scholarly journals Artificial Feeding and Laboratory Rearing of Endangered Saproxylic Beetles as a Tool for Insect Conservation

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Bonacci ◽  
Mattia Rovito ◽  
Jakub Horák ◽  
Pietro Brandmayr
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Bark Beetles ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Artificial Feeding ◽  
Saproxylic Beetles ◽  
Cycle Duration ◽  
High Survival ◽  
Laboratory Conditions ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Dead Prey

Abstract Conservation of threatened animals is frequently limited by lack of knowledge about their ecological preferences, and often artificial feeding is one of the few chances to save endangered species. We investigated the possibility to artificially feed two endangered flat bark beetles dependent on dead wood for their diet—namely, Cucujus cinnaberinus (Scopoli, 1763) and Cucujus haematodes Erichson, 1845—by examining their dietary preferences, life cycle duration, and survival in laboratory conditions. Individuals of the two species were caught in the wild and larvae and adults were fed in laboratory conditions by live or dead prey. Three species of saproxylic beetles: two cerambycids (Acanthocinus griseus Fabricius, 1793 and Rhagium inquisitor Linnaeus, 1758), one scolytid (Ips sexdentatus Börner, 1776) one tenebrionid (Tenebrio molitor (Linnaeus, 1758)) one dipteran (Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826)) and one ant (Lasius sp. Fabricius, 1804) were used as prey, with minced meat as a control. Our results indicated high survival and no difference in prey choice between the two flat beetle species. Larvae and adults preferred dead prey, but no significant preference was detected among dead prey taxa, supporting the hypothesis that the two species are opportunistic scavengers. Comparing data with previous results, both species and their developmental stages should be classified as obligate saproxylic organisms with preference to the dead and decaying organic material. Successful artificial feeding and rearing of these endangered species, followed by the release in the wild through rescue or reintroduction programs, therefore appear relevant for their protection and future conservation.

scholarly journals Some biological aspects of Leucothyreus femoratus (Burmeister) (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae), in oil palm plantations from Colombia

2013 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
L.C. Martínez ◽  
A. Plata-Rueda
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Consumption Rate ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Elaeis Guineensis ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
Cycle Duration ◽  
Laboratory Conditions

The scarabaeid <em>Leucothyreus femoratus</em> (Burmeister) is described as causing damage to oil palm leaves, marking its first report as a pest in Colombia. The presence of this insect has necessitated determination of its life cycle, biometrics and food consumption as important aspects of its biology. Experiments were conducted under laboratory conditions in the municipality of San Vicente, Santander, Colombia. Mass rearing of <em>L. femoratus</em> was conducted, simulating field conditions and eating habits under laboratory conditions. Its life cycle and description of its developmental stages were determined, taking into account stage-specific survival. The duration of the life cycle of <em>L. femoratus</em> was determined to be 170.4&plusmn;6.53, with an overall survival rate of 96.7%. Biometrical measurements were taken of the insect&rsquo;s width, length and weight. Adults are black, and males and females are differentiated by size and by colour of their legs. The width, length and weight of the insect are proportional to the growth stage. Daily food consumption rate was evaluated in adult <em>L. femoratus</em>, and damage to leaves of <em>Elaeis guineensis</em> is described. Adult <em>L. femoratus</em> consumed 13 mm<sup>2</sup> of foliage per day, and injury to leaves of <em>E. guineensis</em> was square or rectangular in shape. This insect&rsquo;s life cycle duration and size are factors that could be considered in determining its feeding habits and pest status. Details of the life cycle, physical description and consumption rate of <em>L. femoratus</em> can help in the development of strategies to manage its populations in oil palm plantations.

scholarly journals High survival rate of a critically endangered species, the Azores Bullfinch Pyrrhula murina, as a contribution to population recovery

2010 ◽  
Vol 151 (3) ◽  
pp. 627-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Monticelli ◽  
Ricardo Ceia ◽  
Ruben Heleno ◽  
Hugo Laborda ◽  
Sergio Timóteo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rate ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
High Survival ◽  
Population Recovery ◽  
High Survival Rate ◽  
Critically Endangered Species

A new class of mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana, acaulis1, affecting the development of both inflorescences and leaves

Development ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 751-764 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Tsukaya ◽  
S. Naito ◽  
G. P. Redei ◽  
Y. Komeda
Keyword(s):  
Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽  
Apical Meristem ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Temperature Shift ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
New Class ◽  
Group 4 ◽  
Consequent Reduction ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Specific Temperature

