Comparison of development time and reproduction of typical and melanic Eurygaster integriceps (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) under laboratory conditions

Among the sunn pest populations, melanic phenotype of Eurygaster integriceps Puton is a distinct colour morph. A set of experiments were performed to examine possible differences between typical and melanic phenotypes of E. integriceps using overwintered adults collected from Gharah-Aghaj mountains (southeast of Tehran). Melanics consisted only 0.3% of the total population. The laboratory conditions were: T = 24 ± 1 °C, RH = 60-70% and L: D = 16: 8 h. Incubation period and five nymphal instars were 7.24 ± 0.01, 4.14 ± 0.02, 7.97 ± 0.04, 6.63 ± 0.04, 7.21 ± 0.04 and 11.32 ± 0.07 days in melanics, and 7.19 ± 0.01, 4.14 ± 0.01, 7.83 ± 0.03, 6.19 ± 0.02, 6.88 ± 0.03 and 10.63 ± 0.04 days in typicals, respectively. Melanics with 44.13 ± 0.15 days had a longer developmental time than typicals with 42.33 ± 0.10 days. This difference was mainly related to the feeding instars. Durations of pre-oviposition period, oviposition period and post-oviposition period in both groups were not significantly different: 10.3 ± 0.8 days, 34.1 ± 6.4 days and 5.9 ± 1.9 days for melanics, and 10.2 ± 0.8 days, 34.9 ± 6.4 days and 4.0 ± 1.4 days for typicals, respectively. In general, reproductive table parameters showed an inferior performance of melanics compared to the typicals. There was no clear relationship between female body weight and total number of eggs in both groups. Stable population parameters (mean ± SE) of doubling time, Dt (days), mean generation time, T (days), net reproductive rate, Rо (female eggs/female), intrinsic rate of increase, rm (1/time) and finite rate of increase, λ (per day), were 13.68 ± 0.68, 60.69 ± 1.71, 20.67 ± 4.09, 0.0502 ± 0.0025 and 1.0515 ± 0.0026 in melanics, respectively. The respective values for typicals were 12.79 ± 0.50, 62.60 ± 2.13, 29.11 ± 5.26, 0.0541 ± 0.0021 and 1.0556 ± 0.0022. None of these parameters were significantly different between two groups. Relatively inferior characteristics of melanics observed in this study need further experiments on their successive generations to elucidate reproductive performances of the group

Morphometric Analysis of Two Populations of Eurygaster maura (Het.: Scutelleridae) in Iran

Morphometric differentiations may explain biogeographic distinctions among populations of a given species. The possibility of morphometric distinctions between two populations of Eurygaster maura L. collected from the northeast (Golestan province) and the northwest (Azarbayejan province) of Iran was examined using principal component analysis over 25 body measurements (eight absolute and 17 proportional, separately). The northeast individuals were relatively larger and darker in colour than those of the northwest; total body lengths of the former were 13.56 ± 0.49 and 13.25± 0.38 mm (female and male, respectively), and the respective values for the latter were 12.74 ± 0.39 and 12.63 ± 0.49 mm. Generally, proportional indices including genital width had positively the highest contributions to population discrimination. Different habitats and climatic conditions may explain, in part, these morphological variations between the studied populations

New records of the predatory stinkbugs (Het.: Pentatomidae: Asopinae) from Iran

تاکنون تعدادی از سن‌های شکارگر زیرخانواده‌ی Asopinae از ایران گزارش شده ‌است. در تحقیق حاضر، گونه‌های bidens (L.) Picromerus و Arma custos (F.) از این زیرخانواده از کناره‌ی جنوبی دریای خزر به عنوان گزارش جدید برای کشور معرفی می‌گردد. گونه‌ی اخیر در حال تغذیه از لاروهای پروانه‌ی سفید آمریکایی،Hyphantria cunea (Drury)، در مرداد ماه مشاهده شد. حشرات کامل این شکارگر نیز در حال زمستان‌گذرانی زیر بقایای گیاهی ملاحظه گردید. اطلاعاتی درباره‌ی مشخصات کلی و پراکنش این سن‌ها نیز ارایه شده ‌است

BLM and RMI1 alleviate RPA inhibition of topoIIIα decatenase activity

RPA is a single-stranded DNA binding protein that physically associates with the BLM complex. RPA stimulates BLM helicase activity as well as the double Holliday junction dissolution activity of the BLM-topoisomerase IIIα complex. We investigated the effect of RPA on the ssDNA decatenase activity of topoisomerase IIIα. We found that RPA and other ssDNA binding proteins inhibit decatenation by topoisomerase IIIα. Complex formation between BLM, TopoIIIα, and RMI1 ablates inhibition of decatenation by ssDNA binding proteins. Together, these data indicate that inhibition by RPA does not involve species-specific interactions between RPA and BLM-TopoIIIα-RMI1, which contrasts with RPA modulation of double Holliday junction dissolution. We propose that topoisomerase IIIα and RPA compete to bind to single-stranded regions of catenanes. Interactions with BLM and RMI1 enhance toposiomerase IIIα activity, promoting decatenation in the presence of RPA

Residential energy use in Oman: a scoping study

The Authority for Electricity Regulation (AER) Oman is addressing the nationally important issue of energy efficiency in residential premises. Reducing energy use in Oman’s residential sector has the potential to reduce the cost of energy subsidies, the consumption of indigenous gas resources and the cost of constructing the infrastructure required to meet growing peak demand. Improving the efficiency of the residential stock may also create benefits for the Omani public through more comfortable living conditions and reduced energy costs. In order to deliver these benefits, it is first necessary to measure and evaluate the current state of the built stock to understand how energy is used. This is not a simple task because energy use at the residential level is driven by the complex interaction between the household’s demands for energy services, the building fabric and its systems. In recognition of this challenge, AER contracted PassivSystems (an innovative home energy management services company) and the Energy Institute, University College London (a world-leading centre of energy research) to carry out