Plastic polymers are widely used in agriculture, industry, and our daily life because of their convenient and economic properties. However, pollution caused by plastic polymers, especially polyethylene (PE), affects both animal and human health when they aggregate in the environment, as they are not easily degraded under natural conditions. In this study, Enterobacter sp. D1 was isolated from the guts of wax moth (Galleria mellonella). Microbial colonies formed around a PE film after 14 days of cultivation with D1. Roughness, depressions, and cracks were detected on the surface of the PE film by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed the presence of carbonyl functional groups and ether groups on the PE film that was treated with D1. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) also revealed that the contents of certain alcohols, esters, and acids were increased as a result of the D1 treatment, indicating that oxidation reaction occurred on the surface of the PE film treated with D1 bacteria. These observations confirmed that D1 bacteria has an ability to degrade PE.
The oriental fruit moth (OFM), Grapholita molesta (Busck), is one of the dominant fruit-boring pests worldwide. In order to conduct integrated control of OFM effectively, it is important to predict the optimum control period. OFM populations have been monitored either by the number of trapped male moths exposed to sex pheromones or by the number of trapped male and female moths using food traps in orchards. The mating status and development stage of the trapped moths have not been characterized. The present paper studies the anatomical morphology of the OFM reproductive system at different development periods. The results revealed that OFM ovarian development can be divided into six stages. The average daily fecundity of OFM had an excellent positive correlation (r = 0.86) with the percentages of OFM in the egg maturation & oviposition stage, which could be used as an indicator in field population prediction work. There were obvious differences in the morphology of the corpus bursa and the heavy muscular area of the ductus ejaculatorius simplex before and after mating, and these differences could be used to increase the accuracy in predicting the optimum OFM control period.
Understanding the distribution patterns and underlying maintenance mechanisms of insect species is a core issue in the field of insect ecology. However, research gaps remain regarding the environmental factors that determine the distribution of insect species along altitudinal gradients in Guandi Mountain, China. Here, we explored these determinants based on the distribution pattern and diversity of insect species from 1600 m to 2800 m in the Guandi Mountain, which covers all typical vegetation ecosystems in this area. Our results showed that the insect community showed certain differentiation characteristics with the altitude gradient. The results of RDA and correlation analysis also support the above speculation and indicate that soil physicochemical properties are closely related to the distribution and diversity of insect taxa orders along the altitude gradient. In addition, the soil temperature showed an obvious decreasing trend with increasing altitude, and temperature was also the most significant environmental factor affecting the insect community structure and diversity on the altitude gradient. These findings provide a reference for exploring the maintenance mechanisms affecting the structure, distribution pattern, and diversity of insect communities in mountain ecosystems, and the effects of global warming on insect communities.
The peach fruit moth (PFM), Carposina sasakii Matsumura (Lepidoptera: Carposinidae), a severe pest of Ziziphus jujuba Miller fruit trees (jujube, Rhamnaceae) mainly grown in China, has increasingly hindered the development of the jujube industry in recent years. In order to provide a theoretical basis for a physical obstruction method, we evaluated the effect of three commonly sold physical barriers on PFM host‐searching behavior. Two principal volatiles generated by the jujube tree, α‐farnesene and cis‐3‐hexenyl acetate (leaf acetate), were used as references to detect electroantennography (EAG) response values of 2‐, 4‐, and 6‐day‐old PFM adults. The results indicated different EAG responses toward α‐farnesene and leaf acetate between different ages of PFM, and males responded differently than females. The EAG responses were stronger in 4‐day‐old males to leaf acetate and in 2‐day‐old females to α‐farnesene. The two‐choice behavioral Y‐tube olfactometer assay confirmed that PFM was strongly attracted to α‐farnesene and leaf acetate. We determined the EAG and behavioral responses of PFM after spraying three kinds of physical barriers: Liquid Film Fruit Bag, High Lipid Film, and Jujube Protection No. 1. We obtained strong inhibitory effects on PFM attraction to both volatile lures using these barriers, including negative taxis by both females and males to Liquid Film Fruit Bag and Jujube Protection No. 1. We can infer that Liquid Film Fruit Bag is the most promising potential physical barrier for PFM control, with Jujube Protection No. 1 ranking as second‐best.
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