Nanomaterial-mediated RNAi reveals the effect of the oral secretory protein serine protease inhibitor on the growth of Conogethes punctiferalis larvae.

The oral secretions of herbivorous insects play a pivotal role in insect-plant interactions and the regulation of insect physiology. Unlike the saliva of Hemiptera species, Lepidopteran oral secretions include both saliva and regurgitated gut fluids; yet research on their composition remains limited. This study focuses on yellow peach moth (YPM), Conogethes punctiferalis, a pest increasingly damaging maize.