Parasitism in a expanding species : has the European map butterfly escaped from its natural enemies

Warmer climate is a driving factor to species expansion northwards. Expansion to new areas can result in escape from natural enemies, resulting in reduced levels of mortality and thereby potentially increasing the rate of expansion. The most important parasitoid species attacking butterfly larvae belong to the families Tachinidae, Ichneumonidae and Braconidae. The aim of this thesis was to investigate parasitism and difference between populations in established area and newly colonized area for the European map butterfly, Araschnia levana, in order to examine if the butterfly has escaped from some natural enemies. In 1982 the first European map butterfly was observed in Sweden and has now established up to middle Småland. In order to see if the European map butterfly has escaped from natural enemies in newly colonized areas reared groups of larvae from the first generation where placed in the different areas (from Skåne up to the south of Småland). Larvae where collected after a time in the field and reared until they became adults. No parasitoids were hatched from any of the larval groups, and hence, there was no indication of lower parasitism in newly colonized area. One explanation for this can be that the European map butterfly has been established for a short time in Sweden and therefore can the whole range in Sweden be regarded as a newly colonized area. The method that was used in order to find parasitoids can also have influenced the result. The European map butterfly can despite this result have left their enemies behind when expanding northwards in Sweden.Varmare klimat kan leda till att arter sprider sig norrut. Genom expansion till nya områden kan arter delvis fly från sina naturliga fiender vilket skulle kunna bidra till att dödligheten blir låg i nykoloniserade områden. Mindre reglering från naturliga fiender kan minska dödligheten, vilket i sin tur ökar expansionshastigheten. De viktigaste parasitoiderna hos fjärilar är parasitflugor, bracksteklar och äkta parasitsteklar. Syftet med detta arbete var att undersöka frekvensskillnaden i parasitism mellan områden där kartfjärilen, Araschnia levana, varit etablerad en längre tid och mer nyetablerade populationer, för att testa om kartfjärilens spridning norrut har gjort att den flytt undan en del av sina naturliga fiender. I Sverige observerades kartfjärilen första gången 1982 och har nu etablerat sig upp till mellersta Småland. För att ta reda på om kartfjärilen flytt från fiender i det nykoloniserade området sattes uppfödda larver från första generation (vårgeneration) ut i fält på platser inom det etablerade området (Sydskåne) och det nykoloniserade området (norra Skåne och sydligaste Småland). Efter en tid ute i fält samlades larverna in och föddes upp fram till nästa generations fjärilar kläcktes. Inga parasitoider kläcktes från någon av de utplacerade grupperna, och alltså fanns det ingen skillnad i frekvensen av parasitism mellan det nykoloniserade området och det etablerade området. En anledning till detta skulle kunna vara att hela det svenska utbredningsområdet är ett nykoloniserat område dit parasitoider som finns längre söderut ännu inte har kommit. Metoden för att hitta parasitoider kan även ha påverkat resultatet. Kartfjärilen kan ha flytt från sin fiende även om detta arbete inte påvisar att så är fallet inom dess utbredning i Sverige

First records of the Z-Race of European Corn Borer Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner 1796) from Scandinavia

