there is growing evidence that lectin-carbohydrate interactions can mediate the infection of parasites to their insect vector. many insect species are host or vectors of protozoan or metazoan parasites that cause socially and economically important disease such as malaria and leishmaniasis. however, relatively little work has been undertaken concerning the interaction of insect immunity against...

A limited number of invertebrate species, notably some freshwater molluscans and certain phytophagous insects, are known to possess body fluids whose composition is extremely specialized. In particular the sodium level may be very low in these species, attaining an extreme condition in the haemolymph of a coleopteran such as Timarchia tenebriosa in which the concentration of this cation amounts...

The functional significance of some components of salivary glands and of their secretion and of haemolymph of Amblyomma hebraeum and other tick species is reviewed with respect to host responses at the attachment site, the survival of specific pathogens in the vector, the transmission of pathogens and immunological responses of the host to tick infestation.

Introduction Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman (2000) is an ectoparasitic mite which causes severe damage to Apis mellifera populations worldwide. Adult females of V. destructor feed directly on the haemolymph of honey bee pupae and can activate and transmit honeybee viruses. Infestation causes an increased prevalence of bee diseases and colony mortality, resulting in decline of honey produc...

We investigated the substrates for flight in the blister beetle Decapotoma lunata by (a) establishing the patterns of maximum activities of enzymes of various metabolic pathways in the flight muscles, (b) measuring the respiratory rates of flight muscle mitochondria with various substrates and (c) determining metabolite concentrations in flight muscles and haemolymph during a flight period of u...

2,4-D is a widely used phenoxy herbicide, potentially toxic to humans and biota. The objective of the present study was to reveal short term sublethal effects of 2,4-D on narrow-clawed freshwater crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus Eschscholtz, 1823), based on histology, total haemocyte counts, selected haemolymph parameters, and oxidative stress parameters. In the laboratory conditions crayfish sp...