scholarly journals Nectar Meals of a Mosquito-Specialist Spider

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josiah O. Kuja ◽  
Robert R. Jackson ◽  
Godfrey O. Sune ◽  
Rebecca N. H. Karanja ◽  
Zipporah O. Lagat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Ricinus Communis ◽  
Aloe Vera ◽  
East African ◽  
Natural Diet ◽  
Striga Asiatica ◽  
Early Instar ◽  
Evarcha Culicivora

Evarcha culicivora, an East African jumping spider, is known for feeding indirectly on vertebrate blood by actively choosing blood-carrying mosquitoes as prey. Using cold-anthrone tests to detect fructose, we demonstrate thatE. culicivoraalso feeds on nectar. Field-collected individuals, found on the plantLantana camara, tested positive for plant sugar (fructose). In the laboratory,E. culicivoratested positive for fructose after being kept withL. camaraor one of another ten plant species (Aloe vera, Clerodendron magnifica, Hamelia patens, Lantana montevideo, Leonotis nepetaefolia, Parthenium hysterophorus, Ricinus communis, Senna didymobotrya, Striga asiatica, andVerbena trivernia). Our findings demonstrate thatE. culicivoraacquires fructose from its natural diet and can ingest fructose directly from plant nectaries. However, experiments in the laboratory also show thatE. culicivoracan obtain fructose indirectly by feeding on prey that have fed on fructose, implying a need to consider this possibility when field-collected spiders test positive for fructose. In laboratory tests, 53.5% of 1,215 small juveniles, but only 3.4% of 622 adultE. culicivora, left with plants for 24 hours, were positive for fructose. These findings, along with the field data, suggest that fructose is especially important for early-instar juveniles ofE. culicivora.

scholarly journals Rapid nectar-meal effects on a predator's capacity to kill mosquitoes

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 140426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgina E. Carvell ◽  
Josiah O. Kuja ◽  
Robert R. Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Ricinus Communis ◽  
Juvenile Stage ◽  
East African ◽  
Jumping Spider ◽  
Nectar Feeding ◽  
Evarcha Culicivora ◽  
Better Than

Using Evarcha culicivora , an East African jumping spider (Salticidae), we investigate how nectar meals function in concert with predation specifically at the juvenile stage between emerging from the egg sac and the first encounter with prey. Using plants and using artificial nectar consisting of sugar alone or sugar plus amino acids, we show that the plant species ( Lantana camara , Ricinus communis , Parthenium hysterophorus ), the particular sugars in the artificial nectar (sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose), the concentration of sugar (20%, 5%, 1%) and the duration of pre-feeding fasts (3 days, 6 days) influence the spider's prey-capture proficiency on the next day after the nectar meal. However, there were no significant effects of amino acids. Our findings suggest that benefits from nectar feeding are derived primarily from access to particular sugars, with fructose and sucrose being the most beneficial, glucose being intermediate and maltose being no better than a water-only control.

scholarly journals Convergence between a mosquito-eating predator's natural diet and its prey-choice behaviour

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (12) ◽  
pp. 160584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert R. Jackson ◽  
Chan Deng ◽  
Fiona R. Cross
Keyword(s):  
Strong Convergence ◽  
Classification System ◽  
Prey Choice ◽  
East African ◽  
Choice Behaviour ◽  
Jumping Spider ◽  
Prey Category ◽  
Natural Diet ◽  
Evarcha Culicivora ◽  
Male Mosquitoes

