Perry Polar - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Perry Polar

Living World, Journal of the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club, 2019

We document the polyphagous minor pest caterpillar of Hypercompe trinitatis (Rothschild) from Tri... more We document the polyphagous minor pest caterpillar of Hypercompe trinitatis (Rothschild) from Trinidad. This is presented in the context of an analysis of the literature and museum specimens to document the history, taxonomy, variability and distribution of this species in Trinidad and Tobago. Notes on identification are provided in comparison with H. cunigunda (Stoll), the only other species of the genus known from Trinidad, here newly recorded for the island; images of pinned adults are provided for both. CO1 DNA barcodes were obtained for two Trinidad specimens of H. trinitatis . Comparison with sequences in the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD) shows that H. trinitatis forms part of a species complex (or perhaps a complex species) which can be referred to as BIN (Barcode Identification Number) BOLD:AAA1342.

Journal of Orthoptera …, Jan 1, 2008

Morphometric differences in the grasshopper Comops aquaticum (Bruner, ... Joachim Adis, Carlos F.... more Morphometric differences in the grasshopper Comops aquaticum (Bruner, ... Joachim Adis, Carlos F. Sperber Edward G. Brede, Soledad Capello, Maria Celeste Franceschini, Martin Hill Marcos G. Lhano, Marinez M. Marques, Ana L Nunes, Perry ... (JAEGB)Tropical Ecology Working ...

The stage of development of zygotic expiants and the modification of the protocol of Pence et aí.... more The stage of development of zygotic expiants and the modification of the protocol of Pence et aí. (1979) in terms of basal salt and age of coconut water significantly influenced callusing and embryogenesis. The concentration of NAA in the medium was not found to be ...

DESCRIPTION A review of the legislative framework with respect to Invasive Alien Species in the C... more DESCRIPTION A review of the legislative framework with respect to Invasive Alien Species in the Caribbean (2008)

DESCRIPTION This paper proposes a methodology to measure the change in resilience of a defined ge... more DESCRIPTION This paper proposes a methodology to measure the change in resilience of a defined geographical space using parameters associated with Small and Medium Enterprises.

DESCRIPTION Presentation at Caribbean Science Forum. Trinidad & Tobago 20th-23rd September 2010. ... more DESCRIPTION Presentation at Caribbean Science Forum. Trinidad & Tobago 20th-23rd September 2010. It describes the need for Trinidad & Tobago to improve its ranking in innovation according to the Global Competitive Index and describes the role the EU-ACP project Strengthen research development and uptake capacity in urban, land and municipal management in the Caribbean (NSUS - Network for the application of STI to the urban sector) could play in achieving this.

DESCRIPTION Polar P (2015). Mechanisms linking monitoring and evaluation systems to sustainabilit... more DESCRIPTION Polar P (2015). Mechanisms linking monitoring and evaluation systems to sustainability. 2015 Joint Stakeholders’ Conference of the ACP-EU Co-operation programmes. 7th-8th July 2015, Brussels, Belgium. The presentation gives a status update after 1.5 years on the ACP-EU EDULINK project "Mainstreaming Energy Efficiency and Climate Change in Built Environment Training and Research in the Caribbean (CarEnTrain) and shows the improvements to the M&E and sustainability mechanisms compared to a previously run EU-ACP STI project "Strengthen research development and uptake capacity in Urban,Land and Municipal Management in the Caribbean (NSUS)".

ABSTRACT — A survey to determine population trends and entomopathogenic fungi associated with the... more ABSTRACT — A survey to determine population trends and entomopathogenic fungi associated with the red palm mite (RPM), Raoiella indica, was conducted in Trinidad, Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis and Dominica. RPM population density was evaluated by sampling a total of ten coconut palms per site in Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, and Trinidad (Manzanilla and Icacos). Mites from the four islands were either surface sterilized or left unsterilized before being cultured on Tap Water Agar (TWA). A total of 318 fungal colonies were retrieved. A further 96 mites from Dominica were kept on sterile moist filter paper in a humidity chamber and a further 85 colonies were isolated. Based on morphological observations of all 403 isolates, a sample consisting of 32 colonies (8 %) was sent for identification at CABI-UK. Of the 27 fungi positively identified, 15 isolates belonged to the genera Cladosporium, three to Simplicillium spp., and one to Penicillium. Other fungi genera with limited or...

