Foraging Interference and Fruit Palatability in Pteropus Scapulatus (Megachiroptera: Pteropodidae): Management Implications

<p>The “residents and raiders” theory emphasizes the importance of conspecific feeding interference in seed dispersal by frugivorous megachiropterans. Agonistic interactions at fruiting trees frequently result in the “ejection” of one bat, which has often first obtained some fruit. The ejected bat then flies to an unoccupied tree, thus dispersing non-consumed seeds. For seeds too large to be swallowed this may be the sole method of dispersal. Raiding and subsequent seed spread only occur when bat populations are sufficiently large, relative to resources, to cause competition for food. If competition similarly affects nectarivorous bats and their floral resources, decline in a bat population could lead to reduced seed set and genetic diversity in their food-plant species. Pteropus scapulatus (Little Red Flying Fox) visit the flowers of dozens of Australian and New Guinean species and are believed to play an important role in the pollination of Eucalyptus and Melaleuca. Feeding-interference and raiding “success” by P. scapulatus eating fruit at Wellington Zoo (New Zealand) was studied to infer the importance of population size on cross-pollination. Decrease in population-to-resource ratio was correlated with decrease in raiding frequency, suggesting a decreased likelihood of cross pollination. These results highlight the value of management practices that promote the maintenance of large populations of nectarivorous megachiropterans. The effects of dominance and food preference on these behaviours were also evaluated. Dominance was inversely correlated to both dispersal and maturity. Contrary to many reports, females were not always subordinate to males. Fruit preference data may be useful for selecting “distracter” trees in orchards prone to damage by fruit bats and for ex situ husbandry concerns. Implications for population-, orchard-, and captive-management are discussed.</p>

Foraging Interference and Fruit Palatability in Pteropus Scapulatus (Megachiroptera: Pteropodidae): Management Implications

<p>The “residents and raiders” theory emphasizes the importance of conspecific feeding interference in seed dispersal by frugivorous megachiropterans. Agonistic interactions at fruiting trees frequently result in the “ejection” of one bat, which has often first obtained some fruit. The ejected bat then flies to an unoccupied tree, thus dispersing non-consumed seeds. For seeds too large to be swallowed this may be the sole method of dispersal. Raiding and subsequent seed spread only occur when bat populations are sufficiently large, relative to resources, to cause competition for food. If competition similarly affects nectarivorous bats and their floral resources, decline in a bat population could lead to reduced seed set and genetic diversity in their food-plant species. Pteropus scapulatus (Little Red Flying Fox) visit the flowers of dozens of Australian and New Guinean species and are believed to play an important role in the pollination of Eucalyptus and Melaleuca. Feeding-interference and raiding “success” by P. scapulatus eating fruit at Wellington Zoo (New Zealand) was studied to infer the importance of population size on cross-pollination. Decrease in population-to-resource ratio was correlated with decrease in raiding frequency, suggesting a decreased likelihood of cross pollination. These results highlight the value of management practices that promote the maintenance of large populations of nectarivorous megachiropterans. The effects of dominance and food preference on these behaviours were also evaluated. Dominance was inversely correlated to both dispersal and maturity. Contrary to many reports, females were not always subordinate to males. Fruit preference data may be useful for selecting “distracter” trees in orchards prone to damage by fruit bats and for ex situ husbandry concerns. Implications for population-, orchard-, and captive-management are discussed.</p>

Penyuluhan Kesehatan Konsumsi Buah dan Sayur di Rw 003 Kelurahan Benda Baru Pamulang Sebagai Upaya Pencegahan Tuberkolosis

