First records of the summerfruit tοrticid, Adoxophyes oranα F. ν .R. in Greece

Το πολυφάγο Αεπιδόπτερο Adoxophyes orana F.v.R. της οικογένειας Tortricidae παρατηρήθηκε για πρώτη φορά στην περιοχή της Νάουσας το 1985, σε μηλιές, ροδακινιές και κερασιές, όπου προσέβαλε την άνοιξη τους οφθαλμούς και αργότερα τα φύλλα και τους καρπούς. Πιθανότατα εισήλθε στην Ελλάδα από τη γειτονική Γιουγκοσλαβία, όπου ήταν γνωστό και προκαλούσε ζημιά στα οπωροφόρα δέντρα τουλάχιστον από το 1975. Το ενήλικο σε γενικό χρωματισμό και μορφή μοιάζει με το επίσης πολυφάγο φυλλοδετικό Λεπιδόπτερο.4Γί7φί rosanus L. Το άνοιγμα των πτερύγων στο ενήλικο αρσενικό είναι 15-20 mm και το θηλυκό 19-22 mm. Οι πρόσθιες πτέρυγες στο αρσενικό έχουν βασικό χρώμα κίτρινο ώχρας και στο θηλυκό σκοτεινότερο, συχνά καστανόμαυρο. Οι πτέρυγες αυτές και στα δύο φύλλα, έχουν χαρακτηριστικές κηλίδες και λωρίδες σκοτεινότερες από το βασικό χρώμα. Η πλήρως αναπτυγμένη προνύμφη είναι πράσινη και μήκους 18-20 mm.In spring 1985, buds of apple and peach trees in the Naoussa area of northern Greece were severely damaged by larvae of a tortricid moth. Adults emerged in late May and early June. Later in the season, we found larvae of the same species established and feeding on leaves and green or ripe fruits of apple and peach, as well as on ripe cherries. Larvae collected in late June were reared in the laboratory on peach leaves and on an artificial diet. The adults obtained were identified as Adoxophyes orana Fischer von Rosslerstamm (Lepidoptera. Tortricidae). A. orana is a synonym of A. reticulates Huebner, A.tripsiana Eversmann, A. fasciata Walsh., or Capua or Cacoecia reticulana Huebner and most probably, is a recent introduction to Greece. The damage it causes to fruits such as apples, peaches and cherries is such that it could not have escaped the attention of fruit growers and plant protection specialists if the insect had earlier been present in the country. A. orana has been established and caused damage to fruit trees in northwest and central Europe for approximately fifty years and in southern Yugoslavia for at least the last ten years. It is probable that it spread to northern Greece from neighboring Yugoslavia. In the Naoussa area, the moths laid their eggs in batches on fruits or leaves. On peach and cherry the eggs were laid on both sides of the leaves, whereas on apple on the upper side as was observed also in other countries. In early October, the larvae abandoned their feeding sites and went next to auxiliary buds and crevices of the bark of branches to spin their hibernating webs. The adult maleof A. orana has a wingspan of 15-20 mm and the female one of 19-22 mm. The fore wings of the male are yellow ochre reddish, and have distinct rusty-red designs. There is a basal darker (brown) area, and two large darker stripes. The median one departs from the basal third of the costa and terminates, widening or divided in two branches, at the tornus. The other stripe is preapical and may take the form of a triangular spot of which sometimes only the borders are visible. The fore wings of the female are normally darker than those of the male, often blackish-brown, and have darker and dimmer stripes and other markings. The hind wings are light grey in the male and grey-brown in the female. The ground colour in the specimens of northwestern Europe is varying from light brown to dark brown. The fully grown larva is 18-20 mm long, green, with a light brown head. It somewhat resembles the larva of another tortricid, Archipsrosanus L. which is a monovoltine polyphagous species common in Greek orchards in spring. A. orana is polyvoltine and feeds on buds, leaves and fruits of a great number of cultivated and wild plants. Among its reported many hosts are species of Betula, Crataegus, Cydonia, Gossypium, Ligustrum, Lonicera, Malus, Medicago, Pyrus, Populus, Pistacia, Parrotia, Proms,Quercus, Ribes, Rubus, Rosa, Salix, Solanum, Syringa, Tilia, Ulmus, Vaccinium and the grapevine Vitis vinifera

Wound myiasis caused by Lucilia sericata in an open femoral fracture treated with external fixation

