The location of floral nectar sources by mosquitoes: the long-range responses of Anopheles arabiensis Patton (Diptera: Culicidae) to Achillea millefolium flowers and isolated floral odour

1988 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 651-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. P. Healy ◽  
P. C. Jepson
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Long Range ◽  
Anopheles Arabiensis ◽  
Host Location ◽  
Visual Stimuli ◽  
Air Entrainment ◽  
Achillea Millefolium ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Nectar Sources ◽  
Chemical Testing

AbstractA wind-tunnel bioassay system, developed previously for the evaluation of long-range host-location stimuli, was used to investigate the responses of Anopheles arabiensis Patton to floral odours. Mosquitoes were found to respond by flight and landing to Achillea millefolium inflorescences and also to the odour of A. millefolium in the absence of visual stimuli. An air-entrainment technique was used to extract floral odours for biological and chemical testing. Both sexes of Anopheles arabiensis were found to respond to the floral odour extract. The major component of the floral odour was tentatively identified as a cyclic or bicyclic monoterpene.

scholarly journals Floral Resources for Trissolcus japonicus, a Parasitoid of Halyomorpha halys

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 413
Author(s):  
Hanna R. McIntosh ◽  
Victoria P. Skillman ◽  
Gracie Galindo ◽  
Jana C. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Egg Parasitoid ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Halyomorpha Halys ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Classical Biocontrol ◽  
Nectar Sources ◽  
Trissolcus Japonicus ◽  
The Impact

The egg parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus is the main candidate for classical biocontrol of the invasive agricultural pest Halyomorpha halys. The efficacy of classical biocontrol depends on the parasitoid’s survival and conservation in the agroecosystem. Most parasitoid species rely on floral nectar as a food source, thus identifying nectar sources for T. japonicus is critical. We evaluated the impact of eight flowering plant species on T. japonicus survival in the lab by exposing unfed wasps to flowers inside vials. We also measured the wasps’ nutrient levels to confirm feeding and energy storage using anthrone and vanillin assays adapted for T. japonicus. Buckwheat, cilantro, and dill provided the best nectar sources for T. japonicus by improving median survival by 15, 3.5, and 17.5 days compared to water. These three nectar sources increased wasps’ sugar levels, and cilantro and dill also increased glycogen levels. Sweet alyssum, marigold, crimson clover, yellow mustard, and phacelia did not improve wasp survival or nutrient reserves. Further research is needed to determine if these flowers maintain their benefits in the field and whether they will increase the parasitism rate of H. halys.

Vespula vulgaris(Hymenoptera: Vespidae) gynes use a sex pheromone to attract males

2013 ◽  
Vol 145 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Brown ◽  
Ashraf M. El-Sayed ◽  
David Maxwell Suckling ◽  
Lloyd D. Stringer ◽  
Jacqueline R. Beggs
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Long Range ◽  
Sex Attractant ◽  
Mate Finding ◽  
Sex Attraction ◽  
Vespula Vulgaris ◽  
Baited Traps ◽  
Virgin Queens ◽  
Cotton Roll

AbstractSex attraction studies were carried out to investigate the mate-finding behaviour of invasiveVespula vulgaris(Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) wasps. Delta traps were baited with live, caged males, and gynes (virgin queens) ofV. vulgaristo determine whether either sex produced a long-range sex attractant. Traps baited with gynes caught 71 males, while the controls and live-male wasp baited traps did not catch gynes. Wind tunnel trials were performed to verify if the signal produced by the gynes was chemical in nature. First,V. vulgarismales were flown to live caged gynes, where more than half of the males tested flew upwind in a zigzagging pattern and made contact with caged gynes. Males were also flown to hexane rinses of gynes and flew upwind in a zigzagging pattern towards the gyne extract, although none made contact with the cotton roll stimulus. The results presented here demonstrate conclusively thatV. vulgarisgynes produce a sex pheromone.

