Identifying novel sources of resistance to wheat stem sawfly in five wild wheat species.

Background: The wheat stem sawfly (WSS, Cephus cinctus) is a major pest of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and can cause significant yield losses. WSS damage results from stem boring and/or cutting, leading to the lodging of wheat plants. Although solid-stem wheat genotypes can effectively reduce larval survival, they may have lower yields than hollow-stem genotypes and show inconsistent solidness expression.

Assessing the adaptive role of cannabidiol (CBD) in defense against cannabis aphids.

is known for having unique specialized or secondary metabolites, cannabinoids that are derived from an extension of the terpene pathway in the lineage and includes more than 100 other similar metabolites. Despite the assumption that cannabinoids evolved as novel herbivory defense adaptations, there is limited research addressing the role of cannabinoids in responses to insect herbivores. Here we investigated the role of cannabidiol (CBD), the predominant cannabinoid in hemp, in plant defense against cannabis aphid (), one of the most damaging pests of hemp.

The highly divergent spermatozoon of the Palawan spiny rat, has an extremely long tail.

Context: Sperm morphology varies greatly across mammalian species and this variability is especially evident in murid rodents with both sperm head shape and tail length being sexually selected traits. The Palawan spiny rat, Maxomys panglima has a longer sperm tail than that currently recorded for any other mammalian species.

Aims: The aim of the current study was to determine the sperm morphology of an individual Palawan spiny rat, M.

Survey of Wheat Stem Sawfly (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) Infesting Wheat in Eastern Colorado.

From 2012 through 2020, a survey of wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton, was conducted in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields in Eastern Colorado. In 2013, results showed sawfly infestations concentrated in the northern part of the state with only a few highly infested sites, with 38 of the 94 sampled sites having any infestation (five of which had >50% infestation levels).

Effects of Landscape Composition on Wheat Stem Sawfly (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) and Its Associated Braconid Parasitoids.

Several agroecological and integrated pest management strategies focus on landscape management to increase complexity and foster biodiversity. However, landscape complexity does not always enhance biological control and in some cases may lead to increased pest populations. We examined the prevalence of two Bracon parasitoids, Bracon cephi Gahan and Bracon lissogaster Muesebeck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), and their host the wheat stem sawfly Cephus cinctus Norton, a major pest of wheat.