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opencc-zeroOct 2023View details →

Data from: What goes in must come out? The metabolic profile of plants and caterpillars, frass, and adults of Asota (Erebidae: Aganainae) feeding on Ficus (Moraceae) in New Guinea

Insect herbivores have evolved a broad spectrum of adaptations in response to the diversity of chemical defences employed by plants. Here we focus on two species of New Guinean Asota and determine how these specialist moths deal with the leaf alkaloids of their fig (Ficus) hosts. As each focal Asota species is restricted to one of three chemically distinct species of Ficus, we also test whether these specialized interactions lead to similar alkaloid profiles in both Asota species. We reared Asota caterpillars on their respective Ficus hosts in natural conditions and analyzed the alkaloid profiles of leaf, frass, caterpillar, and adult moth samples using UHPLC–MS/MS analyses. We identified 43 alkaloids in our samples. Leaf alkaloids showed various fates. Some were excreted in frass or found in caterpillars and adult moths. We also found two apparently novel indole alkaloids likely synthesized de novo by the moths or their microbiota—in both caterpillar and adult tissue but not in leaves or frass. Overall, alkaloids unique or largely restricted to insect tissue were shared across moth species despite feeding on different hosts. This indicates that a limited number of plant compounds have a direct ecological function that is conserved among the studied species. Our results provide evidence for the importance of phytochemistry and metabolic strategies in the formation of plant–insect interactions and food webs in general. Furthermore, we provide a new potential example of insects acquiring chemicals for their benefit in an ecologically relevant insect genus.

opencc-zeroFeb 2024View details →

Feeding with plant powders increases longevity and body weight of Western honeybee workers (Apis mellifera)

Beekeepers routinely substitute honey from managed western honeybees, Apis mellifera, colonies with sugar water post-harvest, potentially leading to malnutrition. Although nutritional supplements have been created, a general consensus on proper colony nutrition for beekeeping has yet to be reached. Thus, finding easily obtainable fortified A. mellifera food alternatives is still of interest. Here, we test plant powder-enriched food supplements since a priori evidence suggests plant extracts can enhance dry body weight and longevity of workers. Freshly emerged workers were kept in hoarding cages (N=69 days) and fed either with 50 % (w/v) sucrose solution alone or additionally with one of 12 powders: Laurus nobilis, Quercus spp., Curcuma longa, Hypericum spp., Spirulina platensis, Calendula officinalis, Chlorella vulgaris, Melissa officinalis, Moringa oleifera, Rosa canina, Trigonella foenum-graecum, and Urtica dioica (N=2028 workers total). The dry body weight was significantly increased in Quercus spp., Hypericum spp., Spirunlina platensis, Mellisa officinalis, Moringa oelifera, and Trigonella foenum-graecum treatments. Further, the longevity was significantly increased in Quercus spp., Curcuma longa, Calendulae officinalis, Chlorella vulgaris, Melissa officinalis, Rosa canina, Trigonella foenum-graecum, and Urtica diocia treatments. Given that plant extracts can enhance A. mellifera health, plant powders possibly provide additional macro- (i.e. proteins, lipids, peptides) and micronutrients (minerals and vitamins) thereby enhancing nutrient availability. Further investigations into the mechanisms underlying these effects and field studies are recommended to validate these findings in real-hive scenarios.

opencc-zeroMar 2024View details →

Data for: Thermoregulation enhances survival but not reproduction in a plant-feeding insect

