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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Combined heat and controlled atmosphere quarantine treatments for control of codling moth in sweet cherries.

Nonchemical quarantine treatments, using a combination of short-duration high temperatures under low oxygen, elevated carbon dioxide atmospheric environment were developed to control codling moth in sweet cherries, Prunus avium (L.). The two treatments developed are a chamber temperature of 45 degrees C for 45 min and a chamber temperature of 47 degreesC for 25 min under a 1% oxygen, 15% carbon dioxide, -2 degrees C dew point environment. Both these treatments have been shown to provide control of all life stages of codling moth while preserving commodity market quality. The third and fourth instars of codling moth are equally tolerant to CATTS treatments and are the most tolerant immature stages to these treatments. We determined that low levels of oxygen are more important than elevated carbon dioxide in achieving high levels of insect mortality. Efficacy tests of both treatments resulted in 100% mortality of 5000 third instars of codling moth in each treatment. These treatments may be used to provide quarantine security in exported sweet cherries where codling moth is a quarantine concern and fumigation with methyl bromide is not desired.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Assessment of sublethal effects of methoxyfenozide on oriental fruit Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).

Sublethal effects of the insect growth regulator methoxyfenozide were examined in oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Busck), in laboratory and field studies. In laboratory studies, oriental fruit moth larvae reared on diet amended with 0.1 ppm methoxyfenozide developed at the same rate as larvae reared on untreated diet, and paired moths reared as larvae from the same treated or untreated diets exhibited similar fecundity and fertility. Population growth differences over multiple generations were used to examine sublethal effects of methoxyfenozide on population dynamics in the field. Multiple single-tree cages were placed over apple (Malus spp.) trees treated with two applications of methoxyfenozide (70 g [AI] /ha) and nontreated trees. Cages were infested at a single time point with virgin male and female oriental fruit moth adults, and population growth was evaluated by egg counts, shoot infestation, fruit damage, and larval counts over a 12-wk period. Significantly fewer eggs, larvae, and damaged fruit were found on methoxyfenozide-treated compared with nontreated trees in 2001. Observed population differences may have been a result of direct mortality to eggs and larvae of the first generation rather than sublethal effects. In 2002, no differences were observed between treatments, but a heavy rain event shortly after the early infestation impacted the experiment. A late moth release treatment was tested in 2002 to examine the effects of residual methoxyfenozide 55 d after initial application. Significantly fewer eggs were found in the methoxyfenozide treatment compared with the control, but no differences existed among treatments in shoot infestation, percentage of damaged fruit, or larval populations. It was concluded direct mortality of eggs and larvae exposed to methoxyfenozide rather than sublethal effects were most important in reduction of subsequent generations.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Characteristics of nuclear DNA of a Lepidoptera, the great wax moth Galleria mellonella, using reassociation kinetics].

Reassociation kinetics of great wax moth--Galleria mellonella nuclear DNA short fragments was studied within the C0t values of 0.02 and 10(4). The least squares analysis of the experimental curve obtained revealed two components with C0t1/2 = 0.72 and C0t1/2 = 750 appropriately. The fraction of the component with C0t1/2 = 0.72 in the genome of great wax moth is 22% and that of the other one is 61%. There is also a rapid component which renatured at the C0t values less then 0,02. The fraction of this component in the genome is 17%. The great wax moth genome size determined kinetically is 4,83 X 10(8) base pairs. It was shown that the efficiency of DNA molecules network formation can qualify the genome studied as being a short or a long period of interspersion. On the basis that 80-90% of great wax moth DNA molecules participated in network formation which is inherent to the short period interspersion genomes, it was concluded that the great wax moth genome is of the Xenopus-like type.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Noctuid moths show neural and behavioural responses to sounds made by some bat-marking rings.

