Arthropod-Plant Interactions最新文献

Dim-light foraging is exhibited by the majority of the seven bee families (facultative behavior—five families; obligate behavior – four families) and represents an underappreciated aspect of pollination ecology. The most diverse adaptive radiations occur within the family Halictidae and while neotropical augochlorine bees (Halictinae) have been well studied, very little is known about an independent paleotropical origin of nomiine dim-light bee foraging (Nomiinae) restricted to Australasia (New Guinea and Australia). Here we provide the first molecular systematic hypothesis for the obligate dim-light genus Reepenia and its closest diurnal relatives derived from ultraconserved elements and whole genome sequence data: (Paulynomia, (Austronomia, (Mellitidia (Reepenia, Ptilonomia)))). Relaxed-clock divergence estimates suggest a Miocene origin for this Australo-Papuan endemic clade of Nomiinae (~ 20 mya, 95% CI 11–35) and the most recent common ancestor of Reepenia + Ptilonomia (~ 7 mya, 95% CI 2.82–16.7); with a Pleistocene/Pliocene crown age for Reepenia (~ 2 mya, 95% CI 0.83–6.22). Integrative taxonomic inference yielded the discovery of Mellitidia glossata Bossert sp. nov., which is described and illustrated herein.

The western flower thrips (WFT, Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is an important pest worldwide that causes serious damage to commercial crops. To assess the impact of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) application and WFT infestation on the systemic resistance of kidney bean plant, a comparison was conducted about the contents of calcium ion (Ca²⁺) and activities of defensive enzymes in the upper, middle, and lower leaves after treating the middle leaves with either CaCl₂ application or H₂O and exposing them to WFT infestation or not. The development, feeding behavior, and leaf area damaged by WFT in different leaf positions were also observed. The results showed that the Ca²⁺ content was the highest on all leaf positions under CaCl₂ treatment plus WFT infestation. The activities of lipoxygenase (LOX), allene oxide synthase (AOS), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), and β-1, 3-glucanase had no significant differences among leaf positions without WFT infestation, but they became significant after WFT infestation, WFT infestation could enhance the CaCl₂ treatment on all indexes. The immature period of WFT infestation on the upper, middle, and lower leaves of CaCl₂-treated plants were 0.8, 1.9, and 1.2 days longer than that of WFT fed on H₂O-treated plants, respectively. Electrical penetration graphs (EPG) showed that the total duration of long-ingestion probes (LP) of WFT on the upper, middle, and lower leaves of CaCl₂-treated plants obviously decreased than that in control plants. The feeding preference and feeding areas of WFT in CaCl₂-treated plants significantly reduced at all leaf positions. These results indicated that CaCl₂ application could weaken the development, feeding behavior, and damage areas of WFT, but WFT infestation triggered exogenous CaCl₂ application in activating the systemic defense of the whole plant.

Several pests, such as Bemisia tabaci and Tuta absoluta, can reduce tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit production. Selection of resistant genotypes is one important pest management method. Thus, the objective of the present study is to evaluate the relationship between acylglucose levels, an allelochemical that activates resistance against tomato pests, leaf trichome types in tomato genotypes from two segregating populations, and their association with resistance to whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta). The treatments were genotypes F₂BC₄ and F₂ ([M08 × F₂BC₃) S. pennellii × S. lycopersicum] with contrasting levels of acylglucoses, Solanum pennellii – LA-716 (resistance pattern) and Solanum lycopersicum lineage UEL M08 and S. lycopersicum cv. Redenção (susceptibility pattern). Evaluations of the genotypes were carried out by analyzing the densities and types of trichomes. Oviposition and nymphs of B. tabaci and damage severity of T. absoluta were evaluated. Densities of glandular trichomes are positively correlated to levels of acylglucoses. The advanced genotypes with high levels of the allelochemical reduced B. tabaci nymphs and eggs and the severity of T. absoluta damage, compared to commercial material. The desired characteristic of S. pennellii is inherited throughout backcrosses. The genotypes RVTA-2010-31319-214-238-pl#427 M and RVTA-2010-31-177-177-325-pl#42R demonstrate potential to advance the tomato breeding program to obtain pest-tolerant cultivars.

