Plant–Insect Interactions: Host Plant Resistance, Biological Control, and Pollination
1. Introduction
2. Overview of Published Articles
- Zhu et al. (Contribution 1) investigated gene expression response to mechanical damage and feeding by Phthorimaea operculella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) at different time points. Compared to mechanical damage, feeding by P. operculella induced moregenes and resulted in a stronger gene expression.
- Zhang et al. (Contribution 2) studied the adaptive responses of S. frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to nutritional and enzymatic variations in different maize cultivars. This study highlights the different adaptations of S. frugiperda’s digestive and detoxification systems.
- Volp et al. (Contribution 3) investigated the avoidance of and preference for pigeonpea flowers and pods of first-, second-, third-, and fourth-instar larvae of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Early instars were shown to prefer flowers, while older instars preferred to feed on pods. Boring through pigeonpea pod walls imposed a physiological cost for third- but not for fourth-instar larvae.
- Rodríguez-Leyva et al. (Contribution 4) analyzed the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by the cactus pear Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller as a result of herbivory by the cochineals Dactylopius coccus Costa and D. opuntiae Cockerell. Cactus pear produced different VOCs depending on the Dactylopius species affecting the plant. Among the VOCs identified, methyl salicylate, terpenes, and p-vinylguaiacol were suggested as being likely to play a defense role in O. ficus-indica.
- Abbes et al. Al-Azzazy and Alhewairini (Contribution 5) studied the suitability of three solanaceous crops—eggplant, potato, and tomato—to cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). Using age-stage two-sex life tables, the study showed that tomato, followed by potato plants, were more suitable hosts for P. solenopsis than eggplant.
- Al-Azzazy and Alhewairini (Contribution 6) tested the use of the predatory mites Phytoseius plumifer Canestrini and Fanzago and Euseius scutalis Athias-Henriot (Phytoseiidae) as biological control agents against the grape erineum mite, Colomerus vitis Pagenstecher (Eriophyidae).
- George et al. (Contribution 7) investigated the potential of different fungal endophytes, specifically Beauveria bassiana strains, in colonizing cotton plants and their efficacy against tarnished plant bug Lygus lineolaris Palisot de Beauvois (Hemiptera: Miridae). These endophytes can colonize different plant parts, affecting cotton plant growth as well as the development and mortality of L. lineolaris adults and nymphs. The new B. bassiana strain JG-1 affected the olfactory response of L. lineolaris adults and caused significant mortality in bioassays.
- Benvenuti (Contribution 8) reviewed the mutualistic interactions between pollinators and weeds, discussing them in terms of food reward and attractiveness, and analyzed the specialization of these interactions.
- De Brito Machado et al. (Contribution 9) investigated how the chemodiversity of leaves and reproductive organs affect pollinator visitation in Piper mollicomum Kunth (Piperaceae). They showed the importance of understanding the complex interactions between plant chemistry, environmental factors, and plant–insect interactions in P. mollicomum.
- Pimkornburee et al. (Contribution 10) investigated the settling preferences and feeding behavior of the silverleaf whitefly Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on six cassava cultivars using electrical penetration graph techniques. They suggest that cultivars with large trichomes and a low trichome density are more resistant to whitefly infestation and the subsequent transmission of Sri Lankan cassava mosaic virus than those with smaller trichomes and a lower trichome density.
- Jansen-González et al. (Contribution 11) investigated the parasitic relationship between Arastichus gallicola Ferrière (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), an ovary-galling wasp, and the inflorescences of Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum (Schott ex Endl.) Sakur., Calazans & Mayo (Araceae). Although ovule fertilization is not required for gall formation by A. gallicola, pollination substantially enhanced gall retention by reducing T. bipinnatifidum inflorescence abscission.
3. Key Messages
4. Future Directions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
List of Contributions
- Zhu, C.; Yi, X.; Yang, M.; Liu, Y.; Yao, Y.; Zi, S.; Chen, B.; Xiao, G. Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Defense Response of Potato to Phthorimaea operculella Infestation. Plants 2023, 12, 3092. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12173092.