Temperature influences nearly all aspects of fitness. However, reproduction is often more thermally sensitive than survival. Thermoregulation must maintain performance in both components of fitness to buffer populations from environmental change. We assessed the fitness benefits of thermoregulation in Enchenopa binotata treehoppers. Under realistic mesocosm conditions, we quantified fine-scale microclimates using 3D-printed operative temperature models. We then compared operative temperatures to treehopper body temperatures and translated patterns of thermoregulation into variation in survival and reproduction. We also assessed two thermoregulatory mechanisms: precise microclimate choice and heat escape behaviors. Finally, we applied our results to evaluate if arthropod thermoregulation is accurately characterized by two theoretical models commonly used to simulate responses to environmental change. We found substantial thermal variation at fine spatial scales relevant to insects: at a single point in time, temperatures within 30cm-tall plants spanned ranges up to 19ºC (23-42ºC). Lethal operative temperatures were common when air temperatures were high. However, heat escapes allowed treehoppers to almost entirely avoid lethal temperatures. By contrast, individuals thermo-conformed in the absence of lethal operative temperatures. This finding suggests that precise microclimate choice imposes high costs due to thermal uncertainty at fine spatial scales. Furthermore, given the narrow range of temperatures in which reproduction occurs, thermoregulation is unlikely to maintain reproduction. Thermoregulation was most effective in the lowest-quality and most spatially variable thermal habitats. Treehopper thermoregulation therefore more closely follows cost-benefit models of thermoregulation compared to models that account for inhibited movement at extreme temperatures. Overall, even if thermoregulation can prevent lethal heat stress, thermoregulation may have limited capacity to buffer arthropods and other small ectotherms from environmental change if it cannot maintain reproductive performance.

opencc-zeroJan 2022View details →

Data from: Virus infection and host plant suitability affect feeding behaviors of cannabis aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae), a newly described vector of potato virus Y

Aphids are the most prolific vectors of plant viruses resulting in significant yield losses to crops worldwide. Potato virus Y (PVY) is transmitted in a non-persistent manner by 65 species of aphids. With the increasing acreage of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) (Rosales: Cannabaceae) in the U.S, we were interested to know if the cannabis aphid (Phorodon cannabis Passerini) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a potential vector of PVY. Here, we conduct transmission assays and utilize the electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique to determine whether cannabis aphids can transmit PVY to hemp (host) and potato (non-host) (Solanum tuberosum L.) (Solanales: Solanaceace). We show for the first time that the cannabis aphid is an efficient vector of PVY to hemp (96%) and potato (91%) using cohorts of aphids. In contrast, individual aphids transmitted the virus more efficiently to hemp (63%) compared to potato (19%). During the initial 15 minutes of EPG recordings, aphids demonstrated lower number and time spent performing intracellular punctures on potato compared to hemp, which may in part explain low virus transmission to potato using individual aphids. During the entire 8-hour recording, viruliferous aphids spent less time ingesting phloem compared to non-viruliferous aphids on hemp. This reduced host suitability could potentially cause aphids to disperse to more suitable hosts thereby increasing virus transmission. Overall, our study shows that cannabis aphid is an efficient vector of PVY, and that virus infection and host plant suitability affect feeding behaviors of the cannabis aphid in ways which may increase virus transmission.

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2015View details →

Figs. 1–5. Erythrina speciosa and Aethalion reticulatum. 1 in Aethalion reticulatum (Hemiptera: Aethalionidae) feeding on Erythrina speciosa (Fabales: Fabaceae): First record of its host plant and damage characteristics

Figs. 1–5. Erythrina speciosa and Aethalion reticulatum. 1: Flowered adult E. speciosa plant (source: www.arvores.brasil.com.br). 2: Detail of the inflorescence of E. speciosa with a candelabra shape (source: www.arbolesornamentales.com/Erythrinaspeciosa.htm). 3: Adult A. reticulatum. 4: Damage caused by a colony of A. reticulatum on a seedling of E. speciosa detailing the egg clutch. 5: Nymph colony of A. reticulatum associated with Camponotus sp. ants.

Figs. 11–13 in Lopesia indaiensis (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae), a new species of gall midge feeding on Andira fraxinifolia Benth (Fabaceae), an endemic plant in Brazil

Figs. 11–13. Lopesia indaiensis, sp. n. 11. Female flagellomere 5. 12. Female abdominal segments 7–8 (lateral view). 13. Ovipositor (ventral view). Scale bars in mm.

Figs. 6–10 in Lopesia indaiensis (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae), a new species of gall midge feeding on Andira fraxinifolia Benth (Fabaceae), an endemic plant in Brazil

Figs. 6–10. Lopesia indaiensis, sp. n. 6. Male head (frontal view). 7. Male flagellomere 5. 8. Male hindleg, tarsal claw and empodium. 9. Male abdominal segments 7–8 (lateral view). 10. Male terminalia (dorsal view). Scale bars in mm.

