Aphid and Plant Volatiles Induce Oviposition in an Aphidophagous Hoverfly

Episyrphus balteatus DeGeer (Diptera, Syrphidae) is an abundant and efficient aphid-specific predator. We tested the electroantennographic (EAG) response of this syrphid fly to the common aphid alarm pheromone, (E)-β-farnesene (EβF), and to several plant volatiles, including terpenoids (mono- and sesquiterpenes) and green leaf volatiles (C6 and C9 alcohols and aldehydes). Monoterpenes evoked significant EAG responses, whereas sesquiterpenes were inactive, except for the aphid alarm pheromone (EβF). The most pronounced antennal responses were elicited by six and nine carbon green leaf alcohols and aldehydes [i.e., (Z)-3-hexenol, (E)-2-hexenol, (E)-2-hexenal, and hexanal]. To investigate the behavioral activity of some of these EAG-active compounds, E. balteatus females were exposed to R-(+)-limonene (monoterpene), (Z)-3-hexenol (green leaf alcohol), and EβF (sesquiterpene, common aphid alarm pheromone). A single E. balteatus gravid female was exposed for 10 min to an aphid-free Vicia faba plant that was co-located with a semiochemical dispenser. Without additional semiochemical, hoverfly females were not attracted to this plant, and no oviposition was observed. The monoterpene R-(+)-limonene did not affect the females’ foraging behavior, whereas (Z)-3-hexenol and EβF increased the time of flight and acceptance of the host plant. Moreover, these two chemicals induced oviposition on aphid-free plants, suggesting that selection of the oviposition site by predatory hoverflies relies on the perception of a volatile blend composed of prey pheromone and typical plant green leaf volatiles.     

Major Sex Pheromone Components of the Australian Gum Leaf Skeletonizer Uraba lugens: (10E,12Z)-Hexadecadien-1-yl Acetate and (10E,12Z)-Hexadecadien-1-ol

Two sex pheromone components of the gum leaf skeletonizer, Uraba lugens (Lepidoptera: Nolidae), recently established in New Zealand, were identified. Gas chromatography (GC) electroantennographic detection analyses of female pheromone gland extracts gave three compounds that consistently elicited antennal responses. Chemical analyses, using GC and GC-mass spectrometry, in conjunction with 4-methyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione and dimethyldisulfide derivatizations, identified these compounds as (10E,12Z)-hexadecadien-1-yl acetate (E10,Z12-16:Ac), (10E,12Z)-hexadecadien-1-ol (E10,Z12-16:OH), and (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-yl acetate (Z11-16:Ac). A trapping trial in Queensland, Australia, in 2002, indicated that a blend of the two major components E10,Z12-16:Ac and E10,Z12-16:OH could attract gum leaf skeletonizer males. In the same trial, E10,Z12-16:Ac alone trapped large numbers of an unidentified nolid, Nola spp. Further trials in Auckland, New Zealand established that these two components were sufficient and necessary for trap catch of males; adding minor gland components, (10E,12E)-hexadecadien-1-yl acetate (E10,E12-16:Ac), Z11-16:Ac, or octadecan-1-ol (18:OH), to the two-component lure did not result in increased trap catches. Behavioral observations and gland analyses of the Auckland population revealed that female moths begin calling soon after emergence, with peak calling and pheromone production occurring 7 hr into the scotophase. Analysis of gland extract at two-hourly intervals during the first activity period showed that the ratio of E10,Z12-16:Ac to E10,Z12-16:OH (mean of 86: 14, respectively) and pheromone titer were fairly constant. No qualitative or quantitative differences in pheromone components were detected between gland extracts from Tasmanian univoltine and Auckland bivoltine populations of U. lugens.     

Oolong tea and LR‐White resin: a new method of plant sample preparation for transmission electron microscopy

Simplifying sample processing, shortening the sample preparation time, and adjusting procedures to suitable for new health and safety regulations, these issues are the current challenges which electron microscopic examinations need to face. In order to resolve these problems, new plant tissue sample processing protocols for transmission electron microscopy should be developed. In the present study, we chose the LR‐White resin‐assisted processing protocol for the ultrastructural observation of different types of plant tissues. Moreover, we explored Oolong tea extract (OTE) as a substitute for UA in staining ultrathin sections of plant samples. The results revealed that there was no significant difference between the OTE double staining method and the traditional double staining method. Furthermore, in some organelles, such as mitochondria in root cells of tomatoes and chloroplast in leaf cells of watermelons, the OTE double staining method achieved little better results than the traditional double staining method. Therefore, OTE demonstrated good potentials in replacing UA as a counterstain on ultrathin sections. In addition, sample preparation time was significantly shortened and simplified using LR‐White resin. This novel protocol reduced the time for preparing plant samples, and hazardous reagents in traditional method (acetone and UA) were also replaced by less toxic ones (ethanol and OTE).     

