Search results for "ARS"
showing 10 items of 5947 documents
Variation in Hsp70 Levels after Cold Shock: Signs of Evolutionary Responses to Thermal Selection among Leptinotarsa decemlineata Populations
2012
Individuals of widely spread species are expected to show local adaption in temperature tolerance as they encounter a range of thermal conditions. We tracked thermal adaptations of the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) that invaded Europe within the last 100 years. It has occupied various conditions although, like the majority of invasive species, it lost a measurable amount of neutral genetic variation due to bottleneck effect when it invaded Europe. We exposed diapausing beetles originated from three different latitudes (54°N, 59°N, 60°N) to cold shock (−5°C, 1.5 hrs) in order to test if beetles from the northern populations express differential levels of cold-induced and…
A new tool for the assessment of severe anthropogenic eutrophication in small shallow water bodies
2017
Abstract Unlike in deep stratified lakes, the assessment of eutrophication in shallow aquatic systems (i.e., wetlands, marshes, ponds) should be based on the interaction between water and sediment. The availability of P to primary producers is naturally higher in shallow systems, because the sediment plays an active part via adsorption, precipitation and release processes. Thus, many wetlands in protected areas are naturally eutrophic and have a high trophic status due to intrinsic features and thus, display a high concentration of total-P in the water without necessarily implying pollution or poor quality. We have provided a diagnostic tool based on the chemical equilibrium of dissolved re…
Stress for invasion success? Temperature stress of preceding generations modifies the response to insecticide stress in an invasive pest insect
2012
Adaptation to stressful environments is one important factor influencing species invasion success. Tolerance to one stress may be complicated by exposure to other stressors experienced by the preceding generations. We studied whether parental temperature stress affects tolerance to insecticide in the invasive Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata. Field-collected pyrethroid-resistant beetles were reared under either stressful (17°C) or favourable (23°C) insecticide-free environments for three generations. Then, larvae were exposed to pyrethroid insecticides in common garden conditions (23°C). Beetles were in general tolerant to stress. The parental temperature stress alone affect…
Sublethal effects of deltamethrin exposure of parental generations on physiological traits and overwintering inLeptinotarsa decemlineata
2013
Although the evolution of insecticide resistance has received a lot of attention, less is known about sublethal effects of insecticide stress experienced by the preceding generations on the performance of pest populations. We investigated whether three generations of parental exposure to a deltamethrin insecticide influences physiological traits and overwintering success of offspring in Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Beetles descending from insecticide-exposed parents had lower adult body mass but higher relative lipid content and resting metabolic rate than those descending from non-insecticide-exposed parents. Also, a higher proportion of beetles descending f…
Genomic Analysis and Lineage Identification of SARS-CoV-2 Strains in Migrants Accessing Europe Through the Libyan Route
2021
Many African countries, representing the origin of the majority of refugees, asylum-seekers, and other migrants, toward regions bordering on the Mediterranean area, are experiencing sustained local transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Sicily is one of the main entry gates of migrants crossing into Europe. We conducted a pilot study, based on the full-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 strains isolated from migrants coming to Sicily by crossing the Mediterranean Sea, with the aim to investigate the viral genome polymorphism and to describe their genetic variations and the phylogenetic relationships. On June 21, a nongovernmental organization vessel rescu…
Phenotypic Divergence among West European Populations of Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus: The Effects of Migratory and Foraging Behaviours
2013
[EN] Divergent selection and local adaptation are responsible for many phenotypic differences between populations, potentially leading to speciation through the evolution of reproductive barriers. Here we evaluated the morphometric divergence among west European populations of Reed Bunting in order to determine the extent of local adaptation relative to two important selection pressures often associated with speciation in birds: migration and diet. We show that, as expected by theory, migratory E. s. schoeniclus had longer and more pointed wings and a slightly smaller body mass than the resident subspecies, with the exception of E. s. lusitanica, which despite having rounder wings was the s…
Sexually dimorphic tegumental gland openings in Laniatores (Arachnida, Opiliones), with new data on 23 species
2009
International audience; Sexually dimorphic glands often release sexual pheromones both in vertebrates and invertebrates. Species of Laniatores (Arachnida, Opiliones) seem to depend on chemical communication but few studies have addressed this topic. In this study, we review the literature for the Phalangida and present new data for 23 species of Laniatores. In 16 taxa, we found previously undescribed sexually dimorphic glandular openings on the femur, patella, metatarsus, and tarsus of legs I and metatarsus of legs III and IV. For the other species, we provide scanning electron micrographs of previously undescribed sexually dimorphic setae and pegs located on swollen regions of the legs. We…
Morphology, geographical variation and the subspecies of Marsh TitPoecile palustrisin Britain and central Europe
2016
Capsule: All British Marsh Tits belong to subspecies Poecile palustris dresseri, being smaller than nominate P. p. palustris of central Europe. Aims: Determining the subspecies of Marsh Tit in Britain to test whether ssp. P. p. palustris occurs in northern England and Scotland, by assessing regional variation in size compared with central European birds. Methods: 1147 wing length and 250 tail length measurements from 953 Marsh Tits were compared between eight British locations to test for regional variation. Biometrics were compared between birds from Britain and six locations within the continental European range of ssp. palustris. Results: There was no regional variation in wing or tail l…
Environmental factors influencing the spatio-temporal distribution of Carybdea marsupialis (Lineo, 1978, Cubozoa) in South-Western Mediterranean coas…
2017
21 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, supporting information 10.1371/journal.pone.0181611.s001, 10.1371/journal.pone.0181611.s002, 10.1371/journal.pone.0181611.s003, 10.1371/journal.pone.0181611.s004, 10.1371/journal.pone.0181611.s005, 10.1371/journal.pone.0181611.s006
A formal classification of the Lygeum spartum vegetation of the Mediterranean Region
2019
Aims: We examined all available literature and some unpublished data on the We examined all available literature and some unpublished data on the grasslands dominated by Lygeum spartum from Southern Europe and North Africa to produce a formalised classification of this vegetation and to identify the main factors determining its plant species composition. Location: Mediterranean Basin and Iberian Peninsula. Methods: We used a dataset of 728 releves, which were resampled to reduce unbalanced sampling effort, resulting in a dataset of 568 releves and 846 taxa. We classified the plots by TWINSPAN, interpreted the resulting pools, and used them to develop formal definitions of phytosociological …