Termites encounter a diverse array of potentially useful and harmful fungi in their subterranean habitats. These vary from symbiotic to harmful species with varying levels of virulence. How these hemiedaphic insects survive in habitats with infective fungi is not well understood. Possible mediation of olfactory signals in avoiding contact with entomopathogenic fungi has been explored by a number of workers. In the present study, we initially found that Macrotermes michaelseni detected a virulent isolate of Metarhizium anisopliae from some distance and avoided direct physical contact. We hypothesized that there may be a relationship between virulence and repellency of different isolates of M. anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana to the termite. We compared these for selected isolates of the two fungi. Positive correlations between the two parameters for both sets of isolates of the fungi were obtained. The results show an interesting co-evolutionary phenomenon in which the termite's response to either M. anisopliae or B. bassiana is directly related to potential harm these fungi can inflict on the insect and that the virulent strains are more likely to be recognized from some distance and avoided.

Despite advances in HIV treatment and care, the current care landscape is inadequate to meet women's comprehensive care needs. A women-centered approach to HIV care, as envisioned by women living with HIV, is central to guiding policy and practice to improve care and outcomes for women living with HIV in Canada.

No abstract

The repellency of the essential oil of the shrub Cleome monophylla (Family: Capparidaceae) and identified constituents of the oil were evaluated against the livestock tick, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and the maize weevil, Sitophillus zeamais. In a tick climbing repellency bioassay, the oil of C. monophylla exhibited repellency which, at the highest dose, was comparable to that of the commercial arthropod repellent N, N‐diethyl toluamide (DEET). In a Y‐tube olfactometer bioassay, C. monophylla oil showed higher or comparable repellency against S. zeamais relative to DEET at all the doses tested. 14 Compounds were identified in the C. monophylla oil by GC, GC‐MS and coinjection with authentic samples. Terpenolene was found to occur in largest quantity (14%) followed by 1‐α‐terpeneol (10%), pentacosane (9%), (α + β)‐humulene (8%), phytol (5%) and 2‐dodecanone (4%). The most repellent components against R. appendiculatus and S. zeamais were 1‐α‐terpeneol and 2‐dodecanone. The overall pattern of repellency activity of the C. monophylla constituents with respect to the two arthropods was, however, different. The potential of C. monophylla in tick and maize weevil control is discussed.

We investigated conspecific and heterospecific oviposition host discrimination among four economically important fruit fly pests of mango in Africa (Ceratitis capitata, Wiedemann; C. fasciventris, Bezzi; C. rosa, Karsch, and C. cosyra, Walker) with regard to host-marking behavior and fecal matter aqueous solutions. The objective of the study was to get insight into the potential of managing these pests using the host-marking technique. Observations were done on mango slices marked by the flies and treated with aqueous solutions of fecal matter of the flies, respectively. In both host-marking and fecal matter experiments, C. cosyra, which is the most destructive species of the four on mango, was exceptional. It only discriminated against hosts treated with its fecal matter but with lower sensitivity while C. capitata and C.fasciventris discriminated against hosts marked by it or treated with its fecal matter and with higher sensitivity. Our results provide evidence for potential of managing some of the major fruit fly species infesting mango in Africa using the host-marking pheromone of the mango fruit fly, C. cosyra.