Gut content analysis to distinguish between seed feeding and mycophagy of a biphyllid beetle larva found on Acacia melanoxylon

In a search for potential biocontrol agents for Acacia melanoxylon R. Br. (Mimosaceae), larvae of the beetle Diplocoelus dilataticollis Lea (Coleoptera; Biphyllidae) were found within damaged seeds of A. melanoxylon. The gut contents of larvae and adults were examined to determine whether their diet included seeds, in apparent contradiction to the known mycophagous diet of members of this family of beetles. Calcofluor M2R White, a plant cell-wall staining optical brightener was used to differentiate between plant cell fragments and fungal tissue in the gut content smears. Gut contents of adults of a known seed predator of A. melanoxylon, a weevil of the genus Melanterius, were examined in the same way to provide a benchmark. The gut contents of D. dilataticollis differed from those of Melanterius sp. Fungal structures and microbes were found in the gut of D. dilataticollis, in contrast to plant cell fragments found in the gut of the weevil and from scrapes made directly from seeds. We conclude that larvae of D. dilataticollis feed primarily on fungi associated with damaged seed and therefore may not be the proximate cause of seed damage.

Pollination ecology of the Australian cycad Lepidozamia peroffskyana (Zamiaceae)

Experiments carried out to investigate the reproductive ecology of the Australian cycad Lepidozamia peroffskyana (Regal, Bull. Soc. Imp. Nat. Mosc. 1857, 1: 184) revealed that this species is pollinated exclusively by host-specific Tranes weevils (Pascoe 1875). The weevils carry out their life cycle within the tissues of the male cones but also visit the female cones in large numbers. Female cones from which insects ( but not wind) were excluded had a pollination rate that was essentially zero. In contrast, female cones from which wind ( but not insects) were excluded had a pollination rate comparable with naturally pollinated cones. Assessment of Tranes weevil pollen load indicated that they are effective pollen-carriers. No other potential insect pollinators were observed on cones of L. peroffskyana. Sampling of airborne loads of cycad pollen indicated that wind-dispersed grains were not consistently recorded beyond a 2-m radius surrounding pollen-shedding male cones. The airborne load of cycad pollen in the vicinity of pollination-receptive female cones was minimal, and the spatial distribution of the coning population indicated that receptive female cones did not usually occur close enough to pollen-shedding male cones for airborne transfer of pollen to explain observed natural rates of seed set. These multiple lines of evidence suggest that wind-once considered the only pollination vector for cycads and other gymnosperms-plays only a minimal role in the pollination of L. peroffskyana, if any at all. The global diversity of insects associated with cycads suggests that some lineages of pollinating beetles may have been associated with cycad cones since Mesozoic times.

A broad-scale analysis of links between coastal fisheries production and mangrove extent: A case-study for northeastern Australia

The paradigm that mangroves are critical for sustaining production in coastal fisheries is widely accepted, but empirical evidence has been tenuous. This study showed that links between mangrove extent and coastal fisheries production could be detected for some species at a broad regional scale (1000s of kilometres) on the east coast of Queensland, Australia. The relationships between catch-per-unit-effort for different commercially caught species in four fisheries (trawl, line, net and pot fisheries) and mangrove characteristics, estimated from Landsat images were examined using multiple regression analyses. The species were categorised into three groups based on information on their life history characteristics, namely mangrove-related species (banana prawns Penaeus merguiensis, mud crabs Scylla serrata and barramundi Lates calcarifer), estuarine species (tiger prawns Penaeus esculentus and Penaeus semisulcatus, blue swimmer crabs Portunus pelagicus and blue threadfin Eleutheronema tetradactylum) and offshore species (coral trout Plectropomus spp.). For the mangrove-related species, mangrove characteristics such as area and perimeter accounted for most of the variation in the model; for the non-mangrove estuarine species, latitude was the dominant parameter but some mangrove characteristics (e.g. mangrove perimeter) also made significant contributions to the models. In contrast, for the offshore species, latitude was the dominant variable, with no contribution from mangrove characteristics. This study also identified that finer scale spatial data for the fisheries, to enable catch information to be attributed to a particular catchment, would help to improve our understanding of relationships between mangroves and fisheries production. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Consequences of metamorphosis for the locomotor performance and thermal physiology of the newt Triturus critatus

During metamorphosis, most amphibians undergo rapid shifts in their morphology that allow them to move from an aquatic to a more terrestrial existence. Two important challenges associated with this shift in habitat are the necessity to switch from an aquatic to terrestrial mode of locomotion and changes in the thermal environment. In this study, I investigated the consequences of metamorphosis to the burst swimming and running performance of the European newt Triturus cristatus to determine the nature and magnitude of any locomotor trade-offs that occur across life-history stages. In addition, I investigated whether there were any shifts in the thermal dependence of performance between life-history stages of T. cristatus to compensate for changes in their thermal environment during metamorphosis. A trade-off between swimming and running performance was detected across life-history stages, with metamorphosis resulting in a simultaneous decrease in swimming and increase in running performance. Although the terrestrial habitat of postmetamorphic stages of the newt T. cristatus experienced greater daily fluctuations in temperature than the aquatic habitat of the larval stage, no differences in thermal sensitivity of locomotor performance were detected between the larval aquatic and postmetamorphic stages. The absence of variation across life-history stages of T. cristatus may indicate that thermal sensitivity may be a conservative trait across ontogenetic stages in amphibians, but further studies are required to investigate this assertion.

