Differential Consumption of Four Aphid Species by Four Lady Beetle Species

The acceptability of four different aphid species Macrosiphum albifrons (Essig), Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), Macrosiphum pseudorosae Patch, and Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), as prey for four lady beetle species, one native species Coccinella trifasciata L, and three non-native Coccinella septempunctata L, Harmonia axyridis Pallas, Propylea quatuordecimpunctata L (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) were tested in the laboratory. The relative field abundance of adults of the same lady beetle species on host vegetation, Lupinus polyphyllus Lindley (Fabales: Fabaceae), Solanum tuberosum L (Solanales: Solanaceae), and Rosa multiflora Thunberg (Rosales: Rosaceae), both with and without aphids present was also observed. In the laboratory, H. axyridis generally consumed the most aphids, while P. quatuordecimpunctata consumed the fewest. The exception was P. quatuordecimpunctata, which consumed a greater number of M. albifrons nymphs, and C. trifasciata, which consumed a greater number of M. albifrons nymphs and adults, compared with the other two beetle species. Lady beetles consumed fewer M. albifrons compared with the other three aphid species, likely because of deterrent compounds sequestered by this species from its host plant. In the field, P. quatuordecimpunctata was the most abundant species found on L. polyphyllus and S. tuberosum

Shaka: a new and novel processing technology to produce commercially sterile canned foods.

Master of ScienceFood Science InstituteDaniel Y.C. FungThe process of canning or “commercial sterilization” has been studied for more than two centuries. The first to develop canning as a defense against spoilage was Nicholas Appert also known as the “father of canning.” Appert invented a method of preservation by enclosing food in hermetically sealed containers and then heating containers to boiling temperatures for a specific period of time. The canning preservation method has changed over the years, and continues to change for the better. Technology for retorts, or processing vessels, has grown from the traditional steam heating medium to also include water and steam/water spray heating mediums. The once static vessels, now utilize rotation and shaking motions to decrease process time and in turn increase product quality. The product packaging has also evolved to include not only rigid metal containers, but semi-rigid and flexible plastic containers. The variety of packaging adds greater flexibility to the type of food products that can be produced in a shelf stable manner. Canning or “commercial sterilization” is still used today by the food industry as a method of providing safe food with extended shelf life. Today’s goal of commercial sterilization is to continue to produce safe food products that are high in quality and profitable to produce. A variety of processing equipment is available to accomplish those goals, ranging from a basic steam retort to the newest technology on the market known as Shaka. This new retort technology uses reciprocal agitation to shorten processing times and increase the quality of the final products. Studies have shown that the Shaka process reduces processing times better than 20-fold compared to a still process and better than 10-fold compared to a rotary process. As the field of thermal processing continues to evolve, the challenge will be to consistently produce safe, commercially sterile food that exceeds current quality expectations in a shorter process time while using less energy. Shaka, and other new technologies, will help the food industry meet these challenges and expectations by expanding the current capabilities of thermal processing to meet consumer demands

ANALYZING THE SHARK PALEOECOLOGY OF COASTAL GEORGIA FROM THE MIOCENE AND PLIOCENE EPOCHS

Shark paleoecology is a subject matter that often yields indecisive conclusions based on the limited fossilization of their anatomical structures, with the exception of their teeth. The majority of the Atlantic coast has been studied regarding the presence of certain prehistoric shark species from the Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene epochs. However, the information pertaining to the Georgia coast seems relatively understudied, leaving room for the analysis of its potential community structure during this time. A study was conducted in which thousands of fossil shark specimens and subsequent marine fauna were collected from dredge spoils created by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE): Savannah District. A total of 5,127 fossil shark teeth were collected, of which 4,981 were identified. Twenty-three potential species are believed to be included in this assemblage. Additional research conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2001 shed light on the fossil formations beneath Brunswick, including their specific depths below sea level. Communication with the USACE detailed their annual dredging depths of 36, 38, and 41 feet below the Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW). Combining this information with the known life histories of each of the 23 species of prehistoric sharks, it was determined that all specimens coexisted during a time period from the late Miocene to early Pliocene (8.0-3.0 Ma) and being preserved in the Ebenezer Member 5 formation. Further research regarding the ecological roles of all identified shark species can create an even more precise look into the community structure of coastal Georgia during the late Miocene and early Pliocene

Effect of refrigeration of the pupae of Microbracon brevicornis Wesm. on the pigmentation of the adult

During the course of mass breeding of Microbracon brevicornis in the parasite laboratory of the Entomology Division of this Institute for the purpose of exporting them to the United States of America for the control of pink boll worm in the cotton belt of that country, it was necessary to maintain a stock of pupae of the parasite in cold storage at a temperature of 10 ± 3° C. It was observed that the adults emerging from the chilled pupae which had been in cold storage from 10 to 75 days showed dark pigmentation ranging from dark grey to jet black, as against the distinctly brown individuals obtained from unchilled pupae