Effects of Imunit Insecticide on Biological Characteristics and Life Table Parameters of Spodoptera cilium (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Imunit is a mixture of alpha-cypermethrin + teflubenzuron, and has been launched for controlling caterpillars. In this study, the effects of Imunit at LC50 and LC30 were investigated on parental and offspring generation of S. cilium, according to age-stage, two-sex life table. The experiments were conducted by leaf dipping method at 25 C and 60 5% relative humidity, under a cycle of 16 h fluorescent light and 8 h darkness. LC30 and LC50 concentrations of Imunit increased the immature developmental time of S. cilium in the offspring generation, while the LC50 of Imunit significantly reduced the developmental time of adults. The adult pre-oviposition period and total pre-oviposition period considerably increased when offspring were treated with LC50 of Imunit. In offspring of S. cilium exposed to LC50 and LC30 concentrations of Imunit, the gross reproductive rate (GRR), net reproduction rate (R0), the intrinsic rate of population increase (r), and the finite rate of population increase (l) significantly reduced compared to the control. This study showed that the application of Imunit at LC50 could suppress the S. cilium population and can be used in the integrated management program of this pest

Biology and host plant relationships of Scaptomyza flava leaf miner : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in entomology, Plant Science Department, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Scaptomyza flava Fallén (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a leaf miner of Cruciferous plants (Brassicaceae). It occurs throughout New Zealand and in many other parts of the world. S. flava attacks living plants but also lays eggs on dead leaves and larvae can develop in dead and decaying plant material. However, survival to the adult stage is greater when larvae develop on live leaves. Females are polygamous and mating begins soon after emergence. Female flies start puncturing leaves with their ovipositor ca. 4 h. after emergence and produce peak numbers of punctures within the first 12 h. of their adult lives. It is during this peak time of puncture production that egg laying begins. Oviposition starts on the day following emergence and lasts for about two weeks. After this oviposition rate declines slowly. Eggs are laid mainly between 06.00 and 10.00 h. and between 17.00 and 20.00 h. with a peak between 09.00-10.00 h. and 17.00-18.00 h. The mean number of eggs laid per female per day is dependent on the availability of host plants and ranges from 20.9 to 4.4 eggs per day. Maximum oviposition varies between different host plant species. The total fecundity of some females was as high as 320 eggs (on turnip and in contrast less than 12 eggs on cauliflower) over a lifespan of about 12 days. The larvae destroys the parenchyma of leaves. Although only a small portion of the lamina is damaged by a single larva - approximately 5 cm2. Most plant injury is caused by feeding by the third-instar larva which lasts about one week. Sex ratios of adults were close to 1:1 with a slight bias in favour of males. Feeding punctures and fecundity of S. flava increase greatly when given honey solution. For both sexes, longevity is affected by adult food source. Caged adult female S. flava lived significantly longer when provided with honey solution and yeast than when confined on glass plates and starved or allowed access to yeast and water only. Virgin females lived only slightly longer than mated females and unmated males lived significantly longer than all other groups. S. flava is an oligophagous insect with host plants restricted to the Brassicaceae. When S. flava adults were given a simultaneous choice of seven plant species for feeding and oviposition, there was a distinct hierarchical ordering in their ovipositional preference, with turnip, Chinese cabbage, and hedge mustard being preferred over all others. Percentage of punctures with eggs for turnip, Chinese cabbage and cauliflower (three main host plants of S. flava) in choice tests were 3.1, 3 and 6.4% and in non-choice tests 6, 5.4 and 28% respectively. In non-choice tests, females laid more eggs on Chinese cabbage and turnip than other Brassicaceae. Egg production was also different between host plants. Females oviposited means of 255, 165 and 48 eggs during their lifespan when maintained on turnip, Chinese cabbage and cauliflower, respectively. Peak egg production period varied between host plants; on cauliflower, peak production occurred 3-7 days from adult emergence and on Chinese cabbage and turnip between days 7-11 from emergence. There were also significant differences in total developmental times of the insect between three Brassicaceous host plants (cauliflower 41d, Chinese cabbage 33.7d and turnip 31d). There were significant differences in duration of the 3rd larval instar among the host plant species with the longest duration on cauliflower (8d). Fecundity of S. flava was positively correlated with female body weight and greater female weights resulted when insects were raised on turnip and Chinese cabbage compared to cauliflower. Although all leaf sizes and/or ages were accepted by the insects (with the exception of the smallest leaves) for egg laying, the number of feeding punctures and eggs per cm2 leaf increased with increasing leaf size and/or age. Nitrogen content of leaves did not vary significantly with age. Previous larval feeding experience on turnip and Chinese cabbage appeared to modify adult host plant preference, but previous feeding experience as larvae on a poor host, cauliflower, did not increase egg laying on that host by adult females. Recently eclosed adult S. flava may show positive experience effects on turnip (and slightly on Chinese cabbage). Over a two year period in the Manawatu adults and larvae of S. flava were present throughout the year with no evidence of diapause or aestivation. However, there were marked peaks during spring and early summer in numbers of adult flies caught, and again in autumn to early winter with troughs in early autumn and early spring. This pattern, obtained by sampling for adults, was paralleled by sampling for larvae. In a laboratory experiment simulated herbivore injury did not produce the same effect as feeding by S. flava. Total fresh-weight accumulation was reduced significantly with increasing levels of injury by S. flava feeding but this did not occur with artificial clipping. In another laboratory experiment, where individual plants were caged with 4 mated females for 24 h. reduced growth of Chinese cabbage and turnip occurred from ensuing larval damage. In two separate field experiments turnip tolerated low levels of leaf raining without reduction in weight of bulb but the net yield of Chinese cabbage was significantly reduced