Urbanization promotes changes in the diversity of plants and pollinators which, in turn, result in novel ecological interaction networks that can be structurally different from those of natural habitats. Using published data from 32 studies across 18 ecoregions, we analyzed plant–insect networks from natural habitats and landscapes (‘natural networks’), natural habitats surrounded by urban matrices (‘natural–urban networks’), and urban networks in urbanized landscapes (‘urban networks’) to investigate the direct and indirect effects of urbanization on the structure of these networks. Through path analyses, we evaluate the effects of habitat type, proportion of exotic plant species, and pollinator richness on network connectance, nestedness, and modularity, while controlling for plant richness and ecoregion. We found that the effects of urbanization on network structure are primarily indirect, mediated by the decrease in pollinator richness, rather than directly or via the proportion of exotic plant species, underscoring the critical role of maintaining diverse pollinator populations in urban areas to sustain ecological network integrity. Our study highlights the need to consider direct and indirect effects when evaluating how urbanization affects plant–pollinator networks. This approach is especially important for conservation strategies aiming to mitigate the impact of urban development on plant–pollinator interactions.

Cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae L., is a key pest of canola (Brassica napus L.), all over the world. A few studies have focused on its field management using inducers or nutrients; however, none of them focused on aphid reproduction indices, phenolic defense, and economic returns. Induced resistance treatments were comprised of 0, 0.5, and 1 mM concentrations of SA—Salicylic Acid and CA—Citric Acid, while nutrient deterrence had 25 and 50 kg ha⁻¹ doses of Si—Silicon and AS—Ammonium Sulfate. Both approaches were compared to an insecticide (Carbosulfan 20 EC) and untreated control for two years in a field experiment. Although insecticide was an effective treatment, its impacts were not long-lived. The 1 mM SA reduced aphid reproduction the most, followed by 0.5 mM SA, 1 mM CA, and 0.5 mM CA. Similarly, in nutrient deterrence, Si 50 kg reduced the aphid reproduction indices followed by Si 25 kg and AS 25 kg. Seed yield was improved by 37.8% in AS 50 kg, followed by Si 50 kg (29.8%), and 1 mM SA (25.4%), over the insecticide. Other treatments were not performing well. Phenolic defense chemicals were highest in Si 50 kg, followed by Si 25, AS 25 kg, and 1 mM SA. Marginal analysis followed by residual analysis revealed AS 25 kg ha⁻¹ to be the most economical treatment followed by 0.5 mM SA for recommending to the farming community. Conclusively, both approaches showed the potential to manage cabbage aphids on canola and improved crop yield and phenolic defense; however, additional research is desired to explore their possible mechanism of resistance in plants.

Florivory can affect plant reproduction by altering pollinator behavior, especially in species with specialized floral structures. We investigated these effects using Senna aversiflora, an enantiostylous species susceptible to floral damage, as a species model. The objective of this study was to analyze the influence of floral damage on the frequency of pollinator visits and the quality of reproduction. We tested the following hypotheses: (a) flowers with damaged petals and anthers are less visited than flowers without damage; (b) healthy flowers have a higher fruit set than flowers with damaged petals and anthers; and (c) healthy flowers present higher quantitative aspects of fruits and seeds than damaged flowers. The study was carried out with ten individuals and three treatments (intact flowers, flowers with damaged petals and flowers with damaged anthers). We conducted focal observations of visitors to the flowers of each treatment. The flowers visited were monitored until fruiting, and the collected fruits were analyzed for size, weight, number, and weight of seeds per treatment. Intact flowers received more visits (43%) than flowers with damaged petals (30%) and damaged anthers (26%). Fruit set was similar between intact flowers (86%) and flowers with damaged petals (83%), but lower in flowers with damaged anthers (70%). However, the quality of fruits and seeds did not differ significantly between treatments. Florivory affected the frequency of visits, but did not influence the size of the fruits or the number and weight of the seeds, possibly due to the species capacity for reproductive compensation that allows the plants to produce fruits and seeds with unchanged characteristics despite the stress caused by florivory.

Tephritid fruit flies cause significant losses in global agriculture, particularly in fruit and vegetable production. Conventional pest control methods are increasingly scrutinized for their environmental and health impacts, leading to growing interest in alternative strategies. Bacterial symbionts offer a promising avenue for pest management by playing crucial roles in the biology and ecology of fruit flies, including nutrition, reproduction, immunity, and environmental adaptability. The manipulation of symbionts, such as Wolbachia, has been explored for reproductive control through cytoplasmic incompatibility, while Providencia rettgeri has been shown to enhance male mating competitiveness, improving the efficacy of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). Symbionts like Enterobacter spp. and Klebsiella spp. produce microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) with potential applications in attract-and-kill strategies, offering a targeted pest control approach. Furthermore, probiotic applications of symbionts in SIT programs have demonstrated enhanced fitness and survival of sterile flies, reducing reliance on chemical pesticides. Despite these advancements, the integration of bacterial symbionts into pest management faces challenges, including non-target effects, environmental variability, and regulatory constraints. Addressing these challenges requires further research into symbiont-host molecular interactions, ecological dynamics, and effective integration into Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems. This review explores the potential of bacterial symbionts to revolutionize Tephritid fruit fly control, emphasizing their diverse biological roles and practical applications. It further highlights the need for continued research to optimize and validate symbiont-based strategies for sustainable and effective pest management in agricultural systems.

