Effects of transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI cotton on non-target mealybug pest Ferrisia virgata and its predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri

Recently, several invasive mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) have rapidly spread to Asia and have become a serious threat to the production of cotton including transgenic cotton. Thus far, studies have mainly focused on the effects of mealybugs on non-transgenic cotton, without fully considering their effects on transgenic cotton and trophic interactions. Therefore, investigating the potential effects of mealybugs on transgenic cotton and their key natural enemies is vitally important. A first study on the effects of transgenic cotton on a non-target mealybug, Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) was performed by comparing its development, survival and body weight on transgenic cotton leaves expressing Cry1Ac (Bt toxin) + CpTI (Cowpea Trypsin Inhibitor) with those on its near-isogenic non-transgenic line. Furthermore, the development, survival, body weight, fecundity, adult longevity and feeding preference of the mealybug predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) was assessed when fed F. virgata maintained on transgenic cotton. In order to investigate potential transfer of Cry1Ac and CpTI proteins via the food chain, protein levels in cotton leaves, mealybugs and ladybirds were quantified. Experimental results showed that F. virgata could infest this bivalent transgenic cotton. No significant differences were observed in the physiological parameters of the predator C. montrouzieri offered F. virgata reared on transgenic cotton or its near-isogenic line. Cry1Ac and CpTI proteins were detected in transgenic cotton leaves, but no detectable levels of both proteins were present in the mealybug or its predator when reared on transgenic cotton leaves. Our bioassays indicated that transgenic cotton poses a negligible risk to the predatory coccinellid C. montrouzieri via its prey, the mealybug F.virgata

Factors affecting perceived health benefits and use behaviors in urban green spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic in southern China megacities

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has alienated people from urban green spaces (UGSs) that have various health outcomes for humans. However, little is known about the influential factors of perceived health benefits and use behaviors in UGSs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to explore the key factors that influence perceived health benefits and use behaviors in UGSs and to assess the mediating role of place attachment in relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chinese megacities. Methods: We conducted an online questionnaire survey from December 2020 to March 2021 in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, China. Six multiple regression models were constructed to investigate the main factors by which UGSs influence citizens' perceived health benefits and use behaviors. Four mediation models were established using the structural equation modeling (SEM) method to explore the mediating effect of place attachment. Results: A total of 628 questionnaires were included in the analysis. The results revealed that some UGS components (green space access, maintenance, and soundscape) significantly affected perceived health benefits for citizens (physical, mental, and social health) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely, use behaviors (frequency of visits, duration of visits, and activity intensity) were mainly affected by the sociodemographic context but less affected by UGS components. In addition, UGS components were found to significantly predict place attachment, which in turn influenced the perceived health benefits, frequency, and duration of visits. Conclusions: This study distinguished the key factors that affect perceived health benefits and use behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: green space access, maintenance, soundscape, and sociodemographic characteristics. Place attachment still needs to be considered when discussing how to encourage citizens to visit UGSs during the pandemic. These findings provide implications for policymakers and landscape planners regarding design and management measures for UGSs that are conducive to coping with pandemics

The first fossil wedge-shaped beetle (Coleoptera, Rhipiphoridae) from the middle Jurassic of China

A new species of Ripiphoridae Gemminger & Harold, 1870, Archaeoripiphorus nuwa gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated from a well-preserved impression fossil from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation collected at Daohugou Village, Shantou Township, Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia, China, representing the oldest documented occurrence of the Ripiphoridae described from the Mesozoic era. It shares several characters belonging to two basal ripiphorid subfamilies (Pelecotominae and Ptilophorinae), but it cannot be attributed to either of them and is herein placed as Subfamily incertae sedis. An overall similarity between Archaeoripiphorus gen. nov. and Recent Pelecotominae and the occurrence of wood-boring beetles in the same Formation implies a similar parasitoid host preference in xylophagous beetles for A. nuwa gen. et sp. nov., putting a spotlight on a potential host-parasitoid relationship in the Mesozoic