Developing an artificial diet for rearing Orius albidipennis Reuter (Het., Anthocoridae)

The use of suitable mass rearing methods is crucial to establish successful inundative or inoculative biological control programs. The development of an artificial diet considerably reduces costs of mass rearing. In this study, the efficacy of a new meridic artificial diet for rearing the predatory bug, Orius albidipennis (Het., Anthocoridae), was studied. The artificial diet was composed of some natural materials including lamb liver, hen yolk, whey protein, honey, royal jelly and some specific vitamins. To determine the artificial diet efficacy life table parameters of the bugs, using the two-sex life table method, fed artificial and factitious diets, Ephestia kuehniella egg + date palm pollen, were compared. Results showed that O. albidipennis could complete its life stages and reproduce when reared on the recommended artificial diet. However, its fecundity and survival rate when fed the artificial diet was lower than the controls. Overall, due to lower production costs the artificial diet can be recommended for mass rearing of O. albidipennis despite the lower fecundity and survival rate

Effects of Helicoverpa armigera Egg Age on Development, Reproduction, and Life Table Parameters of Trichogramma euproctidis

The noctuid Helicoverpa armigera is an economically important pest of agricultural crops in Iran and other countries. Research is evaluating the capacity of Trichogramma parasitoids to control H. armigera populations on field crops. The objective of this research was to determine if young rather than old H. armigera eggs were optimal for Trichogramma euproctidis development, reproduction, and life table parameters. Bioassays involved exposing T. euproctidis mated females to H. armigera 14, 38, or 62 h old eggs within 24 h in laboratory arenas. Results indicated that the number of host eggs parasitized successfully by T. euproctidis decreased as host egg age increased. Host egg age had no significant effect on T. euproctidis adult emergence. Adults that developed in 14 h old eggs had greater longevity and fecundity than those that developed in 38 h or 62 h old eggs. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) was greatest, and the mean generation time (T) was lowest for T. euproctidis reared in 14 h old eggs. This study indicates that young H. armigera eggs are more suitable than old ones for T. euproctidis development and reproduction. This study is important because it provides evidence, for the first time, that T. euproctidis can utilize H. armigera as a rearing host. Using young rather than old host eggs could ensure the persistence of a T. euproctidis mass production system to support augmentative releases

Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries

© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licenseBackground: 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods: This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation: Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licenseBackground: Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide. Methods: A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study—a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3·85 [95% CI 2·58–5·75]; p<0·0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63·0% vs 82·7%; OR 0·35 [0·23–0·53]; p<0·0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer. Interpretation: Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised. Funding: National Institute for Health and Care Research