Safety aspects of the production of foods and food ingredients from insects.

PubMed

Schlüter, Oliver; Rumpold, Birgit; Holzhauser, Thomas; Roth, Angelika; Vogel, Rudi F; Quasigroch, Walter; Vogel, Stephanie; Heinz, Volker; Jäger, Henry; Bandick, Nils; Kulling, Sabine; Knorr, Dietrich; Steinberg, Pablo; Engel, Karl-Heinz

2017-06-01

At present, insects are rarely used by the European food industry, but they are a subject of growing interest as an alternative source of raw materials. The risks associated with the use of insects in the production of foods and food ingredients have not been sufficiently investigated. There is a lack of scientifically based knowledge of insect processing to ensure food safety, especially when these processes are carried out on an industrial scale. This review focuses on the safety aspects that need to be considered regarding the fractionation of insects for the production of foods and food ingredients. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Suitability and perspectives on using recombinant insect cells for the production of virus-like particles.

PubMed

Yamaji, Hideki

2014-03-01

Virus-like particles (VLPs) can be produced in recombinant protein production systems by expressing viral surface proteins that spontaneously assemble into particulate structures similar to authentic viral or subviral particles. VLPs serve as excellent platforms for the development of safe and effective vaccines and diagnostic antigens. Among various recombinant protein production systems, the baculovirus-insect cell system has been used extensively for the production of a wide variety of VLPs. This system is already employed for the manufacture of a licensed human papillomavirus-like particle vaccine. However, the baculovirus-insect cell system has several inherent limitations including contamination of VLPs with progeny baculovirus particles. Stably transformed insect cells have emerged as attractive alternatives to the baculovirus-insect cell system. Different types of VLPs, with or without an envelope and composed of either single or multiple structural proteins, have been produced in stably transformed insect cells. VLPs produced by stably transformed insect cells have successfully elicited immune responses in vivo. In some cases, the yield of VLPs attained with recombinant insect cells was comparable to, or higher than, that obtained by baculovirus-infected insect cells. Recombinant insect cells offer a promising approach to the development and production of VLPs.

Gene disruption technologies have the potential to transform stored product insect pest control

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Stored product insects feed on grains and processed commodities manufactured from grain post-harvest, reducing the nutritional value and contaminating food. Currently, the main defense against stored product insect pests is the pesticide fumigant phosphine. Phosphine is highly toxic to all animals, ...

How will better products improve the sensory-liking and willingness to buy insect-based foods?

PubMed

Tan, Hui Shan Grace; Verbaan, Yoeri Timothy; Stieger, Markus

2017-02-01

Insects have been established to be a more sustainable alternative source of protein in comparison to conventional meats, but have little appeal to those who are unfamiliar with their taste. Yet little attention has been given to understanding how more appealing products could be developed, and whether that is sufficient to encourage consumption of a culturally unusual food. By evaluating appropriate (i.e. meatball) and inappropriate (i.e. dairy drink) mealworm products along with the original mealworm-free products, this study provided new insights into how the product influences sensory-liking and willingness to buy insect-based foods for trial and regular consumption. Willing (n=135) and unwilling tasters (n=79) were recruited to explore differences between individuals who differ in their intentions to eat insects. An appropriate product context improved the expected sensory-liking and willingness to buy mealworm products once and regularly. However, consumers should first be motivated to eat insects for a better product to improve consumption intentions. Descriptive sensory profiling revealed that mealworm products were expected and experienced to taste very different from the original mealworm-free products, but were generally preferred to taste similar to the original, albeit with some unique attributes. Using a familiar and liked product preparation could help to increase trial intentions, but the product should also be appropriate and taste good if it is to be regularly consumed. We conclude that even with high interest and good products, willing consumers still hesitate to consume insect-based foods regularly due to other practical and socio-cultural factors. We recommend that future research should not only give emphasis to increasing initial motivations to try, but should address the barriers to buying and preparing insects for regular consumption, where issues relating to availability, pricing, knowledge and the social environment inhibit the uptake of

21 CFR 1250.95 - Insect control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Insect control. 1250.95 Section 1250.95 Food and... SANITATION Sanitation Facilities and Conditions on Vessels § 1250.95 Insect control. Vessels shall be... generally accepted methods of insect control. ...

21 CFR 1250.95 - Insect control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Insect control. 1250.95 Section 1250.95 Food and... SANITATION Sanitation Facilities and Conditions on Vessels § 1250.95 Insect control. Vessels shall be... generally accepted methods of insect control. ...

21 CFR 1250.95 - Insect control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Insect control. 1250.95 Section 1250.95 Food and... SANITATION Sanitation Facilities and Conditions on Vessels § 1250.95 Insect control. Vessels shall be... generally accepted methods of insect control. ...

21 CFR 1250.95 - Insect control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Insect control. 1250.95 Section 1250.95 Food and... SANITATION Sanitation Facilities and Conditions on Vessels § 1250.95 Insect control. Vessels shall be... generally accepted methods of insect control. ...

21 CFR 1250.95 - Insect control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Insect control. 1250.95 Section 1250.95 Food and... SANITATION Sanitation Facilities and Conditions on Vessels § 1250.95 Insect control. Vessels shall be... generally accepted methods of insect control. ...

Insect biomass to enhance food production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Studies have established that insects are as good source of protein as conventional animal food (between 15 and 67% dry weight content). Insects are a good source of essential amino acids and essential fatty acids. Insect fat has a higher content of polyunsaturated (essential) fatty acids and a lowe...

Fumigation toxicity of monoterpenoids to several stored product insects

Treesearch

S. Lee; Chris J. Peterson; J.R. Coats

2003-01-01

Twenty naturally occurring monoterpenoids were evaluated in a preliminary fumigation screening test on some important stored-product pest insects, including the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae, the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, the sawtoothed grain beetle, 0ryzaephilus surinamensis, the house fly,

Potential of insects as food and feed in assuring food security.

PubMed

van Huis, Arnold

2013-01-01

With a growing world population and increasingly demanding consumers, the production of sufficient protein from livestock, poultry, and fish represents a serious challenge for the future. Approximately 1,900 insect species are eaten worldwide, mainly in developing countries. They constitute quality food and feed, have high feed conversion ratios, and emit low levels of greenhouse gases. Some insect species can be grown on organic side streams, reducing environmental contamination and transforming waste into high-protein feed that can replace increasingly more expensive compound feed ingredients, such as fish meal. This requires the development of cost-effective, automated mass-rearing facilities that provide a reliable, stable, and safe product. In the tropics, sustainable harvesting needs to be assured and rearing practices promoted, and in general, the food resource needs to be revalorized. In the Western world, consumer acceptability will relate to pricing, perceived environmental benefits, and the development of tasty insect-derived protein products.

The Impact of Insects on Second-Year Cone Crops in Red Pine Seed-Production Areas

Treesearch

William J. Mattson

1968-01-01

Second-year cone crops in red pine seed-production areas have been severely damaged by five species of insects. Control of the two most destructive pests could increase present seed yields in most areas by at least 50 percent. Some seed-production areas may not produce harvestable seed crops until cone-insect populations are suppressed.

The mechanisms underlying the production of discontinuous gas exchange cycles in insects.

PubMed

Matthews, Philip G D

2018-03-01

This review examines the control of gas exchange in insects, specifically examining what mechanisms could explain the emergence of discontinuous gas exchange cycles (DGCs). DGCs are gas exchange patterns consisting of alternating breath-hold periods and bouts of gas exchange. While all insects are capable of displaying a continuous pattern of gas exchange, this episodic pattern is known to occur within only some groups of insects and then only sporadically or during certain phases of their life cycle. Investigations into DGCs have tended to emphasise the role of chemosensory thresholds in triggering spiracle opening as critical for producing these gas exchange patterns. However, a chemosensory basis for episodic breathing also requires an as-of-yet unidentified hysteresis between internal respiratory stimuli, chemoreceptors, and the spiracles. What has been less appreciated is the role that the insect's central nervous system (CNS) might play in generating episodic patterns of ventilation. The active ventilation displayed by many insects during DGCs suggests that this pattern could be the product of directed control by the CNS rather than arising passively as a result of self-sustaining oscillations in internal oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. This paper attempts to summarise what is currently known about insect gas exchange regulation, examining the location and control of ventilatory pattern generators in the CNS, the influence of chemoreceptor feedback in the form of O 2 and CO 2 /pH fluctuations in the haemolymph, and the role of state-dependent changes in CNS activity on ventilatory control. This information is placed in the context of what is currently known regarding the production of discontinuous gas exchange patterns.

Association of insects and ergot (Claviceps purpurea) in Kentucky bluegrass seed production fields.

PubMed

Butler, M D; Alderman, S C; Hammond, P C; Berry, R E

2001-12-01

Insects in Kentucky bluegrass seed production fields in Oregon, Idaho, and Washington were sampled just before harvest and their association with ergot conidia of Claviceps purpurea Fr. (Tul.) was evaluated during 1996-1998. A diversity of insects was observed at all three locations. The most abundant beneficial insects collected with sweep nets were Nysium spp., Nabis spp., ichneumonid wasps, and Hippodamia spp. The cranberry girdler, Chrysoteuchia topiaria (Zeller), was the only important pest on grass seed collected by sweep net. Numbers of aphids such as Sitobion avenae (F.), cicadellids and thrips such as Anaphothrips spp. and Aptinothrips spp. that were collected with all aphid sampler were below economic thresholds. Other insect groups occurred in low numbers. Noctuid moths collected in universal blacklight traps included nine species of cutworms and armyworms. Protogrotis obscura (B. & McD.) was the most common cutworm species and was present in all fields. The moth Chortodes rufostrigata (Pack.) previously reported only from wet meadows in northeast and south central Oregon was found in Kentucky bluegrass fields in central Oregon, suggesting that irrigated Kentucky bluegrass seed production fields may simulate a montane meadow habitat. Conidia of C. purpurea were found on a diversity of insects, including moths, flies, leafhoppers, and thrips. Up to 100% of moths and 75% of flies collected from some fields carried conidia of C. purpurea. No correlation between ergot honeydew present in a field and number of insects with conidia of C. purpurea was detected.

44 CFR 331.5 - Production facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Production facilities. 331.5... AND FACILITIES IN LABOR SURPLUS AREAS § 331.5 Production facilities. All Federal departments and... production facilities, including expansion, to the extent that such selection is consistent with existing law...

An exploration on greenhouse gas and ammonia production by insect species suitable for animal or human consumption.

PubMed

Oonincx, Dennis G A B; van Itterbeeck, Joost; Heetkamp, Marcel J W; van den Brand, Henry; van Loon, Joop J A; van Huis, Arnold

2010-12-29

Greenhouse gas (GHG) production, as a cause of climate change, is considered as one of the biggest problems society is currently facing. The livestock sector is one of the large contributors of anthropogenic GHG emissions. Also, large amounts of ammonia (NH(3)), leading to soil nitrification and acidification, are produced by livestock. Therefore other sources of animal protein, like edible insects, are currently being considered. An experiment was conducted to quantify production of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and average daily gain (ADG) as a measure of feed conversion efficiency, and to quantify the production of the greenhouse gases methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) as well as NH₃ by five insect species of which the first three are considered edible: Tenebrio molitor, Acheta domesticus, Locusta migratoria, Pachnoda marginata, and Blaptica dubia. Large differences were found among the species regarding their production of CO₂ and GHGs. The insects in this study had a higher relative growth rate and emitted comparable or lower amounts of GHG than described in literature for pigs and much lower amounts of GHG than cattle. The same was true for CO₂ production per kg of metabolic weight and per kg of mass gain. Furthermore, also the production of NH₃ by insects was lower than for conventional livestock. This study therefore indicates that insects could serve as a more environmentally friendly alternative for the production of animal protein with respect to GHG and NH₃ emissions. The results of this study can be used as basic information to compare the production of insects with conventional livestock by means of a life cycle analysis.

21 CFR 310.529 - Drug products containing active ingredients offered over-the-counter (OTC) for oral use as insect...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... for orally administered OTC insect repellent drug products: “Oral mosquito repellent,” “mosquitos... mosquitos.” Therefore, any drug product containing ingredients offered for oral use as an insect repellent... offered over-the-counter (OTC) for oral use as insect repellents. 310.529 Section 310.529 Food and Drugs...

21 CFR 310.529 - Drug products containing active ingredients offered over-the-counter (OTC) for oral use as insect...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... for orally administered OTC insect repellent drug products: “Oral mosquito repellent,” “mosquitos... mosquitos.” Therefore, any drug product containing ingredients offered for oral use as an insect repellent... offered over-the-counter (OTC) for oral use as insect repellents. 310.529 Section 310.529 Food and Drugs...

21 CFR 310.529 - Drug products containing active ingredients offered over-the-counter (OTC) for oral use as insect...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... for orally administered OTC insect repellent drug products: “Oral mosquito repellent,” “mosquitos... mosquitos.” Therefore, any drug product containing ingredients offered for oral use as an insect repellent... offered over-the-counter (OTC) for oral use as insect repellents. 310.529 Section 310.529 Food and Drugs...

21 CFR 310.529 - Drug products containing active ingredients offered over-the-counter (OTC) for oral use as insect...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... for orally administered OTC insect repellent drug products: “Oral mosquito repellent,” “mosquitos... mosquitos.” Therefore, any drug product containing ingredients offered for oral use as an insect repellent... offered over-the-counter (OTC) for oral use as insect repellents. 310.529 Section 310.529 Food and Drugs...

21 CFR 310.529 - Drug products containing active ingredients offered over-the-counter (OTC) for oral use as insect...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... for orally administered OTC insect repellent drug products: “Oral mosquito repellent,” “mosquitos... mosquitos.” Therefore, any drug product containing ingredients offered for oral use as an insect repellent... offered over-the-counter (OTC) for oral use as insect repellents. 310.529 Section 310.529 Food and Drugs...

Insect cells-baculovirus system for the production of difficult to express proteins.

PubMed

Osz-Papai, Judit; Radu, Laura; Abdulrahman, Wassim; Kolb-Cheynel, Isabelle; Troffer-Charlier, Nathalie; Birck, Catherine; Poterszman, Arnaud

2015-01-01

The production of sufficient quantities of homogenous protein not only is an essential prelude for structural investigations but also represents a rate-limiting step for many human functional studies. Although technologies for expression of recombinant proteins and complexes have been improved tremendously, in many cases, protein production remains a challenge and can be associated with considerable investment. This chapter describes simple and efficient protocols for expression screening and optimization of protein production in insect cells using the baculovirus expression system. We describe the procedure, starting from the cloning of a gene of interest into an expression transfer baculovirus vector, followed by generation of the recombinant virus by homologous recombination, evaluation of protein expression, and scale-up. Handling of insect cell cultures and preparation of bacmid for co-transfection are also detailed.

20 CFR 654.415 - Insect and rodent control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Insect and rodent control. 654.415 Section 654.415 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SPECIAL... Insect and rodent control. Housing and facilities shall be free of insects, rodents, and other vermin. ...

20 CFR 654.415 - Insect and rodent control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Insect and rodent control. 654.415 Section 654.415 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SPECIAL... Insect and rodent control. Housing and facilities shall be free of insects, rodents, and other vermin. ...

Applications of genome editing in insects

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Insect genome editing was first reported 1991 in Drosophila melanogaster but the technology used was not portable to other species. Not until the recent development of facile, engineered DNA endonuclease systems has gene editing become widely available to insect scientists. Most applications in inse...

An Exploration on Greenhouse Gas and Ammonia Production by Insect Species Suitable for Animal or Human Consumption

PubMed Central

Oonincx, Dennis G. A. B.; van Itterbeeck, Joost; Heetkamp, Marcel J. W.; van den Brand, Henry; van Loon, Joop J. A.; van Huis, Arnold

2010-01-01

Background Greenhouse gas (GHG) production, as a cause of climate change, is considered as one of the biggest problems society is currently facing. The livestock sector is one of the large contributors of anthropogenic GHG emissions. Also, large amounts of ammonia (NH3), leading to soil nitrification and acidification, are produced by livestock. Therefore other sources of animal protein, like edible insects, are currently being considered. Methodology/Principal Findings An experiment was conducted to quantify production of carbon dioxide (CO2) and average daily gain (ADG) as a measure of feed conversion efficiency, and to quantify the production of the greenhouse gases methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) as well as NH3 by five insect species of which the first three are considered edible: Tenebrio molitor, Acheta domesticus, Locusta migratoria, Pachnoda marginata, and Blaptica dubia. Large differences were found among the species regarding their production of CO2 and GHGs. The insects in this study had a higher relative growth rate and emitted comparable or lower amounts of GHG than described in literature for pigs and much lower amounts of GHG than cattle. The same was true for CO2 production per kg of metabolic weight and per kg of mass gain. Furthermore, also the production of NH3 by insects was lower than for conventional livestock. Conclusions/Significance This study therefore indicates that insects could serve as a more environmentally friendly alternative for the production of animal protein with respect to GHG and NH3 emissions. The results of this study can be used as basic information to compare the production of insects with conventional livestock by means of a life cycle analysis. PMID:21206900

Mechanisms of fluid production in smooth adhesive pads of insects

PubMed Central

Dirks, Jan-Henning; Federle, Walter

2011-01-01

Insect adhesion is mediated by thin fluid films secreted into the contact zone. As the amount of fluid affects adhesive forces, a control of secretion appears probable. Here, we quantify for the first time the rate of fluid secretion in adhesive pads of cockroaches and stick insects. The volume of footprints deposited during consecutive press-downs decreased exponentially and approached a non-zero steady state, demonstrating the presence of a storage volume. We estimated its size and the influx rate into it from a simple compartmental model. Influx was independent of step frequency. Fluid-depleted pads recovered maximal footprint volumes within 15 min. Pads in stationary contact accumulated fluid along the perimeter of the contact zone. The initial fluid build-up slowed down, suggesting that flow is driven by negative Laplace pressure. Freely climbing stick insects left hardly any traceable footprints, suggesting that they save secretion by minimizing contact area or by recovering fluid during detachment. However, even the highest fluid production rates observed incur only small biosynthesis costs, representing less than 1 per cent of the resting metabolic rate. Our results show that fluid secretion in insect wet adhesive systems relies on simple physical principles, allowing for passive control of fluid volume within the contact zone. PMID:21208970

Enhanced Methanol Production in Plants Provides Broad Spectrum Insect Resistance

PubMed Central

Dixit, Sameer; Upadhyay, Santosh Kumar; Singh, Harpal; Sidhu, Om Prakash; Verma, Praveen Chandra; K, Chandrashekar

2013-01-01

Plants naturally emit methanol as volatile organic compound. Methanol is toxic to insect pests; but the quantity produced by most of the plants is not enough to protect them against invading insect pests. In the present study, we demonstrated that the over-expression of pectin methylesterase, derived from Arabidopsis thaliana and Aspergillus niger, in transgenic tobacco plants enhances methanol production and resistance to polyphagous insect pests. Methanol content in the leaves of transgenic plants was measured using proton nuclear spectroscopy (1H NMR) and spectra showed up to 16 fold higher methanol as compared to control wild type (WT) plants. A maximum of 100 and 85% mortality in chewing insects Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura larvae was observed, respectively when fed on transgenic plants leaves. The surviving larvae showed less feeding, severe growth retardation and could not develop into pupae. In-planta bioassay on transgenic lines showed up to 99 and 75% reduction in the population multiplication of plant sap sucking pests Myzus persicae (aphid) and Bemisia tabaci (whitefly), respectively. Most of the phenotypic characters of transgenic plants were similar to WT plants. Confocal microscopy showed no deformities in cellular integrity, structure and density of stomata and trichomes of transgenic plants compared to WT. Pollen germination and tube formation was also not affected in transgenic plants. Cell wall enzyme transcript levels were comparable with WT. This study demonstrated for the first time that methanol emission can be utilized for imparting broad range insect resistance in plants. PMID:24223989

Respiratory symptoms in insect breeders.

PubMed

Harris-Roberts, J; Fishwick, D; Tate, P; Rawbone, R; Stagg, S; Barber, C M; Adisesh, A

2011-08-01

A number of specialist food suppliers in the UK breed and distribute insects and insect larvae as food for exotic pets, such as reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. To investigate the extent of work-related (WR) symptoms and workplace-specific serum IgE in workers potentially exposed to a variety of biological contaminants, including insect and insect larvae allergens, endotoxin and cereal allergens at a UK specialist insect breeding facility. We undertook a study of respiratory symptoms and exposures at the facility, with subsequent detailed clinical assessment of one worker. All 32 workers were assessed clinically using a respiratory questionnaire and lung function. Eighteen workers consented to provide serum for determination of specific IgE to workplace allergens. Thirty-four per cent (11/32) of insect workers reported WR respiratory symptoms. Sensitization, as judged by specific IgE, was found in 29% (4/14) of currently exposed workers. Total inhalable dust levels ranged from 1.2 to 17.9 mg/m(3) [mean 4.3 mg/m(3) (SD 4.4 mg/m(3)), median 2.0 mg/m(3)] and endotoxin levels of up to 29435 EU/m(3) were recorded. Exposure to organic dusts below the levels for which there are UK workplace exposure limits can result in respiratory symptoms and sensitization. The results should alert those responsible for the health of similarly exposed workers to the potential for respiratory ill-health and the need to provide a suitable health surveillance programme.

Residual efficacy of pyriproxyfen and Hydroprene applied to wood, metal, and concrete for control of stored-product insects

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pyriproxyfen and hydroprene are insect growth regulators (IGRs) that have been evaluated to control insect pests of field crops, but there are limited reports of efficacy against stored-product insects. A laboratory study was conducted to determine residual efficacy of pyriproxyfen and hydroprene on...

Determining If Insect Repellent Skin Patch Products Must Be Registered Under FIFRA

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Certain skin patch products that claim to repel insects are required to be registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), while others are exempt. Learn more about this issue.

9 CFR 166.5 - Licensed garbage-treatment facility standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Licensed garbage-treatment facility standards. 166.5 Section 166.5 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE... where insects and rodents may breed is prohibited. (b) Equipment used for handling untreated garbage...

Efficacy of Dinotefuran (Alpine® spray and dust) on six species of stored product insects

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dinotefuran, an agonist of insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, was evaluated both as a 0.5% active ingredient aerosol spray and a dust combined with diatomaceous earth (DE), 5 g/m2 and 10g/m2), at 45% r.h. and 75% r.h. Target species were six adult stored product insect species: Tribolium cast...

Electrohydrodynamic effects on two species of insects with economic importance to stored food products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shayesteh, N.; Barthakur, N. N.

1996-09-01

An electrohydrodynamic (EHD) system which generated air ions within a strong electric field was used to study responses of stored-product insects Tribolium confusum (du Val) and Plodia interpunctella (Hübner). Larval mortality of both species generally increased with increased exposure time to ions of either polarity. The larvae and pupae of T. confusum suffered a higher mortality rate than the adults. The insects initially exhibited distinct avoiding motions away from regions of high towards low fluxes of air ions of both polarity. Insects moved vigorously, tumbled, flipped, curled up, and aggregated when the EHD system was turned on. The control insects not exposed to air ions survived and showed a total absence of such behaviour. For bipolar exposures, the insects occupied the neutral zone where the effects were minimal due to cancellation of the fields. Prolonged exposures of more than 20 min produced a quiescent state. EHD-enhanced mass transfer of the liquid component from physical objects established in fluid mechanics was invoked as a possible cause for insect mortality and avoiding behaviour to ions. Body fluid losses increased linearly with time of exposure ( R 2≥0.97) for all biological stages of insect growth. The larvae and pupae of T. confusum lost 12 and 15% of their body fluids, respectively, after 80 min of exposure to negative air ions. Fluid losses of such a magnitude are likely to have contributed to insect fatality.

Fumonisins in conventional and transgenic, insect-resistant maize intended for fuel ethanol production: implications for fermentation efficiency and DDGS co-product quality.

PubMed

Bowers, Erin L; Munkvold, Gary P

2014-09-22

Mycotoxins in maize grain intended for ethanol production are enriched in co-product dried distiller's grains and solubles (DDGS) and may be detrimental to yeast in fermentation. This study was conducted to examine the magnitude of fumonisin enrichment in DDGS and to analyze the impacts of insect injury, Fusarium ear rot severity, and fumonisin contamination on final ethanol yield. Samples of naturally-contaminated grain (0 to 35 mg/kg fumonisins) from field trials conducted in 2008-2011 were fermented and DDGS collected and analyzed for fumonisin content. Ethanol yield (determined gravimetrically) was unaffected by fumonisins in the range occurring in this study, and was not correlated with insect injury or Fusarium ear rot severity. Ethanol production was unaffected in fumonisin B1-spiked grain with concentrations from 0 to 37 mg/kg. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize often has reduced fumonisins due to its protection from insect injury and subsequent fungal infection. DDGS derived from Bt and non-Bt maize averaged 2.04 mg/kg and 8.25 mg/kg fumonisins, respectively. Fumonisins were enriched by 3.0× for 50 out of 57 hybrid × insect infestation treatment combinations; those seven that differed were <3.0 (1.56 to 2.56×). This study supports the industry assumption of three-fold fumonisin enrichment in DDGS, with measurements traceable to individual samples. Under significant insect pest pressures, DDGS derived from Bt maize hybrids were consistently lower in fumonisins than DDGS derived from non-Bt hybrids.

Metagenetic analysis of the bacterial communities of edible insects from diverse production cycles at industrial rearing companies.

PubMed

Vandeweyer, D; Crauwels, S; Lievens, B; Van Campenhout, L

2017-11-16

Despite the continuing development of new insect-derived food products, microbial research on edible insects and insect-based foods is still very limited. The goal of this study was to increase the knowledge on the microbial quality of edible insects by comparing the bacterial community composition of mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) and crickets (Acheta domesticus and Gryllodes sigillatus) from several production cycles and rearing companies. Remarkable differences in the bacterial community composition were found between different mealworm rearing companies and mealworm production cycles from the same company. In comparison with mealworms, the bacterial community composition of the investigated crickets was more similar among different companies, and was highly similar between both cricket species investigated. Mealworm communities were dominated by Spiroplasma and Erwinia species, while crickets were abundantly colonised by (Para)bacteroides species. With respect to food safety, only a few operational taxonomic units could be associated with potential human pathogens such as Cronobacter or spoilage bacteria such as Pseudomonas. In summary, our results implicate that at least for cricket rearing, production cycles of constant and good quality in terms of bacterial composition can be obtained by different rearing companies. For mealworms however, more variation in terms of microbial quality occurs between companies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fumonisins in Conventional and Transgenic, Insect-Resistant Maize Intended for Fuel Ethanol Production: Implications for Fermentation Efficiency and DDGS Co-Product Quality

PubMed Central

Bowers, Erin L.; Munkvold, Gary P.

2014-01-01

Mycotoxins in maize grain intended for ethanol production are enriched in co-product dried distiller’s grains and solubles (DDGS) and may be detrimental to yeast in fermentation. This study was conducted to examine the magnitude of fumonisin enrichment in DDGS and to analyze the impacts of insect injury, Fusarium ear rot severity, and fumonisin contamination on final ethanol yield. Samples of naturally-contaminated grain (0 to 35 mg/kg fumonisins) from field trials conducted in 2008–2011 were fermented and DDGS collected and analyzed for fumonisin content. Ethanol yield (determined gravimetrically) was unaffected by fumonisins in the range occurring in this study, and was not correlated with insect injury or Fusarium ear rot severity. Ethanol production was unaffected in fumonisin B1-spiked grain with concentrations from 0 to 37 mg/kg. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize often has reduced fumonisins due to its protection from insect injury and subsequent fungal infection. DDGS derived from Bt and non-Bt maize averaged 2.04 mg/kg and 8.25 mg/kg fumonisins, respectively. Fumonisins were enriched by 3.0× for 50 out of 57 hybrid × insect infestation treatment combinations; those seven that differed were <3.0 (1.56 to 2.56×). This study supports the industry assumption of three-fold fumonisin enrichment in DDGS, with measurements traceable to individual samples. Under significant insect pest pressures, DDGS derived from Bt maize hybrids were consistently lower in fumonisins than DDGS derived from non-Bt hybrids. PMID:25247264

Efficient production of antibody Fab fragment by transient gene expression in insect cells.

PubMed

Mori, Keita; Hamada, Hirotsugu; Ogawa, Takafumi; Ohmuro-Matsuyama, Yuki; Katsuda, Tomohisa; Yamaji, Hideki

2017-08-01

Transient gene expression allows a rapid production of diverse recombinant proteins in early-stage preclinical and clinical developments of biologics. Insect cells have proven to be an excellent platform for the production of functional recombinant proteins. In the present study, the production of an antibody Fab fragment by transient gene expression in lepidopteran insect cells was investigated. The DNA fragments encoding heavy-chain (Hc; Fd fragment) and light-chain (Lc) genes of an Fab fragment were individually cloned into the plasmid vector pIHAneo, which contained the Bombyx mori actin promoter downstream of the B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) IE-1 transactivator and the BmNPV HR3 enhancer for high-level expression. Trichoplusia ni BTI-TN-5B1-4 (High Five) cells were co-transfected with the resultant plasmid vectors using linear polyethyleneimine. When the transfection efficiency was evaluated, a plasmid vector encoding an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene was also co-transfected. Transfection and culture conditions were optimized based on both the flow cytometry of the EGFP expression in transfected cells and the yield of the secreted Fab fragments determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Under optimal conditions, a yield of approximately 120 mg/L of Fab fragments was achieved in 5 days in a shake-flask culture. Transient gene expression in insect cells may offer a promising approach to the high-throughput production of recombinant proteins. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Edible insects in China: Utilization and prospects.

PubMed

Feng, Ying; Chen, Xiao-Ming; Zhao, Min; He, Zhao; Sun, Long; Wang, Cheng-Ye; Ding, Wei-Feng

2018-04-01

The use of edible insects has a long history in China, where they have been consumed for more than 2000 years. In general, the level of acceptance is high for the consumption of insects in China. Many studies on edible insects have been conducted in the last 20 years, and the scope of the research includes the culture of entomophagy and the identification, nutritional value, farming and breeding of edible insects, in addition to food production and safety. Currently, 324 species of insects from 11 orders are documented that are either edible or associated with entomophagy in China, which include the common edible species, some less commonly consumed species and some medicinal insects. However, only approximately 10 to 20 types of insects are regularly consumed. The nutritional values for 174 species are available in China, including edible, feed and medicinal species. Although the nutritional values vary among species, all the insects examined contain protein, fat, vitamins and minerals at levels that meet human nutritional requirements. Edible insects were, and continue to be, consumed by different ethnic groups in many parts of China. People directly consume insects or food products made from insects. The processing of products from insect protein powder, oil and chitin, and the development of healthcare foods has been studied in China. People also consume insects indirectly by eating livestock that were fed insects, which may be a more acceptable pathway to use insects in human diets. Although limited, the data on the food safety of insects indicate that insects are safe for food or feed. Incidences of allergic reactions after consuming silkworm pupae, cicadas and crickets have been reported in China. Insect farming is a unique breeding industry in rural China and is a source of income for local people. Insects are reared and bred for human food, medicine and animal feed using two approaches in China: the insects are either fully domesticated and reared

Edible insects are the future?

PubMed

van Huis, Arnold

2016-08-01

The global increase in demand for meat and the limited land area available prompt the search for alternative protein sources. Also the sustainability of meat production has been questioned. Edible insects as an alternative protein source for human food and animal feed are interesting in terms of low greenhouse gas emissions, high feed conversion efficiency, low land use, and their ability to transform low value organic side streams into high value protein products. More than 2000 insect species are eaten mainly in tropical regions. The role of edible insects in the livelihoods and nutrition of people in tropical countries is discussed, but this food source is threatened. In the Western world, there is an increasing interest in edible insects, and examples are given. Insects as feed, in particular as aquafeed, have a large potential. Edible insects have about the same protein content as conventional meat and more PUFA. They may also have some beneficial health effects. Edible insects need to be processed and turned into palatable dishes. Food safety may be affected by toxicity of insects, contamination with pathogens, spoilage during conservation and allergies. Consumer attitude is a major issue in the Western world and a number of strategies are proposed to encourage insect consumption. We discuss research pathways to make insects a viable sector in food and agriculture: an appropriate disciplinary focus, quantifying its importance, comparing its nutritional value to conventional protein sources, environmental benefits, safeguarding food safety, optimising farming, consumer acceptance and gastronomy.

Insect cells as factories for biomanufacturing.

PubMed

Drugmand, Jean-Christophe; Schneider, Yves-Jacques; Agathos, Spiros N

2012-01-01

Insect cells (IC) and particularly lepidopteran cells are an attractive alternative to mammalian cells for biomanufacturing. Insect cell culture, coupled with the lytic expression capacity of baculovirus expression vector systems (BEVS), constitutes a powerful platform, IC-BEVS, for the abundant and versatile formation of heterologous gene products, including proteins, vaccines and vectors for gene therapy. Such products can be manufactured on a large scale thanks to the development of efficient and scaleable production processes involving the integration of a cell growth stage and a stage of cell infection with the recombinant baculovirus vector. Insect cells can produce multimeric proteins functionally equivalent to the natural ones and engineered vectors can be used for efficient expression. Insect cells can be cultivated easily in serum- and protein-free media. A growing number of companies are currently developing an interest in producing therapeutics using IC-BEVS, and many products are today in clinical trials and on the market for veterinary and human applications. This review summarizes current knowledge on insect cell metabolism, culture conditions and applications. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An amino acid substitution inhibits specialist herbivore production of an antagonist effector and recovers insect-induced plant defenses

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Plants respond to insect herbivory through the production of biochemicals that function as either direct defenses or indirect defenses via the attraction of natural enemies. Curiously, attack by even closely related insect pests can result in distinctive levels of induced plant defenses. Despite the...

How Do Insects Help the Environment?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hevel, Gary

2005-01-01

There are some 5 to 30 million insect species estimated in the world--and the majority of these have yet to be collected or named by science! Of course, the most well known insects are those that cause disease or compete for human agricultural products, but these insects represent only a small fraction of the world's insect population. In reality,…

Testing mechanistic models of growth in insects.

PubMed

Maino, James L; Kearney, Michael R

2015-11-22

Insects are typified by their small size, large numbers, impressive reproductive output and rapid growth. However, insect growth is not simply rapid; rather, insects follow a qualitatively distinct trajectory to many other animals. Here we present a mechanistic growth model for insects and show that increasing specific assimilation during the growth phase can explain the near-exponential growth trajectory of insects. The presented model is tested against growth data on 50 insects, and compared against other mechanistic growth models. Unlike the other mechanistic models, our growth model predicts energy reserves per biomass to increase with age, which implies a higher production efficiency and energy density of biomass in later instars. These predictions are tested against data compiled from the literature whereby it is confirmed that insects increase their production efficiency (by 24 percentage points) and energy density (by 4 J mg(-1)) between hatching and the attainment of full size. The model suggests that insects achieve greater production efficiencies and enhanced growth rates by increasing specific assimilation and increasing energy reserves per biomass, which are less costly to maintain than structural biomass. Our findings illustrate how the explanatory and predictive power of mechanistic growth models comes from their grounding in underlying biological processes. © 2015 The Author(s).

Electron beam treatment parameters for control of stored product insects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cleghorn, D. A.; Nablo, S. V.; Ferro, D. N.; Hagstrum, D. W.

2002-03-01

The fluidized bed process (EBFB) has been evaluated for the disinfestation of cereal grains. The various life stages from egg to adult have been studied on the 225 kV pilot as a function of surface dose. Three of the most common pests were selected: the rice weevil ( S. oryzae), the lesser grain borer ( R. dominica) and the red flour beetle ( T. castaneum). The major challenge to this process lies in those "protected" life-stages active deeply within the endosperm of the grain kernel. The rice weevil is such an internal feeder in which the larvae develop through several molts during several weeks before pupation and adult emergence. Product velocities up to 2000 m/min have been used for infested hard winter wheat at dose levels up to 1000 Gy. Detailed depth of penetration studies at three life stages of S. oryzae larvae were conducted at 225-700 kV and demonstrated effective mortality at 400 kV×200 Gy. Mortality data are also presented for the radiation labile eggs of these insects as well as the (sterile) adults, which typically lived for several weeks before death. These results are compared with earlier 60Co gamma-ray studies on these same insects. Based upon these studies, the effectiveness of the fluidized bed process employing self-shielded electron beam equipment for insect control in wheat/rice at sub-kilogray dose levels has been demonstrated.

Evaluation of hazardous chemicals in edible insects and insect-based food intended for human consumption.

PubMed

Poma, Giulia; Cuykx, Matthias; Amato, Elvio; Calaprice, Chiara; Focant, Jean Francois; Covaci, Adrian

2017-02-01

Due to the rapid increase in world population, the waste of food and resources, and non-sustainable food production practices, the use of alternative food sources is currently strongly promoted. In this perspective, insects may represent a valuable alternative to main animal food sources due to their nutritional value and sustainable production. However, edible insects may be perceived as an unappealing food source and are indeed rarely consumed in developed countries. The food safety of edible insects can thus contribute to the process of acceptance of insects as an alternative food source, changing the perception of developed countries regarding entomophagy. In the present study, the levels of organic contaminants (i.e. flame retardants, PCBs, DDT, dioxin compounds, pesticides) and metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn, Zn) were investigated in composite samples of several species of edible insects (greater wax moth, migratory locust, mealworm beetle, buffalo worm) and four insect-based food items currently commercialized in Belgium. The organic chemical mass fractions were relatively low (PCBs: 27-2065 pg/g ww; OCPs: 46-368 pg/g ww; BFRs: up to 36 pg/g ww; PFRs 783-23800 pg/g ww; dioxin compounds: up to 0.25 pg WHO-TEQ/g ww) and were generally lower than those measured in common animal products. The untargeted screening analysis revealed the presence of vinyltoluene, tributylphosphate (present in 75% of the samples), and pirimiphos-methyl (identified in 50% of the samples). The levels of Cu and Zn in insects were similar to those measured in meat and fish in other studies, whereas As, Co, Cr, Pb, Sn levels were relatively low in all samples (<0.03 mg/kg ww). Our results support the possibility to consume these insect species with no additional hazards in comparison to the more commonly consumed animal products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of the ZeroFly® storage bag fabric against stored-product insects

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The ZeroFly® Storage Bag is a polypropylene bag (PP) which has deltamethrin incorporated in its fibers, and represents a novel approach to reducing stored-product insect pest-related postharvest losses. Fabric samples from ZeroFly bags, polypropylene (PP) bags, jute bags, malathion-treated PP bags, ...

An amino acid substitution inhibits specialist herbivore production of a competitive antagonist effector and recovers insect-induced plant defenses

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Plants respond to insect herbivory through the production of biochemicals that function as either direct defenses or indirect defenses via the attraction of natural enemies. Curiously, attack by even closely related insect pests can result in distinctive levels of induced plant defenses. Despite the...

Viruses of insects reared for food and feed.

PubMed

Maciel-Vergara, Gabriela; Ros, Vera I D

2017-07-01

The use of insects as food for humans or as feed for animals is an alternative for the increasing high demand for meat and has various environmental and social advantages over the traditional intensive production of livestock. Mass rearing of insects, under insect farming conditions or even in industrial settings, can be the key for a change in the way natural resources are utilized in order to produce meat, animal protein and a list of other valuable animal products. However, because insect mass rearing technology is relatively new, little is known about the different factors that determine the quality and yield of the production process. Obtaining such knowledge is crucial for the success of insect-based product development. One of the issues that is likely to compromise the success of insect rearing is the outbreak of insect diseases. In particular, viral diseases can be devastating for the productivity and the quality of mass rearing systems. Prevention and management of viral diseases imply the understanding of the different factors that interact in insect mass rearing. This publication provides an overview of the known viruses in insects most commonly reared for food and feed. Nowadays with large-scale sequencing techniques, new viruses are rapidly being discovered. We discuss factors affecting the emergence of viruses in mass rearing systems, along with virus transmission routes. Finally we provide an overview of the wide range of measures available to prevent and manage virus outbreaks in mass rearing systems, ranging from simple sanitation methods to highly sophisticated methods including RNAi and transgenics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bridging conventional and molecular genetics of sorghum insect resistance

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sustainable production of sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, depends on effective control of insect pests as they continue to compete with humans for the sorghum crop. Insect pests are major constraint in sorghum production, and nearly 150 insect species are serious pests of this crop worldwide,...

Impacts of Insect Herbivores on Plant Populations.

PubMed

Myers, Judith H; Sarfraz, Rana M

2017-01-31

Apparent feeding damage by insects on plants is often slight. Thus, the influences of insect herbivores on plant populations are likely minor. The role of insects on host-plant populations can be elucidated via several methods: stage-structured life tables of plant populations manipulated by herbivore exclusion and seed-addition experiments, tests of the enemy release hypothesis, studies of the effects of accidentally and intentionally introduced insect herbivores, and observations of the impacts of insect species that show outbreak population dynamics. These approaches demonstrate that some, but not all, insect herbivores influence plant population densities. At times, insect-feeding damage kills plants, but more often, it reduces plant size, growth, and seed production. Plant populations for which seed germination is site limited will not respond at the population level to reduced seed production. Insect herbivores can influence rare plant species and need to be considered in conservation programs. Alterations due to climate change in the distributions of insect herbivores indicate the possibility of new influences on host plants. Long-term studies are required to show if density-related insect behavior stabilizes plant populations or if environmental variation drives most temporal fluctuations in plant densities. Finally, insects can influence plant populations and communities through changing the diversity of nonhost species, modifying nutrient fluxes, and rejuvenating over mature forests.

Production of Hev b5 as a fluorescent biotin-binding tripartite fusion protein in insect cells.

PubMed

Nordlund, Henri R; Laitinen, Olli H; Uotila, Sanna T H; Kulmala, Minna; Kalkkinen, Nisse; Kulomaa, Markku S

2005-10-14

The presented green fluorescent protein and streptavidin core-based tripartite fusion system provides a simple and efficient way for the production of proteins fused to it in insect cells. This fusion protein forms a unique tag, which serves as a multipurpose device enabling easy optimization of production, one-step purification via streptavidin-biotin interaction, and visualization of the fusion protein during downstream processing and in applications. In the present study, we demonstrate the successful production, purification, and detection of a natural rubber latex allergen Hev b5 with this system. We also describe the production of another NRL allergen with the system, Hev b1, which formed large aggregates and gave small yields in purification. The aggregates were detected at early steps by microscopical inspection of the infected insect cells producing this protein. Therefore, this fusion system can also be utilized as a fast indicator of the solubility of the expressed fusion proteins and may therefore be extremely useful in high-throughput expression approaches.

Applications of acoustics in insect pest management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Acoustic technology has been applied for many years in studies of insect communication and in the monitoring of calling-insect population levels, geographic distributions, and diversity, as well as in the detection of cryptic insects in soil, wood, container crops, and stored products. Acoustic devi...

Biological control: Insect pathogens, parasitoids, and predators

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This book chapter provides an overview of biological control of insect pests of stored grain and stored products. The advantages and disadvantages of biological control for stored-product insect control are discussed. There are several species of protozoa, viruses, and bacteria that could be used to...

6 CFR 37.43 - Physical security of DMV production facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Physical security of DMV production facilities... Identification Card Production Facilities § 37.43 Physical security of DMV production facilities. (a) States must ensure the physical security of facilities where driver's licenses and identification cards are produced...

Melliferous insects and the uses assigned to their products in the northern Yungas of Salta, Argentina.

PubMed

Flores, Fabio Fernando; Hilgert, Norma Inés; Lupo, Liliana Concepción

2018-04-11

The order Hymenoptera comprises melliferous insects (bees, wasps and bumblebees); among them, stingless bees comprise a diverse group of eusocial insects present in tropical and subtropical areas. Of a total of approximately 500 species, 400 are found in the Neotropics. On the continent of America, before the introduction of Apis mellifera, these insects represented the main source of honey and wax. In Argentina, ethnobiological investigations had been carried out on this group of insects, principally in the Atlantic Forest and Chaco regions. Out of a total of 33 species, only 14 were recorded for use or breeding. In the Yungas, however, there are no ethnobiological studies analyzing this group of species, although the use of their products is mentioned in different ethnobotanical works. This paper studies the knowledge and uses of melliferous insects by the inhabitants of the village of Baritú and surrounding. Information on location, management and duties assigned (e.g., preparation and administration) to deal with bee products like honey, pollen, wax and propolis was obtained through semi-structured interviews. Besides, reference material was collected to identify melliferous insects known and used in the region. Fifteen ethnospecies were identified and grouped locally according to their defensive behavior. The culturally most important species is the stingless bee Plebeia sp. nov.-mansita-, in terms of frequency of citations and diversity of uses, and among those that sting, the honeybee Apis mellifera-extranjera-. Honey, pollen, wax, and propolis of Plebeia sp. nov. had the highest current frequency of use. Honey is used in food (incorporated at pure state, as a complement and in drinks), as nutraceutical food and in medicinal preparations. In addition, it is an important resource for marketing during the warm season, infusions being the main mode of administration. Pollen is used as a supplement for food and alcoholic drinks, wax mainly in candle making, and

Chemical Composition and Bioactivity of Essential Oil of Atalantia guillauminii against Three Species Stored Product Insects.

