广聚萤叶甲成虫交配时长对产卵量与孵化率的影响

【目的】明确不同交配时长对广聚萤叶甲雌虫产卵量和卵的孵化率的影响。【方法】在室内条件下,对不同交配时长下广聚萤叶甲的雌虫产卵量和卵的孵化率进行观察:(1)选取羽化第3d的广聚萤叶甲雌雄虫随机配对,观察24 h,记录交配情况和时长;(2)在交配开始1、5、15、30、60 min时,强行分开雌雄成虫,然后将不同交配时长的雌虫进行单独饲养,以正常交配一次的雌虫作为对照,每个处理选取23组;(3)将15～30 cm健壮豚草小苗插入注满水的塑料小瓶内,将配对的一组雌雄成虫和豚草小苗放入养虫盒中饲养,每天更换带卵的小苗并记录叶片上的产卵量;(4)将上述带卵的小苗至于适宜条件下培养,记录5～7 d内卵块孵化的情况。【结果】广聚萤叶甲正常交配一次的对照组的产卵水平显著高于各处理组,单雌产卵为889粒,交配时间15 min以下各组雌虫的产卵量明显低于交配30 min以上的各组雌虫。同时交配时长5 min以下雌虫产的卵基本不能孵化,而交配时间达到30 min以上的各组卵块的孵化率明显提高。【结论】雄虫转移雌虫受精所需精子量需要耗费的时间为30 min左右,且雄虫有延长交配时间的趋性。该结果为研究广聚萤叶甲的生态特性以及优化种群繁殖提供科学依据。     

豚草生育期和被利用状态对广聚萤叶甲产卵选择的影响

【背景】植食性昆虫对产卵场所的选择行为受多种因素的影响,其中寄主植物的发育阶段和被同种其他个体利用程度是影响其产卵选择的重要因素之一。【方法】采用野外罩笼的选择性试验,观察了广聚萤叶甲成虫对不同生长发育阶段、不同被取食程度、不同落卵量的豚草植株的产卵选择行为,分析产卵选择频次,用Cox比例风险模型拟合识别期以估计产卵选择偏好性。【结果】开花期豚草被选择产卵的风险(瞬间概率)仅为生长期的16.5%,苗期豚草被选择产卵的风险为生长期的34.1%;成虫对3种被食程度豚草的产卵选择频次之间存在显著差异(n=20,P<0.01),在3级被食程度豚草上产卵次数最多(12次),而在5级被食豚草上产卵次数最少(2次),表明成虫明显偏好将卵产于已被中等程度取食的植株上;成虫对不同落卵量植株(0、4、8个.株-1)未表现出显著的产卵偏好,对不同密度(高、低)斑块的豚草的产卵选择亦无显著差异。【结论与意义】豚草生育期和被取食程度影响广聚萤叶甲雌虫的产卵选择,而植株上的落卵量和豚草密度对产卵选择没有影响。     

豚草条纹萤叶甲的交配和产卵行为

在我国大陆发现的豚草条纹萤叶甲Ophraella communaLeSage原产于北美洲,取食入侵生物豚草(Ambrosia artemisiifoliaL.)。通过观察该叶甲的交配和产卵行为以及两者之间的相关性,结果表明,豚草条纹萤叶甲一生多次交配,室内观察1次交配时间平均为38.2min,产卵历期平均13.2d,每雌平均产卵312.1粒;但野外产卵量高于室内,平均为553.8粒;卵多聚产在植株幼嫩叶片的背面。雌成虫平均寿命为16.0d。雌成虫随交配次数的增多,产卵量增大、产卵历期和成虫寿命延长,存在显著的直线相关性。     

广聚萤叶甲成虫的繁殖习性和活动规律初步观察

广聚萤叶甲Ophraella communa是豚草Ambrosia artemisiifoliaL.的一种重要专一性天敌昆虫,对豚草抑制作用显著。本文在室内对广聚萤叶甲成虫交配和产卵活动进行观察,结果表明广聚萤叶甲成虫一生多次交配多次产卵,雄虫交配前期为2.7d,明显长于雌虫的0.9d。交配雌虫有产卵前期,然后开始产卵。成虫交配活动主要在8:00-21:00,一般产卵高峰在12:00-16:00,在交配后的前16天,雌虫产卵处在高峰期,随后产卵逐渐减少。本论文为进一步开展广聚萤叶甲繁殖生物学研究和大量繁殖提供基础。     

