作者机构：
[Qiu, Lin; Li, Youzhi; Zhou, Ailin; Ding, Wenbing; Xue, Jin; He, Hualiang] Hunan Agr Univ, Coll Plant Protect, Hunan Prov Key Lab Biol & Control Plant Dis & Ins, Changsha 410128, Peoples R China.;[Li, Youzhi; Zhou, Ailin; Ding, Wenbing] Hunan Prov Engn & Technol Res Ctr Biopesticide &, Changsha 410128, Peoples R China.;[Huang, Cong] Chinese Acad Agr Sci, Agr Genom Inst Shenzhen, Minist Agr,Shenzhen Branch, Genome Anal Lab,Guangdong Lab Lingnan Modern Agr, Shenzhen 518120, Peoples R China.;[Li, Xinwen; Zhang, Zhengbing; Li, Yi] Agr & Rural Dev Hunan Prov, Plant Protect & Inspect Stn, Changsha 410005, Peoples R China.
通讯机构：
[Li, Youzhi; Qiu, Lin] H;Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, College of Plant Protection, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China<&wdkj&>Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, College of Plant Protection, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China<&wdkj&>Hunan Provincial Engineering & Technology Research Center for Biopesticide and Formulation Processing, Changsha, China
摘要：
A chromosome-level genome assembly for the rice pest, Chlorops oryzae, pinpoints molecular pathways that might contribute toward increased outbreaks for this important crop pest. Chlorops oryzae is a pest of rice that has caused severe damage to crops in major rice-growing areas in recent years. We generated a 447.60 Mb high-quality chromosome-level genome with contig and scaffold N50 values of 1.17 Mb and 117.57 Mb, respectively. Hi-C analysis anchored 93.22% scaffolds to 4 chromosomes. The relatively high expression level of Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs) and antioxidant genes in response to thermal stress suggests these genes may play a role in the environmental adaptability of C. oryzae. The identification of multiple pathways that regulate reproductive development (juvenile hormone, 20-hydroxyecdsone, and insulin signaling pathways) provides evidence that these pathways also play an important role in vitellogenesis and thus insect population maintenance. These findings identify possible reasons for the increased frequency of outbreaks of C. oryzae in recent years. Our chromosome-level genome assembly may provide a basis for further genetic studies of C. oryzae, and promote the development of novel, sustainable strategies to control this pest.
作者机构：
[Wang, Zihao; Li, Xiaogang; Li, Chaonan; Wang, Ya] Hunan Agr Univ, Coll Plant Protect, Engn & Technol Res Ctr Bio Pesticide & Formulating, Changsha 410128, Peoples R China.
摘要：
Although paraquat is a widely used herbicide, it is toxic to humans if ingested or absorbed through an open wound. To improve the safety of paraquat, a new formulation of paraquat based on photoresponsive polymers was exploited. Photoresponsive β-cyclodextrin polymer microspheres (AZO-CD) were synthesized via a host-guest interaction between β-cyclodextrin and azobenzene. AZO-CD were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, circular dichroism, ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry, and thermogravimetric analysis, and their photoresponsiveness was also evaluated. AZO-CD were used to load paraquat, which yielded photoresponsive paraquat-loaded microspheres. For the paraquat-loaded microspheres, irradiation with UV light or sunlight induced the isomerization of azobenzene into the cis form. Then, the cis-azobenzene was liberated from the cavities of the β-cyclodextrin. The paraquat-loaded microspheres released paraquat continuously over time. Furthermore, under UV light, the herbicidal capacity of the paraquat-loaded microspheres against barnyard grass was comparable to that of free paraquat at the same dose. Our findings show that loading paraquat into AZO-CD provides a safe and environmentally friendly herbicide formulation.
