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Insects
Special Issues
Diapause Regulation and Biological Control of Natural Enemy Insects
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Diapause Regulation and Biological Control of Natural Enemy Insects

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Pest and Vector Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 12924

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Lisheng Zhang

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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Key Laboratory of Natural Enemy Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: insect physiology; diapause regulation; mass rearing of natural enemies; biological control; parasitoid; predators
Prof. Dr. Liansheng Zang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticides, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Interests: biological control; natural enemy; egg parasitoid; Trichogramma; Anastatus; Mesocomys; Chelonus; biological invasion; Spodoptera frugiperda; IPM
Dr. Su Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Plan Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing 100097, China
Interests: biological control; natural enemy; insect physiology; ecosystem ecology; functional ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jincheng Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Interests: biological control; parasitoid; endosymbiont; Wolbachia; Trichogramma; thelytokous parthenogenesis; superparasitism; sex ratio disorders; intraspecific competition; host suitability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural enemy insects are excellent biological control agents for the control of major crop pests and invasive pests. In recent years, countries all around the world have carried out research and used natural enemy insects, which have a good effect on the control of major pests, such as Fall Armyworms and corn borers.

This Special Issue focuses on the development regulation and biological control of natural enemies of insects, sharing the results of basic theoretical and applied evaluation studies.

Prof. Dr. Lisheng Zhang
Prof. Dr. Liansheng Zang
Dr. Su Wang
Dr. Jincheng Zhou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biological control
  • diapause
  • parasitoid
  • predators
  • egg parasitoid
  • mass production
  • host suitability
  • interspecific competition
  • intra-guild predation
  • sublethal effect
  • ecosystem ecology and functional ecology

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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16 pages, 4087 KiB  
Article
Molecular Insights into Diapause Mechanisms in Telenomus remus for Improved Biological Control
by Guojie Yu, Longyu Sheng, Zhongyue Zhang, Qi Zou, Xinxin Lai, Yan Tang, Yuyao Li, Jia Liu, Hao Yan, Xianglin Xie, Fei Hu and Zengxia Wang
Insects 2025, 16(4), 393; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16040393 - 8 Apr 2025
Viewed by 256
Abstract
This study explores the molecular mechanisms underlying diapause in the parasitoid wasp Telenomus remus (Nixon) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), a critical egg parasitoid for the biological control of the invasive pest Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). While effective in pest management, T. remus faces limitations [...] Read more.
This study explores the molecular mechanisms underlying diapause in the parasitoid wasp Telenomus remus (Nixon) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), a critical egg parasitoid for the biological control of the invasive pest Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). While effective in pest management, T. remus faces limitations in large-scale applications due to its short lifespan and low viability under storage conditions. Diapause, a state of developmental arrest, was successfully induced in T. remus using photoperiod manipulation (0L:24D), allowing for extended survival and improved storage potential. Transcriptome sequencing identified 2642 differentially expressed genes, with 617 involved in 284 enriched pathways, including calcium signaling and phototransduction. The study found that the expression levels of CBP1 and CBP2, genes encoding calcium-binding proteins, were significantly downregulated during diapause. As key regulators in calcium ion-mediated signal transduction pathways, the downregulation of CBP1 and CBP2 may lead to the suppression of intracellular calcium signaling, thereby affecting light signal transduction and energy metabolism regulation. This suggests that during diapause, insects may reduce calcium signaling activity to suppress physiological functions, maintain a low metabolic state, and decrease sensitivity to environmental stimuli. Additionally, ARR genes still exhibited differential expression, further supporting their potential role in phototransduction and diapause regulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diapause Regulation and Biological Control of Natural Enemy Insects)
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11 pages, 925 KiB  
Article
Reproductive Success of Trichogramma ostriniae over Trichogramma dendrolimi in Multi-Generational Rearing on Corn Borer Eggs
by Yu Wang, Asim Iqbal, Kanwer Shahzad Ahmed, Yuan-Yuan Zhou and Chen Zhang
Insects 2025, 16(3), 297; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16030297 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 524
Abstract
In China, the Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is the most significant economic insect pest of corn, causing losses ranging from six to nine million tons annually by feeding on all parts of maize, including damaging ears and leaves [...] Read more.
