Parasitic wasps orient to green leaf volatiles

Summary Undamaged plants emit low levels of green leaf volatiles (GLVs), while caterpillar-damaged and artificially damaged plants emit relatively higher levels of certain GLVs. Female braconid parasitoids,Microplitis croceipes, oriented to both damaged plants and to individual GLVs in no-choice tests in a wind tunnel, but seldom oriented to undamaged plants. Female ichneumonid parasitoids,Netelia heroica, also oriented to individual GLVs in a wind tunnel. Males of both wasp species failed to orient to the GLVs. These data show that leaf-feeding caterpillars can cause the release of GLVs, and that parasitic wasps can respond to these odors by flying upwind (chemoanemotactic response), which brings the wasps to their caterpillar hosts. This supports the hypothesis that plants communicate with members of the third trophic level,i.e., plants under herbivore attack emit chemical signals that guide natural enemies of herbivores to sites of plant damage. In this interaction, the GLVs serve as tritrophic plant-to-parasitoid synomones. That parasitoids from two different wasp families oriented to GLVs suggests that the response may be widespread among the Hymenoptera.Mention of a commercial or proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture     

Interspecific interference competition and mate choice in the soldier beetle,Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus

Summary Interference competition directed at soldier beetles, Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus, by four aggressive wasp species changed the mate choice of females. In the absence of wasps, females mated more frequently with males of greater weight and greater antennal scape diameter. Only in the presence of wasps did females frequently mate when they did not contain mature ova. When wasps were abundant, the proportion of beetles mating was higher. Wasps reacted aggressively toward mating beetles less frequently than toward single beetles. Therefore, females may have fed more efficiently in the presence of wasps when coupled.     

Ecological relevance of associative learning in fruit fly larvae

A few invertebrate models have been used for studying neurobiological and molecular aspects of associative learning. The ecological and evolutionary aspects of associative learning in these invertebrates are not yet well understood. To further this knowledge, I tested fruit fly larvae for their ability to learn to associate odors with preferred environmental conditions. The larvae learned to avoid odors associated with predation and to prefer odors associated with high-quality food, but failed to learn about odors associated with optimal temperature. It appears that the larvae possess a general ability to evaluate a suite of environmental parameters and associate preferred conditions with relevant stimuli. Received: 6 May 1998 / Accepted after revision: 11 October 1998     

Different habitats, different habits? Response to foraging information in the parasitic wasp Venturia canescens

The parasitic wasp, Venturia canescens (Gravenhorst) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), has two reproductive modes, namely, thelytoky or arrhenotoky, and occurs in habitats with highly variable or relatively stable host abundances, respectively. Since information processing is costly, we expected that information indicating resource availability would be mainly used by the thelytokous wasps and less so by the arrhenotokous type. This idea was explored by two different approaches. In a study on patch-time allocation, we used females from ten populations and measured patch-residence times of individuals that visited multiple patches at different encounter rates. In a more detailed approach, thelytokous and arrhenotokous females from a single location were observed continuously while foraging, and all behaviors were recorded. Wasps of both reproductive modes (i.e., both habitat types) used information for the assessment of habitat quality. However, the way that the information was used differed between them. Whereas thelytokous females used foraging information to maximize their efficiency at high patch-encounter rates, arrhenotokous females merely reduced the number of offspring produced without changing patch times. The behavior of the arrhenotokous females should result in a spreading of offspring across the habitat and, thus, reduced sib-mating. The foraging strategy of these wasps might therefore be an adaptation to reduce costs associated with inbreeding.     

