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The causes of U-Pb isotopic discordance documented by Paquette et al. (2004) in monazite grains from the ultra-high temperature (UHT) granulite of the Andriamena unit of Madagascar are re-evaluated in the light of nanoscale crystal-chemical characterization utilising Atom Probe Tomography (APT) and state-of-the-art Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM). APT provides isotopic (208Pb/232Th) dating and information on the chemical segregation of trace elements (e.g., Pb) in monazite at nanoscale. Latest generation of STEM allows complementary high-resolution chemical and structural characterization at nanoscale. In situ isotopic U–Pb dating with Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) on 25 monazite grains and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) on zircon have been employed to refine the age spectra. Monazite and zircon grains located in quartz and garnet formed with the peak UHT metamorphic assemblage, which is partially overprinted by retrograde coronitic textures. Zircon grains hosted in garnet and in quartz yield concordant U–Pb ages at 2758 ± 28 Ma and 2609 ± 51 Ma, respectively whereas monazite grains hosted in quartz and garnet show a discordant Pb* loss trend on the Concordia diagram recording disturbance at 1053 ± 246 Ma that is not seen by the zircon, underlining the importance of combining the use of monazite and zircon to understand the history of polymetamorphic rocks. The Pb*-loss trend of monazite is related to petrographic position, with less Pb* lost from monazite hosted in quartz and garnet than monazite hosted in the coronitic reaction texture domains. STEM shows that the garnet- and quartz-hosted monazite grains contain more Pb-bearing nanophases than monazite grains located in the coronitic textures. An inverse correlation between the number of Pb-bearing nanophases and the percentage of Pb*-loss in monazite grains demonstrates that Pb* is retained in the grain in the form of nanophases. The formation of Pb-bearing nanophases limits Pb*-loss at the grain scale and therefore allows the preservation of early events. 208Pb/232Th ratios obtained with APT in monazite located in quartz and garnet and excluding Pb*-bearing nanophases indicate a mean age of 1059 ± 129 Ma corresponding to a disturbance event hitherto undetected in the geochronological record of the Andriamena unit. Thus, geochronology with APT allows access to information and the definition of events that may be blurred or obscured when examined at lower spatial resolution.

The stink bugs Acrosternum arabicum Wagner and Brachynema germari Kolenati (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) damage developing pistachio nuts in Iran. Ooencyrtus egeria Huang and Noyes (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) parasitizes eggs of both species, alternating between them seasonally. We compared the biological and life history attributes of O. egeria reared for 3 generations on each host species with those that had been transferred to the alternate host for 2 generations. We also tested female responses to host egg density. Eggs of B. germari were parasitized at higher rates and yielded faster wasp development, heavier female progeny with greater fecundity, and a more female-biased sex ratio, than eggs of A. arabicum. Rearing on A. arabicum did not diminish wasp fitness on B. germari , and the F1 progeny of wasps switched to A. arabicum inherited some beneficial parental effects from rearing on B. germari. Regardless of host species, females parasitized fewer eggs in 8 h as density increased from 10 to 30 eggs, but progeny sex ratio (% female) increased. The anomalous response to host density appears to arise from a combination of behavioral and egg load constraints. Females mature only 10–12 eggs per day. Carefully inspect egg clusters before selecting the most suitable eggs for oviposition, a more time-consuming process for large clusters. Our results indicate that rearing O. egeria on eggs of A. arabicum , which are more convenient and cost-effective to produce than those of B. germari , will not diminish its performance on B. germari following augmentative release, beyond a slight reduction in female fecundity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Laboratory and field observations were used to evaluate the compatibility of yellow sticky cards with augmentative releases of T. dendrolimi for control of orchard pests, particularly C. sasakii and G. molesta. Female T. dendrolimi showed stronger attraction to yellow and white than to red, green or blue. Yellow sticky cards trapped significant numbers of T. dendrolimi in the field, reducing biological control of C. sasakii as well as the number of lacewings naturally recruited to the orchard. Judicious use of yellow sticky cards in orchards is therefore recommended to avoid disruption of biological control, specifically removing them in May before peak flights of moth pests require releases of egg parasitoids. Integrated pest management relies upon mutual compatibility among pest control tactics. The fruit-boring moths Carposina sasakii and Grapholita molesta can be devastating pests of pome and stone fruit production. Trichogramma dendrolimi parasitizes the eggs of these pests, preventing