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Coconut rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros; CRB) was discovered in 2015 in a small outbreak in Honiara, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. This was the first record of CRB from Solomon Islands and a response plan was prepared. An awareness programme was launched and where CRB sightings were confirmed, delimitation surveys were carried out. Following the launch of the awareness programme, later in 2015, CRB was also reported from the Shortland Islands in the Western Province. Other islands were surveyed from 2015 to 2020. If CRB presence was confirmed, beetles were collected and analysed for haplotype and presence of the classical biological control agent, Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus (OrNV). A distribution map and timeline of invasion were developed. The initial populations belonged to two distinct haplotypes: CRB-G (clade IA) in Honiara and CRB-S (clade II) in Shortland Islands. Despite control measures, by 2020 CRB-G had spread to islands in eight provinces and CRB-S had spread to islands in seven provinces. CRB-S and CRB-G co-occur in Guadalcanal and Malaita provinces. In 2019, OrNV was detected from field collected CRB from Guadalcanal and has since spread to Malaita Island. In both cases the virus was detected where CRB-G and CRB-S co-occur. Other outbreak areas in Solomon Islands remain OrNV-free. The two haplotypes appear to have spread following patterns of air and sea movement between the point of origin (CRB-G from Honiara and CRB-S from the Shortland Islands) to other islands/provinces.

The coconut rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes rhinoceros (L.), (CRB) is a major pest of coconut and oil palms that causes significant damage in the Asia/Pacific region. Traditional methods for surveillance and detection of CRB involve in-person inspections, but these are expensive to carry out and were made impossible by travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, a method to remotely detect possible CRB incursions and assess damage levels using publicly available images is described. The method involves searching for pictures of palms and identifying those with the distinctive V-shaped cuts in fronds characteristic of CRB feeding. The method was validated by examining palm images from known outbreak areas and those free from the pest. We found evidence of CRB damage in the previously unreported site of Dili, Timor Leste and possible evidence of CRB in the Solomon Islands even before it was first reported in 2015. Potential limitations and broader applications of this approach are also discussed.

Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is an invasive pest in South Asia. The current paper documents farmers’ perceptions of fall armyworm in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal and explores the current management practices adopted by farmers. A structured survey was conducted with 526 farmers regarding current cropping practices, identification of fall armyworm and its damage, management, capacity-building activities, and support from government and non-government extension services. The results suggested that most of the farmers reported very high to moderate damage from fall armyworm, and that the damage and spread increased over time. Although farmers used a range of management practices to control fall armyworm, chemical pesticides were still the dominant tool. Farmers learnt about the pest and its identification from their fellow farmers and individual experiences, while services from government and non-government offices were limited. Therefore, there is a need for an innovative extension approach, including the promotion of digital technologies. Similarly, the evaluation and promotion of new technologies as part of integrated pest management strategies (IPM) must be deployed to manage fall armyworm.

Mikó, István, Rahman, Sarthok Rasique, Jones, Anne C., Townley, Mark A., Gominho, Brandon, Paudel, Sulav, Stupski, S. David, Hines, Heather M., Schilder, Rudolf J. (2019): From Spinning Silk to Spreading Saliva: Mouthpart Remodeling in Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). Insect Systematics and Diversity (AIFB) 3 (6), No. 2: 1-11, DOI: 10.1093/isd/ixz007, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixz007

The Lyonet's gland is a widespread accessory labial gland in Lepidoptera. Although its function is ambiguous, the Lyonet's gland arguably plays an important role in silk production. Our knowledge of the Lyonet's gland in heliothine species is extremely limited; it is reportedly missing from Helicoverpa armigera and Heliothis virescens, whereas it is reportedly reduced in size in Helicoverpa zea. Using confocal microscopy and brightfield imaging, we show that the Lyonet's gland in Helicoverpa zea is present and the size is relatively enlarged relative to other lepidopterans. We also examined whether glucose oxidase, an abundant enzyme found in labial salivary gland is also present in the extracts of Lyonet's gland, but we found no evidence of that. Based on the size and accessibility of the Lyonet's gland, future studies should include transcriptomic and proteomics studies in H. zea to provide evidence for potential functions.

The Lyonet’s gland is a widespread accessory labial gland in Lepidoptera. Albeit its function is ambiguous, the Lyonet’s gland arguably plays an important role in silk production. Our knowledge on the Lyonet’s gland in heliothine species is limited; it is apparently missing from H. armigera and Heliothis virescence, whereas reduced in size in H. zea. Using confocal microscopy and brightfield imaging, we show that the Lyonet’s gland in Helicoverpa zea is present and the size is relatively enlarged relative to other lepidopterans.