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PubMedDate not supplied

Modern prevalence of insect sensitization in rural asthma and allergic rhinitis patients.

Inhalant allergy to insects other than cockroaches and dust mites was described in the 1950s, but little attention has been paid to these findings. Sensitization rates for many allergens have increased since then. In this rural population, we describe the current prevalence of sensitization to commonly found insects. We evaluated 200 patients (38 adults and 162 children), for immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated sensitization to the caddis fly, mayfly, moth, carpenter ant, and housefly using the prick technique and commercially available whole-body extracts. All had symptoms consistent with asthma and/or allergic rhinitis. They also were tested to indoor and outdoor aeroantigens. Of the 200 patients, 60 patients (30%) tested positive to at least one of the five insects. The most prevalent positive skin test was to the mayfly (37/60), followed by the housefly (36/60), caddis fly (27/60), moth (14/60), and ant (10/60). Of the 60 patients positive for insects, 35 patients (58%) also tested positive to at least one species of mite, 36 patients (60%) tested positive to the cockroach. Twelve of the 60 patients (20%) with positive insect testing did not react to either cockroaches or mites. In our patients, the immunoglobulin E-mediated sensitization rate to insects excluding cockroaches is 30%. Many patients also were sensitized to mites and/or cockroaches. These insects are all present in the indoor/outdoor environment of this rural population. Cross-reactivity with mites and cockroaches (insect panallergy) may partially explain our results. The presence of skin test sensitivity in the absence of cockroach or mite allergy suggests possible true insect sensitization.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

[Population structure and niche of main scale insects in jujube orchards intercropped with wheat].

To effectively control the scale insects in jujube orchards, a field study was made on the population structure and niche of Pseudococcus comstock Kuwane, Ceroplastes japonicus Green and Quadraspidiotus perniciosus Comstock in the jujube orchards intercropped with wheat in Taigu area of Shanxi Province. The results showed that at the early development stage of jujube trees, these three kinds of scale insects mainly distributed on the southeast direction of the lower and central parts of the tree crown, and P. comstock was the dominant species, with a wider breadth of two-dimensional temporal-spatial niche than the other two scale insects. At the mid-stage of jujube trees development, these scale insects mainly distributed on the northwest direction of the upper part of the tree crown, C. japonicus had a wider breadth of two-dimensional temporal-spatial niche than the other two scale insects, and the niche proportional similarity and interspecific competition of the three kinds of scale insects were not obvious. At the later stage of jujube trees development, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the population structure of the three kinds of scale insects on the different parts and directions of tree crown, but the density of Q. perniciosus was bigger, and C. japonicus had a wider breadth of two-dimensional temporal-spatial niche. The average values of niche proportional similarity and interspecific competition of the three kinds of scale insects were smaller (P < 0.05) at the later development stage of jujube trees. Therefore, P. comstock should be controlled at the early development stage of jujube trees, all the three kinds of scale insects should be controlled selectively at the mid-stage of jujube trees development, and their overwinterings should be decreased by all means at the later development stage of jujube trees.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1996

[Anti-infective defence strategies and methods of escape from entomologic pathogens under immunologic control of insects].

Insect immunity comprises a complex of several distinct systems, both haemocytic and humoral in nature, that cooperate together in a more or less coordinated way to provide protection of the body cavity from invading microorganisms. Insects can respond to infections by a selective synthesis of haemolymph immune proteins that are responsible for antibacterial immunity. Antibacterial activity of insect blood is attributable to innate compounds such as lysozome, and to induced polypeptides or small basic proteins absent in non-immunized insects. The cecropins and attacins in Lepidoptera, and diptericins in Diptera are the inducible antibacterial immune proteins well defined biochemically. Bacterial pathogens and some parasites of insects, preferably entomogenous rhabditid nematodes, have developed the mechanism by which they may counteract insect immunity. This phenomenon is realized either by escaping immune reactions or by degrading antimicrobial factors of haemolymph in an active process. Passive resistance of parasites to insect immunity is a result of a strong evolutionary pressure on parasites to develop mechanisms to escape insect immune reactions or to minimize their effectiveness through changes in the parasite itself. Active resistance to the insect non-self response system involves a partial or total destruction of immune proteins by extracellular proteinases released during parasitism.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Corazonin and corazonin-like substances in the central nervous system of the Pterygote and Apterygote insects.