Di Indonesia pemberantasan penyakit tuberkulosis telah dimulai sejak tahun 1950 dan sesuai rekomendasi WHO sejak tahun 1986 regimen pengobatan yang semula 12 bulan diganti dengan pengobatan selama 6-9 bulan. Pemerintah sudah sangat serius memperhatikan masalah TBC, dengan memberikan bantuan berupa pemberian obat TBC secara gratis. Namun faktanya, efektifitas pengobatan yang dilakukan oleh penderita TBC masih rendah. Tingkat kesembuhan penderita tuberkulosis adalah sebesar 85,30%, dengan tingkat kesukaan buah sebanyak 84%. Namun intensitas responden dalam mengkonsumsi buah hanya sebesar 68% dan tingkat konsumsi buah hanya sebesar 65,30%, serta tingkat keteraturan konsumsi buah saat menderita tuberkulosis hanya sebesar 67,30%. Berdasarkan hasil Musyawarah Masyarakat Desa, masyarakat sepakat untuk memilih TBC untuk menjadi acuan intervensi program. Pengabdian Masyarakat yang dilakukan dalam bentuk penyuluhan ini mengangkat tema “Ayo Konsumsi Buah dan Sayur untuk Putus Tali Penularan TBC.” Penyuluhan kesehatan ini dilaksanakan pada hari Sabtu, 15 Februari 2020 di Mushola AR-Rahman RT 04 RW 003. Dihadiri oleh 30 orang terdiri dari lapisan masyarakat dari RW 003 Kelurahan Benda Baru. Berdasarkan hasil perhitungan pre-test dan post-test, didapatkan bahwa ada peningkatan pengetahuan masyarakat terkait manfaat buah dan sayur untuk penyakit Tuberkolosis antara sebelum dan setelah diberikan penyuluhan. Disarankan agar kebiasaan maka buah dan sayur bisa menjadi kebiasaan di tengan masyarakat.---In Indonesia the eradication of tuberculosis has been started since 1950 and according to WHO recommendations since 1986 the treatment regimen that was originally 12 months replaced with treatment for 6-9 months. The government has been very serious about paying attention to the TBC problem, by providing assistance in the form of giving free TBC medicines. But in fact, the effectiveness of treatment carried out by people with TBC is still low. It was found that the cure rate of tuberculosis patients was 85.30%, with a fruit preference rate of 84%. But the intensity of respondents in consuming fruit was only 68% and the level of fruit consumption was only 65.30%, and the level of regularity of fruit consumption when suffering from tuberculosis was only 67.30%. Based on the results of the Village Community Conference, the community agreed to choose TBC as a reference for program intervention. Community Service is carried out in the form of counseling with the theme "Let's Eat Fruits and Vegetables to Break the Rope of TBC Transmission." This health education was held on Saturday, February 15, 2020 at Mushola AR-Rahman RT 04 RW 003. Attended by 30 people consisting of people from RW 003 Benda Baru Village. Based on the results of the pre-test and post-test calculations, it was found that there was an increase in community knowledge related to the benefits of fruits and vegetables for tuberculosis between before and after counseling. It is suggested that the habbit of fruit and vagetables can become a habit among the people.

Genetically Distinct Acidovorax citrulli Strains Display Cucurbit Fruit Preference Under Field Conditions

Strains of Acidovorax citrulli, the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch (BFB) of cucurbits, can be assigned to two groups, I and II. The natural association of group I and II strains with different cucurbit species suggests host preference; however, there are no direct data to support this hypothesis under field conditions. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess differences in the prevalence of group I and II A. citrulli strains on cucurbit species in the field. From 2017 to 2019, we used group I and II strains to initiate BFB outbreaks in field plots planted with four cucurbit species. At different times, we collected symptomatic tissues and assayed them for group I and II strains using a group-specific PCR assay. Binary distribution data analysis revealed that the odds of melon, pumpkin, and squash foliage infection by group I strains were 21.7, 11.5, and 22.1 times greater, respectively, than the odds of watermelon foliage infection by the group I strain (P < 0.0001). More strikingly, the odds of melon fruit infection by the group I strain were 97.5 times greater than watermelon fruit infection by the same strain (P < 0.0001). Unexpectedly, some of the group II isolates recovered from the 2017 and 2019 studies were different from the group II strains used as inocula. Overall, data from these experiments confirm that A. citrulli strains exhibit a preference for watermelon and melon, which is more pronounced in fruit tissues.