In China, the Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is the most significant economic insect pest of corn, causing losses ranging from six to nine million tons annually by feeding on all parts of maize, including damaging ears and leaves and making tunnels in stems. In China, since the 1970s, the Trichogramma species have extensively mass-reared from factitious hosts to control ACB and support integrated pest management programs. The Trichogramma dendrolimi Matsumura and T. ostriniae Pang and Chen are the most efficient biocontrol agents for controlling ACB among the available Trichogramma species. To evaluate the reproductive success of Trichogramma dendrolimi and T. ostriniae, we assessed the impact of varying parasitoid ratios (5:1, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3, and 1:5 representing T. dendrolimi and T. ostriniae, respectively) on adult offspring emergence and mortality from ACB eggs over multiple generations (from first (F1) to third (F3) generations). We discovered that both Trichogramma species’ offspring emergence was significantly influenced by the parasitoid generations, parasitoid ratios, and their interactions. The offspring mortality in both Trichogramma species was significantly affected by parasitoid generations but was not significantly influenced by parasitoid ratios or interaction between parasitoid generations and parasitoid ratios. Furthermore, at parasitoid ratios of 5:1, 3:1, and 1:1, the emergence rate of the F1 generation of T. dendrolimi was significantly higher compared to the ratios of 1:3 and 1:5. However, in the F2 generation, the emergence of T. dendrolimi decreased considerably, and no emergence was observed in the F3 generation. A contrasting trend was observed in the emergence of T. ostriniae offspring. Overall, regardless of the parasitoid ratios, the offspring emergence of T. ostriniae in all three generations was significantly higher than that of T. dendrolimi. After assessing the offspring mortality in our research by dissecting the unhatched eggs, we found an inverse relationship between the T. dendrolimi generations and their mortality across different parasitoid ratios. Notably, mortality exhibited a significant decline with an increasing number of generations. A positive correlation was observed between the number of T. ostriniae generations and their mortality across different parasitoid ratios, indicating that mortality increased with successive generations. Overall, across all parasitoid ratios and generations, the offspring mortality of T. ostriniae was considerably greater than that of T. dendrolimi. These results suggest that mortality is a crucial empirical measure that validates T. ostriniae’s superiority over T. dendrolimi. These findings highlight the importance of selecting suitable parasitoid species when implementing Trichogramma for pest management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diapause Regulation and Biological Control of Natural Enemy Insects)
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11 pages, 1169 KiB  
Article
Impact of Oviposition Sequence and Host Egg Density on Offspring Emergence and Interspecific Competition in Two Species of Trichogramma Parasitoids
by Yu Wang, Asim Iqbal, Kanwer Shahzad Ahmed, Zheng-Kun Zhang, Juan Cui and Chen Zhang
Insects 2025, 16(2), 214; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16020214 - 15 Feb 2025
Viewed by 543
Abstract
Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis Guenee (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and the rice moth (RM), Corycyra cephalonica Stainton (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) are economically significant insect pests that threaten the agricultural products worldwide. Trichogramma parasitoids are successfully mass-reared using artificial host eggs, RM, and are often [...] Read more.
Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis Guenee (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and the rice moth (RM), Corycyra cephalonica Stainton (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) are economically significant insect pests that threaten the agricultural products worldwide. Trichogramma parasitoids are successfully mass-reared using artificial host eggs, RM, and are often managed by economically important lepidopterous pests, such as ACB in China. Trichogramma ostriniae Pang and Chen (To) and T. dendrolimi Matsumura (Td) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) are two important parasitoids of ACB. To determine the influence of interspecific competition between To and Td on their offspring’s emergence. We determine the emergence of wasp progeny from two distinct hosts (ACB and RM eggs) of varying densities (10, 20, 30, and 100) by examining the effect of three distinct oviposition sequences (To-Td, Td-To, and To+Td) by two Trichogramma species. We discovered that the progeny emergence rate of To and Td from the host was substantially influenced by the parasitoid types, host types, oviposition sequences, and host densities, and their two-, three-, and four-factor interactions while investigating the ACB and RM eggs after oviposition. Additionally, the progeny of Td emerged from 10, 20, and 30 ACB host eggs under three oviposition sequences, which was significantly higher than that of ACB eggs of 100 densities. Nevertheless, the optimum emergence rate of Td progeny was also observed in ACB eggs with a density of 100 under all oviposition sequences. The most suitable oviposition sequences for both wasp species are To-Td and Td-To, as they have the highest rate of progeny emergence. The progeny emergence of both Trichogramma species from RM eggs of varying densities was observed to be significantly different. Nevertheless, the most influential density is 100 RM eggs, as a result of the maximal emergence rate of To and Td. Overall, it is concluded that host eggs with a density of 100 are adequate to meet the oviposition requirements of both wasps in all oviposition orders, thereby limiting their interspecific competition. These findings provide insights into optimizing host density and oviposition strategies for mass-rearing Trichogramma species, which can enhance their efficacy in biological control programs. Future research should explore field-level applications to validate these laboratory findings under natural conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diapause Regulation and Biological Control of Natural Enemy Insects)
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14 pages, 2362 KiB  
Article
Heat and Cold Shocks Decrease the Incidence of Diapause in Trichogramma telengai Larvae
by Natalia D. Voinovich and Sergey Y. Reznik
Insects 2025, 16(1), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16010054 - 8 Jan 2025
Viewed by 707
Abstract
Insect diapause and response to thermal stress are similar in the variety of manifestations. However, the influence of thermal shocks on the incidence of insect diapause has not been sufficiently studied. Our laboratory experiments showed that both cold (−10 °C) and heat (43 [...] Read more.
