[Insecticidal and immunosuppressive effect of ascomycete Cordyceps militaris on the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata].

The immunosuppressive and insecticidal activity of cultures of the entomopathogenic fungus Cordyceps militaris on the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata has been established for the first time. It was found that the peroral effect of the fungal culture resulted in dose-dependent decrease in survival, delayed in development time and molting, decreases in the total hemocyt counts, increased activity of phenoloxidases in the hemolymph, and reduced activity of the enzyme in the cuticle, as well as increased sensitivity of larvae to the fungus Beauveria bassiana at the level of the synergistic effect.

[The effect of trematodes on the cellular immunity of the dragonfly Aeschna grandis (Odonata) larvae].

The high percent of the infestation by the trematodes of the families Plagiorchidae and Prosthogonimidae is recorded in the dragonfly Aeschna grandis larvae of the last stage. About 30% of the trematode cysts were melanized. It is established, that the parasitising of the trematodes do not effects on the process of the incapsulation of foreign bodies, but it suppresses partly the formation of oxygen free radicals and phenoloxidase activity in the haemocytes of dragonfly larvae.

[On the role of morphological and biochemical criteria in species identification: an example of larval dragonflies of the genus Aeshna]. / O roli morfometricheskikh i biokhimicheskikh kriteriev pri identifikatsii vidov (na primere lichinok strekoz roda Aeshna).

Dragonflies belong to the group of organisms with numerous well-differentiated species-specific characters at the adult stage, on the one hand, and a significantly smaller number or even the absence of such characters at the early ontogenetic stages. An example of the genus Aeshna is used to show difficulties in revealing morphological and biochemical characters allowing identification of larval dragonflies belonging to closely related species of the family. Distinct morphometric characters can be found only in late-instar larvae. The presence of species-specific proteins in the homogenates of thoracic muscles provides the possibility of using biochemical tests for species identification of larvae. Infestation by parasites has no effects on the biochemical parameters studied. Species identification of the early-instar dragonfly larvae is still problematic.

[Blood serum magnesium content and its excretion by the kidneys in thyrotoxicosis]. / Soderzhanie magniia v syvorotke krovi i ego ékskretsiia pochkami u bol'nykh tireotoksikozom.

A study was made of magnesium content in the blood serum and the urine of 62 patients with thyrotoxicosis before and after the parenteral administration of magnesium sulfate (load dose). Blood serum magnesium content was diminished; as to its renal excretion--it failed to differ from that in the control group. The mentioned disturbances in magnesium content were more pronounced in patients with thyrotoxicosis for a long time.