Colony performance of three native bumblebee species from South China and association with their gut microbiome.

Bumblebees play an important ecological economic role as pollinators in nature and agriculture. For reasons of biosecurity, many countries promote the cultivation of native bumblebee species for crop pollination instead of importing "alien" species. In South China, a few bumblebee species are considered useful in this way, particularly, Bombus atripes, Bombus bicoloratus and Bombus breviceps. However, whether they are suitable for artificial rearing and forming healthy colonies for pollination, remains unknown. In this project, queens from the 3 native species of Guizhou Province were collected and colonies were started under standardized conditions. The colonies were scored based on 19 parameters, including the stage of colony development, number and weight of offspring, and diet consumed. The data revealed that B. breviceps had the best performance, produced more workers and consumed the smallest diet. Next, we performed 16S rDNA sequencing of the bacterial communities found in the guts of offspring workers, and then a correlation analysis between colony performance and gut bacteria was conducted. Here, B. breviceps showed the highest diversity in gut bacterial composition, dominated by the bacteria Gilliamella, Snodgrassella, Enterobacter, and Lactobacillus Firm5. The higher the abundance of Snodgrassella, the better the performance of the colony in the foundation stage, and later Lactobacillus Firm5, Apibacter and Bifidobacterium were beneficial during the stages of rapid growth and colony decline. Although we do not understand all of the interactions yet, these correlations explain why B. breviceps demonstrated better colony performance. Our data provide valuable information for breeding local Bombus species and will contribute to developing strong colonies for crop pollination.

Review of the genus Hauptenia Szwedo (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Derbidae), with descriptions of two new species from China.

The derbid planthopper genus Hauptenia Szwedo, 2006 is reviewed. Two new species from China, H.beibengensis Sui & Chen, sp. nov. and H.daliensis Sui & Chen, sp. nov., are described and illustrated. A third species, H.tripartitaRahman et al., 2012, is recorded from China for the first time. An updated checklist and identification key to all ten known species of the genus Hauptenia are provided.

Two new species of the bamboo-feeding subgenus Myittana (Benglebra) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from China.

Two new species of the bamboo-feeding genus Myittana (Benglebra) Mahmood & Ahmad, 1969, M. (B.) weiningensis Zhao, Luo & Chen sp. nov. and M. (B.) dongae Zhao, Luo & Chen sp. nov. from China (Guizhou and Guangxi) are described and illustrated. A key to all known species of the subgenus Myittana (Benglebra) is also given.

Comparison of Morphological Characteristics of Antennae and Antennal Sensilla among Four Species of Bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

Bumblebees, as pollinators, play an important role in maintaining natural and agricultural ecosystems. Antennae with sensilla of bumblebees as social insects have essential effects in foraging, nest searching, courting, and mating, and are different in species and sexes. Previous studies on the morphology of antennae and sensilla in bumblebees have been limited to a few species and a single caste. To better understand how bumblebees detect and receive the chemical signal from nectariferous plants and foraging behavior, the morphology of antennae with sensilla, including the antennal length, and type, distribution, and number of antennal sensilla in four species, Bombus atripes, Bombus breviceps, Bombus flavescens, and Bombus terrestris was compared by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) herein. The total antennal length of queens are the longest and workers are the shortest in three castes, and in four species the longest of the total antennal length among three castes all are in B. flavescens, which is significantly longer than other species (p < 0.05) and the length of the scape in queens and workers are both longer than males, significantly different in queens (p < 0.05), and not significantly different in workers (p > 0.05), and the length of flagellums in females are not always shorter than males, of which the length of flagellms in queens of B. flavescens are significantly longer than males (p < 0.05), and the length of pedicel and all flagellomeres varies among species and castes. A total of 13 major types of sensilla in total were observed, including trichodea sensilla (TS A-E), placodea sensilla (PS A-B), basiconica sensilla (BaS), coeloconica sensilla (COS A-B), chaetic sensilla (CS A-B), and Böhm sensilla (BS), of which chaetic sensilla B (CS B), only observed in females of B. atripes, was firstly reported in Apidae. Moreover, the number of all sensilla was the most in males, the least was in workers, the number of sensilla varies within castes and species. Furthermore, the morphological characteristics of antennae and the potential functions of sensilla are discussed.

