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Future agricultural practices necessitate green alternatives to replace hazardous insecticides while distinguishing between pests and beneficial insects. Chitosan, as a biological macromolecule derived from chitin, is biodegradable and exhibits low toxicity to non-target organisms, making it a sustainable alternative to synthetic pesticides. This review identifies chitosan-derivatives for insecticidal activity and highlights its efficacy including genotoxicity, defense mechanism, and disruption of insect's exoskeleton at different concentrations against several insect pests. Similarly, synergistic effects of chitosan in combination with natural extracts, essential oils, and plant-derived compounds, enhances insecticidal action against various pests was evaluated. The chitosan-based insecticide formulations (CHIF) in the form of emulsions, microcapsules, and nanoparticles showed efficient insecticide action on the targeted pests with less environmental impact. The current challenges associated with the field-trial application were also recognized, by optimizing potent CHIF-formulation parameters, scaling-up process, and regulatory hurdles addressed alongside potential solutions. These findings will provide insight into achieving the EU mission of reducing chemical pesticides by 50 %., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Elucidating fitness cost associated with field-evolved insect resistance to insecticide is of particular importance to current sustainable pest control. The global pest whitefly Bemisia tabaci has developed resistance to many members of neonicotinoids, but little is known about whitefly resistance to neonicotinoid nitenpyram and its associated fitness cost. Using insecticide bioassay and life-table approach, this study aims to investigate nitenpyram resistance status in field-collected whitefly populations, and to explore whether such resistance is accompanied by a fitness cost., Results: The bioassay results revealed that 14 of 29 whitefly populations displayed moderate to extremely high resistance to nitenpyram, demonstrating a widespread field-evolved resistance to nitenpyram. This field-evolved resistance in the whitefly has increased gradually over the past 3 years from 2021 to 2023. Further life-table study showed that two resistant whitefly populations exhibited longer developmental time, shorter lifespans of adult, and lower fecundity compared with the most susceptible population. The relative fitness cost of the two resistant populations was calculated as 0.69 and 0.56 by using net productive rate R 0 , which suggests that nitenpyram resistance comes with fitness cost in the whitefly, especially on reproduction., Conclusion: Overall, these results represent field-evolved high resistance to nitenpyram in the whitefly. The existing fitness costs associated with nitenpyram resistance are helpful to propose a suitable strategy for sustainable control of whiteflies by rotation or mixture of insecticide with different modes of action. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

The overuse and reliance on pesticides has caused insects to develop resistance with global concerns. To address this problem extensive research is directed to find new and sustainable alternatives using chemical-free and resistance-free solutions for pest control. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the insecticidal properties of several types of industrially produced graphene powder materials such as graphene and graphene oxide (GO) with micro- and nano size and different structural and chemical properties as new contact nanopesticides against three major stored grain insects: the rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (L.), the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.)˙ and the larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatus Horn. Bioassays were performed using different concentrations, i.e., 0, 100, 500 and 1000 ppm of graphene powders on the mortality of selected adult insects recorded after 3, 7, 14, and 21 days of exposure and progeny production after 65 days. Results showed that graphene oxide (GO) has no insecticidal efficacy while graphene powders with nano-size particles showed significantly enhanced insecticidal performance compared to micron-size graphene powders. The observed insecticidal effects are explained by the higher probability that nano-sized graphene particles adhere on the insect body compared to large particles. The mortality is proposed as the result of physical mode of action of attached graphene nanoparticles causing stronger interruption of the protective cuticle layer, gas respiratory functions and faster mortality. The findings of this study revealed that it is important to select graphene materials with optimal structural and interfacial properties to achieve the highest insecticidal performance in potential development of a new generation of sustainable insecticides., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Insect-specific neurotoxic peptides derived from the venoms of scorpions and spiders can cause acute paralysis and death when injected into insects, offering a promising insecticidal component for insect pest control. However, effective delivery systems are required to help neurotoxic peptides pass through the gut barrier into the hemolymph, where they can act. Here, we investigated the potential of a novel nanocarrier, Drosophila X virus-like particle (DXV-VLP), for delivering a neurotoxin from the scorpion Androctonus australis Hector (AaIT) against the invasive pest fruit fly, Drosophila suzukii. Our results show that the fusion proteins of DXV polyproteins with AaIT peptide at their C-termini could be sufficiently produced in Lepidoptera Hi5 cells in a soluble form using the recombinant baculovirus expression system, and could self-assemble into VLPs with similar particle morphology and size to authentic DXV virions. In addition, the AaIT peptides displayed on DXV-VLPs retained their toxicity, as demonstrated in injection bioassays that resulted in severe mortality (72%) in adults after 72 h. When fed to adults, mild mortality was observed in the group treated with DXV-AaIT (38%), while no mortality occurred in the group treated with AaIT peptide, thus indicating the significant role of DXV-VLPs in delivering AaIT peptides. Overall, this proof-of-concept study demonstrates for the first time that VLPs can be exploited to enhance oral delivery of insect-specific neurotoxic peptides in the context of pest control. Moreover, it provides insights for further improvements and potentially the development of neurotoxin-based bioinsecticides and/or transgenic crops for insect pest control., (© 2023 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Background: Cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB; Psylliodes chrysocephala L.) management in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) has become an urgent issue in the absence of permitted and effective insecticides. Understanding the meteorological and management factors affecting their population dynamics has become critical to the development of pest management strategies., Results: The spatio-temporal changes in CSFB larval populations were assessed both in autumn and spring, in the UK from 2003 to 2017 (a period encompassing pre-and post-neonicotinoid insecticide restriction). After the neonicotinoid ban in 2013, the number of larvae both in autumn and spring increased 10-fold in the UK. When neonicotinoids were available, later sown crops contained fewer larvae than early sown crops, and bigger fields had fewer larvae than smaller fields, whereas after the ban, bigger fields tended to have more larvae than smaller fields. Wet and mild/hot Septembers were related with higher numbers of larvae when neonicotinoids were available and with lower larval numbers after the neonicotinoid ban. Low temperatures in December and January combined with high rainfall were related with high numbers of larvae in spring both before and after the neonicotinoid ban., Conclusion: This study will help to produce decision support systems that allow future predictions of regional CSFB population changes and will help growers and consultants to adjust their management methods to reduce the risk of high infestations. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)

Larvae of the southern corn rootworm (SCR) Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are primary pests of peanut in the Virginia-Carolina region of the United States, and are relatively sporadic pests in southern states such as Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. Peanuts have strict quality standards which, when they are not met, can diminish crop value by more than 65%. Management of direct pests like SCR is therefore crucial to maintaining the economic viability of the crop. The soil-dwelling nature of SCR larvae complicates management due to difficulties associated with monitoring and predicting infestations. Nonchemical management options are limited in this system; preventative insecticide applications are the most reliable management strategy for at-risk fields. Chlorpyrifos was the standard product for larval SCR management in peanut until its registration was revoked in 2022, leaving no effective chemical management option for larvae. We tested a novel insecticide, isocycloseram, for its ability to reduce pod scarring, pod penetration, and non-SCR pod damage in field studies conducted in Suffolk, Virginia in 2020-2022. Overall injury was low in 2020 and 2022, and in 2022 there was not a significant effect of treatment. In 2021, 2 simulated chemigation applications of isocycloseram in July significantly reduced pod scarring and overall pod injury relative to chlorpyrifos and the untreated control. Our results suggest that isocycloseram may become an effective option for managing SCR in peanut, although more work is needed to understand the mechanisms by which it is effective as a soil-applied insecticide., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is an invasive species that causes serious damage to soft-skinned fruits. The use of plant-based biorational insecticides (plant extracts and essential oils) to control this pest has grown extensively. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the current status, trends, and perspectives of these studies, with a focus on the plant families and major compounds used as insecticides to control D. suzukii. The first article in this research field was published in 2015, and there has been exponential growth in subsequent years. Thirty-six botanical families were studied in these articles, with a prevalent interest in Myrtaceae and Lamiaceae plant species. The major constituents of these plant-based biorational molecules belong to monoterpenoids, followed by monoterpenes, benzene derivatives, and others. Geranial was the most frequent major constituent of these plant-based compounds. Our analysis revealed a few crucial consequences of the bias provided by the investigations using plant-based biorational insecticides for controlling D. suzukii. Firstly, there is a major focus on the pest species, with little or no attention paid to undesired effects on non-target beneficial organisms (e.g., pollinator bees, predators; parasitoids) and non-target pests. Secondly, the poor knowledge of how these plant-based biorational insecticides act on target and non-target organisms. Finally, there is a need to assess the efficacy of these substances under field conditions. Thus, attention is needed to address these gaps so that plant-based biorational insecticides can become a viable pest management tool for controlling D. suzukii., (© 2023. Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil.)

