Search results for "bee"

Author response: Genomic basis for drought resistance in European beech forests threatened by climate change

2021

Climate signals in stable carbon and hydrogen isotopes of lignin methoxy groups from southern German beech trees

2021

Stable hydrogen and carbon isotope ratios of wood lignin methoxy groups (δ13CLM and δ2HLM values) have been shown to be reliable proxies of past temperature variations. Previous studies showed that δ2HLM values even work in temperate environments where classical tree-ring width and maximum latewood density measurements are less successful for climate reconstructions. Here, we analyse the annually resolved δ13CLM values from 1916–2015 of four beech trees (Fagus sylvatica) from a temperate site near Hohenpeißenberg in southern Germany and compare these data with regional- to continental-scale climate observations. Initial δ13CLM values were corrected for the Suess effect (a decrease of δ13C i…

Glyphosate-based herbicide has soil-mediated effects on potato glycoalkaloids and oxidative status of a potato pest

2020

Glyphosate is the most used herbicide worldwide, targeting physiological pathways in plants. Recent studies have shown that glyphosate can also cause toxic effects in animals. We investigated the glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH)-induced changes in potato (Solanum tuberosum) plant chemistry and the effects of a GBH on the survival rate and oxidative status of the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata). The beetles were reared on potato plants grown in pots containing soil treated with a GBH (Roundup Gold, 450 g/l) or untreated soil (water control). The 2nd instar larvae were introduced to the potato plants and then collected in 2 phases: as 4th instar larvae and as adults. The ma…

Occurrence of glyphosate in beer from the Latvian market.

2018

A sensitive LC-MS/MS method for the determination of glyphosate in beer has been developed, validated, and applied to analyse 100 beer samples from 24 different producers and distributors in Latvia. The selected samples represented most beer brands and varieties sold in local supermarkets. Different procedures for sample preparation and chromatographic separation were compared. The final version of the method consisted of solid phase extraction, chromatographic separation on aminopropyl stationary phase, and detection using tandem mass spectrometry. The concentration of glyphosate in beer varied from below the LOD of 0.2 μg kg-1 up to 150 μg kg-1, higher than previously reported. Significan…

Egg and larval load assessment and its influence on oviposition behaviour of the leaf beetle Galerucella nymphaeae

1993

The oviposition behaviour of the water-lily beetle Galerucella nymphaeae was examined. This species is a specialist herbivore on the floating leaves of nymphaeids Nymphaeaceae and especially on the yellow water-lily, Nuphar lutea. Females lay their eggs in clutches on the leaves, and after hatching, the larvae feed on the leaves. The quality of the leaves decreases quickly after the larvae hatch, and eventually the leaves will sink below the water surface, whereupon the eggs, 1st-instar larvae and pupae are killed by drowning. The influence of conspecific eggs, larvae and feeding tracks on the oviposition preferences of the beetles was tested. Females were allowed to choose between fresh le…

Interactions between willows and insect herbivores under enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation

2002

We studied the effects of elevated ultraviolet-B radiation on interactions between insect herbivores and their host plants by exposing two species of phytochemically different willows, Salix myrsinifolia and S. phylicifolia, to a modulated increase in ultraviolet radiation in an outdoor experiment and monitoring the colonisation of insect herbivores on these willows. We examined the effect of increased ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation on (1) the quality of willow leaves, (2) the distribution and abundance of insect herbivores feeding on these willows, (3) the resulting amount of damage, and (4) the performance of insect larvae feeding on the exposed plant tissue. Six clones of each of the two…

Genetic variation of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) along an altitudinal transect at mount Vogelsberg in Hesse, Germany

2000

Allelic and genotypic variation at 13 different enzyme loci of autochthonous European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) was investigated in six 110-160-year-old stands growing at elevations between 150 and 660 m above sea level on the western slope of mount Vogelsberg in central Germany. The highest elevated population showed the highest number of effective alleles (Ne), the highest total heterozygosity (He) and the highest population differentiation deltaT. Also, the genotype SKD-A2A3 of shikimate dehydrogenase was significantly more frequent at the two highest elevated stands (P = 11%) than at the three lowest elevated stands (P = 1%). Further differences in genotype frequencies between 11 of 15…

Fly-and-Forage Strategy in the Bat Pipistrellus nathusii During Autumn Migration

2012

Populations of Pipistrellus nathusii (Nathusius's bat), an insectivorous aerial-hawking species that breeds in north-eastern Europe, perform long-distance migrations between breeding sites and hibernation areas in central and southern Europe. The feeding strategy of migrating P. nathusii was investigated in Latvia on the east coast of the Baltic Sea, exploring evidence for and against two non-mutually exclusive predictions that i) the bats feed shortly after dusk at highest aerial insect activity and continue to migrate thereafter or ii) apply a ‘fly-and-forage’ strategy and frequently interrupt their migration flight to feed. Echolocation calls and feeding buzzes of P. nathusii were record…

Overionization in X-ray spectra: a new paradigm for Mixed-Morphology SNRs

2011

Mixed-morphology SNRs are characterized by a shell-like radio emission, a centrally peaked X-ray morphology, and by interaction with molecular clouds. Many models have been proposed to explain these peculiar remnants, but their physical origin is still unclear. The recent discovery of over-ionized (i. e. recombining) ejecta in 3 mixed-morphology SNRs has dramatically challenged all the previous models and opened up new, unexpected scenarios. I review the main properties of these remnants and their peculiar X-ray spectral properties. I also discuss the hydrodynamic model developed to explain the presence of over-ionized ejecta in W49B and present a list of open issues that still need to be c…

Laboratory phase‐contrast nanotomography of unstained Bombus terrestris compound eyes

2021

Imaging the visual systems of bumblebees and other pollinating insects may increase understanding of their dependence on specific habitats and how they will be affected by climate change. Current high-resolution imaging methods are either limited to two dimensions (light- and electron microscopy) or have limited access (synchrotron radiation x-ray tomography). For x-ray imaging, heavy metal stains are often used to increase contrast. Here, we present micron-resolution imaging of compound eyes of buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) using a table-top x-ray nanotomography (nano-CT) system. By propagation-based phase-contrast imaging, the use of stains was avoided and the microanatomy co…