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PubMed2006

Pollination and seed predation by moths on Silene and allied Caryophyllaceae: evaluating a model system to study the evolution of mutualisms.

Nursery pollinators, and the plants they use as hosts for offspring development, function as exemplary models of coevolutionary mutualism. The two pre-eminent examples--fig wasps and yucca moths--show little variation in the interaction: the primary pollinator is an obligate mutualist. By contrast, nursery pollination of certain Caryophyllaceae, including Silene spp., by two nocturnal moth genera, Hadena and Perizoma, ranges from antagonistic to potentially mutualistic, offering an opportunity to test hypotheses about the factors that promote or discourage the evolution of mutualism. Here, we review nursery pollination and host-plant interactions in over 30 caryophyllaceous plants, based on published studies and a survey of researchers investigating pollination, seed predation, and moth morphology and behavior. We detected little direct evidence of mutualism in these moth-plant interactions, but found traits and patterns in both that are nonetheless consistent with the evolution of mutualism and merit further attention.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Chain reactions linking acorns to gypsy moth outbreaks and Lyme disease risk.

In eastern U.S. oak forests, defoliation by gypsy moths and the risk of Lyme disease are determined by interactions among acorns, white-footed mice, moths, deer, and ticks. Experimental removal of mice, which eat moth pupae, demonstrated that moth outbreaks are caused by reductions in mouse density that occur when there are no acorns. Experimental acorn addition increased mouse density. Acorn addition also increased densities of black-legged ticks, evidently by attracting deer, which are key tick hosts. Mice are primarily responsible for infecting ticks with the Lyme disease agent. The results have important implications for predicting and managing forest health and human health.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

The male silkworm moth (Antheraea pernyi) is a key ingredient in hu-bao and sheng-bao for specific prolongation of the life-span of the male fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster).

It is well established in Traditional Chinese Medicine that certain natural products, such as male silkworm moths, have different therapeutic effects on men than on women. These natural products have been used as dietary supplements specifically formulated for men or for women. However, this presumed sex-specific effect of certain natural products has not yet been confirmed experimentally with animal models or in human clinical trials. Here, using the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) as a longevity model, we examined the effect of hu-bao (HB) and seng-bao (SB), two marketed health products made from a mixture of natural ingredients. Our results convincingly demonstrate that the effect of HB and SB are indeed specific for the male fly. The life-span of the male was significantly increased when HB or SB was added to the culture medium. In contrast, neither HB nor SB had much effect on the female fly. Upon removal of the male silkworm moth ingredient from HB or SB, the life-span prolongation effect of HB and SB was drastically diminished. Only with the addition of the male silkworm moth did the culture medium show a statistically significant life-span prolongation effect. This result suggests that the male silkworm moth is a key ingredient, in combination with other components, for specific prolongation of the life-span of male flies.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Temporal and spatial expression of the period gene in the reproductive system of the codling moth.

The authors examined patterns of spatial and temporal expression of Drosophila per gene homologue in the codling moth, Cydia pomonella. Since sperm release in moths is regulated in a circadian manner by an autonomous clock that is independent from the brain, the authors investigated per expression in male reproductive system along with its expression in moth heads. per mRNA is rhythmically expressed with the same phase and amplitude in both tissues under light-dark (LD) conditions. The levels of per mRNA are low during the day, start to increase before lights-off, reach the peak in dark, and decrease after lights-on. In constant darkness (DD), cycling of per mRNA continued in heads with severely blunted amplitude. No cycling of per mRNA was detected in testis in DD. In situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry revealed distinct spatial patterns of per expression in the moth reproductive system. There is no expression of per in cells forming the wall of testes or in sperm bundles. However, per mRNA and protein are rhythmically expressed in the epithelial cells forming the wall of the upper vas deferens (UVD) and in the cells of the terminal epithelium, which are involved in the circadian gating of sperm release. Increase in per mRNA in the UVD coincides with sperm accumulation in this part of the insect reproductive system.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Female receptivity in butterflies and moths.