On the basis of 1115 records of Evarcha culicivora feeding in the field, we can characterize this East African jumping spider (Salticidae) as being distinctively stenophagic. We can also, on the basis of laboratory prey-choice experiments, characterize E . culicivora as having a specialized prey-classification system and a hierarchy of innate preferences for various categories of mosquitoes and other arthropods. Prey from the field belonged to 10 arthropod orders, but 94.5% of the prey records were dipterans. Mosquitoes were the dominant prey (80.2% of the records), with the majority (82.9%) of the mosquitoes being females, and thereafter midges were the most common prey (9.2% of the records). Preference profiles that were determined from experiments showed strong convergence with natural diet in some, but not all, instances. In experiments, E . culicivora adults appeared to distinguish between six prey categories and juveniles between seven, with blood-carrying anopheline female mosquitoes being ranked highest in preference. For adults, this was followed by blood-carrying culicine female mosquitoes and then anopheline female mosquitoes not carrying blood, but these two preferences were reversed for juveniles. Moreover, for juveniles, but not for adults, anopheline male mosquitoes seem to be a distinct prey category ranked in preference after blood-carrying culicine females and, for both adults and juveniles, preference for midges is evident when the alternatives are not mosquitoes. These findings illustrate the importance of going beyond simply specifying preferred prey categories when characterizing predators as ‘specialized’ and a need to make clear conceptual distinctions between a predator's natural diet, the prey categories that are relevant to the predator, and the predator's prey-choicebehaviour.

scholarly journals East African quintessential plants claimed to be used as blood purifiers, cleansers, detoxifiers and tonics: an appraisal of ethnobotanical reports and correlation with reported bioactivities

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Omara
Keyword(s):  
East Africa ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Aloe Vera ◽  
Centella Asiatica ◽  
Blood Purification ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
East African ◽  
Traditional Practice ◽  
Online Library ◽  
Google Search

Abstract Background Blood cleansing, purification, detoxification or strengthening is an ancient folkloric East African practice without any validated scientific underpinnings. This study was undertaken to retrieve ethnobotanical information and reported bioactivities of plants claimed to be blood purifiers, cleansers, detoxifiers and tonics in Eastern Africa and correlate their claimed use with scientific studies to find out whether there is any justification for their use in this ancient practice. Method An elaborate review was performed in electronic databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Springer Link, Wiley Online Library, Taylor & Francis Online, SciFinder, Google Scholar, Web of Science) and the Google search engine to retrieve information on ethnomedicinal plants used in East Africa in blood purification, detoxification, cleansing or strengthening and their investigated bioactivities related to their use in this traditional practice. Results The search retrieved 74 plant species from 45 families distributed among 66 genera with some documented bioactivities, though, with little correlation with their traditional utilization in blood purification, cleansing, detoxification and strengthening. Some justification of the link between blood purification, cleansing, detoxification and strengthening and the use of the plants as antiplatelet aggregation, vasorelaxant, bronchodilatory, antihyperlipidaemic, cardioprotective, antiatherosclerotic and immunomodulatory agents were evident, but majorly antimicrobial activity has been investigated in most species. Thus, only 15 (20.2%) of the plant species (Allium sativum, Moringa oleifera, Olea capensis, Clausena anisata, Centella asiatica, Nasturtium officinale, Solanum nigrum, Withania somnifera, Rubus apetalus, Delonix elata, Persia americana, Aloe vera, Azadirachta indica, Echinacea angustifolia and Dioscorea bulbifera) could be directly correlated with studies pertaining to blood health. Conclusion Medicinal plants used in blood purification, cleansing, detoxification and strengthening in East Africa play a holistic role in rejuvenation of overall human health. Few studies have examined their bioactivities pertaining to blood health. Thus, bioactivities and pharmacological activities (such as blood thinning, hypolipemic, cardioprotective, immunomodulatory, tonic and renoprotective properties) and phytochemicals of the claimed plants warrant further research as these could lead to discovery of chemical scaffolds of lead compounds that can be used in modern blood purification.

scholarly journals Ethnomedicinal Plants Traditionally Used for the Treatment of Jaundice (Icterus) in Himachal Pradesh in Western Himalaya—A Review

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 232
Author(s):  
Disha Raghuvanshi ◽  
Rajni Dhalaria ◽  
Anjali Sharma ◽  
Dinesh Kumar ◽  
Harsh Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Ricinus Communis ◽  
Western Himalaya ◽  
Saccharum Officinarum ◽  
Himachal Pradesh ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Tinospora Cordifolia ◽  
Ethnomedicinal Plants ◽  
Pharmacological Significance

