 90%, but because of the diapause response of the strains used, the effect of this reduced fertility in the field-cage population could not be followed. The reasons for the change in diapause response of the laboratory strains are discussed and suggestions made as to how this could be prevented. The report highlights the importance of quality in control techniques involving translocations.
The relationship of host size to feeding by mosquitoes of the Anopheles gambiae Giles complex (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Port G. R. , Boreham P. F. L. , Bryan Joan H.
Published: July 2009

Attention has recently been focussed on the problem of why mosquitoes feed on some people more than others. In this paper, investigations of selective feeding by mosquitoes of the Anopheles gambiae Giles complex conducted in two villages in the Gambia are reported. Fed mosquitoes were collected from the bed nets of 35 groups of people who normally sleep together, for example mothers and infants or two children or two adults. A total of 2339 meals was analysed using haptoglobin or ABO typing to determine from which individual each meal had been obtained. The results showed that the proportion of feeds upon an individual in a group can be associated with the proportion of the total surface area or weight of the group contributed by that individual. The incidence of multiple feeding was between 3 and 6%. The results are discussed in relation to host selection by mosquitoes and their significance for models of malaria epidemiology.
Clonal susceptibility and the influence of shade trees on the incidence of Glyptotermes dilatatus (Bugnion & Popoff) (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) in tea
Authors: Sivapalan P. , Karunaratne A. A. C. , Jayatilleke D. G. S.
Published: July 2009

Amongst 20 tea clones tested in Sri Lanka for susceptibility to Glyptotermes dilatatus (Bugnion & Popoff), five of the high-yielding soft-wooded clones, including the currently recommended and popular TRI 2023 and TRI 2026, were found very susceptible and to suffer a severe net loss in yield. A highly significant negative linear correlation was observed between the mean infestation percentage of clone with an infestation of over 30% and the mean percentage change in yield. In general, the high-yielding clones with soft-wooded sappy frames were particularly susceptible to termite attack. Since yield is one of the important criteria for selection, it is suggested that in areas prone to termite infestation, replanting should be limited to the high-yielding resistant clones such as GMT 9, KEN 16/3 and DG 39. The provision of shade with Gliricidia sepium may have prevented a steep increase in the incidence of infestation in the susceptible clones.
Phenology, polymorphism and insect-plant relationships of the larch budmoth, Zeiraphera diniana (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), on alternative conifer hosts in Britain
Authors: Day Keith
Published: July 2009

Studies on populations of Zeiraphera diniana (Gn.) in Britain, where the tortricid has recently attained pest status, revealed differences in their structure and host-plant relationships when compared with populations at other European localities. A switch from the predominance of larch (Larix decidua) as a host in alpine Switzerland to pine (Pinus contorta) in upland Britain was governed by temperature which, during the egg stage, altered the phenological relationships between hatching caterpillars and foliage on the two conifers. Larvae which originated from populations on pine had higher survivorship on foliage of spruce (Picea) and larch than populations which originated on larch. Larval age heterogeneity, induced by a prolonged egg hatching period, was a marked feature of British populations and could have significant demographic consequences including an occasional reduction in the degree of temporal separation of racial units at the adult stage. Patterns of polymorphism in larval samples from Pinus contorta and Larix spp. in a variety of forests in Britain gave support to a hypothesis of racial hybridisation at the edge of the insect's range. There were overall differences between colour-type structure of larvae on larch at an English site and at a comparable Swiss locality, and also a similar trend in the change of a colour-type index with changes in population density between years. This suggests that similar selective forces may apply to the population dynamics of Z. diniana throughout its range.
Parasitism of overwintering pupae of cabbage root fly, Delia radicum (L.) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), in England and Wales
Authors: Finch S. , Collier Rosemary H.
Published: July 2009