Invasive alien species (IAS) pose a severe threat to global agriculture, with their impact projected to escalate due to climate change and expanding international trade. The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), a native of the Americas, has rapidly spread across various continents, causing significant damage to several food crops, especially maize. Integrated pest management (IPM) programs are vital for sustainable FAW control, combining multiple strategies for sustainable results. Over three consecutive years, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22, the field demonstrations were conducted in semiarid regions of India, testing a four-component IPM approach viz., pheromone traps, microbial, botanicals and ETL based applications of insecticides against farmers' practices (sole insecticide application). IPM implementation led to substantial reductions in FAW infestation. Furthermore, egg mass and larvae infestations were significantly lower in IPM-adopted villages compared to conventional practices. Pheromone-based monitoring demonstrated a consistent reduction in adult moth populations. The lowest technology gap (10.42), extension gap (8.33) and technology index (12.25) was recorded during 2020-21. The adoption of IPM led to increased maize yields (17.49, 12.62 and 24.87% over control), higher net returns (919, 906.20 and 992.93 USD), and favourable benefit-cost ratios (2.74, 2.39 and 2.33) compared to conventional practices respectively during 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22. The economic viability of IPM strategies was evident across three consecutive years, confirming their potential for sustainable FAW management in the semiarid region of India. These strategies hold promise for adoption in other parts of the world sharing similar climatic conditions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The current study aimed to evaluate the presence of chemical variations in essential oils (EOs) extracted from Artemisia scoparia growing at different altitudes and to reveal their antibacterial, mosquito larvicidal, and repellent activity. The gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of A. scoparia EOs revealed that the major compounds were capillene (9.6-31.8%), methyleugenol (0.2-26.6%), β-myrcene (1.9-21.4%), γ-terpinene (1.5-19.4%), trans -β-caryophyllene (0.8-12.4%), and eugenol (0.1-9.1%). The EO of A. scoparia collected from the city of Attock at low elevation was the most active against Staphylococcus aureus , Bacillus subtilis , Escherichia coli , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria (minimum inhibitory concentration of 156-1250 µg/mL) and showed the best mosquito larvicidal activity (LC 50 , 55.3 mg/L). The EOs of A. scoparia collected from the high-altitude areas of Abbottabad and Swat were the most repellent for females of Ae. aegypti and exhibited repellency for 120 min and 165 min, respectively. The results of the study reveal that different climatic conditions and altitudes have significant effects on the chemical compositions and the biological activity of essential oils extracted from the same species.

In the current study, we investigated the insecticidal efficacy of two borates, disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (Etidot-67) and calcium metaborate (CMB) via surface application or diet delivery on the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst, 1797) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). The application method did not change the boron-related mortality, but CMB was more effective than Etidot-67. At the highest dose, it took around 13 days to reach the highest mortality (≥98.1%) for CMB, while it was 19 days for Etidot-67 (≥95.8%). Both boron compounds led to a significant reduction in triglyceride levels in parallel to the downregulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), the two primary genes involved in de novo lipogenesis, while they also induced body weight loss. In conclusion, the current study indicated the insecticidal potential of boron compounds but CMB is more promising and more effective in controlling T. castaneum, while lipogenesis is inhibited and weight loss is induced by boron compounds., (© 2024 The Authors. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: In recent years, the use of the RNA interference technology (RNAi) has emerged as one of the new strategies for species-specific control of insect pests. Its specificity depends on the distinctiveness of the target gene sequence for a given species. In this work, we assessed in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (A. pisum) the use of a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that targets the β2 divergent nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunit (dsRNA-β2), which shares low sequence identity with other subunits, to control populations of this pest at different developmental stages. Because nAChRs are targeted by neonicotinoid insecticides such as imidacloprid, we also assessed the effect of dsRNA-β2 coupled to this insecticide on aphid survival. Finally, because the effect of a control agent on beneficial insect must be considered before any use of new pest management strategies, the acute toxicity of dsRNA-β2 combined with imidacloprid was evaluated on honeybee Apis mellifera., Results: In this work, we demonstrated that dsRNA-β2 alone has an insecticidal effect on aphid larvae and adults. Moreover, dsRNA-β2 and imidacloprid effects on aphid larvae and adults were additive, meaning that dsRNA-β2 did not alter the efficacy of imidacloprid on these two developmental stages. Also, no obvious acute toxicity on Apis mellifera was reported., Conclusion: Using RNAi that targets β2 divergent nAChR subunit is effective alone or combined with imidacloprid to control A. pisum at larval and adult stages. Because no obvious Apis mellifera mortality has been reported, this RNAi-based pest management strategy should be considered to control insect pest. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Understanding the trade-offs between insecticide resistance and the associated fitness is of particular importance to sustainable pest control. One of the most devastating pest worldwide, the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, has developed resistance to various insecticides, especially the neonicotinoid group. Although neonicotinoid resistance often is conferred by P450s-mediated metabolic resistance, the relationship between such resistance and the associated fitness phenotype remains largely elusive. By gene cloning, quantitative reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR, RNA interference (RNAi), transgenic Drosophila melanogaster, metabolism capacity in vitro and 'two sex-age stage' life table study, this study aims to explore the molecular role of a P450 gene CYP4CS5 in neonicotinoid resistance and to investigate whether such resistance mechanism carries fitness costs in the whitefly., Results: Our bioassay tests showed that a total of 13 field-collected populations of B. tabaci MED biotype displayed low-to-moderate resistance to thiamethoxam and clothianidin. Compared to the laboratory susceptible strain, we then found that an important P450 CYP4CS5 was remarkably upregulated in the field resistant populations. Such overexpression of CYP4CS5 had a good match with the resistance level among the whitefly samples. Further exposure to the two neonicotinoids resulted in an increase in CYP4CS5 expression. These results implicate that overexpression of CYP4CS5 is closely correlated with thiamethoxam and clothianidin resistance. RNAi knockdown of CYP4CS5 increased mortality of the resistant and susceptible populations after treatment with thiamethoxam and clothianidin in bioassay, but obtained an opposite result when using a transgenic line of D. melanogaster expressing CYP4CS5. Metabolic assays in vitro revealed that CYP4CS5 exhibited certain capacity of metabolizing thiamethoxam and clothianidin. These in vivo and in vitro assays indicate an essential role of CYP4CS5 in conferring thiamethoxam and clothianidin resistance in whitefly. Additionally, our life-table analysis demonstrate that the field resistant whitefly exhibited a prolonged development time, shortened longevity and reduced fecundity compared to the susceptible, suggesting an existing fitness cost as a result of the resistance., Conclusion: Collectively, in addition to the important role of CYP4CS5 in conferring thiamethoxam and clothianidin resistance, this resistance mechanism is associated with fitness costs in the whitefly. These findings not only contribute to the development of neonicotinoids resistance management strategies, but also provide a new target for sustainable whitefly control. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), commonly known as spotted-wing drosophila or SWD, is an invasive, severe, and damaging pest, which is able to inflict huge economic losses on soft thin-skinned fruits worldwide. Argentina was not excluded from the rapid invasion of this new and aggressive pest. Berries and cherries are among the most economically important fruits, showing an increasing demand from both domestic and export markets, which make necessary the application of effective and early protection measures. Although SWD is currently established almost everywhere in Argentina, the scarcity of research on and rapid regulatory actions against this pest have probably contributed to its fast spread throughout the country. In view of that, the article reviews first the current threat status of SWD in Argentina, provides summarized information on crop and non-crop host fruits, seasonal variation and population dynamics, resident natural enemy assemblages, and describes control actions implemented to date. Finally, the need to focus local control actions within an integrated national SWD management program is emphasized. The development and application of complementary eco-friendly strategies, such as Sterile Insect Technique, biological control, mass trapping, and the use of innovative lactone-derived synthetic insecticides with extremely low toxicity for SWD parasitoids, in environmentally distinguishable Argentinian regions is also highlighted., (© 2023. Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil.)

