Nutritional resources of the yeast symbiont cultivated by the lizard beetle Doubledaya bucculenta in bamboos.

Symbiotic fungi of wood-inhabiting insects are often considered to aid wood digestion of host insects when the associated fungi can assimilate wood-associated indigestible materials. In most cases, however, the components of wood that are utilized by fungal symbionts remain poorly understood. The lizard beetle Doubledaya bucculenta (Coleoptera, Erotylidae, Languriinae) farms the symbiotic yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus inside the cavity of host bamboo internodes, which serves as food for larvae. To determine the carbon sources of the internodes serving as nutritional substrates for W. anomalus, we used ion exchange chromatography measurements to analyze free and structural sugar compositions in fresh pith (FP), yeast-cultured pith (YP), and larva-reared pith (LP) of internodes. Glucose and fructose were the major free sugars in FP and markedly decreased in YP and LP. For structural sugars, no sugar significantly decreased in YP or LP compared with FP. Carbon assimilation tests showed that W. anomalus assimilated glucose, mannose, fructose, and sucrose strongly, xylose and cellobiose moderately, and xylan weakly. Elemental analysis revealed that the compositions of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen were not significantly different among tissue types. These results suggest that W. anomalus does not consume bamboo-associated indigestible sugars but most free sugars, mainly glucose and fructose, in the pith. Our findings suggest that a symbiont's abilities may not always benefit its host in nature.

Heterodera guangdongensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Heteroderinae) from bamboo in Guangdong Province, China--a new cyst nematode in the Cyperi group.

Heterodera guangdongensis n. sp. is described from bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel) based on morphology and molecular analyses of rRNA D2D3 expansion domains of large subunit (LSU D2D3) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. This new species can be classified in the Cyperi group. Cysts are characterized by a prominent, ambifenestrate vulval cone with weak underbridge, a vulva-anus distance of 28.9-35.9 µm and a vulval slit of 31.1-41.0 µm, but without bullae. Females are characterized by a 25.1-27.6 µm stylet with rounded knobs sloping slightly posteriorly. Males are characterized by a 21.5-23.0 µm stylet with knobs slightly projecting or flat anteriorly, lateral field with four lines, and a 22.0-26.0 µm spicule with bifurcate tip. Second-stage juveniles are characterized by a 19.3-21.3 stylet with slightly projecting or anteriorly flattened knobs, lateral field with three lines, a 41.7-61.3 µm tail with finely rounded terminus and hyaline portion forming 43.0-57.1% of the tail length. Molecular analyses show that the species has unique D2D3 and ITS rRNA sequences and RFLP-ITS-rRNA profiles.

[Calling and mating behaviors of bamboo shoot borer Kumasia kumaso].

The calling and mating behaviors of Kumasia kumaso were studied in laboratory at (25 1) degrees C and (60 +/- 10) % RH under a cycle 14 L:10 D photo period, and the EAG response of male K. kumaso to female K. kumaso sex gland extracts was also tested. The calling and mating behaviors of K. kumaso could only be observed in scotophase. The females began calling at the first scotophase following emergence, and the peak of calling occurred during the second scotophase and decreased thereafter. The calling of the females commenced 0-4 h after dark, reached the maximum between the 5th and the 7th hour of the scotophase, and terminated during the last 1-2.5 h of the scotophase. Moth age had significant effects on the calling patterns. With increasing moth age, the onset time of calling advanced gradually, and the mean number of calling bouts as well as the calling length per bout had a gradual increase from calling day 1 to day 4 but decreased on day 5. The peak time and terminated time of calling advanced with increasing moth age. The mating of K. kumaso adults initiated during the first scotophase and terminated till the 5th scotophase following emergence, and the peak of mating was observed during the second scotophase. The peak of mating was observed 5.5-7.0 h after dark, and advanced with increasing moth age. Moth age affected the mean onset time of mating and the copulation duration significantly. With increasing moth age, the mean onset time of mating advanced, and the copulation duration decreased. Sex ratio had significant effects on the mating behavior as well. Treatment 2 female:1 male showed a significantly higher mating percentage, but an earlier onset time of mating and shorter copulation duration, as compared with treatment 1 female:1 male. The results of EAG test indicated that the male adults showed a significant EAG response to the sex gland extracts of 2-day-old virgin females.