Journal of Orthoptera Research, 2008

Acarologia, 2014

A survey to determine population trends and entomopathogenic fungi associated with the red palm m... more A survey to determine population trends and entomopathogenic fungi associated with the red palm mite (RPM), Raoiella indica, was conducted in Trinidad, Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis and Dominica. RPM population density was evaluated by sampling a total of ten coconut palms per site in Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, and Trinidad (Manzanilla and Icacos). Mites from the four islands were either surface sterilized or left unsterilized before being cultured on Tap Water Agar (TWA). A total of 318 fungal colonies were retrieved. A further 96 mites from Dominica were kept on sterile moist filter paper in a humidity chamber and a further 85 colonies were isolated. Based on morphological observations of all 403 isolates, a sample consisting of 32 colonies (8 %) was sent for identification at CABI-UK. Of the 27 fungi positively identified, 15 isolates belonged to the genera Cladosporium, three to Simplicillium spp., and one to Penicillium. Other fungi genera with limited or no entomopathogenic potential included: Aspergillus, Cochliobolus, Fusarium, Pestalotiopsis and Pithomyces. The results show a potential use of entomopathogenic fungi for population management of the red palm mite in the Caribbean region.

Veterinary Parasitology, 2005

Experiments were conducted to determine if Metarhizium anisopliae isolates which are capable of g... more Experiments were conducted to determine if Metarhizium anisopliae isolates which are capable of growth at cattle surface temperatures could produce pathogenicity to Boophilus microplus in laboratory and field studies. The diurnal temperature fluctuation on the surface of cattle was monitored. The temperature tolerance of M. anisopliae isolates (ARSEF3297 and IMI386697) was determined and their pathogenicity to B. microplus compared at a standard bioassay temperature (28 8C) and at a temperature similar to the cattle surface (31-35 8C). The effect of the two isolates on the B. microplus population on cattle under field conditions was determined. The temperature of the fore udder, rear udder, ribs and neck regions of the mixed Holstein cattle fluctuated between 30 and 35 8C, in a similar pattern to the prevailing environmental temperature. However, wider fluctuations were obtained on the ears (28-35 8C) and spine (30-41 8C). The colony radius of both isolates declined as temperature increased, however, the growth of IMI386697 was five times greater than ARSEF3297 at 34 8C. At 28 8C, the pathogenicity of both isolates to B. microplus was similar, however, at 31-35 8C, IMI386697 was more pathogenic than ARSEF3297. Both isolates reduced the B. microplus population on cattle in comparison to the control formulation. However, IMI386697 (8.5 AE 0.64 ticks/animal) produced a greater reduction in tick numbers than ARSEF3297 (19.1 AE 0.64 ticks/ www.elsevier.com/locate/vetpar Veterinary Parasitology 134 animal). M. anisopliae was re-isolated from 8.9% of the ticks collected from IMI386697 treated cattle as compared to 2.8% of ticks from ARSEF3297 treated cattle. #

Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 2005

Entomopathogenic fungal isolates of Arachnid origin were assessed for their ability to produce mo... more Entomopathogenic fungal isolates of Arachnid origin were assessed for their ability to produce mortality and inhibit egg hatching in Boophilus microplus with the aim of selecting an isolate for development into a myco-acaricide for control of cattle ticks. The ability of the most promising isolate to target developmental stages of more than one tick species and the optimum concentration of fungal inoculum to be used for future studies were determined. Metarhizium anisopliae was the most pathogenic of the three fungal species tested on B. microplus, producing shorter average survival times (ASTs) for engorged adults (AST = 5.2 +/- 0.1 days) and larvae (AST = 9.3 +/- 0.4 days), and a longer average hatching times (AHT; AHT = 19.8 +/- 0.5 days) in comparison to Simplicillium lamellicola and Paecilomyces farinosus. In comparative studies on two tick species with similar life cycles, M. anisopliae produced a shorter AST in engorged adult B. microplus (AST = 8.8 +/- 0.3 days) than Rhipicephalus sanguineus (AST = 10.3 +/- 0.3 days). M. anisopliae was pathogenic to larvae of B. microplus (AST = 7.7 +/- 0.4 days), however, had no effect on larvae of R. sanguineus (AST = 14.6 +/- 0.3 days) as the AST of this treatment was similar to its untreated control (AST = 14.1 +/- 0.4 days). M. anisopliae lengthened the AHTs in both B. microplus (AHT = 16.4 +/- 0.3 days) and R. sanguineus (AHT = 16.7 +/- 0.3 days) in comparison to the controls. The ASTs of engorged adult B. microplus treated with M. anisopliae shortened as the concentration was increased from 1 x 10(7) to 5 x 10(8) conidia/ mL. A further increase in concentration, 1 x 10(9) conidia/mL (AST = 10.2 +/- 0.4 days) did not shorten or lengthen the AST in comparison to 5 x 10(8) conidia/mL (AST = 9.4 +/- 0.3 days).

Mycopathologia, 2005

Studies were conducted to identify oil-based formulating agents (paraffinic oil, palm oil and emu... more Studies were conducted to identify oil-based formulating agents (paraffinic oil, palm oil and emulsifiable adjuvant oils (EAOs)) for Metarhizium anisopliae that were superior to water with simple surfactants using a germination test and a bioassay against Boophilus microplus. Germination of conidia in all formulations, except 10% coconut EAO, produced more than 68% germination at 24 h and nearly 100% at 48 h. Coconut oil (average survival time (AST)=4.6±0.28 days) and 10% liquid paraffin EAO (AST=4.4±0.15 days) enhanced the pathogenicity of M. anisopliae to B. microplus relative to water (AST=8.4±0.42 days). M. anisopliae in 10% liquid paraffin EAO was the most effective formulation having a moderately high germination after 24 h and a low AST as well as a high AST in the control. In the second experiment, germination of conidia in 2% liquid paraffin EAO and 2% Cropspray was higher than in 2% Codacide oil at 24 h, however, all treatments reached 100% germination after 48 h. The ASTs of the EAO based M. anisopliae formulations (Average AST=6.4±0.54 days) were similar but lower that the ASTs of the controls (Average AST=9.6±0.28 days).

Experimental and Applied Acarology, 2008

In the absence of commercially viable and environmentally friendly options, the management of cat... more In the absence of commercially viable and environmentally friendly options, the management of cattle ticks is heavily dependent on the use of chemical acaricides. Due to recent advances in production, formulation and application technology, commercial fungus-based biological pesticides (myco-insecticides, myco-acaricides) are becoming increasingly popular for the control of plant pests; however, they have not been used against animal ectoparasites. The literature clearly demonstrates that entomopathogenic fungi are pathogenic to ticks under laboratory conditions. Pasture applications have also shown promise while experiments on topical application have had variable results. These results suggest that major research hurdles still exist especially for the latter. Although literature on ticks and their interactions with entomopathogenic fungi exists, there is not a clear understanding on how this can be influenced by the microenvironment of the cattle skin surface. This paper critically reviews pathogen, tick target and host skin microenvironmental factors that potentially affect pathogenicity of the applied entomopathogen. Factors influencing the route of infection for topically applied myco-acaricides are also reviewed. Major researchable constraints and recommendations are identified and prioritized. In particular, there is the need for basic studies to understand the interaction of entomopathogenic fungi with the components of the skin microenvironment, to identify suitable strains, and to develop improved formulations to overcome the various challenges.

Crisis and Promise in the Caribbean Politics and Convergence. The International Political Economy of New Regionalisms Series, 2015

See https://www.book2look.com/embed/9781317157748 for "Introduction."