In order to study vitellogenesis and its endocrine regulation, we used hybridoma techniques and developed four monoclonal antibodies to Pteromalus puparum soluble yolk proteins, named as PpVt mAb1, PpVt mAb2, PpVt mAb3, and PpVt mAb4, respectively. The four antibodies, each with a IgG1 heavy chain and a κ light chain, had high specificity and affinity not only to the ovarian vitellin (Vt), but also to female hemolymph vitellogenin (Vg). However, they showed no immunological reaction with the male substances. The indirect double antibody sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was regarded as the most sensitive and accurate to measure Vg/Vt in the wasps, compared with other three methods of ELISA, namely, direct, indirect and double antibody sandwich ELISA. With this ELISA method it is possible to detect the Vg/Vt titer in a single wasp with the sensitivity of 20 ng/mL. The Western blot analysis indicated that the Vg synthesis initiated just after eclosion, and peaked to high levels within 12 and 36 h after eclosion. 

Explants of the triploid of Chinese white poplar were transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404 carrying the expression vector pBtiA containing two insect-resistant genes (Bt Cry1Ac gene and API gene). The expression of exogenous gene of transgenic subclones was analyzed by ELISA detection, Western blotting and laboratory bioassay with Clostera anachoreta Fabricius and Lymantria dispar L. The relationship among the characters of expression of exogenous gene was analyzed. The results showed that on average 41% of 28 transgenic subclones had a high insect resistance (larval mortality more than 80%) against C. anachoreta, 35％ of them had middle insect resistance (larval mortality 40%-80%) and 24% of them had a lower insect resistance (larval mortality lower than 40%). Also 70% of the transgenic subclones had a high insect resistance against L. dispar. Transgenic plant could obviously inhibit the growth and development of the larva, and the inhibition effect of the subclones was different. The expression of exogenous genes in transgenic plant was stable. Correlation among larval mortalities of the transgenic subclones was significant in the two years tested. The transgenic plant showed insect resistance against C. anachoreta and L. dispar, and the resulted larval mortalities in the two insects were significantly correlated. ELISA detection indicated that the expression level of Bt toxoprotein in different subclones was varied in 0.0011％-0.0161％. The obvious correlation between insect mortality and Bt toxoprotein content was proved. This suggested that Bt Cry1Ac gene plays an important role in insect resistance. The transgenic plant also showed some resistance against kanamycin. But the correlation between the resistances against insect and that against kanamycin was not significant. This suggested that selection only with kanamycin could not reflect the plant insect resistance exactly.

Key words: Triploid Chinese white poplar; transgenic plant; exogenous gene; insect resistance

Spathius agrili Yang (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is an important natural enemy parasitizing larvae of the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (=A. marcopoli Obenberger) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), in Tianjin, China. The survival time of S. agrili under different nutrimental conditions, egg productions of the parasitic wasp at different periods, influence of host size on the development of wasp offspring, and utilization of host beneath the bark of different thickness, were investigated in fields, combining with observations in the laboratory. The results showed that the survival days of the parasitoid differ significantly under different nutritional conditions. Wasps can live pronouncedly longer after feeding 20% honey dilution with the maximal survival time of 3 months, and under the same conditions females usually can survive a little longer than males. When supplied with nutrition, the maximum period for oviposition of the braconid is up to 8 weeks with the peak around the 2nd week. During the whole oviposition period, the mean egg production of 8-12 eggs per female per week is almost constantly maintained without high fluctuation. The newly hatched larvae of S. agrili may produce venoms and attack host initiatively, so help to improve the survival opportunities of parasitoid progeny. The number of successfully developed parasitoid offspring from host enhances with the increase of host larval weight, which indicates that the host nutrition capacity affects the development and survival of wasp progeny. S. agrili can utilize those hosts at right ages beneath the bark of 1-6.5 mm in thickness. Approximately 92% EAB larvae parasitized by Spathius are distributed at 1-4 mm thickness of the bark with the peak at 3 mm. Relationship between the number of wasps and bark thickness can be simulated with a quadratic parabola roughly, and the theoretical maximum number of the parasitoid would be expected at 3.97 mm thickness of the bark.

Nine species of the genus Phebellia  Robineau-Desvoidy including four new species are found in China: Ph. agnatella Mesnil, Ph. aurifrons sp. nov., Ph. carceliaeformis (Villeneuve), Ph. clavellariae (Brauer & Bergenstamm), Ph. fulvipollinis sp. nov., Phebellia glauca (Meigen), Ph. Glaucoides Herting, Ph. latisurstyla sp. nov. and Ph. setocoxa sp. nov. Among them, Ph. clavellariae (Brauer & Bergenstamm), Ph. glauca (Meigen) and Ph. glaucoides Herting are recorded from China for the first time. New species are described and illustrated. A key for the known species of Phebellia Robineau- Desvoidy from China is provided.