影响专食性广聚萤叶甲产卵选择的因素

【背景】广聚萤叶甲幼虫常群聚于部分豚草植株取食,可能与成虫产卵选择有关,因此,探究广聚萤叶甲产卵选择的影响因素具有重要意义。【方法】于2005年在广聚萤叶甲的主要分布区（江苏、江西、湖北、湖南）进行了1次随机抽样调查,并在南京城郊于2008年5月25日～9月1日进行了豚草的定点定期跟踪调查,用广义线性模型分析调查因子的影响。【结果】随机抽样调查结果表明,卵块数量随豚草植株冠层直径和健康程度的增大而显著增多,冠层直径每增大1cm,卵块数增多2%;健康程度每提高1级,卵块数增加近2.1倍;在豚草植株被利用程度增大的情况下,卵块数量随植株健康程度增大而增多,如果植株上增加1头幼虫或蛹,则植株健康程度每提高1级,卵块数增多2%,但植株冠层每增大1cm,卵块数减少0.6%。定点定期调查结果表明,豚草上的着卵块概率受豚草斑块大小、植株冠层直径、发育期和生境光照情况等因素的显著影响,豚草斑块每增加1株植物,产卵概率提高0.5%;植株冠层直径每增大1cm,产卵概率提高3%;在暴露生境中的豚草上产卵的概率比遮阴（树下）下的豚草提高近1倍。【结论与意义】豚草植株个体特性对着卵数量有显著影响,而豚草个体和群体特性以及小生境显著影响产卵发生。     

广聚萤叶甲在豚草上的空间分布

广聚萤叶甲Ophraella communa LeSage是恶性入侵杂草豚草Ambrosia artemisiifolia L的一种重要天敌,为了了解广聚萤叶甲卵、幼虫、蛹、成虫在豚草上的分布情况,本文对各虫态广聚萤叶甲在豚草植株上的空间分布进行了调查。调查结果表明,各虫态广聚萤叶甲在豚草上的空间分布均为聚集分布;不同受害程度豚草植株上各虫态广聚萤叶甲主要分布于上部和中部。就不同受害程度豚草植株上同一虫态广聚萤叶甲而言,卵比例随受害程度的加重逐步递减,幼虫和蛹的比例则逐步增加。由此可见,广聚萤叶甲为了确保后代能获得更充足的食物,成虫倾向于在受害程度较轻的植株上产卵。     

广聚萤叶甲成虫取食经历对后续 产卵寄主选择的影响

【背景】取食经历对植食性昆虫的寄主选择行为具有较大影响,影响天敌昆虫寄主专一性测定的设计和结果解释。【方法】采用选择性试验,观察了入侵豚草的重要天敌——广聚萤叶甲成虫羽化后取食不同植物对其后续产卵寄主选择的影响。【结果】与取食豚草的试虫相比,有取食三裂叶豚草、苍耳或菊芋经历的成虫选择苍耳产卵的频次增加,不再对豚草表现出明显的选择偏好性。对产卵识别期的Cox模型分析结果表明,成虫早期取食不同植物,对后续产卵选择有显著影响,成虫羽化后如果先取食豚草或三裂叶豚草,则选择苍耳产卵的倾向显著低于豚草;但如果先取食苍耳、菊芋和农家向日葵,则选择苍耳产卵的倾向与豚草无显著差异。【结论与意义】由此推测,广聚萤叶甲初羽化成虫取食的植物对其后续产卵选择具有较大影响,因而在寄主专一性测定中应关注测试前饲喂的植物种类。     

三叶虫萤的交配与产卵行为

【目的】研究三叶虫萤Emeia pseudosauteri成虫的交配与产卵行为,丰富三叶虫萤的生物学研究,推动三叶虫萤的人工繁育。【方法】采用室内试验与野外观察相结合、仪器拍摄和人工观察相结合的方法研究三叶虫萤的交配与产卵行为。【结果】本文先描述了三叶虫萤成虫交配前雄雄相遇、雌雌相遇、雌雄相遇分别会发生的情况,然后较为详细地描述了交配的过程。交配姿势有上下体位(或称"∠"型)和尾对尾体位(或称"—"型),后者由前者转换而来。雌雄成虫可以多次交配,雄虫有交配干扰和假交配现象。成虫24 h内均有交配现象,交配高峰出现在20:00-22:00(交配率20.8%)和12:00-14:00(交配率15.1%)。雌虫多数喜将卵产在潮湿的苔藓上,卵常聚集成一丛或成簇排列。雌虫可多次产卵,但初次产卵数量最多(高达67.82%),随后产卵量则随产卵次数增加而减少。雌雄虫多次交配后单只雌虫的第一次产卵量[(45±5)粒]多于单次交配后单只雌虫第一次产卵量[(20±4)粒]。雌虫的产卵次数和产卵量与其体重相关,体重越重则其产卵次数和产卵量越多。【结论】三叶虫萤的交配产卵行为与以往报道的萤火虫交配产卵行为很多相似之处,但也有一些特殊行为或规律。     

