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Biomedical subjects

H E Roy

Publications and source records attributed to H E Roy.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Effect of fungal infection on the reproductive potential of aphids and their progeny.

The effect of infection by Pandora neoaphidis and Beauveria bassiana on the reproductive potential of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, and their progeny was assessed. Infection by either P. neoaphidis or B. bassiana reduced the number of nymphs produced within 24 h of inoculation and over the entire infection period compared to uninfected aphids. However, infection by either P. neoaphidis or B. bassiana for 24 or 72 h did not alter the intrinsic rate of increase of the host aphid's progeny. Therefore, fungal infection appears to have no indirect effects on the fitness of the host's progeny.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Bizarre interactions and endgames: entomopathogenic fungi and their arthropod hosts.

Invertebrate pathogens and their hosts are taxonomically diverse. Despite this, there is one unifying concept relevant to all such parasitic associations: Both pathogen and host adapt to maximize their own reproductive output and ultimate fitness. The strategies adopted by pathogens and hosts to achieve this goal are almost as diverse as the organisms themselves, but studies examining such relationships have traditionally concentrated only on aspects of host physiology. Here we review examples of host-altered behavior and consider these within a broad ecological and evolutionary context. Research on pathogen-induced and host-mediated behavioral changes demonstrates the range of altered behaviors exhibited by invertebrates including behaviorally induced fever, elevation seeking, reduced or increased activity, reduced response to semiochemicals, and changes in reproductive behavior. These interactions are sometimes quite bizarre, intricate, and of great scientific interest.

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PubMed2003

Effect of spatial heterogeneity on the role of Coccinella septempunctata as an intra-guild predator of the aphid pathogen Pandora neoaphidis.

The foraging behavior of starved and non-starved adult and larval Coccinella septempunctata on groups of plants in the presence of Pandora neoaphidis-infected Acyrthosiphon pisum, uninfected aphids or a mixture of these two prey types was compared. In general results of these studies confirmed the results of previous work comparing foraging behavior on a smaller spatial scale in Petri dishes. However, behaviors were modified in response to spatial complexity, prey quality, and the host plant. Starved C. septempunctata adults and larvae fed for longer and consumed more aphids than non-starved coccinellids. Both larvae and adults fed on infected aphids and in some cases entirely consumed them. This was thought to be due to the ease of capture of infected (dead) aphids and the feeding stimuli provided by the presence of the host plant and, where there was a choice of prey, uninfected aphids in the environment. Both larvae and adults spent the majority of the time foraging in the upper regions of plants and visited more plants when they were not starved or when they were in the presence of less suitable, infected aphid prey.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Implications of predator foraging on aphid pathogen dynamics.

The foraging behavior of starved and nonstarved second and fourth instar Coccinella septempunctata larvae on dead Acyrthosiphon pisum aphids, either infected with the entomopathogenic fungus Erynia neoaphidis (sporulating) or uninfected, was examined. Larvae searched for longer and fed less when presented with infected rather than uninfected A. pisum. Although no sporulating infected aphids were completely consumed, both adult and larval ladybirds can still be considered as intraguild predators. In a further study, fourth instar larvae fed on dying infected, dead infected (not sporulating), and dead uninfected aphids for similar periods of time but again the infected aphids were seldom entirely consumed. Live uninfected aphids were fed upon for significantly longer than any other prey. Infected aphids which were damaged at an early stage of infection (0, 1, or 2 days after inoculation) did not sporulate, whereas damaged moribund aphids (3 days after inoculation) did subsequently sporulate. Damaged sporulating cadavers continued to sporulate. However, damage to moribund and sporulating infected aphids, both mechanical or due to C. septempunctata feeding, reduced the number of conidia subsequently produced. Larval feeding caused the most significant reduction. Under laboratory conditions, C. septempunctata foraging on infected aphids did, therefore, reduce the pathogen density. However, conidia produced from a damaged cadaver resulted in levels of transmission to healthy aphids comparable to that resulting from an intact cadaver. Furthermore, the presence of a foraging adult ladybird resulted in a significant increase in transmission of the fungus to healthy aphids. Preliminary studies to assess the potential of other aphid natural enemies as intraguild predators illustrated that adults of the generalist carabid, Pterostichus madidus, entirely consumed sporulating cadavers. Third instar lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea, and hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus, larvae never fed on sporulating cadavers. The ecological implications of these results are discussed.

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