Antisera against corazonin were used to investigate distribution of immunoreactive cells in the central nervous system (CNS) of representatives of six insect orders: Ctenolepisma lineata (Zygentoma), Locusta migratoria (Orthoptera), Oxya yezoensis (Orthoptera), Gryllus bimaculatus (Orthoptera), Pyrrhocoris apterus (Hemiptera), Arge nigrinodosa (Hymenoptera), Athalia rosae (Hymenoptera), Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera) and Anomala cuprea (Coleoptera). Corazonin-like immunoreactive (CLI) cells were detected in the brain and ventral ganglia of all insects studied except for the albino strain of L. migratoria and the beetle A. cuprea. Implantation of the brain or different ganglia from insects with detected immunoreactivity induced dark coloration in the albino locust, providing further evidence for the presence of authentic corazonins [His(7)- and Arg(7)-isoforms] in these insects. The protocerebral lateral neurosecretory cells projecting into the ipsilateral retrocerebral neurohemal organs and bilateral longitudinal tracts extending and branching throughout the entire CNS seem to be a well-conserved part of the corazonin system in insects. The bilateral longitudinal tracts were formed by species-specific numbers of bilateral interneurons segmentally distributed in the ventral ganglia. Additional immunoreactive somata, mostly interneurons, were detected in the CNS of various insects. The distribution of corazonin in the cephalic neurosecretory system and in the bilateral interneurons suggests that corazonin acts as a hormone as well as a neurotransmitter or a neuromodulator. An ancient origin of corazonin is suggested by the presence of a corazonin-like substance in the primitive insect, C. lineata. These results support previous findings on the common occurrence of corazonin among insects, except for the albino strain of L. migratoria and the Coleoptera.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Activation of an insect baculovirus promoter in mammalian cells by adenovirus functions.

The insect baculovirus Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) replicates in insect cell lines in culture. In mammalian cells, however, the virus cannot be propagated. AcNPV DNA does not replicate or persist and is not transcribed in mammalian cells (Tjia et al., 1983). In insect cells productively infected with AcNPV, at least two major late viral gene products have been recognized, the polyhedrin, which makes up the bulk of the polyhedral inclusion bodies in infected cell nuclei, and a 10,000 Da protein (p10) of unknown function. The p10 promoter has been fused to the prokaryotic gene for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) as a reporter gene (Knebel et al., 1985). Activity of this construct can be elicited in AcNPV-infected insect cells but not in uninfected insect cells or in mammalian cells. Presumably, the late p10 promoter requires other AcNPV gene products for activity. When the pAcp10-CAT construct is transfected into BHK21 hamster cells at about 18 h after infection with human adenovirus type 5 (Ad5), the insect AcNPV promoter is transactivated in cells of the heterologous mammalian species. The results of S1 protection analyses on the RNA from Ad5-infected and pAcp10-CAT transfected cells reveal that the p10 promoter is used for initiation of transcription. Similarly, the p10 insect virus promoter is activated in BHK21 hamster cells cotransfected with the HindIII-G fragment of adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) DNA which contains the E1A and parts of the E1B region in the left terminal 7.8% of the Ad2 genome. Moreover, in human 293 cells or in BHK297-C131 hamster cells, which both carry and constitutively express the E1 region of Ad5 DNA, the pAcp10-CAT construct is also expressed, and similarly in HE7 hamster cells which carry appreciable portions of the Ad2 genome (Klimkait and Doerfler, 1985). It is concluded that adenovirus functions are capable of transactivating a heterologous insect virus promoter in mammalian cells.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed2004

Understanding and improving transgene stability and expression in insects for SIT and conditional lethal release programs.

Genetically transformed insect pests provide significant opportunities to create strains for improved sterile insect technique and new strategies based on conditional lethality. A major concern for programs that rely on the release of transgenic insects is the stability of the transgene, and maintenance of consistent expression of genes of interest within the transgene. Transgene instability would influence the integrity of the transformant strain upon which the effectiveness of the biological control program depends. Loss or intra-genomic transgene movement would result in strain attributes important to the program being lost or diminished, and the mass-release of such insects could significantly exacerbate the insect pest problem. Instability resulting in intra-genomic movement may also be a prelude to inter-genomic transgene movement between species resulting in ecological risks. This is less of a concern for short-term releases, where transgenic insects are not expected to survive in the environment beyond two or three generations. Transgene movement may occur, however, into infectious agents during mass-rearing, and the potential for movement after release is a possibility for programs using many millions of insects. The primary methods of addressing potential transgene instability relate to an understanding of the vector system used for gene transfer, the potential for its mobilization by the same or a related vector system, and methods required to identify transformants and determine if unexpected transgene movement has occurred. Methods also exist for preventing transposon-mediated mobilization, by deleting or rearranging vector sequences required for transposition using recombination systems. Stability of transgene expression is also a critical concern, especially in terms of potential epigenetic interactions with host genomes resulting in gene silencing that have been observed in plants and fungi, and it must be determined if this or related phenomena can occur in insects.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Can juvenogens, biochemically targeted hormonogen compounds, assist in environmentally safe insect pest management?

