The cocoa pod borer (CPB) Conopomorpha cramerella (Snellen) (Lepidoptera: Gracillaridae) is one of the major constraints for cocoa production in South East Asia. In addition to cultural and chemical ...control methods, autocidal control tactics such as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) could be an efficient addition to the currently control strategy, however SIT implementation will depend on the population genetics of the targeted pest. The aim of the present work was to search for suitable microsatellite loci in the genome of CPB that is partially sequenced. Twelve microsatellites were initially selected and used to analyze moths collected from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. A quality control verification process was carried out and seven microsatellites found to be suitable and efficient to distinguish differences between CPB populations from different locations. The selected microsatellites were also tested against a closely related species, i.e. the lychee fruit borer Conopomorpha sinensis (LFB) from Vietnam and eight loci were found to be suitable. The availability of these novel microsatellite loci will provide useful tools for the analysis of the population genetics and gene flow of these pests, to select suitable CPB strains to implement the SIT.
•Morphological structures of the hybridized α-CNTs-Cu2O found that the walls of α-CNTs are not smooth due to the adsorption of Cu2O on the surface of α-CNTs.•The XRD pattern confirms the presence of ...amorphous phase of CNTs and crystalline phase of Cu2O.•The UV–vis spectra of hybridized α-CNTs showed higher absorbance due to the presence of Cu2O nanoparticles.•Raman analysis confirmed the eliminated defect sites of α-CNTs due to the dispersion of Cu2O nanoparticles.
Amorphous carbon nanotubes (α-CNTs) were synthesized by a chemical reaction between ferrocene and ammonium chloride at a temperature (∼250°C) in an air furnace. As- synthesized α-CNTs were purified with deionized water and hydrochloric acid. A purified α-CNTs were hybridized with cuprous oxide nanoparticles (Cu2O) through a simple chemical process. Morphology of the samples was analyzed with field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra showed the attachment of acidic functional groups onto the surface of α-CNTs and the formation of hybridized α-CNTs-Cu2O. Raman spectra reveal the amorphous nature of the carbon. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern confirmed the amorphous phase of the carbon and the formation of Cu2O crystalline phase. The coating of Cu2O was confirmed by FESEM, TEM, and XRD. Optical absorption of the samples has also been investigated and the quantum confinement effect was illustrated in the absorption spectra.
