The meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae), is the main vector in Europe of the recently detected plant pathogen bacterium Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al. (Xanthomonadales: Xanthomonadaceae). While the ecology of continental populations is well documented, nothing is known about the insular populations of P. spumarius, such as in Corsica, where the bacterium was detected

Parasitoids can be used as biological agents of pest control. Anagyrus saccharicola Timberlake (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is a parasitoid of the pink sugarcane mealybug Saccharicoccus sacchari (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). Although this mealybug is present in all sugarcane-producing countries, there is limited information regarding this pest and its parasitoid. Aiming to elucidate information

Pitfall traps baited with cattle dung are commonly used to characterize local assemblages of coprophilous insects. Baits can be made fresh or be prepared in advance and kept frozen until needed. Insect recoveries are expected to decline with the age of the bait and may be affected by the use of fresh vs. frozen baits. To assess the effect of these two factors on insect recoveries, we performed a pitfall

Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is considered as a major pest of tomato worldwide that causes significant losses in the crop production. This study aimed to evaluate integration of two effective and environmentally safe methods (host plant resistant and biological control) for sustainable management of the pest under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was conducted based on the factorial design with ten

Termites are a significant pest of buildings, agriculture, and trees, and are mainly controlled by baiting. However, baiting systems are available for only lower termites (Rhinotermitidae) not for higher termites (Termitidae). Termite foraging behavior associated with baiting systems varies among species and families, and plays a significant role in baiting success. Here, foraging behavior of Odontotermes

Dryocosmus kuriphilus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) is a global invasive gall wasp and a pest of chestnuts (Castanea spp.). A study of the Chalcidoidea parasitoid community of D. kuriphilus was undertaken over two years, from March 2017 to March 2019, at 15 sites in south and northwest Spain (Málaga and Galicia regions). More than 18,000 galls were collected, and 1153 parasitoids belonging to 22 species

In Argentina, the mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is distributed from subtropical to temperate climates. Here, we hypothesized that the expansion of Ae. aegypti into colder regions is favoured by high-phenotypic plasticity and an adaptive inhibition of egg hatching at low temperatures. Thus, we investigated the hatching response of eggs of three populations: one from a subtropical

The introduction of alien species is one of the main problems in conservation. Many successful invaders cause severe economic and ecological damage. Such is the case of Leptoglossus occidentalis, a phytophagous true bug native to North America, which has become a pest in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. Within the genus, another species whose distributional range is expanding toward the east

Insecticide application and augmentative parasitoid releases are often considered incompatible. However, pesticide applications and parasitoid releases can be integrated into a pest management scheme if there is careful time scheduling of these interventions. In this study, we assessed the influence of commonly used insecticides (chlorpyrifos-methyl, deltamethrin, pyriproxyfen, thiamethoxam) in olive

The brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys is one of the most harmful invasive species in the world. Native to East Asia, this insect was introduced into North America in the 1990s and into Europe in the 2000s where it subsequently established and spread across the continent. Previous population genetic studies determined the invasion pathways at continental and national levels. However, information

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) play significant roles in protecting organisms from abiotic stress damage. Here, we report the sequence and characterization of a P450s gene (AccCYP4AV1), isolated from Apis cerana cerana Fabricius. The open reading frame of AccCYP4AV1 is 1506 base pairs long and encodes a predicted protein of 501 amino acids and 57.84 kDa, with an isoelectric point of 8.67. Real-time

Peristenus spretus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is one of the most important endoparasitoids used for biological control of the green mirid bug, Apolygus lucorum Meyer-Dür (Heteroptera: Miridae). However, what we know about its reproductive genetics is very limited. Here, the composition of ovarian proteins in P. spretus was analyzed. Mass spectrum data searched against the non-redundant NCBI protein

Dispersal is a key ecological process affecting community dynamics and the maintenance of populations. There is increasing awareness of the need to understand individual dispersal potential to better inform population-level dispersal, allowing more accurate models of the spread of invasive and beneficial insects, aiding crop and pest management strategies. Here, fine-scale movements of Poecilus cupreus

For purposes of mass-rearing fruit flies, nutrient intake through artificial diets is a challenge, artificial food content and processing should promote sufficient absorption and availability to ensure fly fitness. Bulking agents play an essential role in creating a quality diet, but its physical characteristics, such as particle size, may establish a better microenvironment for feeding and development

With the purpose of broadening knowledge on the evolution of life history strategies and behaviour of fruit flies within the tribe Carpomyini, the natural history and mating behaviour of the poorly known species Rhagoletotrypeta pastranai Aczél, are described for the first time. Larvae of R. pastranai were recovered from infested Celtis tala Gillies ex Planch and Celtis iguanaea (Jacq.) Sarg. during

