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The weevil Larinus sibiricus Gyllenhal and a rich complex of associated hymenopteran parasitoids were reared from flower heads of Xeranthemum annuum L. (Asteraceae) in Bulgaria. As a result, the following taxa were established: Bracon urinator (Fabricius) (Braconidae), Exeristes roborator (Fabricius) (Ichneumonidae), Cyrtoptyx sp., Norbanus cerasiops (Masi), Pteromalus vibulenus (Walker), Stenoselma nigrum Delucchi (Pteromalidae), Exopristus trigonomerus (Masi) (Torymidae), Leptomastix ephyra Noyes & Hayat (Encyrtidae), Aprostocetus venustus (Gahan), Baryscapus sp. near carthami Graham (Eulophidae), Eupelmus microzonus Förster (Eupelmidae) and Eurytoma curculionum Mayr (Eurytomidae). Three of them (E. curculionum, L. ephyra and N. cerasiops) are recorded for the first time from Bulgaria and L. ephyra is a newly recorded species for the Balkan Peninsula and Europe. New associations with L. sibiricus and X. annuum were established for all reared parasitoids except B. urinator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was used to study the isoenzyme polymorphism of nonspecific esterases (EST), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and acid phosphatase (ACP) from haemolymph, phosphoglucomutase (PGM) and hexokinase (HK) from silk glands and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) from midgut of mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori L.). Genetic variations within and among five breeds kept in Bulgaria were found out. A total of seven polymorphic loci with 19 alleles were established. The observed polymorphism demonstrated breeds specificity. Inter-breeds differences regarding the degree of polymorphism and heterozygosity were established, too. The degree of polymorphism ranged from 77.80% to 11.10%. Low levels of observed heterozygosity and deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the most of analysed loci were found. The dendrogram constructed with the values of genetic distance showed that Hebar 2 formed one main cluster, while the rest breeds studied formed the other one. The results of the present study complement the data on the genetic heterogeneity of breeds from the silkworm genetic resources of Bulgaria and could help the breeders in the process to identify suitable parents for the breeding programs for yield improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ontogenetic and caste differentiation in the expression of water-soluble proteins, non-specific esterases, malic enzymes, lactate dehydrogenases and superoxide dismutase in the species Reticulitermes lucifugus, spread out in Bulgaria has been investigated. A total of 41 loci have been analysed. Stage and caste specific protein and isoenzyme expressions have been established as follows: 11 of the protein loci analysed have been characterised by a permanent activity without varying of the product expression in all of the castes; for seven of the protein loci, a constant action has been found in ontogenesis but with a castespecific variability in their expression; for four of the protein loci analysed differential gene regulation, expressed in gene activity in some of the castes and inactivation in the others has been established; eight of the detected protein loci have demonstrated a ontogenetic and caste-specific expression; four of the sixth esterase loci have been characterised by a permanent action in the course of the ontogenesis; one of the two malic enzyme loci has been expressed only in reproductive castes (neotenics and queen) and the other one has been expressed in all stages of individual development; both lactate dehydrogenase loci have been expressed specifically in ontogenesis, depending on caste differentiation; superoxide dismutase locus has been found in all of the castes and stages of ontogenesis in R. lucifugus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]