The influence of gut and gonad bacterial communities on insect physiology, behaviour, and ecology is increasingly recognised. Parasitism by parasitoid wasps alters many physiological processes in their hosts, including gut bacterial communities. However, it remains unclear whether these changes are restricted to the gut or also occur in other tissues and fluids, and the mechanisms underlying such changes are unknown. We hypothesise that host microbiome changes result from the injection of calyx fluid (that contain symbiotic viruses known as polydnaviruses) and venom during parasitoid oviposition and that these effects vary by host tissue. To test this, we microinjected Pieris brassicae caterpillars with calyx fluid and venom from Cotesia glomerata, using saline solution and natural parasitism by C. glomerata as controls. We analysed changes in the bacterial community composition in the gut, regurgitate, haemolymph, and labial salivary glands of the host insects. Multivariate analysis revealed distinct bacterial communities across tissues and fluids, with high diversity in the salivary glands and haemolymph. Parasitism and injection of calyx fluid and venom significantly altered bacterial communities in the salivary glands. Differential abundance analysis showed that parasitism affected bacterial relative abundance in the haemolymph, and that Wolbachia was only found in the haemolymph of parasitized caterpillars. Altogether, our findings reveal that parasitism influences the host haemolymph microbiome, and both parasitism and injection of calyx fluid and venom drive changes in the bacterial community composition within the host salivary glands. Given that the composition of salivary glands can influence plant response to herbivory, we discuss these results in the broader context of plant-parasitoid interactions.

[...]

The prickly pear cactus, Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller, is the most economically important Cactaceae species worldwide. It thrives in arid and semiarid agricultural lands with minimal inputs, providing benefits such as livestock fodder, fruit, and vegetable production. The South American cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg), represents the most important insect pest of prickly pear crops. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of C. cactorum feeding on O. ficus-indica plants in a plantation in northwestern Argentina. Fruit production, fruit attributes, and plant size were evaluated under increasing C. cactorum pest densities in a manipulative 3-yr-long experiment (2018 to 2020). In the 2019 harvest, the increase in the pest density significantly reduced the number of fruits produced/plant. Plants with the highest pest density produced 60% fewer fruits than pest-free plants. In the 2020 harvest, the reduction was marginal. Fruit and pulp weights significantly declined with increasing C. cactorum densities in both years. No effect occurred on plant size or fruit sweetness. This was the first effort to measure the magnitude of the impact of C. cactorum on a cactus crop species and provides crucial information for prickly pear fruit producers. This information is helpful to implement more effective preventive and control measures to protect producers’ investment and ensure a profitable harvest. Further studies in younger plantations and other areas will help develop an economic damage threshold level to support Integrated Pest Management decisions to limit C. cactorum’s impact.

1. Describing the genetic structure and diversity of invasive insect pest populations is essential to better understand a species' invasion history and success throughout its distribution range. Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) is a destructive pest of tomato and many other solanaceous crops, with very high economic impacts. Its invasion threatens food security in a large part of the globe, in areas such as sub-Saharan Africa where the agricultural resilience has already been weakened by rapid human-induced changes due in particular to population growth, increased trade and global change. 2. This work aimed to investigate the diversity and genetic structure of 60 populations of T. absoluta using microsatellite markers, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa. 3. Our results revealed distinct differentiation and diversity patterns between T. absoluta native versus invaded areas, and high genetic homogeneity among the African populations sampled. However, for the first time, two weakly differentiated but distinct genetic clusters in Africa were identified. 4. The results suggest few introduction events of the species in Africa or multiple introductions from genetically close areas, significant gene flow between outbreaks and seem to indicate the existence of two distinct clusters in Africa. This new data enable us to formulate hypotheses on the species' invasion patterns and the dynamics of its invasive populations. 5. These hypotheses must be verified with more extensive sampling over the whole range of T. absoluta, especially in its presumed native area.

The cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a major agricultural pest affecting crops like cotton, maize, tomatoes, and wheat across southern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and western Asia. Whole genome analyses have revealed adaptive evolution in chemosensation and detoxification genes in S. littoralis. However, the extent of intraspecific diversity influenced by recent adaptive evolutionary forces remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a population genomics analysis using 31 S. littoralis individuals from sub-Saharan Africa, northern Africa, and southern Europe to assess the existence of intraspecific population divergence and identify the underlying evolutionary forces. We show whole genome differentiation between populations based on geographic origin from the analyzed samples. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that sub-Saharan and southern European populations share a common ancestor, distinct from several northern African populations. FST and dXY statistics along the chromosomes reveal loci with restricted gene flow among populations. These loci are associated with population-specific selective sweeps, indicating the role of divergent natural selection in limiting gene flow. Notably, these loci are enriched with detoxification genes, including cytochrome P450, multidrug resistance, and xanthine dehydrogenase genes, all of which are potentially associated with detoxification. These results demonstrate that divergent selection limits gene flow among geographically distinct populations with the possibility of the involvement of detoxification as a key trait. We argue that this genetic heterogeneity can be considered in pest monitoring and management, as strategies tailored to specific populations may not be relevant for others.

