[Characteristics of soil animal community with different garden plants and various planting periods in Wenjiang District, Chengdu, China]. / æˆéƒ½å¸‚æ¸©æ±ŸåŒºä¸åŒæ ½æ¤å¹´é™å›­æž—æ¤ç‰©åœŸå£¤åŠ¨ç‰©ç¾¤è½ç‰¹å¾.

In order to provide scientific guidance for soil quality evaluation and optimum management of flower and seedling industry, we investigated the characteristics of soil animal community with different garden plants and various planting periods in Wenjiang District, Chengdu. A total of 10258 soil animals belonging to 26 orders and 78 families were captured in four sampling times. There were significant differences in the taxonomic richness in the plots with different garden plants, generally highest in plots with Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum or Ginkgo biloba and lowest in plot with Zoysia japonica. The taxonomic richness was lower in the plots with different garden plants than the control. Taxonomic richness and abundance of soil fauna in Osmanthus fragrans plot did not change across sampling seasons. The abundance but not taxonomic richness of soil fauna in other plots had obvious seasonal variations. Different garden plants and various planting periods significantly influenced soil faunal diversity indices. Density-group index (DG) and Margalef richness index (D) in G. biloba plot, as well as Shannon diversity index (H) and D index in Z. japonica plot decreased significantly with the increases of planting period. The DG and D indices of soil animals in O. fragrans plot increased significantly with increasing planting period. The indices of soil animal diversity in L. chinense var. rubrum plot did not change regularly with planting period. The DG, D, and H indices were lowest in O. fragrans plot with different planting periods. Results of hierarchical clustering and canonical correlation analyse (CCA) indicated that garden plant species had stronger effects on the habitat than planting period. Responses of soil fauna to various habitats were different, with available P and soil pH having stronger effects on soil fauna. Our results indicated that soil animal community shifted with the changes of garden plant and planting period as well as management and cultivation methods. Excessive human interference and monoculture had negative effects on soil animal community and caused soil degradation.

The evolution of insecticide resistance in the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stål) of China in the period 2012-2016.

The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, is an economically important pest on rice in Asia. Chemical control is still the most efficient primary way for rice planthopper control. However, due to the intensive use of insecticides to control this pest over many years, resistance to most of the classes of chemical insecticides has been reported. In this article, we report on the status of eight insecticides resistance in Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) collected from China over the period 2012-2016. All of the field populations collected in 2016 had developed extremely high resistance to imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and buprofezin. Synergism tests showed that piperonyl butoxide (PBO) produced a high synergism of imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and buprofezin effects in the three field populations, YA2016, HX2016, and YC2016. Functional studies using both double-strand RNA (dsRNA)-mediated knockdown in the expression of CYP6ER1 and transgenic expression of CYP6ER1 in Drosophila melanogaster showed that CYP6ER1 confers imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and buprofezin resistance. These results will be beneficial for effective insecticide resistance management strategies to prevent or delay the development of insecticide resistance in brown planthopper populations.

Inheritance mode and realized heritability of resistance to imidacloprid in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Homoptera: Delphacidae).

BACKGROUND: The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), is a serious pest that causes enormous losses to the rice crop in Asia. The genetic basis of imidacloprid resistance was investigated in N. lugens. RESULTS: The resistant strain, selected for imidacloprid resistance from a field population of N. lugens collected from Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China, showed a 964-fold resistance compared with the laboratory strain. Progenies of reciprocal crosses (F(1) and F(1)') showed similar dose-mortality responses (LC(50)) to imidacloprid, and also exhibited a similar degree of dominance (D), 0.58 for F(1) and 0.63 for F(1)'. Chi-square analyses of self-bred and backcross progenies (F(2), F(2)' and BC respectively) rejected the hypothesis for a single gene control of the resistance. The estimated realized heritability (h(2)) of imidacloprid resistance was 0.1141 in the resistant strain of N. lugens. CONCLUSION: The results showed that imidacloprid resistance in N. lugens was autosomal and was expressed as an incompletely dominant trait, probably controlled by multiple genes.

