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opencc-zeroMay 2020View details →

Simulation models from: Can CRISPR-mediated gene drive work in pest and beneficial haplodiploid species?

Gene drives based on CRISPR/Cas9 have the potential to reduce the enormous harm inflicted by crop pests and insect vectors of human disease, as well as to bolster valued species. In contrast with extensive empirical and theoretical studies in diploid organisms, little is known about CRISPR gene drive in haplodiploids, despite their immense global impacts as pollinators, pests, natural enemies of pests, and invasive species in native habitats. Here we analyze mathematical models demonstrating that, in principle, CRISPR homing gene drive can work in haplodiploids, as well as at sex-linked loci in diploids. However, relative to diploids, conditions favoring the spread of alleles deleterious to haplodiploid pests by CRISPR gene drive are narrower, the spread is slower, and resistance to the drive evolves faster. By contrast, the spread of alleles that impose little fitness cost or boost fitness was not greatly hindered in haplodiploids relative to diploids. Therefore, altering traits to minimize damage caused by harmful haplodiploids, such as interfering with transmission of plant pathogens, may be more likely to succeed than control efforts based on introducing traits that reduce pest fitness. Enhancing fitness of beneficial haplodiploids with CRISPR gene drive is also promising.

opencc-zeroFeb 2020View details →

Prior adaptation of parasitoids improves biological control of symbiont-protected pests

There is increasing demand for sustainable pest management to reduce harmful effects of pesticides on the environment and human health. For pest aphids, biological control with parasitoid wasps provides a welcome alternative, particularly in greenhouses. However, aphids are frequently infected with the heritable bacterial endosymbiont Hamiltonella defensa, which increases resistance to parasitoids and thereby hampers biological control. Using the black bean aphid (Aphis fabae) and its main parasitoid Lysiphlebus fabarum, we tested whether prior adaptation of parasitoids can improve the control of symbiont-protected pests. We had parasitoid lines adapted to two different strains of H. defensa by experimental evolution, as well as parasitoids evolved on H. defensa-free aphids. We compared their ability to control caged aphid populations comprising 60% unprotected and 40% H. defensa-protected aphids, with both H. defensa strains present in the populations. Parasitoids that were not adapted to H. defensa had virtually no effect on aphid population dynamics compared to parasitoid-free controls, but one of the adapted lines and a mixture of both adapted lines controlled aphids successfully, strongly benefitting plant growth. Selection by parasitoids altered aphid population composition in a very specific manner. Aphid populations became dominated by H. defensa-protected aphids in the presence of parasitoids, and each adapted parasitoid line selected for the H. defensa strain it was not adapted to. This study shows, for the first time, that prior adaptation of parasitoids improves biological control of symbiont-protected pests, but the high specificity of parasitoid counter-resistance may represent a challenge for its implementation.

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: Introgression between divergent corn borer species in a region of sympatry: implications on the evolution and adaptation of pest arthropods

The Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis, and European corn borer, O. nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), cause damage to cultivated maize in spatially distinct geographies, and have evolved divergent hydrocarbons as the basis of sexual communication. The Yili area of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China represents the only known region where O. furnacalis has invaded a native O. nubilalis range, and these two corn borer species have made secondary contact. Genetic differentiation was estimated between Ostrinia larvae collected from maize plants at 11 locations in Xinjiang Province, and genotyped using high throughput SNP and microsatellite markers. Maternal lineages were assessed by direct sequencing of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and II haplotypes, and a high degree of genotypic diversity was demonstrated between lineages based on SNP genotypes. Furthermore, historical introgression was predicted among SNP genotypes only at sympatric locations in the Yili area, whereas in Xinjiang populations wherein only O. furnacalis haplotypes were detected no analogous introgressed genotypes were predicted. Our detection of putative hybrids and historical evidence of introgression defines Yili area as a hybrid zone between the species in normal ecological interactions, and furthermore might indicate that adaptive traits could spread even between seemingly divergent species through horizontal transmission. Results of this study indicate there may be a continuum in the degree of reproductive isolation between Ostrinia species, and that the elegance of distinct and complete speciation based on modifications to the pheromone communication might need to be reconsidered.

