Diversity of the Bacterial Community Associated with Hindgut, Malpighian Tubules, and Foam of Nymphs of Two Spittlebug Species (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae).

Spittlebugs are xylem-sap feeding insects that can exploit a nutrient-poor diet, thanks to mutualistic endosymbionts residing in various organs of their body. Although obligate symbioses in some spittlebug species have been quite well studied, little is known about their facultative endosymbionts, especially those inhabiting the gut. Recently, the role played by spittlebugs as vectors of the phytopathogenetic bacterium aroused attention to this insect group, boosting investigations aimed at developing effective yet sustainable control strategies.

Analysis of the bacterial communities associated with pupae and winged or wingless adults of Lipoptena fortisetosa collected from cervids in Italy.

The hippoboscid Lipoptena fortisetosa Maa, 1965 is a hematophagous ectoparasite of cervids that can bite humans. This fly is expanding its geographical range and is of concern for animal and human health since it can potentially harbour harmful microorganisms. This study was aimed at characterizing the bacterial communities of L.

Quantitative Real-Time PCR Based on SYBR Green Technology for the Identification of Drosopoulos & Remane (Hemiptera Aphrophoridae).

The use of molecular tools to identify insect pests is a critical issue, especially when rapid and reliable tests are required. We proposed a protocol based on qPCR with SYBR Green technology to identify (Hemiptera, Aphrophoridae). The species is one of the three spittlebugs able to transmit subsp.

Antennal Morphology and Fine Structure of Flagellar Sensilla in Hippoboscid Flies with Special Reference to (Diptera: Hippoboscidae).

(Linnaeus), Maa, Linnaeus, and (Macquart) are hematophagous ectoparasites that infest different animal species and occasionally bite humans. Hosts are located by a complex process involving different kinds of stimuli perceived mainly by specific sensory structures on the antennae, which are the essential olfactory organs. General antennal morphology, together with distribution and ultrastructure of sensilla, have been studied in detail with scanning and transmission electron microscopy approaches.

Colour Preference of the Deer Ked (Diptera: Hippoboscidae).

, a deer ked native to Japan, has established itself in several European countries and was recently recorded in Italy. This hippoboscid ectoparasite can develop high density populations, causing annoyance to animals and concern regarding the potential risk of transmitting pathogens to humans. No monitoring or control methods for have been applied or tested up to now.

Asia and Europe: So Distant So Close? The Case of Lipoptena fortisetosa in Italy.

In Europe, 5 Lipoptena species have been recorded, including Lipoptena fortisetosa. This species, native to Asian countries, was described as a parasite of sika deer and its appearance in Europe dates back to more than 50 years ago. Lipoptena fortisetosa has been recently reported in Italy, sharing its hosts with Lipoptena cervi.

Bacterial symbiosis in Bactrocera oleae, an Achilles' heel for its pest control.

Investigations on microbial symbioses in Tephritidae have increased over the past 30 years owing to the potential use of these relationships in developing new control strategies for economically important fruit flies. Bactrocera oleae (Rossi)-the olive fruit fly-is a monophagous species strictly associated with the olive tree, and among all the tephritids, its symbionts are the most investigated. The bacterium Candidatus Erwinia dacicola is the major persistent resident endosymbiont in wild B.

Horizontal transfer and finalization of a reliable detection method for the olive fruit fly endosymbiont, Candidatus Erwinia dacicola.

Background: The olive fly, Bactrocera oleae, is the most important insect pest in olive production, causing economic damage to olive crops worldwide. In addition to extensive research on B. oleae control methods, scientists have devoted much effort in the last century to understanding olive fly endosymbiosis with a bacterium eventually identified as Candidatus Erwinia dacicola.

Olive fruit fly rearing procedures affect the vertical transmission of the bacterial symbiont Candidatus Erwinia dacicola.

Background: The symbiosis between the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, and Candidatus Erwinia dacicola has been demonstrated as essential for the fly's larval development and adult physiology. The mass rearing of the olive fruit fly has been hindered by several issues, including problems which could be related to the lack of the symbiont, presumably due to preservatives and antibiotics currently used during rearing under laboratory conditions. To better understand the mechanisms underlying symbiont removal or loss during the rearing of lab colonies of the olive fruit fly, we performed experiments that focused on bacterial transfer from wild female flies to their eggs.

Emigration Effects Induced by Radio Frequency Treatment to Dates Infested by .

The dried fruit beetle () is considered a key pest of dates, infesting fruits both in the field and during storage. Control measures against the species rely on the use of chemicals or heat treatments based on sunlight, hot air or radio frequency (RF) applications. Previous investigations that have aimed to define control procedures for a total disinfestation using RF treatments with different exposure durations have shown the typical behavior of adults in some trials, which, under the influence of temperature increases, started to escape from infested fruits.

Drosophila Mutant Model of Parkinson's Disease Revealed an Unexpected Olfactory Performance: Morphofunctional Evidences.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the clinical triad: tremor, akinesia, and rigidity. Several studies have suggested that PD patients show disturbances in olfaction as one of the earliest, nonspecific nonmotor symptoms of disease onset. We sought to use the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism to explore olfactory function in LRRK loss-of-function mutants, which was previously demonstrated to be a useful model for PD.

Characterization of olfactory sensilla of the olive fly: behavioral and electrophysiological responses to volatile organic compounds from the host plant and bacterial filtrate.

The responses of olive fly (Bactrocera oleae) antennal and palpal olfactory receptors to odors emitted by Pseudomonas putida bacterial filtrate and to volatiles from a host plant were evaluated using electrophysiological and behavioral bioassays. Morphological identification of olfactory receptors was also performed. The third antennal segment (flagellum) bears four types of multiporous sensilla: trichoid, short basiconica, clavate and grooved.

A novel attractant for Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae) from a Concord grape product.

An attractant for Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae), was developed from a commercial product called Sabor Uva containing processed Concord grape juice. The principal volatile components of Sabor Uva aroma were identified and an aqueous mixture of 15 components that was gas chromatographically similar to Sabor Uva was prepared. This mixture was equivalent to Sabor Uva in attractiveness by using wind-tunnel bioassays.

Identification by suppression subtractive hybridization of genes expressed in pear (Pyrus spp.) upon infestation with Cacopsylla pyri (Homoptera: Psyllidae).

The molecular interaction between pear tree (Pyrus spp.) and the phloem-feeding psylla Cacopsylla pyri (Linnaeus) was investigated through the construction and characterization of cDNA subtracted libraries. Genes expressed upon insect infestation were identified in the susceptible pear cultivar Bartlett and in the resistant selection NY10355.