Synthetic insecticides are widely used against plant pest insects to protect the crops. However, many insecticides have poor selectivity and are toxic also to beneficial insects, animals, and humans. In addition, insecticide residues can remain on fruits for many days, jeopardizing food safety. For these reasons, a reusable, low-cost electronic trap that can attract, detect, and identify, but attack only the pest while leaving beneficial insects unharmed could provide a sustainable, nature-friendly replacement. Here, for the first time, research results are presented suggesting the great potential and compatibility of organic electronic devices and technologies with pest management. Electrical characterizations confirm that an insect's body has relatively high dielectric permittivity. Adaptive memcapacitor circuits can track the impedance change for insect detection. Other experiments show that printed polymer piezoelectric transducers on a plastic substrate can collect information about the weight and activity of insects for identification. The breakdown voltage of most insects´ integument is measured to be <200 V. Long channel organic transistors easily work at such high voltages while being safe to touch for humans thanks to their inherent low current. This feasibility study paves the way for the future development of organic electronics for physical pest control and biodiversity protection., (© 2023 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) causing vector-borne diseases (VBDs) can circulate among humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, with cattle in particular serving as an important source of exposure risk to humans. The close associations between humans and cattle can facilitate the transmission of numerous VBPs, impacting public health and economic security. Published studies demonstrate that cattle can influence human exposure risk positively, negatively, or have no effect. There is a critical need to synthesize the information in the scientific literature on this subject, in order to illuminate the various ecological mechanisms that can affect VBP exposure risk in humans. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to review the scientific literature, provide a synthesis of the possible effects of cattle on VBP risk to humans, and propose future directions for research. This study was performed according to the PRISMA 2020 extension guidelines for systematic review. After screening 470 peer-reviewed articles published between 1999-2019 using the databases Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed Central, CABI Global Health, and Google Scholar, and utilizing forward and backward search techniques, we identified 127 papers that met inclusion criteria. Results of the systematic review indicate that cattle can be beneficial or harmful to human health with respect to VBDs depending on vector and pathogen ecology and livestock management practices. Cattle can increase risk of exposure to infections spread by tsetse flies and ticks, followed by sandflies and mosquitoes, through a variety of mechanisms. However, cattle can have a protective effect when the vector prefers to feed on cattle instead of humans and when chemical control measures (e.g., acaricides/insecticides), semio-chemicals, and other integrated vector control measures are utilized in the community. We highlight that further research is needed to determine ways in which these mechanisms may be exploited to reduce VBD risk in humans., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Chakraborty et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The cost of insect pests to human society exceeds USD70 billion per year worldwide in goods, livestock, and healthcare services. Therefore, pesticides are needed to prevent insect damage despite the secondary effects of these chemical agents on non-target organisms. Chemicals encapsulation into carriers is a promising strategy to improve their specificity. Hydrogel-based microrobots show enormous potential as chemical carriers. Herein, hydrogel chitosan magnetic microrobots encapsulating ethyl parathion (EP)-CHI@Fe 3 O 4 are used to efficiently kill mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor). The mechanism takes advantage of pH-responsive chitosan degradation at Tenebrio molitor midgut pH to efficiently deliver pesticide into the mealworm intestinal tract in just 2 h. It is observed that under a transversal rotating magnetic field, mealworm populations show higher mortality after 30 min compared to free pesticide. This example of active pesticide carriers based on soft microrobots opens new avenues for microrobots applications in the agrochemical field as active chemical carriers., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Synthetic insecticides heavily applied to manage agricultural pests are highly hazardous to the environment and non-target organisms. Their overuse through repeated treatments in smallholder farming communities is frequent. Botanical biopesticides are ideal for sustainable pest management in agricultural environments by keeping synthetic insecticide use at a minimum. Here we evaluated a locally prepared neem seed extract (NSE) alongside emamectin benzoate against both lepidopteran pests Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) on tomato Lycopersicon esculentum Mill under natural field conditions in Pakistan. We compared pest severity, fruit injury, quality, marketability, and cost:benefit ratio (CBR) between treatments. The concentration of azadirachtin A in the NSE was 26.5 ppm. NSE at 2% (20 mL/L) and the emamectin benzoate at the recommended field rate in Pakistan were sprayed weekly throughout the fruiting stage. The pest larvae were significantly more abundant on fruits than on flowers and leaves. Fruit injury and losses were significantly more important in untreated control compared to NSE and emamectin benzoate treatments. NSE efficacy varied with respect to the cultivars used and the seasons. Cultivar Eden harboured more pests than Adventa, and emamectin benzoate suppressed more pest individuals than NSE. Both the insecticidal treatments were comparable in terms of marketable yield productions as well as unmarketable, uninjured, and recovered fruit yields. NSE generated a higher CBR (1: 9.26) than emamectin benzoate (1: 3.23). NSE suppressed pests by acting as an antifeedant, similar to its synthetic counterpart. Smallholder growers can thus use NSE as a cost-effective solution in tomato pest management in Pakistan., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Akhter et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The nest-scavenging beetle Aethina tumida remains a persistent problem for beekeepers in parts of the Southeast United States, where warm wet soils allow beetle populations to grow rapidly and overwhelm colonies, especially during the summer dearth. Furthermore, small hive beetle infestation prevents beekeepers from easily provisioning colonies with additional pollen or protein feed (patties), preventing holistic management of honey bee health via improved nutrition, and reducing the economic potential of package and nucleus colony rearing in the Southeast. Here, we demonstrate using both in vitro laboratory trials and a small in vivo field trial that the differential specificity of anthranilic diamide insecticides (specifically, chlorantraniliprole) between bees and beetles allows for the control and prevention of small hive beetle infestation in honey bee colonies even when feeding with large patties. Honey bees show orders of magnitude higher tolerance to chlorantraniliprole compared to small hive beetles, opening new avenues for improving bee health including during spring splits and throughout the summer., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.)