opencc-zeroJun 2021View details →

Data and code for: Terrestrial eDNA survey outperforms conventional approach for detecting an invasive pest insect within an agricultural ecosystem

Recent methodological advances permit surveys for terrestrial insects from the direct collection of environmental DNA (eDNA) deposited on vegetation or other surfaces. However, in contrast to well-studied aquatic applications, little is known about how detection rates for such terrestrial eDNA-based surveys compare with conventional survey methods. Lycorma delicatula, the spotted lanternfly, is an emerging invasive insect in eastern North America, and a significant ecological and economic pest of forested and agricultural systems, especially grapes. During fall 2019 we conducted two rounds of paired eDNA and visual surveys for spotted lanternflies within 48 plots at 12 vineyards in New Jersey, USA. We compared detection probabilities within a multimethod occupancy modeling framework and used the results to extrapolate and inform survey design. The probability of detecting spotted lanternflies given presence in a plot was over two times higher for eDNA (84%) versus visual surveys (36%). In mid-September, lanternfly eDNA was detected at five plots in three vineyards while visual surveys revealed only a single individual in one plot. In early October, after dispersal of lanternflies into vineyards, lanternfly eDNA was detected in 12 plots within six vineyards compared with visual detections in six plots in two vineyards. Extrapolations based on detection and local-scale occupancy rates indicate that only five and 12 plots would have been needed to positively detect lanternfly presence with 95% confidence using eDNA in contrast to 14 and 29 plots with visual surveys alone, respective to survey rounds. Log-linear models revealed that visual counts of lanternflies were positively related to eDNA concentrations (R2 = 71%). We provide some of the first quantitative evidence to support the enhanced sensitivity of terrestrial eDNA approaches compared with conventional methods. Such methods can augment efforts to combat invasive species through improved ability to delimit invasion fronts, identify satellite populations, and confirm local eradications.

opencc-zeroOct 2023View details →

Study of the overwintering ecology of the hazelnut pest, Palomena prasina (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in a perspective of Integrated Pest Management

Palomena prasina, the green shield bug (GSB), is widely distributed in the Eurosiberian region. In the Southwest of France it is considered a serious pest of hazelnuts, its feeding punctures lead to blank hazelnuts and kernel necrosis, causing heavy losses in commercial orchards. To date, no Integrated Pest Management strategy is available to control P. prasina. Control strategies often focus on the pests' spring-summer ecology, when they are in the field or in the vicinity of crops. However, the abundance of pest populations in crops is also related to their autumn-winter ecology. The present work focussed on the autumn-winter ecology of P. prasina to identify new opportunities for this pest suppression. We investigate (i) where P. prasina overwinters, (ii) if it aggregates in its overwintering sites, and (iii) if it mates while overwintering. Samples were collected over a two-year period in different ecosystems (forests, hedges, orchards), in human-made structures, and habitats (litter, bushes/trees, dead trees). The reproductive status of GBS individuals was monitored in winter, and in spring when they emerged from overwintering sites. Our results show that 97% P. prasina adults overwinter in the leaf litter of orchards and natural ecosystems and that 70% overwinter individually. The abundance of GSB in those sites is negatively correlated with litter temperature and positively correlated with humidity levels. Furthermore, adults only mate after leaving their overwintering site. Finally, there was an important number of overwintering adults hosting endoparasitoids (32%). The fact that GSB overwinters alone in the leaf litter means controlling its populations by destroying the overwintering sites is not a solution. All the same, our results do open new perspectives for the control of P. prasina. First, the emergence traps, in particular the cone traps, proved efficient for collecting emerging adults and could be used for monitoring. Moreover, our observations point out the existence of long-range mating signals that could be exploited for trapping. Last but not least, the important number of overwintering parasitised adults is a promising biocontrol avenue.

Figure 19 in INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN CONILON COFFEE

Figure 19. Damage caused by C. cephalonica.