Threat-sensitive learning of predators by larval mosquitoes <Emphasis Type="Italic">Culex restuans</Emphasis>

A prerequisite for prey to show adaptive behavioural responses to predators is that the prey has the ability to recognise predators as threats. While predator recognition can be innate in many situations, learning is often essential. For many aquatic species, one common way to learn about predators is through the pairing of a novel predator odour with alarm cues released from injured conspecifics. One study with fish demonstrated that this mode of learning not only allows the prey to recognise the predatory cues as a threat, but also mediates the level of threat associated with the predator cues (i.e. threat-sensitive learning). When the prey is exposed to the novel predator with a high concentration of alarm cues, they subsequently show a high intensity of antipredator response to the predator cues alone. When exposed to the predator with a low concentration of alarm cues, they subsequently show a low-intensity response to the predator cues. Here, we investigated whether larval mosquitoes Culex restuans have the ability to learn to recognise salamanders as a threat through a single pairing of alarm cues and salamander odour and also whether they would learn to respond to salamander cues in a threat-sensitive manner. We conditioned individual mosquitoes with water or a low, medium or high concentration of crushed conspecific cues (alarm cues) paired with salamander odour. Mosquitoes exposed to salamander odour paired with alarm cues and subsequently exposed to salamander odour alone responded to the salamander as a threat. Moreover, the intensity of antipredator response displayed during the conditioning phase matched the response intensity during the testing phase. This is the first demonstration of threat-sensitive learning in an aquatic invertebrate.     

7种农药对管氏肿腿蜂的毒性及初级风险评价

为评估农药对寄生类自然天敌昆虫的安全性,选择管氏肿腿蜂(Scleroderma guani Xiao et Wu)作为受试生物,采用管测药膜法测定了3种杀虫剂、2种除草剂、2种杀菌剂对其致死效应,并根据田间推荐剂量计算暴露量,采用风险商值HQ对杀虫剂进行风险评估。结果显示,与空白对照比较,3种杀虫剂均具明显毒性作用,其中丁硫克百威、吡虫啉和呋虫胺对管氏肿腿蜂的24 h半致死量(24 h-LR50)分别为5.11、2.92和0.06 g a.i.·ha-1,农田内风险商值分别为60.23、16.64和3 105。除草剂和杀菌剂在3倍最大田间推荐剂量作用下,24 h管氏肿腿蜂死亡率均小于50%。上述结果表明,在田间推荐用量下,3种杀虫剂对管氏肿腿蜂的初级风险评价为存在高风险,建议进一步开展高级阶段风险评估或者采取合理的风险管理措施来降低风险;除草剂和杀菌剂对管氏肿腿蜂的风险可接受。     

Shelter selection of the spiny lobster <Emphasis Type="Italic">Palinurus elephas</Emphasis> under different levels of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Octopus vulgaris</Emphasis> predation threat

The skill of recognizing and reacting to predators is often based on a learned component. Few studies have examined the role of learning in spiny lobster anti-predator behavior. We investigated whether European spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas) shelter selection is influenced by olfactory stimuli released by one of the most common lobster predators, the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris), and whether the behavioral response to octopus chemical stimuli is innate or influenced by experience. In experimental arenas, we conditioned wild-caught lobsters with three levels of predation threat: no threat, with no predator–prey interaction; medium threat, with odor and visual predator cues only; high threat, active predation risk. We subsequently tested the shelter choice of the conditioned lobster under different experimental conditions: (1) shelter plus seawater; (2) shelter plus seawater plus chemical octopus cue. Our results showed significant differences in mean shelter occupancy with conditioning level. We conclude that P. elephas individuals use chemosensory systems in predator-avoidance mechanisms. Moreover, lobsters subject to a training period of high-level predation threat were able to learn the octopus chemical stimuli and treat its odor as a cue related to predation risk. The findings relative to the spiny lobster learning abilities could be an important tool for future management of lobster populations, e.g., by re-introduction of reared juveniles, which have not yet experienced predation.     