Coloured rings are often used for marking bats so that specific individuals can be recognized. We noticed that the rings of mouse-eared bats, Myotis myotis and Myotis blythii, in a combination of one plastic-split and one metallic ring on the same forearm, emitted sounds that were largely ultrasonic each time the rings met in flight. We recorded the ring sounds and the echolocation calls produced by the bats, and played them back to neural preparations of lesser yellow underwing moths, Noctua comes, while making extracellular recordings from the moths' A1 auditory receptors. The peak energy of the ring sounds occurred much closer in frequency to the moth's best auditory frequency (the frequency at which the moth has the lowest auditory threshold) than the peak energy of the calls, for both bat species, and the ring sounds were detected at a threshold 5-6 dB peSPL lower than the calls. Moths performed evasive manoeuvres to playbacks of ring sounds more frequently than they did to control (tape noise) sequences. These neural and behavioural responses imply that certain bats should not be marked with two rings on one wing, as this may make the bat more apparent to tympanate insects, and may therefore reduce its foraging success. Copyright 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Olfactory-based discrimination learning in the moth, Manduca sexta.

Moths possess highly tuned olfactory capabilities, which can detect very low concentrations of pheromonal odorants. Much is known about the structure and function of the moth olfactory system with respect to detection of pheromones. However, we lack an understanding of the broader olfactory system, in particular, to what degree are moths capable of detecting and discriminating odorants that are not components of pheromone blends. Here we describe a methodology used to investigate the discriminability of nonpheromonal odors in moths. In a series of experiments we show that the moth Manduca sexta can (1) discriminate a number of different odors but (2) that methyl jasmonate, neither readily conditions to a food reward nor is it readily discriminated from another odor. The lack of a response to methyl jasmonate may be related to its role in host plant defense. This work provides a basis for future mapping of physiological and pharmacological studies of nonpheromonal coding in insects onto learned behavioral responses to those odorants.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Olfactory discrimination conditioning in the moth Spodoptera littoralis.

We used a proboscis extension reflex (PER) to study the olfactory discrimination capability in the moth Spodoptera littoralis. Already after a single experience, moths were capable to discriminate a rewarded from an unrewarded odor. In the first experiment, when rewarded and unrewarded odors were substituted for each other, moths were able to undergo reversal conditioning already after two experiences. Both shorter and longer inter-trial intervals (ITIs) supported high degrees of learning. In a second experiment, moths could solve both feature-positive and -negative discrimination tasks. Two hypotheses for the way in which these associations exert their discrimination performance are considered. The moth's olfactory physiology has been extensively studied. This animal thus provides a powerful system in which to study the neurobiology of olfactory discrimination and odor recognition.

Animals↗
PubMed1968

The carnitine-independent oxidation of palmitate plus malate by moth flight-muscle mitochondria.

Mitochondria isolated from the flight muscle of the southern armyworm moth, Prodenia eridania, can oxidize palmitate+malate very rapidly. Added carnitine had no effect on the rate of oxidation of palmitate+malate by flight-muscle mitochondria from two species of moths, and carnitine palmitoyltransferase could not be detected in Prodenia by direct assay. Palmitoylcarnitine was not oxidized by moth mitochondria, but when added in low concentrations it reversibly suppressed the oxidation of palmitate. The evidence indicates that carnitine is not involved in fatty acid degradation by moth flight muscle. Added thiols, including CoA, also suppressed palmitate+malate oxidation. An ATP-dependent fatty acyl-CoA synthetase is present in moth mitochondria.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Light on the moth-eye corneal nipple array of butterflies.

The outer surface of the facet lenses in the compound eyes of moths consists of an array of excessive cuticular protuberances, termed corneal nipples. We have investigated the moth-eye corneal nipple array of the facet lenses of 19 diurnal butterfly species by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscope, as well as by optical modelling. The nipples appeared to be arranged in domains with almost crystalline, hexagonal packing. The nipple distances were found to vary only slightly, ranging from about 180 to 240 nm, but the nipple heights varied between 0 (papilionids) and 230 nm (a nymphalid), in good agreement with previous work. The nipples create an interface with a gradient refractive index between that of air and the facet lens material, because their distance is distinctly smaller than the wavelength of light. The gradient in the refractive index was deduced from effective medium theory. By dividing the height of the nipple layer into 100 thin slices, an optical multilayer model could be applied to calculate the reflectance of the facet lenses as a function of height, polarization and angle of incidence. The reflectance progressively diminished with increased nipple height. Nipples with a paraboloid shape and height 250 nm, touching each other at the base, virtually completely reduced the reflectance for normally incident light. The calculated dependence of the reflectance on polarization and angle of incidence agreed well with experimental data, underscoring the validity of the modelling. The corneal nipples presumably mainly function to reduce the eye glare of moths that are inactive during the day, so to make them less visible for predators. Moths are probably ancestral to the diurnal butterflies, suggesting that the reduced size of the nipples of most butterfly species indicates a vanishing trait. This effect is extreme in papilionids, which have virtually absent nipples, in line with their highly developed status. A similar evolutionary development can be noticed for the tapetum of the ommatidia of lepidopteran eyes. It is most elaborate in moth-eyes, but strongly reduced in most diurnal butterflies and absent in papilionids.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

IgE antibodies against midge and moth found in Japanese asthmatic subjects and comparison of allergenicity between these insects.