Ethnomedicinal plants have a significant role in the lives of people of rural and tribal areas. Thousands of medicinal plant species are used to treat various diseases, including jaundice, and are considered an important therapeutic resource to minimize these diseases. Jaundice (icterus) is a chronic disease that occurs when the amount of bilirubin in the blood increases. This review describes different ethnomedicinal plants used for curing jaundice by tribal and rural people of Himachal Pradesh. The study reveals 87 ethnomedicinal plant species belonging to 51 different families, which are used for treating jaundice in Himachal Pradesh. These plants are arranged in a systematic way, which includes a description of their common name, botanical name, along with its family, plant parts used, region, and mode of use in tabulated form. Some of the plant extracts have already been explored for their phytochemical and pharmacological significance and proved their potential in the preparation of new medicines or drugs against the treatment of jaundice. This review is an attempt to highlight the indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants, which are specifically used for the treatment of jaundice. The data mentioned in the present review is compiled from various sources like existing literature, books, Google Scholar, and Scopus publications. Among all the observed plant species, most used medicinal plants for the treatment of jaundice include Justicia adhatoda, Emblica officinalis, Ricinus communis, Saccharum officinarum, Terminalia chebula, Berberis aristata, Cuscuta reflexa, and Tinospora cordifolia. Plants that are mostly utilized for the treatment of jaundice need to be scientifically validated by pharmacological analysis and should be subsequently used for the preparation of new drugs, which may prove far more beneficial than the existing one.

scholarly journals Ethnomedicinal plants used for the treatment of dermatological affections on the Purépecha Plateau, Michoacán, Mexico

2018 ◽  
pp. 95-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Esquivel-García ◽  
Emmanuel Pérez-Calix ◽  
Alejandra Ochoa-Zarzosa ◽  
Martha Estrella García-Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Aloe Vera ◽  
Skin Inflammation ◽  
Aerial Parts ◽  
Informant Consensus ◽  
Ancestral Knowledge ◽  
New Information ◽  
Use Values ◽  
First Time

Background and Aims: Inhabitants of the Purépecha Plateau preserve an excellent ancestral knowledge on medicinal plants used for dermatological affections, which has not been documented. An ethnopharmacological survey was carried out in this region to gather information on the use of medicinal plants and herbal preparations for treating dermatological affections, to disseminate the Purépecha indigenous knowledge and identifying promising plants for developing new formulations for cutaneous conditions.Methods: The study was conducted in the 21 municipalities that compose the Purépecha Plateau. A total of 86 local inhabitants (62 women and 24 men) were interviewed. The data were quantitatively analyzed through the determination of the use value, fidelity level and informant consensus factor.Key results: A total of 97 plant species belonging to 47 families were documented for treating 19 dermatological conditions on the Purépecha Plateau. Asteraceae was the leading family among the collected medicinal plants (20.61%), followed by Lamiaceae (13.40%) and Solanaceae (5.15%). The largest number of plants was used for the treatment of cuts (40.20%), skin inflammation (37.11%) and rash (37.11%). The aerial parts were the most commonly used (34.75%). The medicinal plant species with larger use values were Heterotheca inuloides (0.53), Aloe vera (0.37) and Oenothera rosea (0.21). The comparison of results with ethnomedicinal literature worldwide revealed that 8.25% of plants used on the Purépecha Plateau were recorded for the first time for the treatment of dermatological affections.Conclusions: This study provides new information on medicinal plants used on the Purépecha Plateau to treat cutaneous diseases. Future pharmacological and toxicological investigations are required to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of these species for treating dermatological affections.

