Gene-editing techniques are revolutionizing the way we conduct genetics in many organisms. The CRISPR/Cas nuclease has emerged as a highly versatile, efficient and affordable tool for targeting chosen sites in the genome. Beyond its applications in established model organisms, CRISPR technology provides a platform for genetic intervention in a wide range of species, limited only by our ability ...

In short germ embryos, the germ rudiment forms at the posterior ventral side of the egg, while the anterior-dorsal region becomes the extra-embryonic serosa. It is difficult to see how an anterior gradient like that of bicoid in Drosophila could in these embryos be directly involved in patterning of the germ rudiment. Moreover, since it has not yet been possible to recover a bicoid homologue fr...

The following new gregarine taxa are described from larvae of flour beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae): Awrygregarina billmani, n. gen., n. sp., from Tribolium brevicornis; Gregarina cloptoni, n. sp., from Tribolium freemani; Gregarina confusa, n. sp., from Tribolilum confusum; and Gregarina palori, n. sp., from Palorus subdepressus. In addition, the description of Gregarina minuta Ishii, 1914...

The crude extracts and its fractions of the flower of Tagetes erecta Linn. were tested for insecticidal activity against a stored product insect pest, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). The chloroform fraction showed highest toxicity against both the larvae and adults of Tribolium castaneum followed by 50 petroleum ether fraction and ethanol extract. The LC values of chloroform fraction against firs...

Intraspecific competition is believed to drive niche expansion, because otherwise suboptimal resources can provide a refuge from competition for preferred resources. Competitive niche expansion is well supported by empirical observations, experiments, and theory, and is often invoked to explain phenotypic diversification within populations, some forms of speciation, and adaptive radiation. Howe...

This study was conducted to characterize farmers' post-harvest conservation practices and identify the different storage structures, main pests of cereals in stock, as well mode application insecticides protect seeds against infestations. To these practices, we have prepared a questionnaire answering characteristics population three provinces. The grain structures our region vary depending on l...

The role of Hox genes in the development of insect gnathal appendages has been examined in three insects: the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster; the milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus; and the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. In each of these organisms, the identity of the labium depends on the homeotic genes Sex combs reduced (Scr) and proboscipedia (pb). Loss of pb function in each of t...

RNA interference (RNAi) allows for rapid and straightforward analysis of gene function. RNAi can be applied with special ease in Caenorhabditis elegans where injection of dsRNA into the body cavity or application of dsRNA via ingestion leads to gene inactivation in offspring embryos [1,2]. This parental RNAi effect made possible efficient genome-wide functional screens in this organism [3]. Her...

The septate gregarine parasites of flour beetles (Tribolium spp.) include Gregarina minuta Ishii, 1914, a relatively small species in which both primite and satellite possess an obvious protomerite, and a larger species that lacks the satellite protomerite. The latter species has been placed in the genera Didymophyes and Hirmocystis by various authors, but studies reported here demonstrate that...

BeetleBase (http://www.bioinformatics.ksu.edu/BeetleBase/) is an integrated resource for the Tribolium research community. The red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) is an important model organism for genetics, developmental biology, toxicology and comparative genomics, the genome of which has recently been sequenced. BeetleBase is constructed to integrate the genomic sequence data with informa...