Populational fluctuation and spatial distribution of Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera; Tenebrionidae) in a poultry house, Cascavel, Parana state, Brazil.
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Knowledge of the population fluctuation and spatial distribution of pests is fundamental for establishing an appropriate control method. The population fluctuation and spatial distribution of the Alphitobius diaperinus in a poultry house in Cascavel, in the state of Parana, Brazil, was studied between October, 2001 and October 2002. Larvae and adults of the lesser mealworm were sampled weekly using Arends tube traps (n = 22) for six consecutive flock grow-outs. The temperature of the litter and of the poultry house was measured at the same locations of the tube traps. Beetle numbers increased continuously throughout all the sampling dates (average 5,137 in the first week and 18,494 insects on the sixth week). Significantly greater numbers of larvae were collected than adults (1 to 20 times in 95% of the sampling points). There was no correlation between temperature and the number of larvae and adults collected, therefore no fluctuation was observed during the sampling period. The population growth was correlated to litter re-use. The highest temperatures were observed in deep litter. The spatial distribution of larvae and adults in the poultry house was heterogeneous during the whole period of evaluation. Results suggest that monitoring in poultry houses is necessary prior to adopting and evaluating control measures due to the great variability of the insect distribution in the poultry house. (+info)
Aerial hawking and landing: approach behaviour in Natterer's bats, Myotis nattereri (Kuhl 1818).
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We compared the flight and echolocation behaviour of a vespertilionid bat (Myotis nattereri) approaching a large stationary or a small moving target. Bats were trained to either land on a landing grid or to catch a moving tethered mealworm. When closing in on these two targets, the bats emitted groups of sounds with increasing number of signals and decreasing pulse interval and duration. When pursuing the mealworm, the approach phase always ended with a terminal group consisting of buzz I and buzz II. When landing, the bats emitted either a terminal group consisting of buzz I alone, with one or two extra pulses, or a group consisting of buzz I and buzz II. In all situations, buzz I ended on average between 47-63 ms prior to contact with the target of interest, which is approximately the reaction time of bats. Therefore, the information collected in buzz II does not guide the bats to the target. The relevant part of the approach phase to reach the target ends with buzz I. The basic sound pattern of this part is rather similar and independent of whether the bats approach the large stationary or the small moving target. (+info)
A three-step proteolytic cascade mediates the activation of the peptidoglycan-induced toll pathway in an insect.
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Observation on intranuclear crystal and nucleolar size at different stages of cell differentiation in the midgut epithelium of several insects.
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Based on an inverse size relationship between nuclear crystal and nucleolus in different cells it has been postulated by several authors that the crystal develops from nucleolar materials. The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the validity of this argument. Intranuclear proteinaceous crystals appear in differentiating midgut cells of Gyrinus marinus and Tenebrio molitor. In an autoradiographic study we have previously demonstrated in these two species that the crystals do not develop from nucleolar materials. However, an inverse relationship with regard to size is observed between these 2 structures during the cell differentiation: the cross-sectional area of the nucleolus decreases when the cross-sectional area of the crystal increases. But a decrease in size of the nucleolus is also observed during the differentiation of the midgut cells of Gyrinus natator where the crystals are not present. Consequently an inverse size relationship cannot be a sufficient argument to postulate that intranuclear crystals and nucleoli are interconvertible structures; decrease in size of the nucleolus is not related to development of the intranuclear crystal. (+info)
Stable carbon isotopes in exhaled breath as tracers for dietary information in birds and mammals.
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