Η μυΐαση είναι η τέταρτη πιο κοινή δερματική ασθένεια στον άνθρωπο που σχετίζεται με ταξίδια ενώ η δερματική μυΐαση είναι η συνηθέστερη κλινική μορφή. Αναφέρεται σε μη-ιατρογενή μόλυνση των ιστών από προνύμφες διπτέρων εντόμων και εμφανίζεται κυρίως σε ασθενείς που έχουν κακή υγιεινή, με συνθήκες κακής στέγασης, διανοητική καθυστέρηση, προχωρημένη ηλικία, διαβήτη, ακινητοποίηση και χαμηλό ανοσοποιητικό σύστημα. Ασθενής 14 ετών, ο οποίος είχε υποβληθεί πριν 6 μήνες σε εξωτερική οστεοσύνθεση μηριαίου λόγω κατάγματος διάφυσης μηριαίου, προσήλθε στα επείγοντα ιατρεία με άλγος στην περιοχή των βελονών. Κατά την εξέταση του τραύματος διαπιστώθηκε ερυθρότητα, οίδημα αλλά και η παρουσία ζωντανών προνυμφών διπτέρων εντόμων. Αφού ελέγχθηκε ακτινολογικά το κάταγμα της διάφυσης αφαιρέθηκε σε πρώτο χρόνο το σώμα της εξωτερικής οστεοσύνθεσης και έγινε σχολαστικότατος καθαρισμός. Με κατάλληλα χειρουργικά εργαλεία, απομονώθηκαν όλες οι προνύμφες από το τραύμα και τοποθετήθηκαν σε κατάλληλο υπόστρωμα για περαιτέρω εξέταση και προσδιορισμό του είδους. Έπειτα από μικροσκοπική εξέταση των προνυμφών και με βάση κατάλληλες μορφολογικές κλείδες προσδιορίστηκαν ως προνύμφες 3ης ηλικίας του είδους Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Έπειτα από 7 ημέρες αντιβιοτικής αγωγής ευρέως φάσματος, κλινοστατισμού, σχολαστικής περιποίησης των τραυμάτων και αφού είχαμε σαφή βελτίωση της περιοχής γύρω από τις βελόνες έγινε αφαίρεση αυτών. Κατά τις επανεξετάσεις έως και 6 μήνες μετά, τόσο κλινικά όσο και ακτινολογικά τα αποτελέσματα ήταν πολύ καλά.On examination of the wound of a patient who was treated previously with external fixation for a diaphysial fracture of the femur, we observed the presence of multiple living larvae (maggots) of dipterous flies. Treatment included removal of the maggots and use of antibiotic. The importance of hygiene and sanitation is discussed

Determination of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larval instars and age based on head capsule width and larval weight

Προνύμφες του Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) εκτράφηκαν σε χώρο με 26°C, φωτόφαση 16 ωρών και σχετική υγρασία 60-75%. Μετρήθηκαν, ανά προνυμφικό στάδιο, το πλάτος της κεφαλικής κάψας και το βάρος κάθε προνύμφης 2-3 ημέρες μετά την έκδυση, με σκοπό τον προσδιορισμό του προνυμφικού σταδίου και της ηλικίας. Χρησιμοποιήθηκε επί πλέον το βάρος της προνύμφης γιατί δεν είναι ασφαλής ο προσδιορισμός των προνυμφικών σταδίων μόνο από το πλάτος της κεφαλικής κάψας, καθόσον υπάρχει αλληλεπικάλυψη μεταξύ πλάτους ενός σταδίου και του προηγούμενου και επόμενου του, και ακόμη παρατηρείται διαφορετικός αριθμός σταδίων μεταξύ των προνυμφών. Η ανάπτυξη συμπληρώνεται σε 5 προνυμφικά στάδια στο 75% των προνυμφών, σε 6 στο 24% και σε 7 στο1%. Το πλάτος της κεφαλικής κάψας ήταν αρκετό για τη διάκριση των προνυμφών της Ιου σταδίου μόνο και το μέγιστο πλάτος ήταν 0,4mm. Το βάρος της προνύμφης ήταν ικανό μόνο του να προσδιορίσει προνύμφες 1ης και 2ης ηλικίας. Η διαφορά μεταξύ Ιου και 2ου σταδίου ήταν lmg και μεταξύ 2ου και 3ου σταδίου 5,5mg. Συσχέτιση και ανάλυση παραλλακτικότητας των δύο παραμέτρων μας δίνει τη δυνατότητα προσδιορισμού όλων των προνυμφικών σταδίων μιας προνύμφης με πιθανότητα 96,9%,.καθώς και την ηλικία της σε ημέρες από την εκκόλαψη.Larνae of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were reared in laboratory conditions (26°C, 16:8 L:D) and measurements of larval head capsule width, and body weight, were used in order to determine the boundaries of larval instars. Larvae of Η. armigera completed development in 5 to 7 instars. Head capsule width could predict the larval instar only for Ll. The upper boundary of head width for L1 was 0.4mm. Body weight could predict both L1 and L2 larval instars. Boundaries between L1-L2 instars were found to be 1 mg and for L2-L3 5,5 mg. Correlation and regression analysis suggest that a combination of head capsule width and body weight can predict both larval instars and chronological age under constant conditions in the laboratory