In populations of overwintering pupae of Delia radicum (L.) collected from ten sites in England and Wales, parasitism varied from 0% at Newcastle to 42% at Evesham. Unlike their hosts, few of the parasites were in extended diapause. Irrespective of when collected at Wellesbourne, emergence of 50% of the ichneumonid parasite Phygadeuon trichops Thoms., the eucoilid parasite Trybliographa rapae (Westw.) and the staphylinid parasite Aleochara bilineata Gylh. occurred after 14, 21 and 28 days, respectively, at 20°C. Early-emerging populations of D. radicum were more heavily parasitised than intermediate- or late-emerging populations. During the winters of 1979–80, 1980–81 and 1981–82, T. rapae and A. bilineata emerged in similar numbers from 37% of the field-collected pupae from Wellesbourne. Less than 1% of the pupae were parasitised by P. trichops. D. radicum adults emerged from a further 25% of the pupae, and the remainder, approximately 38%, were dead. Most dead pupae were recovered from heavily parasitised populations. When parasites were present in high numbers, many of their progeny probably died from multiple parasitism and superparasitism. Comparison with earlier studies indicated that parasitism should be expressed as a percentage of the total pupae, and not just as a percentage of the living insects, if the data are subsequently to be of use for studies on the population dynamics of this pest.
Method of using kites to carry tow nets in the upper air for sampling migrating insects and its application to radar entomology
Authors: Farrow R. A. , Dowse J. E.
Published: July 2009

Insects migrating above the surface boundary layer were efficiently and economically sampled over long periods using a large diameter tow net suspended beneath a kite. In a series of trials in Australia, sequential samples were obtained by day and night at predetermined altitudes, in the range 50–500 m. The net was raised and lowered independently of the kite, so that when conditions were calm in the lower atmosphere the kite could remain aloft in the geostrophic airflow. Potential contamination of insects flying below the sampling height was minimised during net ascent, by reducing the airflow through the net. A radio-operated net-closing and releasing mechanism prevented contamination during the free fall of the net. The catch was converted to absolute values of aerial density and migration rate or flux. Aerial sampling was originally developed to identify upper air migrants under observation by the CSIRO entomological radar and to provide quantitative measurements of those species too small to be individually detected by radar. The technique was subsequently operated independently of radar to quantify microinsect migrations, but not those of macroinsects because of their relatively low catch rate.
Trap-oriented behaviour of red-banded blister beetles, Mylabris designata var. hacolyssa Rochebrune (Coleoptera: Meloidae), in the Sudan
Authors: Hall M. J. R.
Published: July 2009

Mylabris designata var. hacolyssa Rochebrune is a pest of a variety of crops, particularly okra, in the central and western provinces of the Sudan. A study is reported of the responses of the beetle to visually attractive traps which were used to measure daily and seasonal flight activity. Blue-coloured traps were more attractive than red, lavender, white or black traps. The catching efficiencies of Manitoba traps and sticky targets were recorded by direct observation: 43·3% of approaching beetles were captured by a blue Manitoba trap whereas the initial 50–80% efficiency of blue sticky targets decreased to 10–20% over three days due to an increasing close range olfactory repellent effect on the beetles. The potential for the use of such traps as a cheap and environmentally acceptable alternative to the use of insecticides for control of M. d. hacolyssa is discussed.
Anopheles darlingiRoot (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Suriname rain forest
Authors: Hudson J. E.
Published: July 2009

Females ofAnopheles darlingiRoot were the commonest (98·6%) of 5464 anophelines taken in 866 man-hours of human bait catches at night, in or near houses in the rain forest in Suriname during 1979–81, but their abundance could not be related to the prevalence of human malaria. In most endemic areas, few females were taken. At Aseli Kamp (4°17'N, 53°24'W) on the Lawa River, biting females were most abundant from April to June, during the long rainy season and rare or absent from September to March, during the long dry, short rainy and short dry seasons. At Apoma Tapoe, however, only 40 km downstream, they were most abundant in october and November, during the long dry season. Females entered houses to feed, with peak biting activity between 22·00 and 23·00 h, and were observed to rest near the collector for a mean of 7·7 min before and 17·1 min after feeding. No females were found resting by day, in buildings or out of doors. The mean parous rate of 827 females from biting catches was 43·6%. The expected biting rate of females was reduced by 20·3% in a house for six nights after it had been sprayed with DDT wettable powder (2 g/m2active ingredient), and by a mean of 82·6% during seven nights in a camp where the edge of the surrounding forest was sprayed with an ultra-low-volume mist of 95% fenitrothion (1·3 ml active ingredient per metre of perimeter) on the first, third and sixth days.A. darlingilarvae were found at Aseli Kamp in all seasons along the river's edge between water hyacinth plants (Eichhornia) and floating debris, and during the long rains in flooded forest.
The responses of Glossina (Glossinidae) and other Diptera to odour plumes in the field
Authors: Vale G. A.
Published: July 2009

