New Phylloxera Strain Poses Threat Primarily To Grape Nurseries
... form of phylloxera -- related to the subterranean insect thatcost California's premium winegrape industry more than $1 billion in replantingcosts during the last decade -- has appeared in three grape nurseries over thelast two years. One of the University of California's experts on the pest saysthe new ty...(Blue) Light At The End Of The Tunnel?
...s study, theresearchers expressed the NPH1 gene in insect cells andsubsequently found that the protein produced had exactly the samelight sensitivity as the protein from the plant. A flavin was bound tothe protein as its chromophore. Hence, they concluded that NPH1was the photoreceptor for the phosphorylati...Evidence Appears Strong To Bolster Concept Of Co-Evolution, Scientists Say
...uctive structures of parsnips, soresistance to the insect is vital to parsnipsurvival. At each site, levels in the plants of four defensive compounds, calledfuranocoumarins, match remarkably to thelevels of detoxification enzymes in the insects. "If 30 percent of the plants have a particular chemical phenot...Science-Based Decision Guide May Be Answer To EPA's Controversial Rule
...(i.e., leaves with hairsthat prevent or discourage insect attack); 3) involved in defense mechanisms expressed as a cascade of biochemical andgenetic events triggered by incompatibility between the pest and the plant(i.e., hypersensitive reaction or programmed plant cell death); 4) responsible for pest defe...Native Gray Ants Play Positive Role In Valley Peach Orchards
...native gray ant's new-found status as a beneficial insect does notnecessarily transfer to other crops. In citrus, prunes, almonds and other cropsit can be a serious pest because it will eat the nut meat and protect aphids andscales from natural enemies. But the article's co-authors, Daane and former UCBer...New Worlds Of Order, Argentine Ants Succeed By Outnumbering The Competition
...ry littleabout the specific mechanisms used by the insect to gain control of a particulararea. Now a new study, published in the January issue of Ecology, reveals someinteresting findings about these aggressive ants. The study, conducted by David Holway at the University of Utah (now at UC SanDiego), exam......ve social interactions occur at a high rate inmany insect societies, according to O'Donnell. Up to now, this...uallyperform most of the risky tasks and labor in insect colonies. Queens dominateworkers and workers dominate each other. Males were at the bottom of thepe...Human/Insect/Jellyfish Genes Team To Quiet "Hyper" Nerve Cells
...called ecdysone activates these genes whenever the insect grows too bigfor its exoskeleton. "Insects don't ...searchersapplied muristerone, a lab version of the insect hormone, to the nerve cellculture. The muristerone turned on the insect switch, which in turn activ...Brief Exposure To High Temperature Has Lasting Effect On Nervous System
... of the locust's flight motorneurons, allowing the insect to fly in ultra-high temperatures. "There isdefinitely adaptive significance to the change in potassium levels, althoughmore investigation is required to determine exactly how the changes influencethe locust's ability to fly in extreme heat," Ramire...Dyed In The Silkworm: Researchers Develop Novel Way To Produce Colored Silk
...hat arespun by the silkworm. The development of an insect system to produce foreignproteins has significant ...d the silkworm larvae with a geneticallyengineered insect virus that carried an altered version of a silk protein. Theyfused the gene encoding the light chain...Coffee Without Addiction, Possible New Treatment For Osteoporosis, Wrinkle-Free Cotton, And More
...breast and colon cancer,and have shown efficacy in insect control in agricultural settings as well New Cotton Fabric Can De-Tox Pesticides: Offering a newly patented way toprotect agricultural workers and even everyday gardeners from the toxic effectsof pesticides, researchers will discuss their successf...... are showing reduced resistanceto such stresses as insect defoliation and low winter temperatures. Thesestresses have been linked to decreases in calcium available to the trees.Although the specific relationships among acid rain, the availability of calciumin soil, and forest growth remain uncertain, ongoin...A Mother's Love? New UD Theory Explains Why Good Insect Moms Risk Death To Save Their Only Children
MARCH 29, 1999--Good insect moms ferociously protect their young by fanningthe...ing different human mothering styles by pointingto insect behaviors. Unlike insects, he says, people are influenced by culturaland societal factors, and their...Invading Pests Harm People, Plants And Animals
...ntrolled. A new sharpshooter threatens plants. An insect that has recently invadedCalifornia is creating se...le, destroying its seeds. Serendipitously, another insect thatlooks like the peacock fly has been accidentally introduced and is significantlymore widespread ...Invading Beetle Threatens Canada's Pine Forests
...me native beetle species will attackthis voracious insect but they don't appear to be major threats to the foreignbeetle, she says. "People who own pine stands must be vigilant when it comes to tree sanitationand maintenance," warns Smith. "That means knowing when to harvest and how toleave an area free of ...Male Moth's Sperm Protects Females
...detailing the contents of thespermatophore, as the insect sperm package is known. (See "Ornatrix Tricks"fac...dBehavior) Not a pest : As a chemically laden insect most predators can't eat,it's a good thing Utetheisa ornatrix is not an agricultural nuisance. The...UT Southwestern researcher finds genetic cause for Gulf War syndrome
...icide-containing flea collars, highly concentrated insect repellant andpyridostigmime bromide anti-nerve gas tablets, as well as exposure to low-levelchemical nerve agents. The current study examined the same group of men, members of the 24th NavalMobile Construction Battalion, used in the 1997 studies. Bec...Caterpillars foiled when tomato plants summon parasitic wasps
...ssive victims buteffective defenders against their insect attackers. Scientists have known for the past two ... response can make the plant a poorer food for the insect andit may send out an aromatic SOS that hails the insect's natural enemies. In a recent study of tom......bout Dr. Dickinson's research, including a videoof insect wingstrokes, is at socrates.berkeley.edu/~flymanmd/ on theInternet....USGS director and science camp kids to pull invaders from USGS backyard
...side of the covered entrance. Bring sunscreen and insect repellent. Directional map can be found at mapping.usgs.gov/mac/visitors/ ....