The Mediterranean fruit fly is an agricultural pest of a wide variety of fruit crops.An effective method to counteract them in the field is through the application of the sterile insect technique,which requires the ma...The Mediterranean fruit fly is an agricultural pest of a wide variety of fruit crops.An effective method to counteract them in the field is through the application of the sterile insect technique,which requires the mass-production of sterile males.The presence of pathogens,and specifically viruses,threatens the well-being of mass-reared insects generating an interest on the development of strategies for viral elimination or containment.Thirteen RNA viruses have been described in the medfly although so far only one of them,Ceratitis capitata nora virus,has been associated with detrimental effects on medfly development.In this context,medfly larvae were supplied with a chemical compound(formaldehyde)and an antiviral compound(ribavirin)via oral feeding to(1)test the potential of these compounds for viral elimination and(2)analyze their effect on medfly development.Overall,formaldehyde treatment did not reduce the viral titer for any of the tested viruses,while ribavirin effectively reduced the levels of two widespread RNA viruses but not in a dose–response manner.However,the addition of both compounds correlated with detrimental effects on medfly fitness,arguing against their use in mass-rearing facilities.展开更多
Stress may be viewed as the disturbance of homeostasis of an organism.Stress may arise from the external or internal environment of living organisms and plays a significant role in the fight or flight responses of ani...Stress may be viewed as the disturbance of homeostasis of an organism.Stress may arise from the external or internal environment of living organisms and plays a significant role in the fight or flight responses of animals.An organism’s potential to resist stress is determined by its ability to mount up an effective response against the stress factors.Therefore,stress-induced biomolecules are useful indicators of a well-functioning immune system.While the interactions between stress and immunity are well-studied in vertebrate and plant systems,they are insufficiently documented among invertebrates,including dipteran insects that are mass-reared for sterile insect technique(SIT)applications.Generally,mass-reared insects may experience a variety of stress factors,which may affect various biological traits,including fecundity,weight of the progeny,adult emergence rates,flight propensity,mating ability,and their competitiveness with wild conspecifics.Many of these biological traits determine the costs and success of SIT programs.It is imperative to understand how stress impacts the quality of the reared insects and their biological traits,as well as the insect’s defense responses to stress factors,to maintain robust and healthy colonies for successful release programs in SIT.Here,we review and discuss the sources and responses to biotic and abiotic stress in general in insects,while prioritizing literature on dipteran insects for SIT programs.We also coalesce genes and pathways that are modulated during stress and may be used as indicators to diagnose stress with the final aim to improve insect health in mass-rearing colonies.展开更多
In December 11,2018,the fall armyworm(FAW),Spodoptera frugiperda invaded China and has since impacted local maize,sorghum and other crops.Here,we draw on laboratory experiments to show how different host crops(i.e.,ma...In December 11,2018,the fall armyworm(FAW),Spodoptera frugiperda invaded China and has since impacted local maize,sorghum and other crops.Here,we draw on laboratory experiments to show how different host crops(i.e.,maize,sorghum,wheat and rice)and artificial diet affect larval growth and adult reproduction of one local FAW strain.Larval diet affected development duration,pupation rate,survival and emergence rate of pupae,and S.frugiperda adult fecundity.FAW attained the slowest larval development(19.4 days)on sorghum and the fastest(14.1 days)on artificial diet,with larvae attaining 99.6%survival on the latter food item.On rice,FAW larvae attained survival rate of 0.4%and were unable to pupate successfully.Pupation rate and pupal survival varied substantially between artificial diet and live plantlets at different phenological stages.Pupal weight was the highest(0.26 g)on artificial diet and the lowest(0.14 g)on sorghum,while FAW females reached the highest fecundity(699.7 eggs/female)on 2-leaf stage maize.Egg hatching rate equaled 93.6%on 4-or 5-leaf stage maize and 36.6%on artificial diet.FAW intrinsic rate of natural increase and the finite rate of increase varied between larval diets,reflecting how young maize leaves are the most suitable diet.Our findings can help to refine laboratory rearing protocols,devise population forecasting models or guide the deployment of‘area-wide’integrated pest management(IPM)modules in FAW-invaded areas of China and other Asian countries.展开更多