通讯机构：
[Hong Yue; Yuting Ma; Yubi Lin] T;The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China<&wdkj&>The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China<&wdkj&>College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China<&wdkj&>The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China<&wdkj&>Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Geriatrics Institute, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, China
摘要：
BACKGROUND: Brugada syndrome (Brs) and long QT syndrome (LQTs) are the most observed "inherited primary arrhythmia syndromes" and "channelopathies", which lead to sudden cardiac death. METHODS: Detailed clinical information of Brs and LQTs patients was collected. Genomic DNA samples of peripheral blood were conducted for whole-exome sequencing on the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. Then, we performed bioinformatics analysis for 200 genes susceptible to arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies. Protein interaction and transcriptomic co-expression were analyzed using the online website and GTEx database. RESULTS: All sixteen cases of Brs and six cases of LQTs were enrolled in the current study. Four Brs carried known pathogenic or likely pathogenic of single-point mutations, including SCN5A p.R661W, SCN5A p.R965C, and KCNH2 p.R692Q. One Brs carried the heterozygous compound mutations of DSG2 p.F531C and SCN5A p.A1374S. Two Brs carried the novel heterozygous truncated mutations (MAF < 0.001) of NEBL (p.R882X) and NPPA (p.R107X), respectively. Except for the indirect interaction between NEBL and SCN5A, NPPA directly interacts with SCN5A. These gene expressions had a specific and significant positive correlation in myocardial tissue, with high degrees of co-expression and synergy. Two Brs carried MYH7 p.E1902Q and MYH6 p.R1820Q, which were predicted as "damaging/possibly damaging" and "damaging/damaging" by Polyphen and SIFT algorithm. Two LQTs elicited the pathogenic single splicing mutation of KCNQ1 (c.922-1G > C). Three LQTs carried a single pathogenic mutation of SCN5A p.R1880H, KCNH2 p.D161N, and KCNQ1 p.R243S, respectively. One patient of LQTs carried a frameshift mutation of KCNH2 p. A188Gfs*143. CONCLUSIONS: The truncated mutations of NEBL (p.R882X) and NPPA (p.R107X) may induce Brugada syndrome by abnormally affecting cardiac sodium channel. SCN5A (p.R661W, p.R965C and p.A1374S) and KCNH2 (p.R692Q) may cause Brugada syndrome, while SCN5A (p.R1880H), KCNQ1 (c.922-1G > C and p.R243S) and KCNH2 (p.D161N and p.A188Gfs*143) may lead to long QT syndrome.
通讯机构：
[Xiaogang Li] C;College of Plant Protection, Hunan Agricultural University, Southern Regional Collaborative Innovation Center for Grain and Oil Crops, Changsha 410128, China
关键词：
Community structure;Methane;Network;Thifluzamide
摘要：
Thifluzamide is an effective agent for controlling rice sheath blight and has a long half-life in soil. However, the effects of thifluzamide on the abundance of microbes harboring methane-cycle genes and soil microbial community assembly patterns are not well known. Thus, we conducted a three-month indoor mesocosm experiment to ascertain the effects of thifluzamide (0.05, 0.5, and 5 mg kg(-1) soil; 0.05 mg kg(-1) soil being recommended) on bacterial and archaeal community structure and on the abundance of methanogen genes using two typical paddy soils: sandy soil from Hangzhou (HZ) and loam sandy soil from Jiansanjiang (JSJ). The effects of thifluzamide on soil microorganisms were related to soil type. In JSJ loam sandy soil, thifluzamide significantly increased bacterial α diversity after 7-30 d and archaeal α diversity at 30 and 60 d. In HZ sandy soil, however, α diversity did not change significantly. Network analysis showed that thifluzamide-treated soils possessed more complex networks with more total nodes and links, a higher average degree of connectivity, and more keystone species. Thifluzamide application increased the number of keystone species associated with methane production in both types of paddy soil. A relatively greater number of modules were significantly negatively correlated with mcrA abundance in the HZ T10 network, but more modules were positively correlated with mcrA abundance in the JSJ T100 network. The half-life of thifluzamide varied for the different doses, i.e., from 152.0 to 419.6 d. The results reveal that methane-cycle genes, soil microbiome assembly, and interactions among microbial species all change in response to thifluzamide stress.