Allostrophus cretaceus gen. et sp. nov.: A new polypore fungus beetle (Coleoptera, Tetratomidae) from the Cretaceous Myanmar amber

A new species and genus of polypore fungus beetle, Allostrophus cretaceus gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated, representing the third documented occurrence of Tetratomidae from Burmese amber (Cenomanian, ca. 99 Ma, Upper Cretaceous). This fossil species can be placed in the extant subfamily Eustrophinae based on the following combination of characters: small-sized, oblong-oval body, narrowed posteriorly; clubbed antennomeres; semicircular pronotum, with two weakly developed subbasal impressions; scutellum without light-colored pubescence and each elytron with traces of eight striae. Morphological characters preserved in the inclusion support the previously proposed high diversity of antennal morphology during the early evolution of eustrophines and suggest the potential fungivory of this extinct species. The new discovery sheds lights on the paleodiversity of mycophagous beetles during the Cretaceous period, strengthening the formerly hypothesized diversification of mushrooms in the late Mesozoic Era.This work was supported by the Basic Work Special Project of the National Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2013FY111500), key project of Sciencetechnology basic condition platform from The Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (Grant No. 2005DKA21402) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31702039)

Transcriptome responses to heat- and cold-stress in ladybirds (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulasnt) analyzed by deep-sequencing

BACKGROUND: Changed temperature not only threaten agricultural production, but they also affect individual biological behavior, population and community of many insects, and consequently reduce the stability of our ecosystem. Insect's ability to respond to temperature stress evolved through a complex adaptive process, thus resulting in varied temperature tolerance among different insects. Both high and low extreme temperatures are detrimental to insect development since they constitute an important abiotic stress capable of inducing abnormal biological responses. Many studies on heat or cold tolerance of ladybirds have focused on measurements of physiological and biochemical indexes such as supercooling point, higher/lower lethal temperatures, survival rate, dry body weight, water content, and developmental duration. And studies of the molecular mechanisms of ladybird responses to heat or cold stress have focused on single genes, such as those encoding heat shock proteins, but has not been analyzed by transcriptome profiling RESULTS: In this study, we report the use of Digital Gene Expression (DGE) tag profiling to gain insight into transcriptional events associated with heat- and cold-stress in C. montrouzieri. About 6 million tags (49 bp in length) were sequenced in a heat stress group, a cold stress group and a negative control group. We obtained 687 and 573 genes that showed significantly altered expression levels following heat and cold shock treatments, respectively. Analysis of the global gene expression pattern suggested that 42 enzyme-encoding genes mapped to many Gene Ontology terms are associated with insect's response to heat- and cold-stress CONCLUSIONS: These results provide a global assessment of genes and molecular mechanisms involved in heat and cold toleranc

Mean (±SE) survival rate (%) of each developmental stage of <i>F. virgata</i> reared on non-transgenic or transgenic cotton leaves.

<p>Means ± SE within a column followed by the same letter are not significantly different (P>0.05; independent t-test). The experiment was started with 15 cohorts (replicates) per treatment.</p>†<p>Sex could not be determined before the second instar.</p><p>*Female mealybugs have only three nymphal instars while males have four nymphal instars.</p

Feeding performance of <i>C. montrouzieri</i> on <i>F. virgata</i> mealybugs reared on non-transgenic or transgenic cotton.

<p>The data represent numbers (±SE) of mealybugs consumed per individual predator over a 9 day period (P>0.05; repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by a LSD test).</p

Reproduction and longevity of <i>C. montrouzieri</i> females reared on non-transgenic or transgenic cotton leaves.

<p>No significant difference was observed between the control and treated groups within the same column (Means ± SE) (P>0.05; <b>*</b>independent t-test, <b>^‡</b>Mann-Whitney U test or <b>^†</b>Wald χ² test); 12 and 16 pairs of <i>C. montrouzieri</i> were used for non-transgenic and transgenic cotton plants, respectively.</p