Bionomics and host plants of the invasive Cydia interscindana (Möschler, 1866) (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae), an emerging pest in the Carpathian Lowlands

Cydia interscindana (Möschler, 1866) has spread through several European countries in the past few years, becoming an invasive pest of ornamental trees. It was collected in Hungary for the first time in a pheromone trap set for Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus, 1758) in 2014. Here we discuss its recent distribution in Hungary based on intensive sampling between 2018 and 2020, which showed the dispersal of the pest by humans. Two formerly unknown host plants are also recorded. The damage caused by the larvae, the external morphology of the adult male, larva, pupa (described for the first time) and pupal exuviae are presented. We also analyse DNA barcodes, identifying this pest for the first time via DNA sequencing of immature stages. Introduction Cydia interscindana is native in the Mediterranean region, where it was described by Möschler in 1866 from Andalusia. It is distributed in Mediterranean countries including Portugal (Corley 2004), Spain (Férriz et al. 2006), France (Lévêque et al. 2017) and Italy (Minelli 1995). Later the species was recorded in the British Isles (Knill-Jones 2020), Belgium (De Prins 2016), Switzerland (Swisslepteam 2010), Slovakia (Pastorális et al. 2018) and Russia (Caucasus; Schurov et al. 2017). In Hungary, Cydia interscindana adults were caught by a sticky delta pheromone trap (CSALOMON RAG type) for Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus 1758) in 2014 during a study on swarming dynamics of the latter pest in Budapest. This provided the first record of the species in the Carpathian basin (Szabóky 2014; Takács and Szabóky 2015). In the Mediterranean region larvae feed on Juniperus oxycedrus (L.) (Miller 1990). In Belgium the larva was recorded on Juniperus spp. (Meert et al. 2019). J. oxycedrus is not native in Hungary, but Cupressus × leylandii A.B. Jacks. & Dallim 1926, Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco 1949 and Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (A. Murray bis) Parl. 1864 are popular evergreens used as ornamental trees both in parks and gardens. In Hungary several pests of these plants have been recorded, all probably introduced with imported plants; in the literature, 11 Lepidoptera, nine Coleoptera and six Hemiptera species have been mentioned already (Csóka and Kovács 1999; Maráczi 2013; Bozsik et al. 2016; Schurov et al. 2017). However, until the end of the 2000s, only Scolytidae (Coleoptera) species caused serious damage (Bozsik and Szőcs 2017). In 2012, an outbreak of the formerly detected (Muskovits 2001) Lamprodila festiva (Linnaeus 1767) (Buprestidae) took place in Budapest (Németh 2012) causing serious damage on Platycladus orientalis and several ornamental gymnosperm species. This outbreak was certainly caused by introduced specimens, that had arrived with trees from the Mediterranean region where this beetle is a well-known pest (Merkl 2016), whose abundance in Hungary increases due to climatic change (Csóka et al. 2018). Based on the available data, in Hungary this beetle pest has also been blamed for all the damage caused on Cupressus, Platycladus and Chamaecyparis trees and management has been carried out only against them. In 2018, a larva of L. festiva, an unidentified caterpillar and a freshly emerged specimen of Cydia interscindana were collected simultaneously from a Leyland cypress in Székesfehérvár (Central Hungary). In that year, similar Lepidoptera larvae were found in three neighbouring villages: Velence, Sukoró and Pákozd. To identify the sampled caterpillar, DNA analysis was undertaken. Additionally, in 2019–2020 a country-wide investigation was carried out to map the distribution and abundance of C. interscindana and gather data on bionomics of this pest in the Carpathian basin.

Landscape footprints of peopling and colonisation from the Late Bronze Age to Antiquity in the coastal hinterland of Emporion-Emporiae, NE Iberia