Two different types of juvenogens, biochemically targeted hormonogen compounds were tested for their potency to act as insect pest management agents. In the performed biological screening, wax-like esteric juvenogens (3-10) proved to be convenient agents for controlling blowfly and termites, and displayed species selectivity: cis-N-{2-[4-(2-butanoyloxycyclohexyl)methyl]phenoxy}ethyl carbamate (3) was highly active on blowfly (Neobellieria bullata), while trans-N-{2-[4-(2-hexadecanoyloxycyclohexyl)methyl]-phenoxy}ethyl carbamate (6) showed high activity on termite (Prorhinotermes simplex). Glycosidic juvenogens, isomeric N-{2-{4-{[2-(beta-D-galactopyranosyloxy)cyclohexyl]methyl}phenoxy}ethyl carbamates (13 and 14), were proved to act as systemic agents, suitable for protecting plants against phytophagous insects (e.g. aphids). Due to the prolonged action of juvenogens, which is connected with the sequential liberating of the biologically active molecule of the insect juvenile hormone bioanalog from the juvenogen molecule by means of enzymic systems of target insects and/or their host plants, more insect individuals can be treated by juvenogens, which are species-targeted structures due to their different physicochemical properties. The results achieved with both types of juvenogens were promising, concerning their final effect on the tested insect species, and the compounds 3-6, 9 (cis-(9Z)-N-{2-[4-(2-(octadec-9-enoyl)oxycyclohexyl)methyl]phenoxy}ethyl carbamate), 13 and 14 proved to represent convenient insect pest management agents for potential practical applications against different insect pests.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Corazonin in insects.

Corazonin is a peptidergic neurohormone of insects that is expressed in neurosecretory neurons of the pars lateralis of the protocerebrum and transported via nervi corporis cardiaci to the storage lobes of the corpora cardiaca. This peptide occurs with a single isoform in all insects studied so far, with the exception of the Coleoptera in which no corazonin form could be detected. Very few modifications of [Arg(7)]-corazonin, originally isolated from cockroaches, are known, namely [His(7)]-corazonin which is expressed in certain locusts and the stick insect Carausius morosus, and [Thr(4), His(7)]-corazonin recently described from the honey bee Apis mellifera. In this study, we performed a comprehensive screening for corazonin in the different insect groups after detecting of a fourth isoform in a crane fly, Tipula sp. ([Gln(10)]-corazonin). [Arg(7)]-corazonin is distributed in most major lineages of insects, and is thus the ancient form which was present at the time the phylum Insecta evolved. The replacement of Arg with His at position 7 from the N-terminus occurred several times in the evolution of insects. The third isoform, [Thr(4), His(7)]-corazonin, seems to be restricted to bees (Apidae); whereas wasps (Vespidae) and a bumble bee (Apidae) express other corazonins, specifically [His(7)]-corazonin and [Tyr(3), Gln(7), Gln(10)]-corazonin, respectively. A novel corazonin form, [His(4), Gln(7)]-corazonin, was also detected in all South African members of the newly described insect order Mantophasmatodea. The [His(4), Gln(7)]-corazonin separates these species from the Namibian Mantophasmatodea which express [Arg(7)]-corazonin and can be used as a distinct character to distinguish these morphologically similar insects.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

cis-peptide bond mimetic tetrazole analogs of the insect kinins identify the active conformation.