Biological control(biocontrol) is a safe, sustainable approach that takes advantage of natural enemies such as predators, parasitic insects or pathogens to manage pests in agroecosystems. Parasitoid wasps, a very larg...Biological control(biocontrol) is a safe, sustainable approach that takes advantage of natural enemies such as predators, parasitic insects or pathogens to manage pests in agroecosystems. Parasitoid wasps, a very large evolutionary group of hymenopteran insects, are well-known biological control agents for arthropod pests in agricultural and forest ecosystems. Here, we summarize the recent progress on the application of parasitoid wasps in biocontrol in China for the last five years. These include species diversity of parasitoid wasps, identification of dominant parasitoid wasps associated with insect pests and biocontrol practices(three types of biological control, i.e., classical, augmentative and conservation biological control) in several Chinese agroecosystems. We then treat different mass-rearing and release technologies and the commercialization of several parasitoid wasp species. We also summarize other work that may have a potential use in biocontrol, including the effect of plant volatiles on parasitoids and recent advance in the molecular mechanisms underlying the host regulation by parasitoid wasps. Future research area and applied perspectives are also discussed, noting that advances in biocontrol technologies in Chinese agriculture informs research at the global level.展开更多
The Mexican fruit fly,Anastrepha ludens,is a polyphagous pest that is a constant threat to US agriculture because of its proximity to citrus production in border region of the United States and Mexico.Sterile Insect T...The Mexican fruit fly,Anastrepha ludens,is a polyphagous pest that is a constant threat to US agriculture because of its proximity to citrus production in border region of the United States and Mexico.Sterile Insect Technique has been used to manage and eradicate of the Mexican Fruit Fly.SIT,however,requires millions of sterile male flies to be released each week from mass-rearing facilities.The mass-reared colonies must deal with microbial infections that reduce survivorship,fecundity and male-male competition.Meta-transcriptomics joins culturing and next generation DNA sequencing techniques to understand these changing microbial communities.This study uses advances in microbial meta-transcriptome sequencing to analyze the microbial communities from the four major developmental stages of A.ludens.The composition of the microbial communities was analyzed and revealed the large transcriptional presence of the phyla Microsporidia,a known animal pathogen.Clustering and ordination analyses revealed groupings based on developmental phase for egg,larvae and pupa.Adult samples had little clustering;a not unexpected result given the known turn-over in microbial community that occurs in the first 5 d after pupation.The transcriptional activity of three known pathogens of A.ludens between developmental phases were investigated.Two of the three pathogens had significant transcriptional differences between the phases with the larvae phase having the most activity.This increase in transcriptional activity agrees with culture-based surveillance and current mitigation strategies employed in the mass-rearing facility.This result reinforces the utility of transcriptomics in combating microbial threats.展开更多
The sterile insect technique(SIT)is a pest control method that has been successful in controlling various species of fruit flies of economic importance worldwide.However,SIT procedures can affect the performance of ma...The sterile insect technique(SIT)is a pest control method that has been successful in controlling various species of fruit flies of economic importance worldwide.However,SIT procedures can affect the performance of mass-reared sterile fruit flies,compromising the SIT effectiveness.This review aims to identify and analyze the adverse effects associated with each step of the SIT.Special emphasis is placed on identifying critical points in the SIT process that compromise the quality and highlighting the stages that require greater optimization to improve the effectiveness of the technique.We reviewed the main scientific findings that document the impact of domestication,mass-rearing,irradiation,handling,and release on the biology,ecology,behavior,and genetic makeup of sterile males,and how they affect the performance of sterile males under natural conditions,and the effectiveness of the SIT.Although all stages of the Sterile Insect Technique(SIT)impose some degree of compromise on insect performance,domestication and mass-rearing have the most profoundly negative impact on the field performance of sterile fruit flies.As the initial and most influential stages,they largely determine the overall quality and competitiveness of released insects,exerting a stronger impact than any subsequent SIT component.展开更多
