Global Geographic Distribution and Host Range of Fusarium circinatum, the Causal Agent of Pine Pitch Canker

Funding: This study was financially supported by COST Action FP1406 (PINESTRENGTH), the Estonian Science Foundation grant PSG136, the Forestry Commission, United Kingdom, the Phytophthora Research Centre Reg. No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000453, a project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. ANSES is supported by a grant managed by the French National Research Agency (ANR) as part of the “Investissements d’Avenir” programme (ANR-11-LABX-0002-01, Laboratory of ExcellenceARBRE). SW was partly supported by BBSRC Grant reference BB/L012251/1 “Promoting resilience of UK tree species to novel pests & pathogens: ecological & evolutionary solutions (PROTREE)” jointly funded by BBSRC, Defra, ESRC, the Forestry Commission, NERC and the Scottish Government, under the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Initiative. Annual surveys in Switzerland were financially supported by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment FOEN. Acknowledgments: Andrea Kunova and Cristina Pizzatti are acknowledged for the assistance in the sampling. Thanks are due to Dina Ribeiro and Helena Marques from ICNF-Portuguese Forest Authority for providing location coordinates. We thank three anonymous reviwers for valuable corrections and suggestions.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Impact of optimized pest control schemes on mandarin yield in the Republic of Abkhazia

Pests of mandarin reduce significantly crop productivity and commercial quality of the crop in Abkhazia. We assessed the impact of optimized mandarin pest control schemes on fruit size and crop yield in the humid subtropics of Abkhazia. The studies were carried out in 2019-2020 on full-aged plantings of cv. Unshiu mandarin in Gulrypsh district of Republic of Abkhazia on the base of Institute of agriculture of Academy of sciences of Abkhazia. The highest yield and quality of fruits was shown by the protection schemes in variants 5 (Confidor extra (0.05 %) + Cytovit (0.15 %) – the 1st treatment Vertimec (0.1%) + Cytovit (0.15 %) – the second treatment; the third and fourth treatments Karate Zeon (0.05 %) + Cytovit (0.15 %)) and 6 (Metomax (0.15 %) + Vertimec (0.1 %) – the 1st treatment; Karate Zeon (0.05 %) + Vertimec (0.1 %) in the other three treatments). The average fruits weight in these variants was up to 72-74 g. This exceeded the fruits weight in the Standard variant by 22.0-25.4 %. The yield was 46.2-44.7 t/ha, which is 36.8-41.3 % higher than the standard variant. Fruits of the 1st grade in the named variants accounted for 63.3-65.6 % of the total yield

Invasion Genetics of the Horse-Chestnut Leaf Miner, Cameraria ohridella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), in European Russia: A Case of Successful Involvement of Citizen Science in Studying an Alien Insect Pest

Based on the intensive monitoring conducted by our team and volunteers in 2021, the secondary range of an alien horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella Deschka & Dimić, 1986 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), was specified in European Russia. This invasive pest was confirmed in 24 out of 58 administrative regions of Russia, which it has occupied for approximately 16 years. Analysis of the COI mtDNA gene sequenced in 201 specimens collected in 21 regions of the European part of Russia indicates the occurrence of two haplotypes (A and B), which are also present in the secondary range of C. ohridella in Eastern and Western Europe. The haplotype A dominated and was present in 87.5% of specimens from European Russia. In 2021, C. ohridella produced spectacular outbreaks in Aesculus hippocastanum in southern Russia, where it damaged more than 50% of the leaves in trees in 24 out of 30 distant localities. In the south of the country, the pest infested Acer pseudoplatanus, whereas other species of Acer of European, East Asian, and North American origin showed no signs of attacks. Taking into account that Ae. hippocastanum is present in most regions of European Russia, we expect a further range expansion of C. ohridella up to the Ural Mountains

The investigation of antimicrobial activity of some s-substituted bis-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones

