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1.
Tan K Radloff SE Li JJ Hepburn HR Yang MX Zhang LJ Neumann P 《Die Naturwissenschaften》2007,94(6):469-472
The vespine wasps, Vespa velutina, specialise in hawking honeybee foragers returning to their nests. We studied their behaviour in China using native Apis cerana and introduced A. mellifera colonies. When the wasps are hawking, A. cerana recruits threefold more guard bees to stave off predation than A. mellifera. The former also utilises wing shimmering as a visual pattern disruption mechanism, which is not shown by A. mellifera. A. cerana foragers halve the time of normal flight needed to dart into the nest entrance, while A. mellifera actually slows down in sashaying flight manoeuvres. V. velutina preferentially hawks A. mellifera foragers when both A. mellifera and A. cerana occur in the same apiary. The pace of wasp-hawking was highest in mid-summer but the frequency of hawking wasps was three
times higher at A. mellifera colonies than at the A. cerana colonies. The wasps were taking A. mellifera foragers at a frequency eightfold greater than A. cerana foragers. The final hawking success rates of the wasps were about three times higher for A. mellifera foragers than for A. cerana. The relative success of native A. cerana over European A. mellifera in thwarting predation by the wasp V. velutina is interpreted as the result of co-evolution between the Asian wasp and honeybee, respectively. 相似文献
2.
Most of the oxalotrophic bacteria are facultative methylotrophs and play important ecological roles in soil fertility and
cycling of elements. This study gives a detailed picture of the taxonomy and diversity of these bacteria and provides new
information about the taxonomical variability within the genus Methylobacterium. Twelve mesophilic, pink-pigmented, and facultatively methylotrophic oxalate-oxidizing strains were included in this work
that had been previously isolated from the soil and some plant tissues by the potassium oxalate enrichment method. The isolates
were characterized using biochemical tests, cellular lipid profiles, spectral characteristics of carotenoid pigments, G+C
content of the DNA, and 16S rDNA sequencing. The taxonomic similarities among the strains were analyzed using the simple matching
(S
SM) and Jaccard (S
J) coefficients, and the UPGMA clustering algorithm. The phylogenetic position of the strains was inferred by the neighbor-joining
method on the basis of the 16S rDNA sequences. All isolates were Gram-negative, facultatively methylotrophic, oxidase and
catalase positive, and required no growth factors. Based on the results of numerical taxonomy, the strains formed four closely
related clusters sharing ≥85% similarity. Analysis of the 16S rDNA sequences demonstrated that oxalotrophic, pink-pigmented,
and facultatively methylotrophic strains could be identified as members of the genus Methylobacterium. Except for M. variabile and M. aquaticum, all of the Methylobacterium type strains tested had the ability of oxalate utilization. Our results indicate that the capability of oxalate utilization
seems to be an uncommon trait and could be used as a valuable taxonomic criterion for differentiation of Methylobacterium species. 相似文献
3.
Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a larval parasitoid of Helicoverpa/Heliothis spp. In the course of mass rearing of M. croceipes, we found that females oviposited in the conspecific adults in rearing cages. When 20 pairs of inexperienced females and
males or of experienced females and males were reared in a cage, the males lived for 14–15 days and the females for 18–20 days
on average. At their death, 37–42% of the males and 50–57% of the females contained conspecific eggs or first instar larvae
in their abdominal cavity. When two of inexperienced females met on a host-infested leaf of soybean, they attempted to sting
each other. Of the attacked females, 30% contained a conspecific egg laid in their abdomen. In abdominal cavity of the adults
parasitized by a conspecific female, the majority of the parasitoid eggs laid disappeared within 1 day after oviposition.
Only 10–30% of the parasitoid eggs laid in conspecific adults hatched 3–4 days after oviposition, but those larvae never molted
to second instar. When the adults were stung by one or two conspecific females, their subsequent longevity was significantly
shorter than that for the control adults. Oviposition in conspecific adults may be prevalent in other parasitic wasps that
quickly oviposit without intensive host examination, and have cuticle and size of abdomen to be stung by conspeicifcs. 相似文献
4.