Background: Toumeyella parvicornis is an invasive soft scale insect native to North America that is rapidly spreading in Italy and France, provoking severe infestations on Pinus pinea L. To date, the control of this pest is entrusted to three endotherapic techniques whose short-term efficacy is partially known. No information on long-term efficacy is currently available, although fundamental. This work aims to report on the long-term effect that abamectin-based insecticides, injected with the three different techniques, have on adult female populations., Results: The study was carried out in an infested P. pinea forest in the area of Rome, Italy. Results showed that the tested methods had a similar long-term effect, and only in one case there were differences with the untreated control. Multiresidue analysis reported a zero level of abamectin in plant tissues 14 months apart from injection, except for one treatment where pesticide concentration was just above the limit of quantification., Conclusions: This study represents the first long-term evaluation about endotherapic control strategy against T. parvicornis. In fact, the pest may quickly bring the death and fall of the stone pines, representing a concerning risk for citizens, however, control actions to manage it are still partially known and deserve more in-depth investigations. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)

In the current scenario, many synthetic chemicals have used long-term to control pests and mosquitoes, leading to the resistance of strains and toxicity effect on human beings. To overcome the adverse problem in recent advances, the scientific community is looking into nanofabricated pesticides and mosquitoes. This study aims to synthesize the recyclable chitosan-coated cadmium nanoparticles (Ch-CdNps) using Plumeria alba flower extract, which was further applied for insecticidal and mosquitocidal activities. The synthesized Ch-CdNps were confirmed by UV spectroscopy and FTIR analysis. The XRD, TEM, and DLS results confirmed the crystallinity with a spherical shape at 80-100 nm. The insecticidal activity proves that Ch-CdNps inhibited Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura at 100 ppm. In mosquitocidal, LC50 values of larvicidal of 1st instar were 4.116, 4.33, and 4.564 µg/mL, and the remaining three stages of instars, pupicidal, adulticidal, longevity, fecundity, and ovicidal assays inhibit the Anopheles stephensi followed by Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus. Further, the first-order kinetics of photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and methyl orange was confirmed. Based on the obtained results, Ch-CdNps can inhibit the pest, mosquitoes, and photocatalytic degradation., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), is a major rice pest in various Asian countries, causing significant negative impacts on rice yield and quality. In this study, we developed a novel nanoplatform (NIT@MON@CuS) for pesticide delivery that responds to redox and near-infrared light stimuli. The nanoplatform consisted of CuS nanoparticles with mesoporous organic silica (MON), loaded with nitenpyram (NIT). With an average size of 190 nm and a loading efficiency of 22%, NIT@MON@CuS exhibited remarkable thermal response in the near-infrared region, demonstrating excellent photothermal conversion ability and stability. In vitro release kinetics demonstrated the rapid release of nitenpyram under near-infrared light and glutathione conditions, facilitating a satisfactory temperature increase and accelerated drug release. The NIT@MON@CuS-treated group exhibited a higher mortality of N. lugens , increasing from 62 to 88% compared to the group treated with nitenpyram technical after 96 h. Bioassay revealed that NIT@MON@CuS significantly enhanced nitenpyram toxicity by more than 1.4-fold against both laboratory insecticide-resistant and field strains of N. lugens . Furthermore, RT-qPCR results demonstrated that MON@CuS had the capability to reduce P450 gene expression, thereby improving the sensitivity of N. lugens to insecticides. These findings suggest that MON@CuS holds great potential as an intelligent pest control platform, offering a sustainable and efficient approach to protect crops against pests.

Outbreaks of the spongy moth Lymantria dispar can have devastating impacts on forest resources and ecosystems. Lepidoptera-specific insecticides, such as Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (BTK) and tebufenozide, are often deployed to prevent heavy defoliation of the forest canopy. While it has been suggested that using BTK poses less risk to non-target Lepidoptera than leaving an outbreak untreated, in situ testing of this assumption has been impeded by methodological challenges. The trade-offs between insecticide use and outbreaks have yet to be addressed for tebufenozide, which is believed to have stronger side effects than BTK. We investigated the short-term trade-offs between tebufenozide treatments and no-action strategies for the non-target herbivore community in forest canopies. Over 3 years, Lepidoptera and Symphyta larvae were sampled by canopy fogging in 48 oak stands in southeast Germany during and after a spongy moth outbreak. Half of the sites were treated with tebufenozide and changes in canopy cover were monitored. We contrasted the impacts of tebufenozide and defoliator outbreaks on the abundance, diversity, and functional structure of chewing herbivore communities. Tebufenozide treatments strongly reduced Lepidoptera up to 6 weeks after spraying. Populations gradually converged back to control levels after 2 years. Shelter-building species dominated caterpillar assemblages in treated plots in the post-spray weeks, while flight-dimorphic species were slow to recover and remained underrepresented in treated stands 2 years post-treatment. Spongy moth outbreaks had minor effects on leaf chewer communities. Summer Lepidoptera decreased only when severe defoliation occurred, whereas Symphyta declined 1 year after defoliation. Polyphagous species with only partial host plant overlap with the spongy moth were absent from heavily defoliated sites, suggesting greater sensitivity of generalists to defoliation-induced plant responses. These results demonstrate that both tebufenozide treatments and spongy moth outbreaks alter canopy herbivore communities. Tebufenozide had a stronger and longer lasting impact, but it was restricted to Lepidoptera, whereas the outbreak affected both Lepidoptera and Symphyta. These results are tied to the fact that only half of the outbreak sites experienced severe defoliation. This highlights the limited accuracy of current defoliation forecast methods, which are used as the basis for the decision to spray insecticides., (© 2023 The Authors. Ecological Applications published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Ecological Society of America.)

Pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Förster), is the most economically challenging pest of commercial pears in Washington and Oregon, the top producers of pears in the United States. The objective of this study was to quantify economic injury levels and thresholds for pear psylla. We used the relationship between pear psylla adult and nymph densities, and fruit downgraded due to psylla honeydew marking to identify injury levels. We calculated economic injury levels using the cost of downgraded fruit and average management costs (spray materials and labor). Using economic injury levels, we determined economic thresholds for pear psylla, which include predicted pest population growth, natural enemy predation, and anticipated delays between when pest populations are measured and when managers apply interventions. Economic thresholds generated by this study were 0.1-0.3 second-generation nymphs per leaf and 0.2-0.8 third-generation nymphs per leaf depending on predicted price and yield for insecticide applications at 1,300 pear psylla degree days in the second generation and 2,600 pear psylla degree days in the third generation. Natural enemy inaction thresholds identified by this study were 6 Deraeocoris brevis or 3 Campylomma verbasci immatures per 30 trays or 2 earwigs per trap for third-generation optional insecticide applications., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.)