Queensland fruit fly[Bactrocera Uyoni(Froggatt),Diptera,Tephritidae]is the most devastating insect pest impacting Australian horticulture.The Sterile Insect Technique(SIT)is an important component of tephritid pest ma...Queensland fruit fly[Bactrocera Uyoni(Froggatt),Diptera,Tephritidae]is the most devastating insect pest impacting Australian horticulture.The Sterile Insect Technique(SIT)is an important component of tephritid pest management programs.However,mass-rearing and irradiation(to render insects sterile)may reduce the fitness and performance of the insect,including the ability of sterile males to successfully compete for wild females.Manipulation of the gut microbiome,including the supplementation with bacterial probiotics shows promise for enhancing the quality of mass-reared sterile flies,however there are fewer published studies targeting the larval stage.In this study,we supplemented the larval stage of mass-reared B.tryoni with bacterial probiotics.We tested several individual bacteria that had been previously isolated and characterized from the gut of wild B.tryoni larvae including Asaia sp.,Enterobacter sp.,Lactobacillus sp.,Leuconostoc sp.We also tested a consortium of all four of these bacterial isolates.The fitness parameters tested included adult survival in field cages,laboratory mate selection of bacteria supplemented males by bacteria nonsupplemented females,and laboratory locomotor activity of adult flies.None of the bacterial probiotic treatments in the current study was significantly different to the control for field survival,mate selection or locomotor activity of adult B.Uyoni,which agree with some of the other studies regarding bacterial probiotics fed to the larval stage of tephritids.Future work is needed to determine if feeding the same,and/or other probiotics to adults,as opposed to larvae can positively impact survival,mating performance,mating competitiveness and locomotor activity of B.tryoni.The bacterial group(s)and function of bacterial species that increase fitness and competitiveness is also of interest to tephritid mass-rearing programs.展开更多
The High Biosecurity House of the Mediterranean Fly in Metapa(CABIM3,in its Spanish acronym)is a space within the new Moscamed Mexico facility designed to select favorable traits that mitigate the negative effects of ...The High Biosecurity House of the Mediterranean Fly in Metapa(CABIM3,in its Spanish acronym)is a space within the new Moscamed Mexico facility designed to select favorable traits that mitigate the negative effects of mass production while enhancing male competitiveness,ultimately increasing the efficiency of the sterile insect technique(SIT).The CABIM3 serves as an environmentally enriched space where insects,whose offspring will initiate the mass production process,are confined.In this study,the sexual performance of males and oviposition behavior of females from mass-reared and wild strains of Anastrepha ludens(Loew)and A.obliqua(Macquart)were compared under field cage conditions,inside CABIM3 and in an orchard,to evaluate the suitability of CABIM3's environmental conditions,including light intensity,temperature,and relative humidity.The results revealed significant differences in male sexual performance and female oviposition behavior between the CABIM3 areas and the orchard.Despite these differences,our findings suggest that a breeding facility like CABIM3 could be a valuable tool for improving the attributes of insects used in SIT programs.展开更多
Aging in all organisms is inevitable. Male age can have profound effects on mating success and female reproduction, yet relatively little is known on the effects of male age on different components of the ejaculate. F...Aging in all organisms is inevitable. Male age can have profound effects on mating success and female reproduction, yet relatively little is known on the effects of male age on different components of the ejaculate. Furthermore, in mass-reared insects used for the Sterile Insect Technique, there are often behavioral differences between mass-reared and wild males, while differences in the ejaculate have been less studied. The ejaculate in insects is composed mainly of sperm and accessory gland proteins. Here, we studied how male age and strain affected （i） protein quantity of testes and accessory glands, （ii） the biological activity of accessory gland products injected into females, （iii） sperm viability, and （iv） sperm quantity stored by females in wild and mass-reared Anastrepha ludens （Diptera： Tephritidae）. We found lower protein content in testes of old wild males and lower sperm viability in females mated with old wild males. Females stored more sperm when mated to young wild males than with young mass-reared males. Accessory gland injections of old or young males did not inhibit female remating. Knowledge of how male age affects different ejaculate components will aid our understanding on investment of the ejaculate and possible postcopulatory consequences on female behavior.展开更多