桃红颈天牛成虫的交配行为及对不同寄主植物的栖落和产卵选择性

【目的】桃红颈天牛Aromia bungii是一种钻蛀性害虫,主要以蔷薇科果树和观赏树木为寄主。本研究旨在搞清楚桃红颈天牛成虫的交配产卵行为及其对不同寄主植物的栖落和产卵选择性。【方法】选择苹果Malus pumila、山樱花Prunus serrulata var. spontanea、桃Prunus persica、西府海棠Malus micromalus、毛樱桃Prunus tomentosa、秋子梨Pyrus ussuriensis、杏Prunus armeniaca和红叶李Prunus cerasifera var. atropurea 8种寄主植物木段,构建为成虫的活动场所,观察桃红颈天牛成虫的交配和产卵行为,并测定桃红颈天牛成虫在不同寄主木段上的栖落数量和产卵量。【结果】桃红颈天牛成虫的交配行为分为避让、打斗和交配3种行为。交配过程可分为相遇抱对、插入输精、交配后陪护3个阶段。桃红颈天牛雌虫产卵时无刻槽行为,喜欢将卵产于较为狭窄的缝隙中。雌虫偏好在桃树木段上栖落,雄虫则偏好在毛樱桃木段上栖落。李亚科李属的桃是桃红颈天牛最喜欢的产卵寄主木段,而雌虫在苹果亚科的苹果、海棠和秋子梨木段上产卵极少。相关性分析结果表明雌虫在寄主木段上的栖落数量与产卵量占比间存在正相关性,雄虫在寄主木段上的栖落数量与雌虫在寄主木段上的栖落数量之间也存在正相关性。【结论】桃红颈天牛雌成虫最喜欢桃树木段,雄虫对寄主植物的选择性与雌虫并不完全相同。     

梨花迁粉蝶成虫的产卵行为

【背景】梨花迁粉蝶是园林植物伞房决明、黄花决明、铁刀木上的主要害虫。【方法】在福建省三明市明溪县蝴蝶生态园内观察不同时段梨花迁粉蝶成虫的飞行活动与产卵行为。【结果】梨花迁粉蝶成虫的飞行活动与产卵行为密切相关（R=0．9406）,飞行与产卵频率都是在上午8：00～11：00较高。梨花迁粉蝶卵多产于第2和第3片复叶,第6片复叶上未发现卵;同时,梨花迁粉蝶卵多产于复叶末端的小叶上,其临近叶片上的卵量逐渐减少;叶片正面和背面的卵量差异不显著;植株新芽、茎秆、花等部位上的产卵量极少;梨花迁粉蝶在盆栽决明和水培决明上的产卵量无显著差异。【结论与意义】梨花迁粉蝶飞行与产卵有特定的规律,这对于其田间调查和防治具有重要意义。     

永州广聚萤叶甲和豚草卷蛾的种群动态及对豚草的控制效果

【目的】豚草是一种重要的入侵杂草,严重危害农业生产和人类健康。广聚萤叶甲和豚草卷蛾是豚草的专一性天敌。研究这2种天敌在永州的种群动态及其对豚草的控制效果,可以为永州豚草的防控及这2种天敌的有效利用提供依据。【方法】在湖南省永州市江永县豚草大面积发生区域,人工释放广聚萤叶甲和豚草卷蛾,调查这2种天敌在释放区和扩散区的种群动态和对豚草的防治效果,以及这2种天敌在扩散区的越冬情况。【结果】广聚萤叶甲和豚草卷蛾的扩散能力强。释放1个月后,在释放区,广聚萤叶甲各虫态及豚草卷蛾虫瘿均被发现。整体上,随时间延长,广聚萤叶甲各虫态虫口密度先增后减,而豚草卷蛾虫瘿密度呈逐渐降低趋势。释放2个月后,在距释放区边缘10 km的豚草发生区,发现了广聚萤叶甲和豚草卷蛾,且成功建立了种群并顺利越冬。释放区豚草株高几乎没有增加,且叶片最终被取食精光,几乎全部死亡;扩散区豚草株高略有增加,最终近75%叶片被取食。【结论】广聚萤叶甲和豚草卷蛾可在永州成功建立种群并安全越冬,还能自行扩散,可持续控制野外豚草的发生。     