Silicon is known for mitigating the biotic and abiotic stresses of crop plants. Many studies have proved beneficial effects of bulk silicon against biotic stresses in general and insect pests in particular. However, the beneficial effects of silica nanoparticles in crop plants against insect pests were barely studied and reported. By virtue of its physical and chemical nature, silica nanoparticles offer various advantages over bulk silicon sources for its applications in the field of insect pest management. Silica nanoparticles can act as insecticide for killing target insect pest or it can act as a carrier of insecticide molecule for its sustained release. Silica nanoparticles can improve plant resistance to insect pests and also aid in attracting natural enemies via enhanced volatile compounds emission. Silica nanoparticles are safe to use and eco-friendly in nature in comparison to synthetic pesticides. This review provides insights into the applications of silica nanoparticles in insect pest management along with discussion on its synthesis, side effects and future course of action., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that there is no potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama is of great concern because of its ability to transmit devastating citrus greening illness (Huanglongbing). One strategy for controlling HLB may involve limiting the spread of D. citri. Insecticides using dsRNA target genes may be a useful option to control D. citri. The ecdysone receptor (EcR) and ultraspiracle (USP) are crucial for the growth and reproduction of insects. This study identified the genes for D. citri ecdysone receptor (DcEcR) and ultraspiracle (DcUSP). According to the qPCR data, DcUSP peaked at the 5th-instar nymph stage, while DcEcR peaked at the adult stage. Females expressed DcEcR and DcUSP at much higher levels than males. RNAi was used to examine DcEcR and DcUSP function. The findings demonstrated that inhibition of DcEcR and DcUSP delayed nymph development and decreased survival and eclosion rates. dsEcR caused adults to develop deformed wings, and dsUSP caused nymphs to wither and die. Female adult ovaries developed slowly, and the females laid fewer eggs. Additionally, DcEcR and DcUSP were inhibited, increasing D. citri susceptibility to pesticides. These findings suggest that DcEcR and DcUSP are critical for D. citri development, growth, and reproduction and may serve as potential targets for D. citri management., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The properties of Bacillus thuringiensis strains as a biopesticide with potent action against moths, beetles, and mosquitoes have been known for decades, with individual subspecies showing specific activity against a particular pest. The aim of the present work is to characterize strains that can be used for broad-spectrum pest control in agriculture. Twenty strains of B. thuringiensis were isolated from Bulgarian soil habitats. The strains were screened for genes encoding 12 different crystal (Cry) endotoxins by PCR with specific primer pairs. Seven of the isolates contained cry genes in their genomes. B. thuringiensis strains PL1, PL3, and PL20 contained at least three different cry genes, while B. thuringiensis serovar galleriae BTG contained at least four. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigation revealed the production of bipyramidal (PL1, PL3, PL20), polygonal (PL1), cubic (BTG), and spherical crystals (BTG and PL20). Potentially containing the most cry genes, the BTG genome was sequenced and annotated. It comprises 6,275,416 base pairs, does not contain plasmids, has a GC content of 35.05%, and contained 7 genes encoding crystal toxins: cry1Ab35 , cry1Db , cry1Fb , cry1Ib , cry2Ab , cry8Ea1 , and cry9Ba . This unique combination would possibly enable the simultaneous pesticidal action against pest species from orders Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, and Hemiptera, as well as class Gastropoda. Whole-genome sequencing provided accurate information about the presence, localization, and classification of Cry toxins in B. thuringiensis BTG, revealing the great potential of the strain for the development of new broad-spectrum bio-insecticides.

Now more than ever researchers provide more and more evidence that it is necessary to develop an ecologically friendly approach to pest control. This is reflected in a sharp increase in the value of the biological insecticide market in recent decades. In our study, we found a virus strain belonging to the genus Cypovirus (Reoviridae); the strain was isolated from Dendrolimus sibiricus , possessing attractive features as a candidate for mass production of biological agents for lepidopteran-pest control. We describe the morphological, molecular, and ecological features of the new Cypovirus strain. This strain was found to be highly virulent to D. sibiricus (the half-lethal dose is 25 occlusion bodies per second-instar larva) and to have a relatively wide host range (infecting representatives of five families of Lepidoptera: Erebidae, Sphingidae, Pieridae, Noctuidae, and Lasiocampidae). The virus strain showed a strong interaction with a nontoxic adjuvant (optical brightener), which decreased the lethal dose for both main and alternative hosts, decreased lethal time, and may expand the host range. Moreover, we demonstrated that the insecticidal features were preserved after passaging through the most economically suitable host. By providing strong arguments for the possible use of this strain in pest control, we call on virologists, pest control specialists, and molecular biologists to give more attention to the Cypovirus genus, which may lead to new insights in the field of pest control research and may provide significant advantages to compare with baculoviruses and Bacillus thuringiensis products which are nowadays main source of bioinsecticides. IMPORTANCE In this article, we describe a newly discovered cypovirus strain that displays features ideally suited for the development of a modern biological insecticide: high potency, relatively broad host range, true regulating effect, flexible production (possibility to choose host species for production), interaction with enhancing adjuvants, and ecologically friendly. Based on an alignment of CPV genomes, we suggest that the enhanced host range of this new strain is the sequence of evolutionary events that occurred after coinfections involving different CPV species within the same host. These findings suggest that we need to positively reconsider CPVs as prospective agents as biocontrol products., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Phyllotreta striolata (Fabricius), commonly known as the striped flea beetle (SFB), is a notorious insect pest that attacks Brassicaceae plants worldwide, leading to tremendous economic losses. RNA interference (RNAi) has been proposed as a promising strategy for sustainable and eco-friendly pest control. In this study, a total of nine housekeeping genes including PsVATPA, PsHSP90, PsEF1A, PsRPL6, PsRPS24, PsActin, PsTUBA, PsRPS18, and PsRPL4 were evaluated under four different conditions (organization, population, sex, and RNAi). PsEF1A and PsVATPA were identified as the best reference genes for RNAi bioassay. Furthermore, a total of 24 target genes were selected to investigate their RNAi effects in SFB adults with double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), five of them showed significant mortality (28.00% to 70.00%), namely Psα-COPI, Psβ-COPI, PsRPS18, Psγ-COPI, and PsArf1COPI. We found that gene transcript levels of the two most lethal genes, Psγ-COPI and PsArf1COPI, were significantly decreased after treated with the target dsRNAs either by feeding or injection method. The findings from this study demonstrated that the introduction of dsRNAs via oral feedings or injection induces the RNAi-mediated silencing of target genes and can lead to insect mortality. Overall, the identified target genes can be explored in developing RNAi-based insecticides for SFB control., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis, has developed a high level of resistance to many of the compounds currently used for control. There is therefore an urgent need to develop novel control methods for C. suppressalis. Insect chitin synthases (CHS) have attracted interest as a potential target for insect pest management. However, to date, CHS have not been characterized in C. suppressalis. Two CHS genes (CsCHS1 and CsCHS2) were identified and cloned from C. suppressalis. Two transcript variants were identified for CsCHS1, CsCHS1a and CsCHS1b. Spatiotemporal expression profiling showed that both transcripts of CsCHS1 are most highly expressed on the last day of each larval instar stage and show the highest expression levels in the integument. In contrast, CsCHS2 is predominantly expressed during the larval feeding stages and shows the highest expression levels in the midgut. Knockdown of CsCHS1 by RNA interference significantly inhibited the molting and pupation of C. suppressalis, and knockdown of CsCHS2 significantly affected growth during the larval stage, but had no significant effect on the pupation. Moreover, knockout of CsCHS1 by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing severely lowered the hatching rate, larval survivorship, pupation rate, and eclosion rate, but only larval survivorship at the G0 generation was lowered after the knockout of CsCHS2. These results demonstrate that CsCHS1 and CsCHS2 play vital roles in the growth and development of C. suppressalis, and so have potential as insecticidal targets for the control of this highly damaging pest., (© 2022 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Background: In the search for alternative tools for integrated pest management, azadirachtin, a botanical insecticide, has been used with the most promising activity against Spodoptera spp., but the mechanism of cytotoxicity on reproductive organs remains unclear. Spodoptera eridania (Stoll, 1782) is a polyphagous pest with great economic importance that has become an important target to elucidate the action of azadirachtin on the reproductive organs of insect pests, helping to understand the deleterious effects caused by its exposure. This study evaluated the effects of chronic exposure to azadirachtin on the morphology and ultrastructure of S. eridania larval testes as well as larval development., Results: Azadirachtin exposure (6 or 18 mg a.i. L -1 ) caused a progressive increase in cumulative mortality and reduced gain in body mass after 5 days. Testicular structure indicated a reduction in their size with internal morphological changes such as spermatogonia, spermatogonial, spermatocytes and spermatid cysts in degeneration. The occurrence of cell death in germ and somatic cells was evidenced by the TUNEL technique. Electron microscopy revealed changes in cystic cells, such as cytoplasmic membrane rupture and cytoplasmic vacuolization. Chromatin compaction, changes in the rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex cisternae were observed in germ cells. Apoptotic bodies occurred between germ cell cysts., Conclusion: Azadirachtin damaged the testes of S. eridania larvae, and these changes compromised spermatogenesis and consequently the development of the reproductive potential of this specimen, making azadirachtin a promising botanical insecticide for application in integrated pest management programs. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.)

