Development of cat’s claw creeper leaf-tying moth Hypocosmia pyrochroma (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) at different temperatures: Implications for establishment as a biological control agent in Australia and South Africa

The leaf-tying moth Hypocosmia pyrochroma Jones (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a native of sub tropical South America, has been introduced as a biological control agent for cat’s claw creeper, Dolichandra unguis-cati (L.) Lohman (Bignoniaceae), in Australia and South Africa. So far there has been no evidence of its field establishment in either country. A narrow temperature tolerance is a potential limiting factor for the establishment of weed biological control insects in novel habitats. In this study, we evaluated the effect of seven constant temperatures (12–40 °C) on the survival and development of H. pyrochroma in temperature-controlled cabinets. Temperatures between 20 and 30 °C were the most favorable for adult survival, oviposition, egg hatching, and larval and pupal development. Adult survival (12–40 °C) and egg development (15–35 °C) showed tolerance for wider temperature ranges than oviposition, and larval and pupal development, which were all negatively affected by both high (>30 °C) and low (<20 °C) temperatures. The degree-day (DD) requirement to complete a generation was estimated as 877 above a threshold temperature of 12 °C. Based on DD requirements and an obligatory winter diapause of pupae from mid-autumn to mid-spring, the potential number of generations (egg to adult) the leaf-tying moth can complete in a year in Australia or South Africa range from one to three. A climate-matching model predicted that the inland regions of both Australia and South Africa are less favorable for H. pyrochroma than the coastal areas. The study suggested that H. pyrochroma is more likely to establish in the coastal areas of Australia where most of the cat’s claw creeper infestations occur, than in South Africa where most of the cat’s claw creeper infestations are inland.

The Jewel Beetle (Hylaeogena jureceki); a new biocontrol for cat’s claw creeper (Dolichandra unguis-cati) in Queensland

Cat’s claw creeper (Dolichandra unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae) is a serious environmental weed in Queensland and New South Wales. It presents a threat to riparian and rainforest ecosystems and is often found in inaccessible locations that are not suitable for chemical or physical control methods. This makes biological control an important tool for managing this weed. The jewel beetle Hylaeo¬gena jureceki was approved for release in Australia in May 2012. Since approval, approximately 35,000 insects have been released at 53 sites. Multiple and single releases have been made at sites with the number of insects released ranging from 20 to 1590. Post-release monitoring before and after winter found the beetle persisting at 73% of release sites in southeast Queensland. Within the release sites, the beetle appears to disperse widely, up to 100 m over a 15 month period. Based on these early field results, it appears that the beetle will establish and spread in Queensland and New South Wales. In addition to direct field releases, the beetle has been supplied to various community and Landcare groups for breeding and field release. This will hasten the spread of the insect to a wider area. It is expected that the jewel beetle will complement the leaf-sucking tingid (Carvalhotingis visenda) and leaf-tying moth (Hypocosmia pyrochroma) that were released in 2007.

Caracterización de las técnicas reproductivas a nivel de vivero de especies arbóreas en el jardín botánico y vivero Santa Elena, Managua, 2014

El presente estudio fue realizado en El Jardín Botánico y Vivero Santa Elena, ubicado en el departamento de Managua en el Kilómetro 14 carretera norte Managua-Tipitapa. Surgió como producto de la coordinación entre La Facultad de Recursos Naturales y del Ambiente (FARENA) de la Universidad Nacional Agraria (UNA)y la se cretaría del centro de propagación de plantas Jardín Botánico y Vivero Santa Elena. El objetivo principal del mismo es la caracterización de las técnicas reproductivas a nivel de vivero que se utilizan para especies arbóreas. La metodología consistió en: (1) aplicación de entrevista dirigida a informantes claves preseleccionados (directora, coordinador del vivero y responsable del área forestal); (2) implementación de la técnica de observación de campo; (3)levantamiento de datos mediante formato pre definido; y (4) cotejo de la información con otras fuentes bibliográficas. Se identificó un total de 31 especies forestales distribuidas en 16 familias botánicas y 27 géneros. Entre las familias más representativas se encuentran: Caesalpiniaceae, Bignoniaceae y Mimosaceae con 4 especies cada una y menor a 3 especies resultó Meliaceae, Fabaceae, Combretaceae, Bombacaceae, Malvaceae y Boraginaceae. La técnica que más seutiliza es la sexual con un 96.77% y en menor proporción se implementa la técnica asexual con 3.23%; 51.61% de las especies son exóticas y el 48.39% son nativas; se utiliza como sustrato abono orgánico que incluye cascarilla de arroz, aserrín y tierra común; y el tratamiento pre germinativo más común se basas en la escarificación mecánica e inmersión en agua, que varía según la especie.