PubMed

Yang, Kai; You, Chun-Xue; Wang, Cheng-Fang; Lei, Ning; Guo, Shan-Shan; Geng, Zhu-Feng; Du, Shu-Shan; Ma, Ping; Deng, Zhi-Wei

2015-01-01

The toxic and repellent activities of the essential oil extracted from the leaves of Atalantia guillauminii Swingle were evaluated against three stored product insects, red flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum), cigarette beetles (Lasioderma serricorne) and booklice (Liposcelis bostrychophila). The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation was investigated by GC-MS. The main constituents of the essential oil were β-thujene (27.18%), elemicin (15.03%), eudesma-3, 7(11)-diene (9.64%), followed by (-)-4-terpeniol (6.70%) and spathulenol (5.25%). The crude oil showed remarkable contact toxicity against T. castaneum, L. serricorne adults and L. bostrychophila with LD50 values of 17.11, 24.07 µg/adult and 55.83 µg/cm(2) respectively and it also displayed strong fumigant toxicity against T. castaneum, L. serricorne adults with LC50 values of 17.60 and 12.06 mg/L respectively, while weak fumigant toxicity against L. bostrychophila with a LC50 value of 16.75 mg/L. Moreover, the essential oil also exhibited the same level repellency against the three stored product insects, relative to the positive control, DEET. At the same concentrations, the essential oil was more repellent to T. castaneum than to L. serricorne. Thus, the essential oil of A. guillauminii may be potential to be developed as a new natural fumigant/repellent in the control of stored product insects.

Insect-machine interface based neurocybernetics.

PubMed

Bozkurt, Alper; Gilmour, Robert F; Sinha, Ayesa; Stern, David; Lal, Amit

2009-06-01

We present details of a novel bioelectric interface formed by placing microfabricated probes into insect during metamorphic growth cycles. The inserted microprobes emerge with the insect where the development of tissue around the electronics during the pupal development allows mechanically stable and electrically reliable structures coupled to the insect. Remarkably, the insects do not react adversely or otherwise to the inserted electronics in the pupae stage, as is true when the electrodes are inserted in adult stages. We report on the electrical and mechanical characteristics of this novel bioelectronic interface, which we believe would be adopted by many investigators trying to investigate biological behavior in insects with negligible or minimal traumatic effect encountered when probes are inserted in adult stages. This novel insect-machine interface also allows for hybrid insect-machine platforms for further studies. As an application, we demonstrate our first results toward navigation of flight in moths. When instrumented with equipment to gather information for environmental sensing, such insects potentially can assist man to monitor the ecosystems that we share with them for sustainability. The simplicity of the optimized surgical procedure we invented allows for batch insertions to the insect for automatic and mass production of such hybrid insect-machine platforms. Therefore, our bioelectronic interface and hybrid insect-machine platform enables multidisciplinary scientific and engineering studies not only to investigate the details of insect behavioral physiology but also to control it.

Genome scale transcriptomics of baculovirus-insect interactions.

PubMed

Nguyen, Quan; Nielsen, Lars K; Reid, Steven

2013-11-12

Baculovirus-insect cell technologies are applied in the production of complex proteins, veterinary and human vaccines, gene delivery vectors' and biopesticides. Better understanding of how baculoviruses and insect cells interact would facilitate baculovirus-based production. While complete genomic sequences are available for over 58 baculovirus species, little insect genomic information is known. The release of the Bombyx mori and Plutella xylostella genomes, the accumulation of EST sequences for several Lepidopteran species, and especially the availability of two genome-scale analysis tools, namely oligonucleotide microarrays and next generation sequencing (NGS), have facilitated expression studies to generate a rich picture of insect gene responses to baculovirus infections. This review presents current knowledge on the interaction dynamics of the baculovirus-insect system' which is relatively well studied in relation to nucleocapsid transportation, apoptosis, and heat shock responses, but is still poorly understood regarding responses involved in pro-survival pathways, DNA damage pathways, protein degradation, translation, signaling pathways, RNAi pathways, and importantly metabolic pathways for energy, nucleotide and amino acid production. We discuss how the two genome-scale transcriptomic tools can be applied for studying such pathways and suggest that proteomics and metabolomics can produce complementary findings to transcriptomic studies.

Postharvest processes of edible insects in Africa: A review of processing methods, and the implications for nutrition, safety and new products development.

PubMed

Mutungi, C; Irungu, F G; Nduko, J; Mutua, F; Affognon, H; Nakimbugwe, D; Ekesi, S; Fiaboe, K K M

2017-08-30

In many African cultures, insects are part of the diet of humans and domesticated animals. Compared to conventional food and feed sources, insects have been associated with a low ecological foot print because fewer natural resources are required for their production. To this end, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recognized the role that edible insects can play in improving global food and nutrition security; processing technologies, as well as packaging and storage techniques that improve shelf-life were identified as being crucial. However, knowledge of these aspects in light of nutritional value, safety, and functionality is fragmentary and needs to be consolidated. This review attempts to contribute to this effort by evaluating the available evidence on postharvest processes for edible insects in Africa, with the aim of identifying areas that need research impetus. It further draws attention to potential postharvest technology options for overcoming hurdles associated with utilization of insects for food and feed. A greater research thrust is needed in processing and this can build on traditional knowledge. The focus should be to establish optimal techniques that improve presentation, quality and safety of products, and open possibilities to diversify use of edible insects for other benefits.

Protection of Grain Products from Sitophilus oryzae (L.) Contamination by Anti-Insect Pest Repellent Sachet Containing Allyl Mercaptan Microcapsule.

PubMed

Chang, Yoonjee; Lee, Soo-Hyun; Na, Ja Hyun; Chang, Pahn-Shick; Han, Jaejoon

2017-11-01

The purpose of this study was to develop an anti-insect pest repellent sachet to prevent Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) contamination in grain packaging. The anti-insect pest activities of essential oils (EOs) from garlic (Allium Sativum), ginger (Zingiber Officinalis), black pepper (Piper nigrum), onion (Allium cepa), and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) as well as major compounds (allyl disulfide, AD; allyl mercaptan, AM) isolated from of garlic and onion (AD and AM) were measured against S. oryzae. The results revealed that garlic EO, onion EO, AD, and AM showed strong fumigant insecticidal activities. Among these, AM showed the highest acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition rate, indicating that the fumigation insecticidal efficacy of AM is related with its AChE inhibition ability. Subsequently, the microcapsules were produced with a high efficiency (80.02%) by using AM as a core material and rice flour as a wall material. Finally, sachet composed of rice flour microcapsule containing 2% AM (RAM) was produced. Repellent assay was performed to measure anti-insect pest ability of the RAM sachet, showed remarkable repelling effect within 48 h both in the presence or absence of attractant. In a release profile of RAM sachet, it was expected to last over 20 mo during the distribution period of brown rice. Moreover, RAM sachet showed no undesirable changes to the sensory properties of the rice both before and after cooking. Taken together, these results suggest that the newly developed RAM sachet could be used as a packaging material to protect grain products from S. oryzae contamination. The rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), causes damages to stored products and its contamination in grain products has become a major problem in cereal market. To preserve brown rice, an anti-insect pest repellent sachet containing 2% allyl mercaptan was newly developed and it showed remarkable repellent abilities against S. oryzae. It

Insect immunology and hematopoiesis.

PubMed

Hillyer, Julián F

2016-05-01

Insects combat infection by mounting powerful immune responses that are mediated by hemocytes, the fat body, the midgut, the salivary glands and other tissues. Foreign organisms that have entered the body of an insect are recognized by the immune system when pathogen-associated molecular patterns bind host-derived pattern recognition receptors. This, in turn, activates immune signaling pathways that amplify the immune response, induce the production of factors with antimicrobial activity, and activate effector pathways. Among the immune signaling pathways are the Toll, Imd, Jak/Stat, JNK, and insulin pathways. Activation of these and other pathways leads to pathogen killing via phagocytosis, melanization, cellular encapsulation, nodulation, lysis, RNAi-mediated virus destruction, autophagy and apoptosis. This review details these and other aspects of immunity in insects, and discusses how the immune and circulatory systems have co-adapted to combat infection, how hemocyte replication and differentiation takes place (hematopoiesis), how an infection prepares an insect for a subsequent infection (immune priming), how environmental factors such as temperature and the age of the insect impact the immune response, and how social immunity protects entire groups. Finally, this review highlights some underexplored areas in the field of insect immunobiology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emergent insect production in post-harvest flooded agricultural fields used by waterbirds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moss, Richard C.; Blumenshine, Steven C.; Yee, Julie; Fleskes, Joseph P.

2009-01-01

California’s Tulare Lake Basin (TLB) is one of the most important waterbird areas in North America even though most wetlands there have been converted to cropland. To guide management programs promoting waterbird beneficial agriculture, which includes flooding fields between growing periods, we measured emergence rates of insects, an important waterbird food, in three crop types (tomato, wheat, alfalfa) in the TLB relative to water depth and days flooded during August–October, 2003 and 2004. We used corrected Akaike’s Information Criterion values to compare a set of models that accounted for our repeated measured data. The best model included crop type and crop type interacting with days flooded and depth flooded. Emergence rates (mg m−2 day−1) were greater in tomato than wheat or alfalfa fields, increased with days flooded in alfalfa and tomato but not wheat fields, and increased with water depth in alfalfa and wheat but not tomato fields. To investigate the relationship between the range of diel water temperatures and insect emergence rates, we rearedChironomus dilutus larvae in environmental chambers under high (15–32°C) and low fluctuation (20–26°C) temperature regimes that were associated with shallow and deep (respectively) sampling sites in our fields. Larval survival (4×) and biomass (2×) were greater in the low thermal fluctuation treatment suggesting that deeply flooded areas would support greater insect production.

Modeling the cost-effectiveness of insect rearing on artificial diets: A test with a tephritid fly used in the sterile insect technique.

PubMed

Pascacio-Villafán, Carlos; Birke, Andrea; Williams, Trevor; Aluja, Martín

2017-01-01

We modeled the cost-effectiveness of rearing Anastrepha ludens, a major fruit fly pest currently mass reared for sterilization and release in pest control programs implementing the sterile insect technique (SIT). An optimization model was generated by combining response surface models of artificial diet cost savings with models of A. ludens pupation, pupal weight, larval development time and adult emergence as a function of mixtures of yeast, a costly ingredient, with corn flour and corncob fractions in the diet. Our model revealed several yeast-reduced mixtures that could be used to prepare diets that were considerably cheaper than a standard diet used for mass rearing. Models predicted a similar production of insects (pupation and adult emergence), with statistically similar pupal weights and larval development times between yeast-reduced diets and the standard mass rearing diet formulation. Annual savings from using the modified diets could be up to 5.9% of the annual cost of yeast, corn flour and corncob fractions used in the standard diet, representing a potential saving of US $27.45 per ton of diet (US $47,496 in the case of the mean annual production of 1,730.29 tons of artificial diet in the Moscafrut mass rearing facility at Metapa, Chiapas, Mexico). Implementation of the yeast-reduced diet on an experimental scale at mass rearing facilities is still required to confirm the suitability of new mixtures of artificial diet for rearing A. ludens for use in SIT. This should include the examination of critical quality control parameters of flies such as adult flight ability, starvation resistance and male sexual competitiveness across various generations. The method used here could be useful for improving the cost-effectiveness of invertebrate or vertebrate mass rearing diets worldwide.

Modeling the cost-effectiveness of insect rearing on artificial diets: A test with a tephritid fly used in the sterile insect technique

PubMed Central

Birke, Andrea; Williams, Trevor; Aluja, Martín

2017-01-01

We modeled the cost-effectiveness of rearing Anastrepha ludens, a major fruit fly pest currently mass reared for sterilization and release in pest control programs implementing the sterile insect technique (SIT). An optimization model was generated by combining response surface models of artificial diet cost savings with models of A. ludens pupation, pupal weight, larval development time and adult emergence as a function of mixtures of yeast, a costly ingredient, with corn flour and corncob fractions in the diet. Our model revealed several yeast-reduced mixtures that could be used to prepare diets that were considerably cheaper than a standard diet used for mass rearing. Models predicted a similar production of insects (pupation and adult emergence), with statistically similar pupal weights and larval development times between yeast-reduced diets and the standard mass rearing diet formulation. Annual savings from using the modified diets could be up to 5.9% of the annual cost of yeast, corn flour and corncob fractions used in the standard diet, representing a potential saving of US $27.45 per ton of diet (US $47,496 in the case of the mean annual production of 1,730.29 tons of artificial diet in the Moscafrut mass rearing facility at Metapa, Chiapas, Mexico). Implementation of the yeast-reduced diet on an experimental scale at mass rearing facilities is still required to confirm the suitability of new mixtures of artificial diet for rearing A. ludens for use in SIT. This should include the examination of critical quality control parameters of flies such as adult flight ability, starvation resistance and male sexual competitiveness across various generations. The method used here could be useful for improving the cost-effectiveness of invertebrate or vertebrate mass rearing diets worldwide. PMID:28257496

Production Facility SCADA Design Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dale, Gregory E.; Holloway, Michael Andrew; Baily, Scott A.

2015-03-23

The following report covers FY 14 activities to develop supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system for the Northstar Moly99 production facility. The goal of this effort is to provide Northstar with a baseline system design.

Characterizing Enterovirus 71 and Coxsackievirus A16 virus-like particles production in insect cells.

PubMed

Somasundaram, Balaji; Chang, Cindy; Fan, Yuan Y; Lim, Pei-Yin; Cardosa, Jane; Lua, Linda

2016-02-15

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) and Coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16) are two viruses commonly responsible for hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in children. The lack of prophylactic or therapeutic measures against HFMD is a major public health concern. Insect cell-based EV71 and CVA16 virus-like particles (VLPs) are promising vaccine candidates against HFMD and are currently under development. In this paper, the influence of insect cell line, incubation temperature, and serial passaging effect and stability of budded virus (BV) stocks on EV71 and CVA16 VLP production was investigated. Enhanced EV71 and CVA16 VLP production was observed in Sf9 cells compared to High Five™ cells. Lowering the incubation temperature from the standard 27°C to 21°C increased the production of both VLPs in Sf9 cells. Serial passaging of CVA16 BV stocks in cell culture had a detrimental effect on the productivity of the structural proteins and the effect was observed with only 5 passages of BV stocks. A 2.7× higher production yield was achieved with EV71 compared to CVA16. High-resolution asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation couple with multi-angle light scattering (AF4-MALS) was used for the first time to characterize EV71 and CVA16 VLPs, displaying an average root mean square radius of 15±1nm and 15.3±5.8 nm respectively. This study highlights the need for different approaches in the design of production process to develop a bivalent EV71 and CVA16 vaccine. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Utilization of organic residues using heterotrophic microalgae and insects.

PubMed

Pleissner, Daniel; Rumpold, Birgit A

2018-02-01

Various organic residues occur globally in the form of straw, wood, green biomass, food waste, feces, manure etc. Other utilization strategies apart from anaerobic digestion, composting and incineration are needed to make use of the whole potential of organic residues as sources of various value added compounds. This review compares the cultivation of heterotrophic microalgae and insects using organic residues as nutrient sources and illuminates their potential with regard to biomass production, productivity and yield, and utilization strategies of produced biomasses. Furthermore, cultivation processes as well as advantages and disadvantages of utilization processes are identified and discussed. It was shown that both heterotrophic algae and insects are able to reduce a sufficient amount of organic residues by converting it into biomass. The biomass composition of both organisms is similar which allows similar utilization strategies in food and feed, chemicals and materials productions. Even though insect is the more complex organism, biomass production can be carried out using simple equipment without sterilization and hydrolysis of organic residues. Contrarily, heterotrophic microalgae require a pretreatment of organic residues in form of sterilization and in most cases hydrolysis. Interestingly, the volumetric productivity of insect biomass exceeds the productivity of algal biomass. Despite legal restrictions, it is expected that microalgae and insects will find application as alternative food and feed sources in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Production of G protein-coupled receptors in an insect-based cell-free system.

PubMed

Sonnabend, Andrei; Spahn, Viola; Stech, Marlitt; Zemella, Anne; Stein, Christoph; Kubick, Stefan

2017-10-01

The biochemical analysis of human cell membrane proteins remains a challenging task due to the difficulties in producing sufficient quantities of functional protein. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent a main class of membrane proteins and drug targets, which are responsible for a huge number of signaling processes regulating various physiological functions in living cells. To circumvent the current bottlenecks in GPCR studies, we propose the synthesis of GPCRs in eukaryotic cell-free systems based on extracts generated from insect (Sf21) cells. Insect cell lysates harbor the fully active translational and translocational machinery allowing posttranslational modifications, such as glycosylation and phosphorylation of de novo synthesized proteins. Here, we demonstrate the production of several GPCRs in a eukaryotic cell-free system, performed within a short time and in a cost-effective manner. We were able to synthesize a variety of GPCRs ranging from 40 to 133 kDa in an insect-based cell-free system. Moreover, we have chosen the μ opioid receptor (MOR) as a model protein to analyze the ligand binding affinities of cell-free synthesized MOR in comparison to MOR expressed in a human cell line by "one-point" radioligand binding experiments. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 2328-2338. © 2017 The Authors. Biotechnology and Bioengineering Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 The Authors. Biotechnology and Bioengineering Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Australian Consumers' Awareness and Acceptance of Insects as Food.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Kerry; Muhlhausler, Beverly; Motley, Crystal; Crump, Anna; Bray, Heather; Ankeny, Rachel

2018-04-19

Insects have long been consumed as part of the diets of many Asian, African, and South American cultures. However, despite international agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations advocating the nutritional, environmental, and economic benefits of entomophagy, attitudinal barriers persist in Western societies. In Australia, the indigenous ‘bush tucker’ diet comprising witchetty grubs, honey ants, and Bogong moths is quite well known; however, in most Australian locales, the consumption of insects tends to occur only as a novelty. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the awareness and acceptance of insects as food. An online survey of 820 consumers found that 68% of participants had heard of entomophagy, but only 21% had previously eaten insects; witchetty grubs, ants, grasshoppers, and crickets were the most commonly tasted insects. Taste, appearance, safety, and quality were identified as the factors that were most likely to influence consumer willingness to try eating insects, but consumer attitudes towards entomophagy were underpinned by both food neophobia (i.e., reluctance to eat new or novel foods) and prior consumption of insects. Neophobic consumers were far less accepting of entomophagy than neophilic consumers, while consumers who had previously eaten insects were most accepting of insects as food. Incorporating insects into familiar products (e.g., biscuits) or cooked meals also improved their appeal. Collectively, these findings can be used by the food industry to devise production and/or marketing strategies that overcome barriers to insect consumption in Australia.

18 CFR 292.204 - Criteria for qualifying small power production facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REGULATIONS UNDER THE PUBLIC UTILITY REGULATORY... production capacity of any other small power production facilities that use the same energy resource, are... production facilities within one mile of such facilities. (b) Fuel use. (1)(i) The primary energy source of...

The production of multiprotein complexes in insect cells using the baculovirus expression system.

PubMed

Abdulrahman, Wassim; Radu, Laura; Garzoni, Frederic; Kolesnikova, Olga; Gupta, Kapil; Osz-Papai, Judit; Berger, Imre; Poterszman, Arnaud

2015-01-01

The production of a homogeneous protein sample in sufficient quantities is an essential prerequisite not only for structural investigations but represents also a rate-limiting step for many functional studies. In the cell, a large fraction of eukaryotic proteins exists as large multicomponent assemblies with many subunits, which act in concert to catalyze specific activities. Many of these complexes cannot be obtained from endogenous source material, so recombinant expression and reconstitution are then required to overcome this bottleneck. This chapter describes current strategies and protocols for the efficient production of multiprotein complexes in large quantities and of high quality, using the baculovirus/insect cell expression system.

Insecticidal activity of the essential oils from different plants against three stored-product insects.

PubMed

Ayvaz, Abdurrahman; Sagdic, Osman; Karaborklu, Salih; Ozturk, Ismet

2010-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the insecticidal activity of essential oils from oregano, Origanum onites L. (Lamiales: Lamiaceae), savory, Satureja thymbra L. (Lamiales: Lamiaceae), and myrtle, Myrtus communis L. (Rosales: Myrtaceae) against three stored-product insects. Essential oils from three species of plants were obtained by Clevenger-type water distillation. The major compounds in these essential oils were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and their insecticidal activity was tested against adults of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), the Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella Hübner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and the bean weevil Acanthoscelides obtectus Say (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). While the major compound found in oregano and savory was carvacrol, the main constituent of the myrtle was linalool. Among the tested insects, A. obtectus was the most tolerant species against the essential oils. However, the insecticidal activity of the myrtle oil was more pronounced than other oils tested against A. obtectus adults. The essential oils of oregano and savory were highly effective against P. interpunctella and E. kuehniella, with 100% mortality obtained after 24 h at 9 and 25 microl/l air for P. interpunctella and E. kuehniella, respectively. LC(50) and LC(99) values of each essential oil were estimated for each insect species.

Insecticidal Activity of the Essential Oils from Different Plants Against Three Stored-Product Insects

PubMed Central

Ayvaz, Abdurrahman; Sagdic, Osman; Karaborklu, Salih; Ozturk, Ismet

2010-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the insecticidal activity of essential oils from oregano, Origanum onites L. (Lamiales: Lamiaceae), savory, Satureja thymbra L. (Lamiales: Lamiaceae), and myrtle, Myrtus communis L. (Rosales: Myrtaceae) against three stored-product insects. Essential oils from three species of plants were obtained by Clevenger-type water distillation. The major compounds in these essential oils were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and their insecticidal activity was tested against adults of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), the Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella Hübner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and the bean weevil Acanthoscelides obtectus Say (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). While the major compound found in oregano and savory was carvacrol, the main constituent of the myrtle was linalool. Among the tested insects, A. obtectus was the most tolerant species against the essential oils. However, the insecticidal activity of the myrtle oil was more pronounced than other oils tested against A. obtectus adults. The essential oils of oregano and savory were highly effective against P. interpunctella and E. kuehniella, with 100% mortality obtained after 24 h at 9 and 25 µl/l air for P. interpunctella and E. kuehniella, respectively. LC50 and LC99 values of each essential oil were estimated for each insect species. PMID:20578885

76 FR 44906 - Foremost 4809-ES Insect-O-Fog; Amended Cancellation Order

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-27

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-1017; FRL-8880-8] Foremost 4809-ES Insect-O-Fog... cancellation order for the pesticide product Foremost 4809-ES Insect-O-Fog, a pesticide product containing Piperonyl Butoxide and Pyrethrins. The registrant of Foremost 4809-ES Insect-O-Fog--Delta Foremost Chemical...

Insect Pollinated Crops, Insect Pollinators and US Agriculture: Trend Analysis of Aggregate Data for the Period 1992–2009

PubMed Central

Calderone, Nicholas W.

2012-01-01

In the US, the cultivated area (hectares) and production (tonnes) of crops that require or benefit from insect pollination (directly dependent crops: apples, almonds, blueberries, cucurbits, etc.) increased from 1992, the first year in this study, through 1999 and continued near those levels through 2009; aggregate yield (tonnes/hectare) remained unchanged. The value of directly dependent crops attributed to all insect pollination (2009 USD) decreased from $14.29 billion in 1996, the first year for value data in this study, to $10.69 billion in 2001, but increased thereafter, reaching $15.12 billion by 2009. The values attributed to honey bees and non-Apis pollinators followed similar patterns, reaching $11.68 billion and $3.44 billion, respectively, by 2009. The cultivated area of crops grown from seeds resulting from insect pollination (indirectly dependent crops: legume hays, carrots, onions, etc.) was stable from 1992 through 1999, but has since declined. Production of those crops also declined, albeit not as rapidly as the decline in cultivated area; this asymmetry was due to increases in aggregate yield. The value of indirectly dependent crops attributed to insect pollination declined from $15.45 billion in 1996 to $12.00 billion in 2004, but has since trended upward. The value of indirectly dependent crops attributed to honey bees and non-Apis pollinators, exclusive of alfalfa leafcutter bees, has declined since 1996 to $5.39 billion and $1.15 billion, respectively in 2009. The value of alfalfa hay attributed to alfalfa leafcutter bees ranged between $4.99 and $7.04 billion. Trend analysis demonstrates that US producers have a continued and significant need for insect pollinators and that a diminution in managed or wild pollinator populations could seriously threaten the continued production of insect pollinated crops and crops grown from seeds resulting from insect pollination. PMID:22629374

15 CFR 712.4 - New Schedule 1 production facility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... (Continued) BUREAU OF INDUSTRY AND SECURITY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION REGULATIONS ACTIVITIES INVOLVING SCHEDULE 1 CHEMICALS § 712.4 New Schedule 1 production facility. (a) Establishment of a...) of the CWCR, and you intend to begin production of Schedule 1 chemicals at your facility in...

15 CFR 712.4 - New Schedule 1 production facility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... (Continued) BUREAU OF INDUSTRY AND SECURITY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION REGULATIONS ACTIVITIES INVOLVING SCHEDULE 1 CHEMICALS § 712.4 New Schedule 1 production facility. (a) Establishment of a...) of the CWCR, and you intend to begin production of Schedule 1 chemicals at your facility in...

Allergic reactions to insect secretions.

PubMed

Pecquet, Catherine

2013-01-01

Some products derived from insects can induce allergic reactions. The main characteristics of some products from honeybees, cochineal and silkworms are summarised here. We review allergic reactions from honey-derived products (propolis, wax, royal jelly), from cochineal products (shellac and carmine) and from silk : clinical features, allergological investigations and allergens if they are known.

Production and Injection data for NV Binary facilities

DOE Data Explorer

Mines, Greg

2013-12-24

Excel files are provided with well production and injection data for binary facilities in Nevada. The files contain the data that reported montly to the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NBMG) by the facility operators. this data has been complied into Excel spreadsheets for each of the facilities given on the NBMG web site.

Important Insect Pests of Fruit - Important Insect Pests of Nuts - Field Crop Insect Pests - Insect Pests of Vegetable Crops.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gesell, Stanley G.; And Others

This document consists of four agriculture extension service publications from Pennsylvania State University. The titles are: (1) Important Insect Pests of Fruit; (2) Important Insect Pests of Nuts; (3) Field Crop Insect Pests; and (4) Insect Pests of Vegetable Crops. The first publication gives the hosts, injury, and description of 22 insect…

Decadal-Scale Reduction in Forest Net Ecosystem Production Following Insect Defoliation Contrasts with Short-Term Impacts of Prescribed Fires

Treesearch

Kenneth L. Clark; Heidi J. Renninger; Nicholas Skowronski; Michael Gallagher; Karina V.R.  Schäfer

2018-01-01

Understanding processes underlying forest carbon dynamics is essential for accurately predicting the outcomes of non-stand-replacing disturbance in intermediate-age forests. We quantified net ecosystem production (NEP), aboveground net primary production (ANPP), and the dynamics of major carbon (C) pools before and during the decade following invasive insect...

Centrifuge Facility Conceptual System Study. Volume 1: Facility overview and habitats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Synnestvedt, Robert (Editor)

1990-01-01

The results are presented for a NASA Phase 1 study conducted from mid 1987 through mid 1989 at Ames Research Center. The Centrifuge Facility is the major element of the biological research facility for the implementation of NASA's Life Science Research Program on Space Station Freedom using non-human specimens (such as small primates, rodents, plants, insects, cell tissues). Five systems are described which comprise the Facility: habitats, holding units, centrifuge, glovebox, and service unit. Volume 1 presents a facility overview and describes the habitats - modular units which house living specimens.

Growth and secondary production of aquatic insects along a gradient of Zn contamination in Rocky Mountain streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carlisle, D.M.; Clements, W.H.

2003-01-01

Secondary production estimates from several Rocky Mountain streams were used to test hypotheses about the effects of chronic metal contamination on insect populations and ecosystem processes. Quantitative samples of chemistry, habitat, and benthic insects were collected monthly during the ice-free period (May-November) from five 2nd- to 3rd-order streams that varied primarily in Zn contamination. Secondary production was estimated for the 19 dominant taxa using increment-summation, size-frequency, and P/B methods. Uncertainty was estimated by bootstrapping estimates of mean abundance, biomass, and cohort production intervals. Secondary production of metal-sensitive Heptageniidae (Rhithrogena robusta, Cinygmula spp., and Epeorus longimanus) was lower in lightly to moderately contaminated streams than in reference streams. Experiments were done to determine whether herbivore growth was influenced by food quality in contaminated streams. Growth estimates from field and microcosm experiments revealed that low mayfly production in contaminated streams was caused mostly by reduced population abundances. Production of predatory stoneflies was also lower in contaminated streams than reference streams. Estimates of the trophic basis of production revealed that, although the relative contribution to community production from various food sources was similar among streams, total production attributable to algae and animal prey declined in contaminated streams. Much of the reduction in herbivory in contaminated streams was the result of lower production of heptageniids, especially R. robusta. Assemblage and taxon-specific estimates of secondary production were sensitive to variation in metal contamination and indicated that relatively low metal concentrations may have ecosystem-wide consequences for energy flow.

Comparative study of the floral biology and of the response of productivity to insect visitation in two rapeseed cultivars (Brassica napus L.) in Rio Grande do Sul.

PubMed

Blochtein, B; Nunes-Silva, P; Halinski, R; Lopes, L A; Witter, S

2014-11-01

Planning the artificial pollination of agricultural crops requires knowledge of the floral biology and reproductive system of the crop in question. Many studies have shown that rapeseed (Brassica napus Linnaeus) is self-compatible and self-pollinated, but its productivity may be increased by insect visitation. In the present study, the floral biology and the response of productivity to insect visitation of two rapeseed cultivars (Hyola 420 and Hyola 61) were analyzed and compared in three regions of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The rapeseed flowers presented three stages during anthesis, with the time periods varying between the cultivars. Both cultivars are self-compatible, but free visitation of insects increased productivity by 17% in the Hyola 420 cultivar and by approximately 30% in the Hyola 61 cultivar. Therefore, it is concluded that the cultivar Hyola 61 is more dependent on insect pollination than Hyola 420.

Irradiating insect pests

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This is a non-technical article focusing on phytosanitary uses of irradiation. In a series of interview questions, I present information on the scope of the invasive species problem and the contribution of international trade in agricultural products to the movement of invasive insects. This is foll...

2009 Sunflower Insect Pest Problems and Insecticide Update

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.) are native to North America and a number of insect pests cause economic losses to sunflower production. Head-infesting insects include the red sunflower seed weevil, Smicronyx fulvus LeConte, banded sunflower moth, Cochylis hospes Walsingham, sunflower moth, Homoeos...

Appendix E - Sample Production Facility Plan

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This sample Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan in Appendix E is intended to provide examples and illustrations of how a production facility could address a variety of scenarios in its SPCC Plan.

Initial utilization of the CVIRB video production facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parrish, Russell V.; Busquets, Anthony M.; Hogge, Thomas W.

1987-01-01

Video disk technology is one of the central themes of a technology demonstrator workstation being assembled as a man/machine interface for the Space Station Data Management Test Bed at Johnson Space Center. Langley Research Center personnel involved in the conception and implementation of this workstation have assembled a video production facility to allow production of video disk material for this propose. This paper documents the initial familiarization efforts in the field of video production for those personnel and that facility. Although the entire video disk production cycle was not operational for this initial effort, the production of a simulated disk on video tape did acquaint the personnel with the processes involved and with the operation of the hardware. Invaluable experience in storyboarding, script writing, audio and video recording, and audio and video editing was gained in the production process.

Insect-based protein: future promising protein source for fish cultured

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nugroho, R. A.; Nur, F. M.

2018-04-01

As one of the vital component feed used in fisheries, fishmeal (FM) is generally added to the fish diet to enhance fish growth, digestive performance and absorption of nutrients. This addition contributes significantly to the variable production cost in the aquaculture industry. Expanded production of carnivorous species requiring high protein, high-energy feeds will further tax global fish meal. Thus, research based on the low-cost budget for feed operating cost should be strategized to assist aquaculturists in enhancing fish productivity. Moreover, suitable alternative feed ingredients will have to be utilized to provide the essential nutrients and energy needed to fuel the growth of aquaculture production. To this effect, the use of insect-based protein sources to replace FM that often scarce, expensive, limited availability, and leads to high fish production costs is alternative ways and has been gaining momentum. Currently, Insects have been proposed as one of the potential future protein sources of protein because of the production of insects is highly sustainable. Farming insects is characterized by higher food conversion efficiencies, lower environmental impact, and higher potential to be grown on waste streams.

Recombinant protein vaccines produced in insect cells.

PubMed

Cox, Manon M J

2012-02-27

The baculovirus-insect cell expression system is a well known tool for the production of complex proteins. The technology is also used for commercial manufacture of various veterinary and human vaccines. This review paper provides an overview of how this technology can be applied to produce a multitude of vaccine candidates. The key advantage of this recombinant protein manufacturing platform is that a universal "plug and play" process may be used for producing a broad range of protein-based prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines for both human and veterinary use while offering the potential for low manufacturing costs. Large scale mammalian cell culture facilities previously established for the manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies that have now become obsolete due to yield improvement could be deployed for the manufacturing of these vaccines. Alternatively, manufacturing capacity could be established in geographic regions that do not have any vaccine production capability. Dependent on health care priorities, different vaccines could be manufactured while maintaining the ability to rapidly convert to producing pandemic influenza vaccine when the need arises. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

44 CFR 331.5 - Production facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Production facilities. 331.5 Section 331.5 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF... and essential economic and strategic factors. ...

Strategies for Enhanced Crop Resistance to Insect Pests.

PubMed

Douglas, Angela E

2018-04-29

Insect pests are responsible for substantial crop losses worldwide through direct damage and transmission of plant diseases, and novel approaches that complement or replace broad-spectrum chemical insecticides will facilitate the sustainable intensification of food production in the coming decades. Multiple strategies for improved crop resistance to insect pests, especially strategies relating to plant secondary metabolism and immunity and microbiome science, are becoming available. Recent advances in metabolic engineering of plant secondary chemistry offer the promise of specific toxicity or deterrence to insect pests; improved understanding of plant immunity against insects provides routes to optimize plant defenses against insects; and the microbiomes of insect pests can be exploited, either as a target or as a vehicle for delivery of insecticidal agents. Implementation of these advances will be facilitated by ongoing advances in plant breeding and genetic technologies.

Recent Productivity Improvements to the National Transonic Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Popernack, Thomas G., Jr.; Sydnor, George H.

1998-01-01

Productivity gains have recently been made at the National Transonic Facility wind tunnel at NASA Langley Research Center. A team was assigned to assess and set productivity goals to achieve the desired operating cost and output of the facility. Simulations have been developed to show the sensitivity of selected process productivity improvements in critical areas to reduce overall test cycle times. The improvements consist of an expanded liquid nitrogen storage system, a new fan drive, a new tunnel vent stack heater, replacement of programmable logic controllers, an increased data communications speed, automated test sequencing, and a faster model changeout system. Where possible, quantifiable results of these improvements are presented. Results show that in most cases, improvements meet the productivity gains predicted by the simulations.

Forest insect conditions in the Northeast - 1954

Treesearch

W. E. Waters

1955-01-01

Forest insects continued to be a major cause of timber loss in the Northeast in 1954. A diversity of destructive pests caused these losses in different ways: by outright killing trees; by reducing growth; by reducing merchantable volume; and by reducing the quality of forest products. Some of the insects caused serious damage to woodlands that have high recreational...

7 CFR 1424.10 - Succession and control of facilities and production.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Succession and control of facilities and production... § 1424.10 Succession and control of facilities and production. A person who obtains a facility that is... grant such request if it is determined that permitting such succession would serve the purposes of the...

7 CFR 1424.10 - Succession and control of facilities and production.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Succession and control of facilities and production... § 1424.10 Succession and control of facilities and production. A person who obtains a facility that is... grant such request if it is determined that permitting such succession would serve the purposes of the...

7 CFR 1424.10 - Succession and control of facilities and production.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Succession and control of facilities and production... § 1424.10 Succession and control of facilities and production. A person who obtains a facility that is... grant such request if it is determined that permitting such succession would serve the purposes of the...

7 CFR 1424.10 - Succession and control of facilities and production.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Succession and control of facilities and production... § 1424.10 Succession and control of facilities and production. A person who obtains a facility that is... grant such request if it is determined that permitting such succession would serve the purposes of the...

7 CFR 1424.10 - Succession and control of facilities and production.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Succession and control of facilities and production... § 1424.10 Succession and control of facilities and production. A person who obtains a facility that is... grant such request if it is determined that permitting such succession would serve the purposes of the...

Investigation on penetration of three conventional foodstuffs packaging polymers with two different thicknesses by larvae and adults of major species of stored-product pest insects.

PubMed

Allahvaisi, Somayeh; Purmirza, Ali Asghar; Safaralizade, Mohamad Hasan

2009-01-01

Despite modern methods of packaging, stored agricultural products are still under attack by stored-insect pests. Therefore, determination of the best polymer and appropriate thickness inhibiting the penetration of the insects must be considered. In this study, we investigated the ability of penetration and the rates of contamination by nine important stored product pest insects for three conventional flexible polymers (polyethylene, cellophane and polypropylene) at two thicknesses (16.5 and 29 microm), which are used as pouches for packing of agricultural products. We used adults of T. castaneum (Coleoptera), S. granarius (Coleoptera), R. dominica (Coleoptera), C. maculates (Coleoptera), O. surinamensis (Coleoptera), and larvae of P. interpunctella (Lepidoptera), E. kuehniella (Lepidoptera), S. cerealella (Lepidoptera) and T. granarium (Coleoptera). Results showed that for most of the species penetration occurred between 4 days and 2 weeks, but there were significant differences (p < or = 0.05) in the penetration of three polymers (cellophane, polyethylene and polypropylene) by the insects. Among the polymers, polyethylene with a thickness of 16.5 microm showed the highest degree of penetration and was the most unsuitable polymer for packaging of foodstuffs. Application of this polymer led to a complete infestation of the product and a lot of punctures were created by the insects. In contrast, no penetration was observed in polypropylene polymer with a thickness of 29 microm. Furthermore, adults and larvae of all species showed a much lower penetration when there was no food present in the pouches and this was the case for all polymers tested.

Improving mycoinsecticides for insect biological control.

PubMed

Ortiz-Urquiza, Almudena; Luo, Zhibing; Keyhani, Nemat O

2015-02-01

The desire for decreased reliance on chemical pesticides continues to fuel interest in alternative means for pest control including the use of naturally occurring microbial insect pathogens. Insects, as vectors of disease causing agents or as agricultural pests, are responsible for millions of deaths and significant economic losses worldwide, placing stresses on productivity (GDP) and human health and welfare. In addition, alterations in climate change are likely to affect insect ranges, expanding their access to previously constrained geographic areas, a potentially worrisome outcome. Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana, two cosmopolitan fungal pathogens of insects found in almost all ecosystems, are the most commonly applied mycoinsecticides for a variety of insect control purposes. The availability of the complete genomes for both organisms coupled to robust technologies for their transformation has led to several advances in engineering these fungi for greater efficacy and/or utility in pest control applications. Here, we will provide an overview of the fungal-insect and fungal-plant interactions that occur and highlight recent advances in the genetic engineering of these fungi. The latter work has resulted in the development of strains displaying (1) increased resistance to abiotic stress, (2) increased cuticular targeting and degradation, (3) increased virulence via expression of insecticidal protein/peptide toxins, (4) the ability to block transmission of disease causing agents, and (5) the ability to target specific insect hosts, decrease host fecundity, and/or alter insect behaviors.

Combining stable insect cell lines with baculovirus-mediated expression for multi-HA influenza VLP production.

PubMed

Sequeira, Daniela P; Correia, Ricardo; Carrondo, Manuel J T; Roldão, António; Teixeira, Ana P; Alves, Paula M

2018-05-24

Safer and broadly protective vaccines are needed to cope with the continuous evolution of circulating influenza virus strains and promising approaches based on the expression of multiple hemagglutinins (HA) in a virus-like particle (VLP) have been proposed. However, expression of multiple genes in the same vector can lead to its instability due to tandem repetition of similar sequences. By combining stable with transient expression systems we can rationally distribute the number of genes to be expressed per platform and thus mitigate this risk. In this work, we developed a modular system comprising stable and baculovirus-mediated expression in insect cells for production of multi-HA influenza enveloped VLPs. First, a stable insect High Five cell population expressing two different HA proteins from subtype H3 was established. Infection of this cell population with a baculovirus vector encoding three other HA proteins from H3 subtype proved to be as competitive as traditional co-infection approaches in producing a pentavalent H3 VLP. Aiming at increasing HA expression, the stable insect cell population was infected at increasingly higher cell concentrations (CCI). However, cultures infected at CCI of 3×10 6 cells/mL showed lower HA titers per cell in comparison to standard CCI of 2×10 6 cells/mL, a phenomenon named "cell density effect". To lessen the negative impact of this phenomenon, a tailor-made refeed strategy was designed based on the exhaustion of key nutrients during cell growth. Noteworthy, cultures supplemented and infected at a CCI of 4×10 6 cells/mL showed comparable HA titers per cell to those of CCI of 2×10 6 cells/mL, thus leading to an increase of up to 4-fold in HA titers per mL. Scalability of the modular strategy herein proposed was successfully demonstrated in 2L stirred tank bioreactors with comparable HA protein levels observed between bioreactor and shake flasks cultures. Overall, this work demonstrates the suitability of combining stable

Efficacy of esfenvalerate for control of insects harmful to seed production in disease-resistant western white pines.

Treesearch

N.G. Rappaport; M.I. Haverty; P.J. Shea; R.E. Sandquist

1994-01-01

We tested the pyrethroid insecticide esfenvalerate in single, double, and triple applications for control of insects affecting seed production of blister rust-resistant western white pine, Pinus monticola Douglas. All treatments increased the proportion of normal seed produced and reduced the proportion of seed damaged by the western conifer seed...

An Overview and History of Glyco-Engineering in Insect Expression Systems.

PubMed

Geisler, Christoph; Mabashi-Asazuma, Hideaki; Jarvis, Donald L

2015-01-01

Insect systems, including the baculovirus-insect cell and Drosophila S2 cell systems are widely used as recombinant protein production platforms. Historically, however, no insect-based system has been able to produce glycoproteins with human-type glycans, which often influence the clinical efficacy of therapeutic glycoproteins and the overall structures and functions of other recombinant glycoprotein products. In addition, some insect cell systems produce N-glycans with immunogenic epitopes. Over the past 20 years, these problems have been addressed by efforts to glyco-engineer insect-based expression systems. These efforts have focused on introducing the capacity to produce complex-type, terminally sialylated N-glycans and eliminating the capacity to produce immunogenic N-glycans. Various glyco-engineering approaches have included genetically engineering insect cells, baculoviral vectors, and/or insects with heterologous genes encoding the enzymes required to produce various glycosyltransferases, sugars, nucleotide sugars, and nucleotide sugar transporters, as well as an enzyme that can deplete GDP-fucose. In this chapter, we present an overview and history of glyco-engineering in insect expression systems as a prelude to subsequent chapters, which will highlight various methods used for this purpose.

Storage insects on yam chips and their traditional management in Northern Benin.

PubMed

Loko, Y L; Dansi, A; Tamo, M; Bokonon-Ganta, A H; Assogba, P; Dansi, M; Vodouhè, R; Akoegninou, A; Sanni, A

2013-01-01

Twenty-five villages of Northern Benin were surveyed to identify the constraints of yam chips production, assess the diversity of storage insects on yam chips, and document farmers' perception of their impacts on the stocks and their traditional management practices. Damages due to storage insects (63.9% of responses) and insufficiency of insect-resistant varieties (16.7% of responses) were the major constraints of yam chips production. Twelve insect pest species were identified among which Dinoderus porcellus Lesne (Coleoptera, Bostrichidae) was by far the most important and the most distributed (97.44% of the samples). Three predators (Teretrius nigrescens Lewis, Xylocoris flavipes Reuter, and Alloeocranum biannulipes Montrouzier & Signoret) and one parasitoid (Dinarmus basalis Rondani) all Coleoptera, Bostrichidae were also identified. The most important traditional practices used to control or prevent insect attack in yam chips were documented and the producers' preference criteria for yam cultivars used to produce chips were identified and prioritized. To further promote the production of yam chips, diversification of insect-resistant yam varieties, conception, and use of health-protective natural insecticides and popularization of modern storage structures were proposed.

Mechanisms by which pesticides affect insect immunity.

