International Journal of Nematology and Entomology

International Journal of Nematology and Entomology Vol. 1 (4), pp. 053-059, September, 2013. © International Scholars Journals
 
Full Length Research Paper

Habitat association and movement patterns of the violet copper (Lycaena helle) in the natural landscape of West Khentey in Northern Mongolia

Gantigmaa Chuluunbaatar¹, Kamini Kusum Barua²* and Michael Muehlenberg²

¹Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Science,Ulan Bataar, Mongolia

²Centre for Nature Conservation, Georg-August University,Gottingen, Germany.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]. Tel: +49-551-39-5639. Fax: +49-551-39-9234.

Accepted 23 September, 2013

Abstract

We studied the habitat association and movement patterns of the Lycaenidae species, Lycaena helle using the mark-release-recapture method in a heterogenous natural habitat of West Khentey in Northern Mongolia. Butterfly individuals were collected using nets during a standardized one hour sampling in different biotopes. L. helle was found to predominantly inhabit the wet mesophile grasslands and herb meadows, although moderate occurrences were also recorded in the riparian woodlands, birch forests of the river valley and in the mixed forests of Larix sibirica and Betula platyphylla. We investigated the movement patterns of the Violet Copper within ecologically open landscape and recorded individual occurrences across the different habitat types of West Khentey. The mean distances between first and subsequent captures were found to be greater for both the sexes (107 ± 76 m for females and 44 ± 41 m for males). The single greatest movement between recaptures was 386 m for females and 163 m for males. We could conclude from our studies that L. helle had a more closed distribution range within the natural landscape of our study area as the high plant diversity could be considered to be an important factor restricting their movement patterns as unlike that of their counterparts in fragmented landscapes of Central Europe.

Key words: Lycaena helle, habitat occupancy, mobility, natural landscape

International Journal of Nematology and Entomology Vol. 1 (1), pp. 010-014, June, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Studies on some economic traits and biological characters of regular and reciprocal cross between a multivoltine and bivoltine race of the silkworm Bombyx mori

M. S. Doddaswamy¹, G. Subramanya¹* and E. Talebi ^{1, 2}

¹Department of Sericulture Science, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, Karnataka, India.

²Department of Animal Science, Islamic Azad University, Darab, Fars, Iran.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: subramanyag2000@yahoo. co.in. Tel: 0091-821-2419712, 00919448600178.

Accepted 3 May, 2013

Abstract

In order to understand the genetics of cross breeding system between multivoltine and bivoltine race, a hybridization experiment was conducted by crossing females of multivoltine Pure Mysore race (PM) with males of a bivoltine race C₁₀₈ and its reciprocals. The F₁ and F₂ progenies of the above crosses were derived in order to study the economic traits and biological characters. The results of the analysis of the thirteen economic traits in the F₁ progeny between the regular and reciprocal crosses clearly indicated that wherever PM is participated as female partner the values of the economic traits are on the higher side than the reciprocals. In regard to the studies on the biological characters, the F₁ progeny of a cross of females of PM with males of C₁₀₈ produced non-diapause eggs exhibiting 23 - 24 days of larval duration and spinning light green cocoons. On the other hand a cross between females of C₁₀₈ with males of PM produced only diapause type of eggs having larval duration of 22 days which is shorter by 1 - 1.5 days compared to regular cross. The F₂ progenies involving both the crosses produced 3:1 ratio diapause: non-diapause eggs and green: white cocoons indicating Mendelian pattern of inheritance for voltinism and cocoon colour. The authors in the present investigation discussed the importance of hemizygous and heterozygous individuals of F₁ progeny and its utility in genetics and breeding of silkworm Bombyx mori.

Key words: Regular and reciprocal crosses, Bombyx mori, Economic traits, biological characters.

International Journal of Nematology and Entomology Vol. 1 (1), pp. 001-007, June, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The theoretical approach of ecoplexivity focusing on mass outbreaks of phytophagous insects and altering forest functions

Anne le Mellec¹*, Jerzy Karg², Jolanta Slowik³, Ignaczy Korczynski⁴, Andrzej Mazur⁴, Timo Krummel¹, Zdzislaw Bernacki³, Holger Vogt-Altena¹, Gerhard Gerold¹ and Annett Reinhardt¹

¹Landscape Ecology Section, University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr 5, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany.

²Research Centre for Agricultural and Forest Environment, Polish Academy of Sciences, Field Station Turew, Szkolna 4, Pl-4-000 Ko cian, Poland.

³Centre for Nature Conservation (CNC), University of Göttingen, von Sieboldstrasse 2, D-7075 Göttingen, Germany.

⁴Department of Forest Entomology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Ul Wojska Polskiego 71c, PL-60-637 Poznan, Poland.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: (+49) 0551-3912134.

Accepted 30 April, 2013

Abstract

Epidemics of forest insects can have deep impacts on ecosystem functioning and dynamics, with consequences for forest economics and forest carbon feedback to climate change. Despite the many roles that insects fulfil in terrestrial ecosystems, their importance in nutrient cycling is not well known (Kosola et al., 2001) . The only instances where herbivores are recognized to have a large effect on ecosystem function are mass outbreaks of particular species like herbivores. However, the climate change induced alterations in precipitation and temperature patterns will undoubtedly affect occurrence, intensity, frequency, magnitude and timing of these phenomena and thus, provoke an increasing susceptibility of hosts and a significantly larger habitat presence of pests. Records show that, in an increasing number of cases severe outbreaks can even cause the complete devastation of vast areas and thus, imply considerable economic losses at a large scale. Down to the present day, it remains uncertain how forest ecosystems will respond to the changing environmental conditions in the long run. This work reports on the possible alterations of forest functions due to mass outbreaks of phytophagous insects with respect to the changing ecosystem service of carbon sequestration ability of forests on the northern hemisphere.

Key words: Forest disturbances, insect mass outbreaks, forest functioning, carbon sequestration.