Tiedemann R Moll K Paulus KB Scheer M Williot P Bartel R Gessner J Kirschbaum F 《Die Naturwissenschaften》2007,94(3):213-217
Recent molecular data on the maternally inherited mitochondrial (mt) DNA have challenged the traditional view that the now
extinct Baltic sturgeon population belonged to the European sturgeon Acipenser sturio. Instead, there is evidence that American sea sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus historically immigrated into the Baltic Sea. In this study, we test the hypothesis that A. oxyrinchus introgressed into, rather than replaced, the A. sturio population in the Baltic. We established four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the nuclear MHC II antigen gene with
a species-specific SNP pattern. Using an ancient DNA approach and two independent lines of molecular evidence (sequencing
of allele-specific clones, SNaPshot), we detected both A. sturio and A. oxyrinchus alleles in the available museum material of the now extinct Baltic sturgeon population. The hybrid nature of the Baltic population
was further confirmed by very high levels of heterozygosity. It had been previously postulated that the immigration of the
cold-adapted A. oxyrinchus into the Baltic occurred during the Medieval Little Ice Age, when temperature likely dropped below the degree inducing spawning
in A. sturio. Under this scenario, our new findings suggest that the genetic mosaic pattern in the Baltic sturgeon population (oxyrinchus mtDNA, sturio and oxyrinchus MHC alleles) is possibly caused by sex-biased introgression where spawning was largely restricted to immigrating American
females, while fertilization was predominantly achieved by abundant local European males. The hybrid nature of the former
Baltic sturgeon population should be taken into account in the current reintroduction measures.
Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users. 相似文献
5.
Animals that guide directions of their locomotion or their migration routes by the lines of the geomagnetic field use either polarity or inclination compasses to determine the field polarity (the north or south direction). Distinguishing the two compass types is a guideline for estimation of the molecular principle of reception and has been achieved for a number of animal groups, with the exception of insects. A standard diagnostic method to distinguish a compass type is based on reversing the vertical component of the geomagnetic field, which leads to the opposite reactions of animals with two different compass types. In the present study, adults of the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor were tested by means of a two-step laboratory test of magnetoreception. Beetles that were initially trained to memorize the magnetic position of the light source preferred, during the subsequent test, this same direction, pursuant geomagnetic cues only. In the following step, the vertical component was reversed between the training and the test. The beetles significantly turned their preferred direction by 180 degrees. Our results brought until then unknown original findings that insects, represented here by the T. molitor species, use-in contrast to another previously researched Arthropod, spiny lobster-the inclination compass. 相似文献
6.
Chemically mediated communication is common in spiders but has been poorly studied in burrowing tarantulas. This study aimed
to determine whether chemical cues influence the behaviour of females of Brachypelma vagans, a Mexican species of tarantula, during encounters with previously inhabited burrows or with extracts from the silk of conspecific
females. In laboratory choice tests, female tarantulas entered a burrow that had previously been inhabited by a conspecific
female significantly more frequently than a burrow that had never been inhabited. The identity of the previous inhabitant
also affected the number of spiders that chose to enter a burrow. Spiders were quicker to choose and enter a burrow previously
inhabited by themselves than a burrow previously inhabited by a conspecific or a burrow that had not been previously inhabited.
Hexane, methanol and dichloromethane extracts of conspecific silk elicited different responses from female tarantulas when
extracts were placed on filter paper disks at one end of an experimental arena with a control filter paper disk, on to which
the corresponding solvent alone had been pipetted, placed on the other end of the arena. Spiders showed the strongest responses
to hexane extracts of silk, with a significant preference to move towards the hexane extract and a significantly greater period
of time spent in proximity to the hexane extract compared to the control disk. Overall and in contrast to expectations, tarantulas
were most strongly attracted to the cues left by other conspecific females. As encounters between B. vagans females usually lead to aggression and mortality of one of the participants, we conclude that chemical cues are not signals
that are deliberately released by burrow-inhabiting females but may inadvertently escape and cannot be easily suppressed. 相似文献
7.