毛乌素沙地两种蜜源植物羊柴和角蒿的传粉生物学研究

本论文从传粉生物学的角度出发，运用野外观察、室内测定和生物统计学方法，对毛乌素沙地的两种蜜源植物羊柴（Hedysarum leave）和角蒿（Incarvillea sinensis var. sinensis）的开花物候、花生物学特性、传粉昆虫行为以及繁育系统进行了研究，得出如下结论： 1．在自然居群中，存在着开白色花和紫红色花的两种羊柴植株，其中白色花植株仅占5.5±1.56%左右。白色花和紫红色花植株的花期存在明显的重叠，白色花植株的花期集中在8月中旬到9月上旬，而紫红色花植株的花期从7月中旬持续到9月中旬。在整个花期内，单个白色花植株的生产的总花数为125±11.33朵，明显少于紫红色花植株的372±30.38朵，两者存在极显著差异。 2． 羊柴白色花和紫红色花的单花花粉量、胚珠数和P/O值都存在显著差异。在单花开放的整个过程中，白色花的花蜜分泌量显著地高于紫红色花，但白色花和紫红色花的花蜜糖分浓度变化趋势相似，即都具有两个花蜜浓度高峰值。 3. 羊柴白色花植株稳定且访花频率较高的传粉者是散熊蜂、白脸条蜂和意大利蜂，而紫红色花植株稳定且访花频率较高的传粉者有散熊蜂、白脸条蜂、意大利蜂和海切叶蜂。传粉昆虫在白色花上的单花停留时间比紫红色花的稍长，两者存在显著差异。 4. 羊柴白色花植株和紫红色花植株自花授粉的结实率（白色花：4.31±0.34%;紫红色花：4.58±0.53%），相对于人工异花授粉的结实率（白色花：19.77±2.31%;紫红色花：21.03±3.02%）较低。自然结实率（白色花：25.93±2.30%;紫红色花：25.24±1.61%）没有显著性差异（F=0.25;P=0.80）。此外，羊柴不存在无融合生殖现象。 5. 角蒿花期从7月中旬持续到9月初，单花开放时间为5-9h;单花花粉量为18816.27±326.70、在花开放后3-4h时，花粉活力达到最大值71.98±1.23%，胚珠数为180.80±5.30，P/O值为104.7。在花开放后3-4h时，花蜜量达到最大值1.41±0.35ul。角蒿的传粉昆虫仅有散熊蜂和四条无垫蜂。在花开放过程中，花粉活力动态和花蜜分泌动态都与传粉昆虫的行为不吻合。 6. 角蒿自花授粉和人工异花授粉的结实率和结籽率均无显著差异。自然结实率为85.93±1.63%，显著地低于自花授粉和人工异花授粉，但是，自花授粉、人工异花授粉及自然对照的结籽率无显著差异。在开放传粉的情况下，被去雄的花结实率仅为48.90±5.37%，说明昆虫传粉仅贡献一部分结实率。角蒿不存在无融合生殖。

Proposta de manejo de Memora peregrina - a Ciganinha.

