Multivariate statistics (principal components analysis, path analysis) were used to investigate fitness components of the interactions between the weevil Rhopalapion longirostre (Olivier, 1807), Apionidae, Coleoptera and its host plant Alcea rosea (Linnaeus, 1758), Malvaceae. We focused on the activities of the larvae such as the choice of seeds for consumption, the preparation of seed chambers...

Extremely divergent traits between males and females are often the result of different requirements and behaviours of the sexes and will evolve relatively rapidly under selection forces. Sexual dimorphism in Rhopalapion longirostre is predominately manifested in the length and structure of the rostrum. To estimate how sexual selection shapes mating success in this weevil we compared paired and ...

Current landfill regulations provide for the responsible management of solid waste and a safer alternative to the outdated practices of open or illegal dumping. Aside from imparting aesthetic value, natural or planted vegetation on landfill sites has an important role in erosion control and removal of contaminants, and may also be used in leaching treatment. The use of leachate for the irrigati...

Abstract Purpose This research was performed to evaluate the antibacterial and health-promoting potentials of nanoliposome-encapsulated phenolic-rich fraction (PRF) from Alcea rosea leaves, as a dietary phytobiotic, in mice challenged by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli ( E. ; O157: H7). Method The PEF encapsulated nanoliposomes (PEF-NLs), phenolic profiling PEF-NLs confirmed HPLC. Next, 40 wh...

Extreme sexually dimorphic phenotypes are frequently attributed to strong sexual selection but they can also arise as a consequence of different ecological demands. The evolutionary emergence of elongated rostra was a key event in the adaptive radiation of weevils. Exaggerated female rostra evolved in numerous weevil taxa, enabling females to bore long channels for egg deposition into various p...