PubMed

James, R R; Xu, J

2012-02-01

The current state of knowledge regarding the effect of pesticides on insect immunity is reviewed here. A basic understanding of these interactions is needed for several reasons, including to improve methods for controlling pest insects in agricultural settings, for controlling insect vectors of human diseases, and for reducing mortality in beneficial insects. Bees are particularly vulnerable to sublethal pesticide exposures because they gather nectar and pollen, concentrating environmental toxins in their nests in the process. Pesticides do have effects on immunity. Organophosphates and some botanicals have been found to impact hemocyte number, differentiation, and thus affect phagocytosis. The phenoloxidase cascade and malanization have also been shown to be affected by several insecticides. Many synthetic insecticides increase oxidative stress, and this could have severe impacts on the production of some antimicrobial peptides in insects, but research is needed to determine the actual effects. Pesticides can also affect grooming behaviors, rendering insects more susceptible to disease. Despite laboratory data documenting pesticide/pathogen interactions, little field data is available at the population level. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Avoiding a bad apple: Insect pollination enhances fruit quality and economic value☆

PubMed Central

Garratt, M.P.D.; Breeze, T.D.; Jenner, N.; Polce, C.; Biesmeijer, J.C.; Potts, S.G.

2014-01-01

Insect pollination is important for food production globally and apples are one of the major fruit crops which are reliant on this ecosystem service. It is fundamentally important that the full range of benefits of insect pollination to crop production are understood, if the costs of interventions aiming to enhance pollination are to be compared against the costs of the interventions themselves. Most previous studies have simply assessed the benefits of pollination to crop yield and ignored quality benefits and how these translate through to economic values. In the present study we examine the influence of insect pollination services on farmgate output of two important UK apple varieties; Gala and Cox. Using field experiments, we quantify the influence of insect pollination on yield and importantly quality and whether either may be limited by sub-optimal insect pollination. Using an expanded bioeconomic model we value insect pollination to UK apple production and establish the potential for improvement through pollination service management. We show that insects are essential in the production of both varieties of apple in the UK and contribute a total of £36.7 million per annum, over £6 million more than the value calculated using more conventional dependence ratio methods. Insect pollination not only affects the quantity of production but can also have marked impacts on the quality of apples, influencing size, shape and effecting their classification for market. These effects are variety specific however. Due to the influence of pollination on both yield and quality in Gala, there is potential for insect pollination services to improve UK output by up to £5.7 million per annum. Our research shows that continued pollinator decline could have serious financial implications for the apple industry but there is considerable scope through management of wild pollinators or using managed pollinator augmentation, to improve the quality of production. Furthermore, we

Avoiding a bad apple: Insect pollination enhances fruit quality and economic value.

PubMed

Garratt, M P D; Breeze, T D; Jenner, N; Polce, C; Biesmeijer, J C; Potts, S G

2014-02-01

Insect pollination is important for food production globally and apples are one of the major fruit crops which are reliant on this ecosystem service. It is fundamentally important that the full range of benefits of insect pollination to crop production are understood, if the costs of interventions aiming to enhance pollination are to be compared against the costs of the interventions themselves. Most previous studies have simply assessed the benefits of pollination to crop yield and ignored quality benefits and how these translate through to economic values. In the present study we examine the influence of insect pollination services on farmgate output of two important UK apple varieties; Gala and Cox. Using field experiments, we quantify the influence of insect pollination on yield and importantly quality and whether either may be limited by sub-optimal insect pollination. Using an expanded bioeconomic model we value insect pollination to UK apple production and establish the potential for improvement through pollination service management. We show that insects are essential in the production of both varieties of apple in the UK and contribute a total of £36.7 million per annum, over £6 million more than the value calculated using more conventional dependence ratio methods. Insect pollination not only affects the quantity of production but can also have marked impacts on the quality of apples, influencing size, shape and effecting their classification for market. These effects are variety specific however. Due to the influence of pollination on both yield and quality in Gala, there is potential for insect pollination services to improve UK output by up to £5.7 million per annum. Our research shows that continued pollinator decline could have serious financial implications for the apple industry but there is considerable scope through management of wild pollinators or using managed pollinator augmentation, to improve the quality of production. Furthermore, we

40 CFR 63.11166 - What General Provisions apply to primary beryllium production facilities?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Primary Nonferrous Metals Area Sources-Zinc, Cadmium, and Beryllium Primary Beryllium Production Facilities § 63.11166 What General Provisions apply to primary beryllium production facilities? (a) You must... primary beryllium production facilities? 63.11166 Section 63.11166 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL...

Plants and insect eggs: how do they affect each other?

PubMed

Hilker, Monika; Meiners, Torsten

2011-09-01

Plant-insect interactions are not just influenced by interactions between plants and the actively feeding stages, but also by the close relationships between plants and insect eggs. Here, we review both effects of plants on insect eggs and, vice versa, effects of eggs on plants. We consider the influence of plants on the production of insect eggs and address the role of phytochemicals for the biosynthesis and release of insect sex pheromones, as well as for insect fecundity. Effects of plants on insect oviposition by contact and olfactory plant cues are summarised. In addition, we consider how the leaf boundary layer influences both insect egg deposition behaviour and development of the embryo inside the egg. The effects of eggs on plants involve egg-induced changes of photosynthetic activity and of the plant's secondary metabolism. Except for gall-inducing insects, egg-induced changes of phytochemistry were so far found to be detrimental to the eggs. Egg deposition can induce hypersensitive-like plant response, formation of neoplasms or production of ovicidal plant substances; these plant responses directly harm the eggs. In addition, egg deposition can induce a change of the plant's odour and leaf surface chemistry which serve indirect plant defence with the help of antagonists of the insect eggs. These egg-induced changes lead to attraction of egg parasitoids and their arrestance on a leaf, respectively. Finally, we summarise knowledge of the elicitors of egg-induced plant changes and address egg-induced effects on the plant's transcriptional pattern. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimating benthic secondary production from aquatic insect emergence in streams affected by mountaintop removal coal mining, West Virginia USA

EPA Science Inventory

Mountaintop removal and valley fill (MTR/VF) coal mining recountours the Appalachian landscape, buries headwater stream channels, and degrades downstream water quality. The goal of this study was to compare benthic community production estimates, based on seasonal insect emergen...

40 CFR 63.11164 - What General Provisions apply to primary zinc production facilities?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... primary zinc production facilities? 63.11164 Section 63.11164 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... Primary Nonferrous Metals Area Sources-Zinc, Cadmium, and Beryllium Primary Zinc Production Facilities § 63.11164 What General Provisions apply to primary zinc production facilities? (a) If you own or...

40 CFR 63.11164 - What General Provisions apply to primary zinc production facilities?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... primary zinc production facilities? 63.11164 Section 63.11164 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... Primary Nonferrous Metals Area Sources-Zinc, Cadmium, and Beryllium Primary Zinc Production Facilities § 63.11164 What General Provisions apply to primary zinc production facilities? (a) If you own or...

Multiplication of VHS virus in insect cells.

PubMed

Lorenzen, N; Olesen, N J

1995-01-01

Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) belongs to the rhabdovirus family and is a major pathogen in farmed rainbow trout. An insect cell culture traditionally used for production of recombinant proteins was found to be susceptible to VHS virus. At pH 6.2, VHSV multiplication induced formation of large syncytia similar to those obtained by baculovirus-induced expression of recombinant VHSV glycoprotein. The VHSV G protein produced in insect cells was smaller than G protein derived from fish cells. VHS virus produced in insect cells was still pathogenic to rainbow trout after 2 cell culture passages.

Dedicated nuclear facilities for electrolytic hydrogen production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foh, S. E.; Escher, W. J. D.; Donakowski, T. D.

1979-01-01

An advanced technology, fully dedicated nuclear-electrolytic hydrogen production facility is presented. This plant will produce hydrogen and oxygen only and no electrical power will be generated for off-plant use. The conceptual design was based on hydrogen production to fill a pipeline at 1000 psi and a 3000 MW nuclear base, and the base-line facility nuclear-to-shaftpower and shaftpower-to-electricity subsystems, the water treatment subsystem, electricity-to-hydrogen subsystem, hydrogen compression, efficiency, and hydrogen production cost are discussed. The final conceptual design integrates a 3000 MWth high-temperature gas-cooled reactor operating at 980 C helium reactor-out temperature, direct dc electricity generation via acyclic generators, and high-current density, high-pressure electrolyzers based on the solid polymer electrolyte approach. All subsystems are close-coupled and optimally interfaced and pipeline hydrogen is produced at 1000 psi. Hydrogen costs were about half of the conventional nuclear electrolysis process.

Microbial Brokers of Insect-Plant Interactions Revisited

PubMed Central

Douglas, Angela E

2013-01-01

Recent advances in sequencing methods have transformed the field of microbial ecology, making it possible to determine the composition and functional capabilities of uncultured microorganisms. These technologies have been instrumental in the recognition that resident microorganisms can have profound effects on the phenotype and fitness of their animal hosts by modulating the animal signaling networks that regulate growth, development, behavior, etc. Against this backdrop, this review assesses the impact of microorganisms on insect-plant interactions, in the context of the hypothesis that microorganisms are biochemical brokers of plant utilization by insects. There is now overwhelming evidence for a microbial role in insect utilization of certain plant diets with an extremely low or unbalanced nutrient content. Specifically, microorganisms enable insect utilization of plant sap by synthesizing essential amino acids. They also can broker insect utilization of plant products of extremely high lignocellulose content, by enzymatic breakdown of complex plant polysaccharides, nitrogen fixation, and sterol synthesis. However, the experimental evidence for microbial-mediated detoxification of plant allelochemicals is limited. The significance of microorganisms as brokers of plant utilization by insects is predicted to vary, possibly widely, as a result of potentially complex interactions between the composition of the microbiota and the diet and insect developmental age or genotype. For every insect species feeding on plant material, the role of resident microbiota as biochemical brokers of plant utilization is a testable hypothesis. PMID:23793897

Insect abatement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spiro, Clifford Lawrence (Inventor); Burnell, Timothy Brydon (Inventor); Wengrovius, Jeffrey Hayward (Inventor)

1997-01-01

An insect abatement system prevents adhesion of insect debris to surfaces which must be kept substantially free of insect debris. An article is coated with an insect abatement coating comprising polyorganosiloxane with a Shore A hardness of less than 50 and a tensile strength of less than 4 MPa. A method for preventing the adhesion of insect debris to surfaces includes the step of applying an insect abatement coating to a surface which must be kept substantially free of insect debris.

Storage Insects on Yam Chips and Their Traditional Management in Northern Benin

PubMed Central

Loko, Y. L.; Dansi, A.; Tamo, M.; Bokonon-Ganta, A. H.; Assogba, P.; Dansi, M.; Vodouhè, R.; Akoegninou, A.; Sanni, A.

2013-01-01

Twenty-five villages of Northern Benin were surveyed to identify the constraints of yam chips production, assess the diversity of storage insects on yam chips, and document farmers' perception of their impacts on the stocks and their traditional management practices. Damages due to storage insects (63.9% of responses) and insufficiency of insect-resistant varieties (16.7% of responses) were the major constraints of yam chips production. Twelve insect pest species were identified among which Dinoderus porcellus Lesne (Coleoptera, Bostrichidae) was by far the most important and the most distributed (97.44% of the samples). Three predators (Teretrius nigrescens Lewis, Xylocoris flavipes Reuter, and Alloeocranum biannulipes Montrouzier & Signoret) and one parasitoid (Dinarmus basalis Rondani) all Coleoptera, Bostrichidae were also identified. The most important traditional practices used to control or prevent insect attack in yam chips were documented and the producers' preference criteria for yam cultivars used to produce chips were identified and prioritized. To further promote the production of yam chips, diversification of insect-resistant yam varieties, conception, and use of health-protective natural insecticides and popularization of modern storage structures were proposed. PMID:23710140

Identification of methyl farnesoate from the hemolymph of insects

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Juvenile hormones (JH) have been a focal point of study in insect endocrinology for more than 80 years and are implicated in regulation of more physiological and behavioral functions than any other insect hormone. Indeed, evidence has suggested that JHs are the only sesquiterpene hormone products s...

Isotope labeling of proteins in insect cells.

PubMed

Skora, Lukasz; Shrestha, Binesh; Gossert, Alvar D

2015-01-01

Protein targets of contemporary research are often membrane proteins, multiprotein complexes, secreted proteins, or other proteins of human origin. These are difficult to express in the standard expression host used for most nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies, Escherichia coli. Insect cells represent an attractive alternative, since they have become a well-established expression system and simple solutions have been developed for generation of viruses to efficiently introduce the target protein DNA into cells. Insect cells enable production of a larger fraction of the human proteome in a properly folded way than bacteria, as insect cells have a very similar set of cytosolic chaperones and a closely related secretory pathway. Here, the limited and defined glycosylation pattern that insect cells produce is an advantage for structural biology studies. For these reasons, insect cells have been established as the most widely used eukaryotic expression host for crystallographic studies. In the past decade, significant advancements have enabled amino acid type-specific as well as uniform isotope labeling of proteins in insect cells, turning them into an attractive expression host for NMR studies. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

77 FR 48992 - Tobacco Product Manufacturing Facility Visits

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-15

... manufacturing operations--from the receipt of raw materials to the distribution of finished products, and Learn... Manufacturing facilities for materials used for further processing in finished tobacco products (including, but..., parts, accessories, and Manufacturers of materials used for further processing in finished tobacco...

Traditional consumption of and rearing edible insects in Africa, Asia and Europe.

PubMed

Raheem, Dele; Carrascosa, Conrado; Oluwole, Oluwatoyin Bolanle; Nieuwland, Maaike; Saraiva, Ariana; Millán, Rafael; Raposo, António

2018-02-15

The traditional consumption of edible insects is common in one third of the world's population, mostly in Latin America, Africa and Asia. There are over one thousand identified species of insects eaten in some stage of their life cycle; and they play important roles in ensuring food security. The most common way to collect insects are from the wild, which is seasonal with limited availability and has an increasing demand resulting in a disruption to the ecosystem. There is a growing interest shown in rearing insects for commercial purposes, and an industrial scale production will be required to ensure steady supplies. Industrial production will need to take into account the living environment of insects, the nutritional composition of their feed and the overall efficiency of the production system. We provide a short overview on the consumption of and rearing insects in Africa, Asia and Europe. For Africa, a snapshot is given for Nigeria, Ghana, Central African Republic, Kenya and Uganda, while the following countries are reported for Asia: China, Japan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Thailand and Vietnam. In addition, a list of insect species with the highest potential for food and feed in the European Union is provided with some reference to The Netherlands and Finland. The review concludes that there is need to better understand the rearing and farming procedures that will yield high quality edible insects in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Insect biofuel cells using trehalose included in insect hemolymph leading to an insect-mountable biofuel cell.

PubMed

Shoji, Kan; Akiyama, Yoshitake; Suzuki, Masato; Hoshino, Takayuki; Nakamura, Nobuhumi; Ohno, Hiroyuki; Morishima, Keisuke

2012-12-01

In this paper, an insect biofuel cell (BFC) using trehalose included in insect hemolymph was developed. The insect BFC is based on trehalase and glucose oxidase (GOD) reaction systems which oxidize β-glucose obtained by hydrolyzing trehalose. First, we confirmed by LC-MS that a sufficient amount of trehalose was present in the cockroach hemolymph (CHL). The maximum power density obtained using the insect BFC was 6.07 μW/cm(2). The power output was kept more than 10 % for 2.5 h by protecting the electrodes with a dialysis membrane. Furthermore, the maximum power density was increased to 10.5 μW/cm(2) by using an air diffusion cathode. Finally, we succeeded in driving a melody integrated circuit (IC) and a piezo speaker by connecting five insect BFCs in series. The results indicate that the insect BFC is a promising insect-mountable battery to power environmental monitoring micro-tools.

Oral dosing of chemical indicators for in vivo monitoring of Ca2+ dynamics in insect muscle.

PubMed

Ferdinandus; Arai, Satoshi; Ishiwata, Shin'ichi; Suzuki, Madoka; Sato, Hirotaka

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a remarkably facile staining protocol to visually investigate dynamic physiological events in insect tissues. We attempted to monitor Ca2+ dynamics during contraction of electrically stimulated living muscle. Advances in circuit miniaturization and insect neuromuscular physiology have enabled the hybridization of living insects and man-made electronic components, such as microcomputers, the result of which has been often referred as a Living Machine, Biohybrid, or Cyborg Insect. In order for Cyborg Insects to be of practical use, electrical stimulation parameters need to be optimized to induce desired muscle response (motor action) and minimize the damage in the muscle due to the electrical stimuli. Staining tissues and organs as well as measuring the dynamics of chemicals of interest in muscle should be conducted to quantitatively and systematically evaluate the effect of various stimulation parameters on the muscle response. However, existing staining processes require invasive surgery and/or arduous procedures using genetically encoded sensors. In this study, we developed a non-invasive and remarkably facile method for staining, in which chemical indicators can be orally administered (oral dosing). A chemical Ca2+ indicator was orally introduced into an insect of interest via food containing the chemical indicator and the indicator diffused from the insect digestion system to the target muscle tissue. We found that there was a positive relationship between the fluorescence intensity of the indicator and the frequency of electrical stimulation which indicates the orally dosed indicator successfully monitored Ca2+ dynamics in the muscle tissue. This oral dosing method has a potential to globally stain tissues including neurons, and investigating various physiological events in insects.

Oral Dosing of Chemical Indicators for In Vivo Monitoring of Ca2+ Dynamics in Insect Muscle

PubMed Central

Ferdinandus; Arai, Satoshi; Ishiwata, Shin’ichi; Suzuki, Madoka; Sato, Hirotaka

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a remarkably facile staining protocol to visually investigate dynamic physiological events in insect tissues. We attempted to monitor Ca2+ dynamics during contraction of electrically stimulated living muscle. Advances in circuit miniaturization and insect neuromuscular physiology have enabled the hybridization of living insects and man-made electronic components, such as microcomputers, the result of which has been often referred as a Living Machine, Biohybrid, or Cyborg Insect. In order for Cyborg Insects to be of practical use, electrical stimulation parameters need to be optimized to induce desired muscle response (motor action) and minimize the damage in the muscle due to the electrical stimuli. Staining tissues and organs as well as measuring the dynamics of chemicals of interest in muscle should be conducted to quantitatively and systematically evaluate the effect of various stimulation parameters on the muscle response. However, existing staining processes require invasive surgery and/or arduous procedures using genetically encoded sensors. In this study, we developed a non-invasive and remarkably facile method for staining, in which chemical indicators can be orally administered (oral dosing). A chemical Ca2+ indicator was orally introduced into an insect of interest via food containing the chemical indicator and the indicator diffused from the insect digestion system to the target muscle tissue. We found that there was a positive relationship between the fluorescence intensity of the indicator and the frequency of electrical stimulation which indicates the orally dosed indicator successfully monitored Ca2+ dynamics in the muscle tissue. This oral dosing method has a potential to globally stain tissues including neurons, and investigating various physiological events in insects. PMID:25590329

A Method for the Automatic Detection of Insect Clutter in Doppler-Radar Returns.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luke,E.; Kollias, P.; Johnson, K.

2006-06-12

The accurate detection and removal of insect clutter from millimeter wavelength cloud radar (MMCR) returns is of high importance to boundary layer cloud research (e.g., Geerts et al., 2005). When only radar Doppler moments are available, it is difficult to produce a reliable screening of insect clutter from cloud returns because their distributions overlap. Hence, screening of MMCR insect clutter has historically involved a laborious manual process of cross-referencing radar moments against measurements from other collocated instruments, such as lidar. Our study looks beyond traditional radar moments to ask whether analysis of recorded Doppler spectra can serve as the basismore » for reliable, automatic insect clutter screening. We focus on the MMCR operated by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program at its Southern Great Plains (SGP) facility in Oklahoma. Here, archiving of full Doppler spectra began in September 2003, and during the warmer months, a pronounced insect presence regularly introduces clutter into boundary layer returns.« less

ASSESSING OF HERBIVOROUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS ON SWITCHGRASS IN UKRAINE.

PubMed

Stefanovska, T; Kucherovska, S; Pisdlisnyuk, V

2014-01-01

A perennial switchgrass, (Panicum virgatum L.), (C4) that is native to North America has good potential for biomass production because of its wide geographic distribution and adaptability to diverse environmental conditions. Insects can significantly impact the yield and quality of biofuel crops. If switchgrass are to be grown on marginally arable land or in monoculture, it are likely to be plagued with herbivore pests and plant diseases at a rate that exceeds what would be expected if the plants were not stressed in this manner. This biofuel crop has been under evaluation for commercial growing in Ukraine for eight years. However, insect diversity and the potential impact of pests on biomass production of this feedstock have not been accessed yet. The objective of our study, started in 2011, is a survey of switch grass insects by trophic groups and determine species that have pest status at two sites in the Central part of Ukraine (Kiev and Poltava regions). In Poltava site we investigated the effect of nine varieties of switchgrass (lowland and upland) to insects' diversity. We assessed changes over time in the densities of major insects' trophic groups, identifying potential pests and natural enemies. Obtained results indicates that different life stages of herbivorous insects from Hymenoptera, Homoptera, Diptera and Coleoptera orders were present on switchgrass during the growing season. Our study results suggests that choice of variety has an impact on trophic groups' structure and number of insects from different orders on swicthgrass. Herbivores and beneficial insects were the only groups that showed significant differences across sampling dates. The highest population of herbivores insects we recorded on 'Alamo' variety for studied years, although herbivore diversity tended to increase on 'Shelter', 'Alamo' and 'Cave-in-Rock' during 2012 and 2013. 'Dacotah', 'Nebraska', 'Sunburst', 'Forestburg' and 'Carthage' showed the highest level of beneficial insects

Transforming insect biomass into consumer wellness foods: A review.

PubMed

Sun-Waterhouse, Dongxiao; Waterhouse, Geoffrey I N; You, Lijun; Zhang, Jianan; Liu, Yang; Ma, Lukai; Gao, Jie; Dong, Yi

2016-11-01

Potential food shortages, human health challenges and environmental concerns, all thematically linked to growing and aging global populations, drive the search for alternative and sustainable food sources. Insects, which have been part of the human diet since antiquity though not currently widely consumed in Western societies, are rich in high quality proteins and nutrients and bioactives. Accordingly, insects could make a significant contribution to the global food supply chain in the future. This review explores the potential of entomophagy in an integrated global food network and focuses on practical approaches for transforming insect biomass into consumer food products. Carefully regulated breeding, rearing, harvesting and processing of insect bioresources are critical for realising the concept of "edible insects for human well-being". Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lift vs. drag based mechanisms for vertical force production in the smallest flying insects.

PubMed

Jones, S K; Laurenza, R; Hedrick, T L; Griffith, B E; Miller, L A

2015-11-07

We used computational fluid dynamics to determine whether lift- or drag-based mechanisms generate the most vertical force in the flight of the smallest insects. These insects fly at Re on the order of 4-60 where viscous effects are significant. Detailed quantitative data on the wing kinematics of the smallest insects is not available, and as a result both drag- and lift-based strategies have been suggested as the mechanisms by which these insects stay aloft. We used the immersed boundary method to solve the fully-coupled fluid-structure interaction problem of a flexible wing immersed in a two-dimensional viscous fluid to compare three idealized hovering kinematics: a drag-based stroke in the vertical plane, a lift-based stroke in the horizontal plane, and a hybrid stroke on a tilted plane. Our results suggest that at higher Re, a lift-based strategy produces more vertical force than a drag-based strategy. At the Re pertinent to small insect hovering, however, there is little difference in performance between the two strategies. A drag-based mechanism of flight could produce more vertical force than a lift-based mechanism for insects at Re<5; however, we are unaware of active fliers at this scale. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hearing in Insects.

PubMed

Göpfert, Martin C; Hennig, R Matthias

2016-01-01

Insect hearing has independently evolved multiple times in the context of intraspecific communication and predator detection by transforming proprioceptive organs into ears. Research over the past decade, ranging from the biophysics of sound reception to molecular aspects of auditory transduction to the neuronal mechanisms of auditory signal processing, has greatly advanced our understanding of how insects hear. Apart from evolutionary innovations that seem unique to insect hearing, parallels between insect and vertebrate auditory systems have been uncovered, and the auditory sensory cells of insects and vertebrates turned out to be evolutionarily related. This review summarizes our current understanding of insect hearing. It also discusses recent advances in insect auditory research, which have put forward insect auditory systems for studying biological aspects that extend beyond hearing, such as cilium function, neuronal signal computation, and sensory system evolution.

Not just a fallback food: global patterns of insect consumption related to geography, not agriculture.

PubMed

Lesnik, Julie J

2017-07-08

Insects as food are often viewed as fallback resources and associated with marginal environments. This study investigates the relationship between insect consumption and noncultivated landscapes as well as with other independent variables including latitude, area, population, and gross domestic product. Data were obtained from online databases including the World List of Edible Insects, the World Bank, and the World Factbook. A logistic regression model found that latitude could correctly predict the presence of edible insects 80% of the time and that arable land and gross domestic product showed no effect. Spearman rank-order correlation with number of insect species found significant relationships between area and population (but not density) and per capita gross domestic product as well as latitude. Further analysis of latitude using paired Mann-Whitney tests identified a general gradient pattern in reduction of edible insects with increased latitude. Results suggest that insect consumption represents a dynamic human-environment interaction, whereby insects are utilized in some of the world's lushest environments as well as areas where people have had great impact on the ecosystem. The concept that insects are a fallback food is an oversimplification that is likely rooted in Western bias against this food source. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Olfactory Mechanisms for Discovery of Odorants to Reduce Insect-Host Contact

PubMed Central

Clark, Jonathan T.; Ray, Anandasankar

2016-01-01

Insects have developed highly sophisticated and sensitive olfactory systems to find animal or plant hosts for feeding. Some insects vector pathogens that cause diseases in hundreds of millions of people and destroy billions of dollars of food products every year. There is great interest, therefore, in understanding how the insect olfactory system can be manipulated to reduce their contact with hosts. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of insect olfactory detection mechanisms, which may serve as a foundation for designing insect control programs based on manipulation of their behaviors by using odorants. Because every insect species has a unique set of olfactory receptors and olfactory-mediated behaviors, we focus primarily on general principles of odor detection that potentially apply to most insects. While these mechanisms have emerged from studies on model systems for study of insect olfaction, such as Drosophila melanogaster, they provide a foundation for discovery of odorants to repel insects or reduce host-seeking behavior. PMID:27628342

Three-way interaction among plants, bacteria, and coleopteran insects.

PubMed

Wielkopolan, Beata; Obrępalska-Stęplowska, Aleksandra

2016-08-01

Coleoptera, the largest and the most diverse Insecta order, is characterized by multiple adaptations to plant feeding. Insect-associated microorganisms can be important mediators and modulators of interactions between insects and plants. Interactions between plants and insects are highly complex and involve multiple factors. There are various defense mechanisms initiated by plants upon attack by herbivorous insects, including the development of morphological structures and the synthesis of toxic secondary metabolites and volatiles. In turn, herbivores have adapted to feeding on plants and further sophisticated adaptations to overcome plant responses may continue to evolve. Herbivorous insects may detoxify toxic phytocompounds, sequester poisonous plant factors, and alter their own overall gene expression pattern. Moreover, insects are associated with microbes, which not only considerably affect insects, but can also modify plant defense responses to the benefit of their host. Plants are also frequently associated with endophytes, which may act as bioinsecticides. Therefore, it is very important to consider the factors influencing the interaction between plants and insects. Herbivorous insects cause considerable damage to global crop production. Coleoptera is the largest and the most diverse order in the class Insecta. In this review, various aspects of the interactions among insects, microbes, and plants are described with a focus on coleopteran species, their bacterial symbionts, and their plant hosts to demonstrate that many factors contribute to the success of coleopteran herbivory.

Microbiological Load of Edible Insects Found in Belgium.

PubMed

Caparros Megido, Rudy; Desmedt, Sandrine; Blecker, Christophe; Béra, François; Haubruge, Éric; Alabi, Taofic; Francis, Frédéric

2017-01-13

Edible insects are gaining more and more attention as a sustainable source of animal protein for food and feed in the future. In Belgium, some insect products can be found on the market, and consumers are sourcing fresh insects from fishing stores or towards traditional markets to find exotic insects that are illegal and not sanitarily controlled. From this perspective, this study aims to characterize the microbial load of edible insects found in Belgium (i.e., fresh mealworms and house crickets from European farms and smoked termites and caterpillars from a traditional Congolese market) and to evaluate the efficiency of different processing methods (blanching for all species and freeze-drying and sterilization for European species) in reducing microorganism counts. All untreated insect samples had a total aerobic count higher than the limit for fresh minced meat (6.7 log cfu/g). Nevertheless, a species-dependent blanching step has led to a reduction of the total aerobic count under this limit, except for one caterpillar species. Freeze-drying and sterilization treatments on European species were also effective in reducing the total aerobic count. Yeast and mold counts for untreated insects were above the Good Manufacturing Practice limits for raw meat, but all treatments attained a reduction of these microorganisms under this limit. These results confirmed that fresh insects, but also smoked insects from non-European trades, need a cooking step (at least composed of a first blanching step) before consumption. Therefore, blanching timing for each studied insect species is proposed and discussed.

Centrifuge facility conceptual system study. Volume 2: Facility systems and study summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Synnestvedt, Robert (Editor); Blair, Patricia; Cartledge, Alan; Garces-Porcile, Jorge; Garin, Vladimir; Guerrero, Mike; Haddeland, Peter; Horkachuck, Mike; Kuebler, Ulrich; Nguyen, Frank

1991-01-01

The Centrifuge Facility is a major element of the biological research facility for the implementation of NASA's Life Science Research Program on Space Station Freedom using nonhuman species (small primates, rodents, plants, insects, cell tissues, etc.). The Centrifuge Facility consists of a variable gravity Centrifuge to provide artificial gravity up to 2 earth G's' a Holding System to maintain specimens at microgravity levels, a Glovebox, and a Service Unit for servicing specimen chambers. The following subject areas are covered: (1) Holding System; (2) Centrifuge System; (3) Glovebox System; (4) Service System; and (5) system study summary.

Insect allergy.

PubMed

Tracy, James M

2011-01-01

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic condition. The 3 most common triggers for anaphylaxis are food, medications, and insects. All of these triggers are the sources of considerable morbidity and mortality, but of the 3, only insect allergy is treatable through means other than trigger avoidance. Because ≥ 40 deaths per year are attributed to insect stings, it is critical that healthcare providers and the public understand the proper diagnosis as well as the long-term treatment of this potentially life-threatening allergy. Unlike food and medication allergy, which are managed primarily by allergen avoidance, Hymenoptera allergy is managed prospectively using venom immunotherapy; this results in a protective level of up to 98%. Insects of the order Hymenoptera include bees, wasps, hornets, yellowjackets, and ants. They are responsible for the majority of the fatal and near-fatal sting events. Understanding the biology and habitat of the various Hymenoptera species is helpful in recommending insect-avoidance strategies. The diagnosis of insect allergy relies on a history of a systemic allergic reaction with appropriate testing for venom-specific immunoglobulin E. If the history of a systemic reaction to an insect sting and the presence of venom specific immunoglobulin E is confirmed, venom immunotherapy is indicated. The proper and primary means of treating acute anaphylaxis is immediate epinephrine-and studies suggest that it is underutilized in the acute setting. However, it is venom immunotherapy, a disease-modifying therapy, that provides the affected individual with the most effective protection against future sting reactions. Long-term management of insect allergy and anaphylaxis includes appropriate referral to an allergist familiar with insect allergy and, if indicated, venom immunotherapy. © 2011 Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Insect symbionts as valuable grist for the biotechnological mill: an alkaliphilic silkworm gut bacterium for efficient lactic acid production.

PubMed

Liang, Xili; Sun, Chao; Chen, Bosheng; Du, Kaiqian; Yu, Ting; Luang-In, Vijitra; Lu, Xingmeng; Shao, Yongqi

2018-06-01

Insects constitute the most abundant and diverse animal class and act as hosts to an extraordinary variety of symbiotic microorganisms. These microbes living inside the insects play critical roles in host biology and are also valuable bioresources. Enterococcus mundtii EMB156, isolated from the larval gut (gut pH >10) of the model organism Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), efficiently produces lactic acid, an important metabolite for industrial production of bioplastic materials. E. mundtii EMB156 grows well under alkaline conditions and stably converts various carbon sources into lactic acid, offering advantages in downstream fermentative processes. High-yield lactic acid production can be achieved by the strain EMB156 from renewable biomass substrates under alkaline pretreatments. Single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology revealed its 3.01 Mbp whole genome sequence. A total of 2956 protein-coding sequences, 65 tRNA genes, and 6 rRNA operons were predicted in the EMB156 chromosome. Remarkable genomic features responsible for lactic acid fermentation included key enzymes involved in the pentose phosphate (PP)/glycolytic pathway, and an alpha amylase and xylose isomerase were characterized in EMB156. This genomic information coincides with the phenotype of E. mundtii EMB156, reflecting its metabolic flexibility in efficient lactate fermentation, and established a foundation for future biotechnological application. Interestingly, enzyme activities of amylase were quite stable in high-pH broths, indicating a possible mechanism for strong EMB156 growth in an alkaline environment, thereby facilitating lactic acid production. Together, these findings implied that valuable lactic acid-producing bacteria can be discovered efficiently by screening under the extremely alkaline conditions, as exemplified by gut microbial symbionts of Lepidoptera insects.

Ubiquity of Insect-Derived Nitrogen Transfer to Plants by Endophytic Insect-Pathogenic Fungi: an Additional Branch of the Soil Nitrogen Cycle

PubMed Central

Behie, Scott W.

2014-01-01

The study of symbiotic nitrogen transfer in soil has largely focused on nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Vascular plants can lose a substantial amount of their nitrogen through insect herbivory. Previously, we showed that plants were able to reacquire nitrogen from insects through a partnership with the endophytic, insect-pathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii. That is, the endophytic capability and insect pathogenicity of M. robertsii are coupled so that the fungus acts as a conduit to provide insect-derived nitrogen to plant hosts. Here, we assess the ubiquity of this nitrogen transfer in five Metarhizium species representing those with broad (M. robertsii, M. brunneum, and M. guizhouense) and narrower insect host ranges (M. acridum and M. flavoviride), as well as the insect-pathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana and Lecanicillium lecanii. Insects were injected with 15N-labeled nitrogen, and we tracked the incorporation of 15N into two dicots, haricot bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and soybean (Glycine max), and two monocots, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and wheat (Triticum aestivum), in the presence of these fungi in soil microcosms. All Metarhizium species and B. bassiana but not L. lecanii showed the capacity to transfer nitrogen to plants, although to various degrees. Endophytic association by these fungi increased overall plant productivity. We also showed that in the field, where microbial competition is potentially high, M. robertsii was able to transfer insect-derived nitrogen to plants. Metarhizium spp. and B. bassiana have a worldwide distribution with high soil abundance and may play an important role in the ecological cycling of insect nitrogen back to plant communities. PMID:24334669

Factitious foods to reduce production costs of beneficial insects

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This article reports the use of factitious foods such as Tenebrio molitor pupa, E. kuehniella eggs, Ephestia eggs, and or Artemia franciscana eggs for the rearing of beneficial insect such as Podisus maculiventris, spined soldier bug and several ladybird predators belonging to the Coccinellidae fam...

Insects: A nutritional alternative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dufour, P. A.

1981-01-01

Insects are considered as potential food sources in space. Types of insects consumed are discussed. Hazards of insect ingestion are considered. Insect reproduction, requirements, and raw materials conversion are discussed. Nutrition properties and composition of insects are considered. Preparation of insects as human food is discussed.

Flower color preferences of insects and livestock: effects on Gentiana lutea reproductive success.

PubMed

Sobral, Mar; Losada, María; Veiga, Tania; Guitián, Javier; Guitián, José; Guitián, Pablo

2016-01-01

Angiosperms diversification was primarily driven by pollinator agents, but non-pollinator agents also promoted floral evolution. Gentiana lutea shows pollinator driven flower color variation in NW Spain. We test whether insect herbivores and livestock, which frequently feed in G.lutea, play a role in G. lutea flower color variation, by answering the following questions: (i) Do insect herbivores and grazing livestock show flower color preferences when feeding on G. lutea? (ii) Do mutualists (pollinators) and antagonists (seed predators, insect herbivores and livestock) jointly affect G. lutea reproductive success? Insect herbivores fed more often on yellow flowering individuals but they did not affect seed production, whereas livestock affected seed production but did not show clear color preferences. Our data indicate that flower color variation of G. lutea is not affected by insect herbivores or grazing livestock.

Development of a Medical Cyclotron Production Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Danny R.

2003-08-01

Development of a Cyclotron manufacturing facility begins with a business plan. Geographics, the size and activity of the medical community, the growth potential of the modality being served, and other business connections are all considered. This business used the customer base established by NuTech, Inc., an independent centralized nuclear pharmacy founded by Danny Allen. With two pharmacies in operation in Tyler and College Station and a customer base of 47 hospitals and clinics the existing delivery system and pharmacist staff is used for the cyclotron facility. We then added cyclotron products to contracts with these customers to guarantee a supply. We partnered with a company in the process of developing PET imaging centers. We then built an independent imaging center attached to the cyclotron facility to allow for the use of short-lived isotopes.

Insect-ual Pursuits.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mallow, David

1991-01-01

Explains how insects can be used to stimulate student writing. Describes how students can create their own systems to classify and differentiate insects. Discusses insect morphology and includes three detailed diagrams. The author provides an extension activity where students hypothesize about the niche of an insect based on its anatomy. (PR)

Modifying an Insect Cell N-Glycan Processing Pathway Using CRISPR-Cas Technology.

PubMed

Mabashi-Asazuma, Hideaki; Kuo, Chu-Wei; Khoo, Kay-Hooi; Jarvis, Donald L

2015-10-16

Fused lobes (FDL) is an enzyme that simultaneously catalyzes a key trimming reaction and antagonizes elongation reactions in the insect N-glycan processing pathway. Accordingly, FDL function accounts, at least in part, for major differences in the N-glycosylation patterns of glycoproteins produced by insect and mammalian cells. In this study, we used the CRISPR-Cas9 system to edit the fdl gene in Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells. CRISPR-Cas9 editing produced a high frequency of site-specific nucleotide insertions and deletions, reduced the production of insect-type, paucimannosidic products (Man3GlcNAc2), and led to the production of partially elongated, mammalian-type complex N-glycans (GlcNAc2Man3GlcNAc2) in S2 cells. As CRISPR-Cas9 has not been widely used to analyze or modify protein glycosylation pathways or edit insect cell genes, these results underscore its broad utility as a tool for these purposes. Our results also confirm the key role of FDL at the major branch point distinguishing insect and mammalian N-glycan processing pathways. Finally, the new FDL-deficient S2 cell derivative produced in this study will enable future bottom-up glycoengineering efforts designed to isolate insect cell lines that can efficiently produce recombinant glycoproteins with chemically predefined oligosaccharide side-chain structures.

Flower color preferences of insects and livestock: effects on Gentiana lutea reproductive success

PubMed Central

Losada, María; Veiga, Tania; Guitián, Javier; Guitián, José; Guitián, Pablo

2016-01-01

Angiosperms diversification was primarily driven by pollinator agents, but non-pollinator agents also promoted floral evolution. Gentiana lutea shows pollinator driven flower color variation in NW Spain. We test whether insect herbivores and livestock, which frequently feed in G.lutea, play a role in G. lutea flower color variation, by answering the following questions: (i) Do insect herbivores and grazing livestock show flower color preferences when feeding on G. lutea? (ii) Do mutualists (pollinators) and antagonists (seed predators, insect herbivores and livestock) jointly affect G. lutea reproductive success? Insect herbivores fed more often on yellow flowering individuals but they did not affect seed production, whereas livestock affected seed production but did not show clear color preferences. Our data indicate that flower color variation of G. lutea is not affected by insect herbivores or grazing livestock. PMID:27014509

Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Diffraction Techniques Applied to Insect Flight Muscle.

PubMed

Iwamoto, Hiroyuki

2018-06-13

X-ray fiber diffraction is a powerful tool used for investigating the molecular structure of muscle and its dynamics during contraction. This technique has been successfully applied not only to skeletal and cardiac muscles of vertebrates but also to insect flight muscle. Generally, insect flight muscle has a highly ordered structure and is often capable of high-frequency oscillations. The X-ray diffraction studies on muscle have been accelerated by the advent of 3rd-generation synchrotron radiation facilities, which can generate brilliant and highly oriented X-ray beams. This review focuses on some of the novel experiments done on insect flight muscle by using synchrotron radiation X-rays. These include diffraction recordings from single myofibrils within a flight muscle fiber by using X-ray microbeams and high-speed diffraction recordings from the flight muscle during the wing-beat of live insects. These experiments have provided information about the molecular structure and dynamic function of flight muscle in unprecedented detail. Future directions of X-ray diffraction studies on muscle are also discussed.

Control of Listeria species food safety at a poultry food production facility.

PubMed

Fox, Edward M; Wall, Patrick G; Fanning, Séamus

2015-10-01

Surveillance and control of food-borne human pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, is a critical aspect of modern food safety programs at food production facilities. This study evaluated contamination patterns of Listeria species at a poultry food production facility, and evaluated the efficacy of procedures to control the contamination and transfer of the bacteria throughout the plant. The presence of Listeria species was studied along the production chain, including raw ingredients, food-contact, non-food-contact surfaces, and finished product. All isolates were sub-typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to identify possible entry points for Listeria species into the production chain, as well as identifying possible transfer routes through the facility. The efficacy of selected in-house sanitizers against a sub-set of the isolates was evaluated. Of the 77 different PFGE-types identified, 10 were found among two or more of the five categories/areas (ingredients, food preparation, cooking and packing, bulk packing, and product), indicating potential transfer routes at the facility. One of the six sanitizers used was identified as unsuitable for control of Listeria species. Combining PFGE data, together with information on isolate location and timeframe, facilitated identification of a persistent Listeria species contamination that had colonized the facility, along with others that were transient. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of a combination of beta-cyfluthrin and imidacloprid and beta-cyfluthrin alone for control of stored-product insects on concrete

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The insecticidal effect of Temprid®, a formulation that contains beta-cyfluthrin and imidacloprid, was tested on concrete for control of seven stored-product insect species: the rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens); the sawtoothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.); the ...

Insect-resistant food packaging film development using cinnamon oil and microencapsulation technologies.

PubMed

Kim, In-Hah; Han, Jaejoon; Na, Ja Hyun; Chang, Pahn-Sik; Chung, Myung Sub; Park, Ki Hwan; Min, Sea C

2013-02-01

Insect-resistant films containing a microencapsulated insect-repelling agent were developed to protect food products from the Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella). Cinnamon oil (CO), an insect repelling agent, was encapsulated with gum arabic, whey protein isolate (WPI)/maltodextrin (MD), or poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). A low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film was coated with an ink or a polypropylene (PP) solution that incorporated the microcapsules. The encapsulation efficiency values obtained with gum arabic, WPI/MD, and PVA were 90.4%, 94.6%, and 80.7%, respectively. The films containing a microcapsule emulsion of PVA and CO or incorporating a microcapsule powder of WPI/MD and CO were the most effective (P < 0.05) at repelling moth larvae. The release rate of cinnamaldehyde, an active repellent of cinnamaldehyde, in the PP was 23 times lower when cinnamaldehyde was microencapsulated. Coating with the microcapsules did not alter the tensile properties of the films. The invasion of larvae into cookies was prevented by the insect-repellent films, demonstrating potential for the films in insect-resistant packaging for food products. The insect-repelling effect of cinnamon oil incorporated into LDPE films was more effective with microencapsulation. The system developed in this research with LDPE film may also be extended to other food-packaging films where the same coating platform can be used. This platform is interchangeable and easy to use for the delivery of insect-repelling agents. The films can protect a wide variety of food products from invasion by the Indian meal moth. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

Coal gasification systems engineering and analysis. Appendix C: Alternate product facility designs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The study of the production of methane, methanol, gasoline, and hydrogen by an add-on facility to a Koppers-Totzek based MBG plant is presented. Applications to a Texaco facility are inferred by evaluation of delta effects from the K-T cases. The production of methane from an add-on facility to a Lurgi based MBG plant and the co-production of methane and methanol from a Lurgi based system is studied. Studies are included of the production of methane from up to 50 percent of the MBG produced in an integrated K-T based plant and the production of methane from up to 50 percent of the MBG produced from an integrated plant in which module 1 is based on K-T technology and modules 2, 3, and 4 are based on Texaco technology.

Development of a Medical Cyclotron Production Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, Danny R.

Development of a Cyclotron manufacturing facility begins with a business plan. Geographics, the size and activity of the medical community, the growth potential of the modality being served, and other business connections are all considered. This business used the customer base established by NuTech, Inc., an independent centralized nuclear pharmacy founded by Danny Allen. With two pharmacies in operation in Tyler and College Station and a customer base of 47 hospitals and clinics the existing delivery system and pharmacist staff is used for the cyclotron facility. We then added cyclotron products to contracts with these customers to guarantee a supply.more » We partnered with a company in the process of developing PET imaging centers. We then built an independent imaging center attached to the cyclotron facility to allow for the use of short-lived isotopes.« less

Potent insect gut binding lectin from Sclerotium rolfsii impart resistance to sucking and chewing type insects in cotton.