The insect kinin neuropeptides have been implicated in the regulation of water balance, digestive organ contraction, and energy mobilization in a number of insect species. A previous solution conformation study of an active, restricted-conformation cyclic analog, identified two possible turn conformations as the likely active conformation adopted by the insect kinins at the receptor site. These were a cisPro type VI beta-turn over C-terminal pentapeptide core residues 1-4 and a transPro type I-like beta-turn over core residues 2-5, present in a ratio of 60:40. Synthesis and evaluation of the diuretic activity of insect kinin analogs incorporating a tetrazole moiety, which mimics a cis peptide bond, identifies the active conformation as the former. The discovery of a receptor interaction model can lead to the development of potent agonist and antagonist analogs of the insect kinins. Indeed, in this study a tetrazole analog with D stereochemistry has been shown to demonstrate partial antagonism of the diuretic activity of natural insect kinins, providing a lead for more potent and effective antagonists of this critical neuropeptide family. The future development of mimetic agonists and antagonists of insect kinin neuropeptides will provide important tools to neuroendocrinologists studying the mechanisms by which they operate and to researchers developing new, environmentally friendly pest insect control strategies.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Development of insect cell lines: virus susceptibility and applicability to prawn cell culture.

Insect cells have been successfully cultured in vitro as continuous cell lines for over 35 years. The media, culture methodology and conditions have been well resolved such that, for many insects, new cells lines can be routinely developed. Factors that are considered important for developing insect cell cultures are described as well as some of the history that led to the success. One of the major rationales for developing insect cell lines was for the study of insect viruses. This was particularly true for species of Lepidoptera from which over 900 viruses have been reported. Since many species of Lepidoptera are serious agricultural and forestry pests, effects have been made to utilize some of these pathogens as biological pesticides. Cell cultures are important in this endeavor since viruses require a living cell to reproduce. Of the known insect viruses, the most intensely studied have been the baculoviruses. In addition to their potential for controlling insect pests, they also have been used as expression vectors for producing recombinant proteins. Details of some of these experiments are described. Finally, experiences with insect cells are considered in relation to efforts to develop prawn cell cultures.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

The value of immunotherapy with venom in children with allergy to insect stings.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of patients allergic to insect stings with insect-venom injections has been shown to be 97 percent effective in reducing the risk of sting-induced anaphylaxis. However, the frequency of systemic reactions to subsequent stings in unimmunized adults with previous reactions is approximately 60 percent. To determine which factors, in addition to a history of reaction and evidence of venom-specific IgE antibody, predispose patients to future insect-sting reactions, we studied a venom-sensitive group of children who were deemed to be at relatively low risk for severe reactions; 28 percent of them received venom therapy. METHODS: We studied 242 children, 2 through 16 years of age, each of whom had had a systemic allergic reaction, affecting only the skin, to an insect sting. Each child had a positive skin-test reaction to one or more of five hymenopteran venoms. Sixty-eight children received immunotherapy with insect venom and 174 did not; about half were randomly assigned to treatment groups, and the rest were assigned on the basis of the patient's (or the parents') choice. The results of accidental stings during four years of observation were evaluated. RESULTS: In the treated group, 84 stings in 36 patients resulted in one systemic reaction (1.2 percent of stings). In contrast, 196 stings in 86 untreated children resulted in 18 systemic reactions (9.2 percent of stings, P less than 0.001). Sixteen of these 18 reactions were judged to be milder than the patient's reaction to the first sting, 2 were similar in severity, and none were more severe. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm that immunotherapy with insect venom prevents recurrences of systemic reactions after subsequent insect stings. Because of the surprisingly low rate of reactions among untreated children, we could not identify any characteristics that were predictive of repeat reactions. Since only 9.2 percent of stings in the untreated children led to a systemic reaction and since there was no progression to a more severe reaction, we conclude that venom immunotherapy is unnecessary for most children who are allergic to insect stings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

The association between impetigo, insect bites and air temperature: a retrospective 5-year study (1999-2003) using morbidity data collected from a sentinel general practice network database.

BACKGROUND: Impetigo is one of the commonest childhood skin infections. Insect bites are commonly implicated in the development of impetigo. There are, however, very few data available to describe the seasonal incidences and association between the two conditions. OBJECTIVES: To describe the seasonal incidence of impetigo in England and Wales and to investigate the reported association with insect bites. METHODS: Clinical diagnoses of impetigo and insect bites were recorded from a sentinel GP network over the years 1999-2003. RESULTS: The highest mean weekly rates of impetigo were in children aged 0-4 years (84 per 100 000) and in those aged 5-14 years (54 per 100 000). In contrast, the incidence of insect bite only varied between 3 and 5 per 100 000 for males and between 5 and 9 per 100 000 for females. The relative risk (RR) for females consulting over males with impetigo was similar in children [RR 0.99 (95% CI 0.96-1.02)] and adults [RR 1.20 (1.16-1.25)]; the RR of insect bite was similar in children [RR 1.21 (1.09-1.34)] but almost twice as likely in adults [RR 2.13 (2.02-2.25)]. Insect bite peaked almost coincidentally with temperature whereas there was a lag of one-to-two 4-week periods between impetigo and temperature. CONCLUSION: There is suggestion of some degree of association between impetigo and insect bites. The improved management of patients consulting with insect bites and better use of antiseptic treatments might provide the basis for reducing the incidence of impetigo in the community.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Structure of the insect head as revealed by the EN protein pattern in developing embryos.

