Search Results (212)

The montane water vole, Arvicola scherman, is a fossorial rodent that lives underground in grasslands, pastures and meadows in the mountain ranges of southwestern and central Europe. It feeds mainly on grasses, roots, and bulbs, causing considerable economic damage to agriculture. Consequently, it is recognised as one of the most important pest vole species in European agroecosystems. The dynamics of these pest populations may be affected by interactions with their parasites. For this reason, an helminthoecological study was carried out in Asturias (NW Spain), analysing a total of 815 montane water voles, 464 (56.9%) of which were parasitised by at least one of the six helminth species detected: Hydatigera taeniaeformis s.l. larvae (9%), Aonchotheca wioletti (0.1%), Eucoleus bacillatus (0.4%), Trichuris arvicolae (7%), Carolinensis minutus (30%) and Syphacia nigeriana (12%). The helminth community found was compared with that reported from A. scherman analysed in other locations of the Iberian Peninsula. This study also analyses the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the prevalence and abundance of the helminth component species, with host age and body condition being the most influential determinants. H. taeniaeformis s.l. and T. arvicolae are postulated as potential regulators of the analysed population, a pest in crops from NW Spain. Full article

Mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) are one of the prevalent pests infesting wine grapes in the eastern United States. Their close association with ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) provides them with protection against natural enemies. Although sugar-based dispensers have been proposed as a strategy to disrupt this trophobiotic interaction, their field performance and indirect effects on mealybug infestation remain poorly understood. This study addresses this gap by identifying mealybug species present in Virginia vineyards, characterizing dominant ant genera associated with mealybugs, and evaluating the impact of sugar dispensers (with and without insecticide) on ant activity, mealybug density, and fruit cluster infestation. Field trials were conducted in two commercial vineyards in Virginia, USA, both with a history of mealybug infestations. Sampling plots with or without sugar dispensers were compared to assess differences in mealybug and ant population densities and fruit cluster infestation levels. Two mealybug species, Pseudococcus maritimus (Ehrhorn) and Ferrisia gilli Gullan, were detected at both sites. Some dominant ant genera, including Tetramorium Mayr, Lasius Fabricius, Solenopsis molesta (Say), Crematogaster Lund, and Pheidole Westwood, were found in close association with mealybugs. Ant activity remained low in untreated plots, whereas insecticide-treated dispensers initially attracted high ant numbers, which declined over time. Fruit cluster infestation was highest in plots lacking dispensers, indicating that dispenser deployment reduced mealybug impact. These findings demonstrate that sugar dispensers, particularly those containing insecticide, can suppress ant activity and reduce mealybug-related fruit damage, offering a practical non-disruptive tool for integrated pest management in small- and medium-sized vineyards. Full article

Vespa orientalis is an emerging pest in southern Italy, with increasing impacts on bees in apiculture and urban environments. This study assessed the attractiveness of three bait types—beer, canned peaches, and commercial fish-based cat food—used in transparent plastic bottle traps deployed in apiary and urban sites across the Campania region. Trapping was conducted from September to October in 15 apiaries and 10 urban areas. A total of 419 hornets (V. orientalis and V. crabro) were collected. V. crabro showed a strong preference for beer-baited traps, whereas V. orientalis did not exhibit significant bait preferences, although most captures occurred in protein-baited traps. Species composition differed between environments, with V. orientalis more prevalent in urban sites. Overall, low capture rates of V. orientalis despite high presence in apiaries suggest that conventional attractant-based trapping is poorly suited for this species, highlighting the need for behaviour-based monitoring tools. Full article