In recent years, there has been much progress in our understanding of the cataloguing and classification, and the phylogeny and evolution of ticks. Alternations at the generic level in soft ticks (Argasidae) were introduced. One s

ubfamily, the Hyalomminae, had been combined with Rhipicephalinae, and the Bothriocrotoninae n. subfamily had been created recently in hard ticks (Ixodidae). The Bothriocroton n. genus was created to house an earlydiverging lineage ofendemic Australian ticks that used to be in the genus Aponomma (ticks of reptiles), and the Cornupalpatum n. genus was created for a fossil species, Cornupalpatum burmanicum Poinar & Brown, 2003.The genus Boophilus became a subgenus of the genus Rhipicephalus, and the genus Anocentor was sunk into the genus Dermacentor. The genus Aponommain part became a synonym of Bothriocroton and in part a synonym of Amblyomma. Thus, the name of Anocentor and Aponomma is no longer a valid genus name, respectively. The numbers of tick species are recalculated according to the nomenclature revised. In total, there are 3 families 18 genera and 897 species of ticks in the world, while the Chinese tick fauna consists of 119 speciesin 2 families 10 genera. We also introduced the main hypotheses about the phylogeny of ticks and discussed some questions in it. The effective understanding of the tick phylogeny relies on the totalevidence approach combining the morphological characters and molecular data, and the references that concern the relationships between ticks and different hosts, zoogeography, palaeontology and comparative parasitology.

The distribution and content of Cry1Ab insecticidal protein in different tissues of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée), when the 3rd instar larvae of Cry1Ab protein resistant and susceptible colonies fed on whorl leaves of Bt-transgenic corn expressing Cry1Ab protein for 3 days were determined and analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay  (ELISA). The distributions of Cry1Ab in different tissuesin the resistant and susceptible larvae were similar, mainly in the midgut tissue and haemolymph. The Cry1Ab contents in the midgut tissues of the resistant larvae with and without contents inside their midguts were 277.2 ng/g and 52.7 ng/g, respectively, significantly higher than those of the susceptible larvae, which were 104.9 ng/g and 40.1 ng/g, respectively. The Cry1Ab contents in the haemolymph of the resistant and susceptible larvae were 93.7 ng/g and 69.5 ng/g, respectively. The Cry1Ab protein in the silk gland and Malpighian tubules in the resistant and susceptible larvae could be detected, but the concentration was quite low. No Cry1Ab protein was detected in the fat body and reproductive organs, pupae, adults and eggs by ELISA method both in the resistant and susceptible larvae fed on the Bt corn. The results suggested that the Cry1Ab protein from larvae feeding on Bt corn could not be biotransferred to the subsequent pupae, adults and eggs.

The efficiency of microwave treatment to kill Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) weevils was assessed. The bare adults of the weevil, adults mixed with adzuk beans, larvae living in mung beans and eggs on mung beans were treated with different microwave power and exposure time, and its effects on the adult oviposition, larva emergence and egg hatching of the weevil and the germination rate of adzuki beans were observed. The results showed that when the bare adults were treated with microwave, the adult mortalities increased with the exposure time and microwave power, and more than half of adults were killed after being treated with midhigh power for at least 60 s or high power for at least 50 s, with a mortality of 51.21%－99.92%. When the adults mixed with the adzuki beans were treated, the varying tendency of adult mortalities under different treatments of microwave power and exposure time was similar to that of the bare adults, but the mortalities of adults mixed with adzuki beans were obviously higher than those of the bare adults at the same treatment conditions, and 55.75%－100% of adults were killed under the following treatments:  low to mid power for at least for 60 s, defrost power for at least 50 s or mid to high power for at least 40 s. All adults were killed when treated with mid power for 70 s or mid-high power for at least 60 s. Microwave treatment had aftereffects on C. chinensis, higher adult mortalities were found in the treatments than in the control even if the adults did not die immediately after being treated. The adult corrected mortalities on the 3rd day after being treated reached 87.74%. Microwave also decreased the adult oviposition, larva emergence, egg hatching and germination of adzuki beans. The susceptibility of adult, egg and larva living in mung beans to microwave was from low to high. As high as 51.67%－99.79% of adzuki beans failed to germinate under the following treatments: mid power for 60 s, defrost power for 50 s, mid power for 40 s, mid-high or high power for 30 s. It was so concluded that microwave treatment had prominently lethal effects on C. chinensis.When using microwave to eliminate pests from agricultural products, however, many factors, such as microwave machine, treating power and time, usage and water content of agricultural products and so on, should be considered and optimizing experiments should be performed to achieve the best results.