Sex-specific alternative processing of double-sex (dsx) precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) is one the key steps that regulates somatic sexual differentiation in Drosophila melanogaster. By transfection analyses using dsx minigene constructs, we identified six copies 13-nucleotide sequences TC(T/A)(T/A)C(A/G)ATCAACA female-specific fourth exon act as cis elements for splicing pre-mRNA. UV-crosslinking experiments revealed both transformer (tra) and transformer-2 (tra-2) products bind to These...

Abstract BACKGROUND: Except for sex pheromones, use of pheromones in pest management has been largely unexplored. A high concentration trail pheromone disrupts ant following and foraging, thus synthetic can be a novel control agent ants. In this study, year‐long treatment small areas (100 m 2 plots urban house gardens) with pheromone, insecticidal bait or both was conducted to develop method the invasive Argentine Linepithema humile (Mayr). RESULTS: The population could maintained lower than...

Abstract The red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is a serious invasive alien around the world and has expanded its range to Pacific Rim since early 2000s. It was first reported in Japan 2017, entry through cargo been numerous times many ports. Colonies have found Tokyo Port 2019, now it an urgent issue prevent further invasion establishment. Chemical control best tested method of insect control, but we little information on efficacy insecticides against...

Maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus Wolbachia induce various kinds reproductive alterations in their arthropod hosts. In a Wolbachia-infected strain adzuki bean borer moth, Ostrinia scapulalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), males selectively die during larval development, while females when are eliminated by antibiotic treatment. We found that naturally occurring congener O. furnacalis caused sex-specific lethality similar to scapulalis. Cytogenetic analyses throughout entire...

Previous short-term experiments showed that trail following behavior of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), can be disrupted by a high concentration synthetic pheromone component (Z)-9-hexadecenal. In this study, long-term field trial was conducted in 100-m2 plots house gardens an urban area Japan to see whether control effect on ants obtained permeating from dispensers. The dispensers were placed experimental during ant's active season (April-November)...

Wolbachia , a group of endosymbiotic bacteria in arthropods, alter the reproduction their hosts various ways. A strain ( w Sca) naturally infecting adzuki bean borer moth Ostrinia scapulalis induces male killing, while another Kue) Mediterranean flour Ephestia kuehniella cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) resident host. Transinfection can be powerful tool to elucidate relative importance and host determining type reproductive alterations. Recently, killing was shown occur E. transinfected with...

Background Territorial boundaries between conspecific social insect colonies are maintained through nestmate recognition systems. However, in supercolony-forming ants, which have developed an extraordinary organization style known as unicoloniality, a single supercolony extends across large geographic distance. The underlying mechanism is considered to involve less frequent occurrence of intraspecific aggressive behaviors, while maintaining interspecific competition. Thus, we examined...

Abstract In speciation research, much attention is paid to the evolution of reproductive barriers, preventing diverging groups from hybridizing back into one gene pool. The prevalent view that barriers evolve gradually as a by‐product genetic changes accumulated by natural selection and drift in are segregated spatially and/or temporally. Reproductive however, can also be reinforced against maladaptive hybridization. These mutually compatible theories both empirically supported studies,...

A maternally inherited intracellular bacterium, Wolbachia, causes reproductive alterations in its arthropod hosts. In the adzuki bean borer, Ostrinia scapulalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), naturally-occurring Wolbachia selectively kills male progeny. This strain appears to have a feminizing effect, since antibiotic treatment of infected female moths gives rise progeny with sexually mosaic phenotypes. It is proposed that male-specific death occurs through and sexual mosaics are...

Diplogasteroides nix n. sp. is described based on its typological characteristics, molecular profile and mating experiments. characterised by tube-like stoma with three small dorsal teeth two subventral ridges, spicule clearly ventrally bent at one-third from the anterior end, gubernaculum a somewhat squared end sharply pointed distal in lateral view nine pairs of genital papillae an arrangement ⟨v1, (v2, v3d)/v4, ad, ph, (v5, v6, v7), pd⟩, very v5 v6 protruding socket-like bases, has...

The red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) causes serious damage worldwide as an invasive alien species. species has expanded its range to the Pacific Rim since 2000s and Japan faced multiple introductions 2017. While colony-level control methods are urgently needed, testing living colonies of unestablished is challenging especially due various restrictions under COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we proposed alternative long-term toxicity assays using artificial...

Abstract Red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), which are among the most harmful alien were first detected in Japan a shipping container from China May 2017, and continue to enter via this trade pathway. Fumigation is one of effective ways eliminate S. goods transported containers. The present study evaluate effect fumigation with allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) against . using microencapsulated AITC pellets gas-barrier bag for 24 h completely killed...

The genus Stigmaeopsis (family Tetranychidae) has 11 species including the serious bamboo pest, S. nanjingensis. All are difficult to identify by their morphology, and diagnostic character (the length of dorsal setae) can be used only fresh specimens. To these at molecular level, we sequenced cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene mitochondrial DNA two nuclear ribosomal RNA genes (18S 28S) 20 strains seven [S. celarius, longus, miscanthi (both low- high-aggression phenotypes),...

Large blue butterflies, Phengaris (Maculinea), are an important focus of endangered-species conservation in Eurasia. Later-instar caterpillars live Myrmica ant nests and exploit the colony's resources, they specialized to specific host-ant species. For example, local extinction P. arion U. K. is thought have been due replacement its species with a less-suitable congener, as result changes habitat. In Japan, kotokui hosts teleius arionides caterpillars. We recently showed, however, that...

the mechanisms that underlie synchronization are not well understood.In insects, eggs often laid in masses, which hatch synchronously.However, there is little information on synchronous hatching with exception of a few sub social species synchrony induced by specifi c types parental behaviour, such as spraying water or vibrating (Ohba, 2002;Mukai et al., 2012Mukai , 2014)).However, most insect do attend their eggs, and only studies mechanism cockroach (Provine, 1976) several bugs (Kiritani,...