The Empordà plain attests to a remarkable mixture of Late-Holocene cultural exchanges and colonial processes. This includes the founding of Emporion, the earliest Greek colony in Iberia, and of the Roman city of Emporiae. This study aims at assessing landscape changes related to indigenous and colonial settlement in this unique scenario where the shaping of cultural landscapes occurred within a dynamic coastal ecosystem. We carried out a high-temporal resolution palaeoenvironmental study in Els Estanys, a palaeowetland located in the vicinity of Emporion-Emporiae. Palynological, sedimentological and geochemical indicators were coupled with available archaeological and archaeobotanical data-sets. Between 1100 and 800 cal BC, the settling of Urnfield Late Bronze societies resulted in the sustained clearance of woodlands and moderate agropastoral exploitation of coastal ranges. During this period, marine-influenced lagoonal areas were poorly exploited. During the Iron Age (800–450 cal BC), a threshold in the landscape construction of the area occurred with the first pastoral exploitation of lagoonal areas, intensified cereal cultivation, controlled burning, and enhanced deforestation following the settlement of Iberian groups. Greek colonisation (580–200 cal BC), did not trigger intensified farming exploitation or landscape clearance, nor did it imply the introduction of new land uses or crops in the hinterland. Exploitation of the latter continued relying on cereal cultivation and grazing, as before, suggesting the permanence of indigenous landscapes and practices in the hinterland. To the contrary, urban and periurban landscapes played a significant role in the construction of the colonial landscape with the introduction of olive groves likely as ornamental trees. Roman conquest and colonisation of the area constituted a new threshold in the occupation and management of the hinterland with (1) intensified rural settlement; (2) expansion of wet pastures and removal of littoral woodlands; (3) development of diversified cropping activities; and (4) development of mining and smelting activities.

Phytochemistry and Diverse Pharmacology of Genus Mimosa: A Review

The genus Mimosa belongs to the Fabaceae family and comprises almost 400 species of herbs, shrubs and ornamental trees. The genus Mimosa is found all over the tropics and subtropics of Asia, Africa, South America, North America and Australia. Traditionally, this genus has been popular for the treatment of jaundice, diarrhea, fever, toothache, wound healing, asthma, leprosy, vaginal and urinary complaints, skin diseases, piles, gastrointestinal disorders, small pox, hepatitis, tumor, HIV, ulcers and ringworm. The review covered literature available from 1959 to 2020 collected from books, scientific journals and electronic searches, such as Science Direct, Web of Science and Google scholar. Various keywords, such as Mimosa, secondary metabolites, medicines, phytochemicals and pharmacological values, were used for the data search. The Mimosa species are acknowledged to be an essential source of secondary metabolites with a wide-ranging biological functions, and up until now, 145 compounds have been isolated from this genus. Pharmacological studies showed that isolated compounds possess significant potential, such as antiprotozoal, antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, and antiproliferative as well as cytotoxic activities. Alkaloids, chalcones, flavonoids, indoles, terpenes, terpenoids, saponins, steroids, amino acids, glycosides, flavanols, phenols, lignoids, polysaccharides, lignins, salts and fatty esters have been isolated from this genus. This review focused on the medicinal aspects of the Mimosa species and may provide a comprehensive understanding of the prospective of this genus as a foundation of medicine, supplement and nourishment. The plants of this genus could be a potential source of medicines in the near future.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of R2R3-MYB Family Genes Associated with Petal Pigment Synthesis in Liriodendron

The MYB transcription factor family is one of the largest families in plants, and its members have various biological functions. R2R3-MYB genes are involved in the synthesis of pigments that yield petal colors. Liriodendron plants are widely cultivated as ornamental trees owing to their peculiar leaves, tulip-like flowers, and colorful petals. However, the mechanism underlying petal coloring in this species is unknown, and minimal information about MYB genes in Liriodendron is available. Herein, this study aimed to discern gene(s) involved in petal coloration in Liriodendron via genome-wide identification, HPLC, and RT-qPCR assays. In total, 204 LcMYB superfamily genes were identified in the Liriodendron chinense genome, and 85 R2R3-MYB genes were mapped onto 19 chromosomes. Chromosome 4 contained the most (10) R2R3-MYB genes, and chromosomes 14 and 16 contained the fewest (only one). MEME analysis showed that R2R3-MYB proteins in L. chinense were highly conserved and that their exon-intron structures varied. The HPLC results showed that three major carotenoids were uniformly distributed in the petals of L. chinense, while lycopene and β-carotene were concentrated in the orange band region in the petals of Liriodendron tulipifera. Furthermore, the expression profiles via RT-qPCR assays revealed that four R2R3-MYB genes were expressed at the highest levels at the S3P/S4P stage in L. tulipifera. This result combined with the HPLC results showed that these four R2R3-MYB genes might participate in carotenoid synthesis in the petals of L. tulipifera. This work laid a cornerstone for further functional characterization of R2R3-MYB genes in Liriodendron plants.