We isolated and analyzed mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana, acaulis, with flower stalks that are almost absent or are much reduced in length. The mutations are divided between two loci, acaulis1 (acl1) and acaulis2 (acl2). The acl1-1 mutation has been assigned to linkage group 4 in the vicinity of locus ap2. The acl1-1 mutant showed premature arrest of the inflorescence meristem after the onset of reproductive development, followed by consequent reduction in the number of flower-bearing phytomers and therefore flowers. The apical meristem of the inflorescences was morphologically normal but its radius was about half that of the wild type. The acl1 mutants are also defective in the development of foliage leaves. Both defects could be rescued by growth at a specific temperature (28°C). The length of the cells in acl1-3 mutant was less than that in the wild type but the numbers of cells in leaves and internodes of acl1 mutants were calculated to be the same as those of the wild type. Thus, the defects in inflorescences and leaves were attributed to defects in the process of elongation (maturation) of these cells. Temperature-shift experiments showed that the Acl1+ product was necessary at all developmental stages. A critical stage was shown to exist for recovery from the cessation of development of inflorescence meristems that was caused by the acl1-1 mutation. Grafting experiments showed that the acl1-1 mutation does not affect diffusible substances. An analysis of double mutants carrying both acl1-1 and one of developmental mutations, ap1, clv1, lfy, or tfl1, showed that ACL1 is a new class of gene.

scholarly journals On Realistically Attacking Tor with Website Fingerprinting

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 (4) ◽  
pp. 21-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Wang ◽  
Ian Goldberg
Keyword(s):  
Background Noise ◽  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Training Data ◽  
Web Traffic ◽  
Training Set ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Laboratory Conditions ◽  
Testing Data ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
New Algorithms

Abstract Website fingerprinting allows a local, passive observer monitoring a web-browsing client’s encrypted channel to determine her web activity. Previous attacks have shown that website fingerprinting could be a threat to anonymity networks such as Tor under laboratory conditions. However, there are significant differences between laboratory conditions and realistic conditions. First, in laboratory tests we collect the training data set together with the testing data set, so the training data set is fresh, but an attacker may not be able to maintain a fresh data set. Second, laboratory packet sequences correspond to a single page each, but for realistic packet sequences the split between pages is not obvious. Third, packet sequences may include background noise from other types of web traffic. These differences adversely affect website fingerprinting under realistic conditions. In this paper, we tackle these three problems to bridge the gap between laboratory and realistic conditions for website fingerprinting. We show that we can maintain a fresh training set with minimal resources. We demonstrate several classification-based techniques that allow us to split full packet sequences effectively into sequences corresponding to a single page each. We describe several new algorithms for tackling background noise. With our techniques, we are able to build the first website fingerprinting system that can operate directly on packet sequences collected in the wild.

Floral morphogenesis and proliferation in Poa labillardieri (Poaceae)

2009 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nabil M. Ahmad ◽  
Peter M. Martin ◽  
John M. Vella
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Variable Number ◽  
Unknown Factor ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Vegetative Shoot Apex ◽  
Stage 1 ◽  
Vegetative Propagules ◽  
Short Type

Inflorescence and spikelet development in Poa labillardieri Steud. were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Thirteen developmental stages were described in detail, starting with the vegetative shoot apex which was shown to be of the short type (stage zero), followed by a conversion from vegetative to floral meristem at Stage 1 and ending at Stage 12, with a mature panicle consisting of a variable number of florets at anthesis within each spikelet. The occurrence of short-type vegetative apices in this perennial grass adds further support to the view that there is no correlation between life span and the apex type. The branches of the P. labillardieri panicle are formed in acropetal succession; however, it is the upper branches that first bear rudiments of the spikelets, starting at the tip of the branches. In contrast differentiation of florets within each spikelet occurs in acropetal succession, so that the basal floret is farthest advanced and each successively upper floret less advanced. P. labillardieri occasionally produces inflorescences containing spikelets in which some or all of the florets are replaced by a plantlet that is structurally similar to a vegetative tiller. Proliferous development ranged from a situation where all florets were converted to vegetative propagules that can be detached and rooted readily in soil, to cases where proliferation extended only as far as an enlargement of the lemma, with either functional or non-functional sexual organs in its axil. Under greenhouse conditions, there was a shift from occasional cases of partially proliferating spikelets that occur in the wild to complete vigorous proliferation stimulated by unknown factor(s). Departure from the normal sexual pattern took place from early Stage 5 (initiation of spikelet primordial) to late Stage 6 (differentiation of florets).

scholarly journals Developmental stages of a mottled emigrant butterfly, catopsilia pyranthe

1970 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
MH Arju ◽  
MA Bashar ◽  
G Moula
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Survival Rate ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Laboratory Condition ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Larval Stage ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Average Duration ◽  
Cycle Duration ◽  
Life Cycle Duration