There are many insect pests worldwide that damage agricultural crop and reduce yield either by direct feeding or by the transmission of plant diseases. To date, control of pest insects has been achieved largely by applying synthetic insecticides. However, insecticide use can be seriously impacted by legislation that limits their use or by the evolution of resistance in the target pest. Thus, there is a move towards less use of insecticides and increased adoption of integrated pest management strategies using a wide range of non-chemical and chemical control methods. For good pest control there is a need to understand the mode of action and selectivity of insecticides, the life cycles of the pests and their biology and behaviours, all of which can benefit from good quality genome data. Here we present the complete assembled (chromosome level) genomes (incl. mtDNA) of 19 insect pests, Agriotes lineatus (click beetle/wireworm), Aphis gossypii (melon/cotton aphid), Bemisia tabaci (cotton whitefly), Brassicogethes aeneus (pollen beetle), Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (seedpod weevil), Chilo suppressalis (striped rice stem borer), Chrysodeixis includens (soybean looper), Diabrotica balteata (cucumber beetle), Diatraea saccharalis (sugar cane borer), Nezara viridula (green stink bug), Nilaparvata lugens (brown plant hopper), Phaedon cochleariae (mustard beetle), Phyllotreta striolata (striped flea beetle), Psylliodes chrysocephala (cabbage stem flea beetle), Spodoptera exigua (beet army worm), Spodoptera littoralis (cotton leaf worm), Diabrotica virgifera (western corn root worm), Euschistus heros (brown stink bug) and Phyllotreta cruciferae (crucifer flea beetle). For the first 15 of these we also present the annotation of genes encoding potential xenobiotic detoxification enzymes. This public resource will aid in the elucidation and monitoring of resistance mechanisms, the development of highly selective chemistry and potential techniques to disrupt behaviour in a way that limits the effect of the pests., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

This study investigated composition and toxicity of Thyme EOs against two main stored grain insect pests. Carvacrol was distinguished as a major compound (78.34%). In laboratory tests, EOs applied by both direct contact and fumigant tests was more toxic to L. serricorne than T. castaneum . The EOs were also tested combined with two Tunisian Diatomaceous earths (DEs) against T. castaneum . The LC 50 was 6.28 µL/L air for natural preparation EO/R1, 5.90 µL/L air for EO/R2 and 121.17 for crude EOs by fumigant test, respectively. While, contact test revealed that natural DEs; dust act as an insecticide with 'LC 50 ' values of 3.22 and 0.29 µL/cm 2 f or R1 and R2, respectively. Moreover, a significant difference was noted between crude EO, EO/R1 and EO/R2. Overall, the enhancement of the Tunisian DEs' insecticidal activity by its mix with EOs may be a promising active substance as a stored grain protectant.

The sweet potato whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a major agricultural pest with a wide host range throughout the world. The species designation for B. tabaci includes numerous distinct cryptic species or biotypes. Two invasive B. tabaci biotypes, MEAM1 (B) and MED (Q), were found in China at the end of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st century. MEAM1 (B) and MED (Q) show higher pesticide resistance levels than native strains, and the levels of resistance vary with changes in insecticide selection pressure. Recent studies have revealed metabolic resistance mechanisms and target site mutations in invasive B. tabaci strains that render them resistant to a range of insecticides and have uncovered the frequency of these resistance-related mutations in B. tabaci populations in China. Novel pest control agents, such as RNA-based pesticides and nano-pesticides, have achieved effective control effects in the laboratory and are expected to be applied for field control of B. tabaci in the future. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of resistance developed by these invasive B. tabaci populations since their invasion into China. We also provide suggestions for ecologically sound and efficient B. tabaci control.

Pesticide use on tropical crops has increased substantially in recent decades, posing a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services. Amphibians and reptiles are common in tropical agricultural landscapes, but few field studies measure pesticide impacts on these taxa. Here we combine 1-year of correlative data with an experimental field approach from Indonesia. We show that while pesticide application cannot predict amphibian or reptile diversity patterns in cocoa plantations, our experimental exposure to herbicides and insecticides in vegetable gardens eliminated amphibians, whereas reptiles were less impacted by insecticide and not affected by herbicide exposure. The pesticide-driven loss of a common amphibian species known to be a pest-control agent (mainly invertebrate predation) suggests a strong indirect negative effect of pesticides on this service. We recommend landscape-based Integrated Pest Management and additional ecotoxicological studies on amphibians and reptiles to underpin a regulatory framework and to assure recognition and protection of their ecosystem services., Competing Interests: Barry W. Brook is an Academic Editor for PeerJ., (©2023 Wanger et al.)

The development and application of botanical insecticides is important for the sustainable development of green agriculture. The abuse of chemical pesticides has caused serious problems of environment and human health. Botanical insecticides have become an environment-friendly insecticides due to their nature, low toxicity, easy degradation and other advantages, which are an important field of insecticide development in the future. Although botanical insecticides have lots of advantages, there are still problems needed to be resolved, such as insecticidal plant species, impact assessment of botanical pesticide and separation and purification of active components. To excavate the resources of highly effective insecticidal plants and understand the mechanism of botanical insecticides, here we reviewed the progress of resources and active components of botanical insecticides, the mechanisms of action of botanical insecticides, the main active components and insecticidal properties of Zingiber officinale . Finally, we analyzed the difficulties faced in the research and development of botanical insecticides, prospected future directions, and discussed the active components of ginger. This review would provide reference for the deve-lopment of new botanical insecticides.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The Aconitum genus plants as a natural pesticide for insecticide and rodent control has been recorded in Chinese folk. However, the insecticide effect, mechanism, and active composition of Aconitum polycarpum Chang ex W.T.Wang have not been studied further., Aim of the Study: This study was designed to analyze the chemical composition, evaluate contact toxicity of petroleum ether extracts (PEEs) and essential oils (EOs) of A. polycarpum, and further explore their possible insecticidal mechanism., Materials and Methods: The roots of A. polycarpum were extracted with 90% methanol, and then extracted with petroleum ether to obtain PEEs; the EOs was extracted by distillation. The chemical compositions of PEEs and EOs were analyzed by GC-MS. Contact toxicity was evaluated by the immersion method. Exploring insecticidal mechanisms through in vitro enzyme inhibitory activity., Results: 12 compounds were identified from PEEs by GC-MS, mainly including aliphatic (94.8%), the main compositions were Octadecadienol (ODO) (aliphatic, 53.2%) and L-Ascorbyl dipalmitate (LADP) (aliphatic, 36.1%). 24 compounds were identified in EOs. About 44.6% of the identified components were terpenoids and their derivatives, and the rest were mainly aliphatic (34.7%) and phenols (3.0%). The main chemical components were L (-)-Borneol (LB) (terpenoid, 28.3%), LADP (aliphatic, 19.1%), and Isoborneol (terpenoid, 9.1%). The contact toxicity indicated that the PEEs showed great contact toxicity against Spodoptera exigua (LC 50  = 126.2 mg/L). Meanwhile, LADP (LC 50  = 128.1 mg/L) and ODO (LC 50  = 121.3 mg/L) was similar to that of Cyhalothrin (LC 50  = 124.2 mg/L) in contact toxicity. In addition, we found that LADP and ODO exhibited excellent inhibitory activity against CarE (IC 50  = 58.0, 56.1 mg/L, respectively) by measuring in vitro enzyme inhibitory activity, which was superior than Cyhalothrin (IC 50  = 68.1 mg/L)., Conclusions: The chemical compositions and contact toxicity of EOs and PEEs of A. polycarpum were analyzed and evaluated, and their insecticidal mechanisms were preliminarily discussed for the first time. It proved PEEs of A. polycarpum and its main components (LADP and ODO) exhibited excellent contact toxicity against S. exigua, and CarE was identified as a potential target for contact toxicity. This study indicated that the insecticidal activity of petroleum ether extracts from A. polycarpum is quite promising, and provides a practical and scientific basis for the development and application of botanical pesticides., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chitin degradation is a vital process for the growth of insects. Chitin hydrolase Of ChtI and β- N -acetylhexosaminidase Of Hex1 are two key enzymes involved in hydrolyzing the chitin of insects' cuticles. Thus, they are considered promising targets for preventing and controlling agricultural pests. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of compounds bearing N -methylcarbamoylguanidinyl and N -methoxycarbonylguanidinyl as dual-target inhibitors of Of ChtI and Of Hex1. The most potent dual-target inhibitor, compound 10d , exhibited half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) values of 27.1 and 249.1 nM against Of ChtI and Of Hex1, respectively. Furthermore, the insecticidal activity studies showed that compounds 10a - c , 10k , and 10l bear significant effects on the growth and development of Plutella xylostella . This work provides a promising method for the development of novel chitin hydrolase inhibitors as potential pest control and management agents.