In the Zambezi Valley of Zimbabwe, the numbers of Glossina morsitans morsitans Westw. and G. pallidipes Aust. electrocuted as they arrived near a visual target were increased five times by the release of a mixture of carbon dioxide and acetone vapour at the target. Catches declined to near the no-odour level as the odours were moved to release points 32–40 m upwind or downwind of the baits. This pattern of catches at the target changed when flies were trapped at the odour release points 4–40 m from the target, and changed when the odour was released at each of several points along the axis of the wind instead of at a single point. These changes suggest that the flies responded to a single-point release of the odours at distances of 30–60 m from the release point, that, when the flies arrived at the upwind end of a plume and discovered no visual bait, they flew upwind for a few metres and returned downwind for about 8 m and that the flies navigated effectively up a composite plume made by 2–33 separate release points, 1–8 m apart, along a line up to 30° from the mean direction of the wind. Data for Muscidae are also presented.
Host preferences of Aphidius (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) populations parasitising pea and cereal aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Authors: Pungerl Natasha B.
Published: July 2009

Laboratory studies were carried out on different populations of Aphidius ervi Hal., A. picipes (Nees) and A. rhopalosiphi De Stef. collected in England from Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), Sitobion spp., Microlophium carnosum (Buckt.) and Metopolophium dirhodum (Wlk.). When mated females from each population were confined separately with 4–5 other species of these and other genera, each population varied in their host preferences, even though individual populations of each species were electrophoretically and morphometrically homogeneous. These host preferences differed in terms of fecundity. Different populations of Aphidius ervi exhibited markedly different host ranges. This behaviour is probably conditioned rather than inherited, and its significance to biological control is discussed. The results suggest a need to assess quantitatively the effect of temperature, host size and host species on the parasitoids' ability to control pest aphids.
Lipid accumulation and migratory flight in the Australian plague locust, Chortoicetes terminifera (Walker) (Orthoptera: Acrididae)
Authors: Hunter D. M. , McCulloch L. , Wright D. E.
Published: July 2009

Long distance migration by adults of Chortoicetes terminifera (Wlk.) in Australia was shown to be associated with the accumulation of fat-body lipid. Lipid was accumulated if the plant growth index was 0·3 or more within a week of the final moult; when the plant growth index was less than 0·3, there was little fat accumulation. Locusts with large amounts of fat-body lipid migrated on nights with warm strong winds, while those with little persisted.
Host selection and strain occurrence in Apanteles flavipes (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and its bearing on biological control of graminaceous stem-borers (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
Authors: Mohyuddin A. I. , Inayatullah C. , King E. G.
Published: July 2009

Females of the Pakistan strain of Apanteles flavipes (Cam.) (which originates from Japan and is maintained on larvae of Chilo partellus (Swinh.) reared on maize) were readily attracted to maize stems but not to sugar-cane stems in the laboratory. Ovipositor probing occurred in the presence of unwashed host larvae, particularly of C. partellus and/or frass from host larvae fed on maize. Ovipositor probing did not occur in the presence of dried frass, dried frass that had been remoistened with water or frass from C. partellus fed on a diet of gram (Cicer arietinum) flour. The Pakistan strain of A. flavipes is morphologically identical to a strain of A. flavipes imported from India into Florida and established on Diatraea saccharalis (F.) fed on a soyabean flour-wheat germ diet. Reciprocal crosses between the two strains (Pakistan and USA) and between the F1, adults produced both male and female progeny. Nevertheless, behavioural differences between the strains were found in laboratory tests in that the USA strain responded more strongly to larvae of Acigona steniellus (Hmps.) fed on sugar-cane, was more attracted to sugar-cane stalks than to maize stalks and was not encapsulated by D. saccharalis larvae, whereas at least one-fifth of the Pakistan strain larvae were encapsulated. The existence of different strains of Apanteles flavipes adapted to different graminaceous crops suggests that parasite plant preference as well as host preference and suitability must be considered during attempts to introduce exotic parasites. It is recommended that A. flavipes strains adapted to sugar-cane be introduced into Pakistan for establishment on stem-borers of sugar“-cane.
Changes in colour of a secretion in the reproductive tract of adult males of Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) with age and mated status
Authors: Haines Linda C.
Published: July 2009