Spodoptera frugiperda is a highly destructive migratory pest of global concern that infests a wide range of crops, particularly maize, as well as rice and sugarcane, causing substantial economic losses in China. Since its invasion of China, S. frugiperda has experienced prolonged insecticide selection pressure, resulting in the accelerated evolution and increasing prevalence of resistance to specific insecticides. This study aimed to elucidate the role of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP) gene families in mediating resistance to chlorantraniliprole and to evaluate the efficacy of nanoparticle-mediated delivery systems combined with P450-specific synergists for controlling S. frugiperda. Toxicity bioassays conducted on field populations demonstrated that chlorantraniliprole still retained considerable insecticidal activity. Analyses of three detoxification enzyme activities revealed a significant elevation in cytochrome P450 activity, and expression profiling of candidate CYP genes was performed using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Exposure to chlorantraniliprole resulted in a 2.53-fold upregulation of CYP4G75 expression. Furthermore, nano-agrochemical formulation assays showed that the combined application of LDHs-dsCYP4G75 and chlorantraniliprole exerted a significant synergistic effect, increasing mortality by 21.99% compared with either treatment applied alone. Overall, this study provides mechanistic insights into P450-mediated resistance and offers a promising strategy to reduce reliance on chemical insecticides, thereby contributing to the development of sustainable integrated pest management (IPM) programs. Full article

Western flower thrips (WFT; Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande)) is a major pest of greenhouse ornamental crops in Ontario, Canada, and recent surveys indicate onion thrips (OT; Thrips tabaci Lindeman) is becoming increasingly prevalent. This study investigates primary routes of entry for WFT and OT in the Niagara region of Ontario. Imported plant material (chrysanthemum cuttings) was sampled from 2016 to 2019 to confirm thrips presence and species identity. Entry from outside was evaluated from June to November in 2019 at three commercial greenhouses that produced chrysanthemums year-round with a mix of vegetative, budding, and flowering plants present. Sticky cards were mounted inside and outside from June to November, and plant taps were conducted bi-weekly to evaluate thrips establishment in the crop. Cuttings consistently harboured thrips, averaging 0.04 thrips per cutting. In 2019, all but one adult specimen collected on cuttings were WFT, confirming this is an important route of entry for WFT. Onion thrips were not found on cuttings but was prevalent on cards both outside and inside greenhouses. More OT was caught on outside cards and a significant correlation between inside and outside cards (Efron’s pseudo-R² = 0.64) indicates outside populations are a likely source of OT. Additionally, eastern flower thrips (EFT; Frankliniella tritici Fitch) was abundant on cards, but uncommon in the crop. Indoor cards were poor indicators of species composition within the crop, significantly underrepresenting WFT by 71% and overrepresenting EFT by 246%, compared to plant taps. These findings support the use of cutting dips for imported cuttings, in addition to physical control measures to reduce infestation from outdoor populations. This study also highlights the importance of plant inspections for gathering accurate data when making pest management decisions as sticky cards alone may not reliably reflect thrips populations. Full article

The rapid evolution of insecticide resistance in Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) threatens effective pest management in key crops. This study characterized B. tabaci populations from cotton and tomato fields in Kashgar (September–October 2024) using mtCOI-RFLP for cryptic species identification, leaf-dip bioassays with 13 insecticides, and PCR detection of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV). All analyzed individuals belonged to the Mediterranean (MED) cryptic species. Extreme resistance was observed to imidacloprid (RR = 320.65) and pyridaben (RR = 331.29), while nitenpyram (RR = 1.77) and the emamectin benzoate–chlorantraniliprole mixture (RR = 2.13) remained effective. TYLCV was detected in 97.5% of adults from tomato greenhouses. These findings provide a concise assessment of resistance status, species identification, and virus prevalence in B. tabaci, informing sustainable management strategies in cotton and tomato production. Full article