The continuing need to protect food and fiber production to address the demands of an expanding global population requires new pest management tools for crop protection. Natural products (NPs) have been and continue to be a key source of inspiration for new active ingredients (AIs) for crop protection, accounting for 17% of all crop protection AIs. However, potentially 50% of all crop protection compounds have or could have a NP origin if NP synthetic equivalents (NPSEs, synthetic compounds discovered by other approaches but for which a NP model also happens to exist) are also considered. The real and hypothetical NPs have their greatest impact as insight for new classes of crop protection compounds. Among the different product areas, NPs have their largest influence on the discovery of new insecticides, while herbicides have been the least affected by mining NPs for new AIs. While plants have historically been the largest (60% of the total) source of NPs of AIs for crop protection, in the last 30 years, bacterial NPs have become the largest source (42% of the total) of new classes (first in class) of NP-inspired crop protection AIs. Interest in NPs for crop protection continues, an aspect that is highlighted by the notable rise in the numbers of publications and patents on this topic, especially in the last 20 years. The present analysis further illustrates the continuing interest and value in NPs as sources of and inspiration for new classes of crop protection compounds.

Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a globally distributed lepidopteran crop pest that has developed resistance to most insecticides. The G-quadruplex (G4) is a secondary structure in the genome enriched in the promoters for regulating gene expression. However, little is known about G4 in S. frugiperda, especially whether G4 is involved in insecticide resistance and pest control. In this study, 387,875 G4 motifs in the whole genome of S. frugiperda were identified by bioinformatics prediction. We found that 66.90 % of theseG4 structures were located in genic regions and highly enriched in the upstream regions of start codons. Functional and pathway analyses showed that the genes with G4 enriched in promoter regions participate in several metabolic processes. Further analyses showed that G4 structures occurred more frequently in the promoters of P450 and CarE gene families. It was also investigated that G4 ligand N-methyl mesoporphyrin IX (NMM) decreased P450 protein activity in larval midgut tissue. Cytotoxicity and bioassay results revealed that NMM and pesticides had synergistic effects on toxicity. In conclusion, our findings suggest that G4 motif could be a new potential target for pest control., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Paraffin (petroleum) oils have been used for many years for their insecticidal properties, but relatively little research had been conducted towards their introduction into the agricultural praxis, due to their potential phytotoxic effects. In the recent years, however, there has been an increased interest in petroleum-based pesticides due to their compatibility with integrated pest management (IPM) programs. Various improvements in the refinement methods have enhanced the manufacture of commercial products with many advantageous features over the original oil formulas. However, literature is still lacking of a general overview about the applicability of newly introduced commercial petroleum oils in agriculture and their compatibility with modern pest management practices. Therefore, the present work aims to depict the current status of petroleum oils in arboriculture and beyond, providing an in-depth analysis of their insecticidal properties with respect to the knowledge gained over the years about the factors responsible for the pesticidal efficacy and the phytotoxic activity of petroleum-derived oil insecticides. Moreover, commercial aspects of petroleum oil formulations and their toxicological profile to non-target organisms have also been addressed through the current legislation in EU and the USA., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Insect pest infestations are a worldwide problem as a result of human actions. Among them, Aedes aegypti stands out as vector of several diseases. Like other pests, A. aegypti has become resistant to the insecticide used for its control, thus harming the local fauna of non-target insects. Therefore, the aim of this study was to study the physiological selectivity of social wasps exposed to Malathion, as well as to investigate possible resistance to this insecticide. Adults of the swarming species Polybia platycephala and Protopolybia sedula and the independent species Polistes versicolor were exposed to four Malathion concentrations. Overall, Malathion was more selective to P. versicolor and more toxic to P. platycephala, and despite the decrease in the concentration of the product recommended by the manufacturer, which in theory would be sublethal doses, social wasps still exhibited high mortality rates. In comparing the mortalities of species collected in an area where there is no application of the insecticide with an area where there is regular application, the data showed an indication that populations of non-target insects are also becoming resistant to insecticides, especially in urban environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hydrogels have been extensively used in agriculture to improve crop yields for their excellent properties. However, they are currently used either as pesticide delivery platforms or water retention agents alone; the combination of these two functions into one agricultural hydrogel formulation has never been reported, which is crucial to promote sustainable development in agriculture. Herein, using poly(β-cyclodextrin) and adamantane-grafted poly(acrylic acid) (PAA-Ada) as the host and guest, respectively, an easy operating, multi-responsive, and safer hydrogel delivery system for insecticides is fabricated by the host-guest interaction between cyclodextrin and adamantane, which can load uniformly dispersed insecticides (fipronil, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam) up to 60%. Benefiting from the carboxyl and hydroxyl groups on polymer chains, different temperatures (25, 35, and 45 °C) and pH values (5.0, 6.8, and 10.0) change the intermolecular forces within the hydrogel network and then the diffusion of the content, finally resulting in controlled release behaviors. Besides, this platform can rapidly release the insecticides in the presence of amyloglucosidase due to its ring-opening effect on cyclodextrin. Moreover, this platform exhibits high water-retaining capacity toward soil, which can increase the maximum water absorption of nutrient soil and quartz sand by 31.6 and 13.9%, respectively, and slows down the water loss. Compared with commercial formulation, this smart system reduces the acute toxicity to non-target organism earthworms by 52.4% and improves the efficacy against target organism aphids by 47.3%, showing better durability, lower environmental toxicity, and higher efficiency. To our knowledge, this is the first idea that simultaneously adopts the water-retaining capacity and controlled release ability of hydrogels to improve insecticide efficacy. In this regard, this smart hydrogel platform holds great potentials as slow-release granules with water-holding ability for protection against insect pests, providing an alternative platform for the sustainable development in green agriculture.

