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Background Strongyllodes variegatus (Fairmaire) is a major insect pest of oilseed rape in China. Despite its economic importance, the contribution of its population genetics in the development of any suitable protection control strategy for the management of oilseed rape crops is poorly studied. It is a much urgent need to prevent its spread to the rest of the world. Results Using the sequences of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cytb) as genetic markers, we analyzed the population genetic diversity and structure of 437 individuals collected from 15 S. variegatus populations located in different oilseed rape production areas in China. In addition, we estimated the demographic history using neutrality test and mismatch distribution analysis. The high level of genetic diversity was detected among the COI and Cytb sequences of S. variegatus. The population structure analyses strongly suggested three distinct genetic and geographical regions in China with limited gene flow. The Mantel test showed that the genetic distance was greatly influenced by the geographical distance. The demographic analyses showed that S. variegatus had experienced population fluctuation during the Pleistocene Epoch, which was likely to be related to the climatic changes. Conclusion Overall, these results demonstrate that the strong genetic structure of S. variegatus populations in China, which is attributed by the isolation through the geographical distance among populations, their weak flight capacity and subsequent adaptation to the regional ecological conditions.

Halyomorpha halys, the brown marmorated stink bug, is a serious agricultural and horticultural pest native to East Asia, which became an invasive pest in northern temperate parts of other regions in the mid-1990s. Trissolcus japonicus is a dominant egg parasitoid of H. halys in its native range. In this paper, we investigated mating, oviposition and fecundity of both virgin and mated females of H. halys. Virgin H. halys females produced unfertilized eggs, while mated females produced fertilized eggs, but mating states of adult females did not affect the number of eggs produced. We further compared the development and fecundity of T. japonicus on fertilized or unfertilized eggs of various ages. Fertilized eggs were tested continuously for up to 5 days (time to hatch), while unfertilized eggs were tested for up to 11 days (time to egg collapse). The fertilization status of the host egg had a significant effect on the development, emergence success, and sex ratio of T. japonicus progeny. A small increase in development time was observed for T. japonicus in fertilized eggs, fewer T. japonicus emerged from fertilized eggs than unfertilized eggs, and the proportion of female progeny was lower on fertilized eggs. The age of host eggs also significantly affected the development rate and fecundity of T. japonicus, with unfertilized eggs becoming more favorable than fertilized eggs as egg age increased. In summary, unfertilized H. halys eggs were better suited for T. japonicus development and fecundity, indicating their potential use in T. japonicus mass rearing.

Halyomorpha halys, originating from East Asia, has become an important agricultural pest in northern temperate regions since its accidental introduction into North America in the mid-1990s and Europe in 2007. Trissolcus japonicus is the predominant egg parasitoid of this pest in its native range. Here, we tested the hypothesis that T. japonicus uses volatiles associated with H. halys adults during host location. The effects of these volatile compounds on H. halys adults were also assessed. Chemical analysis with GC-MS and electrophysiological analysis with GC-EAD revealed the presence of two bioactive volatile compounds from H. halys adults, n-tridecane and (E)-2-decenal. In the Y-tube assays, female T. japonicus were attracted by n-tridecane but strongly repelled by (E)-2-decenal. Furthermore, host searching time of female T. japonicus was significantly reduced when an H. halys egg mass was treated with n-tridecane and prolonged when treated with (E)-2-decenal or a mixture of (E)-2-decenal and n-tridecane. Male H. halys were significantly attracted by n-tridecane, whereas females had no response to this compound in the Y-tube assays. (E)-2-Decenal strongly repelled male and female H. halys in the Y-tube assays. We discuss the multifunctional kairomonal and other possible roles of these semiochemicals at different trophic levels in the context of intra- and inter-specific chemical communication, in the H. halys–T. japonicus system.

Plant resistance to aphids might be present in different plant tissues, such as the epidermis, mesophyll and phloem, but not all of them play a key role in determining the feeding preference of aphids. In this study, electrically recorded feeding behaviors of cabbage aphids were combined with choice tests and microscopic observations to understand the feeding preference of cabbage aphids on oilseed rape cultivars. The choice tests showed that more cabbage aphids survived on &lsquo, Qianyou18&rsquo, and less on &lsquo, Zhongshuang11&rsquo, compared with the other cultivars. The results of the choice tests were paradoxical with the results analyzed from the general and mesophyll-associated variables. The thick upper epidermis with bushy long trichomes on the leaves of &lsquo, delayed the first probe of the cabbage aphids. The duration of phloem-feeding was similar among the four cultivars although there were differences in the hindrance of the mesophyll. However, salivation was increased when the aphids fed on &lsquo, further indicating that the leaf&rsquo, s physical properties could be important for aphid feeding preference on the four cultivars.