Campoplex capitator is an ichneumonid parasitoid with a narrow host range,comprising grapevine moth pests.Despite being considered one of the possible candidates for biocontrol of Lobesia botrana,knowledge about its b...Campoplex capitator is an ichneumonid parasitoid with a narrow host range,comprising grapevine moth pests.Despite being considered one of the possible candidates for biocontrol of Lobesia botrana,knowledge about its biology is limited and massrearing for commercial purposes is still lacking.This research provides a quantitative analysis of the C.capitator courtship and mating behavior.C.capitator mating sequence was analyzed by high-speed video recordings.Main behavioral parameters,with special reference to male wing fanning and antennal tapping,were quantified and linked with mating success.Furthermore,we analyzed the occurrence of population-level behavioral asymmetries during C capitator sexual interactions and their impact on male success.Results showed that male wing fanning was crucial to successfully approach the female.Males achieving higher mating success performed wing-fanning at higher frequencies over unsuccessful ones.After wing fanning,most of males palpated the females body with their antennae,before attempting copulation.The overall mating success was>70%,with a rather long copula duration(254.76±14.21 s).Male wing-fanning was lateralized on the left at population level,while antennal tapping displays were right-biased.Sidebiased male displays do not differ in terms of frequency and duration of their main features.This research adds basic knowledge to the C.capitator behavioral ecology.Since rearing protocols for C.capitator are being developed male wing fanning frequency may represent a useful benchmark for monitoring mate quality over time,tackling mating success reductions due to prolonged mass-rearing.展开更多
In Sterile Insect Technique(SIT)programs,massive numbers of insects are reared,sterilized,and released in the field to impede reproduction of pest populations.The domestication and rearing processes used to produce in...In Sterile Insect Technique(SIT)programs,massive numbers of insects are reared,sterilized,and released in the field to impede reproduction of pest populations.The domestication and rearing processes used to produce insects for SIT programs may have significant evolutionary impacts on life history and reproductive biology.We assessed the effects of domestication on sexual performance of laboratory reared Queensland fruit fly,Bactrocera tryoni,by comparing an old(49 generations)and a young colony(5 generations).We evaluated mating propensity,mating latency,copula duration,sperm transfer,and ability to induce sexual inhibition in mates.Overall,both males and females from the old colony had greater mating propensity than those from the young colony.Copula duration was longer when females were from the old colony.There was no evidence of sexual isolation between the colonies as males and females from the two colonies had similar propensity to mate with flies from either colony.Males from the old colony transferred more sperm regardless of which colony their mate was from.Finally,males from both colonies were similarly able to induce sexual inhibition in their mates and were also similarly able to secure copulations with already-mated females.Positive effects of domestication on sperm transfer,coupled with maintained ability to induce sexual inhibition in mates and to secure copulations with previously mated females,highlights that domestication may have little effect,or even positive effects,on some aspects of sexual performance that may advantage mass-reared B.tryoni in SIT programs.展开更多
基金We acknowledge the International Atomic Energy Agency and specifically the members of the coordinated research project:“Improvement of Colony Management in Insect Mass-rearing for SIT Applications”(CRP Code:D42017),for their comments on our investigation.
文摘The Mediterranean fruit fly is an agricultural pest of a wide variety of fruit crops.An effective method to counteract them in the field is through the application of the sterile insect technique,which requires the mass-production of sterile males.The presence of pathogens,and specifically viruses,threatens the well-being of mass-reared insects generating an interest on the development of strategies for viral elimination or containment.Thirteen RNA viruses have been described in the medfly although so far only one of them,Ceratitis capitata nora virus,has been associated with detrimental effects on medfly development.In this context,medfly larvae were supplied with a chemical compound(formaldehyde)and an antiviral compound(ribavirin)via oral feeding to(1)test the potential of these compounds for viral elimination and(2)analyze their effect on medfly development.Overall,formaldehyde treatment did not reduce the viral titer for any of the tested viruses,while ribavirin effectively reduced the levels of two widespread RNA viruses but not in a dose–response manner.However,the addition of both compounds correlated with detrimental effects on medfly fitness,arguing against their use in mass-rearing facilities.
基金supported by the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture,Insect Pest Control Subprograms Under the CRP D42017.