Female receptivity in butterflies and moths is influenced by a multitude of factors that vary between virgin and mated females, and is often affected by the quality and persistence of courting males. Mated females of polyandrous species frequently display a period of non-receptivity following mating, often resulting from factors transferred by the male at mating. Some of these compounds have a transient effect (e.g. anti-aphrodisiacs and mating plugs), whereas others induce long-term suppression of receptivity (i.e. sperm and seminal factors). Sperm appear to generally induce long-term suppression of female receptivity in both butterflies and moths. In some species, production of non-fertile sperm may function to fill the female's sperm storage organ and switch off receptivity, although whether this is a general phenomenon across the Lepidoptera has not yet been examined. Examination of seminal fluids suppressing female receptivity in moths suggests that more than one factor is implicated, but frequently the transfer or stimulation of Juvenile Hormone production is involved. Surprisingly, potential seminal factors influencing female receptivity in butterflies remain largely unexplored. In this review, I summarize the various factors that are known to affect female receptivity in the Lepidoptera to date, and briefly compare the function and similarity of the Pheromone Suppressing Peptide (HezPSP) in moths to that of the Sex Peptide in Drosophila melanogaster (DrmSP). The exciting possibility that seminal peptides in the Lepidoptera and Diptera (e.g. Drosophila melanogaster) may have shared functionality is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Unusual response characteristics of pheromone-specific olfactory receptor neurons in the Asian corn borer moth, Ostrinia furnacalis.

Male moth pheromone-detecting receptor neurons are known to be highly specific and very sensitive. We investigated physiological and behavioral responses to female sex pheromone components in male Ostrinia furnacalis moths (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Using recordings from a cut-sensillum technique, trichoid sensilla could be grouped into four physiological types (1-4), according to the response of receptor neurons to the two major pheromone components, (E)-12- and (Z)-12-tetradecenyl acetate (E12- and Z12-14:OAc). These types could subsequently be characterized as four subtypes (A-D) depending on neural responses to pheromone components from various sister species of O. furnacalis, (Z)-9-, (E)-11- and (Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate. The peripheral pheromone detection system of O. furnacalis is different to that of other moths. A large majority of the neurons investigated responded to both of the two principal pheromone components. Dose-response and cross-adaptation studies showed that olfactory receptor neurons with large amplitude action potentials responded equally well to E12- and Z12-14:OAc in sensillum types 1-3. Field experiments showed that O. furnacalis males are sensitive to ratios of E12- and Z12-14:OAc and that (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate acts as a behavioral antagonist. O. furnacalis males thus display an unusual coding system for odors involved in sexual communication, mainly built on less specific neurons, but still have the ability to detect and respond to the correct female blend. We hypothesize that the pheromone detection system of O. furnacalis consists of two parts, where one is devoted to high sensitivity to Delta12 isomers of tetradecenyl acetate, E12- and Z12-14:OAc and the other to highly specific responses to the E12- or Z12-14:OAc. The unusual feature is thus that a large part of the system is devoted to sensitivity and only a minor part to selectivity. This could be explained by the fact that no other moth species are known to use E12- and/or Z12-14:OAc and that no strong selective pressure to increase selectivity between the isomers has been determined.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1994

Jamming bat echolocation: the dogbane tiger moth Cycnia tenera times its clicks to the terminal attack calls of the big brown bat Eptesicus fuscus.

Certain tiger moths emit high-frequency clicks to an attacking bat, causing it to break off its pursuit. The sounds may either orient the bat by providing it with information that it uses to make an attack decision (aposematism) or they may disorient the bat by interrupting the normal flow of echo information required to complete a successful capture (startle, jamming). At what point during a bat's attack does an arctiid emit its clicks? If the sounds are aposematic, the moth should emit them early in the attack echolocation sequence in order to allow the bat time to understand their meaning. If, however, the sounds disrupt the bat's echo-processing behaviour, one would expect them to be emitted later in the attack to maximize their confusion effects. To test this, we exposed dogbane tiger moths (Cycnia tenera) to a recording of the echolocation sequence emitted by a big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) as it attacked a stationary target. Our results demonstrate that, at normal echolocation intensities, C. tenera does not respond to approach calls but waits until the terminal phase of the attack before emitting its clicks. This timing is evident whether the moth is stationary or flying and is largely independent of the intensity of the echolocation calls. These results support the hypothesis of a jamming effect (e.g. 'phantom echoes') and suggest that, to determine experimentally the effects of arctiid clicks on bats, it is important that the bats be tested under conditions that simulate the natural context in which this defence operates.

Acoustics↗
PubMed1976

Adult motor patterns produced by moth pupae during development.