Isolation and identification of fungi tolerant to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and coal tar from different habitats in Lithuania

A group of 36 fungal strains, belonging to the Lithuanian mycobiota, was collected and isolated from different locations, habitats, and matrices, including creosote-treated wood in storage yards for crosstie wastes. The eight most perspective strains selected according to preliminary assessment of tolerance to coal tar were subsequently identified combining taxonomical evaluation and molecular techniques. The tolerance of the eight identified fungal species (five basidiomycetes and three ascomycetes) to the presence of various concentrations of coal tar, and for the four most perspective fungal strains (Pleurotus sp., Schizophyllum sp., Irpex lacteus, Bjerkandera adusta) to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was evaluated. The ligninolytic enzymatic activity assay of the isolated strains resulted in a good correspondence between the tolerance to pollutants and the capability to produce ligninolytic enzymes indicating that this group of white-rot fungi is perspective for further investigation and eventual usage for mycoremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons polluted substrates.     

Biodegradation kinetics of cymoxanil in aquatic system

A potential method to detoxify pesticides in aquatic system is using bioremediation. In this study, four microorganisms (Pseudomonas sp (EB11), Streptomyces sp. (EB12), Aspergillus niger (EB13) and Trichoderma viride (EB14) were isolated from cucumber leaves previously treated with cymoxanil using enrichment technique. These strains were evaluated for their potential to detoxify cymoxanil in aquatic system at the concentration level of 5×10^?4M. The effect of pH and temperature on the growth ability of the tested strains was also investigated by measuring the intracellular protein and mycelia dry weight for bacterial and fungal strains, respectively. Moreover, the remaining toxicity of cymoxanil after 28 days of incubation with tested strains was evaluated to confirm the complete removal of any toxic materials (cymoxanil and its metabolites). The results showed that the optimum pH for the growth of cymoxanil degrading strains (bacteria and fungi) was 7. A temperature of 30°C appears to be the optimum for the growth of either fungal or bacterial strains. Pseudomonas sp. (EB11) was the most effective strain in cymoxanil degradation followed Streptomyces sp (EB12), Trichoderma viride (EB14) and Aspergillus niger (EB13), with half-lives of 4.33, 9.5, 17.3 and 24.7 days, respectively. The degradation of cymoxanil by bacterial strains was much faster than fungal one. There is no remaining toxicity of cymoxanil detected in aqueous media previously treated with Pseudomonas sp. (EB11) for 28 days. The results suggest that bioremediation by Pseudomonas sp. (EB11) are promising for the detoxification of cymoxanil in aqueous media.     

Less is more: social learning of predator recognition requires a low demonstrator to observer ratio in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus)

Reintroduction programs for conservation purposes suffer from low post-release survival of captive-bred animals, especially so with fish reintroductions. High mortality is most often due to weakened antipredator skills, which could be enhanced through direct experience with predators and social learning. As yet, the relative efficiency of these learning methods has not been tested, and the significance of the factors determining how efficiently antipredator responses are transmitted socially from experienced (demonstrator) to predator naive (observer) individuals is largely unknown. Using hatchery-bred stock of the endangered Saimaa Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), we show for the first time that: (1) contrary to theoretical predictions, acquired predator recognition was only socially transmitted from predator-experienced to predator-naive fish in groups with a smaller proportion of experienced than naive individuals, and that (2) socially acquired avoidance of the predator odors was as strong as in those fish conditioned with a combination of odors and predator exposure. We conclude that using social transmission procedures in training fish for reintroduction programs may provide considerable ecological, economical and ethical advantages.Communicated by J. Krause     

Screening for plants and rhizospheral fungi with bioremediation potency of petroleum-polluted soils in a Tehran oil refinery area

The contamination of soils by toxic and/or hazardous organic pollutants, especially with crude oil, is a widespread problem. This study was conducted in a petroleum-contaminated area in a Tehran oil refinery to find petroleum-resistant plants and their rhizospheral fungal strains with bioremediation potency. The plants growing in the oil-polluted area were collected and determined taxonomically. Root samples of the plant species were collected from a polluted area and fungal strains determined by laboratory methods and taxonomical keys. The growth ability of the isolated fungal strains was studied in media containing 1%–15% crude oil. Results showed that seven plant species were of the highest density in the contaminated area: Alhagi persarum, Hordeum marinum, Peganum harmala, Phragmites australis, Prosopis farcta, Salsola kali, and Senecio glaucus. The root-associated fungi were isolated and showed that the fungal variation in the oil-polluted area is higher than that in a non-polluted area. The growth assay of isolated fungal strains showed that all studied fungal strains were able to form colonies at the applied concentrations but Alternaria sp. and Rhizopus sp. were the most resistant ones. Some plants were resistant to oil pollution, which also had positive effects on the fungal strains.     