关键词：
rice;Meloidogyne graminicola;potassium sulphate;induced resistance;H_2O_2;callose;potassium channel and transporter
摘要：
Potassium (K), an important nutrient element, can improve the stress resistance/tolerance of crops. The application of K in resisting plant-parasitic nematodes shows that the K treatment can reduce the occurrence of nematode diseases and increase crop yield. However, data on K2SO4 induced rice resistance against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne graminicola are still lacking. In this work, K2SO4 treatment reduced galls and nematodes in rice plants and delayed the development of nematodes. Rather than affecting the attractiveness of roots to nematodes and the morphological phenotype of giant cells at feeding sites, such an effect is achieved by rapidly priming hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation and increasing callose deposition. Meanwhile, galls and nematodes in rice roots were more in the potassium channel OsAKT1 and transporter OsHAK5 gene-deficient plants than in wild-type, while the K2SO4-induced resistance showed weaker in the defective plants. In addition, during the process of nematode infection, the expression of jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene (ET)/brassinolide (BR) signaling pathway-related genes and pathogenesis-related (PR) genes OsPR1a/OsPR1b was up-regulated in rice after K2SO4 treatment. In conclusion, K2SO4 induced rice resistance against M. graminicola. The mechanism of inducing resistance was to prime the basal defense and required the participation of the K+ channel and transporter in rice. These laid a foundation for further study on the mechanism of rice defense against nematodes and the rational use of potassium fertilizer on improving rice resistance against nematodes in the field.
通讯机构：
[Hou, DH ] W;[Huang, GH ] H;Weifang Med Univ, Sch Life Sci & Technol, Weifang 261053, Peoples R China.;Hunan Agr Univ, Hunan Prov Key Lab Biol & Control Plant Dis & Ins, Changsha 410128, Hunan, Peoples R China.
摘要：
Analysis of orthology is important for understanding protein conservation, function, and phylogenomics. In this study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of gene orthology in the family Ascoviridae based on identification of 366 protein homologue groups and phylogenetic analysis of 34 non-single-copy proteins. Our findings revealed 90 newly annotated proteins, five newly identified core proteins for the family Ascoviridae, and 14 core proteins for the genus Ascovirus. A phylogenomic tree of 11 Ascoviridae members was constructed based on a concatenation of 35 of the 45 ortholog groups. In combination with phosphoproteomic results and conservation estimations, 30 conserved phosphorylation sites on 17 phosphoproteins were identified from a total of 176 phosphosites on 57 phosphoproteins from Heliothis virescens ascovirus 3h (HvAV-3h), providing potential research targets for investigating the role of these protein in the regulation of viral infection. This study will facilitate genome annotation and comparison of further Ascoviridae members as well as functional genomic investigations.
摘要：
The voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) beta subunit (Ca-v beta) protein is a kind of cytosolic auxiliary subunit that plays an important role in regulating the surface expression and gating characteristics of high-voltage-activated (HVA) calcium channels. Ditylenchus destructor is an important plant-parasitic nematode. In the present study, the putative Ca-v beta subunit gene of D. destructor, namely, DdCa(v)beta, was subjected to molecular characterization. In situ hybridization assays showed that DdCa(v)beta was expressed in all nematode tissues. Transcriptional analyses showed that DdCa(v)beta was expressed during each developmental stage of D. destructor, and the highest expression level was recorded in the third-stage juveniles. The crucial role of DdCa(v)beta was verified by dsRNA soaking-mediated RNA interference (RNAi). Silencing of DdCa(v)beta or HVA Ca-v alpha(1) alone and co-silencing of the DdCa(v)beta and HVA Ca-v alpha(1) genes resulted in defective locomotion, stylet thrusting, chemotaxis, protein secretion and reproduction in D. destructor. Co-silencing of the HVA Ca-v alpha(1) and Ca-v beta subunits showed stronger interference effects than single-gene silencing. This study provides insights for further study of VGCCs in plant-parasitic nematodes.
通讯机构：
[Zhou, Xinyu] H;Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Hunan Agricultural University, Nongda Road 1, Furong District, 410128, Changsha City, Hunan Province, P.R. China.
