• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.37-53
• /
• 2001

Two regions of mtDNA genome, cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and 165 ribosomal RNA (165 rRNA) genes, were sequenced for 15 species of the long-horned beetle belonging to four subfamilies and geographic samples of mulberry longicorn beetle, Apriona germari, from two localities in Korea. Ten samples of A. germari collected from Suwon and Busan revealed three COI haplotypes ranging in nucleotide divergence of 0.3% to 0.5%, and the two populations shared one common COI haplotype (80%). The sequence divergence among 15 species of the long-horned beetle was much higher in COI gene (12.3%∼39.4%) than 16S rRNA gene (7.2% to 23.1), and the maximum value in the COI gene is exceptional compared with other relevant studies, including that of Coleoptera. The greatly increased divergence in the COI gene, in facto was stemmed from a peculiar sequence of Prionus insularis belonging to Prioninne, divergence of which ranges from 31.2% to 39.3% from other species. We discussed possible reason of the divergence in this species. Due to the abnormality of COI gene divergence, decrease in phylogenetic signal was severe in COI nucleotide and, subsequently, the converted amino acid sequences, rendering us to put more confidence on the 16S5 rRNA gene data. Although the molecular phylogeny confidently supports the monophyletic origin of Lepturinae, the presence of discrepancy between molecular data and traditional taxonomic views also is a testable hyothesis. One such discrepancy includes taxonomic position of Sophronica obrioides and Theophilea cylindricollis belonging to Lamiinae.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.25-29
• /
• 2015

The white-spotted chafer, Protaetia brevitarsis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), has been traditionally used in Korea as a medicine for preventing liver-related diseases and suppressing liver cancer. Therefore, this insect is economically important and is commercially reared and sold in Korea. Recently, P. brevitarsis was listed as a temporal food ingredient by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Given the increasing economic importance of this beetle, we have sought to improve rearing conditions for its commercial production. In this study, we compared the effects of two food supplements, clay and charcoal, on the growth of second instar larvae of P. brevitarsis. Clay and charcoal are generally known as good adsorbent for removal of contaminating substances in insect feed. We fed second instar P. brevitarsis larvae a commercial diet consisting of fermented sawdust with seven different combinations of clay and/or activated charcoal, and measured their effects on weight gain for approximately 17 wk until larvae pupated. We found that addition of clay at 2.5% w/w of the fermented sawdust diet had no negative effect on weight gain of second instar P. brevitarsis larvae and thus may improve the quality of P. brevitarsis as a commercial food.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.64-74
• /
• 2015

Beetles Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis Kolbe (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae) and Allomyrina dichotoma Linn. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) are widely used in traditional medicine, and the number of insect-rearing farms is increasing in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to establish a multiplex PCR-based assay for rapid simultaneous detection of multiple pathogens causing insect diseases. Six insect parasites such as fungi Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschn.) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae), bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bacillales: Bacillaceae), Pseudomonas aeruginosa Migula (Pseudomonadales: Pseudomonadaceae), and Serratia marcescens Bizio (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae), and Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus were chosen based on the severity and incidence rate of insect diseases in South Korea. Pathogen-specific primers were designed and successfully applied for simultaneous detection of multiple infectious agents in farm-bred insects P. b. seulensis and A. dichotoma using multiplex PCR and high resolution capillary electrophoresis. Our results indicate that multiplex PCR is an effective and time-saving method for simultaneous detection of multiple infections in insects, and the QIAxcel capillary electrophoresis system is useful for quantitative evaluation of the individual impact of each infectious agent on the severity of insect disease. The approach designed in this study can be utilized for rapid and accurate diagnostics of infection in insect farms.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.145-151
• /
• 2000

The mouthparts of the Apionidae are almost of the same structures as in the Curculionidae feeding soft plant tissues, and two subfamilies in the current system are well supported by their structures. The subfamilies Apioninae and Nanophyinae are clearly characterized as follows. In Apioninae, clypeal margin sinuate; mandibles meet anteropo-steriorly when retracted and more or less curved internally; maxillary palpi two-segmented, with large palpiger; labial palpi one-segmented; prementum parallel-sided, longer than wide. In Nanophyinae, clypeal margin with two to three notches in the middle; mandibles meet anteroposteriorly when retracted and more or less curved internally; maxillary palpi three-segmented, palpiger about as great as stipes; labial palpi two-segmented, separated to each other by the apical protrusion of prementum; prementum about as long as wide. [Insecta, Coleoptera, Comparative morphology, Mouthparts, Apionidae].

