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Simple Summary: Chromaphis juglandicola is a serious insect pest of walnut trees. Harmonia axyridis and Coccinella septempunctata are ladybird species that are important predators of C. juglandicola. This study aimed to determine the effects of extraguild prey density and temperature on intraguild predation (IGP) between two ladybird species. The results showed that IGP increased with increasing temperature (15–35 °C) and decreasing extraguild prey density. The number of extraguild prey consumed by C. septempunctata or H. axyridis increased with increasing temperature. These results provide a scientific basis for the rational use of H. axyridis and C. septempunctata to control small walnut aphids. The ladybirds Coccinella septempunctata and Harmonia axyridis are important biocontrol agents for the small walnut aphid Chromaphis juglandicola, a key walnut pest. C. juglandicola outbreaks occur in walnut orchards, and walnut yields have declined. Intraguild predation (IGP) is prevalent among natural enemies that coexist in shared habitats and prey upon the same extraguild prey. We designed laboratory experiments to evaluate the potential for IGP between these two ladybirds at different temperatures and extraguild (EG) prey densities, and the ability of IGP to control EG prey under different conditions. We measured IGP rates in first instar larvae, female adults, and male adults (both starved for 24 h) in the vulnerable immature life stages of two ladybird eggs. Intraguild (IG) prey (H. axyridis eggs or C. septempunctata eggs) and EG prey (C. juglandicola) consumption were tallied after 24 h. Temperature and EG prey density influenced IGP rates, with temperature contributing the most to the variance. IGP increased with increasing temperature (15–35 °C), with both factors interactively influencing the EG prey consumption rate and exhibiting highly significant effects. EG prey consumption increased with temperature and density. This research provides theoretical support for the rational use of H. axyridis and C. septempunctata in the joint biological control of C. juglandicola [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global biodiversity hotspots, wild fruit forests play key ecological functions, providing essential ecosystem services such as carbon storage, soil retention, and water conservation, and support food chains and biodiversity conservation through key species. Climate change, with rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns, threatens wild fruit forests by reducing the habitats and numbers of key species, potentially turning these ecosystems from carbon sinks to sources and diminishing overall biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, research on how these changes affect important species' habitats and carbon dynamics remains insufficient. To address this, we analysed habitat suitability for three important species (Prunus armeniaca L., Malus sieversii, and Prunus ledebouriana (Schltdl.) Y.Y.Yao with the aim of informing conservation strategies. We used biomod2 to integrate environmental and species data using six methods, encompassing 12 models. We predicted overlapping geographical distributions of three species, analysing their ecological niches and environmental interactions using global datasets to understand their adaptations. This analysis revealed ecological niche shifts and reductions in resource utilisation in both current and future scenarios. Their distribution centres will move poleward under the influence of bioclimatic factors and human activities. In conclusion, protecting P. armeniaca, M. sieversii, and P. ledebouriana is essential for the conservation and overall health of wild fruit forest ecosystems. This study provides new insights into climate change, habitat loss, informing conservation and resilience strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important ecosystem, the wild fruit forest in the Tianshan Mountains is one of the origins of many fruit trees in the world. The wild fruit forest in Emin County, Xinjiang, China, was taken as the research area, the spatial and temporal distribution of the wild fruit forest was inverted using random forest and PLUS models, and the 2027 distribution pattern of the wild fruit forest was simulated and predicted. From 2007 to 2013, damage to the wild fruit forest from tourism and overgrazing was very serious, and the area occupied by the wild fruit forest decreased rapidly from 9.59 km2 to 7.66 km2. From 2013 to 2020, suitable temperatures and reasonable tourism management provided strong conditions for the rejuvenation of wild fruit forests. The distance of the center of gravity of the wild fruit forest increased, and the density of distribution of the wild fruit forest in the northwest direction of the study area also increased. It is predicted that the wild fruit forest in the study area will show a steady and slowly increasing trend in places far away from tourist areas and with more complex terrain. It is suggested that non-permanent fences be set up as buffer zones between wild fruit forests, ensuring basic maintenance of wild fruit