Imidacloprid susceptibility survey and selection risk assessment in field populations of Nilaparvata lugens (Homoptera: Delphacidae).

Imidacloprid has been used for many years to control planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Homoptera: Delphacidae) in China. To provide resistance assessment for the national insecticide resistance management program, we collected a total of 42 samples of the planthoppers from 27 locations covering eight provinces to monitor their dose responses and susceptibility changes to imidacloprid over an 11-yr period (1996-2006). Results showed that most field populations maintained susceptibility from 1996 to 2003 except for a population from Guilin, Guangxi, in 1997, which showed a low level of resistance to imidacloprid. However, surveys conducted in 2005 indicated that 16 populations from six provinces quickly developed resistance with resistance ratios ranging from 79 to 811. The data collected in 2006 revealed that the resistance levels in 12 populations collected from seven different provinces decreased slightly (RR = 107-316), except the Tongzhou population (Jiangsu Province), which developed 625-fold resistance. Dominant and intensive use of imidacloprid in a wide range of rice, Oryza savita L., growing areas might be a driving force for the resistance development. Migration of the insect also significantly boosted the resistance levels due to extensive and intensive use of imidacloprid in emigrating areas and continuous postmigration sprays of the chemical. In addition, laboratory resistance selection using imidacloprid showed that resistance ratio increased to 14-fold after 27 generations, suggesting that quick resistance development might be associated with more frequent applications of the insecticide in recent years.

Comparison of dose responses and resistance ratios in four populations of the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), to 20 insecticides.

BACKGROUND: Chemical control is a major strategy for suppressing the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker). Owing to their high toxicity and increasing resistance development in the target insect, many insecticides will be phased out entirely in 2007 in China. Alternatives with relatively low toxicity are urgently needed to replace traditional chemicals for rice stem borer control. In this study, the authors examined four field populations of C. suppressalis for their toxicological responses to more than 20 insecticides, including a few low-toxicity organophosphates and many novel pesticides. Interpopulation resistance levels to 12 conventional insecticides were also compared. RESULTS: Based on LD(50) values, the rice stem borer was most sensitive to avermectins and fipronil (LD(50) < 1 ng larva(-1)). The stem borers exhibited the least sensitivity to endosulfan (LD(50) > 100 ng larva(-1)) and monosultap (LD(50) > 1000 ng larva(-1)). Insect growth regulators and chitin synthase inhibitors showed great efficacy against C. suppressalis, especially against populations that had developed resistance to conventional insecticides. Four field populations showed variable tolerance levels to many insecticides. LYG05 was the most susceptible population, only with a low level of resistance to monosultap (RR = 6.6). NC05 and GL05 populations exhibited intermediate tolerance levels with RR values up to 20.4 and 52.8 respectively. RA05 was the most resistant population to many insecticides, with resistance ratios up to 76.2. CONCLUSION: The results from this study provide valuable information for selection and adoption of new alternative insecticides and for resistance management of the rice stem borer.

Cloning and expression of the gene encoding the diapause hormone and pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide of the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua.

Diapause hormone (DH) and pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN), two important insect neuropeptides, regulate insect development and sex pheromone biosynthesis, respectively. DH-like immunoreactivity has been detected in the suboesophageal ganglion (SG) of pharate adult of Spodoptera exigua (Spe) by using an antiserum against Helicoverpa armigera DH. A full-length of Spe-DH-PBAN cDNA was obtained based on reverse transcription-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends strategies. The open reading frame of this cDNA encodes a 197-amino acid precursor protein that contains DH, PBAN, and three other SG neuropeptides, all of which share a conservative C-terminal pentapeptide motif FXPR/KL (X = G, T or S). Northern blot analysis demonstrates the presence of an 800 bp transcript in the SG. The Spe-DH-PBAN mRNA is detectable at high levels at larval and adult stages, suggesting that Spe-DH-PBAN gene might be correlated with larval development and sex pheromone biosynthesis in moths.

Survey of susceptibilities to monosultap, triazophos, fipronil, and abamectin in Chilo suppressalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).