their eclosion, but its efficacy can be reduced by other pest control tactics. We tested T. dendrolimi attraction to five colors, and moth attraction to six colors, in laboratory choice tests, and thereafter deployed yellow sticky cards in tandem with releases of T. dendrolimi in field trials in a pear orchard. Yellow sticky cards deployed at high density trapped T. dendrolimi and reduced their numbers post-release. They also trapped adult G. molesta, which appeared to compensate for reduced egg parasitism on this species, but not on C. sasakii, which had higher abundance in plots with yellow sticky cards. The cards also captured adult lacewings, likely reducing their numbers in the field, but did not capture large numbers of lady beetles. The results suggest that yellow sticky cards can be used at high density to control aphids, psyllids and leafhoppers in early spring (March and April) when natural enemies are in low numbers, then removed in May so as not to interfere with augmentative releases of T. dendrolimi that must be timed to coincide with peak flights of fruit-boring moths. This strategy should enhance the compatibility of yellow sticky cards with egg parasitoid releases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutron-induced reaction cross sections of unstable nuclei are essential for understanding the synthesis of heavy elements in stars and for applications in nuclear technology. However, their measurement is very complicated due to the radioactivity of the targets involved. We propose to circumvent this problem by using the surrogate reaction method in inverse kinematics, where the nucleus formed in the neutron- induced reaction of interest is produced by a reaction involving a radioactive heavy-ion beam and a stable, light target nucleus. The probabilities as a function of the compound-nucleus excitation energy for γ-ray emission, neutron emission and fission, which can be measured with the surrogate reaction, are particularly useful to constrain model parameters and to obtain more accurate predictions of the neutron-induced reaction cross sections of interest. Yet, the full development of the surrogate method is hampered by numerous long- standing target issues, which can be solved by combining surrogate reactions with the unique and largely unexplored possibilities at heavy-ion storage rings. In this contribution, we describe the developments we are carrying out to measure for the first time simultaneously γ-ray emission, neutron emission and fission probabilities at the storage rings of the GSI/FAIR facility. In particular, we will present the first results of the proof of principle experiment, which we performed in June 2022 at the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) of GSI/FAIR.

Neutron-induced reaction cross sections of unstable nuclei are essential for understanding the synthesis of heavy elements in stars. However, their measurement is very difficult due to the radioactivity of the targets involved. We propose to circumvent this problem by using for the first time the surrogate reaction method in inverse kinematics at heavy-ion storage rings. In this contribution, we describe the developments we have done to perform surrogate-reaction studies at the storage rings of GSI/FAIR. In particular, we present the first results of the proof of principle experiment, which we conducted recently at the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR).

The carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is an important pest of pistachio causing direct damage to nuts during ripening, and in storage. We examined the tritrophic effects of 5 pistachio cultivars, representing the full range of kernel suitability for E. ceratoniae , on 2 larval parasitoids, Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a gregarious, synovigenic, idiobiont, ectoparasitoid, and Venturia canescens Gravenhorst (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), a solitary, pro-ovigenic, koinobiont, endoparasitoid. The suitability of pistachio cultivars for development and reproduction of the 2 parasitoids was closely correlated, despite their divergent lifestyles and developmental patterns, and paralleled variation in kernel suitability for host larvae. Although kernels of the most resistant cultivar reduced demographic parameters of the parasitoids, the potential impact on numerical responses was minor. Successful biological control of carob moth within the vulnerable period of nut ripening will likely depend on the functional responses of earlier generations of adult parasitoids emerging from other fruit and nut crops, or those released in an augmentation program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study used field observations to demonstrate that intercropping okra in a pear orchard reduced pheromone trap catches of Grapholita molesta in two years, whereas intercropping with castor bean reduced them in one year, relative to natural grass cover. GC-MS assays showed that hydrocarbons, phenols, and ketones predominated in the volatiles emitted from okra, whereas aldehydes, ketones, and esters were the most abundant volatiles emitted from castor bean. Five of these compounds exhibited repellency to G. molesta in olfactometry assays, especially cinnamaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, and