The structure of the insect head has long been a topic of enjoyable yet endless debate among entomologists. More recently geneticists and molecular biologists trying to better understand the structure of the head of the Dipteran Drosophila melanogaster have joined the discourse extrapolating from what they have learned about Drosophila to insects in general. Here we present the results of an investigation into the structure of the insect head as revealed by the distribution of engrailed related protein (Engrailed) in the insect orders Diptera, Siphonaptera, Orthoptera and Hemiptera. The results of this comparative embryology in conjunction with genetic experiments on Drosophila melanogaster lead us to conclude: (1) The insect head is composed of six Engrailed accumulating segments, four postoral and two preoral. The potential seventh and eighth segments (clypeus or labrum) do not accumulate Engrailed. (2) The structure known as the dorsal ridge is not specific to the Diptera but is homologous to structures found in other insect orders. (3) A part of this structure is a single segment-like entity composed of labial and maxillary segment derivatives which produce the most anterior cuticle capable of taking a dorsal fate. The segments anterior to the maxillary segment produce only ventral structures. (4) As in Drosophila, the process of segmentation of the insect head is fundamentally different from the process of segmentation in the trunk. (5) The pattern of Engrailed accumulation and its presumed role in the specification and development of head segments appears to be highly conserved while its role in other pattern formation events and tissue-specific expression is variable. An overview of the pattern of Engrailed accumulation in developing insect embryos provides a basis for discussion of the generality of the parasegment and the evolution of Engrailed patterns.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Glycoproteins from insect cells: sialylated or not?

Our growing comprehension of the biological roles of glycan moieties has created a clear need for expression systems that can produce mammalian-type glycoproteins. In turn, this has intensified interest in understanding the protein glycosylation pathways of the heterologous hosts that are commonly used for recombinant glycoprotein expression. Among these, insect cells are the most widely used and, particularly in their role as hosts for baculovirus expression vectors, provide a powerful tool for biotechnology. Various studies of the glycosylation patterns of endogenous and recombinant glycoproteins produced by insect cells have revealed a large variety of O- and N-linked glycan structures and have established that the major processed O- and N-glycan species found on these glycoproteins are (Gal beta1,3)GalNAc-O-Ser/Thr and Man3(Fuc)GlcNAc2-N-Asn, respectively. However, the ability or inability of insect cells to synthesize and compartmentalize sialic acids and to produce sialylated glycans remains controversial. This is an important issue because terminal sialic acid residues play diverse biological roles in many glycoconjugates. While most work indicates that insect cell-derived glycoproteins are not sialylated, some well-controlled studies suggest that sialylation can occur. In evaluating this work, it is important to recognize that oligosaccharide structural determination is tedious work, due to the infinite diversity of this class of compounds. Furthermore, there is no universal method of glycan analysis; rather, various strategies and techniques can be used, which provide glycobiologists with relatively more or less precise and reliable results. Therefore, it is important to consider the methodology used to assess glycan structures when evaluating these studies. The purpose of this review is to survey the studies that have contributed to our current view of glycoprotein sialylation in insect cell systems, according to the methods used. Possible reasons for the disagreement on this topic in the literature, which include the diverse origins of biological material and experimental artifacts, will be discussed. In the final analysis, it appears that if insect cells have the genetic potential to perform sialylation of glycoproteins, this is a highly specialized function that probably occurs rarely. Thus, the production of sialylated recombinant glycoproteins in the baculovirus-insect cell system will require metabolic engineering efforts to extend the native protein glycosylation pathways of insect cells.

Animal Diseases↗
PubMed2026

Insect immune systems: same same but different but still same.

