THE PRESENT PEST STATUS OF EUCALYPTUS SAP-SUCKERS AND GALL WASPS IN CAMPANIA (ITALY)

Sap-suckers and gall wasps may be a severe phytosanitary problem for several Eucalyptus species, particularly for the red gum E. camaldulensis, the most widely cultivated Australian native tree species worldwide. This paper reviewed the harmfulness of some of these invasive pests established in Campania, and provides new information about their pest status

THE PRESENT PEST STATUS OF EUCALYPTUSSAP-SUCKERS AND GALL WASPS IN CAMPANIA (ITALY)

ap-suckers and gall wasps may be a severe phytosanitary problem for several Eucalyptusspecies, particularlyfor the red gum E. camaldulensis, the most widely cultivated Australian native tree species worldwide. This paperreviewed the harmfulness of some of these invasive pests established in Campania, and provides new information abouttheir pest statu

Genetic diversity of the invasive gall wasp Leptocybe invasa (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and of its Rickettsia endosymbiont, and associated sex-ratio differences

The blue-gum chalcid Leptocybe invasa Fisher & LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a gall wasp pest of Eucalyptus species, likely native to Australia. Over the past 15 years it has invaded 39 countries on all continents where eucalypts are grown. The worldwide invasion of the blue gum chalcid was attributed to a single thelytokous morphospecies formally described in 2004. Subsequently, however, males have been recorded in several countries and the sex ratio of field populations has been found to be highly variable in different areas. In order to find an explanation for such sex ratio differences, populations of L. invasa from a broad geographical area were screened for the symbionts currently known as reproductive manipulators, and both wasps and symbionts were genetically characterized using multiple genes. Molecular analyses suggested that L. invasa is in fact a complex of two cryptic species involved in the rapid and efficient spread of the wasp, the first recovered from the Mediterranean region and South America, the latter from China. All screened specimens were infected by endosymbiotic bacteria belonging to the genus Rickettsia. Two closely related Rickettsia strains were found, each infecting one of the two putative cryptic species of L. invasa and associated with different average sex ratios. Rickettsia were found to be localised in the female reproductive tissues and transovarially transmitted, suggesting a possible role of Rickettsia as the causal agent of thelytokous parthenogenesis in L. invasa. Implications for the variation of sex ratio and for the management of L. invasa are discussed. Nugne

A new species of Soikiella Nowicki (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) from Italy

A new species of Soikiella Nowicki (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) that emerged mostly from galls induced by Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) on chestnut is described from Italy. The characterization of the new taxon, Soikiella italica Viggiani sp. n., was performed through a morpho-molecular approach. A key to the species of Soikiella is given. Emerging from the same samples were a few females of an unidentified species of Trichogramma Westwood that likely emerged from eggs of Lepidoptera associated with the galls. The true host of S. italica is also indicated to be the eggs of some insect other than D. kuriphilus that uses their galls as oviposition sites

Rietveld structure refinement of Pr doped zirconia

This work deals with the synthesis and Rietveld structure refinement of a zirconium-praseodymium yellow pigment prepared either by a traditional ceramic process route and by an unconventional synthesis method based on SHS (Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis). in order to confirm the effective formation of the solid solutions, SEM imaging and EDS analysis, and leaching tests have also been performed. The results proved the applicability of the unconventional processing route for obtaining yellow solid solutions

Resistance of a Local Ecotype of Castanea sativa to Dryocosmus kuriphilus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) in Southern Italy

The cynipid Dryocosmus kuriphilus is the most impactful invasive pest of Castanea sativa copse woods and orchards currently reported from many European countries. A low impact solution for the containment of this pest could be the use of resistant trees. We examined the resistance of the red salernitan ecotype (RSE) of C. sativa to D. kuriphilus and carried out a morphological characterization of this ecotype’s plants and fruits. From November 2015 to May 2017 we observed and recorded the percentage of infested buds, healthy leaves and shoots on about 50 chestnut trees, together with the number, size, and position of galls, and the number of eggs laid by the gall wasps into the buds and the number of larvae inside the galls. We showed a progressive mortality of cynipid larvae up to the starting point of galls development when almost total larval mortality was recorded. This suggests that RSE trees have a moderate resistance to D. kuriphilus; however, resistance acts at different levels, resulting in fewer eggs being deposited, a low number of larvae reaching the complete development, and a low number of galls on the branches. Moreover, the galls on resistant trees are smaller than the susceptible ones, so the larvae are more exposed to parasitization

Characterization of Fibrous Wollastonite NYAD G in View of Its Use as Negative Standard for <i>In Vitro</i> Toxicity Tests

Today, despite considerable efforts undertaken by the scientific community, the mechanisms of carcinogenesis of mineral fibres remain poorly understood. A crucial role in disclosing the mechanisms of action of mineral fibres is played by in vitro and in vivo models. Such models require experimental design based on negative and positive controls. Commonly used positive controls are amosite and crocidolite UICC standards, while negative controls have not been identified so far. The extensive characterisation and assessment of toxicity/pathogenicity potential carried out in this work indicate that the commercial fibrous wollastonite NYAD G may be considered as a negative standard control for biological and biomedical tests involving mineral fibres. Preliminary in vitro tests suggest that wollastonite NYAD G is not genotoxic. This material is nearly pure and is characterized by very long (46.6 µm), thick (3.74 µm) and non-biodurable fibres with a low content of metals. According to the fibre potential toxicity index (FPTI) model, wollastonite NYAD G is an inert mineral fibre that is expected to exert a low biological response during in vitro/in vivo testing

In situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic study of fibroferrite, FeOH(SO4)\ub75H2O

The thermal dehydration process of fibroferrite, FeOH(SO4)\ub75H2O, a secondary iron-bearing hydrous sulfate, was investigated by in situ high-temperature synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction (HT-XRPD), in situ high-temperature Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (HT-FTIR) and thermal analysis (TGA-DTA) combined with evolved gas mass spectrometry. The data analysis allowed the determination of the stability fields and the reaction paths for this mineral as well as characterization of its high-temperature products. Five main endothermic peaks are observed in the DTA curve collected from room T up to 800 \ub0C. Mass spectrometry of gases evolved during thermogravimetric analysis confirms that the first four mass loss steps are due to water emission, while the fifth is due to a dehydroxylation process; the final step is due to the decomposition of the remaining sulfate ion. The temperature behavior of the different phases occurring during the heating process was analyzed, and the induced structural changes are discussed. In particular, the crystal structure of a new phase, FeOH(SO4)\ub74H2O, appearing at about 80 \ub0C due to release of one interstitial H2O molecule, was solved by ab initio real-space and reciprocal-space methods. This study contributes to further understanding of the dehydration mechanism and thermal stability of secondary sulfate minerals