New S-substituted 4-alkyl-5-((3-(pyridin-4-yl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5-yl)thio)methyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol derivatives have been designed, synthesized and studied their antimicrobial activity on 11 standard Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganism strains. Their spectral and physicochemical parameters were established using modern comprehensive methods of analysis, including 1H NMR spectroscopy, GC-MS and elemental analysis.It has been found that compound 2a exhibits strong suppression of 5 test strains (MBC = 15.6 µg/mL). Compound 4a showed moderate inhibition of Salmonella pullorum, Escherichia coli O2, Salmonella enteritidis strains (MBC = 31.25 µg/mL) Compound 6a was sensitive toward ten tested bacteria at 31.25 µg/mL concentration

Meet Me Halfway: Will Photoperiodic Responses of Interpopulation Hybrids of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) Promote or Constrain Subsequent Invasions?

Biological invasions often result from multiple invasion events. In the case of several subsequent invasive episodes, ‘newcomers’ are usually poorly adapted to local environmental conditions in contrast to the representatives of the already-established invasive population of the same species. Therefore, the mode of inheritance of life-history features determining the survival and performance of interpopulation hybrids is an important component of invasiveness. We investigated the mode of inheritance of the photoperiodic response in the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, by crossing between the native population of South Korea and the invasive population of the Black Sea coast of Russia. The aim of this study was to predict the overwintering potential of the progeny from possible crosses between representatives of the native and invasive populations. The pre-adult development time and the incidence of winter adult diapause in the progeny of the interpopulation crosses were close to the average of the values recorded in ‘pure’ (unmixed) crosses. Female and male genotypes were equally important in the determination of these characters. Such a mode of inheritance is most likely determined by a polygenic control and would only partially promote subsequent invasion events from the native South Asian range of H. halys into Europe

Meet Me Halfway: Will Photoperiodic Responses of Interpopulation Hybrids of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug <i>Halyomorpha halys</i> (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) Promote or Constrain Subsequent Invasions?

Biological invasions often result from multiple invasion events. In the case of several subsequent invasive episodes, ‘newcomers’ are usually poorly adapted to local environmental conditions in contrast to the representatives of the already-established invasive population of the same species. Therefore, the mode of inheritance of life-history features determining the survival and performance of interpopulation hybrids is an important component of invasiveness. We investigated the mode of inheritance of the photoperiodic response in the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, by crossing between the native population of South Korea and the invasive population of the Black Sea coast of Russia. The aim of this study was to predict the overwintering potential of the progeny from possible crosses between representatives of the native and invasive populations. The pre-adult development time and the incidence of winter adult diapause in the progeny of the interpopulation crosses were close to the average of the values recorded in ‘pure’ (unmixed) crosses. Female and male genotypes were equally important in the determination of these characters. Such a mode of inheritance is most likely determined by a polygenic control and would only partially promote subsequent invasion events from the native South Asian range of H. halys into Europe

Flying over Eurasia: Geographic Variation of Photoperiodic Control of Nymphal Development and Adult Diapause Induction in Native and Invasive Populations of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

Facultative winter adult diapause in Halyomorpha halys is regulated by a long-day photoperiodic response. Day length also influences nymphal development, which slows down at the critical (near-threshold) day lengths. We compared the photoperiodic responses of one native (Andong, South Korea) and three invasive (Torino, Italy; Basel, Switzerland; and Sochi, Russia) populations in a laboratory common-garden experiment. Nymphs developed and emerging adults were reared at 24 &deg;C in a range of photoperiods with day lengths of 14.0, 14.5, 15.0, 15.5, and 16.0 h. The critical day lengths of the photoperiodic responses of both sexes fell between 14.5 and 15.0 h in the native Korean population and between 15.0 and 15.5 h in three invasive European populations. The differences between the three invasive populations were not significant, despite their distant origins. Moreover, the difference between the Korean and European populations was much smaller than was expected. The microevolution was possibly &lsquo;too slow to keep up&rsquo; with the rapid spread of the invader across Eurasia. It is expected that soon the critical day length of the invasive H. halys populations will gradually change to adapt better to local conditions. At present, the critical day length for diapause induction of 15 h 15 min can be used to model the phenology, further spread, and response to climate change for all European populations of the pest