The overall life cycle, duration and survival rate of different developmental stages (egg, larva and pupa) of Catopsilia pyranthe conducted at 27 ± 3°C and RH 75% ± 2. showed that within 6.4 days 68% eggs hatched. The average duration from egg to adult, larval stage and pupal were 23.87, 10.93 and 6.8 days, respectively. Fifty six out of 68 larvae successfully completed their whole 5 instars. There were positive correlation among the larval instars, amount of food consumption and excretion of faeces. About 52% pupa were emerged as adult at laboratory condition. Key words: Life cycle; Catopsilia pyranthe; Developmental stages; Rearing DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/dujbs.v19i2.8961 DUJBS 2010; 19(2): 171-179

The Ugly Truth: Negative Aesthetics and Environment

2011 ◽  
Vol 69 ◽  
pp. 83-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Brady
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Natural History ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild

In autumn 2009, BBC television ran a natural history series, ‘Last Chance to See’, with Stephen Fry and wildlife writer and photographer, Mark Carwardine, searching out endangered species. In one episode they retraced the steps Carwardine had taken in the 1980s with Douglas Adams, when they visited Madagascar in search of the aye-aye, a nocturnal lemur. Fry and Carwardine visited an aye-aye in captivity, and upon first setting eyes on the creature they found it rather ugly. After spending an hour or so in its company, Fry said he was completely ‘under its spell’. A subsequent encounter with an aye-aye in the wild supported Fry's judgment of ugliness and fascination for the creature: ‘The aye-aye is beguiling, certainly bizarre, for some even a little revolting. And I say, long may it continue being so.’

A quantitative analysis of exopodite beating in the larvae of the lobster Homarus gammarus (L.)

1976 ◽  
Vol 274 (929) ◽  
pp. 69-85 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Phase Relations ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Cycle Duration ◽  
Raw Data ◽  
Homarus Gammarus ◽  
Larval Stages ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Two Stages

Raw data on exopodite beating in the first three developmental stages of the lobster Homarus gammarus were collected and analysed for key beating parameters. The analysis was computer assisted and the main procedures used are described. Beating patterns are the same in all three stages and are usually very regular although perturbations do occur (figures 1, 2). When beating stops the deceleration and subsequent re-acceleration is very rapid (figure 1) and limb movement sequences usually start posteriorly and move forwards (figures 1, 2 d ). Ipsilateral phase relations are generally maintained at 0.4- 0.6 (figures 3, 4) and while the coupling between adjacent exopodites is usually stronger than for those further apart various deviations from this are occasionally seen (figure 5). No significant correlation between the ipsilateral phase relations of adjacent exopodites and base cycle duration was detected for any of the stages (figure 6). Contralateral phase relations undergo a constant progression (figures 7, 9) and this was found to be due to a heterodyne effect (figure 8) also described as gliding coordination. The powerstroke/returnstroke ratio for all stages was approximately 0.5 (figure 10) and no significant correlation was found with cycle duration (figure 11). The only substantial difference between the three larval stages which was noted was that of cycle duration, the cycles of stage III being shorter than those of the first two stages. The exopodite beating pattern was discussed in context with other metachronously cycling systems in arthropods and the implications of the present study discussed.

scholarly journals A three-dimensional habitat for C. elegans environmental enrichment

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0245139
Author(s):  
Aurélie Guisnet ◽  
Malosree Maitra ◽  
Sreeparna Pradhan ◽  
Michael Hendricks
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Laboratory Conditions ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Microbial Environment

As we learn more about the importance of gene-environment interactions and the effects of environmental enrichment, it becomes evident that minimalistic laboratory conditions can affect gene expression patterns and behaviors of model organisms. In the laboratory, Caenorhabditis elegans is generally cultured on two-dimensional, homogeneous agar plates abundantly covered with axenic bacteria culture as a food source. However, in the wild, this nematode thrives in rotting fruits and plant stems feeding on bacteria and small eukaryotes. This contrast in habitat complexity suggests that studying C. elegans in enriched laboratory conditions can deepen our understanding of its fundamental traits and behaviors. Here, we developed a protocol to create three-dimensional habitable scaffolds for trans-generational culture of C. elegans in the laboratory. Using decellularization and sterilization of fruit tissue, we created an axenic environment that can be navigated throughout and where the microbial environment can be strictly controlled. C. elegans were maintained over generations on this habitat, and showed a clear behavioral bias for the enriched environment. As an initial assessment of behavioral variations, we found that dauer populations in scaffolds exhibit high-frequency, complex nictation behavior including group towering and jumping behavior.

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