Experimental modelling of crown fire initiation in open and closed shrubland systems

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Watcharapong Tachajapong ◽  
Jesse Lozano ◽  
Shankar Mahalingam ◽  
David R. Weise
Keyword(s):  
Energy Transfer ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Air Entrainment ◽  
Convective Heating ◽  
Crown Fire ◽  
Number Range ◽  
Surface Fire ◽  
Open Environment ◽  
Fire Initiation

The transition of surface fire to live shrub crown fuels was studied through a simplified laboratory experiment using an open-topped wind tunnel. Respective surface and crown fuels used were excelsior (shredded Populus tremuloides wood) and live chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum, including branches and foliage). A high crown fuel bulk density of 6.8kgm–3 with a low crown fuel base height of 0.20m was selected to ensure successful crown fire initiation. Diagnostics included flame height and surface fire evolution. Experimental results were compared with similar experiments performed in an open environment, in which the side walls of the wind tunnel were removed. The effect of varying wind speed in the range 0–1.8ms–1, representing a Froude number range of 0–1.1, on crown fire initiation was investigated. The suppression of lateral entrainment due to wind tunnel walls influenced surface fire behaviour. When wind speed increased from 1.5 to 1.8ms–1, the rate of spread of surface fire and surface fire depth increased from 5.5 to 12.0cms–1 and 0.61 to 1.02m. As a result, the residence time of convective heating significantly increased from 16.0 to 24.0s and the hot gas temperature at the crown base increased from 994 to 1141K. The change in surface fire characteristics significantly affected the convective energy transfer process. Thus, the net energy transfer to the crown fuel increased so the propensity for crown fire initiation increased. In contrast, increasing wind speed decreased the tendency for crown fuel initiation in an open environment because of the cooling effect from fresh air entrainment via the lateral sides of surface fire.

The location of floral nectar sources by mosquitoes: an advanced bioassay for volatile plant odours and initial studies with Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae)

1988 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 641-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. Jepson ◽  
T. P. Healy
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Feeding Behaviour ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Behavioural Activity ◽  
Nectar Feeding ◽  
Nectar Sources ◽  
Nectar Source ◽  
Plant Odours ◽  
Ray Florets ◽  
Light:Dark Cycle

AbstractThe development and testing of a bioassay system to evaluate the potency of floral odours as mediators of long-range floral nectar source location by mosquitoes are described. The bioassay is quantitative and behaviourally discriminating, upwind flying and landing acting as indices of behavioural activity over the 24-h light:dark cycle. In initial tests, the responses of Aedes aegypti (L.) to the flowers and floral odours of ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) were investigated. A. aegypti exhibited a biphasic diel cycle of nectar-feeding behaviour and landed on modified flowers that retained either their disc or ray florets. Most significantly, the mosquitoes responded in a similar way to the odour of L. vulgare in the absence of visual stimuli or nutritional cues. They did not respond to solvent extracts of ox-eye daisy flowers.

scholarly journals Floral nectar affects longevity of the aphid parasitoid Aphidius ervi and its hyperparasitoid Dendrocerus aphidum

2006 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 178-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.A. Araj ◽  
S.D. Wratten ◽  
A.J. Lister A ◽  
H.L. Buckley
Keyword(s):  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Aphidius Ervi ◽  
Level System ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Aphid Parasitoid ◽  
Nectar Sources ◽  
Nectar Source ◽  
Aphid Host ◽  
Control Water

In this study the potential consequences of making a three or fourtrophic level system more complex by adding floral resources was studied in the laboratory for a range of plant nectar sources the aphid parasitoid Aphidius ervi and its hyperparasitoid Dendrocerus aphidum Parasitoids exposed to flowering buckwheat survived 45 times longer than those in the control (water only) and 34 times longer than those provided with phacelia alyssum or coriander Hyperarasitoids provided with buckwheat survived 56 times longer than those in the control and 35 times longer than those on the other flowering plants Buckwheat phacelia alyssum and coriander can therefore enhance the fitness of A ervi without benefiting its aphid host which does not feed on nectar However the fitness of the hyperparasitoid may increase relatively more than that of the parasitoid depending on the nectar source

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