Muscle potentials were recorded extracellularly from developing pupae and adults of the saturniid moths Antheraea polyphemus and A. pernyi and the sphingid moth Manduca sexta. During the week prior to the terminal ecdysis, developing moths still enclosed within the pupal cuticle produced motor patterns similar to those recorded from adults during flight and shivering. The pupal patterns had a longer cycle time and were more variable than the adult motor patterns. Characteristic inter-family differences in adult motor patterns were apparent in pupal motor patterns. Development of motor patterns was followed over several days by observing individuals with chronically implanted leads. Early in the pupal period potentials were small and infrequent. The amount of activity gradually increased and became more patterned. As development proceeded adult patterns were produced for increasing lengths of time, although the patterns changed quickly and spontaneously. Restricting the wing movements of A. polyphemus adults increased the cycle time, increased the number of spikes per burst in muscles opposing the restraint, and did not alter the interspike interval within a burst. The flight patterns produced by pharate moths, in which the wings are also immobile, also have a longer cycle time than that of adult flight, but the number of spikes per burst the same and the interspike interval is longer than in adult flight. These observations suggest that the differences between pupal and adult patterns are not necessarily due to the confinement of the wings by the pupal cuticle.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2000

Effect of insecticides on the diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) and its parasitoid Diadegma insulare (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae).

Studies were conducted to evaluate the toxicity of insecticides to adult Diadegma insulare (Cresson) and its host the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.). Leaf-dip and direct-dip bioassays for diamondback moth larvae and residual bioassays for adults of diamondback moth and D. insulare were used to assess mortalities. Larval mortalities at field rates were significantly higher with carbaryl, permethrin, spinosad, and tebufenozide when compared with Bacillus thuringiensis, or imidacloprid in the larval-dip bioassay 72 h after treatment. In the leaf-dip and residual bioassays, both permethrin and spinosad caused 100% mortalities to diamondback moth larvae and adults, respectively, 72 h after treatment. Of all the materials tested, only B. thuringiensis and tebufenozide were not toxic to D. insulare 24 h after treatment. Spinosad was not toxic to D. insulare 30 min after treatment. However, 100% mortality was observed 8 h after treatment.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Potential for outbreaks of leafrollers (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in California apple orchards using mating disruption for codling moth suppression.

Two species of leafrollers, Argyrotaenia citrana (Fernald) and Pandemis pyrusana Kearfott, represent serious obstacles to the implementation of mating disruption for control of codling moth in coastal California apple orchards. Larval and adult densities of A. citrana and P. pyrusana and subsequent fruit damage were compared under different codling moth control treatments. Leafroller larval counts and levels of fruit damage were significantly higher in most plots that were untreated or treated only with codling moth pheromone. Leafroller fruit damage levels in these plots were commonly between 10 and 15% at harvest. As summer larval counts were good predictors of fruit damage levels, larval sampling could be a useful tool for predicting leafroller outbreaks. Use of pheromone trapping for A. citrana to detect localized outbreaks within an orchard was not useful and failed to correlate with larval numbers, whereas adult monitoring for P. pyrusana appears more promising. Efforts to implement a codling moth mating-disruption program in California must include changes in strategies for monitoring and controlling leafroller species.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Evaluation of thiamethoxam and imidacloprid as seed treatments to control European corn borer and Indianmeal moth (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae.

Efficacy of thiamethoxam (Cruiser) and imidacloprid (Gaucho) were evaluated as seed treatments for controlling European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) and Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) larvae in stored grain. At approximately 22-26 degrees C, all fifth instar European corn borers died after two or 4 d of exposure to corn treated with 250 and 500 ppm thiamethoxam, respectively, while mortality of larvae exposed for two and 4 d on corn treated with 6.3-937.5 ppm imidacloprid did not exceed 48% at any concentration. At 29 degrees C, all nondiapausing fifth instars were killed after 3, 4, and 6-d exposure to 400, 300 and 200-ppm thiamethoxam, respectively, while survival increased at successively lower concentrations of 100, 50, 25, and 12.5 ppm. At 29 degrees C, the LC50 decreased from 85.9 to 7.2 ppm as the duration of exposure on treated corn increased from 2 to 6 d. All second and third instar Indianmeal moth larvae died after a 5 d exposure period to corn grain treated with thiamethoxam at 50 ppm or higher, but as the larvae aged, higher concentrations and longer exposure periods were required to give 100% mortality of each larval instar. Similar results were obtained when larval Indianmeal moths were exposed on corn treated with imidacloprid, or on sorghum treated with thiamethoxam. Mature wandering phase fifth instars were the most tolerant larval stage of the Indianmeal moth.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Attractancy and toxicity of an attracticide for Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) is a serious and widespread postharvest pest on cereal products, dried fruits, candy, and pet food. Due to the strong positive anemotactic flight response of P. interpunctella males to the main component of the female-produced pheromone [(Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate, herein referred to as ZETA], we evaluated the potential of an attracticide for this pest, in which ZETA as attractant was combined with permethrin as the killing agent. Two concentrations of ZETA [0.16 and 0.32% (wt:wt)] and five concentrations of permethrin [0, 3, 6, 12, and 18% (wt:wt)] were incorporated into Last Call gel (10 different permethrin:ZETA combinations). All attracticide gels were evaluated in a toxicity test, in which either the tip of a leg or an antenna of a virgin P. interpunctella male was touched < 3 s into a dot of attracticide gel. These males were subsequently transferred to jars with virgin females. The toxicity test showed that a brief and gentle contact of P. interpunctella males with attracticide gel containing 3-18% permethrin caused a significant reduction in mating and killed males moths within 24 h. A wind tunnel test was conducted to evaluate the flight responses of P. interpunctella males to the same 10 attracticide gels. Male moths displayed significantly higher levels of positive anemotactic flight and more males made contact with the attracticide gel when the ZETA concentration was 0.16% compared with 0.32%. P. interpunctella males showed no signs of repellency to permethrin concentrations within a range of 0-18% in the attracticide gel. Three densities of P. interpunctella pairs were released into small warehouse rooms, and we found that the attracticide gel suppressed oviposition when the moth density was at a low level, but it was ineffective when the moth density exceeded one male-female pair per 11.3 m3.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Factors affecting entomopathogenic nematodes (Steinernematidae) for control of overwintering codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in fruit bins.