Many parasitoid species discriminate already parasitized hosts, thus avoiding larval competition. However, females incur in superparasitism under certain circumstances. Superparasitism is commonly observed in the artificial rearing of the parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata, yet host discrimination has been previously suggested in this species. Here, we addressed host discrimination in virgin D

Most oviposition by Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) occurs near the top of the canopy in soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr, and larval abundance is influenced by the growth habit of plants. However, the vertical distribution of larvae within the canopy is not as well known. We evaluated the vertical distribution of H. zea larvae in determinate and indeterminate varieties, hypothesizing that larval distribution

Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) warrants attention as a dominant transmission vector of the pinewood nematode, and it exhibits tolerance to high temperature. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) family members, including inducible HSP70 and heat shock cognate protein 70 (HSC70), are major contributors to the molecular chaperone networks of insects under heat stress. In this regard, we

Currently, dengue control relies largely on reactive vector control programmes. Proactive vector-control using a rational, well-balanced integrated vector management approach may prove more successful for dengue control. As part of the development of a cluster randomized controlled epidemiological trial, a study was conducted in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The study included one control site (three buildings)

Body size is a trait with many potential impacts on fitness. Adult body size can affect the strength of condition-dependent parental effects that determine offspring phenotypes, with potentially important transgenerational consequences. In a preliminary experiment, larval food deprivation (30 min daily access) created Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) females that weighed <50% of

The alien cynipid wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu, 1951 is a serious pest of chestnuts (Castanea spp.) in Japan, North America and Europe, causing fruit losses while inducing galls in buds. While D. kuriphilus galls have a recognizable and roughly invariable globular shape, their size varies, reaching up to 4 cm in diameter. Among other factors, such variation may depend on different climatic

Cold winter temperatures significantly affect the biological control effort against water hyacinth, Pontederia ( = Eichhornia) crassipes Mart. (Pontederiaceae), in more temperate regions around the world. The population dynamics of the planthopper Megamelus scutellaris Berg. (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), a newly released biological control agent of water hyacinth, were recorded on the Kubusi River in the

Tetrastichus giffardianus is a gregarious koinobiont endoparasitoid of tephritids, including Ceratitis capitata, which is one of the most important fruit pests worldwide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of constant temperatures on the biology and development of the egg-adult period of T. giffardianus in larvae/pupae of C. capitata to construct a fertility life table. The study

Helicoverpa armigera is a pest of several crops causing significant economic impact. We evaluated the insect development on different vegetative and reproductive structures of cotton, maize, and soybean compared to artificial diet. One hundred individuals were evaluated per structure (cotton leaves and bolls; maize leaves, grains, and silk; soybean leaves and pods) and artificial diet. Centesimal analyses

Inbreeding costs can be high in haplodiploid hymenopterans due to their particular mechanism of sex determination (i.e., single-locus complementary sex-determination system, sl-CSD), as it can lead to the production of sterile males. Therefore, mechanisms contributing to reduced inbred matings can be beneficial. In this sense, asynchronous nest departure of sibling drones and gynes could reduce kin

The Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), is one of the most destructive pest species to have developed resistance to most chemical insecticides. We determined the composition and evaluated the potential of Tanacetum parthenium L. and Tanacetum vulgare L. (Asteraceae family) essential oil (EO) application as an alternative eco-friendly control strategy against L. decemlineata. We

Primary pests such as Rhyzoperta dominica may increase the contents of dockage, dust, and frass in grain mass. Although it has been suggested that frass can affect the population growth of stored product pests and ecological interactions among primary and secondary pests in stored grain, this has not been validated experimentally. Therefore, this work experimentally tested the hypothesis that R. dominica

For a wide range of insect species, the microbiota has potential roles in determining host developmental programme, immunity and reproductive biology. The tea geometrid moths Ectropis obliqua and E. grisescens are two closely related species that mainly feed on tea leaves. Although they can mate, infertile hybrids are produced. Therefore, these species provide a pair of model species for studying the

The Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata is a globally invasive pest, often controlled with the sterile insect technique (SIT). For the SIT, mass-rearing of the target insect followed by irradiation are imperatives. Sterile males are often less able to inhibit female remating and transfer less number of sperm, and even irradiation could affect male reproductive organs, with consequences for their

Mexican beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister (Coleptera: Chrysomelidae) is a potential weed control biocontrol agent in Australia, India and other countries. Its grubs and adults feed on the leaves of parthenium weed, Parthenium hysterophorus and check the further growth of the plant. Experiments were conducted to understand host plant-mediated effects of elevated temperature and elevated CO2 on