Figure 17 in INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN CONILON COFFEE

Figure 17. Coffee bean weevil, Araecerus fasciculatus.

Figure 16 in INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN CONILON COFFEE

Figure 16. Coffee tree branches attacked by the black twig borer.

Figure 15 in INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN CONILON COFFEE

Figure 15. Adult stem borer of the coffee tree.

Figure 18. C in INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN CONILON COFFEE

Figure 18. C. cephalonica caterpillar.

Figure 10 in INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN CONILON COFFEE

Figure 10. Imperial Moth Caterpillar, Eacles imperialis magnifica species.

Figure 5 in INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN CONILON COFFEE

Figure 5. Adult coffee berry borer beheaded by the Ivory Coast Wasp.

Figure 14 in INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN CONILON COFFEE

Figure 14. Coffee tree leaves with the broad mite attack symptoms.

Figure 2 in INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN CONILON COFFEE

Figure 2. Coffee beans damaged by coffee berry borer at different maturation stages.

Figure 8 in INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN CONILON COFFEE

Figure 8. Coffee scale root, Dysmicoccus texensis.

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2023View details →

Anastrepha pests captures and FTD index in protected and agricultural sites

Data on captures and FTD index of  fruit flies Anastrepha ludens, A. obliqua, A. striata and A. serpentina in five monitoring sites within a protected natural area and agricultural zones in southern Tamaulipas state, Mexico.

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2023View details →

DownloadData used for the Bibliometric Analysis_ML in Pest Control

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opencc-zeroNov 2023View details →

JAK/STAT signaling regulated intestinal regeneration defends insect pests against insecticidal proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis

A variety of coordinated host-cell responses are activated as defense mechanisms against pore-forming toxins (PFTs). Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a widely used biopesticide whose efficacy and precise application methods limit its use to replace synthetic pesticides in agricultural settings. Here, we analyzed the intestinal defense mechanisms of two lepidopteran insect pests after intoxication with a sublethal dose of Bt PFTs to find out potential target genes for reduction of defense responses using dsRNA to silence their expression. We show that larval intestinal epithelium was initially damaged by the PFTs and that larval survival was observed after intestinal epithelium regeneration. Further analyses showed that the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal stem cells after Bt toxins treatments were regulated through JNK and JAK/STAT signaling pathways. Repression of intestinal regeneration by treating specific dsRNA led to increased toxicity of Bt PFTs to both Chilo suppressalis and Spodoptera frugiperda. Consequently, a nano-biopesticide was designed to improve pesticidal efficacy based on the combination of dsRNA-nanoparticles with Bt bacterial strains. This formulation efficiently controlled insect pests suggesting its potential use to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides in agricultural settings for pest control.

opencc-zeroDec 2023View details →

Data from: Effect of a severe cold spell on overwintering survival of an invasive forest insect pest

Data from a study of a servere cold event in February 2023 on the survival of hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand) from four populations in Canada. Cold temperatures can play a significant role in the range and impact of pest insects. Severe cold events can reduce the size of insect outbreaks or in some cases even cause outbreaks to end. Measuring the precise impact of cold events, however, can be difficult because estimates of insect mortality are often made at the end of the winter season. In late January, 2023 long-term climate models predicted a significant cold event to occur over eastern North America. We used this event to evaluate the immediate impact on hemlock woolly adelgid overwintering mortality at four sites on the northern edge of the insects invaded range in eastern North America. We observed complete mortality, partial mortality and no effect of the cold event that correlated with the location and strength of the cold event. Our data also showed lack of support for preconditioning of overwintering adelgids as impacting their overwintering survival following this severe cold event. Finally, we compared the climatic conditions at our sites to historical weather data. The cold event observed in February 2023 resulted in the coldest temperatures observed at these sites, including the period within which hemlock woolly adelgid invaded these sites, suggesting cold conditions, especially under anthropogenic climate forcing, may not be a limiting factor in determining the ultimate northern range of hemlock woolly adelgid in eastern North America.