Antibiotic treatment reduces fecundity and nutrient content in females of Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae) in a diet dependent way.

Insect microbiota, particularly, gut bacteria has recently gained especial attention in Tephritidae fruit flies, being Enterobacteriaceae the predominant bacterial group. This bacterial group has been postulated to contribute to the fitness of fruit flies through several life-history traits. Particularly in Anastrepha fraterculus, removal of Enterobacteria from male gut via antibiotic treatment impaired their mating behavior. Because the impact of gut bacteria on female reproduction was not yet addressed, we here analysed the effect of antibiotic treatment on female fecundity and nutritional status, and further explored the role of bacteria under different dietary regimes. The removal of culturable Enterobacteria from the gut of females was associated to a reduction in fecundity as well as in the protein and lipid reserves. However, fecundity reduction depended on the dietary regime; being more pronounced when females fed a poor diet. Our results suggest that nutrient reserves of females are determined, at least to some extent, by intestinal bacteria (particularly Enterobacteria). The effect of antibiotics on fecundity could be explained, thus, as a consequence of a poorer nutritional status in antibiotic-treated females compared to control females. Our results contribute to understand the interaction between gut bacteria and Tephritidae fruit flies. Considering the relevance of this insect as fruit pest and the widespread use of the sterile insect technique to control them, these findings may lead to practical applications, such as development of efficient mass rearing protocols of A. fraterculus that supplement the adult diet with probiotics.

Metabolic and Hormonal Changes Associated with Vitellogenesis in Salvator merianae Lizards.

Vitellogenesis in oviparous vertebrates is a critical marker of the restart of seasonal reproductive activity. During this process of multihormonal regulation, females allocate a considerable amount of organic and mineral reserves to the synthesis of yolk, with changes in their plasma values. In this work, we determined plasma levels of various metabolites and steroid hormones throughout the reproductive cycle in females of Salvator merianae who developed vitellogenic and non-vitellogenic follicular cycles. We worked for two consecutive years with 20 adult females from the Experimental Hatchery of the Facultad de Agronomía y Zootecnia of the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Values of metabolites: glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, calcium, phosphorus, albumin, total proteins, and hormones: estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone, were determined during the following stages of the annual cycle: hibernation, hibernation emergence, courtship-mating, oviposition, and incubation. Vitellogenic females showed significantly higher plasma levels of triglycerides, calcium, phosphorus, and albumin than non-vitellogenic females, mainly in the courtship-mating stage (advanced vitellogenesis). In contrast, annual cholesterol averages were lower in vitellogenic females. Glucose showed changes throughout the annual cycle regardless of the vitellogenic condition. Total proteins plasma levels had very few fluctuations during the cycle. Among the hormones studied, only testosterone showed differences related to vitellogenic condition, with higher levels in non-vitellogenic females during the entire reproductive cycle. The knowledge of these changes associated with vitellogenesis will improve zootechnical management and will allow optimizing the reproductive efficiency of Salvator lizards in captivity.

Acclimatization of phalaenopsis and cattleya obtained by micropropagation / . Aclimatización de phalaenopsis y cattleya obtenidas por micropropagación

The quality of micropropagated plants relies on the acclimatization stage. This research intends to develop an efficient protocol to obtain the acclimatization of Phalaenopsis and Cattleya. Plants of Phalaenopsis obtained from protocorms were selected. They came from flowering stalks grown at modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) (1962) medium and classified by growth ranks and put into moss, mesquite wood shaving and perlite (1:1:1), into a humidity chamber. The protocorms were multiplied at MS from Cattleya sown in Knudson C (1946) medium; regenerated plants of 1-2 cm were selected, and implanted in humidity chamber on: moss, coal and perlite (1:1:1) MCP; mesquite wood shavings, coal and perlite (1:1:1) ACP; moss and perlite (1:1) MP; mesquite wood shaving and perlite (1:1) AP. The following results were obtained: Phalanopsis: a) Survival: 44% in R0 and 100% in RI and RII of the. b) Number of leaves: RI gave on average 1 more leaf than the range 0; c) Roots number and length: RI and RII gave on average 2 more roots than R0, and there were no significant differences in length. d) Height: RII presented greater growth than RI and Ro. Cattleya: a) The survival in MCP was 0%, MP 16 %, ACP 32% and AP 80%. b) The height in MP was significantly superior to the ones in ACP and AP. Plants from both genera need to achieve a 2 to 4 cm growth rank in vitro to endure the greenhouse conditions. MAP was the best substrate in Phalaenopsis and moss-perlite in Cattleya.

La calidad final de las plantas producidas por micropropagación depende de la etapa de aclimatización. Se intenta desarrollar un protocolo eficiente para la aclimatización de Phalaenopsis y Cattleya. Se seleccionaron plantas de Phalaenopsis, obtenidas de protocormos provenientes de estacas florales cultivadas en Murashige y Skoog modificado (MS) (1962), por rangos de crecimiento e implantadas en musgo, viruta de algarrobo y perlita (1:1:1), en cámara húmeda. De siembras de Cattleya en medio de Knudson C (1951) se multiplicaron protocormos en MS; se seleccionaron plantas regeneradas de 1-2 cm, e implantadas en cámara húmeda en los sustratos: musgo, carbón y perlita (1:1:1) MCP; viruta de algarrobo, carbón y perlita (1:1:1) ACP; musgo y perlita (1:1) MP; viruta de algarrobo y perlita (1:1) AP. Se obtuvieron los siguientes resultados: en Phalaenopsis: a) Supervivencia: para R0 de 44% y RI y RII del 100%; b) número de hojas: RI generó en promedio 1 hoja más que el rango 0; c) número y longitud de raíces: RI y RII generaron en promedio dos raíces más que R0, no detectándose diferencias significativas en longitud; d) altura: RII presentó mayor crecimiento que RI y R0 En Cattleya: a) La supervivencia en MCP fue 0%, MP 16%, ACP 32% y AP 80%; b) La altura en MP resultó significativamente superior que en ACP y AP. Ambos géneros necesitan alcanzar un crecimiento de 2 a 4 cm in vitro para tolerar las condiciones de invernáculo. El mejor sustrato fue MAP en Phalaenopsis, y la mezcla musgo-perlita en Cattleya.