Project description:BACKGROUND:The Natural History Museum (NHM) sound archive contains recordings of Gryllotalpidae, and the NHM collection holds plaster casts of the burrows of two species. These recordings and burrows have until now not been made available through the NHM's collection database, making it hard for researchers to make use of these resources. NEW INFORMATION:Eighteen recordings of mole crickets (three identified species) held by the NHM have been made available under open licenses via BioAcoustica. 3D scans of the burrows of Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa (Linnaeus, 1758) and Gryllotalpa vineae Bennet-Clark, 1970 have been made available via the NHM Data Portal.
Project description:The European mole cricket, Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa, feeds on a wide range of crops and can also damage plants with its burrowing activities. In suitable habitats (like those with damp, rich soils in flood plains), G. gryllotalpa numbers can increase to high levels. On the other hand, the abundance of G. gryllotalpa has dramatically decreased in north-western Europe partly due to direct eradication and excessive pest control. Using habitat suitability modelling, we identified areas suitable for G. gryllotalpa occurrence based on previous reports of its occurrence and based on environmental data. We limited our study area to regions where G. gryllotalpa is the only known Gryllotalpa species. The most important variables in our models were found to be relative air humidity and minimum soil temperature of the coldest month. We suggest that soil temperature is a limiting factor for European mole cricket occurrence in the Czech Republic because most areas in the country experience soil temperatures just below 0 °C, while most reports of G. gryllotalpa occurrence in Europe are from areas where the soil temperature does not drop below 0 °C. The models we have developed can provide information on possible occurrences of the mole cricket and thus improve the decision-making process both in the field of pest control and the conservation of this species.
Project description:Characterization of Chemosensory Genes in the Subterranean Pest Gryllotalpa orientalis Based on Genome Assembly and Transcriptome Comparison
Project description:The mole cricket Gryllotalpa orientalis is an evolutionarily, medicinal, and agriculturally significant insect that inhabits underground environments and is distributed globally. This study measured genome size by flow cytometry and k-mer based on low-coverage sequencing, and nuclear repetitive elements were also identified. The haploid genome size estimate is 3.14 Gb by flow cytometry, 3.17 Gb, and 3.77 Gb-based two k-mer methods, respectively, which is well within the range previously reported for other species of the suborder Ensifera. 56% of repetitive elements were found in G. orientalis, similar to 56.83% in Locusta migratoria. However, the great size of repetitive sequences could not be annotated to specific repeat element families. For the repetitive elements that were annotated, Class I-LINE retrotransposon elements were the most common families and more abundant than satellite and Class I-LTR. These results based on the newly developed genome survey could be used in the taxonomic study and whole genome sequencing to improve the understanding of the biology of G. orientalis.
Project description:An attempt has been made to isolate potent amylase producing gut bacteria from Gryllotalpa africana. Out of 82 isolates, GAA 31.1 was selected as potent producer, having enzyme activity 9.6 ± 0.861 U/ml. The isolate GAA 31.1 was identified as Rhodococcus opacus following morphological, biochemical, physiological characterization and phylogenetic analysis through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Fatty acid methyl ester profile of the isolate was also studied. The optimized physical cultural conditions for amylase production were found as incubation period 48 h, inoculum volume 2%, initial pH of the fermentation medium 7.0, temperature 38 °C and aeration at 150 rpm. Optimum nutrient conditions were determined as: supplementation of maltose 1.4% and sodium nitrate 1.4%. Surfactants SDS, EDTA, Tween 80 and Triton X-100 showed positive effect on enzyme production. Riboflavin (50 ?g/ml) among the tested vitamins stimulated the production maximally. The isolate was also able to produce amylase using agro-industrial waste. This actinobacterium may be a potent candidate for amylase as it is capable of enhanced production (326.72 ± 6.081 U/ml) by utilizing agro-residues.