The value of patches of intertidal seagrass to prawns depends on their proximity to mangroves

Penaeid prawns were sampled with a small seine net to test whether catches of postlarvae and juveniles in seagrass were affected by the distance of the seagrass (mainly Zostera capricorni) from mangroves and the density of the seagrass in a subtropical marine embayment. Sampling was replicated on the western and eastern sides of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Information on catches was combined with broad-scale spatial information on the distribution of habitats to estimate the contribution of four different categories of habitat (proximal dense seagrass, distal dense seagrass, proximal sparse seagrass, distal sparse seagrass) to the overall population of small prawns in these regions of Moreton Bay. The abundance of Penaeus plebejus and Metapenaeus bennettae was significantly and consistently greater in dense seagrass proximal to mangroves than in other types of habitat. Additionally, sparse seagrass close to mangroves supported more of these species than dense seagrass farther away, indicating that the role of spatial arrangement of habitats was more important than the effects of structural complexity alone. In contrast, the abundance of P. esculentus tended to be greatest in sparse seagrass distal from mangroves compared with the other habitats. The scaling up of the results from different seagrass types suggests that proximal seagrass beds on both sides of Moreton Bay provide by far the greatest contribution of juvenile M. bennettae and P. plebejus to the overall populations in the Bay.

Novel cuticular hydrocarbons from the cane beetle Antitrogus parvulus - 4,6,8,10,16-penta- and 4,6,8,10,16,18-hexamethyldocosanes - Unprecedented anti-anti-anti-stereochemistry in the 4,6,8,10-methyltetrad

[GRAPHICS] The major cuticular hydrocarbons from the cane beetle species Antitrogus parvulus are 4,6,8,10,16-penta- and 4,6,8,10,16,18-hexamethyldocosanes, I and 2, respectively. Stereoisomers of 2,4,6,8-tetramethylundecanal of established relative stereochemistry were derived from 2,4,6-trimethylphenol and were then coupled with appropriate methyl-substituted phosphoranes 62 and 25 to furnish alkenes, which on reduction provided diastereomers of I and 2, respectively. Capillary gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and high resolution C-13 NMR spectroscopy confirmed 1 as either 84a or 84b and 2 as either 15a or 15b. The novelty of these structures and their relative stereochemistry is briefly related to polyketide assembly.

Motivation of Chinese investment in Vietnam

China attracted a record of US$52.7×109 in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the year 2002, surpassing the United States to become the world’s largest FDI recipient. China’s success in attracting FDI has received significant attention from academics. Several theoretical approaches have been developed to explain the determinants of FDI in China. However, it seems to be ignored that China has also become a growing provider of significant FDI to the rest the world. According to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s 2004 report, as a developing country, replacing Japan, China has made the list of the expected top five home countries worldwide for the first time in terms of geographical coverage (2004–2005). Vietnam is second largest market and another emerging transition tiger in Southeast Asia. Both China and Vietnam were and are experiencing transitions from centrally planned economy to free market economy. This paper, therefore, attempts to explore the development of Chinese investment in Vietnam, analysing the main motives for, and characteristics of, Chinese Multinational Enterprises’ (MNEs) investment in Vietnam.

Development of an animal repellent - selection, efficacy and presentation

Under some circumstances it may be desirable to repel herbivorous pests (e. g. goats and wallabies) from plants (e. g. horticultural or forestry seedlings) rather than to kill them. These circumstances may include using these animals as a resource at a later time, and there may also be welfare, public perception or legislative issues where repelling animals from particular plants or area is preferable to killing them. The first experiment tested the efficacy of 5 different materials (tiger fecal extract, maggot brew-the liquid exudate from a flyblown goat, capsaicin, dog urine, and burnt goat hair, skin and carcass+fat) to repel groups of goats in a feedlot pen from 1 trough of feed when another trough of feed was available to them to eat. Each repellent was tested on 5 groups of mixed age female goats for periods of 3 days. All 5 groups were exposed to the 5 repellents. Both tiger fecal extract and maggot brew reduced intake of feed from the 'protected' feed trough and significantly (P < 0.05) delayed 'normal' feeding behaviour by more than 5 h from that trough. The repellents became less effective with repeated use even with different groups of goats. The reduction in effectiveness was indicated by higher intakes of feed and earlier feeding from the protected trough. This habituation to the repellents, where the effectiveness is reduced with repeated exposure, is of concern. In the second experiment, we selected the most effective repellent (tiger fecal extract) and tested its efficacy under similar conditions, after the repellent had been mixed with a carrier (bentonite) in an endeavour to increase the duration of its effectiveness. This repellent was significantly more effective in repelling groups of 3 goats in a feedlot pen from 1 trough of feed for 3 days, when another trough of feed was available to them to eat.

Mesostigmatid mites (Acari : Mesostigmata) on rainforest tree trunks: Arboreal specialists, but substrate generalists?