Invertebrate iridescent viruses (IIVs, family Iridoviridae) are icosahedral double-stranded DNA viruses that infect a wide range of invertebrates, particularly in humid and aquatic environments. During field trials in Chiapas, southern Mexico, larvae of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), displayed an unexpected lavender iridescence, leading to the discovery of novel IIV isolates from this major agricultural pest. Restriction endonuclease analysis revealed evident diversity among isolates from individual infected larvae. Although one field experiment yielded inconclusive results, a second experiment revealed a positive association between IIV disease and SfMNPV infection, compared to a negative association with the prevalence of parasitoids, and no association with entomopathogenic nematodes (probably Hexamermis sp.). These findings require further investigation to determine the distinct ecological routes through which the virus may transmit across host species. IIV infection of S. frugiperda was also identified in Veracruz State, Mexico, and northern Argentina, revealing a previously unrecognized geographic and host range for these viruses. The genomic and evolutionary features of the three isolates from S. frugiperda were compared with those of two other lepidopteran isolates from Helicoverpa zea (IIV30C obtained from CSIRO) and Anticarsia gemmatalis (AgIIV). Genome sizes ranged between 196.1 and 205.4 kbp (~28% GC content), with several large inversions, and were rich in tandem repeats. The average amino acid identity of the complete genomes and phylogenetic analyses of 26 core gene sequences placed all five isolates within the genus Chloriridovirus, closely related to IIV22 and IV22a isolated from blackflies (Diptera) in Wales and a previously sequenced isolate of IIV30 from the USA. We conclude that these lepidopterans are all infected by closely related strains of the virus species Chloriridovirus simulium1 across their native geographical range. These findings highlight the unexpected ecological breadth and evolutionary adaptability of IIVs. Full article

Deep learning has become a powerful tool for diagnosing pests and plant diseases, although conventional convolutional neural networks (CNNs) generally suffer from limited interpretability and suboptimal focus on important image features. This study examines the integration of attention mechanisms into two prevalent CNN architectures—ResNet50 and MobileNetV2—to improve the interpretability and classification of diseases impacting date palm trees. Four attention modules—Squeeze-and-Excitation (SE), Efficient Channel Attention (ECA), Soft Attention, and the Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM)—were systematically integrated into ResNet50 and MobileNetV2 and assessed on the Palm Leaves dataset. Using transfer learning, the models were trained and evaluated through accuracy, F1-score, Grad-CAM visualizations, and quantitative metrics such as entropy and Attention Focus Scores. Analysis was also performed on the model’s complexity, including parameters and FLOPs. To confirm generalization, we tested the improved models on field data that was not part of the dataset used for learning. The experimental results demonstrated that the integration of attention mechanisms substantially improved both predictive accuracy and interpretability across all evaluated architectures. For MobileNetV2, the best performance and the most compact attention maps were obtained with SE and ECA (reaching 91%), while Soft Attention improved accuracy but produced broader, less concentrated activation patterns. For ResNet50, SE achieved the most focused and symptom-specific heatmaps, whereas CBAM reached the highest classification accuracy (up to 90.4%) but generated more spatially diffuse Grad-CAM activations. Overall, these findings demonstrate that attention-enhanced CNNs can provide accurate, interpretable, and robust detection of palm tree diseases and pests under real-world agricultural conditions. Full article

Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and Sesamia nonagrioides (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are major maize pests in the central-eastern Mediterranean area, responsible for both quantitative and qualitative yield losses. This study investigated the corn borer species present in central-eastern Italy, the presence and prevalence of O. nubilalis pheromone races, and the within-plant larval distribution. Traps baited with E, Z, or E/Z pheromone lures were used to investigate O. nubilalis pheromone races, while 596 maize plants were sampled at harvest and dissected to determine species composition, relative abundance, and larval distribution across three plant sections (lower and upper stalk and ear). Males were captured in traps baited with each pheromone lure, with no significant differences among catches. Larval sampling revealed the co-occurrence of O. nubilalis and S. nonagrioides, with O. nubilalis being the prevalent species. For both species, larvae were significantly more abundant in the lower plant section, and co-occurrence did not appear to influence their within-plant distribution. Comparing the species-specific larval distribution, a significantly higher proportion of S. nonagrioides occurred in the lower plant section, whereas O. nubilalis was significantly more frequent in the ears. However, the presence of both species in the ears highlights the need to consider both pests in management. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring activities in the area, using traps baited with each pheromone lure for O. nubilalis. Knowledge of the co-occurrence between the two species can be considered fundamental for developing Integrated Pest Management strategies, as it can influence the timing and effectiveness of control methods. Full article

