Effect of Rapid Cold Hardening on the Cold Tolerance of the Larvae of the Rice Stem Borer,Chilo suppressalis(Walker)

The effects of rapid cold hardening （RCH） on the cold tolerance of the last instar larvae of Chilo suppressalis （Walker） were evaluated for the first time. The discriminating temperature, induction, detection, duration and extent of RCH of the larvae in the laboratory were tested, and the supercooling points （SCPs） and the contents of water and lipid of the larvae after RCH treatment were determined, respectively. The results showed that the discriminating temperature of the larvae was about -21℃. Mean survival rates of the larvae which exposed to either 0 or 5℃ for 2 and 4 h before exposure to the discriminating temperature for 2 h were significantly higher than those of the control groups （P 〈 0.05）. Moreover, the highest survival rate appeared in the larvae after 0℃ for 4 h treatment. The protection against low temperature gained by RCH at 0℃ for 4 h was rapidly lost on return to 28℃. Mean survival rates of RCH larvae were significantly higher than those of non-acclimated （NACC） larvae and acclimation （ACC） larvae when they were exposed to the discriminating temperature for 2 or 4 h （P〈 0.05）. Moreover, the rates of NACC, ACC, RCH and ACC ＋ RCH larvae from 2 to 6 h to the discriminating temperature resulted in a significant decline. The values of SCPs and the contents of lipid of the larvae which exposed to either 0 or 5℃ for 2 and 4 h showed no significant difference at 0.05 level compared to those of the control groups. But the contents of water in the larvae were obviously decreased. Therefore, it could be concluded that RCH could enhance cold tolerance and affect partly physiological and biochemical components of the larvae of C. suppressalis, but the underlying mechanisms needs to be further explored.

Cold tolerance and cold hardening strategy of the Japanese pine sawyer Monochamus alternatus （Coleoptera： Cerambycidae）

The Japanese pine sawyer, Monochamus alternatus, is an important pine forest pest and vector transmitting the pine wilt nematode that causes pine wilt disease. Low temperatures in autumn, winter and spring often differentially affect mortality of M. alternatus larvae. In this paper, we mainly compared the differences of mortality and cold hardening of larvae from different seasons, based on supercooling point （SCP） and cumulative probability of individuals freezing （CPIF）. The cold hardening of the larvae from autumn, winter and spring seasons were largely different. Correlations between mortality and CPIF of autumn and spring larvae were highest on day 1/4, and gradually decreased with prolonged exposure duration. This beetle＇s death mainly resulted from freezing in short exposure duration. However, the correlation between mortality and CPIF of winter larvae increased gradually with the prolonged exposure duration. Death did not mainly result from freezing in long exposure duration. Autumn larvae are more susceptible and adaptable than winter and spring larvae. Winter larvae have a slight freeze-tolerance trend. Our research showed that M. alternatus came into complex cold-hardening strategies under natural selection. Freeze avoidance is the primary strategy; with prolonged exposure duration to above SCP or 〈 0℃, chill tolerance is more important; this is followed by freeze tolerance during harsh winters.

The effects of selection for cold tolerance on cross-tolerance to other environmental stressors in Drosophila melanogaster

Cross tolerance, whereby tolerance to one environmental stress is correlated with tolerance to other stressors, is thought to be widespread in insects. We used lines of Drosophila melanogaster Meigen （Diptera： Drosophilidae） selected for survival at a 1-h exposure to -5℃ to examine the extent to which this selection results in increased tolerance to other stresses, including high and low temperatures, desiccation and starvation. While selection improved tolerance to acute cold exposure and survival at -5℃, there was little effect of selection regime on tolerance to other stressors. There was no correlation between tolerances to any of the stressors, suggesting different mechanisms of tolerance. This supports arguments that correlations between stress tolerances during selection experiments with D. melanogaster may be coincidental. The magnitude of heat-hardening was apparently constrained by basal tolerance among lines, but the magnitude of the rapid cold-hardening response was not correlated with basal cold tolerance, implying that the relationship between inducible and basal tolerances differs at high and low temperatures.

Phase Transformation of a Cold Work Tool Steel during Tempering

The hardness and microstructure evolution of a 8% Cr cold work tool steel during tempering for 40 h were investigated. Transmission electron microscope examinations showed that M_3C carbides precipitated from supersaturated martensite after tempering at 350 ℃. When the tempering temperature was higher than 520 ℃,the M_（23）C_6 carbides precipitated to substitute for M_3C carbides. After ageing at the temperature of 520 ℃ for 40 h,it was observed that very fine and dense secondary Mo_2C precipitates were precipitated. Thus,it can be concluded that the early stage of Mo_2C-carbide precipitation is like to be Gunier-Preston（ G-P） zone formed by [Mo-C] segregation group which is responsible for the secondary hardening peak at 520 ℃. Overageing at 700 ℃ resulted in recovery of martensitic microstructure and precipitation of M_（23）C_6 carbides.When ageing at 700 ℃ for more than 20 h,recrystallization occurred,which resulted in a change of the matrix morphology from martensitic plates to equiaxed ferrite. It was noticed that the size of recrystallized grain / subgrain was very fine,which was attributed to the pinning effect of M_（23）C_6 precipitates.