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) (fall armyworm) is an extremely destructive insect pest that causes crop losses, especially cereal production across the world. Its management is challenged by its high migratory ability, polyphagous nature, high fecundity level, and short life cycle. It has become a serious threat across the globe that requires proactive and coordinated regional and global interventions. Although synthetic insecticides have been widely utilized to control the pest, there are numerous inherent challenges associated with the overreliance and overuse of these chemicals, e.g., toxicity to humans, destruction of natural pest enemies and pollinators, environmental and food contamination, pest resurgence, secondary pest outbreaks, and resistance development. Plant-derived pesticides such as Azadirachta indica, Eucalyptus globulus, Jatropha curcas, Lantana camara, Phytolacca dodecandra, and Piper guineense have been evaluated under laboratory, greenhouse, and field conditions to control S. frugiperda. We are certain that the substantial potential of these plants under field conditions could be enhanced and promoted together with existing plant-based products (registered) for use against S. frugiperda as an alternative in integrated pest management schemes. Therefore, this review highlights challenges and prospects that will help refocus and increase research attention on the development and application of botanical pesticides under field conditions rather than only under laboratory and control conditions to increase the commercialization and adoption rate of this technology across the globe., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Cotton is continuously exposed to sucking and chewing insect pest pressure since emergence to harvesting. Pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) has become major chewing insect pest to reduce the cotton yield and results in bad lint quality even in transgenic crops. The efficiency of insecticidal genes has been compromised due to extensive utilization of transgenic crops., Methods and Results: The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of an alternate cry1Ia12 insecticidal gene against pink bollworm (PBW) in cotton. Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring pCAMBIA2300 expression vector containing cry1Ia12 gene under the control of 35S CaMV was used to transform a local cotton cultivar GS-01. The various molecular analyses revealed the transgene integration and expression in primary transformants. Among five selected transgenic plants, tcL-08 showed maximum (16.06-fold) mRNA expression of cry1Ia12 gene whereas tcL-03 showed minimum (2.33-fold) expression. Feeding bioassays of 2nd and 3rd instar pink bollworm (PBW) larvae on immature cotton bolls, flowers and cotton squares revealed up to 33.33% mortality on tcL-08 while lowest mortality (13.33%) was observed in tcL-03 and tcL-15. Furthermore, the average weight and size of survived larvae fed on transgenic plants was significantly lesser than the average weight of larvae survived on non-transgenic plants., Conclusions: The present study suggests the cry1Ia12 gene as an alternate insecticidal gene for the resistance management of cotton bollworms, especially PBW., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Nocturnal moths evolved ultrasound-triggered escape maneuvers for avoiding predatory bats emitting ultrasonic echolocation calls. Using ultrasound for pest control is not a novel concept, but the technique has not been systemized because of the moths' habituation to sounds and the narrow directionality of conventional ultrasound speakers. Here, we report the use of pulsed ultrasonic white noise, which contributes to achieving ecologically concordant plant protection. An ultrasonic pulse, which is temporal mimicry of the search-phase pulse in the echolocation calls of a sympatric bat, was identified using neuroethological screening of eared moth-repelling ultrasounds; these pulses elicit flight-stopping reactions in moths but have no or little auditory adaptation. Such repellent ultrasounds broadcast from the cylindrical omni-azimuth ultrasound emitters suppressed the intrusion of gravid females of pest moths into cultivation fields. Thus, egg numbers and plant damage by hatched larvae were drastically reduced, enabling farmers to substantially skip applications of chemical insecticides for controlling moth pests.

We examined differences in the physiology and life history between dimorphs of the common pistachio psyllid, Agonoscena pistaciae (Burckhardt and Lauterer) (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae), and how they differ in elicitating host plant production of key metabolites and volatile compounds involved in the recruitment of herbivores and natural enemies. Summer morphs had higher activities of glutathione S-transferase, carboxylesterase, acetylcholinesterase, and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, phenoloxidase, and a higher total protein content compared to winter morphs, whereas the latter had higher amounts of lipid, carbohydrate, and glycogen. Winter morphs were heavier, with a higher chitin content and longer preoviposition period, but greater fecundity and longevity than summer morphs. A lower LC50 to thiamethoxam for winter morphs resulted in higher mortality following exposure to the recommended rate of this insecticide in a greenhouse trial. Feeding by winter morphs elicited more strongly the release of volatile compounds known to be attractive to other herbivores, whereas feeding by summer morphs elicited more strongly the release of volatiles implicated in the attraction of natural enemies. Feeding by psyllids increased the concentrations of nitrogenous compounds, carbohydrates, vitamins, and amino acids in plants, the winter morph eliciting larger changes and more improved host plant quality. We conclude that winter morphs are more vulnerable targets for chemical control in early spring, whereas management of summer morphs could rely more on conservation biological control., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Förster) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is the most economically important pest of pears grown in Washington State. Standard conventional management programs involve season-long broad-spectrum insecticide sprays. Although the industry uses some tools that are not disruptive to biological control, such as kaolin clay and selective insecticides, they are additions to broad-spectrum insecticides instead of replacements. Conventional sprays suppress pear psylla through the spring and early summer; however, disruption of biological control leads to pear psylla outbreaks near harvest. In 2018 and 2019, we tested two season-long programs that used only selective approaches. The programs began with either kaolin clay or reflective plastic mulch and were followed by identical spray programs using only selective insecticides. Programs were compared with an industry standard conventional program that used numerous broad-spectrum insecticides throughout the season, and a check program with no insecticides for pear psylla. Experiments were conducted using replicated 40-tree plots in a research orchard near Wenatchee, WA with high pear psylla pressure. In both years, selective programs had similar pear psylla densities to the industry standard program and all had lower pear psylla densities and fruit injury than the check. Both selective programs had lower fruit injury than the industry standard in the first year, and similar injury to the industry standard in the second year. Our results suggest kaolin clay and reflective mulch can effectively suppress pear psylla populations and injury in the early season and support season-long selective management programs without the use of broad-spectrum insecticides., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Agrotis ipsilon and A. segetum are major migratory pests of many crops in China, and frequent regional outbreaks cause severe yield losses. Use of food attractants is one of the most promising control methods against adult lepidoptera, notably through the attract-and-kill strategy. Chlorantraniliprole's acute toxicity and sublethal effects on both moths were evaluated., Results: Chlorantraniliprole showed high activity against both adults of both species, with LC 20 and LC 50 values of 0.08 and 0.21 mg L -1 (A. ipsilon), and 0.14 and 0.51 mg L -1 (A. segetum). The fecundity, effective oviposition rate, and egg hatching rate of both species in dual-sex exposure treatments were all significantly reduced compared with the control, and the population growth coefficients in the LC 50 ♀ × LC 50 ♂ treatments were only 0.32% (A. ipsilon) and 3.35% (A. segetum) that of the control. Furthermore, the flight distance was significantly suppressed from 6.67 km (control) to 0.01 km (LC 50 ) for A. ipsilon, and from 7.39 km (control) to 0.78 km (LC 50 ) for A. segetum. The proportions of robust- and medium-flight individuals of A. ipsilon and A. segetum in exposure treatments were greatly reduced., Conclusions: Low lethal concentration exposures to chlorantraniliprole can drastically reduce the reproduction and flight performance of A. ipsilon and A. segetum, while inhibiting the production of offspring, suggesting chlorantraniliprole would be an excellent compound for use in combination with food attractants. Chlorantraniliprole has good potential for management of the two long-range migratory pests tested using an attract-and-kill strategy. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: The Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is one of the most notorious pests of the potato, Solanum tuberosum. Potato beetles are capable of developing resistance to various insecticides in relatively few generations. Novel and effective means of controlling Colorado potato beetle populations are constantly required to protect potato crops and prevent loss of yield. The knockdown of gene function through ribonucleic acid interference has been demonstrated in Colorado potato beetles, suggesting the use of this technology as a means of beetle management. A novel double-stranded RNA-based insecticide with the active ingredient, ledprona, has been tested in variable dose laboratory bioassays, followed by field studies., Results: Exposure to ledprona resulted in both increased beetle mortality and decreased foliage consumption in all four instars and adult beetles. Effects decreased from earlier to later life stages. No ovicidal activity was detected. Onset of mortality was slower compared with existing chemical insecticides. Nevertheless, field applications of formulated ledprona to potato plots resulted in their protection comparable with that provided by spinosad and chlorantraniliprole., Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, formulated ledprona has attributes to become a useful tool in controlling Colorado potato beetle populations that is likely to be a good fit in integrated pest management protocols. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.)