The production and quality of wheat and maize grain can be significantly affected by various pests and pathogens, with phytoplasmas posing a particular threat due to their rapid spread and potential to cause severe damage to cultivated crops. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the risk associated with these wall-less bacteria in wheat and maize crops. To achieve this, a survey was conducted in commercial fields located in southwestern Poland. Samples of winter wheat and fodder maize were collected at two distinct developmental stages, including both symptomatic and asymptomatic plants. Symptoms observed in wheat included yellowing, stunting, and excessive tillering, while maize plants showed yellow leaf striping, red discoloration, and stunted growth. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays using phytoplasma-specific primers, followed by Sanger sequencing and sequence analysis, confirmed phytoplasma infections in 2% of wheat and 1.5% of maize samples. Virtual restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis identified the wheat-infecting phytoplasmas as belonging to subgroup 16SrI-C (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma tritici’-related strain)—a pathogen of major concern for wheat, while maize-infecting phytoplasmas were classified into subgroups 16SrI-B and 16SrV-C. Additionally, wheat plants collected during the early elongation phase were tested for Mastrevirus hordei (former wheat dwarf virus, WDV) using double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA), which confirmed the presence of WDV in all tested samples. Preliminary screening of field-collected leafhoppers revealed that 7.5% of Psammotettix alienus, the predominant species in wheat fields, carried 16SrI-C phytoplasmas. In maize fields, Zyginidia scutellaris was the most prevalent species, with 1.7% of individuals carrying 16SrV-C phytoplasma. These findings suggest that these insect species may contribute to the transmission of phytoplasmas in wheat and maize. This study provides the first documented evidence of 16SrI-C phytoplasma infecting wheat in Poland, and of 16SrV-C and 16SrI-B phytoplasmas infecting maize, expanding the known host range of these subgroups in the country and highlighting their potential phytosanitary importance. Full article

Gut microbial community research has garnered considerable attention due to its pivotal role in shaping diverse insect hosts’ life-history traits, with key studies confirming that insect gut microbiota is vital for core physiological processes including growth, nutrient metabolism, nitrogen fixation, pheromone biosynthesis, and environmental adaptation. Findings highlight that integrating insect ecology understanding with gut microbial community characterization is indispensable for innovative pest management strategies. Notably, S. frugiperda, a globally destructive agricultural pest causing substantial annual economic losses, has been extensively investigated. Its host range is extremely wide, from staple food crops such as corn and rice to various cash crops. This review systematically synthesizes the prevalent diversity of its gut’s dominant microbes, clarifies the important mechanism of gut microbiota in host stress adaptation (providing direct evidence for explaining the pest’s stress resistance formation), draws the key conclusion that host–microbe interaction mechanisms can serve as key pest management targets to guide more targeted control technologies. We also discuss current limitations such as inadequate microbial function verification and unclear host–microbe molecular mechanisms while outlining future directions including focusing on microbial community dynamic changes under multiple environmental stresses and functional microbe screening and application. Full article

The olive psyllid (Euphyllura olivina), previously considered a secondary pest in Spain, is becoming more prevalent due to climate change and rising average temperatures. Its cottony wax secretions can cause substantial damage to olive crops under certain climatic conditions. Traditional monitoring methods for this pest are often labor-intensive, subjective, and impractical for large-scale surveillance. This study presents an automatic image segmentation approach based on deep learning to detect and quantify the cottony masses produced by E. olivina in olive trees. A well-annotated image dataset is developed and published, and a thorough evaluation of current camouflaged object detection (COD) methods is carried out for this task. Our results show that deep learning-based segmentation enables accurate and non-invasive assessment of pest symptoms, even in challenging visual conditions. However, further calibration and field validation are required before these methods can be deployed for operational integrated pest management. This work establishes a public dataset and a baseline benchmark, providing a foundation for future research and decision-support tools in precision agriculture. Full article