Mosquitoes, like many other insects, are dependent on plant-derived nutrients as adults. Arid lands in particular create a challenge for mosquitoes to find resources consistently. In the United States, the arid, high elevation floodplains around the Great Salt Lake present a rich environment where salt desert shrublands meet alkaline freshwater wetlands, while plant communities contain a diversity of native and invasive flower species. We investigated survivorship on 15 flowering plants representing the common ephemeral wildflowers found through the aforementioned habitats using local Culex pipiens (L.) under laboratory conditions. Four native angiosperm species, Cleome serrulata Pursh (Brassicales: Cleomaceae), Asclepias incarnata L. (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias speciosa Torrey, and Verbena hastata L. (Lamiales:Verbenaceae) had the highest mosquito mean percent survival in 10-day assays. Mosquito survival was significantly better on native flowers than on non-native flowers. Endemic mosquitoes in the field were also sampled for frequency of sugar feeding at six sites across 11 weeks. Flower phenology data of the aforementioned four flowers with highest mosquito mean percent survival were taken from iNaturalist and compared to the abundance of sugar-fed mosquitoes from the wild. Flower phenology and sugar-fed mosquito abundance followed the same trends, with increased flower sightings co-occurring with increased sugar feeding. The short-lived blooming intervals in the arid landscape result in time periods when both flower sightings and sugar feeding in mosquitoes are low, highlighting elevated risks to exposure and malnutrition for wild populations. Sustainable research and management of mosquitoes require answers to basic biological and ecological questions such as flower dependence and resource scarcity in the field.

Multitrophic interactions are inherent to the ecological networks of terrestrial ecosystems and can exhibit dynamic temporal changes within a season. In floral communities, pollen and nectar act as hubs for various microorganisms, including fungi that can alter plant–pollinator interactions. In mixed pollen samples collected by Apis mellifera L., the associations between plants and fungi foraged by bees may be complex and not yet fully characterized. Exploring the temporal succession of the multitrophic interaction is an area that requires further investigation. Forty-two pollen samples were retrieved from 13 hives dispersed in urban and peri-urban locations in Southern Ontario Canada where the honey bee is not native. Using metabarcoding of the ITS region, we identified a total of 77 plants and 46 fungi. Among the foraged plants visited, the top ten were all non-native or invasive taxa for Southern Ontario, with Trifolium repens L. and Sonchus arvensis L. as most common taxa. For fungal taxa, the main yeasts and molds were identified as Starmerella and Mucor taxa. Plant richness was found to have a significant association with fungal richness. Moreover, plant and fungal taxa richness and Shannon diversity increased with time from spring to late summer. Only plant taxa composition varied over the active foraging season suggesting a more homogenous fungal taxa community. Diverse flowers can further play a role in the spread of fungal organisms having a variety of ecological functions and trophic levels. The study of their interactions with flowers, pollinators, and humans, is deserving of more investigation.

Bentinckia nicobarica (Kurz) Becc., is an endemic species of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, and has been designated as endangered by the IUCN since 1998 due to its confined distribution in small pockets and susceptibility to various threats, both natural and anthropogenic. The species is protandrous, predominantly flowers from March to September; displaying anthers dehisce through a longitudinal slit. The flower exhibits 7466 ± 33.725 numbers of pollen grain, with a pollen ovule ratio of 7466:1. A comprehensive study of the reproductive biology of this species sheds light on its floral attributes, pollen viability, stigma receptivity, breeding system and pollination. The plant’s temporal flowering sequence with staminate flowers preceding pistillate ones by 3–8 days indicates a xenogamous breeding behaviour. The diverse array of flower-visiting insects significantly influences pollination success, dominated by Hymenoptera, followed by Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Coleoptera. The highest activity rate (AR > 10) was recorded in Camponotus compressus, followed by Apis cerana indica, Lucilia caesar, Apis florea, Polistes olivaceus, Trigona sp., Vespa tropica, etc., whereas a high index of visitation rate was observed in L. caesar, followed by Polistes olivaceus, C. compressus, Trigona sp., Vespa tropica, A. cerana indica, etc. This study underscores the importance of understanding the pollination biology of B. nicobarica for its conservation and management. The findings contribute valuable insights into the intricate dynamics of pollination and highlight the role of various insect species in ensuring the reproductive success of this endangered plant species.