Dispersal and Oviposition Patterns of Lycorma Delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) During Oviposition Period in Ailanthus Altissima (Simaroubaceae)

The spotted lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), has the potential to become a global pest and is currently expanding its range in the United States. In this study, we investigated the dispersal patterns of SLF in Ailanthus altissima during its oviposition period in South Korea using fluorescent marking system. Oviposition patterns of SLF were then analyzed by surveying egg masses in A. altissima patches. The recapture rate of fluorescent-marked SLF rapidly decreased < 30% within the first two weeks. During the oviposition period, seven cases of among-patch dispersal of SLF adults were observed with a minimum estimated dispersal distance mainly ranging between 10 - 60 m and a maximum of 1,740 m. Also, the number of A. altissima trees detected with fluorescent-marked SLF increased until late September. Based on the egg mass survey, a total of 159 egg masses were detected from 38 out of 247 A. altissima trees. Furthermore, ca. 80% of egg masses were located < 2.5 m above the ground. Finally, the number of egg masses showed significant positive correlations with the height and diameter at root collar of A. altissima trees; both tree height and DRC were significantly larger from the trees with egg masses.

Production Performance of Layer Strain Hy-Line Brown in Different Cage Locations in Closed House

The aim of this study was to determine the production performance of layer hen strain Hy-Line Brown in different cage locations in closed house. The research material was 5,051 laying hens of the Hy-Line strain aged 28 weeks. House system was closed house, cage arranged to form frame A. Hy-Line Brown layer were housed at cage densities of 500 cm2 per hen. Research feed is complete feed code 324 KJ produced by PT. Charoen Pokphand Indonesia. The research method is comparative, comparing the production performance on the location of the cage in zone 1 (inlet), zone 2 (middle), and zone 3 (outlet) of a closed cage. The research sample is 10% of the total population. Observations were carried out on 6 cages which were randomly selected in each cage zone. The average density of cages is 20 birds/m2. Tabulated research data are Hen Day Production (%), egg weight (g), egg mass (kg), and feed conversion. Data analysis is analysis of variance analysis (One-Way ANOVA). Based on the results of the study, there were significant differences in the the production performance of layer hen strain Hy-Line Brown in different cage locations in closed house. The highest production performance is the cage located close to the inlet (Zone 1).

Use of the feed additive “Toxinon” in feeding of replacement young chickens and laying hens

At the present time of the development of industrial poultry farming, the main tasks are to increase the productivity of poultry, reduce production costs and improve its quality. Under practical conditions, there is a shortage of minerals in compound feed for poultry, which leads to a violation of metabolism in the body, slowing down growth and development, deterioration of the work of organs and systems, a decrease in productivity and its quality, and an increase in the prime-cost of production. The purpose of the research was to study the effectiveness of the use of the feed additive “Toxinon” in feeding of replacement young chickens and laying hens. The research has been carried out under the conditions of OOO “Bogotolskaya Poultry Farm” in the Bogotolsky area in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Comprehensive studies have been conducted to study the effect of the feed additive “Toxinon” on the growth and development, productivity and metabolism of replacement young chickens and laying hens of the industrial herd of the cross “Haysex brown”. The influence of different dosages of the feed additive “Toxinon” on the growth rate, livestock livability, digestibility and use of feed nutrients, egg productivity, egg quality, hematological and biochemical blood parameters of replacement young chickens and laying hens has been studied. The laying hens of the 3rd experimental group were distinguished by the highest egg productivity during the experiment period, which exceeded the control group in terms of the gross number of eggs by 6,4 %, the intensity of egg production by 5,02 abs.%, egg weight by 3,0 % (P > 0,95), the yield of egg mass on the average laying hen by 9,12 %. At the same time, expenditures of feed in the 3rd experimental group have decreased compared to the control group by 7,3 % for 10 eggs, by 9,2 % for 1 kg of egg mass. It has been found that in feeding replacement young chickens and laying hens, the most effective use of the feed additive “Toxinon” in the dosage of 0,25 % of the weight of the feed mixture (2,5 kg/ton of feed).

