Temporal and spatial distribution of insecticide-resistance mutations in the green peach aphid Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on primary and secondary host plants in central Chile.

Background: The aphid Myzus persicae develops insensitivity to almost all classes of insecticides through target site mutations. The aim of this study was to assess the temporal and spatial distribution of resistant aphids that grow on peach trees and weeds, and establish the role of the secondary hosts as a reservoir of resistant genotypes.

Results: The frequency of genotypes (RR, RS, and SS) was affected by the host plant, mainly for knock-down resistance (kdr) and modified acetylcholinesterase (MACE) mutations (P < 0.

Virtual Screening of Plant Volatile Compounds Reveals a High Affinity of Hylamorpha elegans (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Odorant-Binding Proteins for Sesquiterpenes From Its Native Host.

Hylamorpha elegans(Burmeister) is a native Chilean scarab beetle considered to be a relevant agricultural pest to pasture and cereal and small fruit crops. Because of their cryptic habits, control with conventional methods is difficult; therefore, alternative and environmentally friendly control strategies are highly desirable. The study of proteins that participate in the recognition of odorants, such as odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), offers interesting opportunities to identify new compounds with the potential to modify pest behavior and computational screening of compounds, which is commonly used in drug discovery, may help to accelerate the discovery of new semiochemicals.