Coevolution is defined as specialized relationships between species that lead to a reciprocal evolutionary change. A particularly
suitable model system for studying coevolution is the interactions between obligate avian brood parasites and their hosts.
The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus, hereafter cuckoo) is a well-known brood parasite, which utilizes a range of smaller passerines as hosts. However, warblers
of the genus Hippolais have rarely been reported as being victims of cuckoos, and furthermore, few data exist on the occurrence of antiparasite
defenses in these hosts. In this study, we examined possible host–parasite coevolution between cuckoos and eastern olivaceous
warblers (Hippolais pallida elaeica, hereafter olivaceous warblers) in three closely situated areas in northwestern Bulgaria. The olivaceous warbler has never
been reported to be a regular cuckoo host. However, the present study, carried out in 2001–2003 shows that the olivaceous
warbler is regularly and heavily parasitized by the cuckoo in this area. Parasitism rate was high (26.6%, 34/128) and consistent
among years, with some variation between areas. The cuckoo egg mimicry was moderately good, and olivaceous warbler rejection
rate of such eggs was 50%. Cuckoo eggs laid in olivaceous warbler nests had a whitish to whitish-green ground color, and the
majority appeared to be distinctly different from cuckoo eggs found in other host species in the area. The olivaceous warbler
proved to be a rather good host for cuckoos as 20.6% (7/34) of cuckoo eggs laid produced fledglings, a breeding success comparable
to other suitable hosts in Europe. This is the first in-depth study of brood parasitism in a warbler of the genus Hippolais, and cuckoos parasitizing olivaceous warblers probably represent a previously unknown gens. 相似文献
8.
(E)-6,10-dimethyl-5,9-undecadien-2-ol (geranyl acetol), termed here fuscol, was identified as a male-produced pheromone emitted
by Tetropium fuscum (F.) and Tetropium cinnamopterum Kirby. In field experiments, traps baited with synthetic fuscol alone were not significantly attractive, but the combination
of fuscol plus host volatiles (a synthetic blend of monoterpenes plus ethanol) attracted significantly more male and female
T. fuscum and female T. cinnamopterum than did host volatiles alone. This is the first homoterpenoid alcohol to be described in the Cerambycidae, and the first
pheromone reported from the sub-family Spondylidinae. 相似文献
9.
Dampwood termites, Zootermopsis angusticollis (Isoptera: Termopsidae), mount an immune response to resist microbial infection. Here we report on results of a novel analysis that allowed us to electrophoretically assess changes in hemolymph proteins in the same individual before and after exposure to a pathogen. We demonstrate that contact with a sublethal concentration of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Deuteromycotina:Hypomycetes) induces the production of protective proteins in nymphs, pseudergates (false workers), and soldiers. Termites exposed to an immunizing dosage of fungal conidia consistently showed an enhancement of constitutive proteins (62–85 kDa) in the hemolymph as well as an induction of novel proteins (28–48 kDa) relative to preimmunization levels. No significant differences in protein banding patterns relative to baseline levels in control and naïve termites were observed. Incubating excised and eluted induced proteins produced by immunized pseudergates or immunized soldiers with conidia significantly reduced the germination of the fungus. The fungistatic effect of eluted proteins differed significantly among five colonies examined. Our results show that the upregulation of protective proteins in the hemolymph underscores the in vivo immune response we previously recorded in Z. angusticollis. 相似文献
10.
Recent evidence shows that females of many species can discriminate against males and/or male phenotypes they have mated with previously. However, these studies have not tested whether actual mating is necessary to induce the avoidance behaviour. A preference for strangers may have evolved because it avoids multiple matings with similar genotypes. Alternatively, there may be selection against mating with familiar individuals directly. By choosing its first mate among unfamiliar individuals (which are less likely close relatives than are those encountered early in life), a virgin might disentangle some of the potential benefits of avoiding genetic incompatibility and inbreeding in the offspring from the costs of remating. In this study, we test whether Drosophila melanogaster flies bias their mate choice towards strangers according to previous, non-copulatory, experience. Based on 173 trials over 12 weeks, virgin females presented with two virgin males were 59% more likely to mate with a novel male than the one which she had been housed with for 8 h the day before. Hence we present the first report showing that a dipteran can distinguish between previously encountered and not previously encountered conspecifics. 相似文献
11.