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is recognized as an invasive pest in Europe and North America. In Mexico, it is one of the main insect pests of soft-skinned fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, plums, and guava. Previous studies have shown that D. suzukii uses visual and chemical cues during host plant searching. This knowledge has been used to

Aggressive behaviour is common in animals and typically has lifetime consequences. As younger males have higher residual reproductive value than older males and lose more from injuries than older males do, the propensity for fighting tends to increase with age in many empirical reports and species. However, fighting patterns in those empirical reports cannot confirm the hypothesis that individuals

Apis mellifera is infected by more than 24 virus species worldwide, mainly positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses of the Dicistroviridae and Iflaviridae families. Among the viruses that infect honey bees, Deformed wing virus is the most prevalent and is present as three master variants DWV-A, B, and C. Given that the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor vectors these virus variants, recombination

In the American continent, the sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis (F.) is the main pest in sugarcane producing areas. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of crop residue management on damage by D. saccharalis, its egg parasitoids and the ants associated with sugarcane. The study was carried out during 2011–2012, 2012–2013 and 2013–2014 crop cycles, in three commercial fields located

The false codling moth (FCM), Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is an insect pest which represents an important threat to the production and marketing of a wide range of agricultural crops in the African-Caribbean-Pacific (ACP) countries. The FCM reduces not only the yield and quality of the crop but also as a quarantine insect pest, restricts the trade of susceptible agricultural

Food availability is a fundamental factor determining an animal's potential fitness. Carry-over effects of food limitation from development to adulthood are known to influence reproduction, ageing, and tolerance to stress. We have examined the effect of stage-specific variation (before adult emergence or pre-emergence, post-emergence and post-mating) in food availability in Propylea dissecta (Mulsant)

The aphid Myzus persicae s.l. (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is an important pest of many crops worldwide with a complex life cycle, intensely controlled by chemical pesticides, and has developed resistance to almost all used insecticides. In Greece, the aphid exhibits high genetic variation and adaptability and it is a classic example of evolution in the making. We have been studying M. persicae for over

Aphids are phloem-feeding insects that cause economic losses to crops globally. Whilst aphid interactions with susceptible plants and partially resistant genotypes have been well characterized, the interactions between aphids and non-host species are not well understood. Unravelling these non-host interactions can identify the mechanisms which contribute to plant resistance. Using contrasting aphid-host

Many plant bugs (Miridae) are generalist herbivores that feed on multiple host species. The reasons these bugs move across hosts and the behavioural mechanisms responsible for their retention at specific hosts remain elusive. Green mirids (Creontiades dilutus) are endemic to Australia. These insects are important pests of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and even in low numbers can cause substantial damage

Sexual interaction is an important activity that determines the reproductive schedule of organisms and can ultimately influence the fitness traits of both sexes. Although the influence of sexual interaction on the fitness of females has been extensively determined, little is known about the effects on males, which often have different mating strategies and optimal mating regimes from those of females

The permeability of the crop surroundings to pests and the landscape structure can influence pest dispersal between crop patches as well as its abundance within the crop. In this work, we analyzed the dispersal of the olive moth Prays oleae (Bernard) throughout the olive grove surroundings and their abundance within the crop following three approaches: (i) pollen grains settled on bodies of olive moths

Pest control is easier and more effective when pests are correctly identified. The Black Parlatoria Scale, Parlatoria ziziphi (Lucas, 1853) (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Diaspididae) is an important invasive pest in citrus-growing countries. This diaspidid has historically been difficult to control, because its immature stages are difficult to identify due to confusion with similar Parlatoria species. No

Diaphania indica (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is an important phytophagous pest of Trichosanthes anguina L. in India. We studied life table parameters by age-stage, two-sex, amylolytic and proteolytic activities, and food utilization parameters of D. indica on the leaves of three T. anguina cultivars (Baruipur Long, Polo No. 1 and MNSR-1). Further, nutrients (total carbohydrates, proteins, lipids

In Western Burkina Faso, the host range of fruit flies was evaluated in three plant formations between May 2017 and April 2019. Samples of 61 potential hosts were collected and incubated for fruit fly emergence. Twenty-seven hosts including cultivated and wild fruit were identified. Among cultivated fruit species, mango, and guava were the most infested while high infestation incidences were observed

Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) is a damaging pest of many crops including soybean, Glycine max (L.), especially in the southern United States. Previous studies have concluded that oviposition and development of H. zea larvae mirror the phenology of soybean, with oviposition occurring during full bloom, younger larvae developing on blooms and leaves, intermediate aged larvae developing on varying tissue types