A 6-year-old mixed-breed male Papillon dog, castrated at the age of 7 months, presented for work-up of a difficulty walking associated with constipation and urinary incontinence. Ultrasonography and radiography were consistent with a tumor of the prostate and lymph node metastases. An irregular osteoproliferation of the ventral edges of L5–L6–L7 suggested tumor invasion. Periosteal proliferative lesions of the pelvis, the femur, the humerus, the tibia and the calcaneus were consistent with hypertrophic osteopathy. Necropsy and histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma with lymph node, pulmonary, liver and bone metastases, associated with hypertrophic osteopathy.

La dénomination de "veau rosé" est diversement définie et peu étudiée en France. Cette production est bien adaptée aux races locales, comme dans le cas de la Maraîchine. Les performances d’abattage des veaux rosés extraites d’une base de données de 119 veaux obtenue entre 2009 à 2023 sur l’unité expérimentale INRAE de Saint-Laurent-de-la-Prée sont décrites. Les caractéristiques biochimiques et métaboliques ainsi que les qualités sensorielles et nutritionnelles des viandes ont été analysées sur échantillon de 30 veaux rosés (15 élevés au pis et à l’herbe (pâture et/ou foin) (régime H) et 15 veaux élevés au pis et complémentés aux concentrés (régime C)) issus de 8 élevages différents. Les veaux ont un poids vif moyen de 219 kg, un poids carcasse de 128 kg et un poids de viande de 90 kg. Les rendements carcasse sont en moyenne de 59 % et les rendements viande de 70 %. La viande de veau rosée est pauvre en lipides (1,3g/100g de tissu). Elle présente une proportion d’AGPI élevée proche de 20% et un rapport AGPI n-6/n-3 proche de 2. Le régime alimentaire des veaux a des impacts significatifs sur la qualité de la viande. Le régime H impacte la conformation des carcasses, la couleur de la viande, la teneur en fer (+ 24%) et la tendreté. Il augmente de 53% la proportion de fibres lentes et oxydo-glycolytiques. Certaines teneurs en acides gras d’intérêt, en vitamine B2 et des indicateurs santé sont également augmentées. Enfin le régime H entraine également un double enrichissement en antioxydants endogènes ou exogènes et une diminution des teneurs en vitamines B3 et B6.

Cu-Cr-based alloys are good candidates for thermo-electrical applications because of their excellent combination of mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. However, tailoring their microstructure via traditional processes such as sintering and casting remains a challenging task. Herein, we introduce a strategy to fabricate multiscale Cu-25Cr composites. This is achieved through in-situ alloying from elemental powder blending in laser powder-bed fusion. The process is monitored layer-by-layer using synchrotron X-ray microtomography. We show that by changing the melt-pool size and its overlap, one can produce multiscale Cu-Cr composites with coarse (~50µm) and fine Cr-spheroids (<500 nm) while controlling their spatial distribution. Coarse Cr particles are preferentially located at the melt pool boundaries while fine spherical Cr particles are distributed in the melt pool interior. Spatial variations in mechanical properties are revealed using nanoindentation mapping. This strategy opens new opportunities to optimize multiscale metal matrix composite through the manipulation of the scanning strategy.

In this study, we reassess the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Sesamia Guenée, 1852 and examine in more detail the members of the nonagrioides species group, for which three distinct species complexes are identified. The calamistis subgroup comprises eight species, of which four new species are described: Sesamia kabirara Le Ru sp. nov., Sesamia kalale Le Ru sp. nov., Sesamia mapalense Le Ru sp. nov. and Sesamia teke Le Ru sp. nov. The incerta subgroup consists of 11 species, of which four new species are described: Sesamia kamba Le Ru sp. nov., Sesamia lalaci Le Ru sp. nov., Sesamia lusese Le Ru sp. nov. and Sesamia msowero Le Ru sp. nov. The nonagrioides subgroup comprises ten species of which two new species are described: Sesamia libode Le Ru sp. nov. and Sesamia satauensis Le Ru sp. nov. Phylogenetic and molecular species delimitation analyses of a multi-marker molecular dataset allow us to investigate and clarify the status of Sesamia species and species complexes. Our results yield a well-supported phylogenetic hypothesis for the genus, which supports the monophyletic nature of all but one species subgroup. The results of 16 distinct molecular species delimitation analyses show some levels of incongruence and, overall, a tendency towards over-splitting. We also present an updated list of species for the genus Sesamia and provide morphological keys based on male and female genitalia to determine the species group of any Sesamia species and to identify all species belonging to the nonagrioides species group.