Biosketch. Linton Winder's research interests relate to the population dynamics of generalist predators and their prey, and in particular how spatio-temporal pattern mediates such interactions. Summary The spatio-temporal dynamics of two aphid species (Metopolophium dirhodum and Sitobion avenae) and a generalist predator (Pterostichus melanarius) were observed in a field-scale study using a gri...

In this study, we evaluated in field trials the effects on non-target species, of transgenic corn producing the Cry1Ab toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). In 1998, we collected Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) larvae from transgenic Bt corn (Novartis Hybrid 176) and non-Bt corn at four geographical sites. We found a significant variation in parasitism by the tachinids Lydella thompsoni (Herting) a...

Between 1975 to 2011, aphid Relative Growth Rates (RGR) were modelled as a function of mean outdoor temperature and host plant phenology. The model was applied to the grain aphid Sitobion avenae using data on aphid counts in winter wheat at two different climate regions in France (oceanic climate, Rennes (western France); continental climate, Paris). Mean observed aphid RGR was higher in Paris ...

The bacterium, Acidovorax avenae ssp. avenae causes several important plant diseases including bacterial stripe of rice, bacterial stalk rot of corn, bacterial leaf blight of oats, and red stripe of sugarcane and millet. Although the organism is seed-borne in rice, no reliable seed assay is available. A semiselective liquid medium based on d-sorbitol and l-pyroglutamic acid (SP medium), and two...

Abstract The sid-1 (systemic interference defective) gene encodes a transmembrane protein that is an important participator in the systemic RNAi pathway and has been reported in several organisms. In insects, sid-1-like genes were described from Tribolium castaneum, Apis mellifera, Bombyx mori and Schistocerca americana, but were not found in Drosophila melanogaster and Anopheles gambiae. To in...

RNA interference (RNAi) has been widely used in functional genomics of insects and received intensive attention in the development of RNAi-based plants for insect control. Ecdysone receptor (EcR) and ultraspiracle protein (USP) play important roles in molting, metamorphosis, and reproduction of insects. EcR and USP orthologs and their function in grain aphid (Sitobion avenae F.) have not been d...