Insecticidal factors from the seeds of Erythrina indica Lam against Hyblaea puera, the most serious defoliator pest of teak

The organic solvent extracts from the seeds of Erythrina indica were tested for their insecticidal action against Hyblaea puera, the most important defoliator pest of teak. The larvicidal activity of the petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol, ethyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, acetone and water extracts from the seeds of E. indica on the 3rd instar larvae of H. puera showed 100% mortality even with least concentration (0.25%). The ovicidal activity was exhibited by chloroform and ethyl acetate extract. Both the extracts exhibited highest egg hatch inhibition (56%) at highest concentration (2%). The least LC50 (1.15%) shows that ethyl acetate extract is better than chloroform extract (1.78). Two compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the seeds of Erythrina indica by column chromatography. The compounds were identified using HPLC, GC MS, and NMR. Compound 1 was a mixture of linoleic acid and oleic acid. Compound 2 was a mixture of linoleic acid and oleic acid ester with a glycerol unit attached to it. Compounds 1 and 2 were biologically active and exhibited potent insecticidal activity against the 3rd instar larvae of H. puera. The result showed that Compound 2 isolated from E. indica exhibited highest mortality (72%) at concentration (0.125%). At highest concentration (0.5%) highest mortality (92%) was exhibited by Compound 2 which on comparison is on par with the Neemark (Azadirachtin) exhibiting highest mortality (100%). The study is complementary with earliar works and proves that the seeds of E. indica has immense potential to be utilized as botanical insecticide

A review of the oriental species of Megastigmus Dalman (Hymenoptera: Torymidae)

This article does not have an abstract

Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Ceraphronoidea) reared mainly from Coccoidea (Homoptera) attacking sandalwood, Santalum album L.

The hymenopteran parasitoids of pests associated with sandalwood in southern Indian State of Kamataka are dealth with. One new encyrtid genus (Neperpolia) and ten new species are de­ scribed: 6 species in Encyrtidae (Anicetus inglisiae Hayat, Metaphycus bolangerae Hayat, Microterys agaeus Hayat, Neperpolia bangalorensis Hayat, Ooencyrtus kerriae Hayat, Philosindia inglisiae Hayat), one species in Signiphoridae (Signiphora woolleyi Hayat), and 3 species in Eulophidae (Aprostocetus ban­ galoricus Narendran, A. santalinus Narendran, Euplectrus nuperus Narendran). The following species are recorded: Aphelinidae: Coccophagus bivittatus; C. ceroplastae; C. cowperi; Encarsia citrina; Marietta leopardina; Encyrtidae: Bothriophryne pulvinarlae; Cheiloneurus basiri; Encyrtus aurantii; Thomsonisca pakistanensis; Pteromalidae: Cephaleta nirupama; Scutellista caerulea

A new genus and species of Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) parasitic on Ghoon borers of Bamboo in Karnataka (India)

Cyrtophagoides ghooubori Narcndran gen. & sp. nov. is described as a parasitoid of the Ghoon borer, Dinoderus sp., of Bamboo in Karnataka, India and compared to related genera. Heydonia indica Narcndran (Pteromalidae) is newly reported from the tunnels of Dinoderus sp. and Dendrocalamus strictus (Rosch,) (Pteromalidae) is newly reported from India

Meteoridea hutsoni (Nixon) (Braconidae: Hymenoptera), a new larval parasite of Nephantis serinopa Meyrick (Xylorictidae: Lepidoptera)

This article does not have an abstract

Sox factors transcriptionally regulate ROBO4 gene expression in developing vasculature in zebrafish

Despite their importance as members of the Roundabout (Robo) family in the control of axonal and vascular patterning, the transcriptional regulation of these genes is poorly understood. In this study, we show that members of the Sry-related high mobility box (Sox) transcription factor family as being transcriptional regulators of roundabout4 (robo4), a Robo gene family member that participates in sprouting angiogenesis in vivo, in zebrafish. Double whole mount in situ hybridization analysis in zebrafish embryos revealed co-localization of the vascular relevant Sox factors sox7 or sox18 mRNA with robo4 transcripts in developing intersomitic vessels. A 3-kb human ROBO4 promoter element was able to drive reporter expression in zebrafish to recapitulate the endogenous temporal intersomitic vessel expression pattern of robo4. EMSA analysis confirmed binding of Sox18 to a canonical Sox binding site (from -1170 bp to -1176 bp) in the ROBO4 promoter (3 kb), and mutation analysis indicated that this site was partially responsible for ROBO4 promoter activity in ECs. A combination of gain-and loss-of-function analysis identified Sox7 and Sox18 co-regulation of robo4 but not fli1a transcripts in zebrafish. Finally, Sox-mediated robo4 transcriptional regulation is conserved across evolution. These studies imply Sox-mediated transcriptional regulation of Robo4 in the developing embryonic vasculature