forests, limiting human disturbance such as overgrazing, and reducing the risk of soil erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Invasive alien species, such as Carpomya vesuviana Costa (Diptera: Tephritidae), threaten global biodiversity, agriculture, and public health. This study used advanced modelling techniques to predict the potential distribution of C. vesuviana and understand its environmental impacts. The findings suggest that climate change is driving the geographic expansion of C. vesuviana, primarily in Asia, Africa, and Australia. The species is projected to shift poleward by the 2090s, as the species will have shifted to the polar regions under the influence of climate change. Effective management strategies are crucial to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of its expansion. Invasive alien species (IAS) significantly affect global native biodiversity, agriculture, industry, and human health. Carpomya vesuviana Costa, 1854 (Diptera: Tephritidae), a significant global IAS, affects various date species, leading to substantial economic losses and adverse effects on human health and the environment. This study employed biomod2 ensemble models, multivariate environmental similarity surface and most dissimilar variable analyses, and ecological niche dynamics based on environmental and species data to predict the potential distribution of C. vesuviana and explore the environmental variables affecting observed patterns and impacts. Compared to native ranges, ecological niche shifts at invaded sites increased the invasion risk of C. vesuviana globally. The potential geographical distribution was primarily in Asia, Africa, and Australia, with a gradual increase in suitability with time and radiation levels. The potential geographic distribution centre of C. vesuviana is likely to shift poleward between the present and the 2090s. We also show that precipitation is a key factor influencing the likely future distribution of this species. In conclusion, climate change has facilitated the expansion of the geographic range and ecological niche of C. vesuviana, requiring effective transnational management strategies to mitigate its impacts on the natural environment and public health during the Anthropocene. This study aims to assess the potential threat of C. vesuviana to date palms globally through quantitative analytical methods. By modelling and analysing its potential geographic distribution, ecological niche, and environmental similarities, this paper predicts the pest's dispersal potential and possible transfer trends in geographic centres of mass in order to provide prevention and control strategies for the global date palm industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The globose scale (GS) (Sphaerolecanium prunastri Boyer de Fonscolombe) is a sucking insect that feeds on saps of wild apricot tree (Prunus armeniaca L.) in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of northwestern China. It feeds on branches of wild apricot leading to poor growth, leaf yellowing and leaf drop, and sometimes mortality. Since the initial infestation in 2018, all the main valleys of wild apricot trees have been affected, but there is little research on the host's physiological response to GS infestation. We measured the differences in growth between infested and non-infested wild apricots. The results showed that the diameter of shoot branches, the fresh weight, dry weight, length, width, area, and chlorophyll content of leaves, and the longitudinal diameter of fruit, were all significantly less for infested wild apricot trees than for un-infested wild apricot. The branch length of shoots, cross diameter, and weight of fruit also decreased, although the differences were not significant. Overall, GS infestation significantly reduced the growth of wild apricot trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is not only one of the most important oil crops in the world, but it is also an important vegetable crop with a high value nutrients and metabolites. However, rapeseed is often severely damaged by adverse stresses, such as low temperature, pathogen infection and so on. Glyoxalase I (GLYI) and glyoxalase II (GLYII) are two enzymes responsible for the detoxification of a cytotoxic metabolite methylglyoxal (MG) into the nontoxic S-D-lactoylglutathione, which plays crucial roles in stress tolerance in plants. Considering the important roles of glyoxalases, the GLY gene families have been analyzed in higher plans, such as rice, soybean and Chinese cabbage; however, little is known about the presence, distribution, localizations and expression of glyoxalase genes in rapeseed, a young allotetraploid. In this study, a total of 35 BnaGLYI and 30 BnaGLYII genes were identified in the B. napus genome and were clustered into six and eight subfamilies, respectively. The classification, chromosomal distribution, gene structure and conserved motif were identified or predicted. BnaGLYI and BnaGLYII proteins were mainly localized in chloroplast and cytoplasm. By using publicly available RNA-seq data and a quantitative real-time PCR analysis (qRT-PCR), the expression profiling of these genes