摘要：
A novel polymycovirus isolated from the plant-pathogenic fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was identified. The viral genome is composed of nine double-stranded RNA segments, ranging in size from 699 bp to 2,444 bp. With the exception of dsRNA5, which contains two open reading frames (ORF5-1 and ORF5-2), the other dsRNA segments each contain one ORF. The proteins encoded by ORFs 1-8 are homologous to the proteins encoded by ORFs 1-8 of Colletotrichum camelliae filamentous virus 1 (CcFV-1). The amino acid sequences of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) encoded by ORF1 and the viral methyltransferase encoded by ORF3 share 87.6% and 83.3% identity with CcFV-1. The proline-alanine-serine-rich protein (PASrp) encoded by ORF4 shares 86.6% sequence identity with that of CcFV-1. The proteins encoded by ORFs 2, 5 - 1, 6, 7, and 8 share 86.6%, 82.5%, 89.0%, 45.7%, and 95.5% sequence identity, respectively, with the corresponding proteins of CcFV-1. dsRNA9 is a defective copy of dsRNA2 that lacks a stretch of 1556 bp (nt 519 to nt 2074). Phylogenetic analysis based on the RdRp protein indicated that the novel virus clustered with members of the family Polymycoviridae, and based on the above results, we have tentatively named it "Colletotrichum gloeosporioides polymycovirus virus 1" (CgPmV1). To our knowledge, this is the first report of a polymycovirus with a defective dsRNA genome in C. gloeosporioides.
作者机构：
[Li, Xiao-Gang; Zhong, Jie; Li, Ping; Zhu, Jun-Zi] Hunan Agr Univ, Hunan Prov Key Lab Biol & Control Plant Dis & Ins, Nongda Rd 1, Changsha 410128, Peoples R China.;[Li, Xiao-Gang; Zhu, Jun-Zi] Hunan Agr Univ, Hunan Engn Res Ctr Agr Pest Early Warning & Contr, Nongda Rd 1, Changsha 410128, Peoples R China.
通讯机构：
[Jie Zhong; Xiao-Gang Li] A;Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.<&wdkj&>Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Hunan Agricultural University, Nongda Road 1, Furong District, Changsha 410128, China<&wdkj&>Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.<&wdkj&>Hunan Engineering Research Center of Agricultural Pest Early Warning and Control, Hunan Agricultural University, Nongda Road 1, Furong District, Changsha 410128, China
关键词：
CDK1;cell cycle;cyclin B;Heliothis virescens ascovirus 3h;SeFB cell line
摘要：
Ascoviruses are double-stranded DNA viruses that are pathogenic to noctuid larvae. In vitro infection causes the cells to fail to replicate and proliferate normally. However, the molecular mechanisms are unclear. In this study, the transmission electron microscopydata of infected-Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) fat body cells (SeFB, IOZCAS-SpexII-A cells) showed that virions were internalized in phagocytic vesicles, but not in the nucleus. FACS of cell-cycle progression was performed in SeFB cells infected with Heliothis virescens ascovirus 3h (HvAV-3h). The cell cycle phase distributions of the SeFB cells were G(1) = 29.52 ± 1.10%, S = 30.33 ± 1.19%, and G(2) /M = 40.06 ± 0.75%. The cell culture doubling time was approximately 24 h. The G(1) , S, and G(2) /M phases were each approximately 8 h. The unsynchronized or synchronized cells were arrested at G(2) /M phase after infection with HvAV-3h. Our data also showed that cells with more than 4N DNA content appeared in the HvAV-3h-treated group. While the mRNA levels of cyclin B(1) , cyclin H, and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) were downregulated after HvAV-3h infection, the mRNA expression levels of cyclin A, cyclin D, and cyclin B(2) were not significantly changed. Western blotting results showed that the expression of cyclin B(1) and CDK1 in infected SeFB cells within 24 h postinfection(hpi), and HvAV-3h infection inhibited the expression of cyclin B(1) and CDK1 at 12-24 hpi. Overall, these data implied that HvAV-3h infection leads to an accumulation of cells in the G(2) /M phases by downregulating the expression of cyclin B(1) and CDK1.
