The actual annual occurrence of the green lacewings of northwestern Europe (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

Quantitative surveys of chrysopids from northwestern Europe were analysed. A total of thirty-five species are known within the zone although only twenty-six were recorded. Only the common green lacewings (i.e. the sibling species of the Chrysoperla carnea complex, here not differentiated) were elsewhere abundant comprising more than 3/4 of the specimens in all countries and reaching 97 % in Belgium. For the scarcer species, comments are given on their enhanced geographic range. The French fauna shows 19 species, six are exceptional (< 0.1%) such as the Atlanto-Mediterranean Dichochrysa picteti . Five species are considered rare (1<Q ≤ 5 %): Chrysopa perla , Ch. phyllochroma , Dichochrysa flavifrons, D. inornata and D. prasina. The fauna of both Great Britain and Ireland has the same faunistical richness but manifests a more balanced equitability. Chrysopa perla , Dichochrysa flavifrons and Cunctochrysa albolineata are uncommon (5 < Q ≤ 15 %), the others are at least rare. Belgium and Luxemburg gave 16 species and a very low diversity. Hypochrysa elegans, Nineta vittata, N. principiae and Chrysopa pallens are exceptional. Comments are given on some underestimated species, such as Dichochrysa mariana and Cunctochrysa bellifontensis not unanimously agreed, and D. abdominalis too recently re-instated to be identified in many collections

Volumetric estimation of an intensive apple orchard with GIS

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The Optimal Choice of Trap Type for the Recently Spreading Jewel Beetle Pests Lamprodila festiva and Agrilus sinuatus (Coleoptera, Buprestidae)

BACKGROUND: Two jewel beetle species native to Europe, the cypress jewel beetle, Lamprodila (Palmar, Ovalisia) festiva L. (Buprestidae, Coleoptera), and the sinuate pear tree borer, Agrilus sinuatus Olivier (Buprestidae, Coleoptera), are key pests of ornamental thuja and junipers and of orchard and ornamental rosaceous trees, respectively. Although chemical control measures are available, due to the beetles’ small size, agility, and cryptic lifestyle at the larval stage, efficient tools for their detection and monitoring are missing. Consequently, by the time emerging jewel beetle adults are noticed, the trees are typically significantly damaged. METHODS: Thus, the aim of this study was to initiate the development of monitoring traps. Transparent, light green, and purple sticky sheets and multifunnel traps were compared in field experiments in Hungary. RESULTS: Light green and transparent sticky traps caught more L. festiva and A. sinuatus jewel beetles than non-sticky multifunnel traps, regardless of the larger size of the colored surface of the funnel traps. CONCLUSIONS: Although light green sticky sheets turned out to be optimal for both species, using transparent sheets can reduce catches of non-target insects. The key to the effectiveness of sticky traps, despite their reduced suitability for quantitative comparisons, may lie in the behavioral responses of the beetles to the optical features of the traps

Inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate 2-kinase is a distant IPK member with a singular inositide binding site for axial 2-OH recognition

Inositol phosphates (InsPs) are signaling molecules with multiple roles in cells. In particular Graphic (InsP6) is involved in mRNA export and editing or chromatin remodeling among other events. InsP6 accumulates as mixed salts (phytate) in storage tissues of plants and plays a key role in their physiology. Human diets that are exclusively grain-based provide an excess of InsP6 that, through chelation of metal ions, may have a detrimental effect on human health. Ins(1,3,4,5,6)P5 2-kinase (InsP5 2-kinase or Ipk1) catalyses the synthesis of InsP6 from InsP5 and ATP, and is the only enzyme that transfers a phosphate group to the axial 2-OH of the myo-inositide. We present the first structure for an InsP5 2-kinase in complex with both substrates and products. This enzyme presents a singular structural region for inositide binding that encompasses almost half of the protein. The key residues in substrate binding are identified, with Asp368 being responsible for recognition of the axial 2-OH. This study sheds light on the unique molecular mechanism for the synthesis of the precursor of inositol pyrophosphates