Sulfuryl fluoride as a quarantine treatment for Chlorophorus annularis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Chinese bamboo poles.

Bamboo (genera Bambusa and Phyllstachys) is one of the fastest growing and economically important plants in the world, and it is cultivated widely throughout southern China. China annually exports to the United States significant quantities of bamboo garden stakes (Bambusa spp.). In recent years, Plant Protection and Quarantine officers of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service have made numerous interceptions of the bamboo borer, Chlorophorus annularis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), in bamboo products from China. This species is considered to have high pest risk potential in the trade of bamboo products. As a fumigant, sulfuryl fluoride (SF) would be a practical alternative to methyl bromide (MeBr) fumigation. Here, we report the results of SF fumigation tests for C. annularis in bamboo poles at three doses--96 g/m3 at 15.9 degrees C, 80 g/m3 at 21.5 degrees C, and 64 g/m3 at 26.0 degrees C--in glass test chambers. Commercial standard fumigations were also conducted in a standard 6.1-m-long, 33.2-m3 (standard height, 20-feet) marine general cargo container loaded to 80% (vol:vol) with similar bamboo poles, and sufficient levels of SF were obtained during the 24-h fumigations. During the course of these tests, 2424 larvae, 90 pupae, and 23 adults in total were killed, with no survivors. A treatment schedule using SF is proposed for bamboo as an alternative to MeBr at several temperatures tested.

Methyl bromide as a quarantine treatment for Chlorophorus annularis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in raw bamboo poles.

At least 26 different species of insects of quarantine significance were intercepted from 1985 to 2005 on bamboo (Bambusa spp.) garden stakes from China. Three fifths of the live insects were cerambycids in nine genera, including Chlorophorus annularis F., the bamboo borer. The current APHIS-PPQ treatment is fumigation schedule T404-d, which requires high doses of methyl bromide (MeBr) for 24 h. No specific fumigation data exist for C. annularis. Chinese and American quarantine scientists cooperated in testing to determine whether this schedule, or lower doses, would be effective as a quarantine treatment for C. annularis infesting dried bamboo poles. A lower dose based on APHIS tests for solid wood packing (SWP) failed (3/511 survivors) at 56 g/m3 for 24 h at 10.0 degrees C. We therefore tested five progressive doses at five temperatures intermediate between the lower SWP schedule and the much higher applied doses (e.g., 120 g/m3 for 24 h at 10.0 degrees C) of schedule T404-d. Fumigations of infested bamboo poles conducted in 403.2-liter chambers with 52% vol:vol loading at doses of 48, 64, 80, 96, and 112 g/m3 at 26.7, 21.1, 15.6, 10.0, and 4.4 degrees C, respectively (20 total replicates, with 4 replicates per dose), had no survivors among 2,847 larvae, 140 pupae, and 122 adults. Control replicates (three) had a total of 455 live stages (397 larvae, 31 pupae, and 27 adults). Tests conducted with a sea/land cargo container loaded to 80% capacity with bamboo poles verified the ability of the schedule to maintain effective concentrations over 24 h in commercial-sized fumigations. We propose a new bamboo quarantine treatment schedule at reduced rates of applied MeBr.

The hidden passenger of lucky bamboo: do imported Aedes albopictus mosquitoes cause dengue virus transmission in the Netherlands?

Since 2005, Aedes albopictus mosquitoes have been detected in companies in the Netherlands that import ornamental plants from China. To assess the risks of dengue transmission, a study was carried out in 48 persons who are professionally exposed to these mosquitoes. No evidence for non-travel-related flavivirus infections was found.

Ambulatory migration in mites (Acari: Tetranychidae, Phytoseiidae) to new leaves of moso bamboo shoots.

The migratory behaviour of two tetranychid pest species, Aponychus corpuzae and Schizotetranychus nanjingensis, and one phytoseiid, Typhlodromus bambusae, was studied in several monocultural bamboo forests in Fujian Province, China. The aim of the study was to assess how the ambulatory immigration of tetranychid and phytoseiid mites from the ground to new leaves is affected by a sticky barrier around the stem, by the age of bamboo shoots or by shoot density. The results show that while the sticky barrier is particularly effective at disrupting the ambulatory immigration from the ground to new leaves of S. nanjinigensis to 1-year-old shoots and of A. corpuzae to 3-year-old shoots, it has no significant effect on the immigration of the phytoseiid mite.