We compared the quantity and quality of the epicuticular wax of diapause and non-diapause pupae in two closely related Pieris species, P. brassicae and P. rapae crucivora. Main components of their epicuticular wax were identified as hydrocarbons. In P. brassicae, more than 95% of hydrocarbons were saturated regardless of whether the pupae were in diapause or not. In P. rapae crucivora, 93% of hydrocarbons were saturated in non-diapause pupae whereas in diapause pupae 41% were saturated and 59% unsaturated. From measurements of body surface area by nuclear magnetic resonance microimaging, we calculated the average thickness of the wax layer. The thickness in diapause and non-diapause pupae of P. brassicae was 800 and 160 nm, respectively. In P. rapae crucivora, the thickness was 195 nm in diapause and 11 nm in non-diapause. This is the first report to clarify the compositional difference in epicuticular wax between diapause and non-diapause pupae. 相似文献
12.
An absence of aggression between non-nestmates in the bull ant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Myrmecia nigriceps</Emphasis> 总被引:2,自引:0,他引:2
van Wilgenburg E Dang S Forti AL Koumoundouros TJ Ly A Elgar MA 《Die Naturwissenschaften》2007,94(9):787-790
The ability of social insects to discriminate against non-nestmates is vital for maintaining colony integrity, and in most
social insect species, individuals act aggressively towards non-nestmates that intrude into their nest. Our experimental field
data revealed that intra-colony aggression in the primitive bulldog ant Myrmecia nigriceps is negligible; our series of bioassays revealed no significant difference in the occurrence of aggression in trials involving
workers from the same, a close (less than 300 m) or a far (more than 1.5 km) nest. Further, non-nestmate intruders were able
to enter the nest in 60% of our trials; a similar level was observed in trials involving nestmates. These results suggest
that workers of M. nigriceps are either unable to recognize alien conspecifics or that the costs of ignoring workers from foreign colonies are sufficiently
low to favor low levels of inter-colony aggression in this species. 相似文献
13.
Parental care is an energetically demanding activity that ensures genes are efficiently passed from one generation to the next. According to evolutionary theory, the greatest energetic investment should be directed towards offspring that are most closely related to the parent. Male fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas, provide this parental investment to developing embryos but not newly hatched larvae. Therefore, selection should favour recognition of embryonic kin to ensure energetic expenditure is optimally invested. In this study, adult male fathead minnows were tested using behavioural assays, with egg cannibalism as an endpoint, to determine whether adult males could discriminate between related and unrelated embryos. Egg cannibalism was highest when adult male fathead minnows were presented with unrelated eggs and lowest when presented with eggs fertilized by the test subject (related eggs). The degree of cannibalism was also a function of breeding status. Unrelated males in breeding condition showed an intermediate response between the low cannibalism demonstrated by related males and the high cannibalism demonstrated by unrelated males in a nonbreeding condition. These results suggest that although male fathead minnows can discriminate between unrelated and related embryos, at least some component of parental investment is a simple function of breeding status. 相似文献
14.
The main function of the spermatozoon is the transfer of the male haploid genome during fertilisation. In animals in general
and in fishes in particular, there is huge variation in sperm size. In fishes, sperm size ranges from 13 μm in Mugil cephlus to nearly 100 μm in the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. We examined intra-specific variation in sperm morphometry in the socially monogamous cichlid Pelvicachromis taeniatus using scanning electron microscopy. The mean total sperm length of nearly 70 μm was extraordinarily large for cichlids. Furthermore,
within-male variation was remarkably high. To our knowledge, P. taeniatus produces the longest cichlid sperm ever documented. Several hypotheses concerning the adaptive significance of these results
are presented. 相似文献
15.