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.259-268
• /
• 2018

The study investigated the efficacy of four different essential oils on the repellent responses of large black chafer (Holotrichia parallela) Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in organic pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) orchards. Cinnamon, pine, peppermint, and eucalyptus oils were used, and the behavioral responses and repellent effects against H. parallela were investigated under laboratory and field conditions. Adult beetle responses to different oils were examined using a Y-tube olfactometer in the laboratory and four absorbent blocks with each oil in the field. The repellent responses rates of H. parallela were 100% for cinnamon oil; however, only 67% of adult beetles avoided peppermint and eucalyptus oil in the Y-tube olfactometer bioassay. In the field tests, the least damage to leaves was observed on trees treated with cinnamon oil, whereas the most damage was observed in the control (non-treated) trees and those treated with peppermint oil, followed by eucalyptus and pine oil. Therefore, cinnamon oil can be used as a repellent to avoid damage form large black chafers in organic pear orchards.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.75-78
• /
• 2015

The white-spotted chafer, Protaetia brevitarsis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), is an economically important insect in Korea. Traditionally, it has been regarded as a medicine for preventing liver-related diseases and suppressing liver cancer. Recently, this beetle was enlisted as a temporal food ingredient by Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Therefore, this beetle is focused as a one of the important insects that are commercially reared and sold in Korea. As the economic importance of this beetle is growing, the suitable rearing conditions are needed for more detailed investigation. In this study, we compared three temperature conditions and two food additives, rice chaff and soybean cake, for its effects on the body weight change of third instar larvae of P. brevitarsis. Temperature is a major environmental factor that has tremendous effects on rearing insects. In additions, rice chaff and soybean cake are byproducts of other agricultural activities. Therefore, it is easy to get, and the price is comparatively low. However, they still have meaningful amount of nutrients. With four different kinds of feed and three temperature conditions on the third instar larvae of beetles, the body weight change was tracked for 14 wk. We concluded that 27.5℃ is the optimal temperature to rear the third instar larvae among three temperatures (25, 27.5, and 30℃). Among four different feeds, conventional fermented oak saw dust with rice chaff and soybean cake was the best feed for larval weight gain during 14 wk. However, feed with soybean cake at 30 ℃ was the best condition for rearing P. brevitarsis larvae when temperatures and feeds were compared at the same time.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.185-202
• /
• 2013

In this study, we present the nearly complete mitogenome sequences of the garden chafer, Polyphylla laticollis manchurica, which is listed as an endangered species in Korea. The P. l. manchurica mitogenome, which includes unfinished whole A+T-rich region and a partial srRNA was 14,473-bp long, possessing typical sets of genes (13 PCGs, 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes). Gene arrangement of the P. l. manchurica mitogenome was identical to the common one found in the majority of insects. The 5 bp-long motif sequence (TAGTA) that has been suggested to be the possible binding site for the transcription termination peptide for the major-strand was also found in the P. l. manchurica mitogenome between $tRNA^{Ser}$(UCN) and ND1. The start codon for COI gene and ATPase8 was designated as a typical TTG. All tRNAs of the P. l. manchurica showed a stable canonical clover-leaf structure of other mt tRNAs, except for $tRNA^{Ser}$(AGN), DHU arm of which could not form stable stemloop structure. As has been previously determined, the high A/T content was unanimously observed in P. l. manchurica in terms of A/T bias in the third codon position (73.5%) compared with the first (66.4%) and second codon position (66.2%). The PCGs encoded in major-strands are slightly T-skewed, whereas those of the minor-strand are A-skewed, indicating strand asymmetry in nucleotide composition in the Coleoptera including P. l. manchurica.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.317-334
• /
• 2019