柿叶茶的保健功能及其制作工艺

柿树是河南省的传统优势树种,如何利用现有柿树资源制作柿叶茶,对进一步挖掘、提升柿树种植效益、增加柿农经济收入具有重要意义。本文介绍了柿叶保健茶的功能及其制作工艺。     

烟青虫和棉铃虫在陕西烟区的地理分布及其成因分析

调查表明，烟青虫Ｈｅｌｉｃｏｖｅｒｐａａｓｓｕｌｔａ（Ｇｕｅｎｅｅ）在陕西仅分布于关中和陕南；棉铃虫Ｈｅｌｉｃｏｖｅｒｐａａｒｍｉｇｅｒａ（Ｈｕｂｎｅｒ）虽在陕西各地烟田均有发生，但主要分布于陕北和关中。从地理上看，棉铃虫在陕北延安等地严重危害烤烟；在关中则主要危害烤烟留种田和晒烟留种株；在陕南发生极少，仅开花后在花上有少量幼虫。从生育期上看，在两种害虫混发的关中地区，团棵至旺长期主要是烟青虫，而棉铃虫仅在干旱的渭北旱塬上发生，开花后则逐渐过渡到棉铃虫为主，９月以后留种田发生的全为棉铃虫。推测棉铃虫起源于北方干旱地区，烟青虫则起源于湿润的东洋区。讨论了这两种夜蛾分布区差异以及造成中关烟田早、中晚期区系组成差异的原因。初步提出了烟青虫和棉铃虫在陕西当地蜜源植物间转移的可能规律．并提出了防治对策的建议。     

新型贝氏体板簧钢的组织及性能

针对汽车减重和环保问题,自行设计研制了车用新型贝氏体板簧钢,并对其组织和力学性能进行研究。结果表明,该钢经正火热处理即可得到无碳贝氏体组织;XRD检测表明,其物相组成以α相为主;该钢具有优良的综合力学性能和耐腐蚀性能,屈服强度近1200 MPa,抗拉强度达1400 MPa,常温下,冲击吸收能量达到73.2 J以上,强韧性配比优异。     

Implications of foliar epidermal micromorphology using light and scanning electron microscopy: A useful tool in taxonomy of Korean irises

The genus Iris L., comprising approximately 210 species, is one of the most species-rich genera in the family Iridaceae. In this study, the first comprehensive leaf micromorphological characters of Korean irises were studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. Our objective was to evaluate the foliar micromorphological characteristics (namely epidermal cells, stomata types, and guard cell size) of Korean Iris taxa in a systematic context. All the investigated Korean Iris taxa had amphistomatic or hypostomatic leaves with anomocytic stomatal complexes. Guard cell length varied among species, ranging from 24.8 μm (I. rossii) to 56.0 μm (I. domestica). Although the presence of papillae on the outer periclinal wall is not of taxonomic significance, leaf margin pattern, guard cell size, and sunken stomata type were useful for species-level identification of Korean Iris species. The occurrence of polymorphic stomatal types was reported here for the first time, and the correlation between genome size and epidermal guard cell length was discussed.     

配色膜覆盖栽培对烟田杂草控制效果研究

开展了不同地膜覆盖栽培对烟田杂草的控制效果研究，结果表明，配色膜控草综合效果量佳，移栽后60d的控草效果达到83．5％，生育期较其它处理略早，农艺性状与其它处理差异不明显，烟叶内在化学成分协调，产值量最高，同时对配色膜控草技术进行了大面积示范推广，推广效果理想。     

Pereskia aculeata Muller (Cactaceae) Leaves: Chemical Composition and Biological Activities

The aims of this work were to study the chemical composition of the essential oil from the leaves of Pereskia aculeata and to evaluate some biological activities of three leaf extracts. The phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and in vitro antimicrobial and antifungal activities were determined. The methanol extract showed antioxidant activity (EC₅₀ 7.09 mg/mL) and high polyphenols content (15.04 ± 0.31 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g). The petroleum ether extract exhibited potent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, whereas the chloroform extract showed inhibitory activity against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. The petroleum ether and methanol extracts were more effective in inhibiting the growth of Aspergillus versicolor. The possible cytotoxicity of extracts on neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cancer cell line and the influence on adenylate cyclase (ADCY) expression was also studied. P. aculeata chloroform extract showed antiproliferative activity with an IC₅₀ value of 262.83 µg/mL. Treatments of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells with 100 µg/mL of methanol extract significantly reduced ADCY1 expression.