Learning and natal host influence host preference,handling time and sex allocation behaviour in a pupal parasitoid

The host choice and sex allocation decisions of a foraging female parasitoid will have an enormous influence on the life-history characteristics of her offspring. The pteromalid Pachycrepoideus vindemiae is a generalist idiobiont pupal parasitoid of many species of cyclorrhaphous Diptera. Wasps reared in Musca domestica were larger, had higher attack rates and greater male mating success than those reared in Drosophila melanogaster. In no-choice situations, na?ve female P. vindemiae took significantly less time to accept hosts conspecific with their natal host. Parasitoids that emerged from M. domestica pupae spent similar amounts of time ovipositing in both D. melanogaster and M. domestica. Those parasitoids that had emerged from D. melanogaster spent significantly longer attacking M. domestica pupae. The host choice behaviour of female P. vindemiae was influenced by an interaction between natal host and experience. Female P. vindemiae reared in M. domestica only showed a preference among hosts when allowed to gain experience attacking M. domestica, preferentially attacking that species. Similarly, female parasitoids reared on D. melanogaster only showed a preference among hosts when allowed to gain experience attacking D. melanogaster, again preferentially attacking that species. Wasp natal host also influenced sex allocation behaviour. While wasps from both hosts oviposited more females in the larger host, M. domestica, wasps that emerged from M. domestica had significantly more male-biased offspring sex ratios. These results indicate the importance of learning and natal host size in determining P. vindemiae attack rates, mating success, host preference and sex allocation behaviour, all critical components of parasitoid fitness. Electronic Publication     

Threat-sensitive generalization of predator recognition by larval amphibians

Despite the importance of acquired predator recognition in mediating predator–prey interactions, we know little about the specific characteristics that prey use to distinguish predators from non-predators. Recent experiments with mammals and fish indicate that some prey lacking innate predator recognition have the ability to display anti-predator responses upon their first encounter with those predators if they are similar to predators that the prey has recently learned to recognize. This phenomenon is referred to as generalization of predator recognition. In this experiment, we documented for the first time that larval amphibians (woodfrog, Rana sylvatica) have the ability to generalize the recognition of known predators to closely related novel predators. Moreover, we demonstrated that this ability is dependent on the level of risk associated with the known predator. When red-bellied newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster (known predator), was paired with simulated low risk, tadpoles displayed fright responses to newts and novel tiger salamanders, Ambystoma tigrinum, but not to novel African clawed frogs, Xenopus laevis. However, when the newt was paired with simulated high risk, tadpoles generalized their responses to both tiger salamanders and African clawed frogs. Larval anurans seem to have a wider generalization frame than other animals.     

In vitro degradation of the herbicide atrazine by soil and wood decay fungi controlled through Elisa technique

The interaction between atrazine, a triazine herbicide, and a series of decay fungi was characterized in terms of biodegradation of the herbicide and its influence on fungal growth. The following fungi were studied: thermophilic cellulolytic (Penicillium sp. 13) and noncellulolytic (Humicola lanuginosa sp. 5 and 12) strains isolated from self‐heated plant composts, mesophilic diphenol oxidase producing strain Mycelia sterilia INBI 2–26, white‐rot fungi Cerrena maxima, Coriolopsis fulvocinerea and Coriolus hirsutus. Competitive enzyme immunoassay was elaborated for detection of atrazine in cultural liquid. During agar plate cultivation the growth of Humicola sp. 5 was promoted by atrazine whereas the growth of Humicola sp. 12 and Penicillium sp. 13 was suppressed whereas M. sterilia INBI 2–26 was not affected by the herbicide. Neither atrazine‐accelerated nor atrazine‐depressed thermophilic strains decomposed atrazine during 21‐day cultivation according to ELISA data. In contrast, white‐rot fungi Coriolus hirsutus, Coriolopsis fuhocinerea and Cerrena maxima degraded nearly 50% of the herbicide in 5‐day submerged cultivation and 80–92% of the herbicide up to the 40th day. The soil strain M. sterilia INBI 2–26 decomposed 70% of atrazine in 17‐day cultivation. The degradation level depended of the time of atrazine introduction to the growing media. The relationships between the degree of atrazine decomposition and laccase and Mn‐peroxidase production were shown.     