Fruit bins infested with diapausing codling moth larvae, Cydia pomonella (L.), are a potential source of reinfestation of orchards and may jeopardize the success of mating disruption programs and other control strategies. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) were tested as a potential means of control that could be applied at the time bins are submerged in dump tanks. Diapausing cocooned codling moth larvae in miniature fruit bins were highly susceptible to infective juveniles (IJs) of Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) and Steinernema feltiae (Filipjev) in a series of experiments. Cocooned larvae are significantly more susceptible to infection than are pupae. Experimental treatment of bins in suspensions of laboratory produced S. feltiae ranging from 10 to 100 IJs/ml of water with wetting agent (Silwet L77) resulted in 51-92% mortality. The use of adjuvants to increase penetration of hibernacula and retard desiccation of S. feltiae in fruit bins resulted in improved efficacy. The combination of a wetting agent (Silwet L77) and humectant (Stockosorb) with 10 S. feltiae IJs/ml in low and high humidity resulted in 92-95% mortality of cocooned codling moth larvae versus 46-57% mortality at the same IJ concentration without adjuvants. Immersion of infested bins in suspensions of commercially produced nematodes ranging from 10 to 50 IJs/ml water with wetting agent in an experimental packing line resulted in mortality in cocooned codling moth larvae of 45-87 and 56 - 85% for S. feltiae and S. carpocapsae, respectively. Our results indicate that EPNs provide an alternative nonchemical means of control that could be applied at the time bins are submerged in dump tanks at the packing house for flotation of fruit.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Molecular and immunological characterization of arginine kinase from the Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella, a novel cross-reactive invertebrate pan-allergen.

IgE recognition of indoor allergens represents a major cause of allergic asthma in atopic individuals. We found that 52 of 102 patients suffering from allergic symptoms indoors contained IgE Abs against allergens from the Indianmeal moth (Plodia interpunctella), a ubiquitous food pest. Using serum IgE from a moth-sensitized patient we screened an expression cDNA library constructed from P. interpunctella larvae. cDNAs coding for arginine kinase (EC 2.7.3.3), a 40-kDa enzyme commonly occurring in invertebrates that is involved in the storage of such high-energy phosphate bonds as phosphoarginine, were isolated. Recombinant moth arginine kinase, designated Plo i 1, was expressed in Escherichia coli as a histidine-tagged protein with enzymatic activity, and purified to homogeneity by nickel chelate affinity chromatography. Purified recombinant arginine kinase induced specific basophil histamine release and immediate as well as late-phase skin reactions. It reacted with serum IgE from 13 of the 52 (25%) moth-allergic patients and inhibited the binding of allergic patients' IgE to an immunologically related 40-kDa allergen present in house dust mite, cockroach, king prawn, lobster, and mussel. Our results indicate that arginine kinases represent a new class of cross-reactive invertebrate pan-allergens. Recombinant arginine kinase may be used to identify a group of polysensitized indoor allergic patients and for immunotherapy of these individuals.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Retransmission of echo-like signals: methods and results of studies on nocturnal moths (Insecta)].

