RNAi‐mediated pest control targeting the Troponin I (wupA) gene in sweet potato weevil, Cylas formicarius.

The sweet potato weevil (<italic>Cylas formicarius</italic>) is a critical pest producing enormous global losses in sweet potato crops. Traditional pest management approaches for sweet potato weevil, primarily using chemical pesticides, causes pollution, food safety issues, and harming natural enemies. While RNA interference (RNAi) is a promising environmentally friendly approach to pest control, its efficacy in controlling the sweet potato weevil has not been extensively studied. In this study, we selected a potential target for controlling <italic>C. formicarius</italic>, the <italic>Troponin I</italic> gene (<italic>wupA</italic>), which is essential for musculature composition and crucial for fundamental life activities. We determined that <italic>wupA</italic> is abundantly expressed throughout all developmental stages of the sweet potato weevil. We evaluated the efficiency of double‐stranded RNAs in silencing the <italic>wupA</italic> gene via microinjection and oral feeding of sweet potato weevil larvae at different ages. Our findings demonstrate that both approaches significantly reduced the expression of <italic>wupA</italic> and produced high mortality. Moreover, the 1st instar larvae administered ds<italic>wupA</italic> exhibited significant growth inhibition. We assessed the toxicity of ds<italic>wupA</italic> on the no‐target insect silkworm and assessed its safety. Our study indicates that <italic>wupA</italic> knockdown can inhibit the growth and development of <italic>C. formicarius</italic> and offer a potential target gene for environmentally friendly control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]