Higher Essential Amino Acid and Crude Protein Contents in Pollen Accelerate the Oviposition and Colony Foundation of Bombus breviceps (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

Pollen is an important source of nutrition for bumblebees to survive, reproduce, and raise their offspring. To explore the nutritional requirements for the egg laying and hatching of queenright Bombus breviceps colonies, camellia pollen, oilseed rape pollen, apricot pollen, and mixtures of two or three types of pollen in equal proportions were used to feed the queens in this study. The results showed that the camellia pollen with a higher essential amino acid content was superior to the pollen with a lower essential amino acid content in the initial egg-laying time (p < 0.05), egg number (p < 0.05), larval ejection (p < 0.01), time of first worker emergence (p < 0.05), and the average weight of workers in the first batch (p < 0.01). It took less time for colonies under the camellia pollen and camellia-oilseed rape-apricot pollen mix treatments, both with a higher crude protein content, to reach ten workers in the colony (p < 0.01). On the contrary, the queens fed apricot pollen never laid an egg, and larvae fed oilseed rape pollen were all ejected-both pollens with a lower essential amino acid content. The results emphasize that the diet should be rationally allocated to meet the nutritional needs of local bumblebees at various stages when guiding them to lay eggs, hatch, and develop a colony.

Description of the mature larva and pupa of Synchroa chinensis Nikitsky, 1999 (Coleoptera, Synchroidae).

During our field work, a series of larvae of the family Synchroidae was collected under the bark of dead trees. Subsequently, most larvae were reare to adults in a lab and were identified as Synchroa chinensis Nikitsky, 1999. In the present paper, we describe the mature larva and pupa of S. chinensis for the first time.

Revisiting the Phylogenetic Relationship and Evolution of Gargarini with Mitochondrial Genome (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Centrotinae).

In this study, we newly sequenced and analyzed the complete mitochondrial genomes of five genera and six species in Gargarini: Antialcidas floripennae, Centrotoscelus davidi, Kotogargara minuta, Machaerotypus stigmosus, Tricentrus fulgidus, and Tricentrus gammamaculatus. The mitochondrial genomes contain 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a control region. The lengths of the mitochondrial genomes are 15,253 bp to 15,812 bp, and the AT contents of the obtained mitogenomes indicate a strong AT bias, ranging from 75.8% to 78.5%. The start codons of all PCGs show that most start with a typical ATN (ATA/T/G/C) codon and less start with T/GTG; the stop codon TAA is frequently used, and TAG and a single T are less used. In Gargarini mitogenomes, all tRNA genes can be folded into the canonical cloverleaf secondary structure, except for trnaS1, which lacks a stable dihydrouridine (DHU) stem and is replaced by a simple loop. At the same time, the phylogenetic analysis of the tribe Gargarini based on sequence data of 13 PCGs from 18 treehopper species and four outgroups revealed that the 10 Gargarini species form a steady group with strong support and form a sister group with Leptocentrini, Hypsauchenini, Centrotini, and Leptobelini. Diversification within Gargarini is distinguished by a Later Cretaceous divergence that led to the rapid diversification of the species. Moreover, the ancestral state reconstructions analysis showed the absence of the suprahumeral horn, which was confirmed as the ancestor characteristic of the treehopper, which has evolved from simple to complex. Our results shed new light specifically on the molecular and phylogenetic evolution of the pronotum in Gargarini.

A new species of the genus Euxaldar Fennah, 1978 (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Issidae) from China and revision on the molecular phylogeny of the family.

A new species Euxaldar daweishanensis Yang, Chang & Chen, sp. nov. is described and illustrated from southwestern China. The female genitalia of the genus Euxaldar is described and presented for the first time. A checklist and key to the known species of the genus are provided. A revised molecular phylogenetic analysis of the family Issidae based on combined partial sequences of 18S, 28S, COI, and Cytb is provided using both Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses.

First Description of Adult Males of Four Species of the Treehopper genus Tricentrus Stål from China (Hemiptera, Membracidae, Centrotinae, Tricentrini).

Adult males are described and illustrated for the first time for four Chinese species of the treehopper genus Tricentrus previously known only from females: T. albipennis Kato, 1930, T. floripinnae Yuan Cui, 1987, T. foliocornatus, Yuan Fan, 2002 and T. oedothorectoidis Yuan Fan, 2002.

Testing Seven Hypotheses to Determine What Explains the Current Planthopper (Fulgoridae) Geographical and Species Richness Patterns in China.