A "ciganinha", cientificamente conhecida como Memora peregrina (Miers) Sandwith (Bignoniaceae), presente em diversas áreas de cerrado do Brasil Central, vem sendo um sério problema como invasora de pastagens cultivadas, em especial, quando estas já se encontram em adiantado estado de degradação. Nunes (1999) descreve-a como um arbusto, com ramos semilenhosos, entouceirado, ereto, que atinge a altura entre 100 e 150 centímetros. Apresenta inflorescências vistosas com flores amarelas semelhantes às do ipê-amarelo, o que contribuía para que, até recentemente, fosse catalogada apenas como planta ornamental (LORENZI; SOUZA, 1995). O principal período de florada ocorre na primavera e no verão, embora a presença de flores pode ser observada, praticamente, em qualquer época do ano. Sua reprodução se dá por sementes aladas, contidas em camadas sobrepostas no interior de uma cápsula com aspecto de uma longa vagem e, também, por processo vegetativo. Esse último ocorre pela ativação de gemas latentes presentes no caule, tanto em sua parte aérea quanto na subterrânea, em resposta ao seu eventual fracionamento ou quando este sofre lesões de qualquer natureza, especialmente por tratos mecânicos. Pouco se conhece sobre M. peregrina, porque mesmo em pastagens com gramíneas nativas e/ou naturalizadas, como Paspalum notatum (grama batatais ou mato-grosso), Melinis minutiflora (capimgordura) ou Hyparrhenia rufa (capim-jaraguá), manejadas há décadas com roçadeiras ou fogo, essa planta não é considerada problema. A ciganinha só assumiu o status de praga anos depois da implantação de pastagens cultivadas com uso de arados, grades de aração e subsoladores, sendo, em muitos casos, indicadora de pastagens degradadas ou em processo de degradação.

Investigation on phytochemical constituents and biological potential of some traditional medicinal plants

Plants and microorganisms provide the pharmaceutical industry with some of the most important sources of components for the research of new medications This thesis involves the study of three medicinal plants belonging to three different important families viz, Cyperus rotundus (Cyperaceae), Stereospermum colais (Bignoniaceae) as well as the well known medicinal plant Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae) as the third. The first chapter gives an overview of biologically active natural products with special reference to antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial molecules from terrestrial sources. Chapter 2 of the thesis deals with the isolation of phytochemical constituents of the medicinal plant Cyperus rotundus and its antioxidant and radical scavenging potential. Chapter 3 of the thesis describes the studies on the roots of Stereospermum colais, A Bignoniaceae plant belonging to the genus Stereospermum which is used extensively. Chapter 3 of the thesis describes the studies on the roots of Stereospermum colais, a Bignoniaceae plant belonging to the genus Stereospermum which is used extensively in Ayurveda. Chapter 4 describes the biological potential of rhizomes of Zingiber officinale. Ethyl acetate extract of ginger (EAG) possessed antioxidant activity as is evident from the results of various in vitro assays compared to other extracts .In conclusion, medicinal plants Cyperus rotundus and Stereospermum colais have been analysed for their phytochemical constituents. Also, the positive results obtained from biological activity studies such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity on the isolated compounds/extracts add on to the medicinal properties of these plants. Apart from that, ethyl acetate extract of Zingiber officinale (ginger) rhizomes has been shown to have very good biological potential including glucose lowering and adipocyte differentiation inhibitory effect.

Effects of detectability on estimates of geographic range size in bignonieae

Extinction risk has not been evaluated for 96% of all described plant species. Given that the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation proposes preliminary conservation assessments of all described plant species by 2010, herbarium specimens (i.e., primary occurrence data) are increasingly being used to infer threat components from estimates of geographic range size. Nevertheless, estimates of range size based on herbarium data may be inaccurate due to collection bias associated with interspecific variation in detectability. We used data on 377 species of Bignonieae to test the hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between detectability and estimates of geographic range size derived from herbarium specimens. This relationship is expected if the proportion of the true geographic range size of a species that is documented by herbarium specimens is given by the product of the true geographic range size and the detectability of the species, assuming no relationship between true geographic range size and detectability. We developed 4 measures of detectability that can be estimated from herbarium data and examined the relationship between detectability and 2 types of estimates of geographic range size: area of occupancy and extent of occurrence. Our results from regressing estimates of extent of occurrence and area of occupancy on detectability across genera provided no support for this hypothesis. The same was true for regressions of estimated extent of occurrence on detectability across species within genera. Nevertheless, regressions of estimated area of occupancy on detectability across species within genera provided partial support for our hypothesis. We considered 3 possible explanations for this mixed outcome: violation of the assumption of no relationship between true geographic range size and detectability; the relationships between estimated geographic range size and detectability may be an artifact of a negative relationship between estimated area of occupancy and the sampling variance of detectability; detectability may have had 2 opposite effects on estimated species range sizes: one determines the proportion of the true range of a species documented by herbarium specimens and the other determines the distribution of true range size for the species actually observed with herbarium data. Our findings should help improve understanding of the potential biases incurred with the use of herbarium data.

