Toxicology and Molecular Physiology of Social Insects

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Physiology, Reproduction and Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 September 2024) | Viewed by 8210

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Interests: insect toxicology; botanical pesticides/biopesticides; integrated pest management; pesticide safety evaluation; new pesticide formulation/nanopesticides

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

The toxicology and molecular physiology of insects comprise an interdisciplinary subject involving entomology, biochemistry, molecular biology, toxicology and other related fields. Additionally, molecular toxicology advances our insight into the toxicological and toxicokinetic properties of various bioactive compounds. This interdisciplinary approach is of great importance to obtaining a better understanding of the ecology and behavior of insects, elucidating insecticide toxicology and resistance mechanisms. Subsequently, this will help researchers to design more effective insecticides and biopesticides to manage targeted pests that affect agricultural production and public health, while minimizing environmental pollution and its impact on non-target organisms, as well as helping in developing integrated pest management strategies for sustainable land use. Therefore, this Special Issue seeks submissions of original research and review articles dealing with mechanistic understandings of the toxicology and molecular physiology of social insects including ants, bees, termites, and red fire ants, among others.

Prof. Dr. Zhixiang Zhang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • insect toxicology
  • insecticide resistance
  • pest control
  • non-target biosafety
  • molecular toxicology
  • toxicological mechanism
  • new pesticide formulation
  • nanotoxicology

