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•Aphidoletes aphidimyza adults feed on aphid honeydew.•We analyzed the sugar compositions of aphid honeydews.•Sucrose caused the greatest increase in the longevity of A. ...aphidimyza.•Additional sucrose increased the fecundity of A. aphidimyza even when aphid honeydew was available.
The predatory gall midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza, which is used for augmentative biological control of aphids in greenhouses, uses aphid honeydew as an energy source. Currently, Rhopalosiphum padi on barley plants and Melanaphis sacchari on sorghum plants are used as the banker plant systems for A. aphidimyza to control Aphis gossypii on eggplant in Japan. We analyzed the sugar components of the honeydew of these three species by HPLC. The major components of honeydew were sucrose, fructose, and melezitose for A. gossypii; glucose and fructose for R. padi; and glucose, fructose, and melezitose for M. sacchari. Maltose and trehalose were minor components of the honeydew of these species. We investigated the influence of sugars, including three artificial aphid honeydews, six sugar components, and distilled water, on the longevity of unmated A. aphidimyza. Both females and males attained the greatest longevity on sucrose and artificial honeydew of A. gossypii. Mean longevities of both females and males were shortest when they were provided only with water. We conducted another experiment in which a mated female was released in a cage with an eggplant seedling infested with A. gossypii and fed with sucrose or only water. Females fed with sucrose lived significantly longer and had higher lifetime fecundity than those fed only water.
Background In 2008, the Japanese government implemented a National Intervention Program for metabolic syndrome. Low-risk individuals were not direct targets of this intervention. Nevertheless, they ...were indirectly enlightened by this massive campaign. Documentation of the metabolic shifts in low-risk individuals following the program launch may inform public health policy regarding approaches to metabolic risks in the general population. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from non-diabetic participants who underwent general health check-ups at the Physical Check-up Center of Sumitomo Hospital. Participants during 2007-2008 were pair-matched with those during 2015-2016 with respect to sex, age, smoking status, hemoglobin level, and red blood cell (RBC) count. Each participant was included only once in the study. Results Totals of 3,140 men and 2,048 women were pair-matched. The non-diabetic participants showed lower waist circumference, blood pressure, heart rate, and serum lipid concentrations during the second study period. In contrast, the entire distributions of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) concentration in both sexes and glycated hemoglobin (HbA.sub.1c) in women were shifted upwards. In men, DELTA FPG was +1.6 mg/dL (P < 0.001) and DELTA HbA.sub.1c was ±0% (P = 0.6). In women, DELTA FPG was +3.0 mg/dL (P < 0.001), and DELTA HbA.sub.1c was +0.1% (P < 0.001). DELTA Homeostasis model assessment of beta-cell function was -6.6 in men (P < 0.001) and -10.3 in women (P < 0.001). The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance did not change significantly. Conclusions The "glycemic set point" has increased in non-diabetic people in Japan during recent years. Lifestyle or environmental changes may have caused this metabolic shift through obesity-independent pathways, possibly through effects on pancreatic beta-cell function. The underlying mechanism awaits further investigation.
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