thymol; the former also served as an attractant for the egg parasitoid Trichogamma dendrolimi, which is often used in augmentation biocontrol of the moth. Intercrops can lower pest densities by increasing plant diversity, altering chemical communication in the arthropod community, and integrating well with other IPM tactics. We used two years of field observations and Y-tube olfactometer assays to explore the effects of intercropping a pear orchard with okra and castor bean on the cosmopolitan fruit-boring pest Grapholita molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Intercropping okra reduced G. molesta trap catches in the pear orchard in both years, and intercropping with castor bean reduced them in the second year. Hydrocarbons, phenols, and ketones predominated in the GC-MS assay of okra volatiles, whereas castor bean volatiles were rich in aldehydes, ketones, and esters. Five of the commercially available volatiles released by these plants exhibited repellency to G. molesta in olfactometer trials, especially cinnamaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, and thymol; the former compound also exhibited attraction to the egg parasitoid Trichogamma dendrolimi (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). In addition to their repellent properties, okra and castor bean may enhance integrated control of G. molesta in orchards by hosting prey that support populations of generalist predators that either provide biological pest control services within the orchard ecosystem or generate non-consumptive effects that contribute to pest deterence. Among the plant volatiles evaluated, cinnamaldehyde has the best potential for deployment in orchards to repel G. molesta without disrupting augmentative releases of T. dendrolimi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a serious pest of fruit and nut crops worldwide that causes significant losses in Iranian pistachio orchards. In order to assess variation among cultivars is susceptibility to carob moth and biochemical correlates, the present study evaluated the suitability of kernels of 10 pistachio cultivars for E. ceratoniae development and reproductive performance under laboratory conditions: 25 ± 1°C, 65 ± 5% RH and a 16:8 (L:D) photoperiod. The primary and secondary metabolites of nuts were quantified and correlated with life history traits and various metrics of biological performance and indices of relative suitability were calculated. Nut protein content averaged 18.4 ± 0.1% and did not vary significantly among cultivars. Two cultivars yielded significantly slower larval development and lower values for relative growth rate, female longevity and fecundity, relative to all others. Suitability indices calculated from moth life history parameters varied by a factor of 4.66 across cultivars, with values <1 for the two most resistant varieties. The latter cultivars were less consumed by larvae and were lowest in carbohydrate content and efficiency of food conversion, but ranked highest in total phenolics, tannins and flavonoids. Linear regressions indicated that carbohydrate content was positively correlated with kernel suitability for larval development and adult reproduction, whereas total phenolics, tannins, flavonoids and anthocyanins were all negatively correlated. The implications of these findings for integrated management of E. ceratoniae in pistachio orchards, and the possibility of improving pistachio resistance to carob moth, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baculoviruses are highly evolved parasites that genetically reprogram the developing phenotype of their host insect to produce a vessel for virus replication and dispersal. Here we show that larvae of Helicoverpa armigera infected with HearNPV accumulate glucose in the midgut, which reduces food consumption and alters the dynamics of pathways governing metabolism and immunity. We used transcriptomics to demonstrate the role of the insulin signalling pathway in regulating the HearNPV infection process. Dietary restriction decreased mortality of infected larvae and reduced viral replication prior to death, whereas dietary supplementation with glucose produced the opposite effects. The expression of most tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) and energy metabolism‐related genes was reduced in infected larvae, whereas the expression of immunity‐, glycolysis‐ and insulin‐related genes was enhanced. Treatment of infected larvae with insulin increased their survival, reduced viral replication and inhibited climbing behaviour compared to a control treatment with DMSO, whereas RNAi suppression of the insulin receptor gene produced the opposite effects. Inhibition of glycolysis with dichloroacetate (DCA) promoted viral replication and accelerated larval death, but inhibition of the TCA cycle with 2‐deoxyglucose (2‐DG) did not, although both diminished climbing behaviour. This work demonstrates that successful baculovirus infections hinge on metabolic reprogramming of the host and concurrent suppression of immune responses in the larval midgut, with the insulin signalling pathway mediating a trade‐off between glucose metabolism and virus resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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