Insect diapause and response to thermal stress are similar in the variety of manifestations. However, the influence of thermal shocks on the incidence of insect diapause has not been sufficiently studied. Our laboratory experiments showed that both cold (−10 °C) and heat (43 °C) shocks experienced for at least 20–30 min significantly reduced the incidence of facultative larval winter diapause in the insect egg parasitoid Trichogramma telengai. However, the patterns of these responses were substantially different. In particular, the peaks of the sensitivity to diapause-averting effects of heat and of cold shocks fell, correspondingly, on middle-stage (5 days of development at 15 °C) and late-stage (9–11 days of development at 15 °C) larvae. Heat shocks influence the incidence of diapause mostly via the changes in the initial proportions of diapause-destined and non-diapause-destined individuals, whereas the effect of cold shocks is mostly based on differential mortality (i.e., the difference in mortality among treatments of the same experiment) with better survival of non-diapause-destined individuals. These results elucidate the peculiarities of the interaction between stress and diapause, allowing us to specify the methods for Trichogramma mass rearing and storage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diapause Regulation and Biological Control of Natural Enemy Insects)
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20 pages, 3347 KiB  
Article
Molecular Correlates of Diapause in Aphidoletes aphidimyza
by Xiaoyan Dai, Yu Wang, Yan Liu, Ruijuan Wang, Long Su, Zhenjuan Yin, Shan Zhao, Hao Chen, Li Zheng, Xiaolin Dong and Yifan Zhai
Insects 2024, 15(5), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15050299 - 23 Apr 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1675
Abstract
The aphidophagous gall midge, Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Rondani) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), a dominant natural enemy of aphids, has been used as a biological control agent in many countries to control aphids in greenhouses. To identify key factors that induce diapause in A. aphidimyza, we [...] Read more.
The aphidophagous gall midge, Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Rondani) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), a dominant natural enemy of aphids, has been used as a biological control agent in many countries to control aphids in greenhouses. To identify key factors that induce diapause in A. aphidimyza, we evaluated the effects of photoperiod and temperature on the incidence of diapause in A. aphidimyza under laboratory conditions. The results showed that temperature and photoperiod had significant impacts on development and diapause in A. aphidimyza. Low temperatures and a short photoperiod inhibited development, while high temperatures and a long photoperiod promoted development. Temperatures above 20 °C and a photoperiod greater than 14 h prevented diapause in A. aphidimyza. However, the highest diapause rate was recorded at under 15 °C and 10L:14D photoperiod conditions. At 15 °C, the first to third larvae were sensitive to a short photoperiod at any stage, and a short photoperiod had a cumulative effect on diapause induction. The longer the larvae received short light exposure, the higher the diapause rate appeared to be. Transcriptome sequencing analysis at different stages of diapause showed that differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the glucose metabolism pathway. Physiological and biochemical analyses showed that diapausing A. aphidimyza reduced water content; accumulated glycogen, trehalose, sorbitol, and triglycerides; and gradually reduced trehalose and triglyceride contents in the body with the extension of diapause time. Glycogen may be used as a source of energy, but sorbitol is usually used as a cryoprotectant. This study provided results on aspects of diapause in A. aphidimyza, providing data and theoretical support for promoting its commercial breeding and in-depth research on the molecular mechanisms underlying diapause regulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diapause Regulation and Biological Control of Natural Enemy Insects)
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15 pages, 3185 KiB  
Article
Transcriptomics Provide Insights into the Photoperiodic Regulation of Reproductive Diapause in the Green Lacewing, Chrysoperla nipponensis (Okamoto) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)
by Shaoye Liu, Yuqing Gao, Rangjun Shi, Haiyi Huang, Yongyu Xu and Zhenzhen Chen
Insects 2024, 15(2), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15020136 - 17 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2077
Abstract
Chrysoperla nipponensis (Okamoto) displays typical adult reproductive diapause under short photoperiods; however, our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying photoperiod-sensitive reproduction remains limited. In this study, we performed transcriptome profiling of four treatments (the diapause-sensitive stage and pre-diapause phase under long and short [...] Read more.