Dactylopius opuntiae (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae), the wild cochineal scale, is a major pest of prickly pear crops worldwide. This study characterized the bacterial community structure of D. opuntiae from four Moroccan regions using targeted PCR and full-length 16S rRNA MinION sequencing. We report the first detection of Wolbachia (16.6% prevalence) in D. opuntiae, with infection rates varying geographically from 0% (Rabat) to 53.3% (Ouazzane). Spiroplasma was detected at a lower prevalence (3.3%) and exclusively in males. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Wolbachia sequences likely belong to supergroup B, based on their similarity to reference sequences, while Spiroplasma sequences were placed within the poulsonii–citri complex. MinION sequencing revealed Candidatus Dactylopiibacterium as the dominant taxon (97.7%), consistent with its role as an obligate symbiont. After removing this dominant species, we uncovered a diverse bacterial community, including Flavisolibacter, Pseudomonas, Phyllobacterium, Acinetobacter, and Brevibacillus. Beta diversity analysis showed significant geographic variation (PERMANOVA p < 0.008), with distinct communities across regions. Females harbored a more specialized microbiome dominated by Flavisolibacter (except in Agadir), whereas males and nymphs showed Pseudomonas dominance. Core microbiome analysis revealed no universal genera across all groups, with females displaying a more restricted core than males and nymphs. The detection of reproductive symbionts, combined with geographic and sex-specific microbiome patterns, provides valuable insights into the potential roles of these bacteria in host adaptation and their implications for microbiome-based pest management strategies. The complementary use of targeted and untargeted sequencing methods is essential for comprehensive microbiome characterization in this economically important pest. Full article

The Diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.), the most significant worldwide pest of Brassica crops, is notorious for resistance to a diverse number of insecticides. Field populations bioassayed in Georgia and Florida, USA, in 2018 were resistant to chlorantraniliprole but susceptible to cyantraniliprole. Subsequently, populations assayed in 2021, 2022, and 2023 were cross-resistant to both diamides. We used NextSeq analysis of the ryanodine receptor PxRyR, the target of diamides, to quantify target site mutations associated with resistance. Three populations sampled in 2018 had a high prevalence (75.0–98.3% of total reads) of the G4946E mutation, associated with resistance to chlorantraniliprole, and additionally, in one population, a very low (2.7%) prevalence of another mutation, I4790K, was associated with diamide cross-resistance. Populations sampled in 2021 had a decreased prevalence of G4946E (0.7 and 8.4%) and increased prevalence of I4790K (9.3 and 18.0%). The G4946E allele was almost absent (0.2% to 3.9%) in populations sampled in 2022 and 2023, while I4790K was present at frequencies from 34.1% to 84.0%. These data suggest a remarkable shift in PxRyR target site mutations, replacing G4946E with I4790K, which occurred between 2018 and 2022, and were associated with the recent occurrence of cross-resistance in DBM populations in the Southeastern USA. Full article

The increasing prevalence of pests and diseases in agriculture necessitates innovative strategies for crop protection that mitigate environmental impacts. This review paper investigates the synergistic potential of combining microbial biocontrol agents and phytochemical biopesticides as sustainable alternatives to chemical pesticides. Through a comprehensive review of recent literature, we analyze the mechanisms by which beneficial microbes (e.g., Trichoderma, Bacillus, and Pseudomonas) enhance plant resilience and suppress pathogens, and how plant-derived phytochemicals such as essential oils, alkaloids, and flavonoids contribute to pest deterrence and disease resistance. The integration of these bio-based resources forms an actionable framework for sustainable crop protection—enabling reduced chemical dependence, improved soil health, and enhanced biodiversity. Examples of synergistic success, such as the combined use of Bacillus thuringiensis with neem extract and Trichoderma with lemongrass oil, illustrate their field potential. Future research should prioritize the formulation of stable microbial–phytochemical consortia, field validation of synergistic efficacy, and optimization of delivery systems to support commercial-scale adoption. Ultimately, this study promotes a paradigm shift toward eco-efficient pest management, bridging fundamental research and applied innovation for resilient agroecosystems. Full article