New protodiplatyids (Insecta: Dermaptera) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of northeastern China

A new genus Barbderma gen. nov. with a new species, Barbderma oblonguata sp. nov., and a new species, Sinoprotodiplatys ellipsoideuata sp. nov., of the family Protodiplatyidae are described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation at the Huangbanjigou Village, Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, China. Both new species are assigned to Protodiplatyidae mainly based on their diagnostic characters of antenna, pronotum, tegmina, tarsi and the distinct long, slender, multi-segmented cerci. These findings of fossil Protodiplatyidae provide more evidence to confirm the existence of these basal earwigs in the Early Cretaceous. Key diagnostic characters for genera of Protodiplatyidae are compared to highlight the generic variations and similarities. Evolutionary trend of cerci morphology suggests that it is likely that the cerci were evolved from long, slender and segmented to the stout terminal forceps without segmentation.     

全球重大疫情对经济系统的影响及其响应的比较研究

新型冠状病毒疫情扩散范围广、感染人数多,被世界卫生组织列为“国际公共卫生紧急事件”。以2003年中国非典型肺炎、2009年墨西哥甲型H1N1流感、2015年韩国中东呼吸道综合症和截至目前的2020年全球新冠疫情作为典型案例,比较全球重大疫情的经济影响与各地的响应措施,有助于积极探索更好地应对本次新冠疫情经济影响的政策响应途径。在历次疫情影响下,中国、墨西哥、韩国、美国等国家的经济系统都受到了突发疫情的重大影响。2003年中国第二季度GDP增速环比降低1.98%,交通运输、住宿、餐饮等第三产业首当其冲;墨西哥2009年GDP增长率降至-5.286%,旅游、零售餐饮与猪肉行业受到较大冲击;韩国2015年GDP增速由2014年的3.3%降至2.79%,旅游业与零售业的市场需求受到极大抑制;美国2020年第二季度实际GDP按年率计算下滑32.9%,是自1947年以来的最大降幅。为此,各国政府积极响应和应对,多策并举减轻疫情对经济系统的短期冲击：一是通过设立专项资金、增加财政预算,全面支持经济复苏;二是通过为企业提供经营补贴、延缓税收缴纳等举措,减轻企业尤其中小企业的经营负担;三是通过电商平台、城市宣传、简化签证手续等举措,振兴旅游业和商业发展。为了更好地应对此次新型冠状病毒疫情对经济系统的影响,各国应当统筹疫情防控与经济发展,积极采取减费降税、减少企业负担、扶持第三产业等响应举措,尽快恢复正常的世界经济秩序。     

麦棉套作主要虫害发生与气象条件的关系

根据危害棉花最重的棉蚜、棉红蜘蛛、棉铃虫和棉盲蝽象4大害虫的生物学特性、发生时段的气候条件和麦棉套种棉田生态因素,分析了4大害虫大发生的原因及预测预报,并提出了防治措施。     

A bridge too far? The influence of socio-cultural values on the adaptation responses of smallholders to a devastating pest outbreak in cocoa

The influence of socio-cultural factors on the adaptive capacity, resilience and trade-offs in decision-making of households and communities is receiving growing scholarly attention. In many partly transformed societies, where the market economy is not well developed, livelihood practices are heavily structured by kinship and indigenous social and economic values. Farm investment decisions and incentives to produce agricultural commodities are shaped by a host of considerations in addition to market imperatives like profit. In one such partly transformed society in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea, we examine the adaptation decisions of smallholders in response to the drastic drop of yield in their cocoa plots caused by the sudden outbreak of Cocoa Pod Borer. To explain why the impact of the pest has been so great we examine the interconnections between household responses, the local socio-cultural and economic context of smallholder commodity crop production and the wider institutional environment in which household choices and decisions are made. We argue that the significant lifestyle changes and labour intensive farming methods required for the effective control of Cocoa Pod Borer are incompatible with existing smallholder farming systems, values and livelihoods. To adopt a high input cropping system requires more than a technical fix and some training; it also requires abandoning a ‘way of life’ that provides status, identity and a moral order, and which is therefore highly resistant to change. The paper highlights the enduring influence and significance of local, culturally-specific beliefs and socio-economic values and their influence on how individuals and communities make adaptation decisions.     

