Antimicrobial Activity of Compounds Isolated from the Nest Material of (Mayr) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Ants as social insects live in groups, which increases the risk of contagious diseases. In response to the threat of pathogens, ants have evolved a variety of defense mechanisms, including incorporating antimicrobial chemicals into nest material for nest hygiene. is an arboreal ant, building its nest using plant tissues.

Impact on Ant Communities by Chemical Pesticides Applied in Controlling the Red Imported Fire Ant ( Buren) in the Field.

The red imported fire ant (RIFA, Buren) represents a significant invasive pest in China, exerting extensive negative impacts on ecosystems. The invasion of RIFA not only poses a severe threat to biodiversity within the environment; inappropriate controlling measures can also adversely affect community dynamics. Therefore, while implementing effective management strategies to control the proliferation of RIFA populations, it is imperative to evaluate the potential effects of these measures on the structure of local biological communities to safeguard native biodiversity.

NompC regulates locomotion and touch sensation in Bactrocera dorsalis.

No mechanoreceptor potential C (NompC) is a major mechanotransduction channel with an important role in sensing of external mechanical stimuli by insects, which help these organisms to avoid injury and adapt to environmental changes. To explore the biological functions of NompC in Bactrocera dorsalis, a notorious agricultural pest, we successfully generated NompC knockout strains using clustered regularly interspaced small palindromic repeats (CRISPR) / CRISPR-associated nuclease 9 (Cas9) technology. BdorNompC knockout led to an adult lethal phenotype, with approximately 100% mortality at 3 d after eclosion.

Role of TRPV channels in texture discrimination during Bactrocera dorsalis egg-laying behaviour.

Deciding where to lay an egg is critical for the survival of insects' offspring. Compared with our understanding of the chemosensory assessment of egg-laying sites, the mechanisms of texture detection are largely unknown. Here, we show that Bactrocera dorsalis, a notoriously agricultural pest laying its eggs within ripening fruits, can discriminate substrate texture during the egg-laying process.

Preference and Toxicity of Sulfoxaflor, Flupyradifurone, and Triflumezopyrim Bait against the Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Their Efficacy under Field Conditions.

The red imported fire ant Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is native to South America; however, its introduction to other countries has caused serious biodiversity, agricultural, and public health problems. As toxic bait is an effective method to control fire ant populations, the aim of this study was to determine the most effective concentration of sulfoxaflor, flupyradifurone, and triflumezopyrim as ingredients for baits against under laboratory and field conditions. Sulfoxaflor, flupyradifurone, and triflumezopyrim had no effect on the feeding behavior of the fire ants.

The Sexual Dimorphism in Rectum and Protein Digestion Pathway Influence Sex Pheromone Synthesis in Male Bactrocera Dorsalis.

Sexual dimorphism is a crucial aspect of mating and reproduction in many animals, yet the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In Bactrocera dorsalis, sex pheromones trimethylpyrazine (TMP) and tetramethylpyrazine (TTMP) are specifically synthesized by Bacillus strains in the male rectum. In the female rectum, Bacillus strains are found, but TMP and TTMP are not, indicating sexually dimorphic differences in sex pheromone synthesis.

Dynamics of Resistance to Seven Insecticides in South China.

is a highly invasive and destructive pest distributed worldwide. Chemical insecticides remain the primary measure for their control; however, this species has already developed resistance to several insecticides. In recent years, there have been several reports of monitoring resistance in China, but continuous monitoring results are lacking and do not even span a decade.

Population Dynamics of (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Four Counties of Yunnan, China, by Electronic Monitoring System.

(Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a global economic pest that poses a serious threat to the fruit industry. In the southwest of China, Yunnan Province sustains a severe infestation of . An automated monitoring system designed for was employed in this study to elucidate the annual population dynamics of in four counties: Yuanjiang, Huaping, Guangnan, and Ludian in Yunnan.

Comparative Population Biology and Related Gene Expression in the Beta-Cypermethrin-Resistant Strains of (Hendel).

Diptera and Lepidoptera species have the highest levels of insecticide resistance, and the mechanism of drug resistance has been studied in detoxification metabolism genes such as P450, GST, EST, and ABC. Since are resistant to a variety of chemicals, the pattern and mechanism of resistance in have been investigated from a variety of aspects such as detoxification metabolism genes, detoxification enzymes, intestinal symbiotic bacteria, and synergists in the world. In this study, 51 species and 149 detoxification metabolism genes were annotated in the Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) library, and 12 candidate genes related to beta-cypermethrin resistance were screened and quantitatively expressed in this library.

The Food Source and Gut Bacteria Show Effects on the Invasion of Alien Pests-A Case of (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae).

How alien pests invade new areas has always been a hot topic in invasion biology. The spread of the from southern to northern China involved changes in food sources. In this paper, in controlled conditions, we take as an example to study how plant host transformation affects gut bacteria by feeding it its favorite host oranges in the south, its favorite host peaches and apples in the north, and feeding it cucumbers as a non-favorite host plant, thereby further affecting their fitness during invasion.

AANAT1 regulates insect midgut detoxification through the ROS/CncC pathway.

Insecticide resistance has been a problem in both the agricultural pests and vectors. Revealing the detoxification mechanisms may help to better manage insect pests. Here, we showed that arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (AANAT1) regulates intestinal detoxification process through modulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-activated transcription factors cap"n"collar isoform-C (CncC): muscle aponeurosis fibromatosis (Maf) pathway in both the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, and the arbovirus vector, Aedes aegypti.