Antioxidant Activity, Polyphenolic Profiles and Antibacterial Properties of Leaf Extract of Various Paulownia spp. Clones

Paulownia spp. are widely distributed ornamental trees with leaves abundant in secondary metabolites of high medicinal potential. Eighteen breeding clones of Paulownia spp. were tested in terms of their antioxidant activity and total polyphenolic contents. The 50% ethanolic extracts (2 g/30 mL) of leaves and petioles were compared in the screening step. Eight paulownia clones were selected for detailed analyses including HPTLC polyphenolic profile, verbascoside content and antibacterial activity against five bacteria species (S. aureus, B. cereus, E. coli, Y. enterocolitica, S. enterica). The species-specific differences in terms of antioxidant activity correlated with phenolic compounds were found mainly in the case of leaf blade extracts, the highest for P. tomentosa × P. fortunei and the lowest for P. elongata × P. fortunei clones. The P. tomentosa clones varied greatly in this regard. In the HPTLC polyphenolic profile, the occurrence of some polyphenols was proved and the specific verbascoside content was quantified (70 to 225 mg/g DW). The P. tomentosa × P. fortunei hybrids had the highest inhibitory activity, mainly against Gram-positive bacteria, whereas only slight inhibition of S. aureus growth was observed for P. elongata × P. fortunei clones. The obtained results indicate diverse suitability of paulownia clones as a source of active ingredients.

Spring phenology of some ornamental species, as an indicator of temperature increase in the urban climate area

The aim of this study is to provide information on the phenology of urban spring season, of some species of ornamental trees and shrubs, in the light of climate changes occurred over the recent decades. Ten species of ornamental shrubs and trees cultivated in two areas of a town located in southwestern Romania were studied. It was found that the spring season phenology of the studied species is dependent on the climatic year, in recording differences between the number of days from November 1 and the beginning of each spring phenophase, both from one species to another and from one climatic year to another, and also from one area to another; the spring phenology starting earlier in the urban area regardless of the species and the climatic year. Higher temperatures, rising from one year to another, are speeding-up the onset and development of spring phenology, regardless of species, and the urban climate through the effect of urban heat island leads to even earlier onset of spring phenophases and shortening of the growing season, so that by phenological differences existing within the species from one climatic year to another and from one climatic zone to another, spring season phenology can be considered an indicator of temperature rise.

Growth Rate Prediction of Ornamental Trees using Regression Functions in Urban Landscapes

The present study aimed to predict the growth rate of the common urban trees using mathematical equations for the right plantation location in the landscape. Ginkgo biloba, Liquidambar styraciflua L., Parrotia persica, Zelkova carpinifolia, Acer negundo, and Fraxinus rotundifolia Mill. were selected from city of Rasht, Guilan province, in the northern part of Iran. The study used age as the independent variables and height, trunk height, and crown diameter as the dependent variables. The correlation among the variables were analyzed by different regressions (linear, logarithmic, exponential, power, and polynomial). The results showed that polynomial regression functions provided the best determination coefficient to predict the growth parameters with respect to age in the urban green spaces for aesthetic purposes and also, to reduce costs, tackle interference with transit, urban equipment, and finally developing ecosystems sustainably. Polynomial regression functions can be used to predict tree growth in new urban green spaces in terms of environmental factors and age. Keywords: Ecosystems sustainably, Green space, Growth rate, Urban landscape, Ornamental trees

Plant diversity of Absheron peninsula

In this article, we discuss the results of studying the flora of the Absheron Peninsula. The dynamics of the species composition over the past 70 years is considered. We were unable to find 206 species in the habitats previously recorded by Karyagin in 1952. We included 678 species in the list of flora of the Absheron Peninsula, of which 599 species were classified as native flora. In accordance with the direction of the dynamics of their habitats, we distinguish five groups of native flora species: Extinct (not found on the territory of Absheron for more than 50 years) – seven species, endangered (disappeared in several previously known localities) - 130 species, stable (found in previously known localities) – 209 species, dynamic (disappeared in previously known localities, but found in new localities) - 191 species, progressive (found in previously known localities and found in new localities) - 47 species. It is well known that for any region the adventive element of the flora is more dynamic than the native one. In total, we recorded 97 adventive species for the Absheron peninsula, of which 23 were new species for the flora of the region. We draw attention to the fact that since the beginning of the XIX century, the relative role of various sources of replenishment of the adventitious flora has changed. However, with the beginning of the new millennium, the contribution of railways to the formation of the advent component is noticeably decreasing.The number of new species entering the territory of the Absheron Peninsula by rail is radically decreasing. During the period covering 9 years (from 2012 to 2020), we were not able to find a single new adventive species that was intrude by rail. On the other hands, the activity of cultivated ornamental trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants became more clearly visible. There is a significant increase in the role landfills and wastelands in the formation of the adventive flora of the region