PubMed

Vanti, Gulamnabi L; Katageri, Ishwarappa S; Inamdar, Shashikala R; Hiremathada, Vamadevaiah; Swamy, Bale M

2018-04-30

Cotton is an important crop that is continuously cultivated around the world. However, its production has decreased in recent times due to wide ranging insects and also current practices of using synthetic insecticides that are not precise and their residues impairing the biodiversity. Hence, the search for newer classes of efficient entomotoxic proteins continues. Genetically modified cotton crops with cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis, have been cultivated across the world, which overcome the chewing type insect menace. In the present study, we assess the development of transgenic cotton plants by Agrobacterium, wherein the confirmed kanamycin resistant T 0 plants were advanced to T 1 generation and the gene integration was studied by molecular analysis. Western blot and ELISA assays demonstrated the expression of 0.46% lectin of the total soluble leaf proteins. In planta bioassay showed 69% of aphid, Aphis gossypii population reduction with T 1 generation plants. Whereas 100% insect mortality is occurred in Spodoptera litura larvae by 96 h. Present findings shows the potent insecticidal effect of Sclerotium rolfsii lectin on sucking (homopteran) and chewing (lepidopteron) insects, underlining its significance and strengthening genetic resources in cotton breeding against different order insect pests. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Insects as human food; from farm to fork.

PubMed

Bessa, Leah Wilson; Pieterse, Elsje; Sigge, Gunnar; Hoffman, Louw Christiaan

2017-12-30

Over the course of the last few years, the consumption of insects, known as entomophagy, has sparked increasing interest amongst scientists and environmentalists as a potential solution to the inevitable global food security and sustainability issues humans will be facing in the coming years. Despite the fact that insects have been an integral part of over 2 billion people's diet worldwide, the concept of eating insects is still new to Western culture. As a result, there are many unknowns regarding insects as a food source, and this has led to a number of studies and investigations being done in recent years to create more knowledge and awareness around this new concept in the food industry. This review discusses some of the key topics and new developments published over recent years, such as the nutritional benefits, food safety concerns, functional properties, potential product concepts and the current ideas and attitudes towards insects as a food source in Western culture. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Plant lectins as defense proteins against phytophagous insects.

PubMed

Vandenborre, Gianni; Smagghe, Guy; Van Damme, Els J M

2011-09-01

One of the most important direct defense responses in plants against the attack by phytophagous insects is the production of insecticidal peptides or proteins. One particular class of entomotoxic proteins present in many plant species is the group of carbohydrate-binding proteins or lectins. During the last decade a lot of progress was made in the study of a few lectins that are expressed in response to herbivory by phytophagous insects and the insecticidal properties of plant lectins in general. This review gives an overview of lectins with high potential for the use in pest control strategies based on their activity towards pest insects. In addition, potential target sites for lectins inside the insect and the mode of action are discussed. In addition, the effect of plant lectins on non-target organisms such as beneficial insects as well as on human/animal consumers is discussed. It can be concluded that some insecticidal lectins are useful tools that can contribute to the development of integrated pest management strategies with minimal effect(s) on non-target organisms. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Insect Allergy.

PubMed

Lee, Hobart; Halverson, Sara; Mackey, Regina

2016-09-01

Insect bites and stings are common. Risk factors are mostly associated with environmental exposure. Most insect bites and stings result in mild, local, allergic reactions. Large local reactions and systemic reactions like anaphylaxis are possible. Common insects that bite or sting include mosquitoes, ticks, flies, fleas, biting midges, bees, and wasps. The diagnosis is made clinically. Identification of the insect should occur when possible. Management is usually supportive. For anaphylaxis, patients should be given epinephrine and transported to the emergency department for further evaluation. Venom immunotherapy (VIT) has several different protocols. VIT is highly effective in reducing systemic reactions and anaphylaxis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Insect Repellents: Protect Your Child from Insect Bites

MedlinePlus

... Print Share Choosing an Insect Repellent for Your Child Page Content Mosquitoes, biting flies, and tick bites ... container with you. Other Ways to Protect Your Child from Insect Bites While you can’t prevent ...

Intracellular localization of adeno-associated viral proteins expressed in insect cells.

PubMed

Gallo-Ramírez, Lilí E; Ramírez, Octavio T; Palomares, Laura A

2011-01-01

Production of vectors derived from adeno-associated virus (AAVv) in insect cells represents a feasible option for large-scale applications. However, transducing particles yields obtained in this system are low compared with total capsid yields, suggesting the presence of genome encapsidation bottlenecks. Three components are required for AAVv production: viral capsid proteins (VP), the recombinant AAV genome, and Rep proteins for AAV genome replication and encapsidation. Little is known about the interaction between the three components in insect cells, which have intracellular conditions different to those in mammalian cells. In this work, the localization of AAV proteins in insect cells was assessed for the first time with the purpose of finding potential limiting factors. Unassembled VP were located either in the cytoplasm or in the nucleus. Their transport into the nucleus was dependent on protein concentration. Empty capsids were located in defined subnuclear compartments. Rep proteins expressed individually were efficiently translocated into the nucleus. Their intranuclear distribution was not uniform and differed from VP distribution. While Rep52 distribution and expression levels were not affected by AAV genomes or VP, Rep78 distribution and stability changed during coexpression. Expression of all AAV components modified capsid intranuclear distribution, and assembled VP were found in vesicles located in the nuclear periphery. Such vesicles were related to baculovirus infection, highlighting its role in AAVv production in insect cells. The results obtained in this work suggest that the intracellular distribution of AAV proteins allows their interaction and does not limit vector production in insect cells. Copyright © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Will climate change affect insect pheromonal communication?

PubMed

Boullis, Antoine; Detrain, Claire; Francis, Frédéric; Verheggen, François J

2016-10-01

Understanding how climate change will affect species interactions is a challenge for all branches of ecology. We have only limited understanding of how increasing temperature and atmospheric CO 2 and O 3 levels will affect pheromone-mediated communication among insects. Based on the existing literature, we suggest that the entire process of pheromonal communication, from production to behavioural response, is likely to be impacted by increases in temperature and modifications to atmospheric CO 2 and O 3 levels. We argue that insect species relying on long-range chemical signals will be most impacted, because these signals will likely suffer from longer exposure to oxidative gases during dispersal. We provide future directions for research programmes investigating the consequences of climate change on insect pheromonal communication. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

7 CFR Appendix C to Subpart E of... - Guidelines for Loan Guarantees for Alcohol Fuel Production Facilities

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... beverage purposes, is manufactured from biomass. (2) The alcohol production facility includes all... Production Facilities C Appendix C to Subpart E of Part 1980 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of...—Guidelines for Loan Guarantees for Alcohol Fuel Production Facilities (1) Alcohol production facility. An...

7 CFR Appendix C to Subpart E of... - Guidelines for Loan Guarantees for Alcohol Fuel Production Facilities

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... beverage purposes, is manufactured from biomass. (2) The alcohol production facility includes all... Production Facilities C Appendix C to Subpart E of Part 1980 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of...—Guidelines for Loan Guarantees for Alcohol Fuel Production Facilities (1) Alcohol production facility. An...

Photorhabdus luminescens genes induced upon insect infection

PubMed Central

Münch, Anna; Stingl, Lavinia; Jung, Kirsten; Heermann, Ralf

2008-01-01

Background Photorhabdus luminescens is a Gram-negative luminescent enterobacterium and a symbiote to soil nematodes belonging to the species Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. P.luminescens is simultaneously highly pathogenic to insects. This bacterium exhibits a complex life cycle, including one symbiotic stage characterized by colonization of the upper nematode gut, and a pathogenic stage, characterized by release from the nematode into the hemocoel of insect larvae, resulting in rapid insect death caused by bacterial toxins. P. luminescens appears to sense and adapt to the novel host environment upon changing hosts, which facilitates the production of factors involved in survival within the host, host-killing, and -exploitation. Results A differential fluorescence induction (DFI) approach was applied to identify genes that are up-regulated in the bacterium after infection of the insect host Galleria mellonella. For this purpose, a P. luminescens promoter-trap library utilizing the mCherry fluorophore as a reporter was constructed, and approximately 13,000 clones were screened for fluorescence induction in the presence of a G. mellonella larvae homogenate. Since P. luminescens has a variety of regulators that potentially sense chemical molecules, like hormones, the screen for up-regulated genes or operons was performed in vitro, excluding physicochemical signals like oxygen, temperature or osmolarity as variables. Clones (18) were obtained exhibiting at least 2.5-fold induced fluorescence and regarded as specific responders to insect homogenate. In combination with a bioinformatics approach, sequence motifs were identified in these DNA-fragments that are similar to 29 different promoters within the P. luminescens genome. By cloning each of the predicted promoters upstream of the reporter gene, induction was verified for 27 promoters in vitro, and for 24 promoters in viable G. mellonella larvae. Among the validated promoters are some known to regulate the expression

STICK INSECT CHEMICAL DEFENSES: POTENTIAL FOR USEFUL CHEMISTRY (ORDER PHASMATODEA)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Insects make up the most numerous and diverse group of organisms on the planet, yet make up one of the least explored groups of organisms in natural products research (Dossey, A. T., Nat. Prod Rep. 2010, 27, 1737–1757). For about five years our stick insect chemical defense research has led to sever...

Gut immunity in Lepidopteran insects.

PubMed

Wu, Kai; Yang, Bing; Huang, Wuren; Dobens, Leonard; Song, Hongsheng; Ling, Erjun

2016-11-01

Lepidopteran insects constitute one of the largest fractions of animals on earth, but are considered pests in their relationship with man. Key to the success of this order of insects is its ability to digest food and absorb nutrition, which takes place in the midgut. Because environmental microorganisms can easily enter Lepidopteran guts during feeding, the innate immune response guards against pathogenic bacteria, virus and microsporidia that can be devoured with food. Gut immune responses are complicated by both resident gut microbiota and the surrounding peritrophic membrane and are distinct from immune responses in the body cavity, which depend on the function of the fat body and hemocytes. Due to their relevance to agricultural production, studies of Lepidopteran insect midgut and immunity are receiving more attention, and here we summarize gut structures and functions, and discuss how these confer immunity against different microorganisms. It is expected that increased knowledge of Lepidopteran gut immunity may be utilized for pest biological control in the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of the genome of the sexually transmitted insect virus Hz-2V

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hz-2V is an insect DNA virus closely related to the baculoviruses that grow to high titers in insect cells and produces high yields of virus progeny. The capacity of this virus to replicate to high titers in insect cells may allow the use of this virus for production of large amount of proteins. Th...

Study of the impact of automation on productivity in bus-maintenance facilities. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sumanth, D.J.; Weiss, H.J.; Adya, B.

1988-12-01

Whether or not the various types of automation and new technologies introduced in a bus-transit system really have an impact on productivity is the question addressed in the study. The report describes a new procedure of productivity measurement and evaluation for a county-transit system and provides an objective perspective on the impact of automation on productivity in bus maintenance facilities. The research objectives were: to study the impact of automation on total productivity in transit maintenance facilities; to develop and apply a methodology for measuring the total productivity of a Floridian transit maintenance facility (Bradenton-Manatee County bus maintenance facility whichmore » has been introducing automation since 1983); and to develop a practical step-by-step implementation scheme for the total productivity-based productivity measurement system that any bus manager can use. All 3 objectives were successfully accomplished.« less

The molecular basis of bacterial-insect symbiosis.

PubMed

Douglas, Angela E

2014-11-25

Insects provide experimentally tractable and cost-effective model systems to investigate the molecular basis of animal-bacterial interactions. Recent research is revealing the central role of the insect innate immune system, especially anti-microbial peptides and reactive oxygen species, in regulating the abundance and composition of the microbiota in various insects, including Drosophila and the mosquitoes Aedes and Anopheles. Interactions between the immune system and microbiota are, however, bidirectional with evidence that members of the resident microbiota can promote immune function, conferring resistance to pathogens and parasites by both activation of immune effectors and production of toxins. Antagonistic and mutualistic interactions among bacteria have also been implicated as determinants of the microbiota composition, including exclusion of pathogens, but the molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Some bacteria are crucial for insect nutrition, through provisioning of specific nutrients (e.g., B vitamins, essential amino acids) and modulation of the insect nutritional sensing and signaling pathways (e.g., insulin signaling) that regulate nutrient allocation, especially to lipid and other energy reserves. A key challenge for future research is to identify the molecular interaction between specific bacterial effectors and animal receptors, as well as to determine how these interactions translate into microbiota-dependent signaling, metabolism, and immune function in the host. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Harnessing Insect-Microbe Chemical Communications To Control Insect Pests of Agricultural Systems.

PubMed

Beck, John J; Vannette, Rachel L

2017-01-11

Insect pests cause serious economic, yield, and food safety problems to managed crops worldwide. Compounding these problems, insect pests often vector pathogenic or toxigenic microbes to plants. Previous work has considered plant-insect and plant-microbe interactions separately. Although insects are well-understood to use plant volatiles to locate hosts, microorganisms can produce distinct and abundant volatile compounds that in some cases strongly attract insects. In this paper, we focus on the microbial contribution to plant volatile blends, highlighting the compounds emitted and the potential for variation in microbial emission. We suggest that these aspects of microbial volatile emission may make these compounds ideal for use in agricultural applications, as they may be more specific or enhance methods currently used in insect control or monitoring. Our survey of microbial volatiles in insect-plant interactions suggests that these emissions not only signal host suitability but may indicate a distinctive time frame for optimal conditions for both insect and microbe. Exploitation of these host-specific microbe semiochemicals may provide important microbe- and host-based attractants and a basis for future plant-insect-microbe chemical ecology investigations.

Remote sensing of forest insect disturbances: Current state and future directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senf, Cornelius; Seidl, Rupert; Hostert, Patrick

2017-08-01

Insect disturbance are important agents of change in forest ecosystems around the globe, yet their spatial and temporal distribution and dynamics are not well understood. Remote sensing has gained much attention in mapping and understanding insect outbreak dynamics. Consequently, we here review the current literature on the remote sensing of insect disturbances. We suggest to group studies into three insect types: bark beetles, broadleaved defoliators, and coniferous defoliators. By so doing, we systematically compare the sensors and methods used for mapping insect disturbances within and across insect types. Results suggest that there are substantial differences between methods used for mapping bark beetles and defoliators, and between methods used for mapping broadleaved and coniferous defoliators. Following from this, we highlight approaches that are particularly suited for each insect type. Finally, we conclude by highlighting future research directions for remote sensing of insect disturbances. In particular, we suggest to: 1) Separate insect disturbances from other agents; 2) Extend the spatial and temporal domain of analysis; 3) Make use of dense time series; 4) Operationalize near-real time monitoring of insect disturbances; 5) Identify insect disturbances in the context of coupled human-natural systems; and 6) Improve reference data for assessing insect disturbances. Since the remote sensing of insect disturbances has gained much interest beyond the remote sensing community recently, the future developments identified here will help integrating remote sensing products into operational forest management. Furthermore, an improved spatiotemporal quantification of insect disturbances will support an inclusion of these processes into regional to global ecosystem models.

Remote sensing of forest insect disturbances: Current state and future directions.

PubMed

Senf, Cornelius; Seidl, Rupert; Hostert, Patrick

2017-08-01

Insect disturbance are important agents of change in forest ecosystems around the globe, yet their spatial and temporal distribution and dynamics are not well understood. Remote sensing has gained much attention in mapping and understanding insect outbreak dynamics. Consequently, we here review the current literature on the remote sensing of insect disturbances. We suggest to group studies into three insect types: bark beetles, broadleaved defoliators, and coniferous defoliators. By so doing, we systematically compare the sensors and methods used for mapping insect disturbances within and across insect types. Results suggest that there are substantial differences between methods used for mapping bark beetles and defoliators, and between methods used for mapping broadleaved and coniferous defoliators. Following from this, we highlight approaches that are particularly suited for each insect type. Finally, we conclude by highlighting future research directions for remote sensing of insect disturbances. In particular, we suggest to: 1) Separate insect disturbances from other agents; 2) Extend the spatial and temporal domain of analysis; 3) Make use of dense time series; 4) Operationalize near-real time monitoring of insect disturbances; 5) Identify insect disturbances in the context of coupled human-natural systems; and 6) Improve reference data for assessing insect disturbances. Since the remote sensing of insect disturbances has gained much interest beyond the remote sensing community recently, the future developments identified here will help integrating remote sensing products into operational forest management. Furthermore, an improved spatiotemporal quantification of insect disturbances will support an inclusion of these processes into regional to global ecosystem models.

Overview of Particle Production Facilities Available in the Czech Republic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kugler, Andrej

2007-11-26

A brief overview of particle production facilities available in Czech Republic is given. In particular are described the facilities at the Nuclear Physics Institute in Rez near Prague, namely: an isochronous cyclotron, an electrostatic accelerator tandetron and a microtron. An outline of the main research projects carried out is included.

[Genetic mechanism and evolutionary significance of the origin of parthenogenetic insects].

PubMed

Wang, Cheng-Ye

2011-12-01

There is a high proportion of parthenogenesis in insecta, and the parthenogenetic potential of insects is an important but often ignored threaten factor for the agricultural and forestry production. The maintenance of parthenogenetic species is a puzzling issue in evolutionary biology. In recent years, although the cellular mechanisms during parthenogenesis in some species have been well studied, the underlying genetic mechanisms that cause the switch from sexual reproduction to parthenogenesis have not been defined. While, understanding the genetic mechanism and evolutionary significance of the origin of parthenogenetic insects is crucial for preventing the pests in agricultural and forestry production. Here we summarized recent studies aimed at identifying the underlying genetic mechanism of parthenogenesis in insects, and briefly discussed its potential application in this filed.

Synthetic Fiber Production Facilities: New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

These standards limits emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from new and reconstructed synthetic fiber production facilities that use solvent-spinning processes. Includes rule history and summary.

[Effect of transgenic insect-resistant rice on biodiversity].

PubMed

Zhang, Lei; Zhu, Zhen

2011-05-01

Rice is the most important food crops in maintaining food security in China. The loss of China's annual rice production caused by pests is over ten million tons. Present studies showed that the transgenic insect-resistant rice can substantially reduce the application amount of chemical pesticides. In the case of no pesticide use, the pest density in transgenic rice field is significantly lower than that in non-transgenic field, and the neutral insects and natural enemies of pests increased significantly, indicating that the ecological environment and biodiversity toward the positive direction. The gene flow frequency from transgenic rice is dramatically reduced with the distance increases, reaching less than 0.01% at the distance of 6.2 m. Application of transgenic insect-resistant rice in China has an important significance for ensuring food security, maintaining sustainable agricultural development, and protecting the ecological environment and biodiversity. This review summarized the research progress in transgenic insect-resistant rice and its effect on biodiversity. The research directions and development trends of crop pest controlling in future are discussed. These help to promote better use of transgenic insect-resistant rice.

Applications of magnetic resonance spectroscopy to chitin from insect cuticles.

PubMed

Gonil, Pattarapond; Sajomsang, Warayuth

2012-11-01

Chitin is the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature after cellulose. At the present time, the main commercial sources of chitin are the crab and shrimp shells which are major waste products from the seafood industry. However, current chitin resources have some inherent problems including seasonal availability, limited supplies, and environmental pollution. As an alternative, insect cuticle is proposed as an unconventional but viable source of chitin. This review focuses on the recent sources of insect chitin and the application of various magnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques to native insect cuticles, particularly cicada sloughs and chitin extracted from insect sloughs. In addition, the physicochemical properties, isolation process, and degree of N-acetylation (DA) is reviewed and discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seed treatments for the control of insects and diseases in sugarbeet

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Insect feeding and vectoring of viruses cause serious problems in sugarbeet production worldwide. In order to ameliorate insect and disease problems on sugarbeet, two seed treatments, Poncho Beta (60 g a.i. clothianidin + 8 g a.i. beta-cyfluthrin/100,000 seed) and Cruiser Tef (60 g a.i. thiamethoxa...

Spatial variation in the community of insects associated with the flowers of Pachycereus weberi (Caryophyllales: Cactaceae).

PubMed

Figueroa-Castro, Dulce María; Valverde, Pedro Luis; Vite, Fernando; Carrillo-Ruiz, Hortensia

2014-08-01

The positive relationship between productivity and species diversity is well-known. Insect communities associated with the flowers of Cactaceae species represent an interesting system to explore the productivity-diversity relationship because branches facing the equator receive more photosynthetically active radiation and have higher productivity. Thus, flowers with contrasting orientations within an individual, and even within a single branch, might differ in productivity. Therefore, higher abundance, species richness, and diversity are expected for the insect communities associated with south-facing flowers. This hypothesis was tested in Pachycereus weberi (J.M. Coulter) Backeberg (Cactaceae). Insects within flowers with contrasting orientations were collected and its abundance, richness, and diversity were estimated. We also asked if insects prefer big flowers. Thus, flower volume was estimated and regression analyses were conducted to test if there is a positive relationship between flower size and insect abundance. Flower orientation did not affect species richness. However, species abundance and diversity were different in flowers with contrasting orientations. In general, species abundance was higher in flowers facing southwards than in north-facing flowers. On the contrary, species diversity was higher in north-facing flowers. Abundance of Coleoptera was explained by flower volume in south-facing flowers. Contrary to our hypothesis, total diversity was greater in the less productive oriented flowers. Three possible explanations are discussed to explain the low diversity found in the highly productive, south-facing flowers. Our study provides evidence for the effects of productivity on the structure of insect communities at a very small-scale.

Medical Isotope Production Analyses In KIPT Neutron Source Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Talamo, Alberto; Gohar, Yousry

Medical isotope production analyses in Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology (KIPT) neutron source facility were performed to include the details of the irradiation cassette and the self-shielding effect. An updated detailed model of the facility was used for the analyses. The facility consists of an accelerator-driven system (ADS), which has a subcritical assembly using low-enriched uranium fuel elements with a beryllium-graphite reflector. The beryllium assemblies of the reflector have the same outer geometry as the fuel elements, which permits loading the subcritical assembly with different number of fuel elements without impacting the reflector performance. The subcritical assembly is drivenmore » by an external neutron source generated from the interaction of 100-kW electron beam with a tungsten target. The facility construction was completed at the end of 2015, and it is planned to start the operation during the year of 2016. It is the first ADS in the world, which has a coolant system for removing the generated fission power. Argonne National Laboratory has developed the design concept and performed extensive design analyses for the facility including its utilization for the production of different radioactive medical isotopes. 99Mo is the parent isotope of 99mTc, which is the most commonly used medical radioactive isotope. Detailed analyses were performed to define the optimal sample irradiation location and the generated activity, for several radioactive medical isotopes, as a function of the irradiation time.« less

The maize lipoxygenase, ZmLOX10, mediates green leaf volatile, jasmonate, and herbivore-induced plant volatile production for defense against insect attack

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fatty acid derivatives are of central importance for plant immunity against insect herbivores. However, major regulatory genes and the signals that modulate these defense metabolites are vastly understudied, especially in important agro-economic monocot species. Here we show that products and sign...

Contamination issues in a continuous ethanol production corn wet milling facility

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Low ethanol yields and poor yeast viability were investigated at a continuous ethanol production corn wet milling facility. Using starch slurries and recycle streams from a commercial ethanol facility, laboratory hydrolysates were prepared by reproducing starch liquefaction and saccharification ste...

An integrated assessment of location-dependent scaling for microalgae biofuel production facilities

DOE PAGES

Coleman, André M.; Abodeely, Jared M.; Skaggs, Richard L.; ...

2014-06-19

Successful development of a large-scale microalgae-based biofuels industry requires comprehensive analysis and understanding of the feedstock supply chain—from facility siting and design through processing and upgrading of the feedstock to a fuel product. The evolution from pilot-scale production facilities to energy-scale operations presents many multi-disciplinary challenges, including a sustainable supply of water and nutrients, operational and infrastructure logistics, and economic competitiveness with petroleum-based fuels. These challenges are partially addressed by applying the Integrated Assessment Framework (IAF) – an integrated multi-scale modeling, analysis, and data management suite – to address key issues in developing and operating an open-pond microalgae production facility.more » This is done by analyzing how variability and uncertainty over space and through time affect feedstock production rates, and determining the site-specific “optimum” facility scale to minimize capital and operational expenses. This approach explicitly and systematically assesses the interdependence of biofuel production potential, associated resource requirements, and production system design trade-offs. To provide a baseline analysis, the IAF was applied in this paper to a set of sites in the southeastern U.S. with the potential to cumulatively produce 5 billion gallons per year. Finally, the results indicate costs can be reduced by scaling downstream processing capabilities to fit site-specific growing conditions, available and economically viable resources, and specific microalgal strains.« less

Insects and Spiders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Audubon Society, New York, NY.

This set of teaching aids consists of nine Audubon Nature Bulletins, providing teachers and students with informational reading on insects and spiders. The bulletins have these titles: What Good Are Insects, How Insects Benefit Man, Life of the Honey Bee, Ants and Their Fascinating Ways, Mosquitoes and Other Flies, Caterpillars, Spiders and Silk,…

Using new technology and insect behavior in novel terrestrial and flying insect traps

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Insect traps are commonly used for both population sampling and insect control, the former as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) program. We developed traps for two insects, one as part of a pesticide based IPM system and the other for population control. Our IPM trap is for crawling insect...

PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT CHANGES FOR CLEANER PRODUCTION IN FEDERAL FACILITIES

EPA Science Inventory

The paper discusses process and equipment changes for cleaner production in federal facilities. During the 1990s, DoD and EPA conducted joint research and development, aimed at reducing the discharge of hazardous and toxic pollutants from military production and maintenance faci...

12 CFR 7.5002 - Furnishing of products and services by electronic means and facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Furnishing of products and services by... products and services by electronic means and facilities. (a) Use of electronic means and facilities. A... a collection of links to web sites of third-party vendors, organized by-product type and made...

Critical Analysis of the Melanogenic Pathway in Insects and Higher Animals

PubMed Central

Sugumaran, Manickam; Barek, Hanine

2016-01-01

Animals synthesize melanin pigments for the coloration of their skin and use it for their protection from harmful solar radiation. Insects use melanins even more ingeniously than mammals and employ them for exoskeletal pigmentation, cuticular hardening, wound healing and innate immune responses. In this review, we discuss the biochemistry of melanogenesis process occurring in higher animals and insects. A special attention is given to number of aspects that are not previously brought to light: (1) the molecular mechanism of dopachrome conversion that leads to the production of two different dihydroxyindoles; (2) the role of catecholamine derivatives other than dopa in melanin production in animals; (3) the critical parts played by various biosynthetic enzymes associated with insect melanogenesis; and (4) the presence of a number of important gaps in both melanogenic and sclerotinogenic pathways. Additionally, importance of the melanogenic process in insect physiology especially in the sclerotization of their exoskeleton, wound healing reactions and innate immune responses is highlighted. The comparative biochemistry of melanization with sclerotization is also discussed. PMID:27775611

18 CFR 292.204 - Criteria for qualifying small power production facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... primary energy source of the facility must be biomass, waste, renewable resources, geothermal resources... FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REGULATIONS UNDER THE PUBLIC UTILITY REGULATORY... production facilities that use the same energy resource, are owned by the same person(s) or its affiliates...

Cooking and disgust sensitivity influence preference for attending insect-based food events.

PubMed

Hamerman, Eric J

2016-01-01

Insects are energy-efficient and sustainable sources of animal protein in a world with insufficient food resources to feed an ever-increasing population. However, much of the western world refuses to eat insects because they perceive them as disgusting. This research finds that both animal reminder disgust and core disgust reduced people's willingness to attend a program called "Bug Appétit" in which insects were served as food. Additionally, people who were low in sensitivity to animal reminder disgust were more willing to attend this program after having been primed to think about cooking. Cooking is a process by which raw ingredients are transformed into finished products, reducing the "animalness" of meat products that renders them disgusting. Sensitivity to core disgust did not interact with cooking to influence willingness to attend the program. While prior research has emphasized that direct education campaigns about the benefits of entomophagy (the consumption of insects) can increase willingness to attend events at which insect-based food is served, this is the first demonstration that indirect priming can have a similar effect among a subset of the population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Insect (food) allergy and allergens.

PubMed

de Gier, Steffie; Verhoeckx, Kitty

2018-05-03

Insects represent an alternative for meat and fish in satisfying the increasing demand for sustainable sources of nutrition. Approximately two billion people globally consume insects. They are particularly popular in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Most research on insect allergy has focussed on occupational or inhalation allergy. Research on insect food safety, including allergenicity, is therefore of great importance. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of cases reporting allergy following insect ingestion, studies on food allergy to insects, proteins involved in insect allergy including cross-reactive proteins, and the possibility to alter the allergenic potential of insects by food processing and digestion. Food allergy to insects has been described for silkworm, mealworm, caterpillars, Bruchus lentis, sago worm, locust, grasshopper, cicada, bee, Clanis bilineata, and the food additive carmine, which is derived from female Dactylopius coccus insects. For cockroaches, which are also edible insects, only studies on inhalation allergy have been described. Various insect allergens have been identified including tropomyosin and arginine kinase, which are both pan-allergens known for their cross-reactivity with homologous proteins in crustaceans and house dust mite. Cross-reactivity and/or co-sensitization of insect tropomyosin and arginine kinase has been demonstrated in house dust mite and seafood (e.g. prawn, shrimp) allergic patients. In addition, many other (allergenic) species (various non-edible insects, arachnids, mites, seafoods, mammals, nematoda, trematoda, plants, and fungi) have been identified with sequence alignment analysis to show potential cross-reactivity with allergens of edible insects. It was also shown that thermal processing and digestion did not eliminate insect protein allergenicity. Although purified natural allergens are scarce and yields are low, recombinant allergens from cockroach, silkworm, and Indian mealmoth are

Insect allergy in children.

PubMed

Tan, John W; Campbell, Dianne E

2013-09-01

Allergic reactions to insect bites and stings are common, and the severity of reactions range from local reaction to anaphylaxis. In children, large local reaction to bites and stings is the most common presentation. Stings from insects of the order Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants) are the most common cause of insect anaphylaxis; however, the proportion of insect allergic children who develop anaphylaxis to an insect sting is lower than that of insect allergic adults. History is most important in diagnosing anaphylaxis, as laboratory tests can be unreliable. Venom immunotherapy is effective, where suitable allergen extract is available, but is only warranted in children with systemic reactions to insect venom. Large local reactions are at low risk of progression to anaphylaxis on subsequent stings, and hence, venom immunotherapy is not necessary. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2013 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Insect barcode information system.

PubMed

Pratheepa, Maria; Jalali, Sushil Kumar; Arokiaraj, Robinson Silvester; Venkatesan, Thiruvengadam; Nagesh, Mandadi; Panda, Madhusmita; Pattar, Sharath

2014-01-01

Insect Barcode Information System called as Insect Barcode Informática (IBIn) is an online database resource developed by the National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, Bangalore. This database provides acquisition, storage, analysis and publication of DNA barcode records of agriculturally important insects, for researchers specifically in India and other countries. It bridges a gap in bioinformatics by integrating molecular, morphological and distribution details of agriculturally important insects. IBIn was developed using PHP/My SQL by using relational database management concept. This database is based on the client- server architecture, where many clients can access data simultaneously. IBIn is freely available on-line and is user-friendly. IBIn allows the registered users to input new information, search and view information related to DNA barcode of agriculturally important insects.This paper provides a current status of insect barcode in India and brief introduction about the database IBIn. http://www.nabg-nbaii.res.in/barcode.

An Integrated Assessment of Location-Dependent Scaling for Microalgae Biofuel Production Facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coleman, Andre M.; Abodeely, Jared; Skaggs, Richard

Successful development of a large-scale microalgae-based biofuels industry requires comprehensive analysis and understanding of the feedstock supply chain—from facility siting/design through processing/upgrading of the feedstock to a fuel product. The evolution from pilot-scale production facilities to energy-scale operations presents many multi-disciplinary challenges, including a sustainable supply of water and nutrients, operational and infrastructure logistics, and economic competitiveness with petroleum-based fuels. These challenges are addressed in part by applying the Integrated Assessment Framework (IAF)—an integrated multi-scale modeling, analysis, and data management suite—to address key issues in developing and operating an open-pond facility by analyzing how variability and uncertainty in space andmore » time affect algal feedstock production rates, and determining the site-specific “optimum” facility scale to minimize capital and operational expenses. This approach explicitly and systematically assesses the interdependence of biofuel production potential, associated resource requirements, and production system design trade-offs. The IAF was applied to a set of sites previously identified as having the potential to cumulatively produce 5 billion-gallons/year in the southeastern U.S. and results indicate costs can be reduced by selecting the most effective processing technology pathway and scaling downstream processing capabilities to fit site-specific growing conditions, available resources, and algal strains.« less

Flow Modulation and Force Control in Insect Fast Maneuver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chengyu; Dong, Haibo; Zhang, Wen; Gai, Kuo

2012-11-01

In this work, an integrated study combining high-speed photogrammetry and direct numerical simulation (DNS) is used to study free flying insects in fast maneuver. Quantitative measurement has shown the significant differences between quad-winged flyers such as dragonfly and damselfly and two-winged flyers such as cicada. Comparisons of unsteady 3D vortex formation and associated aerodynamic force production reveal the different mechanisms used by insects in fast turn. This work is supported by NSF CBET-1055949.

Real-time Stack Monitoring at the BaTek Medical Isotope Production Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McIntyre, Justin I.; Agusbudiman, A.; Cameron, Ian M.

2016-04-01

Radioxenon emissions from radiopharmaceutical production are a major source of background concentrations affecting the radioxenon detection systems of the International Monitoring System (IMS). Collection of real-time emissions data from production facilities makes it possible to screen out some medical isotope signatures from the IMS radioxenon data sets. This paper describes an effort to obtain and analyze real-time stack emissions data with the design, construction and installation of a small stack monitoring system developed by a joint CTBTO-IDC, BATAN, and PNNL team at the BaTek medical isotope production facility near Jakarta, Indonesia.

Non-bee insects are important contributors to global crop pollination.

PubMed

Rader, Romina; Bartomeus, Ignasi; Garibaldi, Lucas A; Garratt, Michael P D; Howlett, Brad G; Winfree, Rachael; Cunningham, Saul A; Mayfield, Margaret M; Arthur, Anthony D; Andersson, Georg K S; Bommarco, Riccardo; Brittain, Claire; Carvalheiro, Luísa G; Chacoff, Natacha P; Entling, Martin H; Foully, Benjamin; Freitas, Breno M; Gemmill-Herren, Barbara; Ghazoul, Jaboury; Griffin, Sean R; Gross, Caroline L; Herbertsson, Lina; Herzog, Felix; Hipólito, Juliana; Jaggar, Sue; Jauker, Frank; Klein, Alexandra-Maria; Kleijn, David; Krishnan, Smitha; Lemos, Camila Q; Lindström, Sandra A M; Mandelik, Yael; Monteiro, Victor M; Nelson, Warrick; Nilsson, Lovisa; Pattemore, David E; Pereira, Natália de O; Pisanty, Gideon; Potts, Simon G; Reemer, Menno; Rundlöf, Maj; Sheffield, Cory S; Scheper, Jeroen; Schüepp, Christof; Smith, Henrik G; Stanley, Dara A; Stout, Jane C; Szentgyörgyi, Hajnalka; Taki, Hisatomo; Vergara, Carlos H; Viana, Blandina F; Woyciechowski, Michal

2016-01-05

Wild and managed bees are well documented as effective pollinators of global crops of economic importance. However, the contributions by pollinators other than bees have been little explored despite their potential to contribute to crop production and stability in the face of environmental change. Non-bee pollinators include flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, wasps, ants, birds, and bats, among others. Here we focus on non-bee insects and synthesize 39 field studies from five continents that directly measured the crop pollination services provided by non-bees, honey bees, and other bees to compare the relative contributions of these taxa. Non-bees performed 25-50% of the total number of flower visits. Although non-bees were less effective pollinators than bees per flower visit, they made more visits; thus these two factors compensated for each other, resulting in pollination services rendered by non-bees that were similar to those provided by bees. In the subset of studies that measured fruit set, fruit set increased with non-bee insect visits independently of bee visitation rates, indicating that non-bee insects provide a unique benefit that is not provided by bees. We also show that non-bee insects are not as reliant as bees on the presence of remnant natural or seminatural habitat in the surrounding landscape. These results strongly suggest that non-bee insect pollinators play a significant role in global crop production and respond differently than bees to landscape structure, probably making their crop pollination services more robust to changes in land use. Non-bee insects provide a valuable service and provide potential insurance against bee population declines.

Non-bee insects are important contributors to global crop pollination

PubMed Central

Bartomeus, Ignasi; Garibaldi, Lucas A.; Garratt, Michael P. D.; Howlett, Brad G.; Winfree, Rachael; Cunningham, Saul A.; Mayfield, Margaret M.; Arthur, Anthony D.; Andersson, Georg K. S.; Bommarco, Riccardo; Brittain, Claire; Carvalheiro, Luísa G.; Chacoff, Natacha P.; Entling, Martin H.; Foully, Benjamin; Freitas, Breno M.; Gemmill-Herren, Barbara; Ghazoul, Jaboury; Griffin, Sean R.; Gross, Caroline L.; Herbertsson, Lina; Herzog, Felix; Hipólito, Juliana; Jaggar, Sue; Jauker, Frank; Klein, Alexandra-Maria; Kleijn, David; Krishnan, Smitha; Lemos, Camila Q.; Lindström, Sandra A. M.; Mandelik, Yael; Monteiro, Victor M.; Nelson, Warrick; Nilsson, Lovisa; Pattemore, David E.; de O. Pereira, Natália; Pisanty, Gideon; Potts, Simon G.; Reemer, Menno; Rundlöf, Maj; Sheffield, Cory S.; Scheper, Jeroen; Schüepp, Christof; Smith, Henrik G.; Stanley, Dara A.; Stout, Jane C.; Szentgyörgyi, Hajnalka; Taki, Hisatomo; Vergara, Carlos H.; Viana, Blandina F.; Woyciechowski, Michal

2016-01-01

Wild and managed bees are well documented as effective pollinators of global crops of economic importance. However, the contributions by pollinators other than bees have been little explored despite their potential to contribute to crop production and stability in the face of environmental change. Non-bee pollinators include flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, wasps, ants, birds, and bats, among others. Here we focus on non-bee insects and synthesize 39 field studies from five continents that directly measured the crop pollination services provided by non-bees, honey bees, and other bees to compare the relative contributions of these taxa. Non-bees performed 25–50% of the total number of flower visits. Although non-bees were less effective pollinators than bees per flower visit, they made more visits; thus these two factors compensated for each other, resulting in pollination services rendered by non-bees that were similar to those provided by bees. In the subset of studies that measured fruit set, fruit set increased with non-bee insect visits independently of bee visitation rates, indicating that non-bee insects provide a unique benefit that is not provided by bees. We also show that non-bee insects are not as reliant as bees on the presence of remnant natural or seminatural habitat in the surrounding landscape. These results strongly suggest that non-bee insect pollinators play a significant role in global crop production and respond differently than bees to landscape structure, probably making their crop pollination services more robust to changes in land use. Non-bee insects provide a valuable service and provide potential insurance against bee population declines. PMID:26621730

Insect odorant receptors are molecular targets of the insect repellent DEET.

PubMed

Ditzen, Mathias; Pellegrino, Maurizio; Vosshall, Leslie B

2008-03-28

DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is the world's most widely used topical insect repellent, with broad effectiveness against most insects. Its mechanism of action and molecular target remain unknown. Here, we show that DEET blocks electrophysiological responses of olfactory sensory neurons to attractive odors in Anopheles gambiae and Drosophila melanogaster. DEET inhibits behavioral attraction to food odors in Drosophila, and this inhibition requires the highly conserved olfactory co-receptor OR83b. DEET inhibits odor-evoked currents mediated by the insect odorant receptor complex, comprising a ligand-binding subunit and OR83b. We conclude that DEET masks host odor by inhibiting subsets of heteromeric insect odorant receptors that require the OR83b co-receptor. The identification of candidate molecular targets for the action of DEET may aid in the design of safer and more effective insect repellents.

7 CFR 4288.25 - Succession and control of facilities and production.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Succession and control of facilities and production... Repowering Assistance Payments to Eligible Biorefineries § 4288.25 Succession and control of facilities and... that, the party is eligible, and permitting such succession would serve the purposes of the program. If...

7 CFR 4288.25 - Succession and control of facilities and production.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Succession and control of facilities and production... Repowering Assistance Payments to Eligible Biorefineries § 4288.25 Succession and control of facilities and... that, the party is eligible, and permitting such succession would serve the purposes of the program. If...

7 CFR 4288.25 - Succession and control of facilities and production.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Succession and control of facilities and production... Repowering Assistance Payments to Eligible Biorefineries § 4288.25 Succession and control of facilities and... that, the party is eligible, and permitting such succession would serve the purposes of the program. If...

Insects on flowers

PubMed Central

Wardhaugh, Carl W.; Stork, Nigel E.; Edwards, Will; Grimbacher, Peter S.

2013-01-01

Insect biodiversity peaks in tropical rainforest environments where a large but as yet unknown proportion of species are found in the canopy. While there has been a proliferation of insect biodiversity research undertaken in the rainforest canopy, most studies focus solely on insects that inhabit the foliage. In a recent paper, we examined the distribution of canopy insects across five microhabitats (mature leaves, new leaves, flowers, fruit and suspended dead wood) in an Australian tropical rainforest, showing that the density (per dry weight gram of microhabitat) of insects on flowers were ten to ten thousand times higher than on the leaves. Flowers also supported a much higher number of species than expected based on their contribution to total forest biomass. Elsewhere we show that most of these beetle species were specialized to flowers with little overlap in species composition between different canopy microhabitats. Here we expand our discussion of the implications of our results with respect to specialization and the generation of insect biodiversity in the rainforest canopy. Lastly, we identify future directions for research into the biodiversity and specialization of flower-visitors in complex tropical rainforests. PMID:23802039

Insect--plant adaptations.

PubMed

Southwood, T R

1984-01-01

The adaptation of insects to plants probably commenced in the early Permian period, though most current associations will be more recent. A major burst of adaptation must have followed the rise of the Angiosperms in the Cretaceous period, though some particular associations are as recent as this century. Living plants form a large proportion of the potential food in most habitats, though insects have had to overcome certain general hurdles to live and feed on them. Insects affect the reproduction and survival of plants, and thus the diversity of plant secondary chemicals may have evolved as a response. Where an insect species has a significant effect on a plant species that is its only host, coevolution may be envisaged. A spectacular example is provided by Heliconius butterflies and passion flower vines, studied by L.E. Gilbert and others. But such cases may be likened to 'vortices in the evolutionary stream': most plant species are influenced by a range of phytophagous insects so that selection will be for general defences--a situation termed diffuse coevolution. Evidence is presented on recent host-plant shifts to illustrate both the restrictions and the flexibility in current insect-plant associations.

Insect Ferritins: typical or atypical?

PubMed Central

Pham, Daphne Q. D.; Winzerling, Joy J.

2010-01-01

Insects transmit millions of cases of disease each year, and cost millions of dollars in agricultural losses. The control of insect-borne diseases is vital for numerous developing countries, and the management of agricultural insect pests is a very serious business for developed countries. Control methods should target insect-specific traits in order to avoid non-target effects, especially in mammals. Since insect cells have had a billion years of evolutionary divergence from those of vertebrates, they differ in many ways that might be promising for the insect control field—especially, in iron metabolism because current studies have indicated that significant differences exist between insect and mammalian systems. Insect iron metabolism differs from that of vertebrates in the following respects. Insect ferritins have a heavier mass than mammalian ferritins. Unlike their mammalian counterparts, the insect ferritin subunits are often glycosylated and are synthesized with a signal peptide. The crystal structure of insect ferritin also shows a tetrahedral symmetry consisting of 12 heavy chain and 12 light chain subunits in contrast to that of mammalian ferritin that exhibits an octahedral symmetry made of 24 heavy chain and 24 light chain subunits. Insect ferritins associate primarily with the vacuolar system and serve as iron transporters—quite the opposite of the mammalian ferritins, which are mainly cytoplasmic and serve as iron storage proteins. This review will discuss these differences. PMID:20230873

Analysis of federal and state policies and environmental issues for bioethanol production facilities.

