As part of sterile insect technique (SIT) programs, irradiation can effectively induce sterility in insects by damaging germline genomic DNA. However, irradiation also induces other off‐target side effects that reduce the quality and performance of sterilized males, including the formation of damaging free radicals that can reduce sterile male performance. Thus, treatments that reduce off‐target effects of irradiation on male performance while maintaining sterility can improve the feasibility and economy of SIT programs. We previously found that inducing a form of rapid, beneficial plasticity with a 1‐hr anoxic‐conditioning period (physiological conditioning hormesis) prior to and during irradiation improves male field performance in the laboratory while maintaining sterility in males of the cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum. Here, we extend this work by testing the extent to which this beneficial plasticity may improve male field performance and longevity in the field. Based on capture rates after a series of mark release–recapture experiments, we found that anoxia‐conditioned irradiated moths were active in the field longer than their irradiated counterparts. In addition, anoxia‐conditioned moths were captured in traps that were farther away from the release site than unconditioned moths, suggesting greater dispersal. These data confirmed that beneficial plasticity induced by anoxia hormesis prior to irradiation led to lower postirradiation damage and increased flight performance and recapture duration under field conditions. We recommend greater consideration of beneficial plasticity responses in biological control programs and specifically the implementation of anoxia‐conditioning treatments applied prior to irradiation in area‐wide integrated pest management programs that use SIT.

中文翻译：

---

低氧毒效调节通过诱导有益的可塑性来改善不育昆虫的田间表现


作为昆虫不育技术 (SIT) 计划的一部分，辐射可以通过破坏种系基因组 DNA 有效诱导昆虫不育。然而，辐射还会引起其他脱靶副作用，降低不育男性的质量和性能，包括形成破坏性自由基，从而降低不育男性的性能。因此，在保持不育的同时减少辐射对男性性能的脱靶影响的治疗可以提高 SIT 项目的可行性和经济性。我们之前发现，在辐射之前和辐射期间通过 1 小时的缺氧调节期（生理调节兴奋作用）诱导一种快速、有益的可塑性，可以改善雄性仙人掌蛾Cactoblastis cactorum的不育性，同时在实验室中提高雄性的野外表现。 。在这里，我们通过测试这种有益的可塑性可以在多大程度上提高雄性的田间表现和田间寿命来扩展这项工作。根据一系列标记释放-再捕获实验后的捕获率，我们发现缺氧条件下的辐照蛾在野外的活跃时间比辐照的同类更长。此外，缺氧条件下的飞蛾被捕获在比未条件下的飞蛾距离释放地点更远的陷阱中，这表明其扩散程度更大。这些数据证实，辐照前缺氧兴奋作用诱导的有益可塑性可降低辐照后损伤，并增加现场条件下的飞行性能和重新捕获持续时间。 我们建议在生物防治计划中更多地考虑有益的可塑性反应，特别是在使用昆虫不育技术的大面积综合害虫管理计划中，在辐照前实施缺氧调节处理。