The present study was conducted to investigate the differences in managed farming practices, including low-intensive farming, duck farming, and golden apple snail farming, in a rice ecosystem by comparing terrestrial arthropod communities. A total of 75 species from 70 genera belonging to 43 families in 11 orders were identified from 9,622 collected arthropods. Araneae, Hemiptera, and Coleoptera were the richest taxa. Collembola was the most abundant, followed by Diptera, Hemiptera, and Araneae. Bray-Curtis similarity among the farming practices was very high (76.7%). The biodiversity of each farming practice showed a similar seasonality pattern. The richest species group was the predators, followed by the herbivores. The species richness and diversity of ecologically functional groups among the farming practices were not statistically significant, except for the abundance of predators in golden apple snail farming. The biodiversity seasonality of ecological functional groups in each farming practice showed similar patterns. The biomass of Araneae, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera was greater than the other taxa, in general. The biomass of each ecological functional group showed little difference and the biomass fluctuation patterns in each farming practice were almost the same. Collectively, the community structures and biodiversity of terrestrial arthropods among the farming practices in the present study were not different. The present study may contribute to sustain rich biodiversity in irrigated rice fields and to advanced studies of food webs or energy flow structures in rice fields for ecological and sustainable agriculture.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.796-808
• /
• 2018

The intracellular bacterium Wolbachia pipientis is widespread in arthropods. Recently, possibilities of novel Wolbachia-mediated hosts, their distribution, and natural rate have been anticipated, and the coconut leaf beetle Brontispa longissima (Gestro) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), which has garnered attention as a serious pest of palms, was subjected to this interrogation. By adopting Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) and multilocus sequence type (MLST) genotypic systems, we determined the Wolbachia infection density within host developmental stages, body parts, and tissues, and the results revealed that all the tested samples of B. longissima were infected with the same Wolbachia strain (wLog), suggesting complete vertical transmission. The MLST profile elucidated two new alleles (ftsZ-234 and coxA-266) that define a new sequence type (ST-483), which indicates the particular genotypic association of B. longissima and Wolbachia. The quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed a higher infection density in the eggs and adult stage, followed by the abdomen and reproductive tissues, respectively. However, no significant differences were observed in the infection density between sexes. Moreover, the wsp and concatenated MLST alignment analysis of this study with other known Wolbachia-mediated arthropods revealed similar clustering with distinct monophyletic supergroup B. This is the first comprehensive report on the prevalence, infection dynamics, and phylogeny of the Wolbachia endosymbiont in B. longissima, which demonstrated that Wolbachia is ubiquitous across all developmental stages and distributed in the entire body of B. longissima. Understanding the Wolbachia infection dynamics would provide useful insight to build a framework for future investigations, understand its impacts on host physiology, and exploit it as a potential biocontrol agent.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.41-48
• /
• 2016

Mealworms, Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), are widely used as food sourcefor animal rearing as well as human diet. Conventionally, mealworms raised on wheat bran. In this study, we investigated the effects of brewer's spent grain (BSG) on the growth of mealworm larvae to reduce the rearing cost. We prepared five different diets with various BSG content, 0, 10, 30, 50, and 70% of heated air dried BSG with wheat bran. We compared survivorship, larval weight, developmental duration, pupation rate, and pupal weight of five different groups of T. molitor raised on these five diets. The larval survivorships were almost similar with the control group except a group with 70% of BSG. For the larval weight, groups with 30% and 50% of BSG gained more weight than that with control treatment, 0% of BSG. For the developmental period, the groups with 30% of BSG took less time compared to the control group. In all treatment groups, more than 90% of pupation rate were observed. Especially, the group with 30% of BSG showed highest pupation rate among the five groups. Wheat bran with 30~50% of BSG was the optimal diet for successive insect rearing among the five diet treatments. Based on this study, we concluded that adding BSG to wheat bran helps to improve the quality of T. molitor and to reduce the rearing period.