PubMed

McGee, Chandra; Chan Hilton, Amy B

2011-03-01

The purpose of this work was to investigate incentives and barriers to fuel ethanol production from biomass in the U.S. during the past decade (2000-2010). In particular, we examine the results of policies and economic conditions during this period by way of cellulosic ethanol activity in four selected states with the potential to produce different types of feedstocks (i.e., sugar, starch, and cellulosic crops) for ethanol production (Florida, California, Hawaii, and Iowa). Two of the four states, Iowa and California, currently have commercial ethanol production facilities in operation using corn feedstocks. While several companies have proposed commercial scale facilities in Florida and Hawaii, none are operating to date. Federal and state policies and incentives, potential for feedstock production and conversion to ethanol and associated potential environmental impacts, and environmental regulatory conditions among the states were investigated. Additionally, an analysis of proposed and operational ethanol production facilities provided evidence that a combination of these policies and incentives along with the ability to address environmental issues and regulatory environment and positive economic conditions all impact ethanol production. The 2000-2010 decade saw the rise of the promise of cellulosic ethanol. Federal and state policies were enacted to increase ethanol production. Since the initial push for development, expansion of cellulosic ethanol production has not happened as quickly as predicted. Government and private funding supported the development of ethanol production facilities, which peaked and then declined by the end of the decade. Although there are technical issues that remain to be solved to more efficiently convert cellulosic material to ethanol while reducing environmental impacts, the largest barriers to increasing ethanol production appear to be related to government policies, economics, and logistical issues. The numerous federal and state

Using mobile distributed pyrolysis facilities to deliver a forest residue resource for bio-fuel production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Duncan

Distributed mobile conversion facilities using either fast pyrolysis or torrefaction processes can be used to convert forest residues to more energy dense substances (bio-oil, bio-slurry or torrefied wood) that can be transported as feedstock for bio-fuel facilities. All feedstock are suited for gasification, which produces syngas that can be used to synthesise petrol or diesel via Fischer-Tropsch reactions, or produce hydrogen via water gas shift reactions. Alternatively, the bio-oil product of fast pyrolysis may be upgraded to produce petrol and diesel, or can undergo steam reformation to produce hydrogen. Implementing a network of mobile facilities reduces the energy content of forest residues delivered to a bio-fuel facility as mobile facilities use a fraction of the biomass energy content to meet thermal or electrical demands. The total energy delivered by bio-oil, bio-slurry and torrefied wood is 45%, 65% and 87% of the initial forest residue energy content, respectively. However, implementing mobile facilities is economically feasible when large transport distances are required. For an annual harvest of 1.717 million m3 (equivalent to 2000 ODTPD), transport costs are reduced to less than 40% of the total levelised delivered feedstock cost when mobile facilities are implemented; transport costs account for up to 80% of feedstock costs for conventional woodchip delivery. Torrefaction provides the lowest cost pathway of delivering a forest residue resource when using mobile facilities. Cost savings occur against woodchip delivery for annual forest residue harvests above 2.25 million m3 or when transport distances greater than 250 km are required. Important parameters that influence levelised delivered costs of feedstock are transport distances (forest residue spatial density), haul cost factors, thermal and electrical demands of mobile facilities, and initial moisture content of forest residues. Relocating mobile facilities can be optimised for lowest cost

Lessons from Studying Insect Symbioses

PubMed Central

Douglas, Angela E.

2011-01-01

As for mammals, insect health is strongly influenced by the composition and activities of resident microorganisms. However, the microbiota of insects is generally less diverse than that of mammals, allowing microbial function in insects to be coupled to individual, identified microbial species. This trait of insect symbioses facilitates our understanding of the mechanisms that promote insect-microbial coexistence and the processes by which the microbiota affect insect wellbeing. As a result, insects are potentially ideal models to study various aspects of interactions between the host and its resident microorganisms that are impractical or unfeasible in mammals and to generate hypotheses for subsequent testing in mammalian models. PMID:22018236

Personal Insect Repellents and Minimum Risk Pesticides

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

An exempt pesticide product may not bear claims to control rodent, insect or microbial pests in a way that links the pests with specific disease. We are considering a proposal to remove personal mosquito and tick repellents from the minimum risk exemption.

Floral ecology and insect visitation in riparian Tamarix sp. (saltcedar)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andersen, D.C.; Nelson, S.M.

2013-01-01

Climate change projections for semiarid and arid North America include reductions in stream discharge that could adversely affect riparian plant species dependent on stream-derived ground water. In order to better understand this potential impact, we used a space-for-time substitution to test the hypotheses that increasing depth-to-groundwater (DGW) is inversely related to Tamarix sp. (saltcedar) flower abundance (F) and nectar production per flower (N). We also assessed whether DGW affected the richness or abundance of insects visiting flowers. We examined Tamarix floral attributes and insect visitation patterns during 2010 and 2011 at three locations along a deep DWG gradient (3.2–4.1 m) on a floodplain terrace adjacent to Las Vegas Wash, an effluent-dominated Mojave Desert stream. Flower abundance and insect visitation patterns differed between years, but no effect from DGW on either F or N was detected. An eruption of a novel non-native herbivore, the splendid tamarisk weevil (Coniatus splendidulus), likely reduced flower production in 2011.

40 CFR 122.24 - Concentrated aquatic animal production facilities (applicable to State NPDES programs, see § 123...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS EPA ADMINISTERED PERMIT PROGRAMS: THE... animal production facility means a hatchery, fish farm, or other facility which meets the criteria in... any warm or cold water aquatic animal production facility as a concentrated aquatic animal production...

40 CFR 122.24 - Concentrated aquatic animal production facilities (applicable to State NPDES programs, see § 123...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS EPA ADMINISTERED PERMIT PROGRAMS: THE... animal production facility means a hatchery, fish farm, or other facility which meets the criteria in... any warm or cold water aquatic animal production facility as a concentrated aquatic animal production...

Herbivory by a Phloem-feeding insect inhibits floral volatile production.

PubMed

Pareja, Martin; Qvarfordt, Erika; Webster, Ben; Mayon, Patrick; Pickett, John; Birkett, Michael; Glinwood, Robert

2012-01-01

There is extensive knowledge on the effects of insect herbivory on volatile emission from vegetative tissue, but little is known about its impact on floral volatiles. We show that herbivory by phloem-feeding aphids inhibits floral volatile emission in white mustard Sinapis alba measured by gas chromatographic analysis of headspace volatiles. The effect of the Brassica specialist aphid Lipaphis erysimi was stronger than the generalist aphid Myzus persicae and feeding by chewing larvae of the moth Plutella xylostella caused no reduction in floral volatile emission. Field observations showed no effect of L. erysimi-mediated floral volatile emission on the total number of flower visits by pollinators. Olfactory bioassays suggested that although two aphid natural enemies could detect aphid inhibition of floral volatiles, their olfactory orientation to infested plants was not disrupted. This is the first demonstration that phloem-feeding herbivory can affect floral volatile emission, and that the outcome of interaction between herbivory and floral chemistry may differ depending on the herbivore's feeding mode and degree of specialisation. The findings provide new insights into interactions between insect herbivores and plant chemistry.

Methodology for evaluating the insect growth regulator (IGR) methoprene incorporated into packaging films

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The insect growth regulator methoprene has been impregnated onto various packaging materials to control stored product insects, and is labeled for use in this manner in the United States. Different methodologies were utilized to evaluate efficacy towards Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), the red flour b...

Size effects on insect hovering aerodynamics: an integrated computational study.

PubMed

Liu, H; Aono, H

2009-03-01

Hovering is a miracle of insects that is observed for all sizes of flying insects. Sizing effect in insect hovering on flapping-wing aerodynamics is of interest to both the micro-air-vehicle (MAV) community and also of importance to comparative morphologists. In this study, we present an integrated computational study of such size effects on insect hovering aerodynamics, which is performed using a biology-inspired dynamic flight simulator that integrates the modelling of realistic wing-body morphology, the modelling of flapping-wing and body kinematics and an in-house Navier-Stokes solver. Results of four typical insect hovering flights including a hawkmoth, a honeybee, a fruit fly and a thrips, over a wide range of Reynolds numbers from O(10(4)) to O(10(1)) are presented, which demonstrate the feasibility of the present integrated computational methods in quantitatively modelling and evaluating the unsteady aerodynamics in insect flapping flight. Our results based on realistically modelling of insect hovering therefore offer an integrated understanding of the near-field vortex dynamics, the far-field wake and downwash structures, and their correlation with the force production in terms of sizing and Reynolds number as well as wing kinematics. Our results not only give an integrated interpretation on the similarity and discrepancy of the near- and far-field vortex structures in insect hovering but also demonstrate that our methods can be an effective tool in the MAVs design.

Immigrant phytophagous insects on woody plants in the United States and Canada: an annotated list.

Treesearch

William J. Mattson; P. Niemela; I. Millers; Y. Inguanzo

1994-01-01

Nearly 2,000 foreign plants and 2,000 foreign insect species have become naturalized in North America during the past 500 years. This publication documents those immigrant phytophagous insect species which have become established on woody plants or their products in the continental United States and Canada. Of these 368 immigrant insects, 72% came from Europe.

The use and manipulation of insect reproductive molecules for controlling insect populations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The use and manipulation of insect reproductive molecules, and the genes that encode them, provides a variety of methods to control insect fertility and thus a means of population control for insect pests. Towards this end, we first studied the yolk polypeptide gene from the caribfly, Anastrepha su...

RNA interference: Applications and advances in insect toxicology and insect pest management.

PubMed

Kim, Young Ho; Soumaila Issa, Moustapha; Cooper, Anastasia M W; Zhu, Kun Yan

2015-05-01

Since its discovery, RNA interference (RNAi) has revolutionized functional genomic studies due to its sequence-specific nature of post-transcriptional gene silencing. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review of the recent literature and summarize the current knowledge and advances in the applications of RNAi technologies in the field of insect toxicology and insect pest management. Many recent studies have focused on identification and validation of the genes encoding insecticide target proteins, such as acetylcholinesterases, ion channels, Bacillus thuringiensis receptors, and other receptors in the nervous system. RNAi technologies have also been widely applied to reveal the role of genes encoding cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, carboxylesterases, and glutathione S-transferases in insecticide detoxification and resistance. More recently, studies have focused on understanding the mechanism of insecticide-mediated up-regulation of detoxification genes in insects. As RNAi has already shown great potentials for insect pest management, many recent studies have also focused on host-induced gene silencing, in which several RNAi-based transgenic plants have been developed and tested as proof of concept for insect pest management. These studies indicate that RNAi is a valuable tool to address various fundamental questions in insect toxicology and may soon become an effective strategy for insect pest management. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An outdoor test facility for the large-scale production of microalgae

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, D.A.; Weissman, J.; Goebel, R.

The goal of the US Department of EnergySolar Energy Research Institute's Aquatic Species Program is to develop the technology base to produce liquid fuels from microalgae. This technology is being initially developed for the desert Southwest. As part of this program an outdoor test facility has been designed and constructed in Roswell, New Mexico. The site has a large existing infrastructure, a suitable climate, and abundant saline groundwater. This facility will be used to evaluate productivity of microalgae strains and conduct large-scale experiments to increase biomass productivity while decreasing production costs. Six 3-m/sup 2/ fiberglass raceways were constructed. Several microalgaemore » strains were screened for growth, one of which had a short-term productivity rate of greater than 50 g dry wt m/sup /minus/2/ d/sup /minus/1/. Two large-scale, 0.1-ha raceways have also been built. These are being used to evaluate the performance trade-offs between low-cost earthen liners and higher cost plastic liners. A series of hydraulic measurements is also being carried out to evaluate future improved pond designs. Future plans include a 0.5-ha pond, which will be built in approximately 2 years to test a scaled-up system. This unique facility will be available to other researchers and industry for studies on microalgae productivity. 6 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.« less

Abatement of Xenon and Iodine Emissions from Medical Isotope Production Facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doll, Charles G.; Sorensen, Christina M.; Bowyer, Ted W.

2014-04-01

The capability of the International Monitoring System (IMS) to detect xenon from underground nuclear explosions is dependent on the radioactive xenon background. Adding to the background, medical isotope production (MIP) by fission releases several important xenon isotopes including xenon-133 and iodine-133 that decays to xenon-133. The amount of xenon released from these facilities may be equivalent to or exceed that released from an underground nuclear explosion. Thus the release of gaseous fission products within days of irradiation makes it difficult to distinguish MIP emissions from a nuclear explosion. In addition, recent shortages in molybdenum-99 have created interest and investment opportunitiesmore » to design and build new MIP facilities in the United States and throughout the world. Due to the potential increase in the number of MIP facilities, a discussion of abatement technologies provides insight into how the problem of emission control from MIP facilities can be tackled. A review of practices is provided to delineate methods useful for abatement of medical isotopes.« less

Insect Keepers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Virginia J.; Chessin, Debby A.; Theobald, Becky

2010-01-01

Insects are fascinating creatures--especially when you and your students get up close and personal with them! To that end, the authors facilitated an inquiry-based investigation with an emphasis on identification of the different types of insects found in the school yard, their characteristics, their habitat, and what they eat, while engaging the…

43 CFR 3212.24 - How will the production incentive apply to a new facility?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) GEOTHERMAL... Royalty Rate Conversions § 3212.24 How will the production incentive apply to a new facility? (a) If BLM... electricity from the new facility. (b) The amount of the production incentive is established in MMS...

43 CFR 3212.24 - How will the production incentive apply to a new facility?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) GEOTHERMAL... Royalty Rate Conversions § 3212.24 How will the production incentive apply to a new facility? (a) If BLM... electricity from the new facility. (b) The amount of the production incentive is established in MMS...

43 CFR 3212.24 - How will the production incentive apply to a new facility?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) GEOTHERMAL... Royalty Rate Conversions § 3212.24 How will the production incentive apply to a new facility? (a) If BLM... electricity from the new facility. (b) The amount of the production incentive is established in MMS...

A novel sequential vegetable production facility for life support system in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hui; Berkovich, Yuliy A.; Liu, Hong; Fu, Yuming; Shao, Lingzhi; Erokhin, A. N.; Wang, Minjuan

2012-07-01

Vegetable cultivation plays a crucial role for dietary supplements and psychosocial benefits of the crew during manned space flight. The idea of onboard vegetables cultivation was generally proposed as the first step of food regeneration in life support system of space. Here a novel sequential vegetable production facility was developed, which was able to simulate microgravity conditions and carry out modularized-cultivation of leaf-vegetables. Its growth chamber (GC) had conic form and volume of 0.12 m ^{3}. Its planting surface of 0.154 m ^{2} was comprised of six ring-shaped root modules with a fibrous ion-exchange resin substrate. Root modules were fastened to a central porous tube supplying water, and moved on along with plant growth. The total illuminated crop area of 0.567 m ^{2} was provided by a combination of both red and white light emitting diodes distributed on the GC cone internal surface. In tests with a 24-hr photoperiod, the productivity of the facility at 0.3 kW for lettuce achieved 254.3 g eatable biomass per week. Compared to lettuce from market, the quality of lettuce of the facility did not change significantly during long-term cultivation. Our results demonstrate that the facility is high efficiency in vegetable production, and basically meets the application requirements of space microgravity environment. Keywords:, vegetable; modularized-cultivation; sequential production; life support system

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Pork Production Shower Facilities ▿

PubMed Central

Leedom Larson, Kerry R.; Harper, Abby L.; Hanson, Blake M.; Male, Michael J.; Wardyn, Shylo E.; Dressler, Anne E.; Wagstrom, Elizabeth A.; Tendolkar, Shaliesh; Diekema, Daniel J.; Donham, Kelley J.; Smith, Tara C.

2011-01-01

As methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been found in pigs, we sought to determine if MRSA is present in pork production shower facilities. In two production systems tested, 3% and 26% of shower samples were positive for MRSA. spa types identified included t034, t189, t753, and t1746. PMID:21097587

The response of virally infected insect cells to dissolved oxygen concentration: recombinant protein production and oxidative damage.

PubMed

Saarinen, Mark A; Murhammer, David W

2003-01-05

The effects of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration on virally infected insect cells were investigated in 3-L bioreactor culture. Specifically, cultures of Spodoptera frugiperda Sf-9 (Sf-9) and Trichoplusia ni BTI-Tn-5B1-4 (Tn-5B1-4) were infected with Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus expressing secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP). Following infection at a DO concentration of 50% air saturation, the DO concentration was adjusted to a final value of either 190%, 50%, or 10% air saturation. Recombinant SEAP production, cell viability, protein carbonyl content, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content were monitored. The increases in protein carbonyl and TBARS contents are taken to be indicators of protein oxidation and lipid oxidation, respectively. DO concentration was found to have no noticeable effect on SEAP production or cell viability decline in the Sf-9 cell line. In the Tn-5B1-4 cell line, cells displayed an increased peak SEAP production rate for 190% air saturation and displayed an increased rate of viability decline at increased DO concentration. Protein carbonyl content showed no significant increase in the Sf-9 cell line by 72 h postinfection (pi) at any DO concentration but showed a twofold increase at 10% and 50% DO concentration and a threefold increase at 190% DO concentration by 72 h pi in Tn-5B1-4 cells. TBARS content was found to increase by approximately 50% in Sf-9 cells and by approximately twofold in Tn-5B1-4 cells by 72 h pi with no clear relationship to DO concentration. It is hypothesized that oxygen uptake changes due to the viral infection process may bear a relation to the observed increases in protein and lipid oxidation and that lipid oxidation may play an important role in the death of virally infected insect cells. Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Competition with wind-pollinated plant species alters floral traits of insect-pollinated plant species

PubMed Central

Flacher, Floriane; Raynaud, Xavier; Hansart, Amandine; Motard, Eric; Dajoz, Isabelle

2015-01-01

Plant traits related to attractiveness to pollinators (e.g. flowers and nectar) can be sensitive to abiotic or biotic conditions. Soil nutrient availability, as well as interactions among insect-pollinated plants species, can induce changes in flower and nectar production. However, further investigations are needed to determine the impact of interactions between insect-pollinated species and abiotically pollinated species on such floral traits, especially floral rewards. We carried out a pot experiment in which three insect-pollinated plant species were grown in binary mixtures with four wind-pollinated plant species, differing in their competitive ability. Along the flowering period, we measured floral traits of the insect-pollinated species involved in attractiveness to pollinators (i.e. floral display size, flower size, daily and total 1) flower production, 2) nectar volume, 3) amount of sucrose allocated to nectar). Final plant biomass was measured to quantify competitive interactions. For two out of three insect-pollinated species, we found that the presence of a wind-pollinated species can negatively impact floral traits involved in attractiveness to pollinators. This effect was stronger with wind-pollinated species that induced stronger competitive interactions. These results stress the importance of studying the whole plant community (and not just the insect-pollinated plant community) when working on plant-pollinator interactions. PMID:26335409

Rhythmic autocrine activity in cultured insect epidermal cells.

PubMed

Mesnier, M; Partiaoglou, N; Oberlander, H; Porcheron, P

2000-05-01

It is now well established that ecdysteroids can be produced in insects in the absence of prothoracic glands. In this respect, it has been shown that cells in culture can produce ecdysteroids. Our aims were: (1) to determine whether ecdysteroid target cells of epidermal origin could also be the source of ecdysteroids; (2) to monitor more accurately the kinetics of ecdysteroid production; and (3) to check for possible relationships between this synthetic activity and dynamics of cell division. An insect cell line (IAL-PID2) established from imaginal discs of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella, with wild-type sensitivity to ecdysteroids was used in our study. Our results showed that the Plodia cell line exhibited autocrine activity. When division of IAL-PID2 cells was synchronized, a rhythmic production of ecdysteroids was observed. However, further experiments indicated that this rhythmicity could be cell autonomous. This led us to anticipate the existence of two cell subpopulations that would be able to produce ecdysteroids rhythmically, a minor one that would be cell cycle serum-independent population, and a major population that would need serum growth factors to proliferate and produce ecdysteroids. Qualitative study of the ecdysteroid content of the media clearly showed that ecdysone was the major immunoreactive product. Taken together, our findings clearly show that an insect cell line of epidermal origin is capable of rhythmic autocrine production of ecdysteroids. These results support the hypothesis that alternate sites for ecdysteroid production in vivo may exist and could play a role in local regulation of development. We now plan to determine the cellular basis of this rhythmic autocrine activity and to confirm the existence of growth factor-autonomous cells in the culture as well as the potent role played by ecdysteroids in the cross-talk between various cell subpopulations. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

III. Insects

Treesearch

Jose F. Negron

2011-01-01

RMRS research on insect pests focuses mostly on conifer pests. There is a long history of invasive insects causing significant impacts, mortality, and changes in forest ecosystem structure in North America. Perhaps the most evident example is the introduction of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, into eastern North America in the 1860s (Forbush and Frenald 1896)....

Evidence for Widespread Associations between Neotropical Hymenopteran Insects and Actinobacteria

PubMed Central

Matarrita-Carranza, Bernal; Moreira-Soto, Rolando D.; Murillo-Cruz, Catalina; Mora, Marielos; Currie, Cameron R.; Pinto-Tomas, Adrián A.

2017-01-01

ranging from the American temperate to the Neotropical region. Our work thus provides important insights into the widespread distribution of Actinobacteria and hymenopteran insects associations, while also pointing at novel resources that could be targeted for the discovery of active natural products with great potential in medical and biotechnological applications. PMID:29089938

Insect growth regulators and insect control: a critical appraisal.

PubMed Central

Siddall, J B

1976-01-01

Insect growth regulators (IGRs) of the juvenile hormone type alter physiological processes essential to insect development and appear to act specifically on insects. Three natural juvenile hormones have been found in insects but not in other organisms. Future use of antagonists or inhibitors of hormone synthesis may be technically possible as an advantageous extension of pest control by IGRs. A documented survey of the properties, metabolism, toxicology, and uses of the most commercially advanced chemical, methoprene, shows it to be environmentally acceptable and toxicologically innocuous. Derivation of its current use patterns is discussed and limitations on these are noted. Residue levels and their measurement in the ppb region have allowed exemption from the requirement of tolerances in the EPA registered use of methoprene for mosquito control. Tolerances for foods accompany its fully approved use for control of manure breeding flies through a cattle feed supplement. The human health effects of using this chemical appear to be purely beneficial, but further advances through new IGR chemicals appear unlikely without major changes in regulatory and legislative policy. PMID:976222

Exploring Sound with Insects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Laura; Meyer, John R.

2010-01-01

Differences in insect morphology and movement during singing provide a fascinating opportunity for students to investigate insects while learning about the characteristics of sound. In the activities described here, students use a free online computer software program to explore the songs of the major singing insects and experiment with making…

FluBlok, a next generation influenza vaccine manufactured in insect cells.

PubMed

Cox, Manon M J; Hollister, Jason R

2009-06-01

FluBlok, a recombinant trivalent hemagglutinin (rHA) vaccine produced in insect cell culture using the baculovirus expression system, provides an attractive alternative to the current egg-based trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV). Its manufacturing process presents the possibility for safe and expeditious vaccine production. FluBlok contains three times more HA than TIV and does not contain egg-protein or preservatives. The high purity of the antigen enables administration at higher doses without a significant increase in side-effects in human subjects. The insect cell-baculovirus production technology is particularly suitable for influenza where annual adjustment of the vaccine is required. The baculovirus-insect expression system is generally considered a safe production system, with limited growth potential for adventitious agents. Still regulators question and challenge the safety of this novel cell substrate as FluBlok continues to advance toward product approval. This review provides an overview of cell substrate characterization for expresSF cell line used for the manufacturing of FluBlok. In addition, this review includes an update on the clinical development of FluBlok. The highly purified protein vaccine, administered at three times higher antigen content than TIV, is well tolerated and results in stronger immunogenicity, a long lasting immune response and provides cross-protection against drift influenza viruses.

7 CFR Appendix C to Subpart E of... - Guidelines for Loan Guarantees for Alcohol Fuel Production Facilities

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... facilities necessary for the production and storage of alcohol and the processing of the by-products of alcohol production. The intent is to limit the alcohol and by-products processing facilities to those... alcohol or by-products in another manufacturing process, are not considered part of the alcohol production...

Evolution of the Insects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grimaldi, David; Engel, Michael S.

2005-05-01

This book chronicles the complete evolutionary history of insects--their living diversity and relationships as well as 400 million years of fossils. Introductory sections cover the living species diversity of insects, methods of reconstructing evolutionary relationships, basic insect structure, and the diverse modes of insect fossilization and major fossil deposits. Major sections then explore the relationships and evolution of each order of hexapods. The volume also chronicles major episodes in the evolutionary history of insects from their modest beginnings in the Devonian and the origin of wings hundreds of millions of years before pterosaurs and birds to the impact of mass extinctions and the explosive radiation of angiosperms on insects, and how they evolved into the most complex societies in nature. Whereas other volumes focus on either living species or fossils, this is the first comprehensive synthesis of all aspects of insect evolution. Illustrated with 955 photo- and electron- micrographs, drawings, diagrams, and field photos, many in full color and virtually all of them original, this reference will appeal to anyone engaged with insect diversity--professional entomologists and students, insect and fossil collectors, and naturalists. David Grimaldi and Michael S. Engel have collectively published over 200 scientific articles and monographs on the relationships and fossil record of insects, including 10 articles in the journals Science, Nature, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. David Grimaldi is curator in the Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History and adjunct professor at Cornell University, Columbia University, and the City University of New York. David Grimaldi has traveled in 40 countries on 6 continents, collecting and studying recent species of insects and conducting fossil excavations. He is the author of Amber: Window to the Past (Abrams, 2003). Michael S. Engel is an assistant professor in the

Insect infestations crop development and evolving management approaches on a northeast Arkansas cotton farm

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

COTMAN information, cotton production records and insect scouting reports for Wildy Farms in Mississippi County, Arkansas were organized into large databases and studied for variability among years and fields in a wide range of crop and insect indices. The study included records from 126 individual...

Insect resistance of a full sib family of tetraploid switchgrass with varying lignin levels

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lignin is a plant resistance mechanism against insects. Reduction of lignin in biomass grasses in order to increase the efficiency of fermentation may result in increased susceptibility to insect feeding, interfering with sustainable production. Field grown leaves of high- and low-lignin parent and ...

Temperature stratification and insect pest populations in stored wheat with suction versus pressure aeration

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A three-year study was conducted to compare temperature profiles in the headspace and in the bulk mass of wheat aerated through pressure aeration and suction aeration. Insect pitfall traps were used to measure naturally-occurring populations of stored product insects. Results show uniform distributi...

The evolution of floral scent and insect chemical communication.

PubMed

Schiestl, Florian P

2010-05-01

Plants have evolved a range of strategies to manipulate the behaviour of their insect partners. One powerful strategy is to produce signals that already have a role in the animals' own communication systems. To investigate to what extent the evolution of floral scents is correlated with chemical communication in insects, I analyse the occurrence, commonness, and evolutionary patterns of the 71 most common 'floral' volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in 96 plant families and 87 insect families. I found an overlap of 87% in VOCs produced by plants and insects. 'Floral' monoterpenes showed strong positive correlation in commonness between plants (both gymnosperms and angiosperms) and herbivores, whereas the commonness of 'floral' aromatics was positively correlated between angiosperms and both pollinators and herbivores. According to a multivariate regression analysis the commonness of 'floral' aromatics was best explained by their commonness in pollinators, whereas monoterpenes were best explained by herbivores. Among pollinator orders, aromatics were significantly more common in Lepidoptera than in Hymenoptera, whereas monoterpenes showed no difference among the two orders. Collectively, these patterns suggest that plants and insects converge in overall patterns of volatile production, both for attraction and defence. Monoterpenes seem to have evolved primarily for defence under selection by herbivores, whereas aromatics evolved signalling functions in angiosperms, primarily for pollinator attraction.

Ecology of forest insect invasions

Treesearch

E.G. Brockerhoff; A.M. Liebhold

2017-01-01

Forests in virtually all regions of the world are being affected by invasions of non-native insects. We conducted an in-depth review of the traits of successful invasive forest insects and the ecological processes involved in insect invasions across the universal invasion phases (transport and arrival, establishment, spread and impacts). Most forest insect invasions...

Exploitation of the Medfly Gut Microbiota for the Enhancement of Sterile Insect Technique: Use of Enterobacter sp. in Larval Diet-Based Probiotic Applications

PubMed Central

Papadopoulos, Nikos T.; Abd-Alla, Adly M. M.; Cáceres, Carlos; Bourtzis, Kostas

2015-01-01

The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata, is a pest of worldwide substantial economic importance, as well as a Tephritidae model for sterile insect technique (SIT) applications. The latter is partially due to the development and utilization of genetic sexing strains (GSS) for this species, such as the Vienna 8 strain, which is currently used in mass rearing facilities worldwide. Improving the performance of such a strain both in mass rearing facilities and in the field could significantly enhance the efficacy of SIT and reduce operational costs. Recent studies have suggested that the manipulation of gut symbionts can have a significant positive effect on the overall fitness of insect strains. We used culture-based approaches to isolate and characterize gut-associated bacterial species of the Vienna 8 strain under mass rearing conditions. We also exploited one of the isolated bacterial species, Enterobacter sp., as dietary supplement (probiotic) to the larval diet, and we assessed its effects on fitness parameters under the standard operating procedures used in SIT operational programs. Probiotic application of Enterobacter sp. resulted in improvement of both pupal and adult productivity, as well as reduced rearing duration, particularly for males, without affecting pupal weight, sex ratio, male mating competitiveness, flight ability and longevity under starvation. PMID:26325068

Low cost production of nematodes for biological control of insect pests

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Entomopathogenic nematodes are produced in two ways: in artificial media using liquid or solid fermentation methods (in vitro) or by mass producing insect hosts to be artificially exposed to mass infection by nematodes (in vivo). The yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) is a good host for in vivo nema...

Effects of effluent water on the abundance of cowpea insect pests.

PubMed

Tiroesele, Bamphitlhi; Sitwane, Monametsi; Obopile, M; Ullah, Muhammad Irfan; Ali, Sajjad

2017-10-03

Botswana experiences low and unreliable rainfall. Thus, the use of effluent water in agriculture is increasingly important. Insect damage is the major constraint for cowpea grain production in the most cowpea-producing lands. We investigated the effects of effluent water on insect pest abundance on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) under field conditions. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with 100, 75, 50, and 25% of effluent water and 0% (control-clean tap water) treatments. Treatments with 100% effluent water resulted in a significant increase in insect pest populations as compared with the control. These results show that the use of effluent water to irrigate crops may increase incidence, abundance, and damage caused by insect pests possibly by decreasing plant vigor. The use of effluent water in agriculture should be addressed in a wise way.

7 CFR 51.2122 - Insect injury.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Insect injury. 51.2122 Section 51.2122 Agriculture... Standards for Grades of Shelled Almonds Definitions § 51.2122 Insect injury. Insect injury means that the insect, web, or frass is present or there is definite evidence of insect feeding. ...

Characterization of sounds in maize produced by internally feeding insects:investigations to develop inexpensive devices for detection of Prostephanus truncatus& Sitophilus zeamais in small-scale storage facilities in Africa

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The detectability and spectral characteristics of sounds produced by internally feeding stored product insects in Zea mays L. (maize or corn) were investigated in a noise-free laboratory setting to consider the feasibility of constructing a low-cost acoustic detection device that would assist pest m...

Policosanol fabrication from insect wax and optimization by response surface methodology.

PubMed

Ma, Jinju; Ma, Liyi; Zhang, Hong; Zhang, Zhongquan; Wang, Youqiong; Li, Kai; Chen, Xiaoming

2018-01-01

Insect wax is a famous biological resource for the role in economic production in China. Insect wax is a good source of policosanol, which may is a candidate supplement in foodstuff and pharmaceuticals that has important physiological activities. Therefore, this work aims to investigate a high-yield and rapid method for policosanol fabrication from insect wax. The conditions for policosanol fabrication were optimized as follows: an oil bath temperature of 112.7°C and reductant dosage of 0.97 g (used for the reduction of 10.00 g of insect wax). The yield of policosanol reached 83.20%, which was 4 times greater than that of existing methods, such as saponification. The total content of policosanol obtained under the optimal conditions reached 87%. In other words, a high yield of policosanol was obtained from insect wax (723.84 mg/g), that was 55 times higher than that generated from beeswax-brown via saponification. The concentrations of metal residues in policosanol were within the limits of the European Union regulations and EFSA stipulation. The LD50 values for oral doses of insect wax and policosanol were both > 5 g/kg. Policosanol was fabricated via solvent-free reduction from insect wax using LiAlH4 at a high yield. The fabrication conditions were optimized. Policosanol and insect wax showed high security, which made them potential candidates as supplements in foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The rapid and high-yield method has great potential for commercial manufacturing of policosanol.

Protein quality of insects as potential ingredients for dog and cat foods.

PubMed

Bosch, Guido; Zhang, Sheng; Oonincx, Dennis G A B; Hendriks, Wouter H

2014-01-01

Insects have been proposed as a high-quality, efficient and sustainable dietary protein source. The present study evaluated the protein quality of a selection of insect species. Insect substrates were housefly pupae, adult house cricket, yellow mealworm larvae, lesser mealworm larvae, Morio worm larvae, black soldier fly larvae and pupae, six spot roach, death's head cockroach and Argentinean cockroach. Reference substrates were poultry meat meal, fish meal and soyabean meal. Substrates were analysed for DM, N, crude fat, ash and amino acid (AA) contents and for in vitro digestibility of organic matter (OM) and N. The nutrient composition, AA scores as well as in vitro OM and N digestibility varied considerably between insect substrates. For the AA score, the first limiting AA for most substrates was the combined requirement for Met and Cys. The pupae of the housefly and black soldier fly were high in protein and had high AA scores but were less digestible than other insect substrates. The protein content and AA score of house crickets were high and similar to that of fish meal; however, in vitro N digestibility was higher. The cockroaches were relatively high in protein but the indispensable AA contents, AA scores and the in vitro digestibility values were relatively low. In addition to the indices of protein quality, other aspects such as efficiency of conversion of organic side streams, feasibility of mass-production, product safety and pet owner perception are important for future dog and cat food application of insects as alternative protein source.

7 CFR 51.2290 - Insect injury.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Insect injury. 51.2290 Section 51.2290 Agriculture... Standards for Shelled English Walnuts (Juglans Regia) Definitions § 51.2290 Insect injury. Insect injury means that the insect, web, frass or other evidence of insects is present on the portion of kernel. ...

Proceedings: North American forest insect work conference.

Treesearch

D.C. Allen; L.P. Abrahamson

1992-01-01

A proceedings of a conference held to stimulate interaction among people working in areas of forest protection and silviculture and on issues of national and international concern relative to forest insect and disease management, education, and research. National issues addressed were forest productivity, stewardship, biological diversity, and new perspectives and how...

18 CFR 292.204 - Criteria for qualifying small power production facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Criteria for qualifying small power production facilities. 292.204 Section 292.204 Conservation of Power and Water Resources... OF 1978 WITH REGARD TO SMALL POWER PRODUCTION AND COGENERATION Qualifying Cogeneration and Small...

18 CFR 292.204 - Criteria for qualifying small power production facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Criteria for qualifying small power production facilities. 292.204 Section 292.204 Conservation of Power and Water Resources... OF 1978 WITH REGARD TO SMALL POWER PRODUCTION AND COGENERATION Qualifying Cogeneration and Small...

18 CFR 292.204 - Criteria for qualifying small power production facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Criteria for qualifying small power production facilities. 292.204 Section 292.204 Conservation of Power and Water Resources... OF 1978 WITH REGARD TO SMALL POWER PRODUCTION AND COGENERATION Qualifying Cogeneration and Small...

Can Prunus serotina be genetically engineered for reproductive sterility and insect pest resistance?

Treesearch

Ying Wang; Paula M. Pijut

2014-01-01

Black cherry (Prunus serotina) is a valuable hardwood timber species, and its value highly depends on the wood quality which is often threatened by insect pests. Transgenic black cherry plants that are more resistant to cambial-mining insects may reduce the occurrence of gummosis and have great economic benefits to landowners and the forest products...

Cellulolytic systems in insects.

PubMed

Watanabe, Hirofumi; Tokuda, Gaku

2010-01-01

Despite the presence of many carbohydrolytic activities in insects, their cellulolytic mechanisms are poorly understood. Whereas cellulase genes are absent from the genomes of Drosophila melanogaster or Bombyx mori, other insects such as termites produce their own cellulases. Recent studies using molecular biological techniques have brought new insights into the mechanisms by which the insects and their microbial symbionts digest cellulose in the small intestine. DNA sequences of cellulase and associated genes, as well as physiological and morphological information about the digestive systems of cellulase-producing insects, may allow the efficient use of cellulosic biomass as a sustainable energy source.

A call to insect scientists: Challenges and opportunities of managing insect communities under climate change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hellmann, Jessica J.; Grundel, Ralph; Hoving, Chris; Schuurman, Gregor W.

2016-01-01

As climate change moves insect systems into uncharted territory, more knowledge about insect dynamics and the factors that drive them could enable us to better manage and conserve insect communities. Climate change may also require us revisit insect management goals and strategies and lead to a new kind of scientific engagement in management decision-making. Here we make five key points about the role of insect science in aiding and crafting management decisions, and we illustrate those points with the monarch butterfly and the Karner blue butterfly, two species undergoing considerable change and facing new management dilemmas. Insect biology has a strong history of engagement in applied problems, and as the impacts of climate change increase, a reimagined ethic of entomology in service of broader society may emerge. We hope to motivate insect biologists to contribute time and effort toward solving the challenges of climate change.

Double strand RNA delivery system for plant-sap-feeding insects

PubMed Central

Ghosh, Saikat Kumar B.; Hunter, Wayne B.; Park, Alexis L.; Gundersen-Rindal, Dawn E.

2017-01-01

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-mediated gene silencing, also known as RNA interference (RNAi), has been a breakthrough technology for functional genomic studies and represents a potential tool for the management of insect pests. Since the inception of RNAi numerous studies documented successful introduction of exogenously synthesized dsRNA or siRNA into an organism triggering highly efficient gene silencing through the degradation of endogenous RNA homologous to the presented siRNA. Managing hemipteran insect pests, especially Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), is critical to food productivity. BMSB was recently introduced into North America where it is both an invasive agricultural pest of high value specialty, row, and staple crops, as well as an indoor nuisance pest. RNAi technology may serve as a viable tool to manage this voracious pest, but delivery of dsRNA to piercing-sucking insects has posed a tremendous challenge. Effective and practical use of RNAi as molecular biopesticides for biocontrol of insects like BMSB in the environment requires that dsRNAs be delivered in vivo through ingestion. Therefore, the key challenge for molecular biologists in developing insect-specific molecular biopesticides is to find effective and reliable methods for practical delivery of stable dsRNAs such as through oral ingestion. Here demonstrated is a reliable delivery system of effective insect-specific dsRNAs through oral feeding through a new delivery system to induce a significant decrease in expression of targeted genes such as JHAMT and Vg. This state-of-the-art delivery method overcomes environmental delivery challenges so that RNAi is induced through insect-specific dsRNAs orally delivered to hemipteran and other insect pests. PMID:28182760

Insect Fauna Associated With Anacardium occidentale (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae) in Benin, West Africa

PubMed Central

Agboton, C.; Onzo, A.; Ouessou, F. I.; Goergen, G.; Vidal, S.; Tamò, M.

2014-01-01

Abstract Cashew, Anacardium occidentale L. (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae), is an important cash crop in Benin. However, its production is threatened by several biotic factors, especially insects. In Benin, very few studies have focused on insects and just listed species commonly found on cashew worldwide. The present investigation fills this gap by presenting an exhaustive inventory of insect species associated with this crop in the country. The survey was carried out from September 2009 to August 2010 in 22 cashew orchards (5 young and 17 mature) distributed over three major agroecological zones where cashew is most produced in the country. Insects were collected using chemical knock-down technique and visual observation followed by capture with sweep net. In addition, infested plant organs were sampled and incubated to collect emerging insects. In total, 262 insect species were recorded and identified. Among them, the wood borer Apate terebrans Pallas, the leafminer Eteoryctis gemoniella Stainton, and the mirid bugs Helopeltis schoutedeni Reuter., and Helopeltis anacardii Miller., appeared as the most important insect species attacking cashew in Benin. Beneficial insects encountered included some predators, parasitoids, and pollinators. Few vertebrate predators were also recorded on the trees. Differences in agroecological conditions or in field cleanliness did not affect the number of insect species encountered in the cashew orchards. The results of this study represent an important baseline data for the design and implementation of strategies for cashew protection in Benin. PMID:25434033

18 CFR 292.208 - Special requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or diversion. 292.208 Section... requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or diversion. (a) A hydroelectric small power production facility that impounds or diverts the water of a natural watercourse by...

18 CFR 292.208 - Special requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or diversion. 292.208 Section... requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or diversion. (a) A hydroelectric small power production facility that impounds or diverts the water of a natural watercourse by...

18 CFR 292.208 - Special requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or diversion. 292.208 Section... requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or diversion. (a) A hydroelectric small power production facility that impounds or diverts the water of a natural watercourse by...

Influence of Pupation Substrate on Mass Production and Fitness of Adult Anastrepha obliqua Macquart (Diptera: Tephritidae) for Sterile Insect Technique Application.

PubMed

Aceituno-Medina, Marysol; Rivera-Ciprian, José Pedro; Hernández, Emilio

2017-12-05

Tephritid mass-rearing systems require an artificial substrate for pupation. Pupation substrate characteristics influence the quality of insects produced. Coconut fiber, as an alternative to the conventional pupation substrate vermiculite, was evaluated for Anastrepha obliqua Macquart (Diptera: Tephritidae) pupation behavior (pupation patterns, distribution, respiration rate, and pupal weight) and adult fitness (adult eclosion time, flight ability, and male mating competitiveness). Pupation percentage at 24 h, pupal weight, and flight ability were not significantly affected by substrate type. Adult eclosion levels of 50% were reached at 29.7 and 41.6 h for coconut fiber and vermiculite, respectively. Pupae distribution patterns differed between substrates because the larval aggregation level was reduced during the pupation process in coconut fiber. The pupae aggregation was three times greater in vermiculite than in coconut fiber. A higher respiratory rate in the last days of pupation and adult eclosion were recorded in the insects maintained in coconut fiber. Coconut fiber suitability as a pupation substrate for quality mass production of pupae and its implications for sterile insect technique are discussed. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Insect heat shock proteins during stress and diapause.

PubMed

King, Allison M; MacRae, Thomas H

2015-01-07

Insect heat shock proteins include ATP-independent small heat shock proteins and the larger ATP-dependent proteins, Hsp70, Hsp90, and Hsp60. In concert with cochaperones and accessory proteins, heat shock proteins mediate essential activities such as protein folding, localization, and degradation. Heat shock proteins are synthesized constitutively in insects and induced by stressors such as heat, cold, crowding, and anoxia. Synthesis depends on the physiological state of the insect, but the common function of heat shock proteins, often working in networks, is to maintain cell homeostasis through interaction with substrate proteins. Stress-induced expression of heat shock protein genes occurs in a background of protein synthesis inhibition, but in the course of diapause, a state of dormancy and increased stress tolerance, these genes undergo differential regulation without the general disruption of protein production. During diapause, when ATP concentrations are low, heat shock proteins may sequester rather than fold proteins.

Granary trial of protein-enriched pea flour for the control of three stored-product insects in barley.

PubMed

Hou, Xingwei; Fields, Paul G

2003-06-01

A granary trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of protein-enriched pea flour against three common stored-grain insects, Sitophilus oryzae (L.), Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), and Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens). Six 30-t farm granaries were filled with approximately 11 t of barley. The barley was either not treated, treated with protein-enriched pea flour at 0.1% throughout the entire grain mass, or treated at 0.5% throughout the top half of the grain mass. Adult insects were released in screened boxes (two insects per kilogram barley for S. oryzae and T. castaneum 1.4 insects per kilogram barley for C. ferrugineus). Barley was sampled four times during the 70-d trial. The number and mortality of adults and emerged adults in the samples were noted. Four kinds of traps, flight, surface-pitfall, probe-pitfall, and sticky-bar, were placed at different locations in the granaries to estimate the movement of insects. The 0.1% protein-enriched pea flour treatment reduced adult numbers of S. oryzae by 93%, T. castaneum by 66%, and C. ferrugineus by 58%, and reduced the emerged adults by 87, 77, and 77%, respectively. Treating the top half of the barley with 0.5% protein-enriched pea flour had similar effects as treating the entire grain mass with 0.1% pea-protein flour. However, the top-half treatment failed to prevent insects from penetrating into the untreated lower layer. Differences between traps are discussed.

Insect Repellents: Reducing Insect Bites

MedlinePlus

... Labs and Research Centers Contact Us Share Repellents: Protection against Mosquitoes, Ticks and Other Arthropods About Insect ... Snapshot No FEAR Act Data Privacy Privacy and Security Notice Connect. Data.gov Inspector General Jobs Newsroom ...

Insect anaphylaxis: addressing clinical challenges.