The genus Megastigmus Dalman, 1820 (Hymenoptera: Megastigmidae) contains potential biocontrol agents of the invasive eucalypt galling chalcid Leptocybe spp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), with several species reported in various parts of the world. Species discrimination is challenging due to intraspecific morphological variation, difficulty in measuring sizes of body parts, and the lack of information

Panonychus citri (McGregor) is the most common pest in citrus-producing regions. Special low-toxicity acaricides, such as spirocyclic tetronic acids and mite growth inhibitors, have been used for a long time in China. However, pesticide resistance in mites is a growing problem due to the lack of new acaricide development. Wide-spectrum insecticides, such as amitraz have gained acceptance among fruit

Doryctobracon areolatus is a native parasitoid of the Neotropical region that presents the highest percentages of natural parasitism of fruit flies of the genus Anastrepha. In the Moscafrut Program SADER-SENASICA, located in Metapa de Domínguez, Chiapas, Mexico, a laboratory colony of this species is maintained on Anastrepha ludens, the Mexican fruit fly, with the aim to scale the production of the

Ovipositional decisions in herbivorous insects may be affected by social information from conspecifics. Social facilitation of oviposition has been suggested for the onion fly Delia antiqua. In the current study, we found that D. antiqua oviposition was unequal between paired oviposition stations of equal quality and that more eggs were laid on an oviposition station baited with decoy flies than on

Currently, dengue control relies largely on reactive vector control programmes. Proactive vector-control using a rational, well-balanced integrated vector management approach may prove more successful for dengue control. As part of the development of a cluster randomized controlled epidemiological trial, a study was conducted in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The study included one control site (three buildings)

Telenomus podisi Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) is the most important egg parasitoid of Euschistus heros (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), and its successful parasitism is related to their searching ability to find suitable hosts under a complex chemical environment using host-reliable cues. Thus, the objective of this study was to elucidate chemical substances on the external layer of E.

Elaeidobius kamerunicus Faust (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) is one of the specific pollinators on inflorescences of the African oil palm Elaeis guineensis Jacquin. This derelomine weevil is native to tropical Africa. During the late 20th century, it was introduced into all tropical regions where E. guineensis is grown, in order to improve its pollination and fruit set. Despite an overall success, a decline

Triatoma infestans (Klug) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) is the main vector of Chagas disease in the Southern Cone of America and resistance to pyrethroid insecticides has been detected in several areas from its geographical distribution. Pyrethroid resistance presents a complex geographical pattern at different spatial scales. However, it is still unknown if the toxicological variability is a common feature

The family Ctenophthalmidae (Order Siphonaptera) has been considered as a ‘catchall’ for a wide range of divergent taxa showing a paraphyletic origin. In turn, Ctenophthalmus sp. (Ctenophthalmidae) includes 300 valid described taxa. Within this genus, males are easily distinguishable basing on the size, shape, and chaetotaxy of their genitalia; however, females show slight morphological differences

The effect of five photoperiods (0:24, 6:18; 12:12, 18:6, and 24:0 light:dark (L:D)) on the development, reproduction, and survival of the predatory thrips Scolothrips longicornis Priesner fed on the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, was tested under laboratory conditions at 60% RH and 25°C. Development time of almost all immature stages in S. longicornis was the shortest under long

Because plant phenotypes can change in response to attacks by herbivores in highly variable ways, the distribution of herbivores depends on the occurrence of other herbivore species on the same plant. We carried out a field study to evaluate the co-occurrence of three coconut pests, the mites Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae), Steneotarsonemus concavuscutum (Acari: Tarsonemidae) and the moth

The cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae L. (Hem: Aphididae), is one of the most serious pests of canola worldwide. In this research, the effects of Pseudomonas putida, salicylic acid (SA), and integrated application of both inducers were studied on the resistance of canola to B. brassicae. In free-choice situation, the number of B. brassicae attracted on canola plants under treatments containing P

Plant-derived compounds can be an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic pesticide use for pest management. Essential oils (EOs) in several plant families have been found to be toxic to various pest species of insects through topical application, ingestion, and as fumigants. Previous studies revealed that, among various environmentally friendly insecticides, the EOs of Baccharis dracunculifolia

The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a univoltine species that undergoes obligatory summer–winter diapause at pupal stage in the soil (2–5 cm) beneath host trees. To study the effects of photoperiod and relative humidity on diapause termination and post-winter developmental duration of R. cerasi, pupae collected from Dossenheim (Germany) were exposed to different

The Bemisia tabaci species complex is one of the most important pests of open field and protected cropping globally. Within this complex, one species (Middle East Asia Minor 1, B. tabaci MEAM1, formerly biotype B) has been especially problematic, invading widely and spreading a large variety of plant pathogens, and developing broad spectrum pesticide resistance. Here, we fit a CLIMEX model to the distribution