Adaptive responses to local mate competition by the parasitoid,Telenomus remus

Summary The parasitic wasp, Telenomus remus, lays her eggs in diserete patches of moth eggs, where her offspring develop and mate before dispersal, satisfying conditions for local mate competition (LMC). In the presence of other ovipositing females, wasps lay a higher sex ratio (proportion males), as predicted by LMC theory, and achieve this by a combination of two mechanisms, (1) avoidance of superparasitism and a sequence of sex allocation initially biased towards males and (2) a direct increase in sex ratio in the presence of other wasps, sex ratio increases with the proportion of previously parasitized hosts, as predicted by LMC theory. In both cases, chemical traces left by foraging wasps are indicated as the stimuli causing wasps to increase the proportion of males allocated to hosts.     

Innate antipredator responses of Arctic charr (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Salvelinus alpinus</Emphasis>) depend on predator species and their diet

The ability to discriminate between more dangerous and less dangerous predators can have serious fitness advantages for fish juveniles. This is especially true for hatchery-reared fish young used for stocking, because their post-release mortality is often much higher than that of wild-born conspecifics. We tested whether two coexisting fish predators and their different diets induce innate behavioral responses in predator-naive Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) young originating from an endangered hatchery-bred population used for re-introductions. We predicted the antipredator responses of charr to be stronger towards chemical cues of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and pikeperch (Stizostedion lucioperca) than towards odorless control water. More pronounced antipredator behavior was predicted in treatments with predators fed on charr than when their diet consisted of another sympatric salmonid, European grayling (Thymallus thymallus), or when they were food-deprived. The Arctic charr young showed strong antipredator responses in all brown trout treatments, whereas odors of the less likely predator pikeperch were avoided with conspecific diet only. Freezing was the most sensitive antipredator behavior, as it was completely absent in control treatments. We found considerable individual variation in the amount and strength of antipredator responses. Although almost half of the charr failed to show antipredator behavior towards the piscivores, those with the innate ability showed highly sensitive recognition of predator odors. Our results indicate that the innate antipredator behavior of the juvenile fish is already finely tuned to respond specifically to chemical cues from different fish predators and even their diets.Communicated by J. Krause     

Altered responses to female odors in parasitized male mice: neuromodulatory mechanisms and relations to female choice

There is accumulating evidence that females may preferentially select parasite-free or -resistant males. Minimal attention has, however, been paid to the mate preferences and responses of the parasitized male hosts themselves. Here, we considered the effects of parasitic infection on male host mate responses, the neuromodulatory correlates of these responses, and the relations of these responses to female mate choice. Using an odor “preference” test, we examined the effects of different stages of an acute, sub-clinical infection with the naturally occurring, enteric, single host, protozoan parasite, Eimeria vermiformis, on the responses of male mice, Mus musculus domesticus, to the odors of estrous females along with the responses of uninfected females to the parasitized males. At 4 days post-infection (non-infective, pre-patent stage) E. vermiformis-infected male mice showed a significantly decreased preference for the odors of estrous females, whereas at 10 days post-infection (infective, patent stage) infected males showed a significantly increased preference for the odors of estrous females. Parasitized males displayed no significant changes in their responses to the odors of non-estrous females, supporting effects on the reproductively related responses of the host. In parallel, estrous females displayed a reduced interest in the odors of infected males. Least interest was expressed in the odors of the patent, infective males, consistent with the avoidance of contagion. Using selective opioid peptide receptor agonists and antagonists we found evidence that enhanced kappa opioid peptide (e.g., dynorphin) activity was related to the decreased sexual interest of the pre-infective males, while augmented delta opioid peptide (e.g., enkephalin) activity was associated with the enhanced responses of the infective males to females. We further showed that acute kappa opiate administration reduced the responses of uninfected males to females and that uninfected females displayed modified responses to the odors of uninfected males subject to acute modifications of opioid activity. We suggest that these differential shifts in endogenous opioid activity in the parasitized males are associated with and, or related to alterations in neuro-immune and endocrine functions. These findings show that parasitic infection can have, depending on the stage of infection and associated neuromodulatory changes, either significant facilitatory or inhibitory effects on male host preferences for and responses to females. Received: 22 April 1996 / Accepted after revision: 15 March 1997     