Oviposition Deterrence and Ovicidal Activity of Birbira (Melletia furrgunia) on Diamondback Moth (Plutella xylostella) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

The efficacy of different polar and non-polar solvent extracts of Birbira, Melletia furrginea (Hochst.) Baker tree seeds namely: Water, Acetic acid, Acetone, Chloroform, Toluene, and Hexane at different rates were evaluated on Diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. oviposition and egg mortality under laboratory conditions. The leaf dipping method was used to run both assays. In the assay, full Oviposition deterrence was recorded at the higher rates of polar solvent extracts. Significantly higher egg un-hatchability was recorded only at the higher rates for non-polar extracts. Eggs mortality caused by extracts with Water and Acetone was very high, and have much smaller LC50 values. In contrast, LC50 was higher for the other extracts. However, there was a constant increase in the percent kill of egg mass with the increase in the extract concentration. From this study, it is evident that M. furrgunia extracts with different solvents possess significant oviposition deterrence and ovicidal effect on P. xylostella.

Efficiency of tick biotherapic on the control of infestation by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus in Dutch dairy cows.

Background: cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus poses serious problems for farmers in Brazil, especially because the parasite easily develops resistance to pesticide agents. For this reason, together with other factors including environmental, human and animal contamination and costs, alternative approaches have been sought for. Aims: this study sough to evaluate the efficiency of a tick biotherapic on tick-infested cows. Methods: 34 dairy Dutch cows were divided in 2 groups: one group received 100g/day of mineral salt supplement impregnated with tick biotherapic 12cH for 6 months, and then in alternate days with tick biotherapic 30cH to complete 28 months of treatment; the other group (control) received only the mineral salt supplement. After 28 months of treatment, engorged Rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus females were collected in both groups, counted and weighed; in vitro tests were carried out to assess mass of ticks; egg mass; egg-hatching rate; and reproductive efficiency. Results: There was significant difference between both groups for all parameters evaluated; tick-mass (p = 0.0008); egg mass (p=0.0044); egg-hatching rate (p= 0.0017); and reproductive efficiency (p = 0.0044). Conclusion: treatment with tick biotherapic significantly decreased the mass of engorged females, deposition and hatching rate of eggs, resulting consequently in the decrease of the reproductive efficiency of ticks.

First Report of the Apple Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne mali, on Maple Trees in Republic of Korea

Meloidogyne mali was originally described in Japan on roots of an apple rootstock (Malus prunifolia) (Itoh et al. 1969) and found on elm trees in Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, France and United Kingdom, and euonymus in the USA (EPPO 2018; Prior et al. 2019). In Italy, the nematode was initially described as a new species, Meloidogyne ulmi, but was later synonymized with M. mali (Ahmad et al., 2013). During the study of Meloidogyne species in Republic of Korea, galled roots were found on Acer palmatum collected in Naejangsan National Park, Republic of Korea located at 35°29'29.1"N, 126°55'42.7"E, altitude 147.8 m. Morphologically, the perineal patterns of the females was very similar to M. mali due to rounded dorsal arch and smooth, finely-spaced, indistinct striae. Lateral field shallow, narrow, and faint. Phasmids large, very distinct. Head region of second–stage juveniles flattened anteriorly to hemispherical, slightly set-off from body, without annulations, low head cap. Stylet slender, sharply pointed cone, cylindrical shaft with rounded knob sloping posteriorly. Tail conoid with irregular, and rounded end. Rectum undilated. Several micrographs were made from 25 J2s and females for mean, standard deviation and range. J2s were measured with a body length: 408.2 ± 25.1 (366-449) µm, maximum body width: 15.9 ± 1.0 (14.1-17.9) µm, stylet length: 14.1 ± 0.5 (13.1-15.3) µm, hyaline tail terminus: 10.0 ± 0.9 (8.3-11.0) µm and tail length: 31.7 ± 3.0 (26.0-36.1) µm. Females (n=25) were characterized by a body length: 656.7 ± 102.7 (516-947) µm, a stylet length: 16.4 ± 2.2 (13.9-19.0) µm, a vulval slit length: 22.2 ± 1.8 (19.8-25.7) µm, and a vulva-anal distance: 20.2 ± 2.4 (17.1-25.4) µm. Morphological measurements and configuration of perineal patterns (Fig. 1S) were comparable to M. mali (Itoh et al. 1969; Ahmed et al. 2013; Gu et al. 2020). To confirm pathogenicity, a modified version of Koch’s postulates was conducted in the greenhouse by inoculating 300 eggs from a single egg mass onto each of three, two-year-old A. palmatum plants, grown in sterilized sandy soil. After about one year, symptoms developed on the maple tree roots, with numerous galls containing females and egg masses by visual inspection. In addition, PCR was performed for the 28S rDNA D2-D3 segment and ITS region using the primers D2A, D3B, TW81 and AB28. The resulting sequences (MW522548, MW522549, MW523004 and MW523005) were at least 99% identical to other 28S rDNA D2-D3 segment and ITS region sequences on Genbank (MT406757 and JX978229). The molecular phylogenetic relationships of this species strongly supports M. mali (Fig. 2S). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of M. mali in Republic of Korea. The host range of M. mali includes many species which are of economic importance in fruit trees (e.g. apple, chestnut, fig, mulberry), forestry trees (e.g. elm, maple, oak, Yew), and vegetable crops (e.g. cabbage, carrot, cucumber, eggplant, soybean, watermelon). The potential danger to these economically important plants caused M. mali to be added the EPPO Alert List and also the Quarantine List of the Korean Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency. Additionally, in our survey around the Naejangsan National Park, M. mali was not found on other economically important host crops, such as grapes. Although this nematode was not detected other crops, it requires regular monitoring because it poses a serious threat to the future production of these crops.