摘要：
Ascoviruses are fatal double-stranded DNA viruses with a special pathogenesis in which cells are converted into vesicles with virions. Several closely related ascovirus isolates that shared more than 90% genomic DNA identity showed different pathogenic courses in previous studies. To investigate the pathogenic differences between the related ascovirus isolates, Heliothis virescens ascovirus 3i (HvAV-3i) and Heliothis virescens ascovirus 3j (HvAV-3j) were used to inoculate four noctuid pest species (Helicoverpa armigera, Mythimna separata, Spodoptera frugiperda, and Spodoptera litura), and the pathogenic indexes were recorded. The mortality of HvAV-3i infected H. armigera and S. frugiperda was approximately 60%, while the other HvAV-infected larvae had mortality rates above 90%. The maximum lethal dilution ratios of HvAV-3i in H. armigera, M. separata, S. frugiperda, and S. litura were 1.90 × 10(7), 1.90 × 10(3), 1.90 × 10(8), and 1.90 × 10(4) viral genome DNA copies/mL, respectively, while the ratios of HvAV-3j were 8.22 × 10(6), 8.22 × 10(2), 8.22 × 10(5), and 8.22 × 10(3) viral genome DNA copies/mL, respectively. Extended larval survival time was found in the HvAV-infected larvae; median survival time of the HvAV-infected larvae ranged from 13 to 19 days. An additional larval instar was found in HvAV-infected M. separata, S. frugiperda, and S. litura. Larval growth and food intake were significantly inhibited from 2 days post-infection (dpi) in the tested H. armigera, S. frugiperda, and S. litura after infection with HvAV-3i or HvAV-3j. The detoxification enzyme activity of host larvae was influenced after infection with HvAVs, and two different regulation patterns were detected, one in infected H. armigera and M. separata and the other in S. frugiperda and S. litura. The results obtained in this study provide insights into the pathogenic characteristics of ascoviruses.
通讯机构：
[Jianping Chen; Jian Yang] A;Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.<&wdkj&>State Key Laboratory for Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China<&wdkj&>Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.<&wdkj&>College of Plant Protection, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China<&wdkj&>State Key Laboratory for Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
摘要：
Ubiquitination is a major post-translational modification (PTM) involved in almost all eukaryotic biological processes and plays an essential role in plant response to pathogen infection. However, to date, large-scale profiling of the changes in the ubiquitome in response to pathogens, especially viruses, in wheat has not been reported. This study aimed to identify the ubiquitinated proteins involved in Chinese wheat mosaic virus (CWMV) infection in wheat using a combination of affinity enrichment and high-resolution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy. The potential biological functions of these ubiquitinated proteins were further analyzed using bioinformatics. A total of 2297 lysine ubiquitination sites in 1255 proteins were identified in wheat infected with CWMV, of which 350 lysine ubiquitination sites in 192 proteins were differentially expressed. These ubiquitinated proteins were related to metabolic processes, responses to stress and hormones, plant-pathogen interactions, and ribosome pathways, as assessed via Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses. Furthermore, we found that the ubiquitination of Ta14-3-3 and TaHSP90, which are essential components of the innate immune system, was significantly enhanced during CWMV infection, which suggested that ubiquitination modification plays a vital role in the regulatory network of the host response to CWMV infection. In summary, our study puts forward a novel strategy for further probing the molecular mechanisms of CWMV infection. Our findings will inform future research to find better, innovative, and effective solutions to deal with CWMV infection in wheat, which is the most crucial and widely used cereal grain crop.
通讯机构：
[Zeng, AP ; Zhou, XM ] H;Hunan Agr Univ, Coll Plant Protect, Changsha 410128, Peoples R China.;Hunan Acad Agr Sci, Inst Agr Biotechnol, Changsha 410125, Peoples R China.
