Physiological properties of some descending neurons in the cricket brain

The Science of Nature -     

Suitability of selected North American grasshopper species as hosts for grasshopper parasites from Pakistan

Three species of Sacrophagidae (Diptera) and four of Scelionidae (Hymenoptera) that are parasites of grasshoppers or grasshopper eggs in Pakistan were imported into the United States and exposed to 16 and 24 species of North American grasshoppers representing the three major sub-families. The hosts that were provided were unacceptable, and the exotic parasites were not promising for control of American grasshoppers.     

Fate of ingested pyrrolizidine alkaloid N-oxide in the grasshopper Melanoplus sanguinipes

This work was supported by grants of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and by the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie to T.H. and by an NSERC Operating grant to M.B.I. We thank C. Theuring foer technical assistance.     

Physiological proteins in resource-limited herbivores experiencing a population die-off

Nutrient availability is predicted to interact with herbivore population densities. Competition for low quality food at high density may reduce summer food intake, and in turn winter survival. Conversely, low population density may favor physiological recovery through better access to better quality spring forage. Here, we take advantage of the long-term study of the Soay sheep population of St. Kilda (Scotland) to measure plasma protein markers and immunity in two consecutive summers with contrasting population densities. We show that, following a winter die-off resulting in a shift to low population density, albumin and total proteins increased, but only in adult sheep. The effect was not solely attributable to selective disappearance of malnourished sheep. Similarly, the concentration of antibodies was higher following the die-off, potentially indicating recovery of immune function. Overall, our results are consistent with the physiological recovery of surviving individuals after a harsh winter.     

Social experience influences the development of a central auditory area

Vocal communication develops under social influences that can enhance attention, an important factor in memory formation and perceptual tuning. In songbirds, social conditions can delay sensitive periods of development, overcome learning inhibitions and enable exceptional learning or induce selective learning. However, we do not know how social conditions influence auditory processing in the brain. In the present study, we raised young naive starlings under different social conditions but with the same auditory experience of adult songs, and we compared the effects of these different conditions on the development of the auditory cortex analogue. Several features appeared to be influenced by the social experience, among which the proportion of auditory neuronal sites and the neuronal selectivity. Both physical and social isolation from adult models altered the development of the auditory area in parallel to alterations in vocal development. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence that social deprivation has as much influence on neuronal responsiveness as sensory deprivation.