The specific IgE antibodies to moth (Bombyx mori) and midge (Chironomus yoshimatsui) were measured by the Pharmacia CAP system in 51 house-dust-mite-sensitive asthma patients. None of these patients had definite histories of exposure to these insects or apparent evidence of insect-induced asthma symptoms. The RAST-inhibition assay was performed to investigate cross-allergenicity between these two insects. Furthermore, IgE immunoblotting was done to study the IgE-binding components in moth and midge extracts. Thirty (59%) of these patients showed positive IgE antibodies to moth, while 25 (49%) showed positive IgE antibodies to midge. Those frequencies of positivity were similar to that for Japanese cedar pollen, which is well known to cause allergy. A significant correlation (r = 0.863) was observed between IgE antibody titers of these two insects. The results from the RAST-inhibition assay indicated cross-allergenicity between these insects and also the existence of species-specific allergens. Fifteen IgE-binding components in moth extract were observed. The most frequent IgE-binding protein was the 79-kDa (84.2%), followed by the 72-kDa (78.9%), the 82-kDa (57.9%), and the 76-kDa (57.9%) proteins. Those were considered to be major allergens in moth. Twenty-four IgE-binding components in midge extract were observed. However, no IgE-binding protein to which over 50% of patient sera reacted was observed. These results suggest that these two insects may be considered to bear important allergens and that there is cross-allergenicity between these insects as well as species-specific allergens.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Behavioural analysis of olfactory conditioning in the moth spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) (Lepidoptera: noctuidae)

We studied the associative learning capabilities for behaviourally relevant cues in the moth Spodoptera littoralis. The moths were trained to associate a conditioned stimulus (CS), geraniol odour, with an unconditioned stimulus (US), a sucrose solution. The occurrence of a proboscis extension reflex (PER) was tested. The PER performance during acquisition increased steadily with the number of training trials. Non-associative control procedures did not result in learning. PER conditioning was achieved when the CS was presented 1-3 s before the US. A wide range of inter-trial intervals was able to support conditioning. Males and females learned equally well. Moths could to some degree learn the CS-US association after a single trial. These results demonstrate that S. littoralis females and males have a good capability to associate an odour with a reward. The neural basis of olfactory coding in moths has been well studied; thus, the moth provides a powerful system in which to examine the neurobiology of olfactory learning.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

[Allergen skin tests to insects, chironomid, caddis fly and silkworm moth, in patients with nasal allergy].

The present study was undertaken to assess the importance of insects as allergens causing nasal allergy. We performed intradermal skin tests with extracts from three insects, chironomid, caddis fly, and silkworm moth, on patients with nasal allergy and on volunteers among medical students. Twenty-two (27.5%) of 80 nasal allergic patients showed positive reactions to chironomid allergen and 9 (11.3%) had positive reactions to caddis fly allergen and 18 (22.5%) to silkworm moth allergen. These positive rates were as frequent as those to Candida or ragweed. Medical students were divided into two groups, symptomatic and asymptomatic, according to the presence or the absence of nasal allergy. Three (11.5%) of 26 symptomatic group showed positive reactions to chironomid and one (3.8%) to caddis fly and 5 (19.2%) to silkworm moth. While even 4 (8.3%) of 48 asymptomatic group showed positive reactions to chironomid, 2 (4.8%) to caddis fly, and 6 (12.5%) to silkworm moth. These results suggested that these insects, chironomid, caddis fly, and silkworm moth, are relatively common than we expected and suspected as important allergens in nasal allergy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Structure of the gypsy moth vitellogenin gene.