Synthesis of a Time History Based on the Sine-on-Random Prediction Methodology Defined in MIL-STD-810 Method 519

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-41
Author(s):  
Michael T. Hale
Keyword(s):  
Time Domain ◽  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Time History ◽  
Environmental Engineering ◽  
New Technique ◽  
Vibration Test ◽  
Temporal Characteristics ◽  
New Time ◽  
Exponentially Weighted

Abstract Method 519.7, Annex D of MIL-STD-810G, Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests, Change Notice 1 (MIL-STD-810G/CN1) outlines a prediction methodology for establishing a sine-on-random (SoR) structured spectrum that is intended to be representative of gunfire for use in cases in which there is an absence of field data. From that spectrum, the ramp modulated pulse (RMP) technique is proposed as a methodology to synthesize a time history with temporal characteristics that more realistically represent the temporal characteristics of gunfire than that of a SoR time history synthesized via classical SoR generation techniques. This paper provides an alternate technique to the RMP methodology presented in Method 519. The alternate technique is based on normalized exponentially weighted (NEW) time history generated via classical time domain techniques for a SoR vibration test. An outline of the NEW technique and an associated example are provided.

Minimizing Fatigue and Fracture in Steel Bridges

1980 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Fisher ◽  
B. T. Yen ◽  
K. H. Frank
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Steel Bridges ◽  
Range Limits ◽  
Live Load ◽  
Stress Range ◽  
Fatigue And Fracture ◽  
Live Loads ◽  
Material Fracture ◽  
Initiation Stage

Steel bridges are subjected to live loads which produce variable stress ranges in bridge components. At welded bridge details, the existence of initial defects and residual stresses eliminate the initiation stage of fatigue crack growth, and stress range is found to be the controlling factor for crack propagation. Laboratory tests have resulted in stress range-fatigue life relationships for various bridge details. These data correlate well with fracture mechanics theory and with field data. Limits on live load stresses have been adopted for steel bridges. Coupled with material fracture toughness requirements, the stress range limits minimize the probability of fatigue and fracture in steel bridges.

scholarly journals Flora and vegetation of the Irpin forest

2020 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 49-55
Author(s):  
V. Kolomiychuk ◽  
A. Baransky
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Ricinus Communis ◽  
Datura Stramonium ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Vitis Vinifera L ◽  
Herbaceous Plant ◽  
Oenothera Biennis ◽  
Reynoutria Japonica ◽  
Solanum Nigrum L ◽  
High Level

It is reported about the diversity of phytobiota of the valuable natural complex "Irpin Forest" in the Kyiv region. The data on the history of research of this interesting from a botanical perspective territory of Kyiv Polissia are presented. The features of the vegetation of different complexes of this forest area, dominated by oak-pine, cereal and moss-lichen forests, are characterized. The most valuable forests here are oak ones, which are rich in rare herbaceous plant species. Besides, there fragmentary occur alder stands on lowland areas. The data on the flora of this territory, which includes 437 species of vascular plants from 67 families and 4 divisions, are presented. Ten dominating families of flora (Asreaceae, Poaceae Rosaceae, etc.) include 51.1 % of the forest flora species. A high level of adventization of this flora (19.6 %) has been noted, which is a result of the accessibility of the territory and a significant number of the population of adjacent settlements. Species with a high level of invasiveness include Amorpha fruticosa L., Iva xanthiifolia Nutt., Erigeron annuus (L.) Desf., Galinsoga parviflora Cav., Oenothera biennis L., Oxalis stricta L., Reynoutria japonica Houtt., Solidago canadensis L., Solanum nigrum L. They most often occur along forest roads, on meadows, in places of selective cuttings, on the fringes of the forest. On the periphery of the forest, a number of species were found which have fallen out of cultivation – Berberis aquifolium Pursh, Datura stramonium L. Gaillardia pulchella Foug., Ricinus communis L., Vitis vinifera L. The data on the rare plant species of this territory are given. There are 34 rare taxa, the most valuable of which are the representatives of the families Orchidaceae, Ranunculaceae, Poaceae. Five species of plants of the forest (Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Druce) Soó, D. incarnata (L.) Soó, Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz, Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich., Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill. Sl) are listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. It is proposed to create a new object of the nature reserve fund of the Kyiv region – a regional landscape park "Streams" ("Potoky") on a part of this territory, with further plans to create an administration, security service and develop a management plan for resource management of the object.

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