Symbiont-induced male-killing phenotypes have been found in a variety of insects. Conventionally, these phenotypes have been
divided into two categories according to the timing of action: early male killing at embryonic stages and late male killing
at late larval stages. In Drosophila species, endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus Spiroplasma have been known to cause early male killing. Here, we report that a spiroplasma strain normally causing early male killing
also induces late male killing depending on the maternal host age: male-specific mortality of larvae and pupae was more frequently
observed in the offspring of young females. As the lowest spiroplasma density and occasional male production were also associated
with newly emerged females, we proposed the density-dependent hypothesis for the expression of early and late male-killing
phenotypes. Our finding suggested that (1) early and late male-killing phenotypes can be caused by the same symbiont and probably
by the same mechanism; (2) late male killing may occur as an attenuated expression of early male killing; (3) expression of
early and late male-killing phenotypes may be dependent on the symbiont density, and thus, could potentially be affected by
the host immunity and regulation; and (4) early male killing and late male killing could be alternative strategies adopted
by microbial reproductive manipulators. 相似文献
16.
Mating behaviors of ants fall into two categories: female calling, in which a female alate releases pheromones that attract
males, and male swarming, in which large male aggregations attract females. Female calling is common in species with queens
that return to their natal nest to found colonies dependently after mating, while male swarming is common in species with
queens that disperse to found independently. In some species that display both founding strategies, a queen-size polymorphism
has evolved in which dependent-founding queens are smaller than independent-founding queens. Dependent founding is likely
difficult if gynes (virgin queens) are mating in distant swarms. Therefore, a queen may adopt one or the other mating strategy
based on its size and founding behavior. We investigated mating behaviors in the queen-polymorphic ant, Temnothorax longispinosus. Observations in laboratory mating arenas indicated that small gynes exhibited significantly lower flight activity than large
gynes. Both forms mated in male swarms, and neither form exhibited female calling. The reduced flight activity of the small
morph may facilitate returning to the natal nest after mating, provided the mating swarm is located nearby. Therefore, alternative
colony-founding behaviors may be possible without the evolution of female-calling behavior; however, the reduced flight activity
of small morphs may require that mating swarms are not distant from the natal nest. 相似文献
17.
<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eubacterium rangiferina</Emphasis>, a novel usnic acid-resistant bacterium from the reindeer rumen 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
Reindeer are able to eat and utilize lichens as an important source of energy and nutrients. In the current study, the activities of antibiotic secondary metabolites including usnic, antranoric, fumarprotocetraric, and lobaric acid commonly found in lichens were tested against a collection of 26 anaerobic rumen bacterial isolates from reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) using the agar diffusion method. The isolates were identified based on their 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene sequences. Usnic acid had a potent antimicrobial effect against 25 of the isolates, belonging to Clostridiales, Enterococci, and Streptococci. Isolates of Clostridia and Streptococci were also susceptible to atranoric and lobaric acid. However, one isolate (R3_91_1) was found to be resistant to usnic, antranoric, fumarprotocetraric, and lobaric acid. R3_91_1 was also seen invading and adhering to lichen particles when grown in a liquid anaerobic culture as demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy. This was a Gram-negative, nonmotile rod (0.2-0.7 x 2.0-3.5 microm) with a deoxyribonucleic acid G + C content of 47.0 mol% and main cellular fatty acids including 15:0 anteiso-dimethyl acetal (DMA), 16:0 iso-fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), 13:0 iso-3OH FAME, and 17:0 anteiso-FAME, not matching any of the presently known profiles in the MIDI database. Combined, the phenotypic and genotypic traits including the 16S rRNA gene sequence show that R3_91_1 is a novel species inside the order Clostridiales within the family Lachnospiraceae, for which we propose the name Eubacterium rangiferina. This is the first record of a rumen bacterium able to tolerate and grow in the presence of usnic acid, indicating that the rumen microorganisms in these animals have adapted mechanisms to deal with lichen secondary metabolites, well known for their antimicrobial and toxic effects. 相似文献
18.
