Bio-efficacy evaluation of nanoformulations of β-cyfluthrin against Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

In the present investigation, bioefficacy of developed β-cyfluthrin formulations, utilizing laboratory synthesized poly(ethylene glycols) based amphiphilic copolymers, were evaluated against Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). The bioefficacy data indicated that the formulations developed by utilizing polymers having PEG – 1500 (3c) and PEG – 2000 (3d) as the hydrophilic segment showed greater efficacy after 14 days as evident from EC₅₀ values (2.2 and 1.58 mg L^?1 respectively). Also, release from the commercial SC formulation was faster than developed formulations as the commercial formulation had the lowest EC₅₀ value on the first day (0.51 mg L^?1). The mean EC₅₀ of the commercial formulation against C. maculatus was quite high as compared to those of developed formulations. The results suggest that depending upon the polymer matrix used, the application rate of β-cyfluthrin can be optimized to achieve insect control at the desired level and period. The results described in this paper are promising and provide a comparison of developed formulations with the commercial one showing an earlier degradation of β-cyfluthrin in the latter and relatively prolonged activity in the former.     

长江口溯河鳗苗开发率估算

利用长江口南支上段东风西沙调查站位(121°15′45′′E;31°40′18′′N)2015年度鳗苗捕捞数据,通过CPUE波动趋势分析,确定当年日本鳗鲡鳗苗溯河汛期特征;进而采用Leslie和Delury两种方法估算东风西沙站位鳗苗资源指标。结果显示,2015年度东风西沙站位出现6个明显的鳗苗补充汛期,两种方法估算的汛期波动规律一致。各汛期捕捞持续时间5~27 d,平均为10.17 d。Leslie法估算的各汛期捕捞开发率43.38%~96.30%,平均77.14%;Delury法估算结果为43.36%~105.37%,平均81.43%;均为较高水平。高开发率表明东风西沙水域樯张网作业方式致使溯河迁移鳗苗处于高度开发状态,减少溯河鳗苗数量,影响长江流域成鳗资源。Leslie法估算日捕捞死亡系数和日捕捞死亡率平均值分别为0.23和20.02%,均分别低于De Lury法估算平均值0.27和22.79%;捕捞死亡系数将为采用年渔获量估算鳗苗资源量提供基础数据。     

Seagrass mortality due to oversedimentation: an experimental approach

Mortality due to oversedimentation of the Mediterranean seagrassPosidonia oceanica was experimentally evaluated by field manipulations of the sediment level. Increased levels of sediment placed over plant shoots and rhizomes induced significant shoot mortality, even at moderate burial levels (ca. 5 cm). When sediment was added to reach levels 15 cm higher than the initial one, a 100 % mortality was observed after 200–300 days. The response of the plant was independent of site and depth. These results can be used in ecological risk assessment of coastal activities which potentially affect sediment deposition.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed:
Rutherford H., Platt et al. Disasters and Democracy: The Politics of Extreme Natural Events
S., Suri Orissa Disaster: Agony of the Living     

The Accuracy of Mortality Reporting in Displaced Persons Camps During the Post-emergency Phase

For humanitarian organisations, accurate data are essential to identify emerging health problems and determine programme needs. We visited 45 post-emergency phase displaced persons camps and collected three months' mortality data which we compared with organisations' routine mortality reports. Organisations reported 612 deaths and we identified 741 deaths, for a mortality-reporting ratio, defined as the number of organisation-reported deaths divided by the number of investigator-identified deaths, of 83 per cent. For the majority of camps which under-reported deaths, mortality reporting ratios were significantly higher for women than men, and for camps with central mortality registers rather than those without. In the few camps which over-reported deaths, these occurred primarily among children younger than five years of age, probably due to the inclusion of abortions and stillbirths. Despite the overall under-reporting of deaths by humanitarian organisations, the existing health information systems appear to estimate mortality rates adequately in these post-emergency camps. However, organisations should improve the precision and completeness with which they report the characteristics of deaths in order to provide valuable data to target their programmes at the most vulnerable people.     

Women and children last: An essay on sex discrimination in disasters

In general, little attention has been given to differential survival between the sexes in disasters. Consideration of physiological differences between males and females would suggest that, all things being equal, morbidity and mortality after disaster, particularly where food shortage is involved, should indicate an excess male mortality. Such statistics as exist in disasters, as in chronic underdevelopment, show that it is females and especially girl children who are at highest risk. The basis of this lies in sex discrimination which is implicit in most social systems.     