Although many hypotheses have been proposed to understand the mechanisms underlying large-scale richness patterns, the environmental determinants are still poorly understood, particularly in insects. Here, we tested the relative contributions of seven hypotheses previously proposed to explain planthopper richness patterns in China. The richness patterns were visualized at a 1° × 1° grid size, using 14,722 distribution records for 1335 planthoppers. We used ordinary least squares and spatial error simultaneous autoregressive models to examine the relationships between richness and single environmental variables and employed model averaging to assess the environmental variable relative roles. Species richness was unevenly distributed, with high species numbers occurring in the central and southern mountainous areas. The mean annual temperature change since the Last Glacial Maximum was the most important factor for richness patterns, followed by mean annual temperature and net primary productivity. Therefore, historical climate stability, ambient energy, and productivity hypotheses were supported strongly, but orogenic processes and geological isolation may also play a vital role.

Cancer-leukocyte hybrid membrane-cloaked magnetic beads for the ultrasensitive isolation, purification, and non-destructive release of circulating tumor cells.

Most of the current circulating tumor cell (CTC) isolation techniques are based on immunomagnetic beads with antibodies or aptamers that specifically target epithelial cell adhesion molecules (EpCAMs). However, these techniques are unsuitable for the isolation and purification of circulating tumor cells because they fail to recognize EpCAM-negative CTCs and thus lead to the non-specific adsorption of background leucocytes and EpCAM-positive circulating epithelial cells. Moreover, releasing the CTCs from the capture platform without disruption is a big challenge. To address these issues, herein, we developed biomimetic magnetic beads (MBs) by cloaking a cancer cell-leukocyte hybrid membrane on the MBs. These biomimetic MBs inherited homologous CTC binding capability from the cancer cell membrane and less affinity for the background cells from the leukocyte membrane, exhibitng a higher CTC capture efficiency and separation purity than EpCAM-based MBs. Importantly, the captured CTCs could be rapidly released by a facile method i.e. co-incubation with a trypsin-EDTA solution. We demonstrated the excellent performance of these MBs for the highly pure separation and non-destructive release of CTCs in metastatic mammary carcinoma models. Our results indicate that the proposed homologous cancer-leukocyte membrane coating strategy may provide a promising method for the ultrahigh-specific and sensitive detection of CTCs.

Two new genera with species of the tribe Sarimini (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Issidae) from China.

Tempsarima Chang & Chen, gen. nov. (Hemiptera: Issidae: Sarimini), with type species Tempsarima bipunctata Chang & Chen, sp. nov. and Tetrichina Chang & Chen, gen. nov. (Hemiptera: Issidae: Sarimini), with type species Tetrichina trihamulata Chang & Chen, sp. nov. are described and illustrated from Hainan Province of China. The female genitalia characters of Issidae are discussed.

Biomimetic immunomagnetic gold hybrid nanoparticles coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the detection of circulating tumor cells.

Immunomagnetic beads are important tools for the isolation and detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). However, the current immunomagnetic bead technique provides poor CTC separation purity due to nonspecific binding of background cells. Furthermore, immunomagnetic beads have not been appropriately functionalized for enabling CTC analysis and quantification. In this work, bimetallic magnetic gold nanoparticles were prepared and coated with leukocyte membranes to form leukocyte membrane-camouflaged nanoparticles. After conjugation with the antibody of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), the biomimetic immunomagnetic gold nanoparticles (CM-Fe3O4@Au-Ab) showed a high specific recognition ability on mock (EpCAM-positive) CTCs and a reduced interaction with leukocytes. We subsequently optimized the conditions for CTC separation, including the concentration of nanoparticles and the incubation time. Under the optimized conditions, CM-Fe3O4@Au-Ab exhibited high CTC capture efficiency with negligible background cell binding in mock clinical blood samples. More importantly, gold probes were tagged on the surface of these separated CTCs. When coupled with ICP-MS analysis, the number of CTCs and gold signals exhibited a good linear relationship, and a low limit of detection was obtained, enabling us to estimate the number of CTCs in blood samples. Hence, we expected that CM-Fe3O4@Au-Ab could provide an opportunity to surmount the limitations of current CTC detection.

First records of the genera Sivaloka Distant, 1906, with two new species from China, and description of a new species of genus Kodaianella Fennah, 1956 (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Issidae).