Behavioural response of the house mosquitoes Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex pipiens molestus to avian odours and its reliance on carbon dioxide

How Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes select and discriminate between potential avian hosts is critical for understanding the epidemiology of West Nile virus. Therefore, the present authors studied the behavioural responses of Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) and Culex pipiens molestus (Forsskål) to headspace volatiles of three avian species [chicken and pigeon (sexes analysed separately), and magpie], presented either alone or in combination with 600 p.p.m. carbon dioxide (CO2). The attraction of Cx. quinquefasciatus to the headspace volatiles of both sexes of chicken, and of female pigeon, in combination with CO2 was significantly higher than that achieved by the CO2 and solvent control. Although Cx. p. molestus was attracted to headspace volatiles of chickens and magpies, it was repelled by those of female pigeons when combined with CO2. An increased effect between the avian volatiles and CO2 was observed for Cx. quinquefasciatus, whereas the addition of CO2 had no effect on the attraction of Cx. p. molestus females. The results of this study demonstrate that Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. p. molestus are attracted to the odour of potential avian hosts. Future studies aimed at identifying the bioactive volatile compounds in the headspace of chickens may contribute to the potential development of effective surveillance and control tools against Culex species

Apple and Sugar Feeding in Adult Codling Moths, Cydia pomonella: Effects on Longevity, Fecundity, and Egg Fertility

Attraction of adult codling moths, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), to sweet baits has been well documented. However, beneficial effects of sugar feeding on moth fitness have not been demonstrated. Longevity, fecundity, and egg fertility were examined for female/male pairs of moths maintained with the following food regimens: water, sucrose water, honey water, apple juice, apple flesh, or starved, i.e., no food or water provided. Longevity and total fecundity were enhanced in all treatments relative to the starved treatment moths. Sucrose water, honey water, and apple juice treatments yielded the highest longevity, but total fecundity was highest for moths maintained on honey water or apple juice. Total egg fertility did not differ among treatments. However, egg fertility declined more gradually over the female lifespan for the three aqueous solution diets of sucrose water, honey water, and apple juice. Similarly, fecundity per day declined more gradually over time for honey water and apple juice treatments. Performance of moths maintained with apple flesh was generally intermediate between that of moths with water and the three aqueous solution treatments. This suggests that moths benefit from feeding on ripe apple flesh, although apple may be more difficult to ingest or its nutrients less concentrated compared to aqueous solutions. The results presented here may explain attraction of adult moths to sweet baits as well as to odors from ripe fruit, which may be a natural source of food in the fall

Overwintering Survival and Spring Emergence of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Northern Greece

Overwintering survival of Helicoverpa annigera (Hubner) was studied under field conditions during the winter of 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 to clarify whether a local population of this insect is established in northern Greece. Additionally, the postdiapause eclosion times of the overwintering generation was compared with adult male dynamics using pheromone traps. Our study supplies strong evidence that part, if not all, of the late-season generation of H armigera overwinters as diapausing pupa in northern Greece, suggesting that a local population exists in this area. Pupae enter diapause during September and October in response to declining temperatures and photoperiod. A limited number of degree-days in autumn prevented part of the population from developing to the diapausing pupal stage Larvae of H armigera that were placed in field conditions late in October were not able to pupate and died. The termination of diapause and the eclosion of adults in the following spring were determined by the local soil temperatures. Diapause terminated between mid-April and early May, and adult emergence occurred within a 4- to 6-wk period from late April to early June. Females emerged slightly earlier than the males. The emergence of 10, 25, 50, 75, and 90% of adults required 153, 199, 252, 303, and 347 DD, respectively Differences in timing and degree of overlap between adult emergence from the experimental population and pheromone trap catches suggests that the spring population of this species also includes immigrants