A new tyrannosaurine specimen (Theropoda: Tyrannosauroidea) with insect borings from the Upper Cretaceous Honglishan Formation of Northwestern China

A large theropod ilium was recently collected from the Upper Cretaceous Honglishan Formation in the Sangequan area of the northern Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, China, which represents the first officially reported dinosaur fossil from this formation. Several morphological features, including robust supracetabular ridge, reduced supracetabular crest, concave anterior margin of the pubic peduncle, ventral flange on the pubic peduncle, converging dorsal surface of the iliac blades, laterally visible cuppedicus shelf, and ventral flange on the posterior surface of pubic peduncle, suggest that this specimen can be referred to Tyrannosaurinae, and furthermore, a few differences between this specimen and other tyrannosaurines in particular the contemporary Asian tyrannosaurine Tarbosaurus suggest that IVPP V22757 may represent a new tyrannosaurine species. However, in the absence of extensive data that would make it possible to properly evaluate these differences, we refrain from naming a new taxon based on this specimen. Some insect borings are also identified in this specimen, and are referable to the ichnogenus Cubiculum, which is interpreted as the insect pupichnia. This new fossil documents the presence of a gigantic theropod in the Upper Cretaceous of Junggar Basin, adding new information on its poorly studied ecosystems.     

遥感与GIS在蝗虫灾害防治研究中的应用进展

蝗虫是给农作物和草场造成严重危害的昆虫。长期以来,蝗虫的灭治一直依靠化学药剂喷洒,生物防治还处于刚刚起步阶段。从20世纪70年代起,就已在北非、澳大利亚等地,开始应用卫星遥感图像Landsat/MSS、TM及NOAA/AVHRR对蝗虫栖息、生长和繁殖的生境进行监测,研究蝗虫生境的绿度,以推断可能发生蝗灾的区域。进入20世纪90年代以来,遥感技术与地理信息系统(GIS)技术的结合,在蝗虫的监测中正得到日益广泛的应用。扼要论述了这些方面的研究进展。     

Factors affecting levels of aerosol sulfate and nitrate on the Western Mediterranean coast

The present study was carried out between October 2003 and September 2004 at an urban background station near the Mediterranean coast in southeastern Spain. The sulfate and nitrate content was determined in 332 PM10 and PM2.5 daily samples. The results show that the seasonal variation of nitrate measured in PM10 does not correspond with what has been observed at other locations in the Iberian Peninsula, where the minima are reached during the summer months due to decomposition of ammonium nitrate at high temperatures. The recorded levels of PM10 nitrate were slightly higher in summer due to an increase in the concentrations of coarse mode nitrate. On the contrary, both the concentrations and the percentages of nitrate in PM2.5 were lowest from June to September. The sulfate levels in both PM10 and PM2.5 were maxima in summer because the oxidation rate of SO₂ increases with solar radiation. An elevated correlation (0.72 < r < 0.92) between the monthly average concentrations and percentages of sulfate and solar radiation has been found. We have also investigated the influence that Saharan dust intrusions and high pollution episodes have upon the sulfate and nitrate concentrations. Both types of events increased NO₃⁻ and SO₄²⁻ levels, particularly the high pollution episodes.     

长江中下游杨树抑螺防病林昆虫多样性的初步研究

对安庆市南埂林场长江沿岸杨树抑螺防病林3年生、8年生和20年生林地上空间昆虫群落的种群组成和多样性进行了调查。结果表明,在3种不同林龄林分之间,地上空间昆虫种群组成的差异表现为,在目一级分类单元组成上,3种不同林龄林分具有很高的共性,在科和种的单元上,不同林龄林分之间的差异大小依次为:3年生与20年生林分之间>3年生与8年生林分之间>8年生与20年生林分之间。随着林分林龄的增加,林内地上空间昆虫丰富度指数、Shannon-Wiener指数明显降低。不同林龄林分地上空间昆虫种群的均匀度指数与林分林龄无明显的相关性,其中20年生林分昆虫种群的均匀度指数显著低于8年生和3年生的林分,而8年生和3年生林分之间没有显著差异。     

Boreal peatland margins as repository sites of long-term natural disturbances of balsam fir/spruce forests

A multidisciplinary, high-resolution paleoecological study (Lepidoptera and plant remains, macroscopic charcoal, pollen) was conducted on a 4000-yr peat monolith extracted from the margin of an ombrotrophic peatland on Anticosti Island (Gulf of St. Lawrence, eastern Canada) to reconstruct the long-term natural disturbances (insect outbreaks, forest fires) of a balsam fir/spruce forest. We hypothesized that an activity of insect defoliators (spruce budworm, hemlock looper) was the main disturbance factor of conifer forests during the Late Holocene. The earliest remains of spruce budworm and hemlock looper were found ca. 3220 and 2350 cal yr BP, respectively. Peaks of insect head capsules occurred from ca. 1640 to ca. 625 cal yr BP. Low balsam fir pollen concentrations during this period suggest a lengthy episode ( 1000 yr) of high insect activity, resulting in extensive fir dieback and mortality. The long-term dynamics of the pristine balsam fir/spruce forests were mainly governed by the activity of insect defoliators. The limited extent and possibly the low occurrence of forest fires in the maritime environment of Anticosti Island allowed the development of mature coniferous stands propitious for insect infestations. Insect head capsules appeared to be a useful and effective tool for establishing insect presence and activity during the Holocene.