Studies of capability to echolocate in nocturnal moths using the method of echo-signal retransmission are described in detail. During retransmission the insect was presented not with the echo from some real object but with electronically generated echo-like signal which appears following the certain delay after insect's own acoustic signal. In that way the artificial echo from non-existent obstacle is produced. In the current study the delay was set to 0.5 ms that corresponds to a distance of about 8 cm from obstacle. At the same time there was no any single movement of any object near the flying insect therefore the activities of sensory systems other than auditory did not cause systematical influence on results obtained. Noctuid moths (Noctuidae, Lepidoptera) are acoustically active insects. They are capable of producing ultrasonic clicks during flight. The most typical response of a moth to the retransmission of echo-like stimuli is an activation of own clicks emission that is often accompanied with rise in click amplitude. Using the activation of emission as a criterion of moth's response to the echo-like stimulation we measured echolocational thresholds in three species: Amphipyra pyramidea (36 dB SPL), Enargia paleacea (31 dB SPL) and Blepharita satura (26 dB SPL). The ability to echolocate was also demonstrated in 20 species of subfamilies Catocalinae, Amphipyrinae, Cuculliinae, Hadeninae, Noctuinae, Heliothinae.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1995

A comparative microbiological study of clinically healthy eyes and those affected by ophthalmia in cattle and the association of noctuid eye-frequenting moths.

The eyes of clinically healthy Simmentaler cattle and those affected by ophthalmia were sampled once a month over a continuous period of 12 months for bacterial, mycoplasmal and ureaplasmal infections. In total 478 eyes, representing from a clinical viewpoint 414 healthy and 64 affected eyes, were swabbed. Bacteria were isolated from 201 (48.6%) healthy eyes and 56 (87.5%) affected eyes. No bacteria were isolated from the remaining eyes. Eleven genera of bacteria were isolated from healthy eyes and 8 genera from affected eyes. The majority of isolates were classified in the genera Moraxella, Neisseria and Staphylococcus. Mycoplasmas were isolated from 247 (50.7%) healthy eyes and 27 (42.2%) affected eyes. No mycoplasmas were isolated from the remaining eyes. Ureaplasmas were not isolated from any animal. Eye-frequenting moths were collected on 3 occasions during the investigation and bacterial and mycoplasmal isolation techniques were performed on a total of 21 moths. Twelve different genera of bacteria, mostly Nocardia, Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Moraxella, and mycoplasmas were isolated from various eye-frequenting moths. Scanning electron microscopical studies of the proboscis of the moths showed it to contain various sensillae and short triangular denticles that could possibly cause damage to the mucous membranes of the eyes and predispose to ophthalmia in cattle.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Starch and protein digestibility of newly released moth bean cultivars: Effect of soaking, dehulling, germination and pressure cooking.

Effect of soaking (12 h), soaking (12 h) dehulling, germination (60 h) and pressure cooking on starch and protein digestibility of four varieties of moth bean, one Local commonly used by the farmers of the area and three newly released high yielding varieties, Jwala, RMO 225 and RMO 257, was studied. The starch digestibility of raw unprocessed moth bean cultivars differed significantly (P < 0.05) from 25.4-28.2 mg maltose released/g flour being the highest and lowest in RMO 257 and RMO 225, respectively. The protein digestibility differed significantly from 70.3-74.6 per cent among all the unprocessed varieties of moth bean. All the processing treatments namely soaking, dehulling, germination and pressure cooking brought about appreciable enhancement in protein digestibility (1-19%) over the control and starch digestibility (19-115%) of all the four moth bean cultivars. However, out of all the processing treatments, germination (60 h) of soaked seeds (12 h) was the most effective in bringing about improvement in digestibility of starch and protein followed by dehulling and soaking (12 h).

Cooking↗
PubMed2002

Plant odour processing in the antennal lobe of male and female grapevine moths, Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).

Moths of Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) are confronted with different volatiles emitted from the host plant during the different seasons. To test the hypothesis of plasticity of central plant odour processing in moths of different generations in the future, we first investigated the responses of antennal lobe (AL) interneurons of laboratory-reared virgin and mated males and females. We used intracellular recording and staining techniques while stimulating the antenna with a range of host and non-host plant odours. The AL structure of L. botrana is similar to that found in other Lepidoptera species studied. The most frequent physiological responses for all types of moths were obtained with (E)-2-hexenal, and with thujyl alcohol and beta-thujone, components of tansy, a behaviourally attractive non-host plant. Some broadly responding neurons were capable of distinguishing between different compounds through different response patterns (excitation/inhibition) and/or different dose-response characteristics. Response characteristics (response spectra, threshold and specificity) of neurons were similar, independent of sex or mating status of the moths. Significant differences between the groups were, however, found in the proportion of responding neurons for a few tested components.

Journal Article↗