Mortality of pollen beetle (Meligethes spp.) larvae due to predators and parasitoids in rape fields and the effect of conservation strips

In 1996–1999, different mortality factors of pollen beetle larvae were investigated in twenty six rape fields in the northern part of Switzerland which had either a wild flower strip or an extensively managed meadow adjacent to the long side of the field. At 3 and 30 m into the crop from the conservation strip, total mortality, mortality from predators, parasitoids and unspecified factors were measured. Total pollen beetle larval mortality was 66–96%. Mortality caused by predators was 16–27% and there was no significant difference between mortality at 3 m and that 30 m from the extensively managed meadows. However, in fields with wild flower strips adjacent to them, the percentage mortality from predators was significantly greater at 30 m than at 3 m. The range of parasitism of pollen beetle larvae was 0–54% and was on average greater at 3 m than at 30 m. In fields with wild flower strips, the percentage parasitism with Tersilochus heterocerus was significantly higher than in fields with extensively managed meadows. However, mortality from all parasitoids was only 1–2% and there was no significant difference between 3 and 30 m. The effect of parasitoids on pollen beetle mortality was masked by the high unspecified mortality and the mortality from predators. The unspecified mortality was 46–72% and was significantly greater in 1998 and 1999 than in 1996 and 1997. These differences are probably because of meteorological factors (wet in 1999 and dry in 1998). The possible influences of the two types of conservation strips on pollen beetle larval density were investigated. The results show that in fields with adjacent wild flower strips, the pollen beetle larvae were more evenly distributed (but not significantly so) than in fields with extensively managed meadows where larval density decreases faster from the edge into the rape field.     

九孔鲍苗种培育期间"脱板症"预防探讨

采用不同的光照强度,异、同地亲鲍,投放受精卵和投放担轮幼虫等3种方法进行育苗试验,结果表明,在九孔鲍人工苗种生产中,采取1 000～1500 lx的光照强度,用异地亲鲍繁育,投放担轮幼虫等方法进行育苗,可以预防或减少"脱板症"的发生.本文还就相关问题进行了探讨.     

An adaptive plan for prioritizing road sections for fencing to reduce animal mortality

Mortality of animals on roads is a critical threat to many wildlife populations and is poised to increase strongly because of ongoing and planned road construction. If these new roads cannot be avoided, effective mitigation measures will be necessary to stop biodiversity decline. Fencing along roads effectively reduces roadkill and is often used in combination with wildlife passages. Because fencing the entire road is not always possible due to financial constraints, high-frequency roadkill areas are often identified to inform the placement of fencing. We devised an adaptive fence-implementation plan to prioritize road sections for fencing. In this framework, areas along roads of high, moderate, and low levels of animal mortality (respectively, roadkill hotspots, warmspots, and coldspots) are identified at multiple scales (i.e., in circles of different diameters [200–2000 m] in which mortality frequency is measured). Fence deployment is based on the relationship between the amount of fencing being added to the road, starting with the strongest roadkill hotspots, and potential reduction in road mortality (displayed in mortality-reduction graphs). We applied our approach to empirical and simulated spatial patterns of wildlife–vehicle collisions. The scale used for analysis affected the number and spatial extent of roadkill hot-, warm-, and coldspots. At fine scales (e.g., 200 m), more hotspots were identified than at coarse scales (e.g., 2000 m), but combined the fine-scale hotspots covered less road and less fencing was needed to reduce road mortality. However, many short fences may be less effective in practice due to a fence-end effect (i.e., animals moving around the fence more easily), resulting in a trade-off between few long and many short fences, which we call the FLOMS (few-long-or-many-short) fences trade-off. Thresholds in the mortality-reduction graphs occurred for some roadkill patterns, but not for others. Thresholds may be useful to consider when determining road-mitigation targets. The existence of thresholds at multiple scales and the FLOMS trade-off have important implications for biodiversity conservation.     

Selective effects of natural and synthetic insecticides on mortality of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and its predator Eriopis connexa (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a serious pest of corn in several American countries. It is mainly controlled with synthetic insecticides. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of the natural products, neem oil and pyroligneous extract, and the synthetic insecticide, lufenuron, at 2.50mL water (0.25 %) on the mortality of 2-, 4- and 6-day-old caterpillars of S. frugiperda, and their selectivities against fourth instar larvae of Eriopis connnexa Germar (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Four- and 6-day-old S. frugiperda caterpillars showed higher mortality after exposure to neem oil (83.33 ± 0.83 and 89.58 ± 0.90 %, respectively) and lufenuron (95.83 ± 0.96 and 85.41 ± 0.83 %), compared to pyroligneous extract (68.75 ± 0.69 and 31.25 ± 0.31 %). The deleterious effect of pyroligneous extract was higher in 2- (83.33 ± 0.83 % mortality) and 4-day-old (68.75 ± 0.69 %) S. frugiperda caterpillars than in 6-day-old caterpillars (31.25 ± 0.31 %). Larval mortality of the predator E. connexa was lower with neem oil and pyroligneous extract (25.00 ± 0.33 %) than with lufenuron (91.66 ± 1.22 %). Neem oil is thus recommended for control of S. frugiperda because of its high toxicity, combined with its relatively low toxicity to larvae of the natural enemy E. connexa.