Genomic clones containing the vitellogenin (Vg) gene from the gypsy moth were isolated from two genomic libraries and characterized. The nucleotide sequence of a 16,132 bp region of the gypsy moth genome was determined which included a 3,666 bp region upstream from the transcription initiation site and 499 bp region downstream from the transcribed region. Primer extension analysis was performed to identify the transcription initiation site. Gene sequence confirmed the sequence of VgmRNA recently reported [Hiremath and Lehtoma, J. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. (1997) 27:27-35] and indicated that the gypsy moth Vg gene contains seven exons interrupted by six introns. Sequence analysis of the promoter region revealed presence of several motifs associated with sex-specific and developmentally regulated genes in other systems. The nucleotide sequence comparison analyses showed that the gypsy moth Vg gene had considerably similarity with the Bombyx mori Vg gene but not with those from Anthonomous grandis and Aedes aegypti.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Stimulation of sex pheromone production by PBAN-like substance in the pine caterpillar moth, Dendrolimus punctatus (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae).

Sex pheromone production in the female pine caterpillar moth, Dendrolimus punctatus is controlled by a PBAN-like substance located in the head of female moth. Pheromone titer was significantly decreased by decapitation of female moth, and restored by injection of either Hez-PBAN or head extract prepared from male or female moth. Stimulation of pheromone production by head extract followed a dose-dependent pattern from 0.5 to at least 4 head equivalent. A gland in vitro assay was used to study the relationship between gland incubation time and pheromone production as well as calcium involvement in the stimulation of pheromone production by head extract. Maximum pheromone production was occurred at 60 min after pheromone gland was incubated with two equivalents of head extracts. In vitro experiments showed that the presence of calcium in the incubation medium was necessary for stimulation of pheromone production. The calcium ionophore, A 23187, alone stimulated pheromone production. The pheromone components (Z,E)-5,7-dodecadienol and its acetate and propionate were produced in these experiments but in addition to the aldehyde, (Z,E)-5,7-dodecadienal was also found. This indicates that females are capable of producing four oxygenated functional groups. The PBAN-like substance control of the pheromone biosynthetic pathway was investigated by monitoring the incorporation of the labeled precursor into both pheromone and pheromone intermediates.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Evaluation of mechanisms of azinphos-methyl resistance in the codling moth Cydia pomonella (L.).

Resistance of the codling moth Cydia pomonella (L.) to azinphos-methyl is not based on enhanced detoxifying enzymes like oxidation mediated by mixed function oxidases or by glutathione S-transferases. Synergism by S,S,S-tributylphosphoro-trithioate was evident, but the overall activity of general esterases using p-nitrophenyl acetate as the substrate was similar in resistant and susceptible insects. In comparison to acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from susceptible adult codling moth, the enzyme of insects resistant to azinphos-methyl has low affinities (higher K(m) values) to the substrates acetylthiocholine (ATCh) and propionylthiocholine. This difference indicates a possible amino acid alteration at the catalytic or anionic binding sites of the resistant enzyme. Inhibition studies revealed no apparent differences in sensitivity of AChE enzymes from resistant and susceptible moths to organophosphorus compounds (OPs), carbamate insecticides and quaternary ammonium ligands. MEPQ (7-Methylethoxyphosphinyloxy)-1-methylquinolinium) is the most powerful OP inhibitor acting at a nM range, while chlopyrifos oxon, azinphos-methyl oxon and paraoxon are less inhibitory by 22.9, 82.3 and 475 fold, respectively. The codling moth AChE is a typical enzyme that displays substrate inhibition by ATCh, negligible hydrolysis of butyrylthiocholine, very high sensitivity to the bisquaternary ammonium compound BW284c51 and it is not inhibited by the powerful butyrylcholinesterase inhibitor iso-OMPA. Of the three carbamates examined, only carbaryl was inhibitory at the mM range while pirimicarb and aldicarb were inactive. Of the quaternary ammonium ligands (except for the powerful BW284c51), edrophonium and decamethonium displayed appreciable inhibition rates, while d-tubocuraine was practically inactive.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed1983

Invariance and sex-specific variations of the glomerular organization in the antennal lobes of a moth, Mamestra brassicae, and a butterfly, Pieris brassicae.