Der Maiszünsler (Ostrinia nubilalis) ist einer der bedeutendsten Schädlinge im Mais in Europa und in den Gebieten seiner Einschleppung. Er tritt in 2 Pheromonrassen (E und Z) mit in Mitteleuropa derzeit unterschiedlichen Hauptwirtspflanzen auf. Die E-Rasse ist häufig in Beifuß (Artemisia vulgaris) zu finden, während die hauptsächlich im Mais auftretende Z-Rasse in Deutschland den ökonomisch bedeutenden Schaden verursacht. Beide Ras­sen können jedoch auch andere Pflanzen befallen. So kann beispielsweise die E-Rasse auch am Mais auftreten. Eine morphologische Unterscheidung der Rassen ist nicht möglich. Für Skandinavien lagen bisher zwar Daten über das Vorkommen des Maiszünslers vor, jedoch keine Berichte über das Auftreten in Mais. In 2010 wurden Maiszünsler-Larven an einem Standort im Mais auf der Insel Sjaelland (Seeland), Dänemark, gefunden. Ein Moni­toring in Dänemark 2011 mit Pheromonfallen für die Z-Rasse erbrachte keine weiteren Funde. 2011 wurden jedoch in Südschweden am Mais an 3 Standorten Befall durch Maiszünsler-Larven festgestellt. Mittels PCR wurden Larven von 2 Standorten untersucht und als zur Z-Rasse gehörig bestätigt. Unabhängig davon wurden in 2010 Falter von der schwedischen Ostseeinsel Gotland ebenfalls als Tiere der Z-Rasse bestätigt. Dies sind die ersten Nachweise der Z-Rasse für Skandinavien und in Europa bislang die nördlichsten belegten Funde dieser Rasse. Implikationen für den Pflanzenschutz werden diskutiert.    European Corn Borer (ECB, Ostrinia nubilalis) is among the main pests of maize in Europe and throughout its intro­duced range. Two morphologically indistinguishable phero­mone races of the species exist, the so-called E-race and Z-race. In Germany the E-race is most common in mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) whereas the Z-race occurs mainly in maize and is responsible for the main proportion of the economic damage. But both races have several alternative host plants. For example, the E-race can also occur in maize. The species has been known from Scandinavia already for a considerable time period, but no occurrence in maize was reported until recently. In 2010 larvae were found in maize at one site on the isle of Sealand, Denmark. A monitoring with Z-race pheromone traps in Denmark in 2011 did not result in any catches of ECB. In the same year however, ECB larvae were found in maize at 3 sites in southern Sweden. Larvae from 2 sites were assigned to Z-race via PCR. Independently from these finds, adult moths caught on the isle of Gotland in 2010 were also confirmed to be Z-race by PCR. This is the first evidence of the occurrence of the Z-race in Scandinavia and the northernmost find of the Z-race in Europe so far. Implications for plant protection are discussed.   &nbsp

License to save? Corporate Social Responsibility activities of pharmaceutical companies in developing countries

The intention of this thesis is to investigate why and how pharmaceutical companies perform Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in developing countries. The use of CSR is getting more common in companies, including pharmaceutical ones. It is necessary to engage in CSR activities since it has become a natural part of many businesses where the public expect the companies to act socially responsible. Based on case studies of AstraZeneca and Pfizer, the pharmaceutical industry and its role in how to perform CSR is discussed. The analysis is based on a PESTLE-analysis, an abbreviation for Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological, Legal and Environmental, describing the environment in developing countries and how that affects AstraZeneca and Pfizer. This is complemented with four responsibilities of CSR; economic, philanthropic, legal and ethical. The conclusions indicate that large resources are dedicated to CSR activities in the pharmaceutical industry. Most of the projects concern health issues in Africa where AstraZeneca and Pfizer cooperate with local organizations. However, it might be wise to enhance the cooperation with local governments in the future

Assessing location choices of Swedish firms: South Africa and beyond

South Africa is considered the most developed country in sub-Saharan Africa and has since the end of apartheid experienced political, economic and social development. After apartheid, investments increased rapidly, including those sourcing from Swedish firms. Location-specific factors that attract investments to a specific market have somewhat been neglected in scientific research. The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the location-specific factors that Swedish firms find most important when choosing South Africa as a location for investments. This includes investigating South Africa as gateway into sub-Saharan Africa as well as to explore risks and challenges, which together form the research questions. To fulfill the purpose, interviews were conducted with nine Swedish firms and organizations established in South Africa in order to obtain personal insights. According to this study, several location-specific factors are attractive for Swedish firms. Some of the most emphasized are market size, growth, a generally easy business environment and cultural similarities between Sweden and South Africa. For some firms, personal preferences were described as crucial factors when choosing South Africa. Historical and political relations seemed to be of less importance while the good reputation of Sweden and Swedish products was beneficial for firms. In line with previous research, an attractive factor for some Swedish firms is the possibility to use South Africa as a gateway into other markets in sub-Saharan Africa. Swedish firms in South Africa face several risks and challenges, such as crime and political instability. However, segregation seems to be the most imminent risk since it leads to difficulties in recruiting black competent employees. Nevertheless, most of the risks and challenges can be alleviated and do not pose a threat to Swedish firms. In conclusion, South Africa is a complex market where it is important to understand both the business environment as well as the South African society in general.MSc in International Business and Trad