Insect Science

📢 Excited to announce our new series of "Virtual Issue"! To better serve our readers and provide easy access to the latest research findings and progress, we've curated a collection of high-quality articles published in Insect Science, organized by theme. 🔔 Discover, read, share, and stay updated with the latest in insect science! 📑 Bactrocera dorsalis: insights and innovations https://lnkd.in/g2WHYfpS 📑Fall Armyworm: Spodoptera Frugiperda https://lnkd.in/gnb_5frv 📑Arthropod vectors: Efficient transmitters of human and crop viruses https://lnkd.in/g79TaUbu #VirtualIssue

🔍 Can insect-specific RNA viruses be eradicated? 🪰 Certain insect-specific viruses cause detrimental effects on insect development that negatively affect the mass-rearing of insects. This is the case of Ceratitis capitata (medfly), which is mass-reared for applying the Sterile Insect Technique. 🧹 Therefore, finding an effective method for virus eradication that is also applicable to mass-rearing systems will benefit the advent of insect-rearing industry. In this context, we orally fed medfly larvae with a chemical disinfectant (formaldehyde) and an antiviral drug (ribavirin) to assess their effect on viral RNA levels and medfly fitness. 📝 Check our new manuscript in the Insect Science journal to know more!

Our latest research, now published in Insect Science, developed a functional genomics method to silence genes in the FIRST instar larvae of western flower thrips, a critical stage for the acquisition of orthotospoviruses. A step closer to uncover molecular drivers of vector competence. @Dorith Rotenberg, @Anna Whitfield, @NC State Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology https://lnkd.in/gXh_XpjJ

Bumblebees attend to both the properties of the string and the target in string‐pulling tasks, but prioritize the features of the string Dongbo Zhou, Shunping Dong, Jin Ge, Lars Chittka, Cai Wang, Chao Wen, Junbao Wen 📢 https://lnkd.in/gNfFpsMp Abstract Previous studies have demonstrated that associative learning and experience play important roles in the string-pulling of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). However, the features of the target (artificial flower with sugar reward) and the string that bees learn in such tasks remain unknown. This study aimed to explore the specific aspects of the string-flower arrangement that bumblebees learn and how they prioritize these features. We show that bumblebees trained with string-pulling are sensitive to the flower stimuli; they exhibit a preference for pulling strings connected to flowers over strings that are not attached to a target. Additionally, they chose to pull strings attached to flowers of the same color and shape as experienced during training. The string feature also plays a crucial role for bumblebees when the flower features are identical. Furthermore, bees prioritized the features of the strings rather than the flowers when both cues were in conflict. Our results show that bumblebees solve string-pulling tasks by acquiring knowledge about the characteristics of both targets and strings, and contribute to a deeper understanding of the cognitive processes employed by bees when tackling non-natural skills.

📢 Listen from the author: Neuropeptide ACP is required for fat body lipid metabolism homeostasis in locusts Li Hou, Siyuan Guo, Yuanyuan Wang, Shaoye Liu, Xianhui Wang 👉 https://lnkd.in/gkeCVcVK

The symbiont Wolbachia alleviates pesticide susceptibility in the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae through enhanced host detoxification pathways Qing-Tong Ye,  Xue Gong,  Huan-Huan Liu,  Bing-Xuan Wu,  Chang-Wu Peng,  Xiao-Yue Hong,  Xiao-Li Bing https://lnkd.in/ghDW-5gb Abstract The two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) is one of the most well-known pesticide-resistant agricultural pests, with resistance often attributed to changes such as target-site mutations and detoxification activation. Recent studies show that pesticide resistance can also be influenced by symbionts, but their involvement in this process in spider mites remains uncertain. Here, we found that infection with Wolbachia, a well-known bacterial reproductive manipulator, significantly increased mite survival after exposure to the insecticides abamectin, cyflumetofen, and pyridaben. Wolbachia-infected (WI) mites showed higher expression of detoxification genes such as P450, glutathione-S-transferase (GST), ABC transporters, and carboxyl/cholinesterases. RNA interference experiments confirmed the role of the two above-mentioned detoxification genes, TuCYP392D2 and TuGSTd05, in pesticide resistance. Increased GST activities were also observed in abamectin-treated WI mites. In addition, when wild populations were treated with abamectin, WI mites generally showed better survival than uninfected mites. However, genetically homogeneous mites with different Wolbachia strains showed similar survival. Finally, abamectin treatment increased Wolbachia abundance without altering the mite's bacterial community. This finding highlights the role of Wolbachia in orchestrating pesticide resistance by modulating host detoxification. By unraveling the intricate interplay between symbionts and pesticide resistance, our study lays the groundwork for pioneering strategies to combat agricultural pests.

Microbial changes and associated metabolic responses modify host plant adaptation in Stephanitis nashi Tong-Pu Li, Chen-Hao Wang, Jia-Chu Xie, Meng-Ke Wang, Jie Chen, Yu-Xi Zhu, De-Jun Hao, Xiao-Yue Hong https://lnkd.in/gERa2R3w Abstract Symbiotic microorganisms are essential for the physiological processes of herbivorous pests, including the pear lace bug Stephanitis nashi, which is known for causing extensive damage to garden plants and fruit trees due to its exceptional adaptability to diverse host plants. However, the specific functional effects of the microbiome on the adaptation of S. nashi to its host plants remains unclear. Here, we identified significant microbial changes in S. nashi on 2 different host plants, crabapple and cherry blossom, characterized by the differences in fungal diversity as well as bacterial and fungal community structures, with abundant correlations between bacteria or fungi. Consistent with the microbiome changes, S. nashi that fed on cherry blossom demonstrated decreased metabolites and downregulated key metabolic pathways, such as the arginine and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, which were crucial for host plant adaptation. Furthermore, correlation analysis unveiled numerous correlations between differential microorganisms and differential metabolites, which were influenced by the interactions between bacteria or fungi. These differential bacteria, fungi, and associated metabolites may modify the key metabolic pathways in S. nashi, aiding its adaptation to different host plants. These results provide valuable insights into the alteration in microbiome and function of S. nashi adapted to different host plants, contributing to a better understanding of pest invasion and dispersal from a microbial perspective.