文摘Stress may be viewed as the disturbance of homeostasis of an organism.Stress may arise from the external or internal environment of living organisms and plays a significant role in the fight or flight responses of animals.An organism’s potential to resist stress is determined by its ability to mount up an effective response against the stress factors.Therefore,stress-induced biomolecules are useful indicators of a well-functioning immune system.While the interactions between stress and immunity are well-studied in vertebrate and plant systems,they are insufficiently documented among invertebrates,including dipteran insects that are mass-reared for sterile insect technique(SIT)applications.Generally,mass-reared insects may experience a variety of stress factors,which may affect various biological traits,including fecundity,weight of the progeny,adult emergence rates,flight propensity,mating ability,and their competitiveness with wild conspecifics.Many of these biological traits determine the costs and success of SIT programs.It is imperative to understand how stress impacts the quality of the reared insects and their biological traits,as well as the insect’s defense responses to stress factors,to maintain robust and healthy colonies for successful release programs in SIT.Here,we review and discuss the sources and responses to biotic and abiotic stress in general in insects,while prioritizing literature on dipteran insects for SIT programs.We also coalesce genes and pathways that are modulated during stress and may be used as indicators to diagnose stress with the final aim to improve insect health in mass-rearing colonies.
基金supported by the earmarked fund for China Agriculture Research System(CARS-15-19)the Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund,China(Y2019YJ06)。
文摘In December 11,2018,the fall armyworm(FAW),Spodoptera frugiperda invaded China and has since impacted local maize,sorghum and other crops.Here,we draw on laboratory experiments to show how different host crops(i.e.,maize,sorghum,wheat and rice)and artificial diet affect larval growth and adult reproduction of one local FAW strain.Larval diet affected development duration,pupation rate,survival and emergence rate of pupae,and S.frugiperda adult fecundity.FAW attained the slowest larval development(19.4 days)on sorghum and the fastest(14.1 days)on artificial diet,with larvae attaining 99.6%survival on the latter food item.On rice,FAW larvae attained survival rate of 0.4%and were unable to pupate successfully.Pupation rate and pupal survival varied substantially between artificial diet and live plantlets at different phenological stages.Pupal weight was the highest(0.26 g)on artificial diet and the lowest(0.14 g)on sorghum,while FAW females reached the highest fecundity(699.7 eggs/female)on 2-leaf stage maize.Egg hatching rate equaled 93.6%on 4-or 5-leaf stage maize and 36.6%on artificial diet.FAW intrinsic rate of natural increase and the finite rate of increase varied between larval diets,reflecting how young maize leaves are the most suitable diet.Our findings can help to refine laboratory rearing protocols,devise population forecasting models or guide the deployment of‘area-wide’integrated pest management(IPM)modules in FAW-invaded areas of China and other Asian countries.
基金supported by the Key Program(31630060)Fund for Excellent Young Scholars(31230068)General Program(31672079 and 31501700) of the National Natural Science Foundation of China
文摘Biological control(biocontrol) is a safe, sustainable approach that takes advantage of natural enemies such as predators, parasitic insects or pathogens to manage pests in agroecosystems. Parasitoid wasps, a very large evolutionary group of hymenopteran insects, are well-known biological control agents for arthropod pests in agricultural and forest ecosystems. Here, we summarize the recent progress on the application of parasitoid wasps in biocontrol in China for the last five years. These include species diversity of parasitoid wasps, identification of dominant parasitoid wasps associated with insect pests and biocontrol practices(three types of biological control, i.e., classical, augmentative and conservation biological control) in several Chinese agroecosystems. We then treat different mass-rearing and release technologies and the commercialization of several parasitoid wasp species. We also summarize other work that may have a potential use in biocontrol, including the effect of plant volatiles on parasitoids and recent advance in the molecular mechanisms underlying the host regulation by parasitoid wasps. Future research area and applied perspectives are also discussed, noting that advances in biocontrol technologies in Chinese agriculture informs research at the global level.
基金supported by AP21PPQS&T00C108 from USDA-APHIS to ELS。
文摘The Mexican fruit fly,Anastrepha ludens,is a polyphagous pest that is a constant threat to US agriculture because of its proximity to citrus production in border region of the United States and Mexico.Sterile Insect Technique has been used to manage and eradicate of the Mexican Fruit Fly.SIT,however,requires millions of sterile male flies to be released each week from mass-rearing facilities.The mass-reared colonies must deal with microbial infections that reduce survivorship,fecundity and male-male competition.Meta-transcriptomics joins culturing and next generation DNA sequencing techniques to understand these changing microbial communities.This study uses advances in microbial meta-transcriptome sequencing to analyze the microbial communities from the four major developmental stages of A.ludens.The composition of the microbial communities was analyzed and revealed the large transcriptional presence of the phyla Microsporidia,a known animal pathogen.Clustering and ordination analyses revealed groupings based on developmental phase for egg,larvae and pupa.Adult samples had little clustering;a not unexpected result given the known turn-over in microbial community that occurs in the first 5 d after pupation.The transcriptional activity of three known pathogens of A.ludens between developmental phases were investigated.Two of the three pathogens had significant transcriptional differences between the phases with the larvae phase having the most activity.This increase in transcriptional activity agrees with culture-based surveillance and current mitigation strategies employed in the mass-rearing facility.This result reinforces the utility of transcriptomics in combating microbial threats.