Oral Processing Behavior of Diana Monkeys (Cercopithecus diana) in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire

Primates are hypothesized to “fall back” on challenging-to-process foods when preferred foods are less available. Such dietary shifts may be accompanied by changes in oral processing behavior argued to be selectively important. Here, we examine the oral processing behavior of Diana monkeys (<i>Cercopithecus diana</i>) in the Taï Forest across their dietary breadth, testing relationships among food intake, fruit availability, preference, and oral processing behaviors including those involved in food ingestion and breakdown. We conducted 1,066 focal follows from April 2016 to September 2017 documenting frequencies of incisor, canine, and cheek tooth mastications (i.e., chews) per ingestive action (<i>n</i> = 11,906 feeding events). We used phenological survey and scan sample data collected between 2004 and 2009 to examine dietary preference and food availability. Our analyses show that Diana monkeys processed foods in significantly different ways (<i>H</i>₂ = 360.8, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001), with invertebrates requiring the least oral processing, fruit requiring intermediate amounts, and leaves requiring the most oral processing. There was no relationship between fruit availability and consumption of preferred or nonpreferred fruits (<i>p</i> &#x3e; 0.05); however, preferred fruits were processed with significantly fewer mastications (i.e., less chewing) than nonpreferred fruits (<i>U</i> = 6,557, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). We thus demonstrate that, when preferred foods are scarce, Diana monkeys do not fall back on difficult-to-process foods. Changes in processing profiles occurred throughout the year and not solely when preferred foods were in short supply. Though preferred fruits required less processing than nonpreferred fruits, we found no relationship between fruit preference and fruit availability. Diana monkeys’ lack of readily identifiable fallback foods may be attributable to the relatively high tree diversity and productivity of the Taï Forest. We conclude that Diana monkeys engage in resource switching, consuming a relatively easy-to-process diet year-round.

Diachasmimorpha longicaudata Parasitism Response to Medfly Host Fruit and Fruit Infestation Age

The parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is increasingly being used in integrated pest management (IPM) programs as a biological control agent in order to suppress tephritid fruit flies of economic importance. Innate and acquired behavioral responses—such as pest host fruit preference—of parasitoids can modulate their efficiency in the field and should be taken into consideration prior to parasitoid species’ selection for mass-rearing. We have assessed the influence of medfly-infested (two infestation ages, 1 and 4-d-old) and uninfested fruit species on host preference and efficiency of D. longicaudata by using a multistep assay including olfactory, laboratory and semi-field trials. We found that D. longicaudata was significantly more attracted to medfly-infested apples for both infestation ages, with the oldest being the most preferred. D. longicaudata exhibited a significant preference among the four fruits tested. The implications of these behavioral responses of D. longicaudata to medfly host fruits and infestation age are discussed in relationship to its use in IPM programs in the Mediterranean basin area.

Using Two-Sex Life Table Traits to Assess the Fruit Preference and Fitness of Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Bactrocera flies are economic pests of agricultural crops all over the world. Among Bactrocera flies, oriental fruit fly is an economically important pest of fruit crops in the world. Basic studies of Bactrocera flies are very important and helpful to the development of integrated management strategies. However, basic studies regarding behavior and age-stage, two-sex life table traits for this pest, which are vital for designing effective control methods, are currently lacking. Considering the importance of B. dorsalis, this study aimed to evaluate the fruit preference and age-stage, two-sex life table traits of B. dorsalis on guava (Psidium guajava), papaya (Carica papaya), and banana (Musa acuminata) fruits in the laboratory. In choice and no-choice tests, the number of visits and oviposition punctures made by female B. dorsalis flies were significantly higher on guava than those on papaya and banana. The life cycle from eggs to male (146.95 ± 3.43 d) and female (164.94 ± 3.85 d) adults was significantly longer on papaya than those on banana and guava. Bactrocera dorsalis females produced significantly more eggs when fed on guava (623.30 eggs female−1) than on papaya (527.80 eggs female−1) or banana (399.60 eggs female−1). Guava was the more suitable fruit for B. dorsalis, and could be used as a bait fruit to manage the B. dorsalis during the fruiting season of papaya and banana.