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- P-ISSN2765-2203
- E-ISSN2765-2211
- KCI Candidate
Abstract
The genus Charops is one of the small genera of the subfamily Campopleginae with 30 species reporded worldwide. All of the known host insects of Charops striatus belong to the lepidopteran family Zygaenidae, perceived as harmful. C. striatus, one of the endoparasitoids from Elcysma westwoodi, is the most damaging lepidopteran pest of Prunus yedoensis. In South Korea, host plants of C. striatus were reported by Choi & Lee in 2008. In this paper, two new host plants, Crepidiastrum denticulatum and Zea mays, of Charops striatus are reporded for the first time from South Korea. Digital images and redescription of this species are provided.
Abstract
Bacterial symbionts are common across insects, including ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Reproduction-manipulating endosymbionts, such as Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, Rickettsia, and Cardinium, are closely associated with many aspects of host-insect life. In addition, phage WO plays an essential role in the phenotypic effects of Wolbachia. Although endosymbionts are possible biological control agents, there is a lack of knowledge of their rate of infection of ants in Korea. We tested a range of Korean ant species for the presence of Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, Rickettsia, Cardinium, and phage WO by extracting DNA from the ants and using specific primer sets to test the status of infections. In addition, the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene of the host ants was amplified to confirm the molecular identification and phylogenetic relationship between the hosts. We found that infection with Wolbachia (29.6% of species) is relatively common when compared with that of other endosymbionts. Only one species was infected with Spiroplasma. Infection with Rickettsia and Cardinium was not detected in the examined ants. Most Wolbachia in ants were infected with phage WO. Although the phenotypic effects of endosymbionts in ants are still unknown, this first survey of endosymbionts in Korea is the first step toward the use of reproduction-manipulating endosymbionts.
Abstract
The Chinese crested tern (Thalasseus bersteini) is one of the most globally endangered species, listed as “Critically Endangered (CE)” on the IUCN Red List, with only approximately 30-49 individuals surviving in the wild. Chinese crested terns were discovered to breed in South Korea for the first time in 2016 while conducting a census on uninhabited islands. The Ministry of Environment has declared the breeding habitat of the Chinese crested terns as “Specified Island” to protect this CE species. However, brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) inhabiting the breeding grounds of the Chinese crested terns and Black-tailed gulls may potentially pose a threat to the breeding of these avian species. Therefore, we conducted a study on the feeding behavior of brown rats involving stable isotope analysis to determine their food sources. Fecal analysis showed that brown rats mainly fed on plants, whereas they scarcely fed on animals, such as insects. In addition, the stable isotope analysis showed that the δ13C values of brown rats, insects, and Indian goosegrasses were approximately –16 to –11‰, whereas the δ13C value of Chinese crested terns that obtained their food from the marine ecosystem was approximately –22 to –18‰. Hence, we conclude that the source of carbon for brown rats on this island is the terrestrial ecosystem. We ruled out the possibility of any direct prey– predator interaction between the brown rat and the Chinese crested tern or Black-tailed gull.
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to quantify the population size and spatial distribution of three predatory Scarites species in coastal sand dunes. In June and August 2014, 252 pitfall traps were utilized to conduct a trapping web analysis at three distinct sites with varying vegetation dominance values. Scarites sulcatus had the largest estimated population in a 10 m2 area with a habitat density of 36.6 in a Vitex rotundifolia community area (site B) in the June survey. In contrast, Scarites aterrimus had the largest population size with a habitat density of 2.9 in a Calystegia soldanella community area (site A) in the August survey. Spatial distribution analysis revealed that S. sulcatus dominated the Vitex rotundifolia community without preference for a particular site, whereas S. aterrimus and Scarites terricola pacificus were primarily observed on the beach. The results indicated that the three Scarites species in the Sohwang coastal sand dune region exhibited differences in their spatial and temporal distributions in the coastal dune ecosystem in order to avoid competition and predation. In conclusion, our findings can be utilized to estimate the population density of the genus Scarites on the Korean Peninsula. The outcomes of this study will contribute to estimating insect population densities on the Korean Peninsula and developing investigative assessment methodologies.