Ubiquity of parasporin-1 producers in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus thuringiensis</Emphasis> natural populations of Japan 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
Uemori A Maeda M Yasutake K Ohgushi A Kagoshima K Mizuki E Ohba M 《Die Naturwissenschaften》2007,94(1):34-38
Parasporin, a Bacillus thuringiensis parasporal protein, is unique in having a strong cytocidal activity preferential for human cancer cells. In this study, we
characterized parasporin activities associated with three novel geographical isolates of B.
thuringiensis. Parasporal inclusion proteins of the three isolates were highly toxic to human uterus cervix cancer cells (HeLa), but not
to non-cancer uterine smooth muscle cells (UtSMC). Inclusions of the isolates lacked insect toxicity and hemolytic activity
against sheep erythrocytes. Ouchterlony immunodiffusion tests revealed that the proteins of the three isolates are immunologically
closely related to parasporin-1 (Cry31A), but dissimilar to the three other existing parasporin groups. Our results provide
evidence that the parasporin-1-producing organism is a common member in B. thuringiensis populations occurring in natural environments of Japan. 相似文献
19.
Kundrát M 《Die Naturwissenschaften》2007,94(6):499-504
An almost complete adult endoneurocranium of Conchoraptor gracilis Barsbold 1986 (Oviraptoridae; ZPAL MgD-I/95), discovered at the Hermiin Tsav locality (the Upper Cretaceous) in Mongolia,
is analyzed. A virtual model of the endoneurocranial cavity was derived from CT scans and represents the most complete maniraptoran
endocast to date. It displays reduced olfactory bulbs, large cerebral hemispheres in contact with the expanded cerebellum,
an epiphysial projection, optic lobes displaced latero-ventrally, presumptive cerebellar folia, enlarged cerebellar auricles,
and a deep medulla oblongata with a prominent ventral flexure. Contrary to Archaeopteryx, the shortened olfactory tract and cerebellum overtopping cerebral hemispheres of Conchoraptor resemble conditions in modern birds. Calculating brain mass relative to body mass indicates that Conchoraptor falls within the range of extant birds, whereas Archaeopteryx occupies a marginal position. Most of the endoneurocranial attributes, however, have a less birdlike appearance in Conchoraptor than do corresponding structures in Archaeopteryx and modern birds in which 1) postero-laterally expanded hemispheral domains broadly overlap the optic lobes, 2) the epiphysis
projects to the posterior cerebrum, 3) lateral extension of the optic lobes substantially decreases a brain length-to-width
ratio, 4) optic lobe and anterior hindbrain are superposed in lateral view, and 5) cerebellar and midbrain compartments are
in distinct superposition. The endoneurocranial characteristics of Conchoraptor, taken together, suggest that the animal had a keen sense of vision, balance, and coordination. The data presented in this
study do not allow an unambiguous assessment whether the avian-like endoneurocranial characteristics of the flightless Conchoraptor evolved convergently to those of avian theropods, or indicate a derivation of oviraptorosaurs from volant ancestors. 相似文献
20.
In social hymenoptera, the reproductive division of labor is often linked to differences in individual body size with the reproductive caste (the queen) being larger than the workers. Likewise, the reproductive potential may vary with size within the worker caste and could affect the evolution of worker size in social insects. Here, we tested the relationship between worker size and reproductive potential in the facultative parthenogenetic ant Cataglyphis cursor. Colonies are headed by a multiply mated queen, but workers can produce gynes (virgin queens) and workers by thelytokous parthenogenesis after the queen's death. We observed the behaviour of workers (n = 357) until the production of gynes (212 h over 3 months) in an orphaned colony (mated queen not present). The size of workers was measured, and their paternal lineage determined using six microsatellite markers, to control for an effect of patriline. Larger workers were more likely to reproduce and lay more eggs indicating that individual level selection could take place. However, paternal lineage had no effect on the reproductive potential and worker size. From the behavioural and genetic data, we also show for the first time in this species, evidence of aggressive interactions among workers and a potential for nepotism to occur in orphaned colonies, as the five gynes produced belonged to a single paternal lineage. 相似文献