Egg Deposition Behavior in the Haplodiploid Sawfly Athalia rosae ruficornis Jakovlev (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Tenthredinidae)

The egg deposition behavior of the turnip sawfly, Athalia rosae (Hymenoptera: Symphyta), is described. Both unmated and mated females lay eggs individually inside of fresh young leaves of cruciferous plants. During an oviposition event, females exhibit a distinct pause in abdominal contractions just before the actual egg deposition act. Unmated females show a longer pause (11.31 s on average) than mated females (4.38 s on overall average). By employing an eye color mutation, the sex of the eggs laid by females was ascertained. Females mated once lay mostly fertilized (diploid female) eggs initially but begin to lay a considerable number of unfertilized (haploid male) eggs later in life. The laying of an unfertilized egg is associated with a longer pause (6.98 s on average) than the laying of a fertilized egg (3.76 s on average). These results are in contrast to previous reports on apocritan Hymenoptera, where the presence of a pause or a longer pause during oviposition was associated with the deposition of fertilized eggs rather than unfertilized eggs. The possibility that mated Athalia rosae females control fertilization and its implications for sex allocation strategies are discussed.     

Quantitative aspects of the effect of mating on readiness to lay in the Australian sheep blowfly,Lucilia cuprina

Virgin females of Lucilia cuprinararely lay eggs, whereas mated females do so readily. This effect of mating is due entirely to increased readiness to lay, and not to any effect on ovarian development. An investigation was made of how readiness to lay was affected by matings which differed in terms of the male's chemical and mechanical contribution. Individual males were mated, during 1 day, to a succession of females whose readiness to lay was determined 1 or 8 days after mating. On both days, the proportion of females laying was inversely related to the number of females with which the male had previously mated. A high proportion of females that had mated with previously unmated or oncemated males laid at both 1 and 8 days after mating. However, this proportion tended to decline between day 1 and day 8 in females that had mated with males with two or more previous matings, and this effect was most evident in females mated with males that had previously mated with four or more females. When matings were manually terminated as soon as coupling had occurred, the proportion laying remained as low as in virgins. This proportion progressively increased as mating duration increased from 2 to 6 min. The proportion that laid after mating terminated at 6 or 8 min was as high as that for females from full-term matings (mean duration, 12.5 min). The results are generally similar to those obtained in parallel experiments on the effect of mating on sexual receptivity in this species and, therefore, indicate that the physiological bases for the two effects of mating might be the same.     

Reevaluation of biosecurity of Ophraella communa against sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Ophraella communa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), originally from North America, has been used for biological control of common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, in China since 2007. However, there is still a debate on whether O. communa can attack sunflowers under field conditions. To re-evaluate the biosecurity of O. communa against sunflower (Helianthus annuus), we investigated the population density of O. communa on three sunflower varieties that were intercropped with or planted in circumambience of A. artemisiifolia under field conditions. Our results showed that only very few O. communa eggs (<0.5 eggs/plant) were found on sunflower plants at the last two surveys when sunflowers were planted in circumambience of common ragweed. O. communa eggs were not found on sunflower plants at each survey when sunflowers were intercropped with common ragweed. The first–second instar larvae, third instar larvae, pupae and adults of O. communa were occasionally found on sunflower plants, but their densities were very low under either case of planting patterns. Based on these results, we conclude that sunflower is not a potential host plant for O. communa and the beetle is an effective host-specific biological control agent of common ragweed.     

Counterstrategy to Egg Dumping in a Coreid Bug: Recipient Individuals Discard Eggs from Their Backs

The golden egg bug, Phyllomorpha laciniata Vill. (Heteroptera: Coreidae), is the only terrestrial insect in which females oviposit on the backs of female and male conspecifics. Eggs do not survive unless carried by a bug. Herein, I report laboratory observations that egg-carrying individuals actively brush their backs against the host plant seemingly in an effort to rub off eggs. Egg scraping is more common among individuals carrying many eggs than among those carrying only a few eggs. The most recently received eggs were rubbed off first. Females did not avoid laying eggs on the backs of egg-loaded individuals, nor did bugs carrying several eggs resist oviposition attempts more often than unloaded ones. Some males were likely to have fertilized the eggs they scraped off their backs. Laboratory results of active egg removal correspond with egg loss in the field, suggesting that egg scraping may explain egg loss in nature. The data indicate a cost of egg carrying to an individual and an evolutionary arms race between oviposition and discarding behavior.     

