The house fly, Musca domestica L., is a very important insect because of its role as a vector of several human, livestock, and poultry diseases. Different groups of insecticides, including the pyrethroids, are used to...The house fly, Musca domestica L., is a very important insect because of its role as a vector of several human, livestock, and poultry diseases. Different groups of insecticides, including the pyrethroids, are used to control house flies. The objective of the current study was to conduct a survey of the kdr insecticide resistance gene in the house fly population in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Flies were collected from five locations (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Ajman, and Ras Al- Khaymah). Genomic DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of specific allele (PASA) was performed. The maximum percentage (70%) of homozygous genotype (kdr/kdr) occurred at Ajman, followed by Dubai (59.5%), and the minimum percentage occurred at Ras Al-Khaymah (14.3%). Resistant insects of the genotype kdr/kdr were detected in all of the tested house fly populations. Ajman and Fujairah house fly populations were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The resistance kdr allele was found at a high frequency (0.54 - 0.8) at all locations except at Ras Al-Khaymah (0.21). Together, this study demonstrated that the pyrethroid insecticide resistance kdr allele was found in UAE house fly populations, strongly suggesting that a countrywide pyrethroid insecticide resistance management program needs to be implemented.展开更多
This electronic document is a “live” template. The various The saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae), is the most important insect pest attacking stored dates in the Unite...This electronic document is a “live” template. The various The saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae), is the most important insect pest attacking stored dates in the United Arab Emirates. We sought to determine the time required to cause 100% mortality (lethal time) in O. surinamensis adults incubated at different temperatures, to measure temperature penetration time inside a date mass, and to study date variety preference of O. surinamensis adults. To do this, adults of O. surinamensis were separately incubated at -22℃, 50℃, and 55℃, for 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min, per temperature treatment;and we used feeding choice tests on four date varieties (Khelas, Fardh, Lulu, and BuMaán). Results showed that the lethal times of O. surinamensis adults, incubated at -22℃, 50℃, and 55℃, without dates, were 5, 10, and 20 min, respectively;while they were several times higher (30, 90, and 120 min, respectively) in the presence of dates. Results also showed that bigger date masses required either more heating or more freezing time to reach lethal temperatures. We found Khelas to be the least preferred date variety. Future studies should evaluate if heat and chilling injury affect postharvest date quality.展开更多
This technical note aims to show how any instructor teaching entomology can use the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and the “one click” mode of Phylogeny.fr to teach undergraduate students about insect DNA...This technical note aims to show how any instructor teaching entomology can use the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and the “one click” mode of Phylogeny.fr to teach undergraduate students about insect DNA similarity in a simple way. Teaching an entomology course requires the use of numerous tools to help students grasp different concepts. Knowing that there are more than one million described species of insects means that teaching students about insect identification and taxonomy can be challenging. However, here we present two easy exercises that could be used as classroom or </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">take-home assignments to demonstrate various levels of DNA similarity</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> among different insect taxa. Such exercises unlock students’ creativity and break the barrier of fear of bioinformatics. Moreover, they open up new ways for them to understand insect taxonomy through molecular biology and allow them to develop new skills that contribute to strengthening their scientific performance in the future, especially when they do research as graduate students. </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Finally, this note is an example of how to integrate simple bioinformatics </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">tools into the teaching of entomology.展开更多
Hyalomma dromedarii ticks are important disease vectors to camels in the UAE and worldwide. Ticks can be identified using DNA-based techniques. In addition, such techniques could be utilized to study the intraspecific...Hyalomma dromedarii ticks are important disease vectors to camels in the UAE and worldwide. Ticks can be identified using DNA-based techniques. In addition, such techniques could be utilized to study the intraspecific genetic diversity in tick populations. In this study, the genetic diversity of four H. dromedarii populations was investigated using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR). The results showed that both of the aforementioned techniques produced similar grouping patterns. Moreover, they revealed that the four tick populations had high levels of genetic similarity. However, one population was slightly different from the three other populations. The current study demonstrated that H. dromedarii ticks in the UAE are very similar at the genetic level and that investigating more locations and screening larger numbers of ticks could reveal larger genetic differences.展开更多
文摘The house fly, Musca domestica L., is a very important insect because of its role as a vector of several human, livestock, and poultry diseases. Different groups of insecticides, including the pyrethroids, are used to control house flies. The objective of the current study was to conduct a survey of the kdr insecticide resistance gene in the house fly population in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Flies were collected from five locations (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Ajman, and Ras Al- Khaymah). Genomic DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of specific allele (PASA) was performed. The maximum percentage (70%) of homozygous genotype (kdr/kdr) occurred at Ajman, followed by Dubai (59.5%), and the minimum percentage occurred at Ras Al-Khaymah (14.3%). Resistant insects of the genotype kdr/kdr were detected in all of the tested house fly populations. Ajman and Fujairah house fly populations were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The resistance kdr allele was found at a high frequency (0.54 - 0.8) at all locations except at Ras Al-Khaymah (0.21). Together, this study demonstrated that the pyrethroid insecticide resistance kdr allele was found in UAE house fly populations, strongly suggesting that a countrywide pyrethroid insecticide resistance management program needs to be implemented.
文摘This electronic document is a “live” template. The various The saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae), is the most important insect pest attacking stored dates in the United Arab Emirates. We sought to determine the time required to cause 100% mortality (lethal time) in O. surinamensis adults incubated at different temperatures, to measure temperature penetration time inside a date mass, and to study date variety preference of O. surinamensis adults. To do this, adults of O. surinamensis were separately incubated at -22℃, 50℃, and 55℃, for 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min, per temperature treatment;and we used feeding choice tests on four date varieties (Khelas, Fardh, Lulu, and BuMaán). Results showed that the lethal times of O. surinamensis adults, incubated at -22℃, 50℃, and 55℃, without dates, were 5, 10, and 20 min, respectively;while they were several times higher (30, 90, and 120 min, respectively) in the presence of dates. Results also showed that bigger date masses required either more heating or more freezing time to reach lethal temperatures. We found Khelas to be the least preferred date variety. Future studies should evaluate if heat and chilling injury affect postharvest date quality.
文摘This technical note aims to show how any instructor teaching entomology can use the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and the “one click” mode of Phylogeny.fr to teach undergraduate students about insect DNA similarity in a simple way. Teaching an entomology course requires the use of numerous tools to help students grasp different concepts. Knowing that there are more than one million described species of insects means that teaching students about insect identification and taxonomy can be challenging. However, here we present two easy exercises that could be used as classroom or </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">take-home assignments to demonstrate various levels of DNA similarity</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> among different insect taxa. Such exercises unlock students’ creativity and break the barrier of fear of bioinformatics. Moreover, they open up new ways for them to understand insect taxonomy through molecular biology and allow them to develop new skills that contribute to strengthening their scientific performance in the future, especially when they do research as graduate students. </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Finally, this note is an example of how to integrate simple bioinformatics </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">tools into the teaching of entomology.
文摘Hyalomma dromedarii ticks are important disease vectors to camels in the UAE and worldwide. Ticks can be identified using DNA-based techniques. In addition, such techniques could be utilized to study the intraspecific genetic diversity in tick populations. In this study, the genetic diversity of four H. dromedarii populations was investigated using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR). The results showed that both of the aforementioned techniques produced similar grouping patterns. Moreover, they revealed that the four tick populations had high levels of genetic similarity. However, one population was slightly different from the three other populations. The current study demonstrated that H. dromedarii ticks in the UAE are very similar at the genetic level and that investigating more locations and screening larger numbers of ticks could reveal larger genetic differences.