The genus Sivaloka Distant, 1906 (Hemisphaeriinae, Kodaianellini) is recorded from China for the first time, with two new species Sivaloka arcuata Chang & Chen, sp. nov. (China: Guizhou) and Sivaloka trigona Chang & Chen, sp. nov. (China: Guangxi). One new species of Kodaianella Fennah, 1956, Kodaianella furcata Chang & Chen, sp. nov. (China: Guangxi) is also described and illustrated; female genitalia of two known species in Kodaianella are described. A checklist of species of the tribe Kodaianellini with their distribution and a key to genera are provided.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Hemisphaerius rufovarius Walker, 1858.

In this study, we have sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Hemisphaeriusrufovarius (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Issidae) for the first time,the mitogenome is 15,955 bp (GenBankNo. MT210096), includes13 PCGs, 2 rRNAs, 22 tRNAs and one putative control region (D-loop). The AT content of this mitogenomeis 78.3% (A 47.7%,T30.6%, C 13.3%, and G 8.4%). Most the PCGs started with ATN or TTG(nad5), and ended with TANor single T. The result ofPhylogenetic tree showed a close relationship among the families Issidae, Flatidae and Ricaniidae.

A review of the genus Sinocentrus Yuan (Hemiptera, Membracidae, Centrotinae) with description of a new species from China.

A new species of the treehopper genus Sinocentrus Yuan, S. brevicornis Li & Chen, sp. nov. from China, is described and illustrated. A checklist and key to species of the Sinocentrus are provided.

A new genus Microsarimodes with one species from Hainan Province in China (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Issidae).

A new genus Microsarimodes Chang Chen, gen. nov. with type species Microsarimodes tumida Chang Chen, sp. nov. are described and illustrated. All type specimens are deposited in Guizhou University. A short discussion on the tribe Sarimini to which these taxa belongs is provided.

Janus Gold Triangle-Mesoporous Silica Nanoplatforms for Hypoxia-Activated Radio-Chemo-Photothermal Therapy of Liver Cancer.

Radiation dosage constraints and hypoxia-associated resistance lead to the failure of radiotherapy (RT), especially in hypoxic liver cancer. Therefore, the intricate use of combined strategies for potentiating and complementing RT is especially important. In this work, we fabricated multifunctional Janus-structured gold triangle-mesoporous silica nanoparticles (NPs) as multifunctional platforms to deliver the hypoxia-activated prodrug tirapazamine (TPZ) for extrinsic radiosensitization, local photothermal therapy, and hypoxia-specific chemotherapy. The subsequent conjugation of folic acid-linked poly(ethylene glycol) provided the Janus nanoplatforms with liver cancer targeting and minimized opsonization properties. In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed the combined radiosensitive and photothermal antitumor effects of the Janus nanoplatforms. Importantly, the TPZ-loaded Janus nanoplatforms exhibited pH-responsive release behavior, which effectively improved the cellular internalization and therapeutic efficiency in hypoxic rather than normoxic liver cancer cells. Hypoxia-specific chemotherapy supplemented the ineffectiveness of radio-photothermal therapy in hypoxic tumor tissues, resulting in remarkable tumor growth inhibition without systematic toxicity. Therefore, our Janus nanoplatforms integrated radio-chemo-photothermal therapy in a hypoxia-activated manner, providing an efficient and safe strategy for treating liver cancer.

Three new species of the planthopper genus Sinonissus Wang, Shi & Bourgoin, 2018 from southwest China (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Issidae).

The diagnostic characters of the Chinese planthopper genus Sinonissus Wang, Shi & Bourgoin, 2018 are redefined. Three new species of this genus, S. daozhenensis Chang & Chen, sp. nov. (Guizhou), S. hamulatus Chang & Chen, sp. nov. (Guizhou) and S. longicaudus Chang & Chen, sp. nov. (Sichuan) are described and illustrated, and their female genitalia compared. A checklist and key to the Chinese species of Sinonissus are given.

Two new species of the tribe Hemisphaeriini (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Issidae) from southwestern China.

Two new species of the tribe Hemisphaeriini: Ceratogergithusbrachyspinus Yang & Chen, sp. nov. (Yunnan) and Neohemisphaeriusclavatus Yang & Chen, sp. nov. (Guizhou) are described and illustrated. A checklist to Hemisphaeriini genera is provided. The generic characteristics of the genera Ceratogergithus Gnezdilov, 2017 and Neohemisphaerius Chen, Zhang & Chang, 2014 are redefined. Checklists and keys to the species of each genus are given.