Distribution, Invasion History, and Ecology of Non-native Pine Bark Beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in Southern South America.

The growth of international trade, coupled with an expansion of large-scale pine plantations in South America during the second half of the twentieth century, has significantly increased the opportunities for the invasion of forest insects. Bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) are a large and diverse group of insects, commonly recognized as one of the most important tree mortality agents in coniferous forests worldwide and an important group among invasive forest species. In this study, we combined data from field sampling with published records of established non-native pine bark beetles, to describe their distribution and invasion history in pine plantations across southern South America, reviewing the available information on their phenology and host range.

Mating success at elevated temperature is associated to thermal adaptation in a set of recombinant inbred lines of Drosophila melanogaster.

In insects, mating ability at elevated temperature can be relevant for adaptation to heat-stressed environments and global warming. Here, we examined copulation latency (T1), copulation duration (T2), and mating frequency (T3, an index of mating success) in two related sets of recombinant inbred lines (RIL) in Drosophila melanogaster at both elevated (33 °C) and benign (25 °C) temperatures. One of these RIL sets (RIL-SH2) was shown to be consistently more resistant in both heat knockdown and heat-shock survival assays than its related set (RIL-D48) in previous studies.

Heat knockdown resistance and chill-coma recovery as correlated responses to selection on mating success at high temperature in .

Reproduction and related traits such as mating success are strongly affected by thermal stress. We tested direct and correlated responses to artificial selection in replicated lines of that were selected for mating success at high temperature. Knockdown resistance at high temperature (KRHT) and chill-coma recovery (CCR) were tested as correlated selection responses.

Negative genetic correlation between longevity and its hormetic extension by dietary restriction in Drosophila melanogaster.

Longevity is a highly malleable trait which is influenced by many genetic and environmental factors including nutrition. Mild stress of dietary restriction (DR) is often beneficial by extending longevity in many organisms. Here, DR-induced effects on longevity were tested for genetic variation in a set of recombinant inbred lines (RIL) in D.