PubMed

Tracy, James M; Lewis, Elena J; Demain, Jeffrey G

2011-08-01

Few allergic reactions are as potentially life-threatening, or frightening to the patient, as anaphylaxis. Food, medications, and insect stings are the three most common triggers of anaphylaxis, but insect allergy provides the best opportunity to understand the biology of anaphylaxis. If the physician can establish a diagnosis of insect allergy, treatment with nearly 98% effectiveness can be initiated. However, sometimes patients have a compelling history of insect sting anaphylaxis, but negative skin and blood tests. This situation presents us with a fascinating opportunity to understand the biology of insect anaphylaxis. Recent and ongoing work shows that occult mast cell disease may be critical in insect anaphylaxis. Mastocytosis, serum tryptase and basophil biology are key elements; genetic markers may potentially help us diagnose at-risk individuals and determine proper treatment. Understanding basophil activation may play an additional role both in diagnosis and knowing when therapy might be terminated. Mast cell disease, serum tryptase and basophil biology are providing an opportunity to better understand and manage insect allergy. This evolving understanding should improve long-term management of insect anaphylaxis and help us to better understand the clinical dilemma of appropriate management of the history-positive patient in which testing is unable to detect venom-specific IgE. Furthermore, omalizumab's immunomodulatory effects may play a role in difficult-to-treat insect allergy and mastocytosis. Finally, unrelated to these, but still important as an ongoing risk factor, is the continued underutilization of epinephrine for both acute and long-term management of insect anaphylaxis.

Environmental RNAi in herbivorous insects.

PubMed

Ivashuta, Sergey; Zhang, Yuanji; Wiggins, B Elizabeth; Ramaseshadri, Partha; Segers, Gerrit C; Johnson, Steven; Meyer, Steve E; Kerstetter, Randy A; McNulty, Brian C; Bolognesi, Renata; Heck, Gregory R

2015-05-01

Environmental RNAi (eRNAi) is a sequence-specific regulation of endogenous gene expression in a receptive organism by exogenous double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Although demonstrated under artificial dietary conditions and via transgenic plant presentations in several herbivorous insects, the magnitude and consequence of exogenous dsRNA uptake and the role of eRNAi remains unknown under natural insect living conditions. Our analysis of coleopteran insects sensitive to eRNAi fed on wild-type plants revealed uptake of plant endogenous long dsRNAs, but not small RNAs. Subsequently, the dsRNAs were processed into 21 nt siRNAs by insects and accumulated in high quantities in insect cells. No accumulation of host plant-derived siRNAs was observed in lepidopteran larvae that are recalcitrant to eRNAi. Stability of ingested dsRNA in coleopteran larval gut followed by uptake and transport from the gut to distal tissues appeared to be enabling factors for eRNAi. Although a relatively large number of distinct coleopteran insect-processed plant-derived siRNAs had sequence complementarity to insect transcripts, the vast majority of the siRNAs were present in relatively low abundance, and RNA-seq analysis did not detect a significant effect of plant-derived siRNAs on insect transcriptome. In summary, we observed a broad genome-wide uptake of plant endogenous dsRNA and subsequent processing of ingested dsRNA into 21 nt siRNAs in eRNAi-sensitive insects under natural feeding conditions. In addition to dsRNA stability in gut lumen and uptake, dosage of siRNAs targeting a given insect transcript is likely an important factor in order to achieve measurable eRNAi-based regulation in eRNAi-competent insects that lack an apparent silencing amplification mechanism. © 2015 Ivashuta et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.

Insect enemies of birch

Treesearch

James G. Conklin

1969-01-01

Native birches are subject to attack by insects at all stages of growth from the germinating seedling to the mature tree. All parts of the tree—roots, stem, branches, foliage, and even the developing seed—may be utilized as feeding sites by insects of one kind or another. An enumeration of the many insects recorded in the literature as feeders on...

Seed production and cone-feeding insects of Pinus pumila on the Kamtchatka Peninsula: aspects of coexistence

Treesearch

Petr A. Khomentovsky; L. S. Efremova

1991-01-01

Insects attacking seeds and cones of trees are significant for their economic consequences as well as for the ecological role in vegetation dynamics. Currently much is known about seed and cone insects feeding on upright trees (see Roques, this volume), but almost nothing is known about cone inhabitants of prostrate pines Pinus pumila (Pall.) Rgl...

Implementation of a solid target production facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tochon-Danguy, H. J.; Poniger, S. S.; Sachinidis, J. I.; Panopoulos, H. P.; Scott, A. M.

2012-12-01

The desire to utilize long-lived PET isotopes in Australia has significantly increased over the years and several research projects for labelling of peptides, proteins and biomolecules, including labelling of recombinant antibodies has been restricted due to the limited availability of suitable isotopes. This need has led to the recent installation and commissioning of a new facility dedicated to fully automated solid target isotope production, including 24I, 64Cu, 89Zr and 86Y at the Austin Health Centre for PET.

Baculovirus: an Insect-derived Vector for Diverse Gene Transfer Applications

PubMed Central

Airenne, Kari J; Hu, Yu-Chen; Kost, Thomas A; Smith, Richard H; Kotin, Robert M; Ono, Chikako; Matsuura, Yoshiharu; Wang, Shu; Ylä-Herttuala, Seppo

2013-01-01

Insect-derived baculoviruses have emerged as versatile and safe workhorses of biotechnology. Baculovirus expression vectors (BEVs) have been applied widely for crop and forest protection, as well as safe tools for recombinant protein production in insect cells. However, BEVs ability to efficiently transduce noninsect cells is still relatively poorly recognized despite the fact that efficient baculovirus-mediated in vitro and ex vivo gene delivery into dormant and dividing vertebrate cells of diverse origin has been described convincingly by many authors. Preliminary proof of therapeutic potential has also been established in preclinical studies. This review summarizes the advantages and current status of baculovirus-mediated gene delivery. Stem cell transduction, preclinical animal studies, tissue engineering, vaccination, cancer gene therapy, viral vector production, and drug discovery are covered. PMID:23439502

Resistance of Rice Varieties to the Stored-Product Insect, Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

PubMed

Antunes, Catarina; Mendes, Raquel; Lima, Arlindo; Barros, Graça; Fields, Paul; Da Costa, Luísa Beirão; Rodrigues, José Carlos; Silva, Maria José; Correia, Augusto Manuel; Carvalho, Maria Otilia

2016-02-01

Four common Portuguese rice varieties--Thaibonnet, Gladio, Albatros, and Eurosis--were tested for their relative susceptibility to Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, a common pest of stored rice in Portugal and in tropical countries. Physical (moisture content, hardness, length, and width) and chemical (by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) properties of rice kernels were measured. Insect bioassays measured median developmental time, Dobie's index of susceptibility, percentage of damaged grains and weight loss, and progeny developed. This was done for paddy, brown rice, and polished rice for each variety. There were small, but significant, differences in insect resistance among the varieties. However, it was different for paddy and polished rice. In paddy, these differences were correlated with hull damage, and Eurosis was the most susceptible variety. In polished rice, resistance was correlated with hardness, and Thaibonnet was the most susceptible variety. In general, paddy rice was more resistant to insect attack, followed by polished rice and then brown rice. Paddy kernels selected with undamaged hull were completely resistant to attack. Implications for IPM and breeding for resistant varieties are discussed. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Potentiality of botanical agents for the management of post harvest insects of maize: a review.

PubMed

Soujanya, P Lakshmi; Sekhar, J C; Kumar, P; Sunil, N; Prasad, Ch Vara; Mallavadhani, U V

2016-05-01

Natural products derived from plants are emerging as potent biorational alternatives to synthetic insecticides for the integrated management of post harvest insects of maize. In this paper, effectiveness of botanicals including plant extracts, essential oils, their isolated pure compounds, plant based nano formulations and their mode of action against storage insects have been reviewed with special reference to maize. Plant based insecticides found to be the most promising means of controlling storage insects of maize in an eco friendly and sustainable manner. This article also throws light on the commercialization of botanicals, their limitations, challenges and future trends of storage insect management.

Policosanol fabrication from insect wax and optimization by response surface methodology

PubMed Central

Ma, Jinju; Zhang, Hong

2018-01-01

Background Insect wax is a famous biological resource for the role in economic production in China. Insect wax is a good source of policosanol, which may is a candidate supplement in foodstuff and pharmaceuticals that has important physiological activities. Therefore, this work aims to investigate a high-yield and rapid method for policosanol fabrication from insect wax. Results The conditions for policosanol fabrication were optimized as follows: an oil bath temperature of 112.7°C and reductant dosage of 0.97 g (used for the reduction of 10.00 g of insect wax). The yield of policosanol reached 83.20%, which was 4 times greater than that of existing methods, such as saponification. The total content of policosanol obtained under the optimal conditions reached 87%. In other words, a high yield of policosanol was obtained from insect wax (723.84 mg/g), that was 55 times higher than that generated from beeswax-brown via saponification. The concentrations of metal residues in policosanol were within the limits of the European Union regulations and EFSA stipulation. The LD50 values for oral doses of insect wax and policosanol were both > 5 g/kg. Conclusion Policosanol was fabricated via solvent-free reduction from insect wax using LiAlH4 at a high yield. The fabrication conditions were optimized. Policosanol and insect wax showed high security, which made them potential candidates as supplements in foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The rapid and high-yield method has great potential for commercial manufacturing of policosanol. PMID:29763430

Principal Areas of Insect Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Carroll M.

1973-01-01

Research for insect control has been quite complex. However, recent knowledge of using insect hormones against them has opened new vistas for producing insecticides which may be harmless to human population. Current areas of insect research are outlined. (PS)

Effect of risk information exposure on consumers' responses to foods with insect contamination.

PubMed

Kimura, Atsushi; Magariyama, Yukio; Miyanoshita, Akihiro; Imamura, Taro; Shichiri, Kumiko; Masuda, Tomohiro; Wada, Yuji

2014-02-01

This study explores the impact that scientific information about insect contamination of food has on consumer perceptions. Participants (n = 320, Japanese consumers) were randomly assigned to 1 of 8 information-type conditions: (1) information about insect type, (2) information about contamination processes, (3) information about the safety of contaminated food, (4, 5, 6) combinations of 2 of (1), (2), and (3) above, (7) all information, and (8) no-information, and asked to rate their valuation, behavioral intention, and attitude toward food with insect contamination. Results demonstrated that some combinations of scientific information that include the safety of the contaminated food are effective to reduce consumers' compulsive rejection of insect contamination in food, whereas the single presentation of information about insect type increases consumers' explicit rejection of both the contaminated product and the manufacturer. These findings have implications for the coordination of risk communication strategies. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

Sterile Insect Quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This chapter discusses the history of the development of quality control tchnology, the principles and philosophy of assessing insect quality, and the relative importance of the various parameters used to assess insect quality in the context of mass-rearing for the SIT. Quality control is most devel...

Preface: Insect Pathology, 2nd ed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Insect pathology is an essential component of entomology and provides a non-chemical alternative for insect pest management. There are several groups of organisms that can infect and kill insects including viruses, fungi, microsporidia, bacteria, protists, and nematodes. The dilemma in insect patho...

INSECTS AND THEIR CHEMICAL WEAPONRY: GREAT POTENTIAL AND NEW DISCOVERIES FROM THE ORDER PHASMATODEA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

With over 1,000,000 species of insects known, Class Insecta (Phyllum Arthropoda), the largest and most diverse group of organisms, is one of the least explored in natural product drug discovery (Dossey, A. T., Nat. Prod Rep. 2010, 27, 1737–1757). Over the past five our research stick insect chemical...

Utility of temporally distinct baculovirus promoters for constitutive and baculovirus-inducible transgene expression in transformed insect cells.

PubMed

Lin, Chi-Hung; Jarvis, Donald L

2013-05-10

Genetically transformed lepidopteran insect cell lines have biotechnological applications as constitutive recombinant protein production platforms and improved hosts for baculovirus-mediated recombinant protein production. Insect cell transformation is often accomplished with a DNA construct(s) encoding a foreign protein(s) under the transcriptional control of a baculovirus immediate early promoter, such as the ie1 promoter. However, the potential utility of increasingly stronger promoters from later baculovirus gene classes, such as delayed early (39K), late (p6.9), and very late (polh), has not been systematically assessed. Hence, we produced DNA constructs encoding secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) under the transcriptional control of each of the four temporally distinct classes of baculovirus promoters, used them to transform insect cells, and compared the levels of SEAP RNA and protein production obtained before and after baculovirus infection. The ie1 construct was the only one that supported SEAP protein production by transformed insect cells prior to baculovirus infection, confirming that only immediate early promoters can be used to isolate transformed insect cells for constitutive recombinant protein production. However, baculovirus infection activated transgene expression by all four classes of baculovirus promoters. After infection, cells transformed with the very late (polh) and late (p6.9) promoter constructs produced the highest levels of SEAP RNA, but only low levels of SEAP protein. Conversely, cells transformed with the immediate early (ie1) and delayed early (39K) promoter constructs produced lower levels of RNA, but equal or higher levels of SEAP protein. Unexpectedly, the 39K promoter construct provided tightly regulated, baculovirus-inducible protein production at higher levels than the later promoter constructs. Thus, this study demonstrated the utility of the 39K promoter for insect cell engineering, particularly when one requires higher

Extreme convergence in egg-laying strategy across insect orders

PubMed Central

Goldberg, Julia; Bresseel, Joachim; Constant, Jerome; Kneubühler, Bruno; Leubner, Fanny; Michalik, Peter; Bradler, Sven

2015-01-01

The eggs of stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea) bear strong resemblance to plant seeds and are commonly dispersed by females dropping them to the litter. Here we report a novel egg-deposition mode for Phasmatodea performed by an undescribed Vietnamese species of the enigmatic subfamily Korinninae that produces a complex egg case (ootheca), containing numerous eggs in a highly ordered arrangement. This novel egg-deposition mode is most reminiscent of egg cases produced by members of unrelated insect orders, e.g. by praying mantises (Mantodea) and tortoise beetles (Coleoptera: Cassidinae). Ootheca production constitutes a striking convergence and major transition in reproductive strategy among stick insects, viz. a shift from dispersal of individual eggs to elaborate egg concentration. Adaptive advantages of ootheca formation on arboreal substrate are likely related to protection against parasitoids and desiccation and to allocation of specific host plants. Our phylogenetic analysis of nuclear (28S, H3) and mitochondrial (COI, COII) genes recovered Korinninae as a subordinate taxon among the species-rich Necrosciinae with Asceles as sister taxon, thus suggesting that placement of single eggs on leaves by host plant specialists might be the evolutionary precursor of ootheca formation within stick insects. PMID:25592976

Aircraft anti-insect system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spiro, Clifford Lawrence (Inventor); Fric, Thomas Frank (Inventor); Leon, Ross Michael (Inventor)

1997-01-01

Insect debris is removed from or prevented from adhering to insect impingement areas of an aircraft, particularly on an inlet cowl of an engine, by heating the area to 180.degree.-500.degree. C. An apparatus comprising a means to bring hot air from the aircraft engine to a plenum contiguous to the insect impingement area provides for the heating of the insect impingement areas to the required temperatures. The plenum can include at least one tube with a plurality of holes contained in a cavity within the inlet cowl. It can also include an envelope with a plurality of holes on its surface contained in a cavity within the inlet cowl.

Improved annotation of the insect vector of citrus greening disease: Biocuration by a diverse genomics community

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama) is the insect vector of the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the pathogen associated with citrus Huanglongbing (HLB, citrus greening). HLB threatens citrus production worldwide. Suppression or reduction of the insect vector usin...

Decadal-scale ecosystem memory reveals interactive effects of drought and insect defoliation on boreal forest productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itter, M.; D'Orangeville, L.; Dawson, A.; Kneeshaw, D.; Finley, A. O.

2017-12-01

Drought and insect defoliation have lasting impacts on the dynamics of the boreal forest. Impacts are expected to worsen under global climate change as hotter, drier conditions forecast for much of the boreal increase the frequency and severity of drought and defoliation events. Contemporary ecological theory predicts physiological feedbacks in tree responses to drought and defoliation amplify impacts potentially causing large-scale productivity losses and forest mortality. Quantifying the interactive impacts of drought and insect defoliation on regional forest health is difficult given delayed and persistent responses to disturbance events. We developed a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate forest growth responses to interactions between drought and insect defoliation by species and size class. Delayed and persistent responses to past drought and defoliation were quantified using empirical memory functions allowing for improved detection of interactions. The model was applied to tree-ring data from stands in Western (Alberta) and Eastern (Québec) regions of the Canadian boreal forest with different species compositions, disturbance regimes, and regional climates. Western stands experience chronic water deficit and forest tent caterpillar (FTC) defoliation; Eastern stands experience irregular water deficit and spruce budworm (SBW) defoliation. Ecosystem memory to past water deficit peaked in the year previous to growth and decayed to zero within 5 (West) to 8 (East) years; memory to past defoliation ranged from 8 (West) to 12 (East) years. The drier regional climate and faster FTC defoliation dynamics (compared to SBW) likely contribute to shorter ecosystem memory in the West. Drought and defoliation had the largest negative impact on large-diameter, host tree growth. Surprisingly, a positive interaction was observed between drought and defoliation for large-diameter, non-host trees likely due to reduced stand-level competition for water. Results highlight the

Synthetic fiber production facilities: Background information for proposed standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodwin, D. R.

1982-10-01

Standards of performance to control emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from new, modified, and reconstructed synthetic fiber production facilities are being proposed under section III of the Clean Air Act. This document contains information on the background and authority, regulatory alternatives considered, and environmental and economic impacts of the regulatory alternatives.

Plant Defense against Insect Herbivores

PubMed Central

Fürstenberg-Hägg, Joel; Zagrobelny, Mika; Bak, Søren

2013-01-01

Plants have been interacting with insects for several hundred million years, leading to complex defense approaches against various insect feeding strategies. Some defenses are constitutive while others are induced, although the insecticidal defense compound or protein classes are often similar. Insect herbivory induce several internal signals from the wounded tissues, including calcium ion fluxes, phosphorylation cascades and systemic- and jasmonate signaling. These are perceived in undamaged tissues, which thereafter reinforce their defense by producing different, mostly low molecular weight, defense compounds. These bioactive specialized plant defense compounds may repel or intoxicate insects, while defense proteins often interfere with their digestion. Volatiles are released upon herbivory to repel herbivores, attract predators or for communication between leaves or plants, and to induce defense responses. Plants also apply morphological features like waxes, trichomes and latices to make the feeding more difficult for the insects. Extrafloral nectar, food bodies and nesting or refuge sites are produced to accommodate and feed the predators of the herbivores. Meanwhile, herbivorous insects have adapted to resist plant defenses, and in some cases even sequester the compounds and reuse them in their own defense. Both plant defense and insect adaptation involve metabolic costs, so most plant-insect interactions reach a stand-off, where both host and herbivore survive although their development is suboptimal. PMID:23681010

Insects: Little Things That Run the World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tilley, Luke

2014-01-01

Insects are easily the most abundant and diverse group of animals, with over 24,000 species in the UK alone. They can be found in almost every habitat on Earth and are fundamentally important to ecology, conservation, food production, animal and human health, and biodiversity. They are a prominent feature of almost every food web in the UK and…

Development of transgenic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) expressing avidin gene conferring resistance to stored product insects.

PubMed

Abouseadaa, Heba H; Osman, Gamal H; Ramadan, Ahmed M; Hassanein, Sameh E; Abdelsattar, Mohamed T; Morsy, Yasser B; Alameldin, Hussien F; El-Ghareeb, Doaa K; Nour-Eldin, Hanan A; Salem, Reda; Gad, Adel A; Elkhodary, Soheir E; Shehata, Maher M; Mahfouz, Hala M; Eissa, Hala F; Bahieldin, Ahmed

2015-07-22

Wheat is considered the most important cereal crop all over the world. The wheat weevil Sitophilus granarius is a serious insect pests in much of the wheat growing area worldwide and is responsible for significant loss of yield. Avidin proteins has been proposed to function as plant defense agents against insect pests. A synthetic avidin gene was introduced into spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. Giza 168 using a biolistic bombardment protocol. The presence and expression of the transgene in six selected T0 transgenic wheat lines were confirmed at the molecular level. Accumulation of avidin protein was detected in transgenic plants compared to non-transgenic plants. Avidin transgene was stably integrated, transcribed and translated as indicated by Southern blot, ELISA, and dot blot analyses, with a high level of expression in transgenic wheat seeds. However, no expression was detected in untransformed wheat seeds. Functional integrity of avidin was confirmed by insect bioassay. The results of bioassay using transgenic wheat plants challenged with wheat weevil revealed 100 % mortality of the insects reared on transgenic plants after 21 days. Transgenic wheat plants had improved resistance to Sitophilus granarius.

Regulating plant/insect interactions using CO2 enrichment in model ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grodzinski, B.; Schmidt, J. M.; Watts, B.; Taylor, J.; Bates, S.; Dixon, M. A.; Staines, H.

1999-01-01

The greenhouse environment is a challenging artificial ecosystem in which it is possible to study selected plant/insect interaction in a controlled environment. Due to a combination of ``direct'' and ``indirect'' effects of CO2 enrichment on plant photosynthesis and plant development, canopy productivity is generally increased. In this paper, we discuss the effects of daytime and nighttime CO2 enrichment protocols on gas exchange of pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L, cv Cubico) grown in controlled environments. In addition, we present the effects of thrips, a common insect pest, on the photosynthetic and respiratory activity of these plant canopies. Carbon dioxide has diverse effects on the physiology and mortality of insects. However, our data indicate that thrips and whiteflies, at least, are not killed ``directly'' by CO2 levels used to enhance photosynthesis and plant growth. Together the data suggest that the insect population is affected ``indirectly'' by CO2 and that the primary effect of CO2 is via its effects on plant metabolism.

Studies of Transgenic Mosquitoes in Disease-Endemic Countries: Preparation of Containment Facilities

PubMed Central

Mutunga, James Mutuku; Diabaté, Abdoulaye; Namountougou, Moussa; Coulibaly, Mamadou B.; Sylla, Lakamy; Kayondo, Jonathan; Balyesima, Victor; Clark, Lorna; Benedict, Mark Q.; Raymond, Peter

2018-01-01

Abstract Novel approaches to area-wide control of vector species offer promise as additional tools in the fight against vectored diseases. Evaluation of transgenic insect strains aimed at field population control in disease-endemic countries may involve international partnerships and should be done in a stepwise approach, starting with studies in containment facilities. The preparations of both new-build and renovated facilities are described, including working with local and national regulations regarding land use, construction, and biosafety requirements, as well as international guidance to fill any gaps in regulation. The examples given are for containment categorization at Arthropod Containment Level 2 for initial facility design, classification of wastes, and precautions during shipping. Specific lessons were derived from preparations to evaluate transgenic (non-gene drive) mosquitoes in West and East African countries. Documented procedures and the use of a non-transgenic training strain for trial shipments and culturing were used to develop competence and confidence among the African facility staff, and along the chain of custody for transport. This practical description is offered to support other research consortia or institutions preparing containment facilities and operating procedures in conditions where research on transgenic insects is at an early stage. PMID:29337662

Studies of Transgenic Mosquitoes in Disease-Endemic Countries: Preparation of Containment Facilities.

PubMed

Quinlan, M Megan; Mutunga, James Mutuku; Diabaté, Abdoulaye; Namountougou, Moussa; Coulibaly, Mamadou B; Sylla, Lakamy; Kayondo, Jonathan; Balyesima, Victor; Clark, Lorna; Benedict, Mark Q; Raymond, Peter

2018-01-01

Novel approaches to area-wide control of vector species offer promise as additional tools in the fight against vectored diseases. Evaluation of transgenic insect strains aimed at field population control in disease-endemic countries may involve international partnerships and should be done in a stepwise approach, starting with studies in containment facilities. The preparations of both new-build and renovated facilities are described, including working with local and national regulations regarding land use, construction, and biosafety requirements, as well as international guidance to fill any gaps in regulation. The examples given are for containment categorization at Arthropod Containment Level 2 for initial facility design, classification of wastes, and precautions during shipping. Specific lessons were derived from preparations to evaluate transgenic (non-gene drive) mosquitoes in West and East African countries. Documented procedures and the use of a non-transgenic training strain for trial shipments and culturing were used to develop competence and confidence among the African facility staff, and along the chain of custody for transport. This practical description is offered to support other research consortia or institutions preparing containment facilities and operating procedures in conditions where research on transgenic insects is at an early stage.

Phytochemical diversity drives plant–insect community diversity

PubMed Central

Richards, Lora A.; Dyer, Lee A.; Forister, Matthew L.; Smilanich, Angela M.; Dodson, Craig D.; Leonard, Michael D.; Jeffrey, Christopher S.

2015-01-01

What are the ecological causes and consequences of variation in phytochemical diversity within and between plant taxa? Despite decades of natural products discovery by organic chemists and research by chemical ecologists, our understanding of phytochemically mediated ecological processes in natural communities has been restricted to studies of either broad classes of compounds or a small number of well-characterized molecules. Until now, no studies have assessed the ecological causes or consequences of rigorously quantified phytochemical diversity across taxa in natural systems. Consequently, hypotheses that attempt to explain variation in phytochemical diversity among plants remain largely untested. We use spectral data from crude plant extracts to characterize phytochemical diversity in a suite of co-occurring plants in the tropical genus Piper (Piperaceae). In combination with 20 years of data focused on Piper-associated insects, we find that phytochemical diversity has a direct and positive effect on the diversity of herbivores but also reduces overall herbivore damage. Elevated chemical diversity is associated with more specialized assemblages of herbivores, and the cascading positive effect of phytochemistry on herbivore enemies is stronger as herbivore diet breadth narrows. These results are consistent with traditional hypotheses that predict positive associations between plant chemical diversity, insect herbivore diversity, and trophic specialization. It is clear from these results that high phytochemical diversity not only enhances the diversity of plant-associated insects but also contributes to the ecological predominance of specialized insect herbivores. PMID:26283384

Quantifying the movement of multiple insects using an optical insect counter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

An optical insect counter (OIC) was designed and tested. The new system integrated a line-scan camera and a vertical light sheet along with data collection and image processing software to count numbers of flying insects crossing a vertical plane defined by the light sheet. The system also allows ...

46 CFR 108.215 - Insect screens.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Insect screens. 108.215 Section 108.215 Shipping COAST... Construction and Arrangement Accommodation Spaces § 108.215 Insect screens. (a) Accommodation spaces must be protected against the admission of insects. (b) Insect screens must be installed when natural ventilation is...

46 CFR 108.215 - Insect screens.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Insect screens. 108.215 Section 108.215 Shipping COAST... Construction and Arrangement Accommodation Spaces § 108.215 Insect screens. (a) Accommodation spaces must be protected against the admission of insects. (b) Insect screens must be installed when natural ventilation is...

AMS data production facilities at science operations center at CERN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choutko, V.; Egorov, A.; Eline, A.; Shan, B.

2017-10-01

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) is a high energy physics experiment on the board of the International Space Station (ISS). This paper presents the hardware and software facilities of Science Operation Center (SOC) at CERN. Data Production is built around production server - a scalable distributed service which links together a set of different programming modules for science data transformation and reconstruction. The server has the capacity to manage 1000 paralleled job producers, i.e. up to 32K logical processors. Monitoring and management tool with Production GUI is also described.

Demonstration of persistent contamination of a cooked egg product production facility with Salmonella enterica serovar Tennessee and characterization of the persistent strain.

PubMed

Jakočiūnė, D; Bisgaard, M; Pedersen, K; Olsen, J E

2014-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether continuous contamination of light pasteurized egg products with Salmonella enterica serovar Tennessee (S. Tennessee) at a large European producer of industrial egg products was caused by persistent contamination of the production facility and to characterize the persistent strains. Seventy-three S. Tennessee isolates collected from products over a 3-year period with intermittent contamination, and 15 control strains were compared by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using two enzymes. Forty-five case isolates distributed throughout the full period were shown to belong to one profile type. Isolates representing different PFGE profiles were all assigned to ST 319 by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The case isolates did not show a higher ability to form biofilm on a plastic surface than noncase isolates. Characteristically, members of the persistent clone were weak producers of H2 S in laboratory medium. S. Tennessee isolated from the case was able to grow better in pasteurized egg product compared with other serovars investigated. It was concluded that the contamination was caused by a persistent strain in the production facility and that this strain apparently had adapted to grow in the relevant egg product. S. Tennessee has previously been associated with persistence in hatching facilities. This is the first report of persistent contamination of an egg production facility with this serovar. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Codon bias and gene ontology in holometabolous and hemimetabolous insects.

PubMed

Carlini, David B; Makowski, Matthew

2015-12-01

The relationship between preferred codon use (PCU), developmental mode, and gene ontology (GO) was investigated in a sample of nine insect species with sequenced genomes. These species were selected to represent two distinct modes of insect development, holometabolism and hemimetabolism, with an aim toward determining whether the differences in developmental timing concomitant with developmental mode would be mirrored by differences in PCU in their developmental genes. We hypothesized that the developmental genes of holometabolous insects should be under greater selective pressure for efficient translation, manifest as increased PCU, than those of hemimetabolous insects because holometabolism requires abundant protein expression over shorter time intervals than hemimetabolism, where proteins are required more uniformly in time. Preferred codon sets were defined for each species, from which the frequency of PCU for each gene was obtained. Although there were substantial differences in the genomic base composition of holometabolous and hemimetabolous insects, both groups exhibited a general preference for GC-ending codons, with the former group having higher PCU averaged across all genes. For each species, the biological process GO term for each gene was assigned that of its Drosophila homolog(s), and PCU was calculated for each GO term category. The top two GO term categories for PCU enrichment in the holometabolous insects were anatomical structure development and cell differentiation. The increased PCU in the developmental genes of holometabolous insects may reflect a general strategy to maximize the protein production of genes expressed in bursts over short time periods, e.g., heat shock proteins. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 324B: 686-698, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Biosynthetic pathway of the phytohormone auxin in insects and screening of its inhibitors.

PubMed

Suzuki, Hiroyoshi; Yokokura, Junpei; Ito, Tsukasa; Arai, Ryoma; Yokoyama, Chiaki; Toshima, Hiroaki; Nagata, Shinji; Asami, Tadao; Suzuki, Yoshihito

2014-10-01

Insect galls are abnormal plant tissues induced by galling insects. The galls are used for food and habitation, and the phytohormone auxin, produced by the insects, may be involved in their formation. We found that the silkworm, a non-galling insect, also produces an active form of auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), by de novo synthesis from tryptophan (Trp). A detailed metabolic analysis of IAA using IAA synthetic enzymes from silkworms indicated an IAA biosynthetic pathway composed of a three-step conversion: Trp → indole-3-acetaldoxime → indole-3-acetaldehyde (IAAld) → IAA, of which the first step is limiting IAA production. This pathway was shown to also operate in gall-inducing sawfly. Screening of a chemical library identified two compounds that showed strong inhibitory activities on the conversion step IAAld → IAA. The inhibitors can be efficiently used to demonstrate the importance of insect-synthesized auxin in gall formation in the future. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Facility design consideration for continuous mix production of class 1.3 propellant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williamson, K. L.; Schirk, P. G.

1994-01-01

In November of 1989, NASA awarded the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) contract to Lockheed Missiles and Space Company (LMSC) for production of advanced solid rocket motors using the continuous mix process. Aerojet ASRM division (AAD) was selected as the facility operator and RUST International Corporation provided the engineering, procurement, and construction management services. The continuous mix process mandates that the mix and cast facilities be 'close-coupled' along with the premix facilities, creating unique and challenging requirements for the facility designer. The classical approach to handling energetic materials-division into manageable quantities, segregation, and isolation-was not available due to these process requirements and quantities involved. This paper provides a description of the physical facilities, the continuous mix process, and discusses the monitoring and detection techniques used to mitigate hazards and prevent an incident.

Insects and diseases

Treesearch

John W. Couston

2009-01-01

Insects and diseases are a natural part of forested ecosystems. Their activity is partially regulated by biotic factors, e.g., host abundance, host quality; physical factors, e.g., soil, climate; and disturbances (Berryman 1986). Insects and diseases can influence both forest patterns and forest processes by causing, for example, defoliation and mortality. These...

An Integrated Molecular Database on Indian Insects.

PubMed

Pratheepa, Maria; Venkatesan, Thiruvengadam; Gracy, Gandhi; Jalali, Sushil Kumar; Rangheswaran, Rajagopal; Antony, Jomin Cruz; Rai, Anil

2018-01-01

MOlecular Database on Indian Insects (MODII) is an online database linking several databases like Insect Pest Info, Insect Barcode Information System (IBIn), Insect Whole Genome sequence, Other Genomic Resources of National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (NBAIR), Whole Genome sequencing of Honey bee viruses, Insecticide resistance gene database and Genomic tools. This database was developed with a holistic approach for collecting information about phenomic and genomic information of agriculturally important insects. This insect resource database is available online for free at http://cib.res.in. http://cib.res.in/.

Insects: An Interdisciplinary Unit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leger, Heather

2007-01-01

The author talks about an interdisciplinary unit on insects, and presents activities that can help students practice communication skills (interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational) and learn about insects with hands-on activities.

1977 Kansas Field Crop Insect Control Recommendations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Leroy; Gates, Dell E.

This publication is prepared to aid producers in selecting methods of insect population management that have proved effective under Kansas conditions. Topics covered include insect control on alfalfa, soil insects attacking corn, insects attacking above-ground parts of corn, and sorghum, wheat, and soybean insect control. The insecticides…

Phytohormone-based activity mapping of insect herbivore-produced elicitors

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In response to insect attack many plants exhibit dynamic biochemical changes resulting in the induced production of direct and indirect defenses. Elicitors present in herbivore oral secretions are believed to positively regulate many inducible plant defenses; however, little is known about the speci...

Insects: Bugged Out!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piehl, Kathy

2011-01-01

Insects really need no introduction. They have lived on earth much longer than humans and vastly outnumber people and all other animal species combined. People encounter them daily in their houses and yards. Yet, when children want to investigate insects, books can help them start their explorations. "Paleo Bugs" carries readers back to the time…

A Modified Synthesis of the Insect Repellent DEET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knoess, Peter H.; Neeland, Edward G.

1998-10-01

In the preparation of the insect repellent DEET, lab procedures prepare the intermediate m-toluoyl chloride by heating m-toluic acid with thionyl chloride for times ranging from 15 to 45 minutes. The acid chloride is then worked up under Schotten-Baumann conditions to yield DEET. In our students' hands, these procedures gave a darkly colored product which was contaminated with an anhydride by-product. We have shown that the m-toluoyl chloride can be prepared at room temperature in 8 minutes and that the eventual DEET product is obtained in excellent yield without the dark coloration or anhydride by-product.

Fluorescence in insects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welch, Victoria L.; Van Hooijdonk, Eloise; Intrater, Nurit; Vigneron, Jean-Pol

2012-10-01

Fluorescent molecules are much in demand for biosensors, solar cells, LEDs and VCSEL diodes, therefore, considerable efforts have been expended in designing and tailoring fluorescence to specific technical applications. However, naturally occurring fluorescence of diverse types has been reported from a wide array of living organisms: most famously, the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, but also in over 100 species of coral and in the cuticle of scorpions, where it is the rule, rather than the exception. Despite the plethora of known insect species, comparatively few quantitative studies have been made of insect fluorescence. Because of the potential applications of natural fluorescence, studies in this field have relevance to both physics and biology. Therefore, in this paper, we review the literature on insect fluorescence, before documenting its occurrence in the longhorn beetles Sternotomis virescens, Sternotomis variabilis var. semi rufescens, Anoplophora elegans and Stellognatha maculata, the tiger beetles Cicindela maritima and Cicindela germanica and the weevil Pachyrrhynchus gemmatus purpureus. Optical features of insect fluorescence, including emitted wavelength, molecular ageing and naturally occurring combinations of fluorescence with bioluminescence and colour-producing structures are discussed.

In vivo preventive effects of insect tea on buccal mucosa cancer in ICR mice.

PubMed

Zhao, Xin; Wang, Rui; Qian, Yu; Li, Guijie; Zhou, Yalin; Sun, Peng

2014-01-01

Insect tea is a particular drink or health product in China and it is also used as Chinese medicine now. Its functional effects need to be proved. The ICR mice buccal mucosa cancer model was established by injecting the mice with U14 cells and mice was treated with insect tea. Tumor volumes and lymph node metastasis rates were determined. And the buccal mucosa tissues and cancer cervical lymph node were also checked by histology test, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blot assays. The tumor volumes for the group treated with insect tea mice was smaller than those from the control mice. The sections of buccal mucosa cancer tissue showed that the canceration of insect tea mice was weaker than control mice. Insect tea significantly induced apoptosis in buccal mucosa tissues by upregulating Bax, caspases, and downregulating Bcl-2. Nuclear factor-κB, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and COX-2 gene, was significantly downregulated by insect tea, demonstrating its anti-inflammatory properties. Insect tea also exerted a great anti-metastasis effect on tissues as demonstrated by decreased expression of Matrix metalloproteinases genes and increased expression of tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases. The highest concentration of 1600 mg/kg oral gavage and 400 mg/mL smear insect tea showed the best anticancer effects. Based on the results, insect tea showed the strong in vivo buccal mucosa cancer preventive effects.

Respiration in Aquatic Insects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacFarland, John

1985-01-01

This article: (1) explains the respiratory patterns of several freshwater insects; (2) describes the differences and mechanisms of spiracular cutaneous, and gill respiration; and (3) discusses behavioral aspects of selected aquatic insects. (ML)

Search Fermilab Insect Database

Science.gov Websites

data reflects observations at Fermilab. Search Clear Choices Find All Insects |Help| |Glossary | |Advanced Search| How it's named and classified: Common Name: Insect Order: equals contains begins with ends

Covert Infection of Insects by Baculoviruses.

PubMed

Williams, Trevor; Virto, Cristina; Murillo, Rosa; Caballero, Primitivo

2017-01-01

Baculoviruses ( Baculoviridae ) are occluded DNA viruses that are lethal pathogens of the larval stages of some lepidopterans, mosquitoes, and sawflies (phytophagous Hymenoptera). These viruses have been developed as biological insecticides for control of insect pests and as expression vectors in biotechnological applications. Natural and laboratory populations frequently harbor covert infections by baculoviruses, often at a prevalence exceeding 50%. Covert infection can comprise either non-productive latency or sublethal infection involving low level production of virus progeny. Latency in cell culture systems involves the expression of a small subset of viral genes. In contrast, covert infection in lepidopterans is associated with differential infection of cell types, modulation of virus gene expression and avoidance of immune system clearance. The molecular basis for covert infection may reside in the regulation of host-virus interactions through the action of microRNAs (miRNA). Initial findings suggest that insect nudiviruses and vertebrate herpesviruses may provide useful analogous models for exploring the mechanisms of covert infection by baculoviruses. These pathogens adopt mixed-mode transmission strategies that depend on the relative fitness gains that accrue through vertical and horizontal transmission. This facilitates virus persistence when opportunities for horizontal transmission are limited and ensures virus dispersal in migratory host species. However, when host survival is threatened by environmental or physiological stressors, latent or persistent infections can be activated to produce lethal disease, followed by horizontal transmission. Covert infection has also been implicated in population level effects on host-pathogen dynamics due to the reduced reproductive capacity of infected females. We conclude that covert infections provide many opportunities to examine the complexity of insect-virus pathosystems at the organismal level and to explore

Biomechanics and biomimetics in insect-inspired flight systems.

PubMed

Liu, Hao; Ravi, Sridhar; Kolomenskiy, Dmitry; Tanaka, Hiroto

2016-09-26

Insect- and bird-size drones-micro air vehicles (MAV) that can perform autonomous flight in natural and man-made environments are now an active and well-integrated research area. MAVs normally operate at a low speed in a Reynolds number regime of 10(4)-10(5) or lower, in which most flying animals of insects, birds and bats fly, and encounter unconventional challenges in generating sufficient aerodynamic forces to stay airborne and in controlling flight autonomy to achieve complex manoeuvres. Flying insects that power and control flight by flapping wings are capable of sophisticated aerodynamic force production and precise, agile manoeuvring, through an integrated system consisting of wings to generate aerodynamic force, muscles to move the wings and a control system to modulate power output from the muscles. In this article, we give a selective review on the state of the art of biomechanics in bioinspired flight systems in terms of flapping and flexible wing aerodynamics, flight dynamics and stability, passive and active mechanisms in stabilization and control, as well as flapping flight in unsteady environments. We further highlight recent advances in biomimetics of flapping-wing MAVs with a specific focus on insect-inspired wing design and fabrication, as well as sensing systems.This article is part of the themed issue 'Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight'. © 2016 The Author(s).

An overview of antifungal peptides derived from insect.

PubMed

Faruck, Mohammad Omer; Yusof, Faridah; Chowdhury, Silvia

2016-06-01

Fungi are not classified as plants or animals. They resemble plants in many ways but do not produce chlorophyll or make their own food photosynthetically like plants. Fungi are useful for the production of beer, bread, medicine, etc. More complex than viruses or bacteria; fungi can be destructive human pathogens responsible for various diseases in humans. Most people have a strong natural immunity against fungal infection. However, fungi can cause diseases when this immunity breaks down. In the last few years, fungal infection has increased strikingly and has been accompanied by a rise in the number of deaths of cancer patients, transplant recipients, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients owing to fungal infections. The growth rate of fungi is very slow and quite difficult to identify. A series of molecules with antifungal activity against different strains of fungi have been found in insects, which can be of great importance to tackle human diseases. Insects secrete such compounds, which can be peptides, as a part of their immune defense reactions. Active antifungal peptides developed by insects to rapidly eliminate infectious pathogens are considered a component of the defense munitions. This review focuses on naturally occurring antifungal peptides from insects and their challenges to be used as armaments against human diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biomechanics and biomimetics in insect-inspired flight systems

PubMed Central

Liu, Hao; Ravi, Sridhar; Kolomenskiy, Dmitry; Tanaka, Hiroto

2016-01-01

Insect- and bird-size drones—micro air vehicles (MAV) that can perform autonomous flight in natural and man-made environments are now an active and well-integrated research area. MAVs normally operate at a low speed in a Reynolds number regime of 104–105 or lower, in which most flying animals of insects, birds and bats fly, and encounter unconventional challenges in generating sufficient aerodynamic forces to stay airborne and in controlling flight autonomy to achieve complex manoeuvres. Flying insects that power and control flight by flapping wings are capable of sophisticated aerodynamic force production and precise, agile manoeuvring, through an integrated system consisting of wings to generate aerodynamic force, muscles to move the wings and a control system to modulate power output from the muscles. In this article, we give a selective review on the state of the art of biomechanics in bioinspired flight systems in terms of flapping and flexible wing aerodynamics, flight dynamics and stability, passive and active mechanisms in stabilization and control, as well as flapping flight in unsteady environments. We further highlight recent advances in biomimetics of flapping-wing MAVs with a specific focus on insect-inspired wing design and fabrication, as well as sensing systems. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight’. PMID:27528780

Insects and Bugs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland, Karen

2009-01-01

They have been around for centuries. They sting, they bite. They cause intense itching or painful sores. They even cause allergic reactions and sometimes death. There are two types of insects that are pests to humans--those that sting and those that bite. The insects that bite do so with their mouths and include mosquitoes, chiggers, and ticks.…

Microbial secondary metabolites and their impacts on insect symbioses.

PubMed

Klassen, Jonathan L

2014-10-01

All insects host communities of microbes that interact both with the insect and each other. Secondary metabolites are understood to mediate many of these interactions, although examples having robust genetic, chemical and/or ecological evidence are relatively rare. Here, I review secondary metabolites mediating community interactions in the beewolf, entomopathogenic nematode and fungus-growing ant symbioses, using the logic of Koch's postulates to emphasize well-validated symbiotic functions mediated by these metabolites. I especially highlight how these interaction networks are structured by both ecological and evolutionary processes, and how selection acting on secondary metabolite production can be multidimensional. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Defatting and Sonication Enhances Protein Extraction from Edible Insects

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Edible insects are attracting growing interest as a sustainable source of protein for addition to processed meat and dairy products. The current study investigated the optimal method for protein extraction from mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor), cricket adults (Gryllus bimaculatus), and silkworm pupae (Bombyx mori), for use in further applications. After defatting with n-hexane for up to 48 h, sonication was applied for 1-20 min and the protein yield was measured. All samples showed a total residual fat percentage below 1.36%, and a 35% to 94% improvement in protein yield (%). In conclusion, defatting with n-hexane combined with sonication improves the protein yield from insect samples. PMID:29725219

Insects as a Nitrogen Source for Plants

PubMed Central

Behie, Scott W.; Bidochka, Michael J.

2013-01-01

Many plants have evolved adaptations in order to survive in low nitrogen environments. One of the best-known adaptations is that of plant symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria; this is the major route by which nitrogen is incorporated into plant biomass. A portion of this plant-associated nitrogen is then lost to insects through herbivory, and insects represent a nitrogen reservoir that is generally overlooked in nitrogen cycles. In this review we show three specialized plant adaptations that allow for the recovery of insect nitrogen; that is, plants gaining nitrogen from insects. First, we show specialized adaptations by carnivorous plants in low nitrogen habitats. Insect carnivorous plants such as pitcher plants and sundews (Nepenthaceae/Sarraceniaceae and Drosera respectively) are able to obtain substantial amounts of nitrogen from the insects that they capture. Secondly, numerous plants form associations with mycorrhizal fungi that can provide soluble nitrogen from the soil, some of which may be insect-derived nitrogen, obtained from decaying insects or insect frass. Finally, a specialized group of endophytic, insect-pathogenic fungi (EIPF) provide host plants with insect-derived nitrogen. These soil-inhabiting fungi form a remarkable symbiosis with certain plant species. They can infect a wide range of insect hosts and also form endophytic associations in which they transfer insect-derived nitrogen to the plant. Root colonizing fungi are found in disparate fungal phylogenetic lineages, indicating possible convergent evolutionary strategies between taxa, evolution potentially driven by access to carbon-containing root exudates. PMID:26462427

Chemical constituents and insecticidal activities of the essential oil from Amomum tsaoko against two stored-product insects.