The effects of feeding damage in ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Asteraceae) on populations of Zygogramma suturalis (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae)

Summary Field sampling indicated that the number of eggs laid by a Zygogramma suturalis female within a sampling plot correlated inversely with the mean degree of ragweed damage. Feeding on extensively damaged ragweed in the laboratory caused a drop in oviposition intensity, and a considerable proportion of females completely stopped oviposition. Feeding on slightly damaged ragweed had no significant effect on oviposition intensity. Ovipositing females preferred to feed on the intact ragweed and lay their eggs close to it. The locomotory activity of ovipositing females was significantly higher on highly damaged ragweed whereas non-ovipositing (diapausing) females and males were behaviourally indifferent to the extent of ragweed damage. Under natural conditions, ovipositing females more frequently left damaged host plants for less damaged one. If the degree of ragweed damage is high over a large area, the insects that were unable to find undamaged plants for several days oviposited less and some females entered diapause. The adaptive effect of these reactions is a decrease of population density in advance, before it might drop as a result of starvation. These results are in agreement with the second model of insect reaction to the damage-induced changes in a host plant (Edwards and Wratten 1987).     

Strength in numbers: high parasite burdens increase transmission of a protozoan parasite of monarch butterflies (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Danaus plexippus</Emphasis>)

Parasites often produce large numbers of offspring within their hosts. High parasite burdens are thought to be important for parasite transmission, but can also lower host fitness. We studied the protozoan Ophryocystis elektroscirrha, a common parasite of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus), to quantify the benefits of high parasite burdens for parasite transmission. This parasite is transmitted vertically when females scatter spores onto eggs and host plant leaves during oviposition; spores can also be transmitted between mating adults. Monarch larvae were experimentally infected and emerging adult females were mated and monitored in individual outdoor field cages. We provided females with fresh host plant material daily and quantified their lifespan and lifetime fecundity. Parasite transmission was measured by counting the numbers of parasite spores transferred to eggs and host plant leaves. We also quantified spores transferred from infected females to their mating partners. Infected monarchs had shorter lifespans and lower lifetime fecundity than uninfected monarchs. Among infected females, those with higher parasite loads transmitted more parasite spores to their eggs and to host plant leaves. There was also a trend for females with greater parasite loads to transmit more spores to their mating partners. These results demonstrate that high parasite loads on infected butterflies confer a strong fitness advantage to the parasite by increasing between-host transmission.     

Effects of age at mating of both sexes on female longevity and fecundity performance in Ophraella communa LeSage (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Life-history strategies of animals are governed by fitness-related trait trade-offs. In particular, the age at which either one of the two sexes copulate has been shown to affect insect reproductive output and longevity. This suggests that trade-offs between longevity and reproduction might drive the choice of a mating partner based on their age and ultimately such choices might select for different life-histories. Although several studies indicate that female age at mating dictates subsequent insect longevity, fecundity, and egg hatch rate, it is unclear how male age at copulation affects these life-history traits. In this study, we simultaneously investigated the effects of female and male age on female fecundity, eggs hatch rate, and adult longevity in Ophraella communa LeSage (Coleoptera: Chrysomellidae), the primary biological control agent of the invasive common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. We found that young mature females lived significantly longer when they were mated with older males. Maximum female fecundity and subsequent egg hatch rate occurred when young females mated with 3-day-old males. On the other hand, females lived longer when mating with an older male. These findings are in accordance with the cost-of-reproduction concept.     

Effects of high temperature on body size and weight of Ophraella communa

Ophraella communa LeSage (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is an effective biological control agent of the invasive common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. Body size, one of the most important life-history characters for many insects, affects O. communa mating choice. Temperature is one of the most important factors on body size, especially high temperatures. Adult body lengths were significantly inhibited after eggs, larvae and pupae of O. communa experienced high temperature stresses. With exception of subsequent female body after exposure of larvae to high temperatures, the body weights of females and males were not affected by temperatures. Since adult insect fecundities are often in proportion to their body sizes, we concluded that high temperatures may influence the population expansion of O. communa in the field.