- Zhang, Q.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, K.; Liu, H.; Gou, Y.; Li, C.; Haq, I.U.; Quandahor, P.; Liu, C. Molecular Characterization Analysis and Adaptive Responses of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to Nutritional and Enzymatic Variabilities in Various Maize Cultivars. Plants 2024, 13, 597. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050597.
- Volp, T.M.; Zalucki, M.P.; Furlong, M.J. Ontogenetic Changes in the Feeding Behaviour of Helicoverpa armigera Larvae on Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) Flowers and Pods. Plants 2024, 13, 696. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050696.
- Rodríguez-Leyva, E.; García-Pascual, E.; González-Chávez, M.M.; Méndez-Gallegos, S.d.J.; Morales-Rueda, J.A.; Posadas-Hurtado, J.C.; Bravo-Vinaja, Á.; Franco-Vega, A. Interactions of Opuntia ficus-indica with Dactylopius coccus and D. opuntiae (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) through the Study of Their Volatile Compounds. Plants 2024, 13, 963. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13070963.
- Abbes, K.; Harbi, A.; Guerrieri, E.; Chermiti, B. Using Age-Stage Two-Sex Life Tables to Assess the Suitability of Three Solanaceous Host Plants for the Invasive Cotton Mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley. Plants 2024, 13, 1381. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13101381.
- Al-Azzazy, M.M.; Alhewairini, S.S. The Potential of Two Phytoseiid Mites as Predators of the Grape Erineum Mite, Colomerus vitis. Plants 2024, 13, 1953. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13141953.
- George, J.; Glover, J.P.; Perera, O.P.; Reddy, G.V.P. Role of Endophytic Entomopathogenic Fungi in Mediating Host Selection, Biology, Behavior, and Management of Tarnished Plant Bug, Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae). Plants 2024, 13, 2012. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13152012.
- Benvenuti, S. Weed Role for Pollinator in the Agroecosystem: Plant–Insect Interactions and Agronomic Strategies for Biodiversity Conservation. Plants 2024, 13, 2249. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162249.
- De Brito Machado, D.; Felisberto, J.S.; Queiroz, G.A.d.; Guimarães, E.F.; Ramos, Y.J.; Moreira, D.d.L. From Leaves to Reproductive Organs: Chemodiversity and Chemophenetics of Essential Oils as Important Tools to Evaluate Piper mollicomum Kunth Chemical Ecology Relevance in the Neotropics. Plants 2024, 13, 2497. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172497.
- Pimkornburee, S.; Pombud, S.; Buensanteai, K.; Namanusart, W.; Aiamla-or, S.; Roddee, J. Impact of Cassava Cultivars on Stylet Penetration Behavior and Settling of Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Plants 2024, 13, 3218. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223218.
- Jansen-González, S.; Teixeira, S.P.; Pereira, R.A.S. Conflicting Dynamics of Galling and Pollination: Arastichus gallicola (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae), a Specialized Parasitic Galler in Pistillate Flowers of Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum (Araceae). Plants 2024, 13, 3520. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13243520.
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Badenes-Pérez, F.R. Plant–Insect Interactions: Host Plant Resistance, Biological Control, and Pollination. Plants 2025, 14, 1488. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14101488
Badenes-Pérez FR. Plant–Insect Interactions: Host Plant Resistance, Biological Control, and Pollination. Plants. 2025; 14(10):1488. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14101488
Chicago/Turabian StyleBadenes-Pérez, Francisco Rubén. 2025. "Plant–Insect Interactions: Host Plant Resistance, Biological Control, and Pollination" Plants 14, no. 10: 1488. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14101488
APA StyleBadenes-Pérez, F. R. (2025). Plant–Insect Interactions: Host Plant Resistance, Biological Control, and Pollination. Plants, 14(10), 1488. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14101488