Parental provisioning drives brain size in birds

Larger brains should be adaptive because they support numerous eco- and socio-cognitive benefits, but these benefits explain only a modest part of the interspecific variation in brain size. Notably underexplored are the high energetic costs of developing brains, and thus the possible role of parental provisioning in the evolution of adult brain size. We explore this idea in birds, which show considerable variation in both socio-ecological traits and the energy transfer from parents to offspring. Comparative analyses of 1,176 bird species show that the combination of adult body mass, mode of development at hatching, relative egg mass, and the time spent provisioning the young in combination strongly predict relative brain size across species. Adding adult eco- and socio-cognitive predictors only marginally adds explanatory value. We therefore conclude that parental provisioning enabled bird species to evolve into skill-intensive niches, reducing interspecific competition and consequently promoting survival prospects and population stability. Critically, parental provisioning also explains why precocial bird species have smaller brains than altricial ones. Finally, these results suggest that the cognitive adaptations that provide the behavioral flexibility to improve reproductive success and survival are intrinsically linked to successful parental provisioning. Our findings also suggest that the traditionally assessed cognitive abilities may not predict relative brain size.

Efficiency of food egg production used for keeping layers of monochrome light with different wavelengths

Artificial light, as an environmental factor, is crucial for the release of hormones that play a key role in a bird's life, growth, immunity and reproduction. For laying hens, light plays an important role in the development and functioning of the reproductive system, significantly affecting the age of laying the first egg, egg-laying and productivity in general. The source of artificial light of the latest generation in poultry farming is LED lamps. Compared to incandescent and fluorescent lamps, LEDs have a longer service life, specific spectrum, lower heat output, higher energy efficiency and reliability, as well as lower maintenance costs, so they are increasingly used by manufacturers. LEDs are a special type of semiconductor diode that can give monochrome light. However, information on the effect of monochrome light with different wavelengths of light on the physiological state of the hens’ body is quite contradictory. Therefore, the aim of the work was to study the efficiency of egg production using monochrome light with different wavelengths. For this purpose, in the conditions of a modern complex for production of food eggs in a poultry house with an area of 2915 m2, 4 groups of hens of the industrial herd "Hy-Line W-36" were formed, each of which was kept in a separate poultry house similar in area and cage equipment. Each poultry house was equipped with cage batteries "Big Dutchman" (Germany), consisting of 1176 cages with an area of 40544 cm2 (362 × 112 cm). The differences between the poultry houses applied only to LED lamps. Thus, hens of the 1st group were kept using LED lamps with a peak light wavelength of 458 nm (blue color of the spectrum), the 2nd group – 603 nm (yellow color of the spectrum), the 3rd group – 632 nm (orange color of the spectrum) and the 4th group – 653 nm (red color of the spectrum). Every day, for 44 weeks of the productive period, the number of eggs laid by the laying hens of each group and the intensity of their laying were determined. The number of hatched hens (due to death and culling) was also counted daily and the number of livestock was determined. Once a week, the weight of eggs and live weight of laying hens were measured from certain labeled cages according to a sample. The European egg production rate on the basis of productivity was determined. It was found that for the maintenance of laying hens of modern