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Managing Invasive Insects: Good Intentions, Hard Realities

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 14263

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ivan Milosavljević

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Guest Editor

Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Interests: biological invasions; invasive species; biological control; IPM; parasitoids; species distribution models; ecological modeling; multivariate analysis; life-table invasion models; temperature; insect development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Unlike their counterparts in the native range, invasive insect herbivores tend to have populations that are more abundant and damaging in the area that they successfully invade. An environment free of natural enemies in the invaded area, host plant abundance, and a permissive climate combined with a high phenotypic plasticity and broad environmental tolerances are considered key factors in facilitating the success of invasive insect herbivores that become pests. In turn, problems associated with the introduction of invasive insect species may be immediate and severe or populations could undergo a lag phase before reaching the ultimate pest status. Once established in the new area, invasive insect herbivores exert strong negative impacts on urban landscapes, agroecosystems, and native habitats, which often have negative economic and environmental outcomes. Key issues related to managing invasive insects include knowledge gaps regarding the development of risk assessments for species before and after they arrive in a new area, proactive management solutions, early detection and rapid response programs, frugality and pragmatism, and the need for industry and consumer cooperation and education.

This Special Issue brings together a diverse group of key experts, addressing some of these important questions related to invasive insect species ecology and control. Submissions could be reviews, short communications, concept papers, or original research articles that present new data and analyses.

Dr. Ivan Milosavljević
Guest Editor

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

invasive arthropods
managing invasion pathways
risk assessment and analysis
early detection and eradication
IPM and risk assessment
proactive biological control
classical biological control
trapping systems and monitoring

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

16 pages, 5593 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Research on Photoinduction-Based Technology for Trapping Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky, 1853) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

by Xianglan Jiang, Xiaoxia Hai, Yongguo Bi, Feng Zhao, Zhigang Wang and Fei Lyu

Insects 2023, 14(5), 465; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14050465 - 15 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1143

Abstract

Light traps play a crucial role in monitoring pest populations. However, the phototactic behavior of adult Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) remains enigmatic. To provide a theoretical foundation to select the suitable light emitting diode (LED)-based light sources used for monitoring ALB, we compared the effect of exposure time on the phototactic response rates of adults at wavelengths of 365 nm, 420 nm, 435 nm, and 515 nm, and found that the phototactic rate increased gradually when the exposure time was prolonged, but there was no significant difference between different exposure times. We evaluated the effect of diel rhythm and found the highest phototactic rate at night (0:00–2:00) under 420 nm and 435 nm illumination (74–82%). Finally, we determined the phototactic behavioral response of adults to 14 different wavelengths and found both females and males showed a preference for violet wavelengths (420 nm and 435 nm). Furthermore, the effect of the light intensity experiments showed that there were no significant differences in the trapping rate between different light intensities at 120 min exposure time. Our findings demonstrate that ALB is a positively phototactic insect, showing that 420 nm and 435 nm are the most suitable wavelengths for attracting adults. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Managing Invasive Insects: Good Intentions, Hard Realities)

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10 pages, 1315 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biotic Potential Induced by Different Host Plants in the Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

by Nimra Altaf, Atif Idrees, Muhammad Irfan Ullah, Muhammad Arshad, Ayesha Afzal, Muhammad Afzal, Muhammad Rizwan and Jun Li

Insects 2022, 13(10), 921; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13100921 - 12 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2677

Abstract

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a polyphagous insect pest of many important crops. To evaluate the influence of host plants on the biology and survival of the Pakistani population of S. frugiperda, we examined life table parameters of S. frugiperda raised on maize, sorghum, wheat, and rice. The development rate was significantly higher on the maize crop than on the other three host plants. Different larval diets affected development time and fecundity. S. frugiperda attained the fastest larval development (16 days) on maize and the slowest development (32.74 days) on rice. Adult females from maize-fed larvae laid 1088 eggs/female, those from sorghum-fed larvae laid 591.6 eggs/female, those from wheat-fed larvae laid 435.6 eggs/female, and those from rice-fed larvae laid 49.6 eggs/female. Age stage-specific parameters also indicated the higher fecundity, higher life expectancy, and higher survival of S. frugiperda on maize plants than on the other three hosts. Larval diets had a significant varying effect on the finite and intrinsic increase rates, reflecting that maize was the most suitable diet. The findings of the present study are useful for predicting population dynamics especially in areas cultivating Poaceae crops, except maize, to develop sustainable integrated pest management strategies for this pest. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Managing Invasive Insects: Good Intentions, Hard Realities)

