HOST SUITABILITY OF RED PUMPKIN BEETLE, AULACOPHORA FOVEICOLLIS (LUCAS) AMONG DIFFERENT CUCURBITACEOUS HOSTS
The red pumpkin beetle, Aulacophora foveicollis (Lucas) is a common, serious and major pest of a wide range of cucurbitaceous vegetables. It is injurious to the crops and cause severe damage to almost all cucurbits. The present study was conducted to find out the host suitability of red pumpkin beetle, Aulacophora foveicollis (Lucas) among different cucurbit hosts in the Laboratory and Field Laboratory of the Department of Entomology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. This study was investigated with a view to explore a resistant host to this pest. The experiment was laid out in the completely randomized design (CRD) and Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in laboratory and field respectively with five replications. Three cucurbit hosts such as sweet gourd (Var. BARI Sweet gourd1), bitter gourd (Var. Hybrid Nepali) and bottle gourd (Var. Kajla) were selected to conduct this research work. Host suitability was determined depending on the average number of beetles present per plant in field. But in the laboratory host suitability was measured following force feeding and choice feeding bioassays. In the field at three different stages of the plant the highest number of beetle per plant was observed on the sweet gourd and the lowest number was found on bitter gourd. Similarly both in force feeding and choice feeding bioassays the highest leaf feeding was observed on sweet gourd and the lowest leaf feeding was determined on the bitter gourd. Both in the laboratory and field among the three cucurbit hosts sweet gourd was the most suitable and bitter gourd was the least suitable host for red pumpkin beetle.
On the biology and host preference of Aulacophora foveicollis Lucas (Coleoptera, Galerucidae)
At Abu-Ghraib Farm, Iraq, the adults of Aulacophora foveicollis broke their overwintering by the first week of April 1975 at 21.2 °C and the second week of April 1976 at 21.2 °C too. They fed on seedlings and mature plants of melon (Cucumis melo), snake cucumber (C. m. flexuosus), cucumber (C. sativus) and bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), and preferred flowers to leaves. Oviposition started by the third week of April and lasted for 44 days, while the pre-oviposition period ranged between 2.3 and 4.2 days, and the number of eggs per female between 5.1 and 14.1. Larval infestation started by the last week of April at 22.3 °C and became very severe by the first week of May at 25.8 °C. The optimum temperature for the beetle was around 27–28 °C. With the gradual rise of temperature its population decreased until it completely disappeared throughout July at 35.2 °C which seems to be lethal or semilethal to it. On the other hand, the beetle seems to be capable of tolerating wide ranges of relative humidity fluctuations. 
 
 
 
The number of beetles on 10 plants of each crop was taken as a measure of host preference whose descending order was C. m. flexuosus, C. melo, C. sativus and L. siceraria for both 1975 and 1978 seasons. Yet, the first three crops did not differ significantly in their preference from each other and, thus, can be regarded collectively as the beetle's first choice. 
 
 
 
Zusammenfassung 
 
Zur Biologie und Wirtspflanzenwahl von Aulacophora foveicollis Lucas (Coleoptera, Galerucidae) 
 
 
 
Auf dem Gelande der Abu-Ghraib Farm, Iraq, beendeten die Kafer von A. foveicollis ihre Winterdiapause in der 1. Aprilwoche 1975 bei 21,2 °C bzw. in der 2. Aprilwoche 1976 bei ebenfalls 21,2 °C. Sie frasen an Samlingen und alteren Pflanzen von Melone (Cucumis melo), Schlangengurke (C. m. flexuosus), Gurke (C. sativus) und Flaschenkurbis (Lagenaria siceraria), wobei sie die Bluten den Blattern vorzogen. Die Eiablage begann in der 3. Aprilwoche und dauerte 44 Tage, wahrend die Praovipositionsperiode nach 2,3 bzw. 4,2 Tagen beendet war. Die mittlere Eizahl betrug 5,1 bzw. 14,1 pro Weibchen. Der Larvenbefall begann in der letzten Aprilwoche bei 22,3 °C und erlangte schadliche Ausmase in der 1. Maiwoche bei 25,8 °C. Die optimale Temperatur fur die Kafer lag zwischen 27 und 28 °C. Mit ansteigender Temperatur verringerte sich die Population bis zu einem Minimum bei 35,2 °C im Juli. Das liegt nahe der letalen Temperatur. Dagegen sind die Kafer imstande, grose Schwankungen der relativen Feuchtigkeit zu ertragen. 
 
 
 
Aufgrund einer Zahlung der Kafer auf je 10 Pflanzen wurde 1975 und 1978 ubereinstimmend folgende Wirtspflanzenreihe abnehmender Bevorzugung festgestellt: C. m. flexuosus, C. melo, C. sativus, L. siceraria. Die Unterschiede zwischen den ersten 3 Pflanzenarten waren jedoch statistisch nicht zu sichern.
First Insights into the Draft Genome Sequence of the Endophyte Paenibacillus amylolyticus Strain GM1FR, Isolated from Festuca rubra L.
ABSTRACT Paenibacillus amylolyticus strain GM1FR is an endophyte isolated from aerial plant tissues of Festuca rubra L. Here, we report the draft genome sequence (7.3 Mb) of GM1FR containing 6,241 protein-coding genes, some of which are potentially involved in plant growth promotion and biocontrol.