基金Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)and International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA)program for funding this project under CRP D42017 and CRP D40045.
文摘The sterile insect technique(SIT)is a pest control method that has been successful in controlling various species of fruit flies of economic importance worldwide.However,SIT procedures can affect the performance of mass-reared sterile fruit flies,compromising the SIT effectiveness.This review aims to identify and analyze the adverse effects associated with each step of the SIT.Special emphasis is placed on identifying critical points in the SIT process that compromise the quality and highlighting the stages that require greater optimization to improve the effectiveness of the technique.We reviewed the main scientific findings that document the impact of domestication,mass-rearing,irradiation,handling,and release on the biology,ecology,behavior,and genetic makeup of sterile males,and how they affect the performance of sterile males under natural conditions,and the effectiveness of the SIT.Although all stages of the Sterile Insect Technique(SIT)impose some degree of compromise on insect performance,domestication and mass-rearing have the most profoundly negative impact on the field performance of sterile fruit flies.As the initial and most influential stages,they largely determine the overall quality and competitiveness of released insects,exerting a stronger impact than any subsequent SIT component.
文摘Queensland fruit fly[Bactrocera Uyoni(Froggatt),Diptera,Tephritidae]is the most devastating insect pest impacting Australian horticulture.The Sterile Insect Technique(SIT)is an important component of tephritid pest management programs.However,mass-rearing and irradiation(to render insects sterile)may reduce the fitness and performance of the insect,including the ability of sterile males to successfully compete for wild females.Manipulation of the gut microbiome,including the supplementation with bacterial probiotics shows promise for enhancing the quality of mass-reared sterile flies,however there are fewer published studies targeting the larval stage.In this study,we supplemented the larval stage of mass-reared B.tryoni with bacterial probiotics.We tested several individual bacteria that had been previously isolated and characterized from the gut of wild B.tryoni larvae including Asaia sp.,Enterobacter sp.,Lactobacillus sp.,Leuconostoc sp.We also tested a consortium of all four of these bacterial isolates.The fitness parameters tested included adult survival in field cages,laboratory mate selection of bacteria supplemented males by bacteria nonsupplemented females,and laboratory locomotor activity of adult flies.None of the bacterial probiotic treatments in the current study was significantly different to the control for field survival,mate selection or locomotor activity of adult B.Uyoni,which agree with some of the other studies regarding bacterial probiotics fed to the larval stage of tephritids.Future work is needed to determine if feeding the same,and/or other probiotics to adults,as opposed to larvae can positively impact survival,mating performance,mating competitiveness and locomotor activity of B.tryoni.The bacterial group(s)and function of bacterial species that increase fitness and competitiveness is also of interest to tephritid mass-rearing programs.
基金funded through contract D42017 by the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA)in collaboration with SENASICADGSV and the Programa Nacional de Moscas de la Fruta.
文摘The High Biosecurity House of the Mediterranean Fly in Metapa(CABIM3,in its Spanish acronym)is a space within the new Moscamed Mexico facility designed to select favorable traits that mitigate the negative effects of mass production while enhancing male competitiveness,ultimately increasing the efficiency of the sterile insect technique(SIT).The CABIM3 serves as an environmentally enriched space where insects,whose offspring will initiate the mass production process,are confined.In this study,the sexual performance of males and oviposition behavior of females from mass-reared and wild strains of Anastrepha ludens(Loew)and A.obliqua(Macquart)were compared under field cage conditions,inside CABIM3 and in an orchard,to evaluate the suitability of CABIM3's environmental conditions,including light intensity,temperature,and relative humidity.The results revealed significant differences in male sexual performance and female oviposition behavior between the CABIM3 areas and the orchard.Despite these differences,our findings suggest that a breeding facility like CABIM3 could be a valuable tool for improving the attributes of insects used in SIT programs.