Chrysoperla nipponensis (Okamoto) displays typical adult reproductive diapause under short photoperiods; however, our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying photoperiod-sensitive reproduction remains limited. In this study, we performed transcriptome profiling of four treatments (the diapause-sensitive stage and pre-diapause phase under long and short photoperiods) of C. nipponensis using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). A total of 71,654 unigenes were obtained from the samples. Enrichment analysis showed that fatty acid metabolism-related pathways were altered under a short photoperiod. Moreover, β-oxidation-related gene expression was active during the diapause-sensitive period under a short photoperiod. The knockdown of juvenile hormone acid methyltransferase 1 (Jhamt1) prolonged the pre-oviposition period but did not affect the reproductive ability of female individuals in C. nipponensis. These findings provided us with a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms of photoperiod-sensitive diapause and show that groundwork is crucial for bolstering the long-term storage and biocontrol potential of C. nipponensis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diapause Regulation and Biological Control of Natural Enemy Insects)
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16 pages, 2233 KiB  
Article
Measurement of Fitness and Predatory Ability of Four Predatory Mite Species in Tibetan Plateau under Laboratory Conditions
by Dong Xiang, Zhen Wang, Long Xu, Yunchao Wang, Huanhuan Zhang and Kun Yang
Insects 2024, 15(2), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15020119 - 6 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1912
Abstract
Predatory mites are biological control agents used in many countries against various vegetable pests, particularly spider mites. Despite the significant presence of predatory mites in the Tibetan plateau, there is limited research on their potential against spider mites in the area. This study [...] Read more.
Predatory mites are biological control agents used in many countries against various vegetable pests, particularly spider mites. Despite the significant presence of predatory mites in the Tibetan plateau, there is limited research on their potential against spider mites in the area. This study investigated the fitness parameters and performance against TSSM of four predatory, including Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) and three species from the genus Neoseiulus (Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor), Neoseiulus barkeri (Hughes), and Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans)), originally collected from fields in the Tibetan Plateau. Compared to the other three predatory species, A. swirskii exhibited the highest fecundity (11.60 ± 0.34) and the highest pre-adult survival rate (83.33 ± 3.33%). Since their juvenile survival rate (SR) was extremely low (13.33% ± 5.77%), most N. barkeri nymphs died before emergence. Compared to the other three predatory mites, A. swirskii showed the highest predation capacity against adult TSSMs at 15 d post-release (14.28 ± 2.24). Based on the results, A. swirskii was the most effective, and N. barkeri was the least effective in controlling two-spotted mites in the Tibetan Plateau among the four species tested in this study. Collectively, these findings imply notable advantages in employing A. swirskii for controlling two-spotted mites in the Tibetan Plateau. This study informs the development of a feasible biological control method based on suitable predatory mite species to manage TSSMs in the Tibetan Plateau. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diapause Regulation and Biological Control of Natural Enemy Insects)
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11 pages, 429 KiB  
Article
Parasitism and Suitability of Trichogramma chilonis on Large Eggs of Two Factitious Hosts: Samia cynthia ricini and Antheraea pernyi
by Yue-Hua Zhang, Ji-Zhi Xue, Talha Tariq, Tian-Hao Li, He-Ying Qian, Wen-Hui Cui, Hao Tian, Lucie S. Monticelli, Nicolas Desneux and Lian-Sheng Zang
Insects 2024, 15(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15010002 - 20 Dec 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3932
Abstract
Trichogramma, an effective biological control agent, demonstrates promise in environmentally sustainable pest management through its parasitic action toward insect eggs. This study evaluates the parasitism fitness and ability of T. chilonis with regard to two factitious host eggs, aiming to develop a [...] Read more.
Trichogramma, an effective biological control agent, demonstrates promise in environmentally sustainable pest management through its parasitic action toward insect eggs. This study evaluates the parasitism fitness and ability of T. chilonis with regard to two factitious host eggs, aiming to develop a cost-effective biological control program. While T. chilonis demonstrated the ability to parasitize both host eggs, the results indicate a preference for ES eggs over COS eggs. The parasitism and emergence rates of T. chilonis regarding ES eggs (parasitism: 89.3%; emergence: 82.6%) surpassed those for COS eggs (parasitism: 74.7%; emergence: 68.8%), with a notable increase in the number of emergence holes observed in the ES eggs compared to the COS eggs. Moreover, the developmental time of T. chilonis for ES eggs (10.8 days) was shorter than that for COS eggs (12.5 days), resulting in a lower number of dead wasps produced. Notably, no significant difference was observed in the female ratios between the two species. A comprehensive analysis was conducted, comparing the size and shell thickness of the two factitious hosts. The ES eggs exhibited smaller dimensions (length: 1721.5 μm; width: 1178.9 μm) in comparison to the COS eggs (length: 2908.8 μm; width: 2574.4 μm), with the ES eggshells being thinner (33.8 μm) compared to the COS eggshells (47.3 μm). The different host species had an effect on the body length of the reared parasitoids, with T. chilonis reared on COS hosts exhibiting a larger body length (female: 626.9 µm; male: 556.7 µm) than those reared on ES hosts (female: 578.8 µm; male: 438.4 µm). Conclusively, the results indicate that ES eggs present a viable alternative to COS eggs for the mass production of Trichogramma species in biological control programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diapause Regulation and Biological Control of Natural Enemy Insects)
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