The internal reproductive system of adult males of Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) is described, and changes in colour of a secretion in the ductus ejaculatorius simplex with age and mated status are noted. Virgin males 0–7 days old and mated males 0–7 days after mating were killed and the colour of the secretion in the simplex compared with colour chips in the Munsell book of color (1929–1942). The results showed that the simplex of newly emerged males was colourless or pale yellow, but after two days an orange pigmented secretion had begun to accumulate in 61·3% of males examined. By four days this pigment had darkened to deep red in 96·4% of virgin males. On mating, a portion of this secretion was incorporated into the spermatophore while the rest was passed into the bursa copulatrix of the female, leaving the simplex of newly mated males colourless. There was. however, a gradual re-accumulation of the pigmented secretion after mating through yellow, orange and finally to deep red. This accumulation of the red pigment was slightly slower in the mated males than in virgins, and three days after mating only 29·6% of the males had a red simplex compared with 78·8% of three-day-old virgin males. The potential use of these changes in colour to determine the mated status of field-caught males is discussed.
Attractiveness of Manitoba traps to the headfly, Hydrotaea irritans (Fallén) (Diptera: Muscidae): the effects of short-term weather fluctuations, carbon dioxide and target temperature and size
Authors: Ball S. G. , Luff M. L.
Published: July 2009

The numbers of adults of Hydrotaea irritans (Fall.) caught in Manitoba traps in north-eastern England varied greatly between successive 30-min periods. Weather variables accounted for 49·4% of this variation, but only wind speed and sunshine showed significant simple correlations with fly catch. Using principal component analysis of weather data, three principal components accounted for 67·3% of the variation in catch. The two components most highly correlated with catch were composed mainly of wind speed, sunshine, shade temperature and radiant temperature. These two principal components were used as covariates in an analysis of the effects of a heated target and carbon dioxide on trap effectiveness. Heating the target to blood temperature increased the catch of females 1·8-fold but had only a slight effect on the catch of males. The presence of CO2 increased the female catch nearly fivefold and the male catch more than fourfold. There was no interaction between the two stimuli of heat and CO2. A separate experiment showed no significant difference in catch between CO2-baited traps using spheres 0·6 or 0·3 m in diameter as the target.
A new matrix for toxic baits for control of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex octospinosus (Reich) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Authors: Jutsum A. R. , Cherrett J. M.
Published: July 2009

A new easily-produced cheap compound for use as a bait matrix is described. The light-weight matrix of polyurethane is prepared from dense precursors into which suitable attractants and toxicants can be incorporated for the pest species in question. It has a high bait effectiveness/weight ratio, and so is very suitable for aerial application as large economically viable payloads can be achieved. When tested both in the laboratory and in the field on a small scale against the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex octospinosus (Reich), the bait was highly acceptable to the ants. Some formulations, especially those coated with mirex gave excellent control of ants in the field in Trinidad, killing all occupants of nests within four days of baiting. The bait exhibited good weathering properties, was resistant to fungus attack, and allowed the slow release of pheromones. It was much cheaper than the citrus pulp baits normally used in Trinidad.
A new species of Coccus (Hemiptera: Coccidae) from mango in Israel, and A redescription of C. gymnospori (Green)
Authors: Ben-Dov Y.
Published: July 2009

A soft scale found infesting mango in Israel is described from the female as Coccus elatensis sp. n. It is morphologically related to C. gymnospori (Green), which is redescribed.
Notes on the biology of Ollarianus balli (Van Duzee) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a newly-discovered leafhopper vector of plant mycoplasmas in Jamaica
Authors: Dabek A. J.
Published: July 2009

Ollarianus balli (Van D.), a leafhopper vector of disease-associated mycoplasma-like organisms, was found to be rare in Jamaica. Its distribution and frequency were governed primarily by the distribution and density of its specific field host, the wild legume Rhynchosia minima on which it completes its life-cycle. Under suitable temperature conditions, O. balli was easily reared in captivity on R. minima and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), although the latter is not a natural host. It oviposited into the hypodermal tissues covering veins of sterns, petioles and the abaxial surfaces of older leaves. Eggs hatched 10–15 days after oviposition and there were five nymphal instars. Instar 1 was distinct from instars 2–5 which, except for size, were similar in appearance. The first adults matured some three weeks after the final moult. There appeared to be little difference in the average life-span of males and females of O. balli.
Post-fumigation productivity ofTrogoderma granariumEverts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)
Authors: Rajendran S.
Published: July 2009