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 598 KiB  
Article
Toxicity and Repellency of (E/Z)-3-Butylidenephthalide: A Natural Compound Isolated from Ligusticum porteri Root Extract Evaluated Against Imported Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
by Abbas Ali, Farhan Mahmood Shah and Ikhlas A. Khan
Insects 2024, 15(11), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15110828 - 23 Oct 2024
Viewed by 747
Abstract
Imported fire ants are pests of significant importance, especially in the southern United States. We tested (E/Z)-3-butylidenephthalide, a natural compound that was isolated from the ethanolic extract of Ligusticum porteri roots, as a repellent and toxicant against workers of [...] Read more.
Imported fire ants are pests of significant importance, especially in the southern United States. We tested (E/Z)-3-butylidenephthalide, a natural compound that was isolated from the ethanolic extract of Ligusticum porteri roots, as a repellent and toxicant against workers of imported fire ants. A series of serial concentrations, starting from 156 µg/g until failure, were tested using digging bioassays. Workers removed significantly less sand from the vials treated with (E/Z)-3-butylidenephthalide as compared to the ethanol control. Based on sand removal data, (E/Z)-3-butylidenephthalide treatment resulted in a more significant digging suppression against red imported fire ant workers at concentrations ranging between 19.5 and 0.6 µg/g than the solvent control whereas sand removal at 0.3 µg/g was similar with the solvent control. Black imported fire ants showed repellency at serial concentrations ranging between 19.5 and 0.15 µg/g whereas the hybrid imported fire ants showed repellency between 19.5 and 4.9 µg/g. In DEET treatments, red and black imported fire ants showed repellency at dosages of 125 to 62.5 µg/g, whereas the treatment failed at the dose of 15.6 µg/g in hybrid fire ants. (E/Z)-3-butylidenephthalide with LC50 values of 11 and 16.4 µg/g was toxic against red and black imported fire ants, respectively, followed by hybrid imported fire ants (LC50 = 104.7 µg/g). Fipronil with LC50 values of 0.49, 0.33, and 0.53 µg/g against red, black, and hybrid fire ants, respectively, was more toxic than (E/Z)-3-butylidenephthalide. In residual bioassay, toxic activity lasted for 3 weeks at dosages of 250 and 500 μg/g against HIFA. The high repellency and toxicity of (E/Z)-3-butylidenephthalide against imported fire ants makes it a natural compound of interest for further evaluation under natural field conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology and Molecular Physiology of Social Insects)
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17 pages, 3209 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Lambda-Cyhalothrin and Spinetoram Toxicity and Their Effects on the Activities of Antioxidant Enzymes and Acetylcholinesterase in Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Larvae
by Ji-Yeong Choi, Kyongmi Chon, Juyeong Kim, Bala Murali Krishna Vasamsetti, Bo-Seon Kim, Chang-Young Yoon, Sojeong Hwang, Kyeong-Hun Park and Ji-Hoon Lee
Insects 2024, 15(8), 587; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15080587 - 1 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1146
Abstract
Honeybees play a crucial role as agricultural pollinators and are frequently exposed to various pollutants, including pesticides. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the toxicity of lambda-cyhalothrin (LCY) and spinetoram (SPI) in honey bee larvae reared in vitro through single (acute) and [...] Read more.
Honeybees play a crucial role as agricultural pollinators and are frequently exposed to various pollutants, including pesticides. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the toxicity of lambda-cyhalothrin (LCY) and spinetoram (SPI) in honey bee larvae reared in vitro through single (acute) and repeated (chronic) exposure. The acute LD50 values for LCY and SPI were 0.058 (0.051–0.066) and 0.026 (0.01–0.045) μg a.i./larva, respectively. In chronic exposure, the LD50 values of LCY and SPI were 0.040 (0.033–0.046) and 0.017 (0.014–0.019) μg a.i./larva, respectively. The chronic no-observed-effect dose of LCY and SPI was 0.0125 μg a.i./larva. Adult deformation rates exceeded 30% in all LCY treatment groups, showing statistically significant differences compared to the solvent control group (SCG). Similarly, SPI-treated bees exhibited significantly more deformities than SCG. Furthermore, we examined the activities of several enzymes, namely, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), in larvae, pupae, and newly emerged bees after chronic exposure at the larval stage (honey bee larval chronic LD50, LD50/10 (1/10th of LD50), and LD50/20 (1/20th of LD50)). LCY and SPI induced significant changes in detoxification (GST), antioxidative (SOD and CAT), and signaling enzymes (AChE) during the developmental stages (larvae, pupae, and adults) of honey bees at sublethal and residue levels. Our results indicate that LCY and SPI may affect the development of honey bees and alter the activity of enzymes associated with oxidative stress, detoxification, and neurotransmission. These results highlight the potential risks that LCY and SPI may pose to the health and normal development of honey bees. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology and Molecular Physiology of Social Insects)
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19 pages, 24474 KiB  
Article
Toxicity and Behavior-Altering Effects of Three Nanomaterials on Red Imported Fire Ants and Their Effectiveness in Combination with Indoxacarb
by Zewen Ma, Jiantao Fu, Yunfei Zhang, Lanying Wang and Yanping Luo
Insects 2024, 15(2), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15020096 - 1 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1917
Abstract
The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) is one of the 100 worst invasive alien species in the world. At present, the control of red imported fire ants is still mainly based on chemical control, and the most commonly used is [...] Read more.