Figs. 4–5 in Lopesia indaiensis (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae), a new species of gall midge feeding on Andira fraxinifolia Benth (Fabaceae), an endemic plant in Brazil

Figs. 4–5. Lopesia indaiensis, sp. n. 4. Pupa, face (ventral view). 5. Pupa, anterior part (dorsal view). Scale bars in mm.

Figs. 2–3 in Lopesia indaiensis (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae), a new species of gall midge feeding on Andira fraxinifolia Benth (Fabaceae), an endemic plant in Brazil

Figs. 2–3. Lopesia indaiensis, sp. n. 2. Larva, sternal spatula with adjacent papillae (ventral view). 3. Larva, terminal segments (dorsal view).

opencc-by-4.0Aug 2021View details →

Fig. 2 in Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) nymph survival and adult feeding preferences for crop plants in Florida

Fig. 2. Mean (± SE) number of Halyomorpha halys adults resting or feeding on various plant species in choice tests. Means with the same letter are not significantly different (Tukey-Kramer test, P ≤ 0.05, 6 replicates of 4 adults).

opencc-by-4.0Aug 2021View details →

Fig. 1 in Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) nymph survival and adult feeding preferences for crop plants in Florida

Fig. 1. Mean (± SE) survival of second instar Halyomorpha halys to the adult stage on various plant species. Means with the same letter are not significantly different (Tukey-Kramer test, P ≤ 0.05, 3 replicates of 6 nymphs).

opencc-by-4.0Oct 2021View details →

Data - Co-feeding of VGO and pine-wood derived hydrogenated pyrolysis oils in an Fluid Catalytic Cracking pilot plant to generate olefins and gasoline

Dataset to the corresponding research article with the same title. Research article is submitted to the open research europe platform.

opencc-zeroDec 2022View details →

Body size as a magic trait in two plant-feeding insect species

When gene flow accompanies speciation, recombination can decouple divergently selected loci and loci conferring reproductive isolation. This barrier to sympatric divergence disappears when assortative mating and disruptive selection involve the same "magic" trait. Although magic traits could be widespread, the relative importance of different types of magic traits to speciation remains unclear. Because body size frequently contributes to host adaptation and assortative mating in plant-feeding insects, we evaluated several magic trait predictions for this trait in a pair of sympatric Neodiprion sawfly species adapted to different pine hosts. A large morphological dataset revealed that sawfly adults from populations and species that use thicker-needled pines are consistently larger than those that use thinner-needled pines. Fitness data from recombinant backcross females revealed that egg size is under divergent selection between the preferred pines. Lastly, mating assays revealed strong size-assortative mating within and between species in three different crosses, with the strongest prezygotic isolation between populations that have the greatest interspecific size differences. Together, our data support body size as a magic trait in pine sawflies and possibly many other plant-feeding insects. Our work also demonstrates how intraspecific variation in morphology and ecology can cause geographic variation in the strength of prezygotic isolation.

opencc-by-4.0Jul 2023View details →

Data for "Feeding climate and biodiversity goals with novel plant-based meat and milk alternatives"

Research data supporting the study  "Feeding climate and biodiversity goals with novel plant-based meat and milk alternatives". It contains: 1) merged.gdx - data derived from the original scenario database 2) map.csv - mapping of food commodities to food groups used for analysis 3) manure.csv -  results on nitrogen input to cropland and N crop fertilization from manure 4) AgMIP_regions.shp - shape file used to make maps 5) Paper_visuals_NCOM.R - R script to analyze and visualize the data. It reproduces the main figures in the paper and the appendix    last tested for R Studio 2022.12.0 Build 353, Release (7d165dcf, 2022-12-03) for Windows 10 Pro, 64-bit operating system Instructions: The R code, file 4, reads in files 1, 2 and 3 and generates figures, tables and maps. The directories (line 50 and 58) need to be updated to the location of the data (the current folder).