The productivity of adults ofTrogoderma granariumEverts was reduced following fumigation of the larvae with high dosages of carbon tetrachloride, ethylene dibromide or phosphine. Carbon dioxide, ethylene oxide, methyl bromide, methyl iodide and trichloroethylene had little influence on the productivity. From 0 to 23 % of surviving larvae diapaused compared with 3 % of untreated ones.
Food source orientation and activity inRhodnius prolixusStål (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)
Authors: Núñez Josué A.
Published: July 2009

Locomotor activity in an actograph and oriented locomotor movements in an olfactometer were recorded for fifth-instar nymphs ofRhodnius prolixusStål exposed to test stimuli expected to elicit food-seeking behaviour. A natural food source (hamster or human forearm) proved to be the most attractive stimulus. Warmth alone was least stimulating for long-range orientation. As with mosquitoes, carbondioxide and moisture proved to be attractive, as well as the odour of a hamster. Lactic acid did not seem to play an important role in orientation. Activation by the different stimuli was most pronounced during the scotophase of the circadian cycle. Circadian activity ran-free for two weeks in constant darkness. The results indicate that the stimuli that elicit locomotor activity in the actograph are in some way implicated in the switching of the taxis mechanisms that utilise the airstream for orientation.
The development and questing activity ofIxodes ricinus(L.) (Acari: Ixodidae) under field conditions in Ireland
Authors: Gray J. S.
Published: July 2009

Development rates of engorged examples ofIxodes ricinus(L.) and the onset and duration of questing activity of unfed ticks were investigated in gauze cages in the field in the Irish Republic. Development rates of the various stages were broadly similar to those described in other studies but differed in small detail from most of them. It was found that larvae that fed during or after the first two weeks of August entered diapause. The activity periods of questing ticks were found to agree closely with observations made in the field, and the origins of the various peaks in tick activity in the field were thus elucidated. It was established that considerable interchange between autumn-feeding and spring-feeding populations of ticks can occur, and it is concluded that the extent of this is largely controlled by the weather, being accentuated by high summer temperatures.
Active and resting behaviour of virgin and pregnant females ofGlossina morsitans morsitansWestwood (Diptera: Glossinidae) in the laboratory
Authors: Rowcliffe C. , Finlayson L. H.
Published: July 2009

Activity in virgin and pregnant females ofGlossina morsitans morsitansWestw. was very low and mostly took the form of short bursts of flight. Recently-fed virgins and females in early and mid-pregnancy were least active. In late pregnancy, activity increased and more walking occurred. In all classes of females, activity was least around midday, but the V-shaped curve became less pronounced as parturition approached. There was evidence of a slight preference for black over white surfaces whenlandingbut a clear preference for blackrestingsites. Virgin females preferred to alight and rest on vertical surfaces at the borders of areas of visual contrast; pregnant females preferred to alight and rest on horizontal surfaces and showed no attraction to regions of contrast. In a horizontal light gradient, pregnant females selected lighter resting sites as the day progressed. In late pregnancy, there was an increasing tendency to rest in darker sites. Increasing the temperature in the light gradient caused an increase in activity around 34°C and a switch to photonegative behaviour. After larviposition, the females became strongly photopositive even at high temperature (38°C), but after a feed they reverted to the ‘normal’ photonegative response to high temperature.
Parasites of the Cotton leafroller, Sylepta derogata (F.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), in south-western Nigeria
Authors: Odebiyi J. A.
Published: July 2009

Surveys of parasites of Sylepta derogata (F.) on cotton at Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1979–80 showed that there were three larval parasites: Apanteles syleptae Ferrière, A. sagax Wlkn. and Charops sp. An average of 17·7% parasitism was recorded, and A. syleptae accounted for 98·6% of this. There were three pupal parasites: the chalcidid Brachymeria feae Masi, the ichneumonid Xanthopimpla sp. and the tachinid Cadurcia auratocauda (Curr.). Together, they caused an average of 31·7% parasitism. Xanthopimpla was the most abundant, while B. feae was of secondary importance.