PubMed

Wang, Ying; You, Chun-Xue; Wang, Cheng-Fang; Yang, Kai; Chen, Ran; Zhang, Wen-Juan; Du, Shu-Shan; Geng, Zhu-Feng; Deng, Zhi-Wei

2014-01-01

The aim of this research was to determine the chemical constituents and toxicities of the essential oil derived from Amomum tsaoko Crevost et Lemarie fruits against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius). Essential oil of A. tsaoko was obtained from hydrodistillation and was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). GC-MS analysis of the essential oil resulted in the identification of 43 components, of which eucalyptol (23.87%), limonene (22.77%), 2-isopropyltoluene (6.66%) and undecane (5.74%) were the major components. With a further isolation, two active constituents were obtained from the essential oil and identified as eucalyptol and limonene. The essential oil and the two isolated compounds exhibited potential insecticidal activities against two storedproduct insects. Limonene showed pronounced contact toxicity against both insect species (LD50 = 14.97 μg/adult for T. castaneum; 13.66 μg/adult for L. serricorne) and was more toxic than eucalyptol (LD50 = 18.83 μg/adult for T. castaneum; 15.58 μg/adult for L. serricorne). The essential oil acting against the two species of insects showed LD50 values of 16.52 and 6.14 μg/adult, respectively. Eucalyptol also possessed strong fumigant toxicity against both insect species (LC50 = 5.47 mg/L air for T. castaneum; 5.18 mg/L air for L. serricorne) and was more toxic than limonene (LC50 = 6.21 mg/L air for T. castaneum; 14.07 mg/L air for L. serricorne), while the crude essential oil acting against the two species of insects showed LC50 values of 5.85 and 8.70 mg/L air, respectively. These results suggested that the essential oil of A. tsaoko and the two compounds may be used in grain storage to combat insect pests.

The Insect Pathogens.

PubMed

Lovett, Brian; St Leger, Raymond J

2017-03-01

Fungi are the most common disease-causing agents of insects; aside from playing a crucial role in natural ecosystems, insect-killing fungi are being used as alternatives to chemical insecticides and as resources for biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Some common experimentally tractable genera, such as Metarhizium spp., exemplify genetic diversity and dispersal because they contain numerous intraspecific variants with distinct environmental and insect host ranges. The availability of tools for molecular genetics and multiple sequenced genomes has made these fungi ideal experimental models for answering basic questions on the genetic and genomic processes behind adaptive phenotypes. For example, comparative genomics of entomopathogenic fungi has shown they exhibit diverse reproductive modes that often determine rates and patterns of genome evolution and are linked as cause or effect with pathogenic strategies. Fungal-insect pathogens represent lifestyle adaptations that evolved numerous times, and there are significant differences in host range and pathogenic strategies between the major groups. However, typically, spores landing on the cuticle produce appressoria and infection pegs that breach the cuticle using mechanical pressure and cuticle-degrading enzymes. Once inside the insect body cavity, fungal pathogens face a potent and comprehensively studied immune defense by which the host attempts to eliminate or reduce an infection. The Fungal Kingdom stands alone in the range, extent, and complexity of their manipulation of arthropod behavior. In part, this is because most only sporulate on cadavers, so they must ensure the dying host positions itself to allow efficient transmission.

Insect Bites and Stings

MedlinePlus

Most insect bites are harmless, though they sometimes cause discomfort. Bee, wasp, and hornet stings and fire ant bites usually hurt. Mosquito and flea bites usually itch. Insects can also spread diseases. In the United States, ...

Insect and disease activity (2003)

Treesearch

John W. Coulston

2007-01-01

Why Are Insects and Diseases Important? Native insects and diseases are a natural part of ecosystems and are essential to the ecological balance in natural forests (Castello and others 1995). In contrast, nonnative insects and diseases can pose a particular threat because ecosystems often lack natural internal controls of these agents. The activity of both native and...

The Curious Connection Between Insects and Dreams.

PubMed

Klein, Barrett A

2011-12-21

A majority of humans spend their waking hours surrounded by insects, so it should be no surprise that insects also appear in humans' dreams as we sleep. Dreaming about insects has a peculiar history, marked by our desire to explain a dream's significance and by the tactic of evoking emotions by injecting insects in dream-related works of art, film, music, and literature. I surveyed a scattered literature for examples of insects in dreams, first from the practices of dream interpretation, psychiatry, and scientific study, then from fictional writings and popular culture, and finally in the etymology of entomology by highlighting insects with dream-inspired Latinate names. A wealth of insects in dreams, as documented clinically and culturally, attests to the perceived relevance of dreams and to the ubiquity of insects in our lives.

Allergies to Insect Venom

MedlinePlus

... colored clothing. Dark clothing and clothing with flowery designs is more likely to attract insects.  Use unscented ... keep insecticide available. Treatment tips:  Venom immunotherapy (allergy shots to insect venom(s) is highly effective in preventing ...

Efficiency and cost advantages of an advanced-technology nuclear electrolytic hydrogen-energy production facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Donakowski, T. D.; Escher, W. J. D.; Gregory, D. P.

1977-01-01

The concept of an advanced-technology (viz., 1985 technology) nuclear-electrolytic water electrolysis facility was assessed for hydrogen production cost and efficiency expectations. The facility integrates (1) a high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor (HTGR) operating a binary work cycle, (2) direct-current (d-c) electricity generation via acyclic generators, and (3) high-current-density, high-pressure electrolyzers using a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE). All subsystems are close-coupled and optimally interfaced for hydrogen production alone (i.e., without separate production of electrical power). Pipeline-pressure hydrogen and oxygen are produced at 6900 kPa (1000 psi). We found that this advanced facility would produce hydrogen at costs that were approximately half those associated with contemporary-technology nuclear electrolysis: $5.36 versus $10.86/million Btu, respectively. The nuclear-heat-to-hydrogen-energy conversion efficiency for the advanced system was estimated as 43%, versus 25% for the contemporary system.

Multiorganismal insects: diversity and function of resident microorganisms.

PubMed

Douglas, Angela E

2015-01-07

All insects are colonized by microorganisms on the insect exoskeleton, in the gut and hemocoel, and within insect cells. The insect microbiota is generally different from microorganisms in the external environment, including ingested food. Specifically, certain microbial taxa are favored by the conditions and resources in the insect habitat, by their tolerance of insect immunity, and by specific mechanisms for their transmission. The resident microorganisms can promote insect fitness by contributing to nutrition, especially by providing essential amino acids, B vitamins, and, for fungal partners, sterols. Some microorganisms protect their insect hosts against pathogens, parasitoids, and other parasites by synthesizing specific toxins or modifying the insect immune system. Priorities for future research include elucidation of microbial contributions to detoxification, especially of plant allelochemicals in phytophagous insects, and resistance to pathogens; as well as their role in among-insect communication; and the potential value of manipulation of the microbiota to control insect pests.

Multiorganismal Insects: Diversity and Function of Resident Microorganisms

PubMed Central

Douglas, Angela E.

2015-01-01

All insects are colonized by microorganisms on the insect exoskeleton, in the gut and hemocoel, and within insect cells. The insect microbiota is generally different from microorganisms in the external environment, including ingested food. Specifically, certain microbial taxa are favored by the conditions and resources in the insect habitat, by their tolerance of insect immunity, and by specific mechanisms for their transmission. The resident microorganisms can promote insect fitness by contributing to nutrition, especially by providing essential amino acids, B vitamins, and, for fungal partners, sterols. Some microorganisms protect their insect hosts against pathogens, parasitoids, and other parasites by synthesizing specific toxins or modifying the insect immune system. Priorities for future research include elucidation of microbial contributions to detoxification, especially of plant allelochemicals in phytophagous insects, and resistance to pathogens; as well as their role in among-insect communication; and the potential value of manipulation of the microbiota to control insect pests. PMID:25341109

Advances on polyphenism in insects.

PubMed

Xue, Xian-Ci; Yu, Li

2017-09-20

Polyphenism denotes that one genome produces two or more distinct phenotypes due to environmental inductions. Many cases have been reported in insects, for example, metamorphosis, seasonal polyphenism, the caste of eusocial insects and so on. Polyphenism is one of the most important reasons for insects to survive and thrive, because insects can adapt and use the environmental cues around them in order to avoid predators and reproduce by changing their phenotypes. Polyphenism has received growing attentions, ranging from the earlier description of this phenomenon to the exploration of possible inducing factors. With the recent advent of the genomic era, more and more studies based on next generation sequencing, gene knockout and RNA interference have been reported to reveal the molecular mechanism of polyphenism. In this review, we summarize the progresses of the polyphenism in insects and envision prospects of future researches.

Resistance of rice to insect pests mediated by suppression of serotonin biosynthesis.

PubMed

Lu, Hai-Ping; Luo, Ting; Fu, Hao-Wei; Wang, Long; Tan, Yuan-Yuan; Huang, Jian-Zhong; Wang, Qing; Ye, Gong-Yin; Gatehouse, Angharad M R; Lou, Yong-Gen; Shu, Qing-Yao

2018-05-07

Rice is one of the world's most important foods, but its production suffers from insect pests, causing losses of billions of dollars, and extensive use of environmentally damaging pesticides for their control 1,2 . However, the molecular mechanisms of insect resistance remain elusive. Although a few resistance genes for planthopper have been cloned, no rice germplasm is resistant to stem borers. Here, we report that biosynthesis of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in mammals 3 , is induced by insect infestation in rice, and its suppression confers resistance to planthoppers and stem borers, the two most destructive pests of rice 2 . Serotonin and salicylic acid derive from chorismate 4 . In rice, the cytochrome P450 gene CYP71A1 encodes tryptamine 5-hydroxylase, which catalyses conversion of tryptamine to serotonin 5 . In susceptible wild-type rice, planthopper feeding induces biosynthesis of serotonin and salicylic acid, whereas in mutants with an inactivated CYP71A1 gene, no serotonin is produced, salicylic acid levels are higher and plants are more insect resistant. The addition of serotonin to the resistant rice mutant and other brown planthopper-resistant genotypes results in a loss of insect resistance. Similarly, serotonin supplementation in artificial diet enhances the performance of both insects. These insights demonstrate that regulation of serotonin biosynthesis plays an important role in defence, and may prove valuable for breeding insect-resistant cultivars of rice and other cereal crops.

Production of N-acetylgalactosaminyl-transferase 2 (GalNAc-T2) fused with secretory signal Igκ in insect cells.

PubMed

Horynová, Milada; Takahashi, Kazuo; Hall, Stacy; Renfrow, Matthew B; Novak, Jan; Raška, Milan

2012-02-01

The human UDP-N-acetyl-α-d-galactosamine:polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyl-transferase 2 (GalNAc-T2) is one of the key enzymes that initiate synthesis of hinge-region O-linked glycans of human immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1). We designed secreted soluble form of human GalNAc-T2 as a fusion protein containing mouse immunoglobulin light chain kappa secretory signal and expressed it using baculovirus and mammalian expression vectors. The recombinant protein was secreted by insect cells Sf9 and human HEK 293T cells in the culture medium. The protein was purified from the media using affinity Ni-NTA chromatography followed by stabilization of purified protein in 50mM Tris-HCl buffer at pH 7.4. Although the purity of recombinant GalNAc-T2 was comparable in both expression systems, the yield was higher in Sf9 insect expression system (2.5mg of GalNAc-T2 protein per 1L culture medium). The purified soluble recombinant GalNAc-T2 had an estimated molecular mass of 65.8kDa and its amino-acid sequence was confirmed by mass-spectrometric analysis. The enzymatic activity of Sf9-produced recombinant GalNAc-T2 was determined by the quantification of enzyme-mediated attachment of GalNAc to synthetic IgA1 hinge-region peptide as the acceptor and UDP-GalNAc as the donor. In conclusion, murine immunoglobulin kappa secretory signal was used for production of secreted enzymatically active GalNAc-T2 in insect baculovirus expression system. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Curious Connection Between Insects and Dreams

PubMed Central

Klein, Barrett A.

2011-01-01

A majority of humans spend their waking hours surrounded by insects, so it should be no surprise that insects also appear in humans’ dreams as we sleep. Dreaming about insects has a peculiar history, marked by our desire to explain a dream’s significance and by the tactic of evoking emotions by injecting insects in dream-related works of art, film, music, and literature. I surveyed a scattered literature for examples of insects in dreams, first from the practices of dream interpretation, psychiatry, and scientific study, then from fictional writings and popular culture, and finally in the etymology of entomology by highlighting insects with dream-inspired Latinate names. A wealth of insects in dreams, as documented clinically and culturally, attests to the perceived relevance of dreams and to the ubiquity of insects in our lives. PMID:26467945

Insect-plant-pathogen interactions as shaped by future climate: effects on biology, distribution, and implications for agriculture.

PubMed

Trębicki, Piotr; Dáder, Beatriz; Vassiliadis, Simone; Fereres, Alberto

2017-12-01

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is the main anthropogenic gas which has drastically increased since the industrial revolution, and current concentrations are projected to double by the end of this century. As a consequence, elevated CO 2 is expected to alter the earths' climate, increase global temperatures and change weather patterns. This is likely to have both direct and indirect impacts on plants, insect pests, plant pathogens and their distribution, and is therefore problematic for the security of future food production. This review summarizes the latest findings and highlights current knowledge gaps regarding the influence of climate change on insect, plant and pathogen interactions with an emphasis on agriculture and food production. Direct effects of climate change, including increased CO 2 concentration, temperature, patterns of rainfall and severe weather events that impact insects (namely vectors of plant pathogens) are discussed. Elevated CO 2 and temperature, together with plant pathogen infection, can considerably change plant biochemistry and therefore plant defense responses. This can have substantial consequences on insect fecundity, feeding rates, survival, population size, and dispersal. Generally, changes in host plant quality due to elevated CO 2 (e.g., carbon to nitrogen ratios in C3 plants) negatively affect insect pests. However, compensatory feeding, increased population size and distribution have also been reported for some agricultural insect pests. This underlines the importance of additional research on more targeted, individual insect-plant scenarios at specific locations to fully understand the impact of a changing climate on insect-plant-pathogen interactions. © 2017 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Remobilization and export of cadmium from lake sediments by emerging insects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Currie, R.S.; Fairchild, W.L.; Muir, D.C.G.

1997-11-01

Emerging insects including, Diptera, Odonata, Ephemeroptera, and Trichoptera were collected from Lake 382 (L382) in 1991 and 1992 to estimate quantitatively the export of Cd by aquatic insects from a natural system having elevated Cd concentrations in the water and sediment. L382 is a Canadian Shield lake, located within the Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario, that received experimental additions of Cd from 1987 to 1992. Emerging Diptera (mostly Chironomidae), Odonata, and Ephemeroptera had mean Cd concentrations of 1.41, 0.11, and 0.30 {micro}g/g wet weight, respectively. An estimated 1.32 to 3.90 g of Cd per year were exported from themore » sediments of L382 depending on the estimate of production rates used for these groups of insects. Approximately 0.05 to 0.17% of the whole-lake Cd load in L382 sediments was exported annually or 0.12 to 0.39% of the epilimnion Cd sediment load. Insect emergence may have resulted in greater Cd export from L382 relative to losses via the outflow. Cadmium exported from the sediments by insects may be remobilized and become more available to aquatic organisms or enter the terrestrial ecosystem and become available to insectivores.« less

Insects of the riparian

Treesearch

Terrence J. Rogers

1996-01-01

This paper describes life histories, defoliation problems and other activities of insects associated with forest tree species growing along high elevation streams and river banks. In addition, examples of insects and diseases associated with lower elevation riparian areas are given.

Quantifying aquatic insect deposition from lake to land.

PubMed

Dreyer, Jamin; Townsend, Philip A; Hook, James C; Hoekman, David; Vander Zanden, M Jake; Gratton, Claudio

2015-02-01

Adjacent ecosystems are influenced by organisms that move across boundaries, such as insects with aquatic larval stages and terrestrial adult stages, which transport energy and nutrients from water to land. However, the ecosystem-level effect of aquatic insects on land has generally been ignored, perhaps because the organisms themselves are individually small. At the naturally productive Lake Mývatn, Iceland, we used two readily measured quantities: total insect emergence from water and relative insect density on land, to demonstrate an approach for estimating aquatic insect deposition (e.g., kg N x m(-2) x yr(-1)) to shore. Estimates from emergence traps between 2008 and 20.11 indicated a range of 0.15-3.7 g x m(-2) x yr(-1), or a whole-lake emergence of 3.1-76 Mg/yr; all masses are given as dry mass. Using aerial infall trap measurements of midge relative abundance over land, we developed a local-maximum decay function model to predict proportional midge deposition with distance from the lake. The dispersal model predicted midge abundance with R2 = 0.89, a pattern consistent among years, with peak midge deposition occurring 20-25 m inland and 70% of midges deposited within 100 m of shore. During a high-midge year (2008), we estimate midge deposition within the first 50 m of shoreline to be 100 kg xha(-1) x yr(-1), corresponding to inputs of 10 kg N x ha(-1) x yr(-1) and 1 kg P x ha(-1) x yr(-1), or about three to five times above background terrestrial N deposition rates. Consistent with elevated N input where midges are most dense, we observed that soil available nitrate in resin bags decreases with increasing distance from the lake. Our approach, generalizable to other systems, shows that aquatic insects can be a major source of nutrients to terrestrial ecosystems and have the capacity to significantly affect ecosystem processes.

Re-evaluation of insect melanogenesis research: Views from the dark side.

PubMed

Whitten, Miranda M A; Coates, Christopher J

2017-07-01

Melanins (eumelanin and pheomelanin) are synthesized in insects for several purposes including cuticle sclerotization and color patterning, clot formation, organogenesis, and innate immunity. Traditional views of insect immunity detail the storage of pro-phenoloxidases inside specialized blood cells (hemocytes) and their release upon recognition of foreign bodies. Activated phenoloxidases convert monophenols into reactive quinones in a two-step enzymatic reaction, and until recently, the mechanism of tyrosine hydroxylation remained a mystery. Herein, we present our interpretations of these enzyme-substrate complexes. The resultant melanins are deposited onto the surface of microbes to immobilize, agglutinate, and suffocate them. Phenoloxidase activity and melanin production are not limited to the blood (hemolymph) or cuticle, as recent evidence points to more diverse, sophisticated interactions in the gut and with the resident symbionts. This review offers insight into the somewhat neglected areas of insect melanogenesis research, particularly in innate immunity, its role in beneficial insects such as pollinators, the functional versatility of phenoloxidases, and the limitations of common experimental approaches that may impede progress inadvertently. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Insects as alternative hosts for phytopathogenic bacteria.

PubMed

Nadarasah, Geetanchaly; Stavrinides, John

2011-05-01

Phytopathogens have evolved specialized pathogenicity determinants that enable them to colonize their specific plant hosts and cause disease, but their intimate associations with plants also predispose them to frequent encounters with herbivorous insects, providing these phytopathogens with ample opportunity to colonize and eventually evolve alternative associations with insects. Decades of research have revealed that these associations have resulted in the formation of bacterial-vector relationships, in which the insect mediates dissemination of the plant pathogen. Emerging research, however, has highlighted the ability of plant pathogenic bacteria to use insects as alternative hosts, exploiting them as they would their primary plant host. The identification of specific bacterial genetic determinants that mediate the interaction between bacterium and insect suggests that these interactions are not incidental, but have likely arisen following the repeated association of microorganisms with particular insects over evolutionary time. This review will address the biology and ecology of phytopathogenic bacteria that interact with insects, including the traditional role of insects as vectors, as well as the newly emerging paradigm of insects serving as alternative primary hosts. Also discussed is one case where an insect serves as both host and vector, which may represent a transitionary stage in the evolution of insect-phytopathogen associations. © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organic farming favours insect-pollinated over non-insect pollinated forbs in meadows and wheat fields.

PubMed

Batáry, Péter; Sutcliffe, Laura; Dormann, Carsten F; Tscharntke, Teja

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the relative effects of landscape-scale management intensity, local management intensity and edge effect on diversity patterns of insect-pollinated vs. non-insect pollinated forbs in meadows and wheat fields. Nine landscapes were selected differing in percent intensively used agricultural area (IAA), each with a pair of organic and conventional winter wheat fields and a pair of organic and conventional meadows. Within fields, forbs were surveyed at the edge and in the interior. Both diversity and cover of forbs were positively affected by organic management in meadows and wheat fields. This effect, however, differed significantly between pollination types for species richness in both agroecosystem types (i.e. wheat fields and meadows) and for cover in meadows. Thus, we show for the first time in a comprehensive analysis that insect-pollinated plants benefit more from organic management than non-insect pollinated plants regardless of agroecosystem type and landscape complexity. These benefits were more pronounced in meadows than wheat fields. Finally, the community composition of insect-pollinated and non-insect-pollinated forbs differed considerably between management types. In summary, our findings in both agroecosystem types indicate that organic management generally supports a higher species richness and cover of insect-pollinated plants, which is likely to be favourable for the density and diversity of bees and other pollinators.

Organic Farming Favours Insect-Pollinated over Non-Insect Pollinated Forbs in Meadows and Wheat Fields

PubMed Central

Batáry, Péter; Sutcliffe, Laura; Dormann, Carsten F.; Tscharntke, Teja

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the relative effects of landscape-scale management intensity, local management intensity and edge effect on diversity patterns of insect-pollinated vs. non-insect pollinated forbs in meadows and wheat fields. Nine landscapes were selected differing in percent intensively used agricultural area (IAA), each with a pair of organic and conventional winter wheat fields and a pair of organic and conventional meadows. Within fields, forbs were surveyed at the edge and in the interior. Both diversity and cover of forbs were positively affected by organic management in meadows and wheat fields. This effect, however, differed significantly between pollination types for species richness in both agroecosystem types (i.e. wheat fields and meadows) and for cover in meadows. Thus, we show for the first time in a comprehensive analysis that insect-pollinated plants benefit more from organic management than non-insect pollinated plants regardless of agroecosystem type and landscape complexity. These benefits were more pronounced in meadows than wheat fields. Finally, the community composition of insect-pollinated and non-insect-pollinated forbs differed considerably between management types. In summary, our findings in both agroecosystem types indicate that organic management generally supports a higher species richness and cover of insect-pollinated plants, which is likely to be favourable for the density and diversity of bees and other pollinators. PMID:23382979

The world in a box? Food security, edible insects, and "One World, One Health" collaboration.

PubMed

Yates-Doerr, Emily

2015-03-01

Scientists in the Netherlands are cultivating edible insects to address concerns of international food security. Committed to the One World, One Health (OWOH) movement, their research aims to create a safe and effective global solution to the conjoined problems of climate change and an increasing worldwide demand for protein. Their preliminary work is promising, as it suggests that when compared to other sources of meat, insects can be an efficient, safe, and low-impact source of nutrients. Additionally, in many sites with endemic malnutrition, people find insects tasty. The problem these scientists are grappling with, however, is that insects that are easily mass-produced are not the insects people typically want to eat. This paper shows how the contingency of edibility complicates existing scientific models of travel that posit that singular objects spread peripherally outwards from a center into a globally connected, singular world. The scientists are finding that the production of successful food products necessitates that insects be constantly tinkered with: there is no "insect" that can be globally edible since "the global" itself is not a singular entity. This in turn complicates the vision of replicability and "scaling up" inherent in an OWOH vision of science. The researchers' process of moving their goods from the laboratory boxes they work with into the mealtime practices they seek to impact is compelling them to cultivate and articulate new ideals for research, methods of translation, and pathways by which goods can travel. They are finding that if they want to affect the health of "the world," they must engage with many different worlds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting abundance and productivity of blueberry plants under insect defoliation in Alaska

Treesearch

Robin Reich; Nathan Lojewski; John Lundquist; Vanessa Bravo

2018-01-01

Unprecedented outbreaks of defoliating insects severely damaged blueberry crops near Port Graham on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska from 2008-2012. The Native people in this region rely heavily on gathered blueberries and other foods for sustenance and nourishment. Influences of topography and stand structure on blueberry abundance and fruiting were examined and used to...

Advanced technologies for genetically manipulating the silkworm Bombyx mori, a model Lepidopteran insect

PubMed Central

Xu, Hanfu; O'Brochta, David A.

2015-01-01

Genetic technologies based on transposon-mediated transgenesis along with several recently developed genome-editing technologies have become the preferred methods of choice for genetically manipulating many organisms. The silkworm, Bombyx mori, is a Lepidopteran insect of great economic importance because of its use in silk production and because it is a valuable model insect that has greatly enhanced our understanding of the biology of insects, including many agricultural pests. In the past 10 years, great advances have been achieved in the development of genetic technologies in B. mori, including transposon-based technologies that rely on piggyBac-mediated transgenesis and genome-editing technologies that rely on protein- or RNA-guided modification of chromosomes. The successful development and application of these technologies has not only facilitated a better understanding of B. mori and its use as a silk production system, but also provided valuable experiences that have contributed to the development of similar technologies in non-model insects. This review summarizes the technologies currently available for use in B. mori, their application to the study of gene function and their use in genetically modifying B. mori for biotechnology applications. The challenges, solutions and future prospects associated with the development and application of genetic technologies in B. mori are also discussed. PMID:26108630

Exploring Insect Vision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Damonte, Kathleen

2005-01-01

A fly is buzzing around in the kitchen. You sneak up on it with a flyswatter, but just as you get close to it, it flies away. What makes flies and other insects so good at escaping from danger? The fact that insects have eyesight that can easily detect moving objects is one of the things that help them survive. In this month's Science Shorts,…

Hindgut Innate Immunity and Regulation of Fecal Microbiota through Melanization in Insects*

PubMed Central

Shao, Qimiao; Yang, Bing; Xu, Qiuyun; Li, Xuquan; Lu, Zhiqiang; Wang, Chengshu; Huang, Yongping; Söderhäll, Kenneth; Ling, Erjun

2012-01-01

Many insects eat the green leaves of plants but excrete black feces in an as yet unknown mechanism. Insects cannot avoid ingesting pathogens with food that will be specifically detected by the midgut immune system. However, just as in mammals, many pathogens can still escape the insect midgut immune system and arrive in the hindgut, where they are excreted out with the feces. Here we show that the melanization of hindgut content induced by prophenoloxidase, a key enzyme that induces the production of melanin around invaders and at wound sites, is the last line of immune defense to clear bacteria before feces excretion. We used the silkworm Bombyx mori as a model and found that prophenoloxidase produced by hindgut cells is secreted into the hindgut contents. Several experiments were done to clearly demonstrate that the blackening of the insect feces was due to activated phenoloxidase, which served to regulate the number of bacteria in the hindgut. Our analysis of the silkworm hindgut prophenoloxidase discloses the natural secret of why the phytophagous insect feces is black and provides insight into hindgut innate immunity, which is still rather unclear in mammals. PMID:22375003

18 CFR 292.208 - Special requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or diversion. 292.208 Section... 201 AND 210 OF THE PUBLIC UTILITY REGULATORY POLICIES ACT OF 1978 WITH REGARD TO SMALL POWER PRODUCTION AND COGENERATION Qualifying Cogeneration and Small Power Production Facilities § 292.208 Special...

18 CFR 292.208 - Special requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or diversion. 292.208 Section... 201 AND 210 OF THE PUBLIC UTILITY REGULATORY POLICIES ACT OF 1978 WITH REGARD TO SMALL POWER PRODUCTION AND COGENERATION Qualifying Cogeneration and Small Power Production Facilities § 292.208 Special...

Yeast‐insect associations: It takes guts

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Abstract Insects interact with microorganisms in several situations, ranging from the accidental interaction to locate attractive food or the acquisition of essential nutrients missing in the main food source. Despite a wealth of studies recently focused on bacteria, the interactions between insects and yeasts have relevant implications for both of the parties involved. The insect intestine shows several structural and physiological differences among species, but it is generally a hostile environment for many microorganisms, selecting against the most sensitive and at the same time guaranteeing a less competitive environment to resistant ones. An intensive characterization of the interactions between yeasts and insects has highlighted their relevance not only for attraction to food but also for the insect's development and behaviour. Conversely, some yeasts have been shown to benefit from interactions with insects, in some cases by being carried among different environments. In addition, the insect intestine may provide a place to reside for prolonged periods and possibly mate or generate sexual forms able to mate once back in the external environments. YEA‐May‐17‐0084.R3 PMID:29363168

Cultivating Insect Cells To Produce Recombinant Proteins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spaulding, Glenn; Goodwin, Thomas; Prewett, Tacey; Andrews, Angela; Francis, Karen; O'Connor, Kim

1996-01-01

Method of producing recombinant proteins involves growth of insect cells in nutrient solution in cylindrical bioreactor rotating about cylindrical axis, oriented horizontally and infecting cells with viruses into which genes of selected type cloned. Genes in question those encoding production of desired proteins. Horizontal rotating bioreactor preferred for use in method, denoted by acronym "HARV", described in "High-Aspect-Ratio Rotating Cell-Culture Vessel" (MSC-21662).

Insect response to plant defensive protease inhibitors.

PubMed

Zhu-Salzman, Keyan; Zeng, Rensen

2015-01-07

Plant protease inhibitors (PIs) are natural plant defense proteins that inhibit proteases of invading insect herbivores. However, their anti-insect efficacy is determined not only by their potency toward a vulnerable insect system but also by the response of the insect to such a challenge. Through the long history of coevolution with their host plants, insects have developed sophisticated mechanisms to circumvent antinutritional effects of dietary challenges. Their response takes the form of changes in gene expression and the protein repertoire in cells lining the alimentary tract, the first line of defense. Research in insect digestive proteases has revealed the crucial roles they play in insect adaptation to plant PIs and has brought about a new appreciation of how phytophagous insects employ this group of molecules in both protein digestion and counterdefense. This review provides researchers in related fields an up-to-date summary of recent advances.

Insect diversity in the fossil record

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Labandeira, C. C.; Sepkoski, J. J. Jr; Sepkoski JJ, J. r. (Principal Investigator)

1993-01-01

Insects possess a surprisingly extensive fossil record. Compilation of the geochronologic ranges of insect families demonstrates that their diversity exceeds that of preserved vertebrate tetrapods through 91 percent of their evolutionary history. The great diversity of insects was achieved not by high origination rates but rather by low extinction rates comparable to the low rates of slowly evolving marine invertebrate groups. The great radiation of modern insects began 245 million years ago and was not accelerated by the expansion of angiosperms during the Cretaceous period. The basic trophic machinery of insects was in place nearly 100 million years before angiosperms appeared in the fossil record.

Great Basin insect outbreaks

Treesearch

Barbara Bentz; Diane Alston; Ted Evans

2008-01-01

Outbreaks of native and exotic insects are important drivers of ecosystem dynamics in the Great Basin. The following provides an overview of range, forest, ornamental, and agricultural insect outbreaks occurring in the Great Basin and the associated management issues and research needs.

Harnessing insect-microbe chemical communications to control insect pest of agricultural systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Insect pests have long been known to impose serious yield, economic, and food safety problems to managed crops worldwide, and are known to vector microbes, many of which are pathogenic or toxigenic. At the heart of many of these studies has been the vital understanding of the plant-insect interactio...

Commissioning of a CERN Production and Analysis Facility Based on xrootd

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campana, Simone; van der Ster, Daniel C.; Di Girolamo, Alessandro; Peters, Andreas J.; Duellmann, Dirk; Coelho Dos Santos, Miguel; Iven, Jan; Bell, Tim

2011-12-01

The CERN facility hosts the Tier-0 of the four LHC experiments, but as part of WLCG it also offers a platform for production activities and user analysis. The CERN CASTOR storage technology has been extensively tested and utilized for LHC data recording and exporting to external sites according to experiments computing model. On the other hand, to accommodate Grid data processing activities and, more importantly, chaotic user analysis, it was realized that additional functionality was needed including a different throttling mechanism for file access. This paper will describe the xroot-based CERN production and analysis facility for the ATLAS experiment and in particular the experiment use case and data access scenario, the xrootd redirector setup on top of the CASTOR storage system, the commissioning of the system and real life experience for data processing and data analysis.

RNAi Technology for Insect Management and Protection of Beneficial Insects from Diseases: Lessons, Challenges and Risk Assessments.

PubMed

Zotti, M J; Smagghe, G

2015-06-01

The time has passed for us to wonder whether RNA interference (RNAi) effectively controls pest insects or protects beneficial insects from diseases. The RNAi era in insect science began with studies of gene function and genetics that paved the way for the development of novel and highly specific approaches for the management of pest insects and, more recently, for the treatment and prevention of diseases in beneficial insects. The slight differences in components of RNAi pathways are sufficient to provide a high degree of variation in responsiveness among insects. The current framework to assess the negative effects of genetically modified (GM) plants on human health is adequate for RNAi-based GM plants. Because of the mode of action of RNAi and the lack of genomic data for most exposed non-target organisms, it becomes difficult to determine the environmental risks posed by RNAi-based technologies and the benefits provided for the protection of crops. A better understanding of the mechanisms that determine the variability in the sensitivity of insects would accelerate the worldwide release of commercial RNAi-based approaches.

Distribution of the Primary Endosymbiont (Candidatus Uzinura Diaspidicola) Within Host Insects from the Scale Insect Family Diaspididae

PubMed Central

Gruwell, Matthew E.; Flarhety, Meghan; Dittmar, Katharina

2012-01-01

It has long been known that armored scale insects harbor endosymbiotic bacteria inside specialized cells called bacteriocytes. Originally, these endosymbionts were thought to be fungal symbionts but they are now known to be bacterial and have been named Uzinura diaspidicola. Bacteriocyte and endosymbiont distribution patterns within host insects were visualized using in situ hybridization via 16S rRNA specific probes. Images of scale insect embryos, eggs and adult scale insects show patterns of localized bacteriocytes in embryos and randomly distributed bacteriocytes in adults. The symbiont pocket was not found in the armored scale insect eggs that were tested. The pattern of dispersed bacteriocytes in adult scale insects suggest that Uzinura and Blattabacteria may share some homologous traits that coincide with similar life style requirements, such as dispersal in fat bodies and uric acid recycling. PMID:26467959

Potential applications of insect symbionts in biotechnology.

PubMed

Berasategui, Aileen; Shukla, Shantanu; Salem, Hassan; Kaltenpoth, Martin

2016-02-01

Symbiotic interactions between insects and microorganisms are widespread in nature and are often the source of ecological innovations. In addition to supplementing their host with essential nutrients, microbial symbionts can produce enzymes that help degrade their food source as well as small molecules that defend against pathogens, parasites, and predators. As such, the study of insect ecology and symbiosis represents an important source of chemical compounds and enzymes with potential biotechnological value. In addition, the knowledge on insect symbiosis can provide novel avenues for the control of agricultural pest insects and vectors of human diseases, through targeted manipulation of the symbionts or the host-symbiont associations. Here, we discuss different insect-microbe interactions that can be exploited for insect pest and human disease control, as well as in human medicine and industrial processes. Our aim is to raise awareness that insect symbionts can be interesting sources of biotechnological applications and that knowledge on insect ecology can guide targeted efforts to discover microorganisms of applied value.

Gasification Product Improvement Facility (GPIF). Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-09-01

The gasifier selected for development under this contract is an innovative and patented hybrid technology which combines the best features of both fixed-bed and fluidized-bed types. PyGas{trademark}, meaning Pyrolysis Gasification, is well suited for integration into advanced power cycles such as IGCC. It is also well matched to hot gas clean-up technologies currently in development. Unlike other gasification technologies, PyGas can be designed into both large and small scale systems. It is expected that partial repowering with PyGas could be done at a cost of electricity of only 2.78 cents/kWh, more economical than natural gas repowering. It is extremely unfortunatemore » that Government funding for such a noble cause is becoming reduced to the point where current contracts must be canceled. The Gasification Product Improvement Facility (GPIF) project was initiated to provide a test facility to support early commercialization of advanced fixed-bed coal gasification technology at a cost approaching $1,000 per kilowatt for electric power generation applications. The project was to include an innovative, advanced, air-blown, pressurized, fixed-bed, dry-bottom gasifier and a follow-on hot metal oxide gas desulfurization sub-system. To help defray the cost of testing materials, the facility was to be located at a nearby utility coal fired generating site. The patented PyGas{trademark} technology was selected via a competitive bidding process as the candidate which best fit overall DOE objectives. The paper describes the accomplishments to date.« less

Transcriptomic data from panarthropods shed new light on the evolution of insulator binding proteins in insects : Insect insulator proteins.

PubMed

Pauli, Thomas; Vedder, Lucia; Dowling, Daniel; Petersen, Malte; Meusemann, Karen; Donath, Alexander; Peters, Ralph S; Podsiadlowski, Lars; Mayer, Christoph; Liu, Shanlin; Zhou, Xin; Heger, Peter; Wiehe, Thomas; Hering, Lars; Mayer, Georg; Misof, Bernhard; Niehuis, Oliver

2016-11-03

Body plan development in multi-cellular organisms is largely determined by homeotic genes. Expression of homeotic genes, in turn, is partially regulated by insulator binding proteins (IBPs). While only a few enhancer blocking IBPs have been identified in vertebrates, the common fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster harbors at least twelve different enhancer blocking IBPs. We screened recently compiled insect transcriptomes from the 1KITE project and genomic and transcriptomic data from public databases, aiming to trace the origin of IBPs in insects and other arthropods. Our study shows that the last common ancestor of insects (Hexapoda) already possessed a substantial number of IBPs. Specifically, of the known twelve insect IBPs, at least three (i.e., CP190, Su(Hw), and CTCF) already existed prior to the evolution of insects. Furthermore we found GAF orthologs in early branching insect orders, including Zygentoma (silverfish and firebrats) and Diplura (two-pronged bristletails). Mod(mdg4) is most likely a derived feature of Neoptera, while Pita is likely an evolutionary novelty of holometabolous insects. Zw5 appears to be restricted to schizophoran flies, whereas BEAF-32, ZIPIC and the Elba complex, are probably unique to the genus Drosophila. Selection models indicate that insect IBPs evolved under neutral or purifying selection. Our results suggest that a substantial number of IBPs either pre-date the evolution of insects or evolved early during insect evolution. This suggests an evolutionary history of insulator binding proteins in insects different to that previously thought. Moreover, our study demonstrates the versatility of the 1KITE transcriptomic data for comparative analyses in insects and other arthropods.

Interfacing insect brain for space applications.

PubMed

Di Pino, Giovanni; Seidl, Tobias; Benvenuto, Antonella; Sergi, Fabrizio; Campolo, Domenico; Accoto, Dino; Maria Rossini, Paolo; Guglielmelli, Eugenio

2009-01-01

Insects exhibit remarkable navigation capabilities that current control architectures are still far from successfully mimic and reproduce. In this chapter, we present the results of a study on conceptualizing insect/machine hybrid controllers for improving autonomy of exploratory vehicles. First, the different principally possible levels of interfacing between insect and machine are examined followed by a review of current approaches towards hybridity and enabling technologies. Based on the insights of this activity, we propose a double hybrid control architecture which hinges around the concept of "insect-in-a-cockpit." It integrates both biological/artificial (insect/robot) modules and deliberative/reactive behavior. The basic assumption is that "low-level" tasks are managed by the robot, while the "insect intelligence" is exploited whenever high-level problem solving and decision making is required. Both neural and natural interfacing have been considered to achieve robustness and redundancy of exchanged information.

Herbivory increases diversification across insect clades

PubMed Central

Wiens, John J.; Lapoint, Richard T.; Whiteman, Noah K.

2015-01-01

Insects contain more than half of all living species, but the causes of their remarkable diversity remain poorly understood. Many authors have suggested that herbivory has accelerated diversification in many insect clades. However, others have questioned the role of herbivory in insect diversification. Here, we test the relationships between herbivory and insect diversification across multiple scales. We find a strong, positive relationship between herbivory and diversification among insect orders. However, herbivory explains less variation in diversification within some orders (Diptera, Hemiptera) or shows no significant relationship with diversification in others (Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera). Thus, we support the overall importance of herbivory for insect diversification, but also show that its impacts can vary across scales and clades. In summary, our results illuminate the causes of species richness patterns in a group containing most living species, and show the importance of ecological impacts on diversification in explaining the diversity of life. PMID:26399434

Herbivory increases diversification across insect clades.

PubMed

Wiens, John J; Lapoint, Richard T; Whiteman, Noah K

2015-09-24

Insects contain more than half of all living species, but the causes of their remarkable diversity remain poorly understood. Many authors have suggested that herbivory has accelerated diversification in many insect clades. However, others have questioned the role of herbivory in insect diversification. Here, we test the relationships between herbivory and insect diversification across multiple scales. We find a strong, positive relationship between herbivory and diversification among insect orders. However, herbivory explains less variation in diversification within some orders (Diptera, Hemiptera) or shows no significant relationship with diversification in others (Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera). Thus, we support the overall importance of herbivory for insect diversification, but also show that its impacts can vary across scales and clades. In summary, our results illuminate the causes of species richness patterns in a group containing most living species, and show the importance of ecological impacts on diversification in explaining the diversity of life.

Insect Immunity to Entomopathogenic Fungi.

PubMed

Lu, H-L; St Leger, R J

2016-01-01

The study of infection and immunity in insects has achieved considerable prominence with the appreciation that their host defense mechanisms share many fundamental characteristics with the innate immune system of vertebrates. Studies on the highly tractable model organism Drosophila in particular have led to a detailed understanding of conserved innate immunity networks, such as Toll. However, most of these studies have used opportunistic human pathogens and may not have revealed specialized immune strategies that have arisen through evolutionary arms races with natural insect pathogens. Fungi are the commonest natural insect pathogens, and in this review, we focus on studies using Metarhizium and Beauveria spp. that have addressed immune system function and pathogen virulence via behavioral avoidance, the use of physical barriers, and the activation of local and systemic immune responses. In particular, we highlight studies on the evolutionary genetics of insect immunity and discuss insect-pathogen coevolution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Double strand RNA oral delivery methods to induce RNA interference in phloem and plant-sap-feeding insects

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phloem and plant sap feeding insect pests invade the integrity of crops and fruits to retrieve nutrients in the process damaging food productivity. Hemipteran insects account for a number of economically substantial pests of plants that cause damage to crops by feeding on phloem sap. Halyomorpha hal...

An Automated Flying-Insect-Detection System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vann, Timi; Andrews, Jane C.; Howell, Dane; Ryan, Robert

2005-01-01

An automated flying-insect-detection system (AFIDS) was developed as a proof-of-concept instrument for real-time detection and identification of flying insects. This type of system has use in public health and homeland security decision support, agriculture and military pest management, and/or entomological research. Insects are first lured into the AFIDS integrated sphere by insect attractants. Once inside the sphere, the insect's wing beats cause alterations in light intensity that is detected by a photoelectric sensor. Following detection, the insects are encouraged (with the use of a small fan) to move out of the sphere and into a designated insect trap where they are held for taxonomic identification or serological testing. The acquired electronic wing beat signatures are preprocessed (Fourier transformed) in real-time to display a periodic signal. These signals are sent to the end user where they are graphically displayed. All AFIDS data are pre-processed in the field with the use of a laptop computer equipped with LABVIEW. The AFIDS software can be programmed to run continuously or at specific time intervals when insects are prevalent. A special DC-restored transimpedance amplifier reduces the contributions of low-frequency background light signals, and affords approximately two orders of magnitude greater AC gain than conventional amplifiers. This greatly increases the signal-to-noise ratio and enables the detection of small changes in light intensity. The AFIDS light source consists of high-intensity Al GaInP light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The AFIDS circuitry minimizes brightness fluctuations in the LEDs and when integrated with an integrating sphere, creates a diffuse uniform light field. The insect wing beats isotropically scatter the diffuse light in the sphere and create wing beat signatures that are detected by the sensor. This configuration minimizes variations in signal associated with insect flight orientation.

Isolation and characterization of mold fungi and insects infecting sawmill wood, and their inhibition by gamma radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalawate, Aparna; Mehetre, Sayaji

2015-12-01

This article describes the isolation, identification, and characterization of wood-rotting fungi and insects, and their inhibition was studied using gamma radiation. Products manufactured from plantation timber species are deteriorated by wood-rotting fungi such as Hypocrea lixii, Fusarium proliferatum, and Aspergillus flavus, and insects such as powderpost beetles. Proper preservation methods are necessary for ensuring a long service life of wood products. In this study, wood samples were treated with 2.5% copper ethanolamine boron (CEB) (10% w/v) and subsequently irradiated with gamma rays (10 kGy). It was observed that CEB-treated and gamma-irradiated samples controlled fungi and powderpost beetles significantly. As wood is a dead organic material, penetration of chemicals into it is very difficult. Gamma rays easily pass through wooden objects with hidden eggs and dormant spores of insects and fungi, respectively. Gamma irradiation was proved very effective in reducing damage caused by both fungi and insects.