Insects are the most diverse group of animals in nature, occupying nearly every ecological niche and playing central roles as pollinators, pests, and disease vectors. Despite this vast diversity, insects rely on a set of conserved yet evolutionarily adaptable immune pathways to defend against pathogens. Early studies in insect immunity have laid the foundation for human immunology, and recent advances in genomic and transgenic technologies have renewed interest in understanding how immune responses vary across insect orders. Insects are highly diverse in their immune systems; each species has unique immune responses that help fight infections from specific pathogens. Nevertheless, they share multiple aspects of recognition, regulation, and effector mechanisms. This review focuses on current knowledge of the immune systems of major insect lineages to highlight both shared signaling pathways, immune cells, and humoral factors, as well as lineage-specific responses that reflect distinct ecological pressures that have shaped the host-microbe interactions. Comparing different insect species and orders not only provides insights into the evolutionary divergences and convergences of immune system features but also offers complementary knowledge among species within the same order, helping fill existing gaps. Understanding these evolutionary patterns not only deepens our understanding of insect immunity but also informs the development of transgenic strategies to disrupt pathogen transmission in key vector species.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Domain 2 of Drosophila para voltage-gated sodium channel confers insect properties to a rat brain channel.

The ability of the excitatory anti-insect-selective scorpion toxin AahIT (Androctonus australis hector) to exclusively bind to and modify the insect voltage-gated sodium channel (NaCh) makes it a unique tool to unravel the structural differences between mammalian and insect channels, a prerequisite in the design of selective pesticides. To localize the insect NaCh domain that binds AahIT, we constructed a chimeric channel composed of rat brain NaCh alpha-subunit (rBIIA) in which domain-2 (D2) was replaced by that of Drosophila Para (paralytic temperature-sensitive). The choice of D2 was dictated by the similarity between AahIT and scorpion beta-toxins pertaining to both their binding and action and the essential role of D2 in the beta-toxins binding site on mammalian channels. Expression of the chimera rBIIA-ParaD2 in Xenopus oocytes gave rise to voltage-gated and TTX-sensitive NaChs that, like rBIIA, were sensitive to scorpion alpha-toxins and regulated by the auxiliary subunit beta(1) but not by the insect TipE. Notably, like Drosophila Para/TipE, but unlike rBIIA/beta(1), the chimera gained sensitivity to AahIT, indicating that the phyletic selectivity of AahIT is conferred by the insect NaCh D2. Furthermore, the chimera acquired additional insect channel properties; its activation was shifted to more positive potentials, and the effect of alpha-toxins was potentiated. Our results highlight the key role of D2 in the selective recognition of anti-insect excitatory toxins and in the modulation of NaCh gating. We also provide a methodological approach to the study of ion channels that are difficult to express in model expression systems.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

[Insect community and its relationship with Ceroplastes japonicus occurrence in jujube orchards].

Employing community character indices and canonical correlation analysis, this paper studied the insect communi structure and its relationship with the occurrence degree of Ceroplastes japonicus in jujube orchards. The results showed that based on the community discrepancy coefficient of 0.20, the insect community in various sampling fields could be categorized into two groups, i. e. , plain and hill. The occurrence of C. japonicus in plain region was heavier, with lower insect community diversity, smaller species number, and higher dominance of phytophagous insects, while that in hill region was lighter, with higher insect community diversity, more abundant species, and higher dominance of natural enemy insects. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that at the significant level of 0.05, the first and second pairs of canonical correlation coefficients of C. japonicus occurrence characters and insect community characters were 0. 9904 and 0.8538, respectively, suggesting that the occurrence of C.japonicus was significantly correlated with the characters of insect community. Community diversity (with the coefficient of 3. 4893), species number (with the coefficient of 5.8060), and dominance (with the coefficient of 6.9353) had most important effects on the occurrence of C. japonicus.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

[Allergy to insect stings. diagnosis and therapy (author's transl)].

An allergic reaction to stings by insects can occur within minutes and may be fatal. The history serves to assess the severity of the reaction and may aid in the identification of the insect involved. The diagnosis is established by a skin test and the hyposensitization tested by determining the levels of insect venom specific IgE. Minor allergic reactions can be treated with drugs, the more severe forms require hyposensitization therapy with pure insect venom, especially when the risk of re-exposure to insect sting is high. By means of the rush-hyposensitization, a protection against insect stings can be achieved within 1 week. With increasing dosage, patients who have previously had severe reactions to insect stings, develop allergic side-effects. During the course of the treatment with insect venom, the levels of allergic IgE- and the levels of the protective IgG-antibiodies rise. After 6 months, the allergic antibody levels fall, the protective IgG-antibodies, however, remain above their pretreatment level.

Antivenins↗