The glomerular organization of the antennal lobes was analyzed in the moth Mamestra brassicae and comparatively in the butterfly Pieris brassicae. The invariance of the lobes in number, position, and size of the glomeruli was verified quantitatively in the moth for all the glomeruli in individuals of the same sex (67 in males, 68 in females) and for 56 sex-invariant glomeruli which can be identified in all individuals whatever their sex. In the butterfly, the positional variability is greater than in the moth and hinders identification. The most conspicuous sex-variant glomeruli are two adjoining macroglomeruli in the male moth which have homologs of very small size in the female. No such dimorphism was observed in Pieris, a species in which males are attracted to female by visual stimuli and not by a sex pheromone as in Mamestra. There are other sex-variant glomeruli in Mamestra: four varying in location, three subdivided in the female, two found only in the male, and three found only in the female. Consequently, differing olfactory sensitivity related to species and sex could correlate with detectable modifications in the glomerular organization. A hypothesis on the function of glomeruli is discussed in which most of the glomeruli are viewed as "olfactory generalists" giving rise collectively to proposed "across-glomeruli patterns."

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Interactions between a Nosema sp. (Microspora: nosematidae) and nuclear polyhedrosis virus infecting the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: lymantriidae).

Simultaneous and sequential per os inoculations of gypsy moth larvae with the Lymantria dispar nuclear polyhedrosis virus (LdNPV) and a Nosema sp. from Portugal demonstrated that the interaction of two pathogens during coinfection was variable, ranging from synergistic to antagonistic. Susceptibility of gypsy moth larvae to viral infection was unaffected by simultaneous and subsequent microsporidian infection. This resulted from the comparatively slow pathogenesis of the microsporidium when compared to the virus. Viral infectivity, however, increased 10-fold when larvae were preinfected with Nosema sp. per os, or through transovarial infection. Time to death decreased for larvae infected with both pathogens compared to larvae infected with the virus alone. Polyhedron production was significantly reduced by microsporidian infection preceding viral infection. In this infection sequence, larvae died at an earlier stage and were less than half the mass of cadavers infected with virus alone. The biological significance of these results on gypsy moth population dynamics and the implication for use of this Nosema sp. from Portugal in gypsy moth biological control are discussed in the context of viral epizootiology.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

A field release of genetically engineered gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) nuclear polyhedrosis virus (LdNPV).

The gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) nuclear polyhedrosis virus was genetically engineered for nonpersistence by removal of the gene coding for polyhedrin production and stabilized using a coocclusion process. A beta-galactosidase marker gene was inserted into the genetically engineered virus (LdGEV) so that infected larvae could be tested for its presence using a colorimetric assay. In 1993, LdGEV-infected gypsy moths were released in a forested plot in Massachusetts to test for spread and persistence. A similar forested plot 2 km away served as a control. For 3 years (1993-1995), gypsy moths were established in the two plots in Massachusetts to serve as test and control populations. Each week, larvae were collected from both plots. These field-collected larvae were reared individually, checked for mortality, and then tested for the presence of beta-galactosidase. Other gypsy moth larvae were confined on LdGEV-contaminated foliage for 1 week and then treated as the field-collected larvae. The LdGEV was sought in bark, litter, and soil samples collected from each plot. To verify the presence of the LdGEV, polymerase chain reaction, slot blot DNA hybridization, and restriction enzyme analysis were also used on larval samples. Field-collected larvae infected with the engineered virus were recovered in the release plot in 1993, but not in subsequent years; no field-collected larvae from the control plot contained the engineered virus. Larvae confined on LdGEV-contaminated foliage were killed by the virus. No LdGEV was recovered from bark, litter, or soil samples from either of the plots.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Floral CO(2) emission may indicate food abundance to nectar-feeding moths.

As part of a study of the roles of the sensory subsystem devoted to CO(2) in the nectar-feeding moth Manduca sexta, we investigated CO(2) release and nectar secretion by flowers of Datura wrightii, a preferred hostplant of Manduca. Datura flowers open at dusk and wilt by the following noon. During the first hours after dusk, when Manduca feeds, the flowers produce considerable amounts of nectar and emit levels of CO(2) that should be detectable by moths nearby. By midnight, however, both nectar secretion and CO(2) release decrease significantly. Because nectar production requires high metabolic activity, high floral CO(2) emission may indicate food abundance to the moths. We suggest that hovering moths could use the florally emitted CO(2) to help them assess the nectar content before attempting to feed in order to improve their foraging efficiency.

Animal Feed↗