Search results for " genitalia"
showing 10 items of 131 documents
Evaluation of criteria for species delimitation of bagworm moths (Lepidoptera: Psychidae)
2014
Accurate identification of species is fundamental for biological research and necessary for species conservation. DNA bar- coding is particularly useful when identification using morphological characteristics is laborious and/or unreliable. However, bar- codes for species are dependent on the availability of reference sequences from correctly identified specimens. The traditional use of morphology to delimit the species boundaries of Finnish bagworm moths (Lepidoptera: Psychidae: Naryciinae: Dahliciini) is contro- versial because there is overlap in their morphological characteristics. In addition, there are no suitable molecular markers. We veri- fied the delimitation of seven out of eight…
Gluing the ‘unwettable’: soil-dwelling harvestmen use viscoelastic fluids for capturing springtails
2014
Gluing can be a highly efficient mechanism of prey capture, as it should require less complex sensory–muscular feedback. Whereas it is well known in insects, this mechanism is much less studied in arachnids, except spiders. Soil-dwelling harvestmen (Opiliones, Nemastomatidae) bear drumstick-like glandular hairs (clavate setae) at their pedipalps, which were previously hypothesized to be sticky and used in prey capture. However, clear evidence for this was lacking to date. Using high-speed videography, we found that the harvestman Mitostoma chrysomelas was able to capture fast-moving springtails (Collembola) just by a slight touch of the pedipalp. Adhesion of single clavate setae increased p…
Baculovirus infection affects caterpillar chemoperception
2021
International audience; Baculoviruses are double-stranded DNA entomopathogenic viruses that infect predominantly insects of the order Lepidoptera. Research in the last decade has started to disentangle the mechanisms underlying the insect-virus interaction, particularly focusing on the effects of the baculovirus infection in the host's physiology. Among crucial physiological functions, olfaction has a key role in reproductive tasks, food source detection and enemy avoidance. In this work, we describe that Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) induces expression changes in some odorant receptors (ORs)-the centrepiece of insect's olfaction-when infecting larvae from its nat…
Fine Structure of Antennal Sensilla of Paysandisia archon and Electrophysiological Responses to Volatile Compounds Associated with Host Palms
2014
Paysandisia archon (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) is a serious pest of palm trees. A comprehensive knowledge of the insect olfactory system is essential for the development of efficient semiochemical-based control methods. The olfactory sensilla are located particularly on the antennae, and these can detect plant volatiles that provide important cues for the insects in the search for their host plants. To date, the fine structure of P. archon antennal sensilla studies and their role in host-plant perception have not been investigated in great detail. Using light microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy, the antennae of both sexes of P. archon are described here in detail, acc…
Survival of two strains of Phthorimaea operculella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) reared on transgenic potatoes expressing a Bacillus thuringiensis cryst…
1998
[Otros] Survie de deux souches de Phthorimaea operculella (Lepidoptera : Gelechiidae) élevées sur des pommes de terre transgéniques exprimant la protéine CrylAb de Bacillus thuringiensis. Deux populations de Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), l'une supposée résistante au DipelTM (une préparation commerciale de delta-endotoxines de Bacillus thuringiensis) et l'autre sensible, ont été cultivées sur quatre cultivars de pomme de terre, deux transgéniques de première génération, exprimant la protéine CrylAb de Bacillus thuringiensis, et deux non transformés. La population de papillons considérée comme résistante a présenté une mortalité inférieure à celle de l'autre population, mais n'était pas v…
Formation of melanin-based wing patterns is influenced by condition and immune challenge in Pieris brassicae
2005
According to life-history theory, trade-offs emerge because organisms possess a limited amount of resources that they have to allocate between different bodily functions. Here, we tested whether there is a trade-off between melanin-based immune response and dark melanized wing patterning in the large white butterfly, Pieris brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), by activating the immune system of pupae and measuring the wing pigmentation of freshly emerged adults. In contrast to expectations, we did not find any negative associations between immune challenge and wing patterning. Furthermore, implanted and punctured male pupae tended to have larger and darker forewing tips as adults compared …
Diet of the insectivorous bat 'Pipistrellus nathusii' during autumn migration and summer residence
2013
Migration is widespread among vertebrates, yet bat migration has received little attention and only in the recent decades has a better understanding of it been gained. Migration can cause significant changes in behaviour and physiology, due to increasing energy demands and aerodynamic constraints. Dietary shifts, for example, have been shown to occur in birds before onset of migration. For bats, it is not known if a change in diet occurs during migration, although breeding season–related dietary preference has been documented. It is known that a diet rich in fats and the accumulation of fat deposits do increase the flight range of migratory bats. Some bat species can be regarded as long-dis…
Characterization of Bacillus thuringiensis ser. balearica (Serotype H48) and ser. navarrensis (serotype H50): two novel serovars isolated in Spain.
2000
The novel strains of Bacillus thuringiensis PM9 and NA69, isolated from soil samples in Spain, were classified and characterized in terms of their crystal proteins, plasmid profile, cry genes content, and their toxicological properties against several species of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera. Both strains share morphological and biochemical characteristics with previously described B. thuringiensis strains, although their unique H antigens identify them as two new serotypes. Two new serovar names, B. thuringiensis serovar balearica (H serotype 48) and B. thuringiensis serovar navarrensis (H serotype 50) are proposed for the type strains PM9 and NA69, respectively.
Sexual Selection Within the Female Genitalia in Lepidoptera
2015
The genitalia of male and female Lepidoptera are complex organs, composed of several structures that exhibit great diversity of shapes, sizes, and positions, suggesting that they have evolved in a relatively rapid and divergent way. In this chapter, we explore the selective pressures responsible for the evolution of genital morphology in the Lepidoptera , emphasizing the possible role of post-copulatory intersexual selection (PCIS) mechanisms (cryptic female choice and sexual conflict). Our exploration is in great extent speculative because knowledge on the functional morphology of genitalia in this group is limited. We start by describing the complexity and diversity of genitalia in Lepido…
Nuovi dati biologici e geonemici su Lehmannia melitensis (Lessona & Pollonera, 1882) e Ambigolimax valentianus (A. Férussac, 1823) (Gastropoda: Limac…
2018
Nuovi dati biologici e geonemici sono riportati per Lehmannia melitensis (Lessona & Pollonera, 1882) e Ambigolimax valentianus (A. Férussac, 1823). In particolare, vengono fornite nuove località siciliane di L. melitensis mentre A. valentianus viene segnalato per la prima volta nelle isole italiane di Sardegna, Sicilia e Pantelleria e nell’isola maltese di Gozo. Le due specie, a volte simili nella morfologia esterna, si distinguono con certezza solo attraverso l’esame degli organi genitali. New records from Sicily are provided for Lehmannia melitensis (Lessona & Pollonera, 1882). Ambigolimax valentianus (A. Férussac, 1823) is recorded for the first time from the italian islands of S…