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16 pages, 2412 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lethal, Sub-Lethal and Trans-Generational Effects of Chlorantraniliprole on Biological Parameters, Demographic Traits, and Fitness Costs of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

by Zunnu Raen Akhtar, Ayesha Afzal, Atif Idrees, Khuram Zia, Ziyad Abdul Qadir, Shahbaz Ali, Inzamam Ul Haq, Hamed A. Ghramh, Yasir Niaz, Muhammad Bilal Tahir, Muhammad Arshad and Jun Li

Insects 2022, 13(10), 881; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13100881 - 28 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1958

Abstract

Fall armyworm [Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797)] was first reported in the Americas, then spread to all the continents of the world. Chemical insecticides are frequently employed in managing fall armyworms. These insecticides have various modes of actions and target sites to kill the insects. Chlorantraniliprole is a selective insecticide with a novel mode of action and is used against Lepidopteran, Coleopteran, Isopteran, and Dipteran pests. This study determined chlorantraniliprole’s lethal, sub-lethal, and trans-generational effects on two consecutive generations (F₀, F₁, and F₂) of the fall armyworm. Bioassays revealed that chlorantraniliprole exhibited higher toxicity against fall armyworms with a LC₅₀ of 2.781 mg/L after 48 h of exposure. Significant differences were noted in the biological parameters of fall armyworms in all generations. Sub-lethal concentrations of chlorantraniliprole showed prolonged larval and adult durations. The parameters related to the fitness cost in F₀ and F₁ generations showed non-significant differences. In contrast, the F₂ generation showed lower fecundity at lethal (71 eggs/female) and sub-lethal (94 eggs/female) doses of chlorantraniliprole compared to the control (127.5–129.3 eggs/female). Age-stage specific survival rate (S_xj), life expectancy (E_xj) and reproductive rate (V_xj) significantly differed among insecticide-treated groups in all generations compared to the control. A comparison of treated and untreated insects over generations indicated substantial differences in demographic parameters such as net reproduction rate (R₀), intrinsic rate of increase (r), and mean generation time (T). Several biological and demographic parameters were shown to be negatively impacted by chlorantraniliprole. We conclude that chlorantraniliprole may be utilized to manage fall armyworms with lesser risks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Managing Invasive Insects: Good Intentions, Hard Realities)

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11 pages, 1309 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Aedes Mosquito Surveillance Using Ovitraps, Sweep Nets, and Biogent Traps in the City of Yaoundé, Cameroon

by Borel Djiappi-Tchamen, Mariette Stella Nana-Ndjangwo, Elysée Nchoutpouen, Idene Makoudjou, Idriss Nasser Ngangue-Siewe, Abdou Talipouo, Marie Paul Audrey Mayi, Parfait Awono-Ambene, Charles Wondji, Timoléon Tchuinkam and Christophe Antonio-Nkondjio

Insects 2022, 13(9), 793; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13090793 - 31 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2493

Abstract

Arbovirus diseases represent a significant public health problem in Cameroon and vector surveillance is a key component of prevention strategies. However, there is still not enough evidence of the efficacy of different sampling methods used to monitor Aedes mosquito population dynamic in different epidemiological settings. The present study provides data on the evaluation of ovitraps and different adult sampling methods in the city of Yaoundé and its close vicinity. Entomological surveys were carried out from February 2020 to March 2021 in two urban (Obili, Mvan), two peri-urban (Simbock, Ahala), and two rural (Lendom, Elig-essomballa) sites in the city of Yaoundé. The efficacy of three sampling methods, namely ovitraps, Biogent Sentinel trap, and sweep nets, was evaluated. Different ovitrap indices were used to assess the infestation levels across study sites; a general linear model was used to determine if there are statistical differences between positive ovitraps across ecological zones. A total of 16,264 Aedes mosquitoes were collected during entomological surveys. Ovitraps provided the highest mosquito abundance (15,323; 91.14%) and the highest species diversity. Of the five Aedes species collected, Aedes albopictus (59.74%) was the most commonly recorded in both urban and rural settings. Different Aedes species were collected in the same ovitrap. The ovitrap positivity index was high in all sites and varied from 58.3% in Obili in the urban area to 86.08% in Lendom in the rural area. The egg density index varied from 6.42 in Mvan (urban site) to 13.70 in Lendom (rural area). Adult sampling methods recorded mostly Aedes albopictus. The present study supports high infestation of Aedes species in the city of Yaoundé. Ovitraps were highly efficient in detecting Aedes distribution across study sites. The situation calls for regular surveillance and control of Aedes population to prevent sudden occurrence of outbreaks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Managing Invasive Insects: Good Intentions, Hard Realities)