Lethal, Sublethal, and Offspring Effects of Fluralaner and Dinotefuran on Three Species of Fruit Flies.

Fruit flies cause substantial economic damage, and their management relies primarily on chemical insecticides. However, pesticide resistance has been reported in several fruit fly species, the mitigation of which is crucial to enhancing fruit fly control. Here, we assess the toxicity of a novel insecticide (fluralaner) and a common insecticide (dinotefuran) against three fruit fly species, (Hendel), (Coquillett), and (Walker).

Toxicity of to and effects on its natural predators.

Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are economical and environmentally friendly, forming an essential part of integrated pest management strategies. We screened six strains of (B1-B6) (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae), of which B4 was the most virulent to (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae). We further assessed the biological characteristics of strain B4 and the environmental factors influencing its ability to infect .

Characterization of an agmatine N-acetyltransferase from Bactrocera dorsalis that modulates ovary development.

Agmatine N-acetyltransferase (AgmNAT), which catalyzes the formation of N-acetylagmatine from acetyl-CoA and agmatine, is a member of the GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase family. So far, knowledge of the physiological roles of AgmNAT in insects is limited. Here, we identified one gene encoding protein homologous to that of Drosophila AgmNAT using sequence information from an activity-verified Drosophila AgmNAT in a BLAST search of the Bactrocera dorsalis genome.

Effect of entomopathogenic fungi on behavior and physiology of Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).

In an ant colony, a large number of nestmates with a similar gene pool coexist, making them more vulnerable to pathogenic attacks. These pathogens influence the behavior and physiology of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren. Here, we evaluated the impact of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) Metarhizium anisopliae on the behavior (locomotion and foraging) and physiology (biological molecules, anti-fungal activity, and survival) of S.

Lactic acid bacteria modulate the CncC pathway to enhance resistance to β-cypermethrin in the oriental fruit fly.

The gut microbiota of insects has been shown to regulate host detoxification enzymes. However, the potential regulatory mechanisms involved remain unknown. Here, we report that gut bacteria increase insecticide resistance by activating the cap "n" collar isoform-C (CncC) pathway through enzymatically generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Bactrocera dorsalis.

Decoding epitranscriptomic regulation of viral infection: mapping of RNA N-methyladenosine by advanced sequencing technologies.

Elucidating the intricate interactions between viral pathogens and host cellular machinery during infection is paramount for understanding pathogenic mechanisms and identifying potential therapeutic targets. The RNA modification N-methyladenosine (mA) has emerged as a significant factor influencing the trajectory of viral infections. Hence, the precise and quantitative mapping of mA modifications in both host and viral RNA is pivotal to understanding its role during viral infection.

Distribution analysis of TRH in Bactrocera dorsalis using a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated reporter knock-in strain.

Although the study of many genes and their protein products is limited by the availability of high-quality antibodies, this problem could be solved by fusing a tag/reporter to an endogenous gene using a gene-editing approach. The type II bacterial CRISPR/Cas system has been demonstrated to be an efficient gene-targeting technology for many insects, including the oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis. However, knocking in, an important editing method of the CRISPR/Cas9 system, has lagged in its application in insects.

The Effect of Botanical Pesticides Azadirachtin, Celangulin, and Veratramine Exposure on an Invertebrate Species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

The injudicious and excessive use of synthetic pesticides has deleterious effects on humans, ecosystems, and biodiversity. As an alternative to traditional crop-protection methods, botanical pesticides are gaining importance. In this research endeavor, we examined the contact toxicity, knockdown time, lethal time, and toxicity horizontal transmission of three natural pesticides from plants (azadirachtin, celangulin, and veratramine) on red imported fire ants (RIFA; ).

The Effects of Nine Compounds on Aldehyde-Oxidase-Related Genes in (Hendel).

(Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) () is an important agricultural, major invasive, and quarantine pest that can cause significant damage to the economic value of the fruit and vegetable industry. Male bait is one of the most effective methods of surveying, monitoring, and controlling . In our study, we constructed cDNA libraries using total RNA extracted independently from the antennae, mouthparts, and thoracic legs of male and female adults and the ovipositors of female adults and screened out four aldehyde-oxidase-related genes (AOX-related), , , , and .

Juvenile hormone induces reproduction via miR-1175-3p in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta.

Juvenile hormone (JH) acts in the regulation of caste differentiation between queens and workers (i.e., with or without reproductive capacity) during vitellin synthesis and oogenesis in social insects.

Reproductive behavior of fruit flies: courtship, mating, and oviposition.

Many species of the Tephritidae family are invasive and cause huge damage to agriculture and horticulture, owing to their reproductive characteristics. In this review, we have summarized the existing studies on the reproductive behavior of Tephritidae, particularly those regarding the genes and external factors that are associated with courtship, mating, and oviposition. Furthermore, we outline the issues that still need to be addressed in fruit fly reproduction research.

Transcriptomic Analysis of -Induced Immune-Related Long Non-Coding RNAs in Polymorphic Worker Castes of .

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent a class of RNA molecules that do not encode proteins. Generally studied for their regulatory potential in model insects, relatively little is known about their immunoregulatory functions in different castes of eusocial insects, including , a notoriously invasive insect pest. In the current study, we used , an entomopathogenic fungus, to infect the polymorphic worker castes (Major and Minor Workers) and subjected them to RNA sequencing at different intervals (6, 24, and 48 h post-infection (hpi)).