The role of learning in the mating biology of a sweat bee Lasioglossum zephyrum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

Summary Results from experiments on the role of learning in the mating biology of a sweat bee, Lasioglossum zephyrum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), are described in this paper. Male learning of individual female odors is important in natural populations (Table 1), as has been shown in the laboratory. Four other hypotheses are unlikely to account for the observed behavior: (1) Female odors dissipate rapidly; (2) Males learn and then avoid the study area; (3) Males or females produce repellents which are effective against other males; or (4) males recognize their own odor on previously-contacted females, which they subsequently avoid. Regarding questions of male preference and optimal outbreeding, Tables 2 and 3 show there are no consistent preferences for more novel or less novel female odors.     

Host location and exploitation by the cleptoparasitic wasp Argochrysis armilla: the role of learning (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae)

Summary The nesting behaviors of many solitary ground-nesting wasps incorporate temporal barriers against would-be cleptoparasites. Nests being excavated are conspicuous but relatively invulnerable to parasites, while nests being provisioned, often several hours to days later, are inconspicuous but highly vulnerable, Argochrysis armilla, a cleptoparasite of solitary ground-nesting wasps, Ammophila spp., bridges the temporal gap between nest excavation and provisioning by (i) visually locating digging hosts, (ii) learning the locations of associated nests, (iii) maintaining surveillance on a series of nests during the hosts' absence, and (iv) ovipositing in nests when the host returns with provisions. Patterns of surveillance and parasitism of Ammophila dysmica nests were generated by the number of cleptoparasites discovering and learning the nest's location during excavation. These results support recent suggestions that learning may play an important role in shaping foraging strategies of insect parasites.     

The chemosensory ability of the predatory leech Whitmania laevis (Arhynchobdellida: Haemopidae) for prey searching

Although prey-detecting and searching abilities of predatory leeches of rhynchobdellid or the Erpobdelliformes of arhynchobdellid species have been studied in the past, hirudiniformes leeches are rarely mentioned. In this study, we investigated the chemosensory ability for prey-detecting and searching in Whitmania laevis, a hirudiniformes species that mainly preys on freshwater snails, and examined if such ability aided in their prey selection. Five sympatric snail species, i.e., apple snail Pomacea canaliculata, thiarid snail Thiara tuberculata, viviparid snail Sinotaia quadrata, ear pond snail Radix auricularia swinhoei and tadpole snail Physa acuta were used as prey. Our results showed that W. laevis has the chemosensory ability to detect the waterborne odors of snails. However, they follow the snails by their mucus trails, and not by the odor that the snails leave in the water. Of these five snail species, W. laevis only followed the trails of the thiarid snails, ear pond snails and tadpole snails, and did not show a different response to the trails produced by snails of different sizes. Our results suggest that W. laevis can use waterborne odors to detect the existence of prey. They rely on mucus trails to follow their preferred prey, but do not distinguish between snails of a preferred size by their mucus trails. In addition, when following the trail of a preferred snail, W. laevis exhibits a newly described searching behavior, i.e., head tapping, and may use it to locate a snail trail and increase its probability of finding the trail-laying snail nearby.