Aberrant splicing of a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha 6 subunit is associated with spinosad tolerance in the thrips predator Orius laevigatus.

Susceptibility to insecticides is one of the limiting factors preventing wider adoption of natural enemies to control insect pest populations. Identification and selective breeding of insecticide tolerant strains of commercially used biological control agents (BCAs) is one of the approaches to overcome this constraint. Although a number of beneficial insects have been selected for increased tolerance to insecticides the molecular mechanisms underpinning these shifts in tolerance are not well characterised.

Inheritance and Biological Characterization of an Orange-nymph Mutant in (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae).

A mutation showing a distinct orange color in the nymph stages was found in (Fieber) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), a key biological control agent in protected crops, used to control small pests, especially thrips. A laboratory strain carrying this body color mutation was established. Genetic analysis determined that the mutation () was controlled by a single autosomal recessive allele.

Effect of Parental Age and Mating Status on Reproductive Performance of (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae).

The reproductive potential of biological control agents (BCAs) is crucial for efficient mass-rearing and field performance, and it all begins with mating. Fecundity can be strongly influenced by intrinsic conditions, such as female age and, often neglected, male age and mating status. However, little is known about the impact of parental status at mating on female reproductive outcomes in BCAs.

Effect of the Amount of Eggs for Rearing on Development, Survival, and Reproduction of .

is a key tool for the success of augmentative biological control programs in protected crops. This biological control agent is mass-reared feeding on eggs of . However, this factitious prey is expensive, accounting for a significant percentage of the rearing costs.

Selection for resistance to pyrethroids in the predator Orius laevigatus.

Background: Insecticide resistance in the natural enemies of pest species is a very desirable trait. It allows better integration of biological control with the synthetic and natural compounds applied to manage certain pests, especially secondary pest outbreaks. Insecticide resistance in predatory insects has been documented for lady beetles and lacewings, but intriguingly no cases of field-evolved resistance have been noted in any heteropteran predator.

Challenges facing arthropod biological control: identifying traits for genetic improvement of predators in protected crops.

Biological control is an efficient pest control method but there are still limitations that are hindering its wider adoption. Genetic improvement of biological control agents (BCAs) can help to overcome these constraints, but the choice of key attributes for better performance that need to be selected is still an open question. Several characteristics have been suggested but the harsh reality is that selective breeding of BCAs has received a lot of attention but resulted in very little progress.

Comparative Genomics of Facultative Bacterial Symbionts Isolated from European Species Reveals an Ancestral Symbiotic Association.

Pest control in agriculture employs diverse strategies, among which the use of predatory insects has steadily increased. The use of several species within the genus in pest control is widely spread, particularly in Mediterranean Europe. Commercial mass rearing of predatory insects is costly, and research efforts have concentrated on diet manipulation and selective breeding to reduce costs and improve efficacy.