Contrasting phylogenetic signals and evolutionary rates in floral traits of Neotropical lianas

The diversity of floral forms has long been considered a prime example of radiation through natural selection. However, little is still known about the evolution of floral traits, a critical piece of evidence for the understanding of the processes that may have driven flower evolution. We studied the pattern of evolution of quantitative floral traits in a group of Neotropical lianas (Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae) and used a time-calibrated phylogeny as basis to: (1) test for phylogenetic signal in 16 continuous floral traits; (2) evaluate the rate of evolution in those traits; and (3) reconstruct the ancestral state of the individual traits. Variation in floral traits among extant species of Bignonieae was highly explained by their phylogenetic history. However, opposite signals were found in floral traits associated with the attraction of pollinators (calyx and corolla) and pollen transfer (androecium and gynoecium), suggesting a differential role of selection in different floral whorls. Phylogenetic independent contrasts indicate that traits evolved at different rates, whereas ancestral character state reconstructions indicate that the ancestral size of most flower traits was larger than the mean observed sizes of the same traits in extant species. The implications of these patterns for the reproductive biology of Bignonieae are discussed. (C) 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 102, 378-390.

Cheaters in mutualism networks

Mutualism-network studies assume that all interacting species are mutualistic partners and consider that all links are of one kind. However, the influence of different types of links, such as cheating links, on network organization remains unexplored. We studied two flower-visitation networks (Malpighiaceae and Bignoniaceae and their flower visitors), and divide the types of link into cheaters (i.e. robbers and thieves of flower rewards) and effective pollinators. We investigated if there were topological differences among networks with and without cheaters, especially with respect to nestedness and modularity. The Malpighiaceae network was nested, but not modular, and it was dominated by pollinators and had much fewer cheater species than Bignoniaceae network (28% versus 75%). The Bignoniaceae network was mainly a plant-cheater network, being modular because of the presence of pollen robbers and showing no nestedness. In the Malpighiaceae network, removal of cheaters had no major consequences for topology. In contrast, removal of cheaters broke down the modularity of the Bignoniaceae network. As cheaters are ubiquitous in all mutualisms, the results presented here show that they have a strong impact upon network topology.

Pollination Biology of Jacaranda oxyphylla with an Emphasis on Staminode Function

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Maternal exposure to aqueous extract of Jacaranda decurrens: Effects on reproductive system in male rats

Context: Jacaranda decurrens subsp. symmetrifoliolata Farias & Proenca (Bignoniaceae) is a species widely used for their medicinal properties. At least to our known, no study has been conducted concerning its toxicological profile after gestational and lactational exposure.Objective: The present study was carried out to evaluate the effects of J. decurrens on development of the reproductive system in male rats.Materials and methods: Pregnant rats were treated daily (gavage) with 250 or 500 mg/kg/day of aqueous extract of J. decurrens or vehicle, from day 12 of pregnancy to day 21 of lactation.Results and Discussion: Both doses of J. decurrens significantly anticipated (p < 0.05) the age of testicular descent to the scrotum, a parameter indicative of puberty initiation. Furthermore, at puberty, there was a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in testicular and epididymis weights in the offspring exposed to the higher dose of extract, without effect on sperm production and the histology of reproductive organs. on the other hand, at adulthood, the reproductive parameters analyzed did not differ among groups.Conclusions: J. decurrens, in this experimental model, interfered with the initial development of the reproductive system, but without lasting effects on sperm production in adulthood.

Anti-inflammatory effects and acute toxicity of hydroethanolic extract of Jacaranda decurrens roots in adult male rats

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