Bark beetles are among the most destructive of pine forest pests and they form close symbiotic relationships with ophiostomatoid fungi. Although some fungi are considered to be mutualistic symbionts of bark beetles with respect to the supply of nutrients, detrimental effects of fungal symbionts on larval growth have also been frequently reported. The mechanisms of such antagonistic effects are ...

Trees in the genus Populus can provide substantial commercial and ecological benefits, including sustainable alternatives to traditional forestry. Realization of this potential requires intensive management, but damage by defoliating insects can severely limit productivity in such systems. Two approaches to limiting these losses include cultivation of poplar varieties with inherent resistance t...

Several aspects of the biology of Xylotrechus arvicola (Olivier), an emerging grape pest, were studied under laboratory conditions. Four diets were tested to rear this species in the laboratory. Among them, only one made rearing from larva to adult possible. The highest mortality, in all cases, was recorded during the first days of larval development. Larvae were kept 45 days at 8°C to break di...

The relationships between the readiness of fourth instar Aedes aegypti to metamorphose and their weight, nutritional reserves and sex were examined. Both the critical larval weight required for metamorphosis and the potential weight were influenced by the temperature at which the larvae were reared, and were greater for females than for males. Caloric levels of soluble carbohydrates and soluble...

Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) is a well-studied Lepidopteran model system because of its morphology, life cycle, and economic importance. Many scientists have placed importance on enhancing the economic traits of B. mori because it's larvae, silkworms, are vital in the production of silk. In this study, the effect of bovine milk on B. mori growth was tested. Bovine milk contains seve...

Host plant switching is common among phytophagous insects. Once optimal food sources have been depleted, immature insects may resort to use of suboptimal hosts in order to complete their development. Such host switching may have dramatic consequences for insect fitness. Here we investigate the effects of host switching in larvae of the viburnum leaf beetle, Pyrrhalta viburni, an invasive landsc...

The anti-feedant and growth inhibitory effects of seed extracts of custard apple in hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol were tested against neonate and 7 days old larvae of the Khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium, using a feeding bioassay. The LC50 values for hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts were 1195.41, 305.36 and 1446.32 ppm for neonate larvae; 5805, 1300 and 5815 ppm for 7 days ol...

Tissue-dwelling helminths are known to induce intestinal and systemic inflammation accompanied with host compensatory mechanisms to counter balance nutritional and metabolic deficiencies. The metabolic and immune responses of the host depend on parasite species and tissues affected by the parasite. This study investigated metabolic and immuno-inflammatory responses of mice infected with tissue-...

We provide the first information on the morphology of the immature stages (egg, larva, and pupa), oviposition and larval behavior, and host plant, for the Brazilian crescent butterfly Ortilia liriope (Cramer), based on material from Santarém Municipality, Pará State, Northern Brazil. Females of O. liriope lay eggs in clusters. After hatching, larvae eat the exochorion and remain gregarious in a...

objective: in this study, the effect of diet food (soybeans, egg yolk and chicken manure) on biomass weight and body composition (the amount of protein, fat, moisture and ash) chironomid larvae were examined. methods: for this purpose, 2.5 grams of food per coconut considered in the period, with three replicates and chironomid larvae during the period of 15 days in plastic pans were kept in nut...