Recent Advances in the Understanding of Molecular Mechanisms of Resistance in Lepidopteran Pests: 2nd Edition

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 May 2025 | Viewed by 3127

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Université Côte d’Azur, INRAE, CNRS, ISA, F-06903 Sophia Antipolis, France
Interests: insecticide resistance; insect functional genomic; cytochrome P450; plant-insect interaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Bayer AG, Crop Science Division, R & D, Pest Control, 40789 Monheim, Germany
Interests: insecticide resistance; insect toxicogenomics; insecticide mode of action; functional genomics; cytochrome P450
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Three years after the first edition, we are pleased to launch a new Special Issue named Recent Advances in the Understanding of Molecular Mechanisms of Resistance in Noctuid Pests. It is an opportunity to focus on the mechanisms of insecticide resistance developed by lepidopterans belonging to the family of Noctuidae (moth species), which are still among the most devastating crop pests on the planet. Some of these noctuids are able to feed on more than 40 different plant families and have a high invasive potential. An example is the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, which originated in the American continent and has, in recent years, invaded various regions of the world (Africa, Asia, and Australia). Its distribution area is growing and it is on the doorstep of Europe. In addition to attacking a wide range of crops, such as maize and rice, it has developed resistance to many classes of insecticides and Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) pore-forming Cry toxins. Other close species of the genus Spodoptera, such as S. litura, S. littoralis, and S. exigua, have the same adaptive capacities. Another important Noctuid subfamily consists of the heliothine moths, e.g., cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, a highly polyphagous species, resistant to many insecticides, which has spread from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia to South America. Understanding how these insects become resistant to chemical insecticides and B.t. toxins is essential for sustainable control and appropriate resistance management tactics. With the advent of the genomes of these noctuids in recent years, the development of techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 and GWAS has considerably improved the identification and validation of molecular mechanisms underlying insecticide resistance.

We invite colleagues working on noctuid moth pests that have developed resistance to chemical insecticides and B.t. toxins to submit original papers, short communications, or reviews. Studies may focus on resistance mechanisms based on target-site mutations and/or metabolic detoxification. Genome comparison analyses between these species are also welcome.

Dr. Gaelle Le Goff
Dr. Ralf Nauen
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

  • lepidopteran
  • insecticide resistance
  • B.t. resistance
  • mechanisms of resistance
  • resistance management
  • detoxification enzymes
  • insecticide target

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

10 pages, 981 KiB  
Article
V1848I Mutation in the Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Confers High-Level Resistance to Indoxacarb and Metaflumizone in Spodoptera exigua
by Xiangjie Liu, Minhui Cao, Wenjuan Mei, Xingliang Wang and Yidong Wu
Insects 2024, 15(10), 777; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15100777 - 8 Oct 2024
Viewed by 783
Abstract
Spodoptera exigua is one of the most serious lepidopteran pests of global importance. With the intensive use of insecticides, S. exigua has evolved resistance to many insecticides, including the sodium channel blocker insecticides (SCBIs) indoxacarb and metaflumizone. In this study, we investigated the [...] Read more.
Spodoptera exigua is one of the most serious lepidopteran pests of global importance. With the intensive use of insecticides, S. exigua has evolved resistance to many insecticides, including the sodium channel blocker insecticides (SCBIs) indoxacarb and metaflumizone. In this study, we investigated the role of the V1848I mutation in the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) in SCBI resistance and its inheritance patterns in S. exigua through the development and characterization of a near-isogenic resistant strain. The AQ-23 strain of S. exigua, collected in 2023 from Anqing, Anhui province of China, shows 165-fold resistance to indoxacarb compared with the susceptible WH-S strain. A frequency of 44.6% for the V1848I mutation was detected in the SeVGSC of the AQ-23 strain, while no F1845Y mutation was found. Through repeated backcrossing and marker-assisted selection, the V1848I mutation in the AQ-23 strain was introgressed into the susceptible WH-S strain, creating a near-isogenic strain named WH-1848I. This WH-1848I strain exhibits high levels of resistance to indoxacarb (146-fold) and metaflumizone (431-fold) but remains susceptible to broflanilide and spinosad compared with the WH-S strain. Inheritance analysis revealed that SCBI resistance in the WH-1848I strain is autosomal, nonrecessive, and genetically linked to the V1848I mutation. These findings establish a clear link between the V1848I mutation and SCBI resistance in S. exigua, offering valuable insights for developing molecular detection tools and resistance management strategies. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 7369 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Exploration of Long Non-Coding RNAs of Helicoverpa armigera in Response to Pyrethroid Insecticide Resistance
by Md-Mafizur Rahman, Celso Omoto and Juil Kim
Insects 2024, 15(3), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15030146 - 21 Feb 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1700
Abstract
Genome-wide long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in low, moderate, and high pyrethroid insecticide-resistant and -susceptible strains of Helicoverpa armigera were identified in this study. Using 45 illumina-based RNA-sequencing datasets, 8394 lncRNAs were identified. In addition, a sublethal dose of deltamethrin was administered to a [...] Read more.
Genome-wide long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in low, moderate, and high pyrethroid insecticide-resistant and -susceptible strains of Helicoverpa armigera were identified in this study. Using 45 illumina-based RNA-sequencing datasets, 8394 lncRNAs were identified. In addition, a sublethal dose of deltamethrin was administered to a Korean-resistant strain (Kor-T). The average length of lncRNAs was approximately 531 bp, and the expression ratio of lncRNAs was 28% of the total RNA. The identified lncRNAs were divided into six categories—intronic, intergenic, sense, antisense, cis-RNA, and trans-RNA—based on their location and mechanism of action. Intergenic and intronic lncRNA transcripts were the most abundant (38% and 33%, respectively). Further, 828 detoxification-related lncRNAs were selected using the Gene Ontology analysis. The cytochrome P450-related lncRNA expression levels were significantly higher in susceptible strains than in resistant strains. In contrast, cuticle protein-related lncRNA expression levels were significantly higher in all resistant strains than in susceptible strains. Our findings suggest that certain lncRNAs contribute to the downregulation of insecticide resistance-related P450 genes in susceptible strains, whereas other lncRNAs may be involved in the overexpression of cuticle protein genes, potentially affecting the pyrethroid resistance mechanism. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop