Diehl, Peter-Allan

2010, Roelfstra, Lise-Lore, Vlimant, Michèle, Betschart, Bruno, Pfister, Kurt, Diehl, Peter-Allan

A morphological study of the midgut and salivary glands of second and third instars of Gasterophilus intestinalis (De Geer) (Diptera: Oestridae) was conducted by light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The midgut is anteriorly delimited by a proventriculus, without caeca, and is composed of posterior foregut and anterior midgut tissue from which a double-layered peritrophic matrix is produced. The midgut can be divided into anterior, median and posterior regions on the basis of the structural and physiological variations of the columnar cells which occur along its length. Two other types of cell were identified: regenerative cells scattered throughout the columnar cells, and, more rarely, endocrine cells of two structural types (closed and open). Different secretion mechanisms (merocrine, apocrine and microapocrine) occur along the midgut epithelium. Abundant microorganisms are observed in the endoperitrophic space of the anterior midgut. The origin and nature of these microorganisms remain unknown. No structural differences are observed between the second and third instar midguts. The salivary glands of G. intestinalis second and third instars consist of a pair of elongated tubular structures connected to efferent ducts which unite to form a single deferent duct linked dorsally to the pharynx. Several intermediate cells, without cuticle, make the junction with the salivary gland epithelium layer. Cytological characteristics of the gland epithelial cells demonstrate high cellular activity and some structural variations are noticed between the two larval stages.

2003, Diehl, Peter-Allan, Vlimant, Michèle, Guerenstein, Pablo, Guerin, Patrick

Ultrastructural examination of grooved-peg (GP) sensilla on the antenna of fifth instar Triatoma infestans nymphs by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy reveal that they are 8-18 mum long with a diameter of about 2-2.8 mum at the non-articulated base. Some pegs have a terminal pore. These double-walled wall-pore (dw-wp) sensilla have an outer cuticular wall with 13-18 longitudinal grooves at the distal part of the peg. Groove channels are present at the bottom of the grooves from which radial spoke channels lead into the inner sensillum-lymph cavity. A dendrite sheath connects the tip of the thecogen cell to the inner cuticular wall thus forming separated outer and inner sensillum-lymph cavities. Four or five bipolar receptor cells are ensheathed successively within the GP sensilla by the thecogen cell, trichogen and tormogen cells. The inner dendritic segments of each sensory cell give rise at the ciliary constriction to an unbranched outer dendritic segment which can reach the tip of the sensillum. Electrophysiological recordings from the GP sensilla indicate that they house NH3, short-chain carboxylic acid and short-chain aliphatic amine receptor cells and can be divided into three functional sub-types (GP 1-3). All GP sensilla carry a receptor cell excited by aliphatic amines, such as isobutylamine, a compound associated with vertebrate odour. GP type 1 and 2 sensilla house, in addition, an NH3-excited cell whereas the type 2 sensilla also contains a short-chain carboxylic acid receptor. No cell particularly sensitive to either NH3 or carboxylic acids was found in the grooved-peg type 3 sensilla. GP types 1, 2 and 3 represent ca. 36, 10 and 43% of the GP sensilla, respectively, whereas the remaining 11% contain receptor cells that manifest normal spontaneous activity but do not respond to any of the afore mentioned stimuli. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

1995, Steiner, Josefina, Diehl, Peter-Allan, Vlimant, Michèle

Reproduction in Varroa jacobsoni occurs only in cells of the capped honey bee brood. Female mites were sampled at different times after cell sealing and ovaries containing a vitellogenic oocyte of the first gonocycle were examined under an electron microscope. It was found that the cytoplasmic connection between the lyrate organ and the oocyte persists far into the vitellogenic growth phase. In addition, a large amount of yolk material is taken up from the haemolymph. All ultrastructural features characteristic of vitellogenesis, such as microvilli, coated pits, vesicles and growing yolk platelets, are present. If more than four Varroa females live in an overcrowded brood cell, they appear to be in stress conditions and their vitellogenic oocytes may become atretic. Alterations typical for oocyte degradation and oosorption were observed in such situations.

2003, Perret, Jean-Luc, Guerin, Patrick, Diehl, Peter-Allan, Vlimant, Michèle, Gern, Lise

The behaviour of Ixodes ricinus nymphs was recorded in 10-day experiments using computer-assisted video-tracking, in the absence of any host stimuli. These ticks switch spontaneously from questing in a desiccating atmosphere to quiescence in a water-saturated atmosphere after dark. Quantification of both questing and quiescence duration demonstrates that questing duration is inversely related to saturation deficit whereas quiescence duration is not. Distance walked after quiescence increased with desiccating conditions, while the distance walked after questing remained unchanged. Almost all locomotor activities of I. ricinus occurred during darkness under either a 14 h:10 h L:D or a 8 h:4 h L:D cycle. We established that all life stages of I. ricinus are equipped to sense shifts in light intensity with bilaterally placed strings of photoreceptors. This permits I. ricinus to use onset of darkness to trigger mobility when desiccation risk is reduced in nature.

2000, Guerin, Patrick, Kroeber, Thomas, McMahon, Conor, Guerenstein, Pablo, Grenacher, Stoyan, Vlimant, Michèle, Diehl, Peter-Allan, Steullet, Pascal, Syed, Zainulabeudin

1995, Steiner, Josefina, Diehl, Peter-Allan, Vlimant, Michèle

Reproduction in Varroa jacobsoni occurs only in cells of the capped honey bee brood. Female mites were sampled at different times after cell sealing and ovaries containing a vitellogenic oocyte of the first gonocycle were examined under an electron microscope. It was found that the cytoplasmic connection between the lyrate organ and the oocyte persists far into the vitellogenic growth phase. In addition, a large amount of yolk material is taken up from the haemolymph. All ultrastructural features characteristic of vitellogenesis, such as microvilli, coated pits, vesicles and growing yolk platelets, are present. If more than four Varroa females live in an overcrowded brood cell, they appear to be in stress conditions and their vitellogenic oocytes may become atretic. Alterations typical for oocyte degradation and oosorption were observed in such situations.

2003, Diehl, Peter-Allan, Vlimant, Michèle, Guerenstein, Pablo, Guerin, Patrick

Ultrastructural examination of grooved-peg (GP) sensilla on the antenna of fifth instar Triatoma infestans nymphs by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy reveal that they are 8–18 μm long with a diameter of about 2–2.8 μm at the non-articulated base. Some pegs have a terminal pore. These double-walled wall-pore (dw-wp) sensilla have an outer cuticular wall with 13–18 longitudinal grooves at the distal part of the peg. Groove channels are present at the bottom of the grooves from which radial spoke channels lead into the inner sensillum-lymph cavity. A dendrite sheath connects the tip of the thecogen cell to the inner cuticular wall thus forming separated outer and inner sensillum-lymph cavities. Four or five bipolar receptor cells are ensheathed successively within the GP sensilla by the thecogen cell, trichogen and tormogen cells. The inner dendritic segments of each sensory cell give rise at the ciliary constriction to an unbranched outer dendritic segment which can reach the tip of the sensillum.

Electrophysiological recordings from the GP sensilla indicate that they house NH3, short-chain carboxylic acid and short-chain aliphatic amine receptor cells and can be divided into three functional sub-types (GP 1–3). All GP sensilla carry a receptor cell excited by aliphatic amines, such as isobutylamine, a compound associated with vertebrate odour. GP type 1 and 2 sensilla house, in addition, an NH₃-excited cell whereas the type 2 sensilla also contains a short-chain carboxylic acid receptor. No cell particularly sensitive to either NH3 or carboxylic acids was found in the grooved-peg type 3 sensilla. GP types 1, 2 and 3 represent ca. 36, 10 and 43% of the GP sensilla, respectively, whereas the remaining 11% contain receptor cells that manifest normal spontaneous activity but do not respond to any of the afore mentioned stimuli.

2000, Guerin, Patrick, Kröber, Thomas, McMahon, Conor, Guerenstein, Pablo, Grenacher, Stoyan, Vlimant, Michèle, Diehl, Peter-Allan, Steullet, Pascal, Syed, Zainulabeudin

1991, Diehl, Peter-Allan, Guerin, Patrick, Vlimant, Michèle, Steullet, Pascal

The aggregation-attachment pheromone componentso-nitrophenol (ONP) and methyl salicylate (MS) in male Amblyomma variegatum ticks appeared after three days of feeding on the host and reached high values after about six days. Variable quantities of 1.3–7.3 μg ONP and about 0.6 μg MS were present within ticks. ONP and MS were released at the high rates of 300–1800 ng/hr and 20–600 ng/hr per male tick, respectively. After a temporary decrease, males continued to emit at high rates after nearby attachment of females. In A. hebraeum, ONP showed a similar pattern, but with a delay of about a day. A male, which had fed during 14 days, contained about 2 μg and released 225–280 ng/hr. Emission in forcibly detached males of both species dropped rapidly to low levels of less than 10 ng/hr per tick. Host skin and tick feces in the vicinity of feeding males were pheromoneimpregnated. The very high emission rates are consistent with the observations that the pheromone is an important component of the host-location mechanism of conspecifics. ONP and MS are produced in the dermal glands type 2 associated with the ventrolateral cuticle.