white-egg crosses in 12-tier cage batteries of classical designs, it is advisable to use lighting with a peak wavelength of 653 nm, that is with red light. This makes it possible for the 44-week egg-laying period to receive an additional 4.8–18.8 million eggs from each poultry house (0.4–1.6 thousand eggs per 1 m2 of its area) at the highest level of the European egg production rate at 1.0–3.8 units The decrease in the peak wavelength from 653 to 632 nm, which was manifested by a change in light from red to orange, was accompanied by a decrease in the preservation of livestock by 0.7% (3.8% ˂ normal), body weight – by 0.6% within physiological norms, egg-laying per initial laying hen – by 2.9% (5.3% ˂ norm), which caused a decrease in the gross yield of eggs by 4.5 million eggs and egg mass – by 3273 tons from each poultry house, including 1.6 thousand eggs and 112.3 kg per 1 m2 of its area, with a decrease in the level of European egg production rate by 1.0 units. The decrease in the peak wavelength to 603 nm, that is the change in the color of light from red and orange to yellow, was accompanied by a decrease in the preservation of livestock by 6.0–6.7% (9.8% ˂ normal), body weight – by 1.0 –1.7% within the physiological norm, egg-laying per initial laying hen – by 6.6–10.3% (11.6% ˂ of the norm) and feed consumption – by 0.6–0.7% (7.5%) > norms), which led to a decrease in gross egg yield by 7.8–12.6 million eggs and egg mass – by 505.7–833.0 tons from each poultry house, including 2.7–4.3 thousand eggs and 173.5–285.8 kg per 1 m2 of its area, with a decrease in the level of the European egg production rate by 1.6–2.6 units. The decrease in the peak wavelength to 458 nm, that is the change in light color from red, orange and yellow to blue, is accompanied by a decrease in the preservation of livestock by 4.2–10.9% (14.0% ˂ normal), body weight – by 2,3–4.0% (0.2% ˂ of the norm), egg-laying per initial laying hen – by 5.6–15.3% (16.5% ˂ of the norm) and feed costs – by 2.0–2.7 % (5.3%> norms), which led to a decrease in gross egg yield by 6.1–18.8 million eggs and egg mass – by 365.3–1198.3 tons from each poultry house, including 2.1–6.4 thousand eggs and 125.3–288.9 kg per 1 m2 of its area, with a decrease in the level of the European egg production rate by 1.2–3.8 units.

Biological control of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) by the entomopathogenic fungus Entomophaga maimaiga in Bulgaria in 2021

In 2021, biological control programme against gipsy moth (Lymantria dispar) populations was carried out by introduction of the entomopathogenic fungus Entomophaga maimaiga on the territory of four State Forest Enterprises: Municipal Enterprise (ME) &lsquo;Management of Municipal Forests, Agriculture and Forestry&rsquo;, Nessebar; State Game Enterprises (SGE) Nessebar and Balchik; State Forestry (SF) Vidin. The pathogen was introduced during the period 15-26.03.2021 in 34 localities - five in ME Nessebar, eight in SGE Nessebar, ten in SGE Balchik and eleven in SF Vidin. The average number of gypsy moth population density in the locations of introduction was relatively high, ranging between 0.4-15.9 egg mass/tree in the area of &#8203;&#8203;SGE Balchik and 11.9-65.0 egg mass/tree in the area of &#8203;&#8203;ME Nessebar. The average mortality of young gypsy moth caterpillars (first-third instar) due to E. maimaiga varied between 2.6% (SGE Balchik) and 13.0% (SF Vidin), and of caterpillars in later fourth-sixth instar - between 20.7% (SF Vidin) and 52.4% (ME Nessebar). The overall mortality of the gipsy moth caterpillars due to E. maimaiga was lowest in the region of SGE Balchik (26.1%), followed by SF Vidin (33.7%), SGE Nessebar (48.5%) and ME Nessebar (55.9%). As a result of the introduction, gipsy moth severe outbreaks in the region of Nessebar was significantly suppressed. The high number of E. maimaiga resting spores persists in the surface layers of the soil in the other two areas (Vidin and Balchik) has the potential to suppress L.&nbsp;dispar attacks in next years.