Search results for " genitalia"
showing 10 items of 131 documents
Effects of ajugarins and related neoclerodane diterpenoids on feeding behaviour of Leptinotarsa decemlineata and Spodoptera exigua larvae
2001
Three naturally occurring ajugarins and seven semisynthetic derivatives of them, possessing different functionalities in the decalin part, together with two natural furoneoclerodane diterpenes, have been assessed as feeding behavior modifying agents of larvae of the generalist Spodoptera exigua and a specialist like Leptinotarsa decemlineata. Ajugarin I and some of its derivatives exhibited a significant antifeedant activity against larvae of S. exigua in both choice and no-choice assays. Conversely, the furoneoclerodane diterpenes only presented antifeedant activity against larvae of L. decemlineata. These results indicate that the biological action of the tested substances is strongly mod…
Large variation in mitochondrial DNA of sexual and parthenogenetic Dahlica triquetrella (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) shows multiple origins of parthenoge…
2013
Background Obligate parthenogenesis is relatively rare in animals. Still, in some groups it is quite common and has evolved and persisted multiple times. These groups may provide important clues to help solve the ‘paradox of sex’. Several species in the Psychidae (Lepidoptera) have obligate parthenogenesis. Dahlica triquetrella is one of those species where multiple transitions to parthenogenesis are postulated based on intensive cytological and behavioural studies. This has led to the hypothesis that multiple transitions from sexuals to diploid parthenogens occurred during and after the last glacial period, followed by transitions from parthenogenetic diploids to parthenogenetic tetraploid…
Description of a new genus of Euliina with unique coupling adaptations of the male and female (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Cochylini)
2017
Ancoruncus langeri, new genus and new species, is described and illustrated from the Neotropics (Bolivia). It is assigned to the tribe Cochylini (subtribe Euliina) in the family Tortricidae. Ancoruncus langeri is characterized by an unusual, strongly developed uncus, distally expanded into an anchor-like, bilobed apical process and a complex gnathos in male genitalia, as well as an unusual configuration of the anterior lobes of the papillae anales, and tergum 8 with the anterior area bearing a double pocket in the female genitalia. The hypothetical dorsal coupling mechanism of the male and female genitalia is discussed.
Natural populations of Spodoptera exigua are infected by multiple viruses that are transmitted to their offspring
2014
Sublethal infections by baculoviruses (Baculoviridae) are believed to be common in Lepidoptera, including Spodoptera exigua. In addition, novel RNA viruses of the family Iflaviridae have been recently identified in a laboratory population of S. exigua (S. exigua iflavirus-1: SeIV-1; S. exigua iflavirus-2: SeIV-2) that showed no overt signs of disease. We determined the prevalence of these viruses in wild populations and the prevalence of co-infection by the different viruses in shared hosts. Infection by S. exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) and iflaviruses in S. exigua adults (N= 130) from horticultural greenhouses in southern Spain was determined using qPCR and RT-PCR based tec…
Pruritus characteristics in a large Italian cohort of psoriatic patients
2019
Background: Psoriasis (Ps) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease associated with pruritus in 64–98% of patients. However, few modestly sized studies assess factors associated with psoriatic pruritus. Objective: To investigate factors associated with Ps pruritus intensity. Methods: Psoriasis patients 18 years or older seen in one of 155 centres in Italy between September 2005 and 2009 were identified from the Italian PsoCare registry. Patients without cutaneous psoriasis and those with missed information on pruritus were excluded. Results: We identified 10 802 patients, with a mean age 48.8 ± 14.3 years. Mild itch was present in 33.2% of patients, moderate in 34.4%, severe in 18.7% and ve…
The genus Tuponia Reuter, 1875 in Romania, with two new synonymies (Heteroptera: Miridae)
2021
Based on recently collected material and on type specimens deposited in the collections of Muzeul de Istorie Naturală “Grigore Antipa”, Bucharest, Romania, and of the Zoologische Museum, Universität Hamburg, Germany, the following new synonymies are proposed: Tuponia (Chlorotuponia) prasina (Fieber, 1864) = Tuponia (Chlorotuponia) linnavuorii Wagner, 1961, syn. n.; Tuponia (Tuponia) montandoni Reuter, 1899 = Tuponia (Tuponia) macedonica Wagner, 1957, syn. n. Lectotype and paralectotype are designated for Tuponia (Tuponia) montandoni Reuter, 1899. Tuponia (Chlorotuponia) hippophaes (Fieber, 1861), Tuponia (Tuponia) arcufera Reuter, 1879 and Tuponia (Tuponia) elegans (Jakovlev, 1867) are reco…
Age and size thresholds for pupation and developmental polymorphism in the browntail moth, Euproctis chrysorrhoea (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), under …
2009
Size and age thresholds for pupation are important life history traits of insects. They are the ultimate consequences of the underlying physiological mechanism that optimize resource allocation. Such thresholds may have a plastic response under time-varying environmental conditions, developmental polymorphism (i.e., plasticity in the number of instars before pupation) being a common strategy adopted by insects to overcome this challenging situation. In this study, we systematically explore the variables related with both age and size thresholds for pupation and developmental polymorphism in the browntail moth, Euproctis chrysorrhoea (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), by rearing a group of caterpi…
Tenectin is a novel alphaPS2betaPS integrin ligand required for wing morphogenesis and male genital looping in Drosophila.
2010
International audience; Morphogenesis of the adult structures of holometabolous insects is regulated by ecdysteroids and juvenile hormones and involves cell-cell interactions mediated in part by the cell surface integrin receptors and their extracellular matrix (ECM) ligands. These adhesion molecules and their regulation by hormones are not well characterized. We describe the gene structure of a newly described ECM molecule, tenectin, and demonstrate that it is a hormonally regulated ECM protein required for proper morphogenesis of the adult wing and male genitalia. Tenectin's function as a new ligand of the PS2 integrins is demonstrated by both genetic interactions in the fly and by cell s…
Virus-like particles, bacteria and microsporidia affect spindle-associated membranes in spermatocytes of Lepidoptera species.
1997
SummaryLarval testes of four Lepidoptera species were examined using electron microscopy. The testes of one species, the Mediterranean mealmothEphestia kuehniella(Pyralidae), were devoid of intracellular pathogens and serve as a control. In this species, metaphase spindles of primary spermatocytes showed a thick layer of perispindle membranes. The membranes were structurally very similar to the agranular endoplasmic reticulum. Membranes of this type occurred also at high frequency throughout the spindle matrix. The analysis of larval testes ofPieris brassicae(Pieridae) revealed virus-like particles within spermatocytes. In another species,Philudoria potatoria(Lasiocampidae), the spermatocyt…
The story of endurance:Biogeography and the evolutionary history of four Holarctic butterflies with different habitat requirements
2021
Aim: Biogeographical studies on the entire ranges of widely distributed species can change our perception of species’ range dynamics. We studied the effects of Pleistocene glacial cycles on current butterfly species distributions, aiming to uncover complex biogeographic patterns in the Holarctic, a region dramatically affected by Cenozoic climate change. Location: Eurasia and North America. Taxon: Boloria chariclea, Agriades optilete, Carterocephalus palaemon, Oeneis jutta. Methods: We reconstructed the biogeographic history of four butterfly species differing in habitat preferences (B. chariclea – tundra, A. optilete – bogs, C. palaemon – temperate grasslands, O. jutta – taiga), using one …