of different tissues was demonstrated in different developmental stages as well as under stresses. The results indicated that their expression profiles varied among different tissues. Some members are highly expressed in specific tissues, BnaGLYI11 and BnaGLYI27 expressed in flowers and germinating seed. At the same time, the two genes were significantly up-regulated under heat, cold and freezing stresses. Notably, a number of BnaGLY genes showed responses to Plasmodiophora brassicae infection. Overexpression of BnGLYI11 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings confirmed that this gene conferred freezing tolerance. This study provides insight of the BnaGLYI and BnaGLYII gene families in allotetraploid B. napus and their roles in stress resistance, and important information and gene resources for developing stress resistant vegetable and rapeseed oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lotus Receptaculum Nelumbinis has been sparking wide research interests due to its rich phenolic compounds. In the present work, ultrasonic-assisted extraction coupled with glycerol was employed to extract phenolic compounds from Receptaculum Nelumbinis and the process was optimized using a response surface methodology with Box-Behnken design (BBD). The optimal conditions for the total phenolic content (TPC) extract were obtained: glycerol concentration of 40%, an extraction temperature of 66 °C, ultrasonic time of 44 min, and the solvent-to-solid ratio of 55 mL/g. Under these optimum extraction conditions, the extraction yield of TPC was 92.84 ± 2.13 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) /g. Besides, the antioxidant activities demonstrated the ability of free radical scavenging by four different methods that included 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and reducing activity (RA) were 459.73 ± 7.07, 529.97 ± 7.30, 907.61 ± 20.28, and 983.66 ± 11.80 μmol TE/g, respectively. Six phenolic compounds were identified by ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography combined with triple-time-of-flight mass spectrophotometry (UPLC-Triple-TOF/MS) from the extracts. Meanwhile, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) was conducted to identify the characteristic functional groups of the extracts and thus reflected the presence of polyphenols and flavonoids. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) illustrated the microstructure difference of four treatments, which might explain the relationships between antioxidant activities and the structures of phenolic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Walnut aphids are major pests of walnut orchards with few commercially available natural enemies except parasitoids. The predatory bug (Orius sauteri) was assessed as a potential biological control agent against two walnut aphid species. This bug has a strong capacity for consuming both aphid species. Biocontrol efficacy of O. sauteri for each species was high (more than 70%), but declined about 20% when both aphid species present on the same leaf together. This might be due to the competition among two species of aphids tested. Three statistical approaches were employed to show that O. sauteri is a promising biocontrol agent. The commercial release of O. sauteri should be considered for the coexisting aphids in walnut orchards to promote economic and environmental benefits. Walnut aphids are major pests of walnut production with few commercially available natural enemies. We conducted laboratory and field experiments to evaluate the potential of Orius sauteri Poppius (Anthocoridae), a predatory bug, as a biological control agent against two walnut aphid species: the dusky-veined aphid (Panaphis juglandis Goeze) and the walnut aphid (Chromaphis juglandicola Kaltenbach). Both species co-occur on walnut trees; P. juglandis is distributed on the upper surface (adaxial) of leaves while C. juglandicola is found on the lower surface (abaxial) of leaves. Based on functional response experiments, O sauteri had a strong capacity for consuming both aphid species. Biocontrol efficacy of O. sauteri for each species in the laboratory and field experiments was high, 77% for P. juglandis and 80% for C. juglandicola, regardless if one or two predators being present. However, biocontrol efficacy declined 15–25% for C. juglandicola and 20–50% for P. juglandis when both aphid species were present on the same leaf. The efficacy of O. sauteri under (semi)-field conditions gave similar findings based on the percentage reduction of aphids and change in population growth rates of aphids. The reduced biocontrol efficacy of the predatory bug against mixed species populations of aphids can be explained by competition between the aphid species and differences in their preferred location on leaves. Our experiments showed that O. sauteri is a promising biocontrol agent, but biocontrol efficacy may decline when both aphid species are present on walnut trees. This should be considered in the commercial release of O. sauteri in walnut orchards to promote economic and environmental benefits of walnuts production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]