文摘Aging in all organisms is inevitable. Male age can have profound effects on mating success and female reproduction, yet relatively little is known on the effects of male age on different components of the ejaculate. Furthermore, in mass-reared insects used for the Sterile Insect Technique, there are often behavioral differences between mass-reared and wild males, while differences in the ejaculate have been less studied. The ejaculate in insects is composed mainly of sperm and accessory gland proteins. Here, we studied how male age and strain affected （i） protein quantity of testes and accessory glands, （ii） the biological activity of accessory gland products injected into females, （iii） sperm viability, and （iv） sperm quantity stored by females in wild and mass-reared Anastrepha ludens （Diptera： Tephritidae）. We found lower protein content in testes of old wild males and lower sperm viability in females mated with old wild males. Females stored more sperm when mated to young wild males than with young mass-reared males. Accessory gland injections of old or young males did not inhibit female remating. Knowledge of how male age affects different ejaculate components will aid our understanding on investment of the ejaculate and possible postcopulatory consequences on female behavior.
基金D.Romano is partially supported by the H2020 Project“Submarine cultures perform long-term robotic exploration of unconventional environmental niches”(sub-CULTron)[640967FP7].
文摘Campoplex capitator is an ichneumonid parasitoid with a narrow host range,comprising grapevine moth pests.Despite being considered one of the possible candidates for biocontrol of Lobesia botrana,knowledge about its biology is limited and massrearing for commercial purposes is still lacking.This research provides a quantitative analysis of the C.capitator courtship and mating behavior.C.capitator mating sequence was analyzed by high-speed video recordings.Main behavioral parameters,with special reference to male wing fanning and antennal tapping,were quantified and linked with mating success.Furthermore,we analyzed the occurrence of population-level behavioral asymmetries during C capitator sexual interactions and their impact on male success.Results showed that male wing fanning was crucial to successfully approach the female.Males achieving higher mating success performed wing-fanning at higher frequencies over unsuccessful ones.After wing fanning,most of males palpated the females body with their antennae,before attempting copulation.The overall mating success was>70%,with a rather long copula duration(254.76±14.21 s).Male wing-fanning was lateralized on the left at population level,while antennal tapping displays were right-biased.Sidebiased male displays do not differ in terms of frequency and duration of their main features.This research adds basic knowledge to the C.capitator behavioral ecology.Since rearing protocols for C.capitator are being developed male wing fanning frequency may represent a useful benchmark for monitoring mate quality over time,tackling mating success reductions due to prolonged mass-rearing.
基金the SITplus collabora-tive fruit fly program.Project Raising Q-fly Sterile Insect Technique to World Standard(HG 14033)is funded by the Hort Frontiers Fruit Fly Fund,part of the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation,with coinvestment from Macquarie University and contributions from the Australian Government.
文摘In Sterile Insect Technique(SIT)programs,massive numbers of insects are reared,sterilized,and released in the field to impede reproduction of pest populations.The domestication and rearing processes used to produce insects for SIT programs may have significant evolutionary impacts on life history and reproductive biology.We assessed the effects of domestication on sexual performance of laboratory reared Queensland fruit fly,Bactrocera tryoni,by comparing an old(49 generations)and a young colony(5 generations).We evaluated mating propensity,mating latency,copula duration,sperm transfer,and ability to induce sexual inhibition in mates.Overall,both males and females from the old colony had greater mating propensity than those from the young colony.Copula duration was longer when females were from the old colony.There was no evidence of sexual isolation between the colonies as males and females from the two colonies had similar propensity to mate with flies from either colony.Males from the old colony transferred more sperm regardless of which colony their mate was from.Finally,males from both colonies were similarly able to induce sexual inhibition in their mates and were also similarly able to secure copulations with already-mated females.Positive effects of domestication on sperm transfer,coupled with maintained ability to induce sexual inhibition in mates and to secure copulations with previously mated females,highlights that domestication may have little effect,or even positive effects,on some aspects of sexual performance that may advantage mass-reared B.tryoni in SIT programs.