关键词：
P. xylostella;PxTreh1;PxTreh2;C/EBP alpha;expression regulation
摘要：
Simple Summary The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) is a major agricultural pest of cruciferous vegetables and crops worldwide, causing economic losses of up to USD 5 billion annually. The long-term use of insecticides leads to the rapid evolution of resistance in insects, which greatly increases the difficulty of controlling pests. Trehalase regulates energy metabolism in insects by converting trehalose into two glucose molecules. The existence of trehalase is critical for insect flight and larval stress resistance. However, whether trehalase participates in the development of pesticide resistance remains unclear. In this study, we found that the activity of trehalase and the levels of gene expression in Bt-resistant and field populations of P. xylostella were significantly higher than they were in the susceptible strains. By analyzing the promoter sequences of PxTreh1 and PxTreh2, we confirmed the interaction between C/EBP alpha and the PxTreh2 promoter. The findings of this study suggest that C/EBP alpha mediates the adaptability of P. xylostella to adverse environmental stressors by regulating the expression of trehalase. Trehalase regulates energy metabolism in insects by converting trehalose into two glucose molecules. High amounts of trehalase are critical for insect flight and larval stress resistance. However, whether trehalase participates in the development of pesticide resistance remains unclear. In this study, we explored this phenomenon and the mechanism that underlies the regulation of Trehalase transcription. We found that overexpression of PxTreh1 and PxTreh2 induced Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) resistance in Plutella xylostella. The promoter sequences of PxTreh1 and PxTreh2 were also cloned and identified. The dual-luciferase reporter system and RNA interference technology revealed that the expression of PxTreh1 and PxTreh2 genes is possibly regulated by the CCAAT enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP alpha). A yeast one-hybrid experiment confirmed the interaction between C/EBP alpha and the PxTreh2 promoter. The findings of this study suggest that C/EBP alpha mediates the adaptability of P. xylostella to adverse environmental stressors by regulating the expression of trehalase.
摘要：
Simple Summary In endoparasitoids that feed within small discrete resource patches, such as seeds or fruits, body size could be subject to a trade-off: larger size could lead to increased overall fitness but could simultaneously increase the risk of resource depletion and starvation, resulting in a body size just below the host holding capacity. We analyzed the relationship of the larval size of the within-fruits-developing curculionid beetle Curculio styracis (Roelofs, 1875) and the size of the fruits of its two congeneric host species of Camellia to test this hypothesis. A logistic model can most accurately describe larval size in association with host-fruit size after a series of models were tested. Based on the characteristics of the optimal model, the hypothesis seemed to be confirmed because larvae that developed in host plant with larger fruits had a larger size, and larval size in both host species remained only a little below the host-fruit capacity. The novelty of the study is that this hypothesis is being tested in a more formal way using appropriate mathematical models. The endoparasitoid body size hypothesis suggests that the size of larvae that develop in a single host should be subject to a trade-off: larger size could lead to increase overall fitness but could simultaneously increase the risk of resource depletion and starvation, resulting in a body size just below the host holding capacity. However, this hypothesis has not been rigorously tested using mathematical models thus far. The camellia weevil, C. styracis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a notorious pest attacking fruits of Camellia oleifera Abel. and C. meiocarpa Hu., in which the larvae develop within a single fruit and larval development is limited by the available food resources. We developed a feasible method to test this hypothesis. First, five models were used to describe the relationship between larval mass and host size. Then, the minimum fruit threshold that had to be met for ad libitum larval development and the corresponding larval size (W-a) of this threshold were calculated based on the characteristics of the optimal model. Finally, the difference between the measured larval size and the predicted larval size (W-a) was determined. The results showed that (1) the data were better described by a logistic function than any other equation; (2) larval size in both host plants increased with increasing fruit size until leveling off when the fruits were large enough to allow unconstrained larval development; (3) larval size remained just below the host-fruit holding capacity, as there was no difference between the measured and predicted larval sizes (W-a); and (4) larvae developed in host plant with larger fruits had a larger size. These results confirmed the endoparasitoid body size hypothesis.