Predatory mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) on tree trunks without significant epiphytic growth in a subtropical rainforest in Eastern Australia were assessed for habitat specificity (i.e. whether they are tree trunk specialists or occupying other habitats) and the influence of host tree and bark structure on their abundance, species richness and species composition. The trunks of nine tree species from eight plant families representing smooth, intermediate and rough bark textures were sampled using a knockdown insecticide spray. In total, 12 species or morphospecies of Mesostigmata (excluding Uropodina sensu stricto) were collected, most of which are undescribed. Comparison with collections from other habitats indicates that epicorticolous Mesostigmata are mainly represented by suspended soil dwellers (six species), secondarily by generalists (four species) and a bark specialist (one species). A typical ground-dwelling species was also found but was represented only by a single individual. In terms of abundance, 50.5% of individuals were suspended soil dwellers, 40.7% bark specialists, and 8.3% generalists. Host species and bark roughness had no significant effect on abundance or species richness. Furthermore, there was no clear effect on species composition. The distribution of the most frequently encountered species suggests that most mesostigmatid mites living on bark use many or most rainforest tree species, independent of bark roughness. These findings support the hypothesis that some epicorticolous Mesostigmata use tree trunks as 'highways' for dispersing between habitat patches, while others use it as a permanent habitat.

Microbial diversity within the water column of a larval rearing system for the ornate rock lobster (Panulirus ornatus)

The ornate tropical rock lobster, Panulirus ornatus has substantial potential as an aquaculture species though disease outbreaks during the animal's extended larval lifecycle are major constraints for success. In order to effectively address such disease-related issues, an improved understanding of the composition and dynamics of the microbial communities in the larval rearing tanks is required. This study used flow cytometry and molecular microbial techniques (clone libraries and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE)) to quantify and characterise the microbial community of the water column in the early stages (developmental stage I-II) of a P. ornatus larval rearing system. DGGE analysis of a 5000 L larval rearing trial demonstrated a dynamic microbial community with distinct changes in the community structure after initial stocking (day I to day 2) and from day 4 to day 5, after which the structure was relatively stable. Flow cytometry analysis of water samples taken over the duration of the trial demonstrated a major increase in bacterial load leading up to and peaking on the first day of the initial larval moult (day 7), before markedly decreasing prior to when > 50% of larvae moulted (day 9). A clone library of a day 10 water sample taken following a mass larval mortality event reflected high microbial diversity confirmed by statistical analysis indices. Sequences retrieved from both clone library and DGGE analyses were dominated by gamma- and alpha-Proteobacteria affiliated organisms with additional sequences affiliated with beta- and epsilon-Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cytophagales and Chlamydiales groups. Vibrio affiliated species were commonly retrieved in the clone library, though absent from DGGE analysis.

Temporal variation in arthropod sampling effectiveness: the case for using the beat sheet method in cotton

Predatory insects and spiders are key elements of integrated pest management (IPM) programmes in agricultural crops such as cotton. Management decisions in IPM programmes should to be based on a reliable and efficient method for counting both predators and pests. Knowledge of the temporal constraints that influence sampling is required because arthropod abundance estimates are likely to vary over a growing season and within a day. Few studies have adequately quantified this effect using the beat sheet, a potentially important sampling method. We compared the commonly used methods of suction and visual sampling to the beat sheet, with reference to an absolute cage clamp method for determining the abundance of various arthropod taxa over 5 weeks. There were significantly more entomophagous arthropods recorded using the beat sheet and cage clamp methods than by using suction or visual sampling, and these differences were more pronounced as the plants grew. In a second trial, relative estimates of entomophagous and phytophagous arthropod abundance were made using beat sheet samples collected over a day. Beat sheet estimates of the abundance of only eight of the 43 taxa examined were found to vary significantly over a day. Beat sheet sampling is recommended in further studies of arthropod abundance in cotton, but researchers and pest management advisors should bear in mind the time of season and time of day effects.

A pore-lining glutamic acid in the olfactory cyclic nucleotide-gated channel controls external spermine block

Spermine is a potent, voltage-dependent blocker of the olfactory cyclic nucleotide-gated channel from both the intracellular and extracellular sides. However, its sites of action are unknown. This study investigated the external spermine binding site in the rat CNC alpha3 subunit. Neutralization of a glutamic acid residue (E342Q) in the P-loop region eliminated voltage-dependence of block by externally applied spermine. The charge-conservative E342D mutation had little effect on spermine block. Thus, E342 forms the binding site for externally applied spermine. However, spermine remained a potent voltage-independent blocker of the E342Q mutant channel, suggesting that the mutation either created a novel binding site outside the membrane electrical field or that it dramatically changed the properties of the existing pore site. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of grain size on the mechanical properties of AM-SC1

Australian Magnesium Corporation, in collaboration with the Cooperative Research Centre for Cast Metals Manufacturing (CAST) and Magnesium Elektron Limited, has developed a magnesium alloy, AM-SC1, which has been specifically designed for engine block applications [1]. This alloy has been used for the engine block of the Genois LE turbo charged diesel injection motor developed by AVL List [2].