Role of aminopeptidase N-like in the acquisition of begomoviruses by Bemisia tabaci, the whitefly vector Yun-Yun Fan, Yao Chi, Na Chen, Wilmer J. Cuellar, Xiao-Wei Wang https://lnkd.in/gsReHfkn Abstract Sri Lankan cassava mosaic virus (SLCMV) is a prominent causative agent of cassava mosaic disease in Asia and relies on the whitefly Bemisia tabaci cryptic complex for its transmission. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in SLCMV transmission by B. tabaci have yet to be understood. In this study, we identified an aminopeptidase N-like protein (BtAPN) in B. tabaci Asia II 1, an efficient vector of SLCMV, which is involved in the SLCMV transmission process. Through the use of glutathione S-transferase pull-down assay and LC-MS/MS analysis, we demonstrated the interaction between BtAPN and the coat protein (CP) of SLCMV. This interaction was further confirmed in vitro, and we observed an induction of BtAPN gene expression following SLCMV infection. By interfering with the function of BtAPN, the quantities of SLCMV were significantly reduced in various parts of B. tabaci Asia II 1, including the whole body, midgut, hemolymph, and primary salivary gland. Furthermore, we discovered that BtAPN is conserved in B. tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and interacts with the CP of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), a begomovirus known to cause severe damage to tomato production. Blocking BtAPN with antibody led to a significant reduction in the quantities of TYLCV in whitefly whole body and organs/tissues. These results demonstrate that BtAPN plays a generic role in interacting with the CP of begomoviruses and positively regulates their acquisition by the whitefly.

Construction of cytomegalovirus promoter-driven gene expression system in Laodelphax striatellus Xiaohui Cheng, Wan Zhao, Guohua Liang, Hong Lu, Yumei Fu, Yiming Li, Feng Cui https://lnkd.in/gG3JKVPK Abstract The small brown planthopper (SBPH, Laodelphax striatellus) is a significant rice pest, responsible for transmitting rice stripe virus (RSV) in a persistent and propagative manner. RSV is one of the most detrimental rice viruses, causing rice stripe disease, which results in considerable loss of rice grain yield. While RNA interference and gene knockout techniques have enabled gene downregulation in SBPH, no system currently exists for the overexpression of endogenous or exogenous genes. Consequently, the development of a protein expression system for SBPH is imperative to serve as a technical foundation for pest control and gene function investigations. This study aimed to construct an expression vector using the promoter of the constitutive-expressed tubulin gene of SBPH, and promoter of human cytomegalovirus (CMV). Fluorescence experiments demonstrated that both tubulin and CMV promoter could drive green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in SBPH, and could also facilitate the expression of a nucleocapsid protein (NP) -GFP fusion protein containing viral NP with comparable efficiency. Through expression vector optimization, we have identified that the 3 tandem CMV promoters display a significantly higher promoter activity compared with both the 2 tandem CMV promoters and the single CMV promoter. In addition, the incorporation of Star polycation nanoparticles significantly enhanced the expression efficiency in SBPH. These results provide a promising technical platform for investigating gene functions in SBPH.

Characterization of two Bursicon genes and their association with wing development in the brown citrus aphid, Aphis citricidus Jin-Ming Lu, Feng Shang, Bi-Yue Ding, Lin Wang, Qing-Chun Li, Jin-Jun Wang, Wei Dou https://lnkd.in/gUWnbbdJ Abstract The tanning hormone, Bursicon, is a neuropeptide secreted by the insect nervous system that functions as a heterodimer composed of Burs-α and Burs-β subunits. It plays a critical role in the processes of cuticle tanning and wing expansion in insects. In this study, we successfully identified the AcBurs-α and AcBurs-β genes in Aphis citricidus. The open reading frames of AcBurs-α and AcBurs-β were 480 and 417 bp in length, respectively. Both AcBurs-α and AcBurs-β exhibited 11 conserved cysteine residues. AcBurs-α and AcBurs-β were expressed during all developmental stages of A. citricidus and showed high expression levels in the winged aphids. To investigate the potential role of AcBurs-α and AcBurs-β in wing development, we employed RNA interference (RNAi) techniques. With the efficient silencing of AcBurs-α (44.90%) and AcBurs-β (52.31%), malformed wings were induced in aphids. The proportions of malformed wings were 22.50%, 25.84%, and 38.34% in dsAcBurs-α-, dsAcBur-β-, and dsAcBurs-α + dsAcBur-β-treated groups, respectively. Moreover, feeding protein kinase A inhibitors (H-89) also increased the proportion of malformed wings to 30.00%. Feeding both double-stranded RNA and inhibitors (H-89) significantly downregulated the wing development-related genes nubbin, vestigial, notch and spalt major. Silence of vestigial through RNAi also led to malformed wings. Meanwhile, the exogenous application of 3 hormones that influence wing development did not affect the expression level of AcBursicon genes. These findings indicate that AcBursicon genes plays a crucial role in wing development in A. citricidus; therefore, it represents a potential molecular target for the control of this pest through RNAi-based approaches.