The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) is one of the 100 worst invasive alien species in the world. At present, the control of red imported fire ants is still mainly based on chemical control, and the most commonly used is indoxacarb bait. In this study, the contact and feeding toxicity of 16 kinds of nanomaterials to workers, larvae, and reproductive ants were evaluated after 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h. The results showed that the mortality of diatomite, Silica (raspberry-shaped), and multi-walled carbon nanotubes among workers reached 98.67%, 97.33%, and 68%, respectively, after contact treatment of 72 h. The mortality of both larval and reproductive ants was less than 20% after 72 h of treatment. All mortality rates in the fed treatment group were below 20% after 72 h. Subsequently, we evaluated the digging, corpse-removal, and foraging behaviors of workers after feeding with diatomite, Silica (raspberry-shaped), and multi-walled carbon nanotubes for 24 h, which yielded inhibitory effects on the behavior of red imported fire ants. The most effective was diatomite, which dramatically decreased the number of workers that dug, extended the time needed for worker ant corpse removal and foraging activities, decreased the number of workers that foraged, and decreased the weight of the food carried by the workers. In addition, we also evaluated the contact and feeding toxicity of these three nanomaterials in combination with indoxacarb on red imported fire ants. According to contact toxicity, after 12 h of contact treatment, the death rate among the red imported fire ants exposed to the three materials combined with indoxacarb reached more than 97%. After 72 h of exposure treatment, the mortality rate of larvae was more than 73% when the nanomaterial content was above 1% and 83% when the diatomite content was 0.5%, which was significantly higher than the 50% recorded in the indoxacarb control group. After 72 h of feeding treatment, the mortality of diatomite, Silica (raspberry-shaped), and multi-walled carbon nanotubes combined with indoxacarb reached 92%, 87%, and 98%, respectively. The death rates of the three kinds of composite ants reached 97%, 67%, and 87%, respectively. The three kinds of composite food had significant inhibitory effects on the behavior of workers, and the trend was largely consistent with the effect of nanomaterials alone. This study provides technical support for the application of nanomaterials in red imported fire ant control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology and Molecular Physiology of Social Insects)
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14 pages, 2480 KiB  
Article
The Survival and Physiological Response of Calliptamus abbreviatus Ikonn (Orthoptera: Acrididae) to Flavonoids Rutin and Quercetin
by Xunbing Huang, Li Zheng and Yueyue Wang
Insects 2024, 15(2), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15020095 - 1 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1291
Abstract
Insect-resistant substances from plants are important natural resources that human beings can potentially develop and use to control pests. In this study, we explored the adverse effects of rutin and quercetin on grasshopper (Calliptamus abbreviatus), as well as the insect’s physiological [...] Read more.
Insect-resistant substances from plants are important natural resources that human beings can potentially develop and use to control pests. In this study, we explored the adverse effects of rutin and quercetin on grasshopper (Calliptamus abbreviatus), as well as the insect’s physiological response to these substances in laboratory and field experiments. These two plant compounds exhibited toxic effects on C. abbreviatus, with quercetin showing a stronger toxicity, indicated by a lower survival, slower development, and higher induced gene expression and activities of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, cytochrome P450s, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase, compared to rutin. These compounds, especially quercetin, have the potential to be developed as biopesticides to control grasshoppers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology and Molecular Physiology of Social Insects)
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14 pages, 4048 KiB  
Article
Toxicity and Behavioral Effects of Amending Soils with Biochar on Red Imported Fire Ants, Solenopsis invicta
by Jiantao Fu, Mingda Qin, Yue Liang, Yinglin Lu, Yuxing An and Yanping Luo
Insects 2024, 15(1), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15010042 - 8 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1857
Abstract
Solenopsis invicta, often known as the red imported fire ants (RIFAs), is a well-known global invasive ant species that can be found in agricultural, urban, and natural environments worldwide. Simultaneously, it also inhabits the soil. Biochar is generated by the pyrolysis of [...] Read more.
Solenopsis invicta, often known as the red imported fire ants (RIFAs), is a well-known global invasive ant species that can be found in agricultural, urban, and natural environments worldwide. Simultaneously, it also inhabits the soil. Biochar is generated by the pyrolysis of organic matter under high-temperature anoxic environments and widely used in agricultural ecosystems and soil amendment. However, to date, it remains unknown as to whether soil application of biochar has a negative effect on RIFAs. In our study, we investigated the toxicity and irritability effects of different amounts of biochar (0%, 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) introduced into the soil on red fire ants; upon comparison with the control soil (0% biochar), the application of 1%, 2%, and 5% biochar did not result in significantly different results. But the utilization of biochar at a concentration over 10% effectively repelled the RIFAs, resulting in their departure from the treated soils. High doses of biochar were able to cause death of red fire ants; the mortality rate of red fire ants reached 55.56% after 11 days of 20% biochar treatment. We also evaluated the effects of biochar on four behaviors of red fire ants, namely aggregation, walking, grasping, and attacking; 20% of the biochar treatment group reduced aggregation by 64.22% and this value was 55.22%, 68.44%, and 62.36% for walking, grasping, and attacking. Finally, we measured the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) enzyme activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in red fire ants; the results showed that the activities of the three enzymes increased with the increase in biochar addition, which indicated that a high dose of biochar induced oxidative stress in red fire ants. Our results indicate that biochar has the potential to cause toxicity and repel red imported fire ants (RIFAs) in a manner that is dependent on the concentration. We propose that biochar could be utilized in the control and manufacturing of baits for red fire ant management. This work establishes a foundation for the prevention and management of red fire ants and the logical utilization of biochar. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology and Molecular Physiology of Social Insects)
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