Insect Peptides - Perspectives in Human Diseases Treatment.

PubMed

Chowanski, Szymon; Adamski, Zbigniew; Lubawy, Jan; Marciniak, Pawel; Pacholska-Bogalska, Joanna; Slocinska, Malgorzata; Spochacz, Marta; Szymczak, Monika; Urbanski, Arkadiusz; Walkowiak-Nowicka, Karolina; Rosinski, Grzegorz

2017-01-01

Insects are the largest and the most widely distributed group of animals in the world. Their diversity is a source of incredible variety of different mechanisms of life processes regulation. There are many agents that regulate immunology, reproduction, growth and development or metabolism. Hence, it seems that insects may be a source of numerous substances useful in human diseases treatment. Especially important in the regulation of insect physiology are peptides, like neuropeptides, peptide hormones or antimicrobial peptides. There are two main aspects where they can be helpful, 1) Peptides isolated from insects may become potential drugs in therapy of different diseases, 2) A lot of insect peptide hormones show structural or functional homology to mammalian peptide hormones and the comparative studies may give a new look on human disorders. In our review we focused on three group of insect derived peptides: 1) immune-active peptides, 2) peptide hormones and 3) peptides present in venoms. In our review we try to show the considerable potential of insect peptides in searching for new solutions for mammalian diseases treatment. We summarise the knowledge about properties of insect peptides against different virulent agents, anti-inflammatory or anti-nociceptive properties as well as compare insect and mammalian/vertebrate peptide endocrine system to indicate usefulness of knowledge about insect peptide hormones in drug design. The field of possible using of insect delivered peptide to therapy of various human diseases is still not sufficiently explored. Undoubtedly, more attention should be paid to insects due to searching new drugs. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Monitoring the agricultural landscape for insect resistance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casas, Joseph; Glaser, J. A.; Copenhaver, Ken

Farmers in 25 countries on six continents are using plant biotechnology to solve difficult crop production challenges and conserve the environment. In fact, 13.3 million farmers, which include 90 percent of the farming in developing countries, choose to plant biotech crops. Over the past decade, farmers increased area planted in genetically modified (GM) crops by more than 10 percent each year, thus increasing their farm income by more than 44 billion US dollars (1996-2007), and achieved economic, environmental and social benefits in crops such as soybeans, canola, corn and cotton. To date, total acres of biotech crops harvested exceed more than 2 billion with a proven 13-year history of safe use. Over the next decade, expanded adoption combined with current research on 57 crops in 63 countries will broaden the advantages of genetically modified foods for growers, consumers and the environment. Genetically modified (GM) crops with the ability to produce toxins lethal to specific insect pests are covering a larger percentage of the agricultural landscape every year. The United States department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated that 63 percent of corn and 65 percent of cotton contained these specific genetic traits in 2009. The toxins could protect billions of dollars of loss from insect damage for crops valued at greater than 165 billion US dollars in 2008. The stable and efficient production of these crops has taken on even more importance in recent years with their use, not only as a food source, but now also a source of fuel. It is in the best interest of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to ensure the continued efficacy of toxin producing GM crops as their use reduces pesticides harmful to humans and animals. However, population genetics models have indicated the risk of insect pests developing resistance to these toxins if a high percentage of acreage is grown in these crops. The USEPA is developing methods to monitor the agricultural

18 CFR 292.209 - Exceptions from requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or diversion. 292.209... Exceptions from requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or... the Federal Power Act, at which non-Federal hydroelectric development is permissible; or (2) An...

18 CFR 292.209 - Exceptions from requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or diversion. 292.209... Exceptions from requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or... the Federal Power Act, at which non-Federal hydroelectric development is permissible; or (2) An...

18 CFR 292.209 - Exceptions from requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or diversion. 292.209... Exceptions from requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or... the Federal Power Act, at which non-Federal hydroelectric development is permissible; or (2) An...

77 FR 64999 - Guidance for Industry: Necessity of the Use of Food Product Categories in Food Facility...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-24

...] Guidance for Industry: Necessity of the Use of Food Product Categories in Food Facility Registrations and... industry entitled ``Necessity of the Use of Food Product Categories in Food Facility Registrations and... made available a draft guidance entitled ``Guidance for Industry: Necessity of the Use of Food [[Page...

7 CFR 51.2122 - Insect injury.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Insect injury. 51.2122 Section 51.2122 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing... insect, web, or frass is present or there is definite evidence of insect feeding. ...

Magnetic compasses in insects

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The use of magnetic information for orientation and navigation is a widespread phenomenon in animals. In contrast to navigational systems in vertebrates, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the insect magnetic perception and use of the information is at an early stage. Some insects use ma...

Attention-like processes in insects

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Attention is fundamentally important for sensory systems to focus on behaviourally relevant stimuli. It has therefore been an important field of study in human psychology and neuroscience. Primates, however, are not the only animals that might benefit from attention-like processes. Other animals, including insects, also have to use their senses and select one among many stimuli to forage, avoid predators and find mates. They have evolved different mechanisms to reduce the information processed by their brains to focus on only relevant stimuli. What are the mechanisms used by insects to selectively attend to visual and auditory stimuli? Do these attention-like mechanisms achieve the same functions as they do in primates? To investigate these questions, I use an established framework for investigating attention in non-human animals that proposes four fundamental components of attention: salience filters, competitive selection, top-down sensitivity control and working memory. I discuss evidence for each of these component processes in insects and compare the characteristics of these processes in insects to what we know from primates. Finally, I highlight important outstanding questions about insect attention that need to be addressed for us to understand the differences and similarities between vertebrate and insect attention. PMID:27852803

Attention-like processes in insects.

PubMed

Nityananda, Vivek

2016-11-16

Attention is fundamentally important for sensory systems to focus on behaviourally relevant stimuli. It has therefore been an important field of study in human psychology and neuroscience. Primates, however, are not the only animals that might benefit from attention-like processes. Other animals, including insects, also have to use their senses and select one among many stimuli to forage, avoid predators and find mates. They have evolved different mechanisms to reduce the information processed by their brains to focus on only relevant stimuli. What are the mechanisms used by insects to selectively attend to visual and auditory stimuli? Do these attention-like mechanisms achieve the same functions as they do in primates? To investigate these questions, I use an established framework for investigating attention in non-human animals that proposes four fundamental components of attention: salience filters, competitive selection, top-down sensitivity control and working memory. I discuss evidence for each of these component processes in insects and compare the characteristics of these processes in insects to what we know from primates. Finally, I highlight important outstanding questions about insect attention that need to be addressed for us to understand the differences and similarities between vertebrate and insect attention. © 2016 The Author(s).

ORAL INSECT REPELLENTS - INSECT TASTE RECEPTORS AND THEIR ACTION,

DTIC Science & Technology

CULICIDAE, * CHEMORECEPTORS ), INSECT REPELLENTS, ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, STIMULATION(PHYSIOLOGY), ELECTROLYTES(PHYSIOLOGY), BLOOD, INGESTION(PHYSIOLOGY), REPRODUCTION(PHYSIOLOGY), NUTRITION, ENTOMOLOGY, AEDES, MOUTH

Evolutionary plasticity of insect immunity.

PubMed

Vilcinskas, Andreas

2013-02-01

Many insect genomes have been sequenced and the innate immune responses of several species have been studied by transcriptomics, inviting the comparative analysis of immunity-related genes. Such studies have demonstrated significant evolutionary plasticity, with the emergence of novel proteins and protein domains correlated with insects adapting to both abiotic and biotic environmental stresses. This review article focuses on effector molecules such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and proteinase inhibitors, which display greater evolutionary dynamism than conserved components such as immunity-related signaling molecules. There is increasing evidence to support an extended role for insect AMPs beyond defense against pathogens, including the management of beneficial endosymbionts. The total number of AMPs varies among insects with completed genome sequences, providing intriguing examples of immunity gene expansion and loss. This plasticity is discussed in the context of recent developments in evolutionary ecology suggesting that the maintenance and deployment of immune responses reallocates resources from other fitness-related traits thus requiring fitness trade-offs. Based on our recent studies using both model and non-model insects, I propose that insect immunity genes can be lost when alternative defense strategies with a lower fitness penalty have evolved, such as the so-called social immunity in bees, the chemical sanitation of the microenvironment by some beetles, and the release of antimicrobial secondary metabolites in the hemolymph. Conversely, recent studies provide evidence for the expansion and functional diversification of insect AMPs and proteinase inhibitors to reflect coevolution with a changing pathosphere and/or adaptations to habitats or food associated with microbial contamination. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-heating by large insect larvae?

PubMed

Cooley, Nikita L; Emlen, Douglas J; Woods, H Arthur

2016-12-01

Do insect larvae ever self-heat significantly from their own metabolic activity and, if so, under what sets of environmental temperatures and across what ranges of body size? We examine these questions using larvae of the Japanese rhinoceros beetle (Trypoxylus dichotomus), chosen for their large size (>20g), simple body plan, and underground lifestyle. Using CO 2 respirometry, we measured larval metabolic rates then converted measured rates of gas exchange into rates of heat production and developed a mathematical model to predict how much steady state body temperatures of underground insects would increase above ambient depending on body size. Collectively, our results suggest that large, extant larvae (20-30g body mass) can self-heat by at most 2°C, and under many common conditions (shallow depths, moister soils) would self-heat by less than 1°C. By extending the model to even larger (hypothetical) body sizes, we show that underground insects with masses >1kg could heat, in warm, dry soils, by 1.5-6°C or more. Additional experiments showed that larval critical thermal maxima (CT max ) were in excess of 43.5°C and that larvae could behaviorally thermoregulate on a thermal gradient bar. Together, these results suggest that large larvae living underground likely regulate their temperatures primarily using behavior; self-heating by metabolism likely contributes little to their heat budgets, at least in most common soil conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 51.2290 - Insect injury.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Insect injury. 51.2290 Section 51.2290 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing... means that the insect, web, frass or other evidence of insects is present on the portion of kernel. ...

Insect Control (1): Use of Pheromones

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marx, Jean L.

1973-01-01

Discusses current research relating to the use of pheromones as a means of controlling insect pests. These chemicals, which are secreted by insects to affect the behavior of other individuals of the same species, may be used to eliminate pests without destroying their predators and other beneficial insects. (JR)

Intracellular regulation of the insect chemoreceptor complex impacts odour localization in flying insects.

PubMed

Getahun, Merid N; Thoma, Michael; Lavista-Llanos, Sofia; Keesey, Ian; Fandino, Richard A; Knaden, Markus; Wicher, Dieter; Olsson, Shannon B; Hansson, Bill S

2016-11-01

Flying insects are well known for airborne odour tracking and have evolved diverse chemoreceptors. While ionotropic receptors (IRs) are found across protostomes, insect odorant receptors (ORs) have only been identified in winged insects. We therefore hypothesized that the unique signal transduction of ORs offers an advantage for odour localization in flight. Using Drosophila, we found expression and increased activity of the intracellular signalling protein PKC in antennal sensilla following odour stimulation. Odour stimulation also enhanced phosphorylation of the OR co-receptor Orco in vitro, while site-directed mutation of Orco or mutations in PKC subtypes reduced the sensitivity and dynamic range of OR-expressing neurons in vivo, but not IR-expressing neurons. We ultimately show that these mutations reduce competence for odour localization of flies in flight. We conclude that intracellular regulation of OR sensitivity is necessary for efficient odour localization, which suggests a mechanistic advantage for the evolution of the OR complex in flying insects. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Vision in flying insects.

PubMed

Egelhaaf, Martin; Kern, Roland

2002-12-01

Vision guides flight behaviour in numerous insects. Despite their small brain, insects easily outperform current man-made autonomous vehicles in many respects. Examples are the virtuosic chasing manoeuvres male flies perform as part of their mating behaviour and the ability of bees to assess, on the basis of visual motion cues, the distance travelled in a novel environment. Analyses at both the behavioural and neuronal levels are beginning to unveil reasons for such extraordinary capabilities of insects. One recipe for their success is the adaptation of visual information processing to the specific requirements of the behavioural tasks and to the specific spatiotemporal properties of the natural input.

Following insects around: tools and techniques of eighteenth-century natural history.

PubMed

Terrall, Mary

2010-12-01

This paper examines the movement of the materials, ideas and practices that went into the construction of natural-historical observations in Paris and the French provinces--in particular, observations of insects. The paired notions of circulation and locality expose the complex dynamic at play in the production of knowledge about these mundane creatures. I show how the movement of things and people problematizes the notion of a single 'centre of calculation', even where a dominant figure like Réaumur was managing collections and producing authoritative texts. Réaumur was indeed managing the flow of observations, letters and specimens from his privileged vantage point in Paris, but he was not the only one doing the processing, and the objects and knowledge flowed in all directions. The paper uses correspondence among eighteenth-century naturalists of various sorts to get at the dynamics of circulation, tracing the movements of insects, bits of text or narrative, drawings, letters, questions, apparatus, books and people. My title refers to the activities of naturalists, who had to follow insects around in order to observe them, and to my own activity in following the insects in their movement through letters, conversations, specimen jars, drawings and texts. My research depends on the accumulation of details about experimental and observational practice, culled from the masses of letters that moved continually around Europe, much as the science of insects depended on the accumulation of details about insects--their physiology, habits, metamorphosis and place in the human economy and the economy of nature.

An Automated Flying-Insect Detection System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vann, Timi; Andrews, Jane C.; Howell, Dane; Ryan, Robert

2007-01-01

An automated flying-insect detection system (AFIDS) was developed as a proof-of-concept instrument for real-time detection and identification of flying insects. This type of system has use in public health and homeland-security decision support, agriculture and military pest management, and/or entomological research. Insects are first lured into the AFIDS integrated sphere by insect attractants. Once inside the sphere, the insect s wing beats cause alterations in light intensity that is detected by a photoelectric sensor. Following detection, the insects are encouraged (with the use of a small fan) to move out of the sphere and into a designated insect trap where they are held for taxonomic identification or serological testing. The acquired electronic wing-beat signatures are preprocessed (Fourier transformed) in real time to display a periodic signal. These signals are sent to the end user where they are graphically. All AFIDS data are preprocessed in the field with the use of a laptop computer equipped with LabVIEW. The AFIDS software can be programmed to run continuously or at specific time intervals when insects are prevalent. A special DC-restored transimpedance amplifier reduces the contributions of low-frequency background light signals, and affords approximately two orders of magnitude greater AC gain than conventional amplifiers. This greatly increases the signal-to-noise ratio and enables the detection of small changes in light intensity. The AFIDS light source consists of high-intensity Al-GaInP light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The AFIDS circuitry minimizes brightness fluctuations in the LEDs and when integrated with an integrating sphere, creates a diffuse uniform light field. The insect wing beats isotropically scatter the diffuse light in the sphere and create wing-beat signatures that are detected by the sensor. This configuration minimizes variations in signal associated with insect flight orientation. Preliminary data indicate that AFIDS has

Learning and cognition in insects.

PubMed

Giurfa, Martin

2015-01-01

Insects possess small brains but exhibit sophisticated behavioral performances. Recent works have reported the existence of unsuspected cognitive capabilities in various insect species, which go beyond the traditional studied framework of simple associative learning. In this study, I focus on capabilities such as attention, social learning, individual recognition, concept learning, and metacognition, and discuss their presence and mechanistic bases in insects. I analyze whether these behaviors can be explained on the basis of elemental associative learning or, on the contrary, require higher-order explanations. In doing this, I highlight experimental challenges and suggest future directions for investigating the neurobiology of higher-order learning in insects, with the goal of uncovering l architectures underlying cognitive processing. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

18 CFR 292.209 - Exceptions from requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or diversion. 292.209... Exceptions from requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or... license or exemption is filed for a project located at a Government dam, as defined in section 3(10) of...

18 CFR 292.209 - Exceptions from requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or diversion. 292.209... Exceptions from requirements for hydroelectric small power production facilities located at a new dam or... license or exemption is filed for a project located at a Government dam, as defined in section 3(10) of...

Limited mobility of target pests crucially lowers controllability when sterile insect releases are spatiotemporally biased.

PubMed

Ikegawa, Yusuke; Himuro, Chihiro

2017-05-21

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a genetic pest control method wherein mass-reared sterile insects are periodically released into the wild, thereby impeding the successful reproduction of fertile pests. In Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, the SIT has been implemented to eradicate the West Indian sweet potato weevil Euscepes postfasciatus (Fairmaire), which is a flightless agricultural pest of sweet potatoes. It is known that E. postfasciatus is much less mobile than other insects to which the SIT has been applied. However, previous theoretical studies have rarely examined effects of low mobility of target pests and variation in the spatiotemporal evenness of sterile insect releases. To theoretically examine the effects of spatiotemporal evenness on the regional eradication of less mobile pests, we constructed a simple two-patch population model comprised of a pest and sterile insect moving between two habitats, and numerically simulated different release strategies (varying the number of released sterile insects and release intervals). We found that spatially biased releases allowed the pest to spatially escape from the sterile insect, and thus intensively lowered its controllability. However, we showed that the temporally counterbalancing spatially biased releases by swapping the number of released insects in the two habitats at every release (called temporal balancing) could greatly mitigate this negative effect and promote the controllability. We also showed that the negative effect of spatiotemporally biased releases was a result of the limited mobility of the target insect. Although directed dispersal of the insects in response to habitats of differing quality could lower the controllability in the more productive habitat, the temporal balancing could promote and eventually maximize the controllability as released insects increased. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimates of Radioxenon Released from Southern Hemisphere Medical isotope Production Facilities Using Measured Air Concentrations and Atmospheric Transport Modeling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eslinger, Paul W.; Friese, Judah I.; Lowrey, Justin D.

2014-09-01

Abstract The International Monitoring System (IMS) of the Comprehensive-Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty monitors the atmosphere for radioactive xenon leaking from underground nuclear explosions. Emissions from medical isotope production represent a challenging background signal when determining whether measured radioxenon in the atmosphere is associated with a nuclear explosion prohibited by the treaty. The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) operates a reactor and medical isotope production facility in Lucas Heights, Australia. This study uses two years of release data from the ANSTO medical isotope production facility and Xe-133 data from three IMS sampling locations to estimate the annual releases of Xe-133 from medicalmore » isotope production facilities in Argentina, South Africa, and Indonesia. Atmospheric dilution factors derived from a global atmospheric transport model were used in an optimization scheme to estimate annual release values by facility. The annual releases of about 6.8×1014 Bq from the ANSTO medical isotope production facility are in good agreement with the sampled concentrations at these three IMS sampling locations. Annual release estimates for the facility in South Africa vary from 1.2×1016 to 2.5×1016 Bq and estimates for the facility in Indonesia vary from 6.1×1013 to 3.6×1014 Bq. Although some releases from the facility in Argentina may reach these IMS sampling locations, the solution to the objective function is insensitive to the magnitude of those releases.« less

Insect evolution.

PubMed

Engel, Michael S

2015-10-05

It goes without saying that insects epitomize diversity, and with over a million documented species they stand out as one of the most remarkable lineages in the 3.5-billion-year history of life on earth (Figure 1). This reality is passé to even the layperson and is taken for granted in the same way none of us think much of our breathing as we go about our day, and yet insects are just as vital to our existence. Insects are simultaneously familiar and foreign to us, and while a small fraction are beloved or reviled, most are simply ignored. These inexorable evolutionary overachievers outnumber us all, their segmented body plan is remarkably labile, they combine a capacity for high rates of speciation with low levels of natural extinction, and their history of successes eclipses those of the more familiar ages of dinosaurs and mammals alike. It is their evolution - persisting over vast expanses of geological time and inextricably implicated in the diversification of other lineages - that stands as one of the most expansive subjects in biology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of nanotechnology in agriculture with special reference to management of insect pests.

PubMed

Rai, Mahendra; Ingle, Avinash

2012-04-01

Nanotechnology is a promising field of interdisciplinary research. It opens up a wide array of opportunities in various fields like medicine, pharmaceuticals, electronics and agriculture. The potential uses and benefits of nanotechnology are enormous. These include insect pests management through the formulations of nanomaterials-based pesticides and insecticides, enhancement of agricultural productivity using bio-conjugated nanoparticles (encapsulation) for slow release of nutrients and water, nanoparticle-mediated gene or DNA transfer in plants for the development of insect pest-resistant varieties and use of nanomaterials for preparation of different kind of biosensors, which would be useful in remote sensing devices required for precision farming. Traditional strategies like integrated pest management used in agriculture are insufficient, and application of chemical pesticides like DDT have adverse effects on animals and human beings apart from the decline in soil fertility. Therefore, nanotechnology would provide green and efficient alternatives for the management of insect pests in agriculture without harming the nature. This review is focused on traditional strategies used for the management of insect pests, limitations of use of chemical pesticides and potential of nanomaterials in insect pest management as modern approaches of nanotechnology.

Are insect repellents toxic to freshwater insects? A case study using caddisflies exposed to DEET.

PubMed

Campos, Diana; Gravato, Carlos; Quintaneiro, Carla; Koba, Olga; Randak, Tomas; Soares, Amadeu M V M; Pestana, João L T

2016-04-01

Stream ecosystems face ever-increasing pressures by the presence of emergent contaminants, such as, personal care products. N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) is a synthetic insect repellent that is being found in surface waters environments in concentrations up to 33.4 μg/L. Information concerning DEET's toxicity in the aquatic environment is still limited and focused only on its acute effects on model species. Our main objective was to assess the effects of DEET exposure to a caddisfly non-target species using sub-lethal endpoints. For that, we chose Sericostoma vittatum, an important shredder in Portuguese freshwaters that has been already used in different ecotoxicological assays. Besides acute tests, S. vittatum were exposed during 6 days to a gradient of DEET concentrations (8, 18 and 40.5 mg/L) to assess effects on feeding behaviour and biochemical responses, such as, lipid peroxidation levels (LPO), catalase and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities, and also assess effects on energy reserves and consumption. Acute tests revealed a 48 h-LC50 of 80.12 mg/L and DEET exposure caused feeding inhibition with a LOEC of 36.80 mg/L. Concerning the biochemical responses, DEET caused no effects in LPO nor on catalase activity. A non-significant decrease in AChE activity was observed. Regarding energetic reserves, exposure to DEET caused a significant reduction in S. vittatum carbohydrates levels. These results add important information for the risk assessment of insect repellents in the aquatic environment and suggest that reported environmental concentrations of DEET are not toxic to non-target freshwater insects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protecting Yourself from Stinging Insects

MedlinePlus

... at risk of being stung by flying insects (bees, wasps, and hornets) and fire ants. While most ... by several stinging insects, run to get away. (Bees release a chemical when they sting, which attracts ...

Colour constancy in insects.

PubMed

Chittka, Lars; Faruq, Samia; Skorupski, Peter; Werner, Annette

2014-06-01

Colour constancy is the perceptual phenomenon that the colour of an object appears largely unchanged, even if the spectral composition of the illuminating light changes. Colour constancy has been found in all insect species so far tested. Especially the pollinating insects offer a remarkable opportunity to study the ecological significance of colour constancy since they spend much of their adult lives identifying and choosing between colour targets (flowers) under continuously changing ambient lighting conditions. In bees, whose colour vision is best studied among the insects, the compensation provided by colour constancy is only partial and its efficiency depends on the area of colour space. There is no evidence for complete 'discounting' of the illuminant in bees, and the spectral composition of the light can itself be used as adaptive information. In patchy illumination, bees adjust their spatial foraging to minimise transitions between variously illuminated zones. Modelling allows the quantification of the adaptive benefits of various colour constancy mechanisms in the economy of nature. We also discuss the neural mechanisms and cognitive operations that might underpin colour constancy in insects.

Gadolinium-148 and other spallation production cross section measurements for accelerator target facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelley, Karen Corzine

At the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center accelerator complex, protons are accelerated to 800 MeV and directed to two tungsten targets, Target 4 at the Weapons Neutron Research facility and the 1L target at the Lujan Center. The Department of Energy requires hazard classification analyses to be performed on these targets and places limits on certain radionuclide inventories in the targets to avoid characterizing the facilities as "nuclear facilities." Gadolinium-148 is a radionuclide created from the spallation of tungsten. Allowed isotopic inventories are particularly low for this isotope because it is an alpha-particle emitter with a 75-year half-life. The activity level of Gadolinium-148 is low, but it encompasses almost two-thirds of the total dose burden for the two tungsten targets based on present yield estimates. From a hazard classification standpoint, this severely limits the lifetime of these tungsten targets. The cross section is not well-established experimentally and this is the motivation for measuring the Gadolinium-148 production cross section from tungsten. In a series of experiments at the Weapons Neutron Research facility, Gadolinium-148 production was measured for 600- and 800-MeV protons on tungsten, tantalum, and gold. These experiments used 3 mum thin tungsten, tantalum, and gold foils and 10 mum thin aluminum activation foils. In addition, spallation yields were determined for many short-lived and long-lived spallation products with these foils using gamma and alpha spectroscopy and compared with predictions of the Los Alamos National Laboratory codes CEM2k+GEM2 and MCNPX. The cumulative Gadolinium-148 production cross section measured from tantalum, tungsten, and gold for incident 600-MeV protons were 15.2 +/- 4.0, 8.31 +/- 0.92, and 0.591 +/- 0.155, respectively. The average production cross sections measured at 800 MeV were 28.6 +/- 3.5, 19.4 +/- 1.8, and 3.69 +/- 0.50 for tantalum, tungsten, and gold, respectively. These cumulative

Isozyme studies of forest insect populations

Treesearch

Molly W. Stock

1981-01-01

Data from isozyme analyses are being used to help answer many basic biological questions about forest insect pests and to provide information for a variety of other purposes as well. This paper summarizes the uses of isozymes in quality control of laboratory insect colonies, in studies of insecticide response, as markers of insect parasitoids, and in investigations of...

Safety and advantages of Bacillus thuringiensis-protected plants to control insect pests.

PubMed

Betz, F S; Hammond, B G; Fuchs, R L

2000-10-01

Plants modified to express insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (referred to as Bt-protected plants) provide a safe and highly effective method of insect control. Bt-protected corn, cotton, and potato were introduced into the United States in 1995/1996 and grown on a total of approximately 10 million acres in 1997, 20 million acres in 1998, and 29 million acres globally in 1999. The extremely rapid adoption of these Bt-protected crops demonstrates the outstanding grower satisfaction of the performance and value of these products. These crops provide highly effective control of major insect pests such as the European corn borer, southwestern corn borer, tobacco budworm, cotton bollworm, pink bollworm, and Colorado potato beetle and reduce reliance on conventional chemical pesticides. They have provided notably higher yields in cotton and corn. The estimated total net savings to the grower using Bt-protected cotton in the United States was approximately $92 million in 1998. Other benefits of these crops include reduced levels of the fungal toxin fumonisin in corn and the opportunity for supplemental pest control by beneficial insects due to the reduced use of broad-spectrum insecticides. Insect resistance management plans are being implemented to ensure the prolonged effectiveness of these products. Extensive testing of Bt-protected crops has been conducted which establishes the safety of these products to humans, animals, and the environment. Acute, subchronic, and chronic toxicology studies conducted over the past 40 years establish the safety of the microbial Bt products, including their expressed insecticidal (Cry) proteins, which are fully approved for marketing. Mammalian toxicology and digestive fate studies, which have been conducted with the proteins produced in the currently approved Bt-protected plant products, have confirmed that these Cry proteins are nontoxic to humans and pose no significant concern for allergenicity. Food and feed derived

Recent advances of rearing cabinet instrumentation and control system for insect stock culture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermawan, Wawan; Kasmara, Hikmat; Melanie, Panatarani, Camellia; Joni, I. Made

2017-01-01

Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) is one of a serious pest of horticulture in Indonesia. Helicoverpa armigera Nuclear Polyhedrovirus (HaNPV) has attracted interest for many researchers as a pest control for larvae of this species. Currently, we investigating the agrochemical formulations of HaNPV by introducing nanotechnology. Thus it is required an acceptable efficiency of insect stock cultures equipped with advance instruments to resolve the difficulties on insect stock seasons dependency. In addition, it is important to improve the insect survival with the aid of artificial natural environment and gain high insect production. This paper reports the rearing cabinet used as preparation of stock culture includes air-conditioning system, lighting, i.e. day and night control, and the main principles on recent technical and procedural advances apparatus of the system. The rearing system was moveable, designed and build by allowing air-conditioned cabinet for rearing insects, air motion and distribution as well as temperature and humidity being precisely controlled. The air was heated, humidified, and dehumidified respectively using a heater and ultrasonic nebulizer as actuators. Temperature and humidity can be controlled at any desired levels from room temperature (20°C) to 40 ± 1°C and from 0 to 80% RH with an accuracy of ±3% R.H. It is concluded that the recent design has acceptable performance based on the defined requirement for insect rearing and storage.

Lean coding machine. Facilities target productivity and job satisfaction with coding automation.

PubMed

Rollins, Genna

2010-07-01

Facilities are turning to coding automation to help manage the volume of electronic documentation, streamlining workflow, boosting productivity, and increasing job satisfaction. As EHR adoption increases, computer-assisted coding may become a necessity, not an option.

Exploring the Influence of Differentiated Nutrition Information on Consumers' Mental Models Regarding Foods from Edible Insects: A Means-End Chain Analysis.

PubMed

Pambo, Kennedy O; Okello, Julius J; Mbeche, Robert M; Kinyuru, John N

2017-01-01

This study used a field experiment and means-end chain analysis to examine the effects of positive and perceived negative nutrition information on the households' motivations to consume insect-based foods. It used a random sample of households drawn from rural communities in Kenya. The study found that provision of nutrition information on benefits of edible insects and perceived negative aspects of insect-based foods influences participants' perceptions of insect-based foods and hence acceptance. We also found that tasting real products influenced the nature of mental constructs. The results provide marketers of edible insects with potential marketing messages for promotion.

Ethanol production in small- to medium-size facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiler, E. A.; Coble, C. G.; Oneal, H. P.; Sweeten, J. M.; Reidenbach, V. G.; Schelling, G. T.; Lawhon, J. T.; Kay, R. D.; Lepori, W. A.; Aldred, W. H.

1982-04-01

In early 1980 system design criteria were developed for a small-scale ethanol production plant. The plant was eventually installed on November 1, 1980. It has a production capacity of 30 liters per hour; this can be increased easily (if desired) to 60 liters per hour with additional fermentation tanks. Sixty-six test runs were conducted to date in the alcohol production facility. Feedstocks evaluated in these tests include: corn (28 runs); grain sorghum (33 runs); grain sorghum grits (1 run); half corn/half sorghum (1 run); and sugarcane juice (3 runs). In addition, a small bench-scale fermentation and distillation system was used to evaluate sugarcane and sweet sorghum feedstocks prior to their evaluation in the larger unit. In each of these tests, evaluation of the following items was conducted: preprocessing requirements; operational problems; conversion efficiency (for example, liters of alcohol produced per kilogram of feedstock); energy balance and efficiency; nutritional recovery from stillage; solids separation by screw press; chemical characterization of stillage including liquid and solids fractions; wastewater requirements; and air pollution potential.

Resilience in social insect infrastructure systems

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Both human and insect societies depend on complex and highly coordinated infrastructure systems, such as communication networks, supply chains and transportation networks. Like human-designed infrastructure systems, those of social insects are regularly subject to disruptions such as natural disasters, blockages or breaks in the transportation network, fluctuations in supply and/or demand, outbreaks of disease and loss of individuals. Unlike human-designed systems, there is no deliberate planning or centralized control system; rather, individual insects make simple decisions based on local information. How do these highly decentralized, leaderless systems deal with disruption? What factors make a social insect system resilient, and which factors lead to its collapse? In this review, we bring together literature on resilience in three key social insect infrastructure systems: transportation networks, supply chains and communication networks. We describe how systems differentially invest in three pathways to resilience: resistance, redirection or reconstruction. We suggest that investment in particular resistance pathways is related to the severity and frequency of disturbance. In the final section, we lay out a prospectus for future research. Human infrastructure networks are rapidly becoming decentralized and interconnected; indeed, more like social insect infrastructures. Human infrastructure management might therefore learn from social insect researchers, who can in turn make use of the mature analytical and simulation tools developed for the study of human infrastructure resilience. PMID:26962030

Resilience in social insect infrastructure systems.

PubMed

Middleton, Eliza J T; Latty, Tanya

2016-03-01

Both human and insect societies depend on complex and highly coordinated infrastructure systems, such as communication networks, supply chains and transportation networks. Like human-designed infrastructure systems, those of social insects are regularly subject to disruptions such as natural disasters, blockages or breaks in the transportation network, fluctuations in supply and/or demand, outbreaks of disease and loss of individuals. Unlike human-designed systems, there is no deliberate planning or centralized control system; rather, individual insects make simple decisions based on local information. How do these highly decentralized, leaderless systems deal with disruption? What factors make a social insect system resilient, and which factors lead to its collapse? In this review, we bring together literature on resilience in three key social insect infrastructure systems: transportation networks, supply chains and communication networks. We describe how systems differentially invest in three pathways to resilience: resistance, redirection or reconstruction. We suggest that investment in particular resistance pathways is related to the severity and frequency of disturbance. In the final section, we lay out a prospectus for future research. Human infrastructure networks are rapidly becoming decentralized and interconnected; indeed, more like social insect infrastructures. Human infrastructure management might therefore learn from social insect researchers, who can in turn make use of the mature analytical and simulation tools developed for the study of human infrastructure resilience. © 2016 The Author(s).

Effect of the Presence of Live or Dead Insects on Subsequent Captures of Six Stored-Product Beetle Species: The Relative Species Matters.

PubMed

Athanassiou, Christos G; Kavallieratos, Nickolas G; Campbell, James F

2017-04-01

In trapping programs prior capture of individuals of the same or different species may influence subsequent attractiveness of the trap. To evaluate this process with stored-product insects, the effect of the presence of dead or alive adults in traps on the behavioral responses of six stored-product insect species, Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val, T. castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Sitophilus oryzae (L.), S. granarius (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) and O. mercator (Fauvel) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae), was studied in choice tests under laboratory conditions. Two series of tests were carried out. In the first series, the choice was between either alive or dead adults of same species and blank (no adults). Overall, dead adults had the strongest influence, increasing the response of S. oryzae, S. granarius, O. surinamensis, and O. mercator and decreasing the response of the two Tribolium species. Presence of alive adults generally did not result in a response different from blank, except for T. castaneum and O. surinamensis that had a reduced response. In the second series of tests, the choice was between alive or dead individuals of the species vs. alive or dead individuals of its relative cogeneric species. For choices between alive individuals, S. oryzae, S. granarius, and O. surinamensis showed a preference for alive individuals of the same species vs. the cogeneric species, and for all the other species there was no preference. For choices between dead individuals, T. castaneum exhibited a preference for individuals of the same species, while S. oryzae, S. granarius, and O. mercator showed a preference for individuals of the cogeneric species, and all other combinations did exhibit a preference. Our results suggest that traps containing alive and dead individuals of the same and other species can seriously affect the response and capture of additional insects. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University

Application of Genomics for Understanding Plant Virus-Insect Vector Interactions and Insect Vector Control.

PubMed

Kaur, Navneet; Hasegawa, Daniel K; Ling, Kai-Shu; Wintermantel, William M

2016-10-01

The relationships between plant viruses and their vectors have evolved over the millennia, and yet, studies on viruses began <150 years ago and investigations into the virus and vector interactions even more recently. The advent of next generation sequencing, including rapid genome and transcriptome analysis, methods for evaluation of small RNAs, and the related disciplines of proteomics and metabolomics offer a significant shift in the ability to elucidate molecular mechanisms involved in virus infection and transmission by insect vectors. Genomic technologies offer an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of insect vectors to the presence of ingested viruses through gene expression changes and altered biochemical pathways. This review focuses on the interactions between viruses and their whitefly or thrips vectors and on potential applications of genomics-driven control of the insect vectors. Recent studies have evaluated gene expression in vectors during feeding on plants infected with begomoviruses, criniviruses, and tospoviruses, which exhibit very different types of virus-vector interactions. These studies demonstrate the advantages of genomics and the potential complementary studies that rapidly advance our understanding of the biology of virus transmission by insect vectors and offer additional opportunities to design novel genetic strategies to manage insect vectors and the viruses they transmit.

Cross-ecosystem fluxes: Export of polyunsaturated fatty acids from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems via emerging insects.

PubMed

Martin-Creuzburg, Dominik; Kowarik, Carmen; Straile, Dietmar

2017-01-15

Cross-ecosystem fluxes can crucially influence the productivity of adjacent habitats. Emerging aquatic insects represent one important pathway through which freshwater-derived organic matter can enter terrestrial food webs. Aquatic insects may be of superior food quality for terrestrial consumers because they contain high concentrations of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). We quantified the export of PUFA via emerging insects from a midsize, mesotrophic lake. Insects were collected using emergence traps installed above different water depths and subjected to fatty acid analyses. Insect emergence from different depth zones and seasonal mean fatty acid concentrations in different insect groups were used to estimate PUFA fluxes. In total, 80.5mg PUFA m -2 yr -1 were exported, of which 32.8mgm -2 yr -1 were eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 7.8mgm -2 yr -1 were arachidonic acid (ARA), and 2.6mgm -2 yr -1 were docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). While Chironomidae contributed most to insect biomass and total PUFA export, Chaoborus flavicans contributed most to the export of EPA, ARA, and especially DHA. The export of total insect biomass from one square meter declined with depth and the timing at which 50% of total insect biomass emerged was correlated with the water depths over which the traps were installed, suggesting that insect-mediated PUFA fluxes are strongly affected by lake morphometry. Applying a conceptual model developed to assess insect deposition rates on land to our insect-mediated PUFA export data revealed an average total PUFA deposition rate of 150mgm -2 yr -1 within 100m inland from the shore. We propose that PUFA export can be reliably estimated using taxon-specific information on emergent insect biomass and seasonal mean body PUFA concentrations of adult insects provided here. Our data indicate that insect-mediated PUFA fluxes from lakes are substantial, implying that freshwater-derived PUFA can crucially influence food web processes in adjacent

Insect Consumption to Address Undernutrition, a National Survey on the Prevalence of Insect Consumption among Adults and Vendors in Laos.

PubMed

Barennes, Hubert; Phimmasane, Maniphet; Rajaonarivo, Christian

2015-01-01

Insect consumption (entomophagy) is a potentially high nutritious and healthy source of food with high fat, protein, vitamin, fiber and micronutrient content. At least 2 billion people globally eat insects (over 1900 edible species) though this habit is regarded negatively by others. There is a limited amount of data on the perception and consumption of insects. We conducted a national cross-sectional survey in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos) to assess the prevalence and characteristics of insect consumption among adult lay people and insect vendors. We conducted a multi stage randomized national survey in 1303 households in 96 villages in 16 Lao provinces. Three insect vendors or collectors per village were also included. A standardized pretested questionnaire addressed the following issues: socioeconomic characteristics, type of insects consumed and frequency of consumption, reasons and trends in consumption as well as reports on side effects, over the last 10 years. A total of 1059 adults (Sex ratio F/M: 1.2, 30 ethnic groups), and 256 vendors were enrolled. A total of 1025 (96.8%) lay people were currently insect consumers, 135 (13.0%) daily or weekly consumers, and 322 (31.1%) consumed several times per month. For the majority (575, 55.6%) the consumption was infrequent (less than a few times per year) and only 22 (2%) had never eaten insects. Consumption started in childhood. Insect availability was seasonal (670, 63.2%) and respondents would have eaten more insects, if they had been more available (919, 86.7%). Hmong and Leu ethnic groups had significantly lower consumption levels than the general population. Eggs of weaver ants, short-tailed crickets, crickets, grasshoppers, and cicadas were the top 5 insects consumed. Consumption had decreased in the last decade, mostly due to less availability (869; 84.0%) and change of life (29; 5.5%). Of 1059, 80 (7.5%) reported allergy problems and 106 (10.0%) reported some use in traditional medicine. A

Insect Consumption to Address Undernutrition, a National Survey on the Prevalence of Insect Consumption among Adults and Vendors in Laos

PubMed Central

Barennes, Hubert; Phimmasane, Maniphet; Rajaonarivo, Christian

2015-01-01

Background Insect consumption (entomophagy) is a potentially high nutritious and healthy source of food with high fat, protein, vitamin, fiber and micronutrient content. At least 2 billion people globally eat insects (over 1900 edible species) though this habit is regarded negatively by others. There is a limited amount of data on the perception and consumption of insects. We conducted a national cross-sectional survey in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) to assess the prevalence and characteristics of insect consumption among adult lay people and insect vendors. Methods We conducted a multi stage randomized national survey in 1303 households in 96 villages in 16 Lao provinces. Three insect vendors or collectors per village were also included. A standardized pretested questionnaire addressed the following issues: socioeconomic characteristics, type of insects consumed and frequency of consumption, reasons and trends in consumption as well as reports on side effects, over the last 10 years. Results A total of 1059 adults (Sex ratio F/M: 1.2, 30 ethnic groups), and 256 vendors were enrolled. A total of 1025 (96.8%) lay people were currently insect consumers, 135 (13.0%) daily or weekly consumers, and 322 (31.1%) consumed several times per month. For the majority (575, 55.6%) the consumption was infrequent (less than a few times per year) and only 22 (2%) had never eaten insects. Consumption started in childhood. Insect availability was seasonal (670, 63.2%) and respondents would have eaten more insects, if they had been more available (919, 86.7%). Hmong and Leu ethnic groups had significantly lower consumption levels than the general population. Eggs of weaver ants, short-tailed crickets, crickets, grasshoppers, and cicadas were the top 5 insects consumed. Consumption had decreased in the last decade, mostly due to less availability (869; 84.0%) and change of life (29; 5.5%). Of 1059, 80 (7.5%) reported allergy problems and 106 (10.0%) reported some use

Interactive effects of cultivation, insect control, and fungal disease control in organic peanut production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

During previous organic peanut weed management trials, maintenance pesticides were not applied and it was observed that insect infestations and disease epidemics were not problematic. This was surprising considering that conventional peanut are routinely treated with insecticides and fungicides to ...

U.S. EPA, Pesticide Product Label, RIB-72 RESIDUAL INSECT SPRAY, 12/18/1977

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

2011-04-14

... Ie . , •. j1'" '111' .. ,' 1 RIB 72 Re~ldual Insect Spray Spri1\\, resrrkp, ,.,' I' :."t· ... ,t(:1 n'. ·'I~:··. epo$l! ,,~~ d'!e(: Or. 'lL' P' .", ; I . • . " .J'. : .. q plJnt"" ...

Insects--How To Study Them

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, E. G.

1975-01-01

Describes an approach to the study of entomology directed at people with no special knowledge of insects. The aim of this approach is to reveal some biological principles by studying insects from an ecological point of view. (GS)

Bugs, butterflies, and spiders: children's understandings about insects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shepardson, Daniel P.

2002-06-01

This article explores elementary children's ideas about insects. The study involved 20 children from each grade level, kindergarten through fifth-grade, for a total of 120 children. The data collection procedure was designed to investigate what an insect means to children, through the use of three different tasks: draw and explain, interview about instances, and the formulation of a general rule. Considering children's responses to the three tasks, I found that their ideas about insects reflect understandings based on physical characteristics of size and shape, arthropod characteristics, insect characteristics, human-insect interactions, life habits of insects, feeding habits of insects, and means of locomotion. Children's understandings are juxtaposed to that of a scientific perspective, elucidating implications for curriculum development and instructional practice.

Towards the elements of successful insect RNAi.

PubMed

Scott, Jeffrey G; Michel, Kristin; Bartholomay, Lyric C; Siegfried, Blair D; Hunter, Wayne B; Smagghe, Guy; Zhu, Kun Yan; Douglas, Angela E

2013-12-01

RNA interference (RNAi), the sequence-specific suppression of gene expression, offers great opportunities for insect science, especially to analyze gene function, manage pest populations, and reduce disease pathogens. The accumulating body of literature on insect RNAi has revealed that the efficiency of RNAi varies between different species, the mode of RNAi delivery, and the genes being targeted. There is also variation in the duration of transcript suppression. At present, we have a limited capacity to predict the ideal experimental strategy for RNAi of a particular gene/insect because of our incomplete understanding of whether and how the RNAi signal is amplified and spread among insect cells. Consequently, development of the optimal RNAi protocols is a highly empirical process. This limitation can be relieved by systematic analysis of the molecular physiological basis of RNAi mechanisms in insects. An enhanced conceptual understanding of RNAi function in insects will facilitate the application of RNAi for dissection of gene function, and to fast-track the application of RNAi to both control pests and develop effective methods to protect beneficial insects and non-insect arthropods, particularly the honey bee (Apis mellifera) and cultured Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) from viral and parasitic diseases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Qpais: A Web-Based Expert System for Assistedidentification of Quarantine Stored Insect Pests