To provide a foundation for national resistance management of the Asiatic rice borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a study was carried out to determine dose-response and susceptibility changes over a 5-yr period in the insect from representative rice, Oryza sativa L., production regions. In total, 11 populations were collected from 2002 to 2006 in seven rice-growing provinces in China, and they were used to examine their susceptibility levels to monosultap, triazophos, fipronil, and abamectin. Results indicated that most populations had increased tolerance to monosultap. Several field populations, especially those in the southeastern Zhejiang Province, were highly or extremely highly resistant to triazophos (resistance ratio [RR] = 52.57-899.93-fold), and some populations in Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai, and the northern rice regions were susceptible or had a low level of resistance to triazophos (RR = 1.00-10.69). Results also showed that most field populations were susceptible to fipronil (RR < 3), but the populations from Ruian and Cangnan, Zhejiang, in 2006 showed moderate levels of resistance to fipronil (RR = 20.99-25.35). All 11 field populations collected in 2002-2006 were susceptible to abamectin (RR < 5). The tolerance levels in the rice stem borer exhibited an increasing trend (or with fluctuation) over a 5-yr period for different insecticides, and they reached a maximal level in 2006 for all four insecticides. Analysis of regional resistance ratios indicated that the history and intensity of insecticide application are the major driving forces for the resistance evolution in C. suppressalis. Strategic development of insecticide resistance management also is proposed.

Structural characterization and transcriptional regulation of the gene encoding diapause hormone and pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide in the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera.

We have cloned the gene encoding the diapause hormone and the pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide in Helicoverpa armigera (Har-DH-PBAN). The Har-DH-PBAN gene contains six exons and five introns that fall in the same positions as in the Bombyx mori DH-PBAN gene (Bom-DH-PBAN). The transcription initiation site lays 29 bp upstream of the translation initiation site. Southern blot analysis suggests that a single copy of this gene is present per haploid genome. A structural comparison of DH-PBAN promoters between H. armigera and B. mori show similarities in the TATA box and in a potential binding site for a POU family transcription factor, POU-M2. However, testing of these DNA regions for factor binding in vitro and transcription assays in cell culture highlight significant differences in their regulation particularly in reference to the POU-M2 sites. Our results uncover common and different regulatory mechanisms at work in the control of DH-PBAN gene expression in H. armigera and B. mori.

Cloning and expression of the cDNA encoding the FXPRL family of peptides and a functional analysis of their effect on breaking pupal diapause in Helicoverpa armigera.

Diapause hormone (DH) and pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) are encoded by a single mRNA in the suboesophegeal ganglion (SG) and are responsible for induction of embryonic diapause in Bombyx mori and sex pheromone biosynthesis in lepidopteran insects. PBAN cDNA analyses revealed that the DH-like peptide is present in several species that have a pupal diapause. However, the function of the DH-like peptide remains unknown. In the present study, we cloned the cDNA encoding DH-PBAN in Helicoverpa armigera utilizing the rapid amplification of the cDNA ends method. The nucleotide se quence analysis revealed that the longest open reading frame of this cDNA encodes a 194-amino acid precursor protein that con tains a 33-aa PBAN, a 24-aa DH-like peptide, and three other neuropeptides, all of which have a common C-terminal pentapeptide motif FXPR/KL ( X=G, T, S). A homology search showed that H. armigera DH-like and PBAN are highly homologous to those from other insects. Northern blot analysis demonstrated a single message RNA corresponding to the size of Har-DH-PBAN cDNA from pupal SG with significantly higher expression in the SG of nondiapause pupae than diapausing pupae. Western blot analysis showed DH-like peptide expression from SG of both males and females. When DH-like peptide was injected into nondiapause larvae and pupae, it did not induce diapause, but rather efficiently broke pupal diapause in H. armigera. The ED(50) of DH to terminate pupal diapause is 20 pmol/pupae. The other four FXPRLamide neuropeptides from the DH-PBAN polyprotein precursor have cross activity for diapause termination. These observations therefore suggest a potential role for these FXPRL family peptides in promoting continuous development in several noctuid species. The high expression of this gene in pharate adults and adults indicates that the FXPRL family peptides may have multiple physiological functions.