Genetics, physiology and cytology of yest-mycelial dimorphism in fission yeasts

The order Schizosaccharomycetalescontains a dimorphic and two yeast species. Sch. japonicuscan form both yeast cells and mycelium, depending on the substrate and the culturing conditions.Sch. pombeis a strictly unicellular organism, but it can be forced to form mycelial cell chains by inactivating members of thesepgene family. The mutations in most of thesepgenes confer pleitropic phenotypes indicating functional involvement in MAP-kinase-mediated signalling pathways. Two of them were found to encode transcription factor homologues of other eukaryotes

Volumetric estimation of an intensive apple orchard with GIS

Remote sensing instruments and methods have become widespread in all segments of agriculture and horticulture. Among the innovative development of remote sensing instruments, the 3D laser scanner is one of the newest technique, which overtop in the spatial data collection. Terrestrial laser scanning is an appropriate tool for identifying such biophysical parameters like the structure of trees and branches, growth of volume. Determination of these parameters are time consuming and complicated with traditional methods. The examination was carried out in the Study and Regional Research Farm of the University of Debrecen near Pallag. We used Leica ScanStation C10 terrestrial laser scanner to estimate volumetric properties of the intensive apple orchard. Two rows of the study area were surveyed, where the height and stem diameter of apple trees were measured with Geomagic Studio 12 GIS Demo Software. Based on the built-in algorithms, the volume of each tree were defined by the software. The measured and calculated data was correlated, and middle correlations were detected. Estimated volume results could be useful for further investigation such as CO2 fi xing, which is an important factor for ecological service of the plantation

Volumetric estimation of an intensive apple orchard with GIS

Remote sensing instruments and methods have become widespread in all segments of agriculture and horticulture.Among the innovative development of remote sensing instruments, the 3D laser scanner is one of the newest technique,which overtop in the spatial data collection. Terrestrial laser scanning is an appropriate tool for identifying such biophysicalparameters like the structure of trees and branches, growth of volume. Determination of these parameters are time consumingand complicated with traditional methods. The examination was carried out in the Study and Regional Research Farm of theUniversity of Debrecen near Pallag. We used Leica ScanStation C10 terrestrial laser scanner to estimate volumetric propertiesof the intensive apple orchard. Two rows of the study area were surveyed, where the height and stem diameter of apple treeswere measured with Geomagic Studio 12 GIS Demo Software. Based on the built-in algorithms, the volume of each tree weredefi ned by the software. The measured and calculated data was correlated, and middle correlations were detected. Estimatedvolume results could be useful for further investigation such as CO2 fi xing, which is an important factor for ecological serviceof the plantation

Selectivity of Pesticides used in Integrated Apple Production to the Lacewing, Chrysoperla externa

This research aimed to assess the toxicity of the pesticides abamectin 18 CE (0.02 g a.i. L-1), carbaryl 480 SC (1.73 g a.i. L-1), sulfur 800 GrDA (4.8 g a.i. L-1), fenitrothion 500 CE (0.75 g a.i. L-1), methidathion 400 CE (0.4 g a.i. L-1), and trichlorfon 500 SC (1.5 g a.i. L-1) as applied in integrated apple production in Brazil on the survival, oviposition capacity, and egg viability of the lacewing, Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) from Bento Gonçalves and Vacaria, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. An attempt was made to study morphological changes caused by some of these chemicals, by means of ultrastructural analysis, using a scanning electronic microscope. Carbaryl, fenitrothion, and methidathion caused 100% adult mortality for both populations, avoiding evaluation of pesticides' effects on predator reproductive parameters. Abamectin and sulfur also affected the survival of these individuals with mortality rates of 10% and 6.7%, respectively, for adults from Bento Gonçalves, and were harmless to those from Vacaria at the end of evaluation. Trichlorfon was also harmless to adults from both populations. No compound reduced oviposition capacity. C. externa from Vacaria presented higher reproductive potential than those from Bento Gonçalves. In relation to egg viability, sulfur was the most damaging compound to both populations of C. externa. Ultrastructural analyses showed morphological changes in the micropyle and the chorion of eggs laid by C. externa treated with either abamectin or sulfur. The treatment may have influenced the fertilization of C. externa eggs and embryonic development. Sulfur was responsible for malformations in the end region of the abdomen and genitals of treated females. When applied to adults, abamectin, sulfur, and trichlorfon were harmless, while carbaryl, fenitrothion, and methidathion were harmful, according to the IOBC classification