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14 pages, 3426 KiB

Open AccessArticle

RNAi-Mediated Silencing of Putative Halloween Gene Phantom Affects the Performance of Rice Striped Stem Borer, Chilo suppressalis

by Muhammad Faisal Shahzad, Atif Idrees, Ayesha Afzal, Jamshaid Iqbal, Ziyad Abdul Qadir, Azhar Abbas Khan, Ayat Ullah and Jun Li

Insects 2022, 13(8), 731; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13080731 - 15 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2262

Abstract

The physiological and biochemical characterization of the “Halloween” genes has fundamental importance in the biosynthesis pathway of ecdysteroids. These genes were found to catalyze the final phases of ecdysteroid biosynthesis from dietary cholesterol to the molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone. We report the characterization of the Cs-Phm in a major insect pest in agriculture, the rice striped stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (C. suppressalis). A full-length transcript of Cs-Phm was amplified with an open reading frame (ORF) of 478 amino acids through 5′ and 3′ RACE. Cs-Phm shows five insect-conserved P450 motifs: Helix-C, Helix-I, Helix-K, PERF, and heme-binding motifs. Phylogenetic analysis clearly shows high similarity to Lepidoptera and evolutionary conservation in insects. The relative spatial and temporal transcript profile shows that Cs-Phm is highly expressed in the prothoracic glands and appears throughout the larval development, but with low expression at the start of the larval instar. It seems to peak in 3–4 days and decreases again before the larvae molt. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) injection of Cs-Phm at the larval stage efficiently knocked down the target gene and decreased its expression level. The dsRNA-treated group showed significantly decreased ecdysteroid titers, which leads to delayed larval development and higher larval mortality. Negative effects of larval development were rescued by treating 20E in the dsRNA-treated group. Thus, in conclusion, our results suggest that Cs-Phm is functionally conserved in C. suppressalis and encodes functional CYP that contributes to the biogenesis of 20E. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Managing Invasive Insects: Good Intentions, Hard Realities)

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Review

Jump to: Research

20 pages, 437 KiB

Open AccessReview

Four Most Pathogenic Superfamilies of Insect Pests of Suborder Sternorrhyncha: Invisible Superplunderers of Plant Vitality

by Volodymyr V. Oberemok, Nikita V. Gal’chinsky, Refat Z. Useinov, Ilya A. Novikov, Yelizaveta V. Puzanova, Roman I. Filatov, Nanan J. Kouakou, Kra F. Kouame, Kouadio D. Kra and Kateryna V. Laikova

Insects 2023, 14(5), 462; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14050462 - 13 May 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2249

Abstract

Sternorrhyncha representatives are serious pests of agriculture and forestry all over the world, primarily causing damage to woody plants. Sternorrhyncha members are vectors for the transfer of a large number of viral diseases, and subsequently, the host plant weakens. Additionally, many are inherent in the release of honeydew, on which fungal diseases develop. Today, an innovative approach is needed to create new and effective ways to control the number of these insects based on environmentally friendly insecticides. Of particular relevance to such developments is the need to take into account the large number of organisms living together with insect pests in this group, including beneficial insects. Practically without changing their location on their host plant, they adopted to be more invisible and protected due to their small size, symbiosis with ants, the ability to camouflage with a leaf, and moderately deplete plants and others, rarely leading them to death but still causing substantial economic loss in the subtropics and tropics. Due to the lack of presence in the literature, this review fills in this pesky spot by examining (on the example of distinct species from four superfamilies) the characteristic adaptations for this suborder and the chemical methods of combating these insects that allow them to survive in various environmental conditions, suggesting new and highly promising ways of using olinscides for plant protection against Sternorrhyncha members. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Managing Invasive Insects: Good Intentions, Hard Realities)

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