Helicoverpa armigera is a major polyphagous pest with an immense potential to develop resistance to conventional insecticides. Emamectin benzoate (EMB), a compound derived from abamectin, is widely used for its efficacy against lepidopteran larvae. Despite several studies revealing its toxic and growth regulatory effects, information regarding its effects on midgut protein composition remains limited. In this study, we examined the midgut protein profile of H. armigera larvae following exposure to dietary EMB. Midgut proteins were separated by SDS-PAGE and differentially obtained bands were identified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The EMB-treated larvae showed a total of 39 differential proteins, among which 35 proteins were differentially deleted while just 4 proteins were differentially detected. The chief differentially absent proteins were found to be associated with metabolism, protein processing, signal transduction and stress response, while the differentially detected proteins were related to glycolysis and signal transduction. The differential absence/presence of these proteins indicated their plausible role in causing the disrupted metabolic and physiological processes in EMB-treated H. armigera larvae. This study provides qualitative molecular insights into the midgut-level responses of H. armigera to EMB exposure. However, further quantitative estimation of the altered levels of proteins can help formulation of an effective management strategy.
The yellow stem borer (YSB), Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker), is a monophagous pest and an economically important pest that causes substantial yield loss in paddy. Due to injudicious use of synthetic chemicals for the management of the yellow stem borer leads to harmful effects on human health and natural enemies in the paddy ecosystem. Hence, the present study was conducted to evaluate different farming methods like natural farming (NF), organic farming (OF), conventional farming (CF) and farmers' practices (FP) against YSB in paddy. The experiment was carried out at the Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station, Honnavile, Shivamogga during the summer cropping seasons of 2021 and 2022. The results revealed that farmers practices (Chlorantraniliprole 0.4% GR @ 12kg/ha) significantly reduced dead heart (6.49 %) and white ear head (3.22 %) incidence in paddy. This was followed by conventional farming (Chlorantraniliprole 0.4% GR @ 10kg/ha), which recorded dead heart (6.89 %) and white ear head (3.85 %). However highest percentage of dead heart and white ear head was observed in natural farming and organic farming treatment. A significantly higher population of natural enemies (coccinellids and spiders) was recorded under natural farming (9.98), followed by organic farming (9.65).The yield was significantly higher in the conventional farming that is 55.76q/ ha followed by farmer's practices 55.18q/ha. The highest cost-benefit ratio was recorded in the natural farming plot followed by the conventional farming plot, compared to other treatments.
The genus Arhopala (Lycaenidae: Theclinae) is one of the most diverse groups of butterflies in the Oriental region, yet molecular data for Indian species remain limited. In this study, we sequenced the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) gene from five species collected in Northwestern India: Arhopala amantes (Hewitson, 1862), A. rama (Kollar, 1844), A. ganesa (Moore, 1858), A. dodonaea (Moore, 1858) and Surendra quercetorum (Moore, 1858) (Outgroup), generating seven new COI sequences. Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses were conducted using 54 sequences encompassing 49 Arhopala species and relevant outgroups. The results confirmed the monophyly of the Centaurus, Eumolphus, Epimuta, and Rama groups, whereas the Amphimuta and Muta subgroups were polyphyletic. Genetic divergence among Arhopala species ranged from 0.6% to 13.3%, with intergeneric divergence from outgroups up to 13.5%, supporting the utility of COI barcoding for species delineation. This study provides the first molecular records for these species in India, establishes DNA barcodes, clarifies their phylogenetic positions, and contributes to the understanding of evolutionary relationships within Arhopala.
The present study aimed to characterize Callosobruchus maculatus populations collected from five distinct locations in Andhra Pradesh, India (Tirupati, Lam, Guntur, Krishna and Nandyal), using mtCO1-based DNA barcoding, with genomic DNA extracted from approximately 10 adult beetles per population. Additionally, the research sought to develop a molecular diagnostic tool for detecting hidden infestations in stored pulses. PCR amplification employing universal primers yielded fragments of approximately 750 bp. Subsequent nBLAST analysis confirmed these sequences exhibited >99% similarity with C. maculatus entries in GenBank. The generated sequences were submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and unique DNA barcodes were registered in the Barcode of Life Data (BOLD) systems. Notably, this represents the first documented report of C. maculatus DNA barcodes from Andhra Pradesh. Phylogenetic analysis indicated low intraspecific divergence (<1%) among the examined C. maculatus populations from Andhra Pradesh, with populations from Krishna and Tirupati demonstrating complete sequence identity. Furthermore, a multiplex PCR assay targeting the mtCO1 gene was developed to enable simultaneous detection of C. maculatus, Sitophilus oryzae and Rhyzopertha dominica. The assay produced distinct amplicons of 119 bp, 95 bp and 143 bp for the respective species, indicating its potential utility for molecular identification of hidden infestations in stored pulses. The findings demonstrate the usefulness of DNA barcoding for genetic characterization of pulse beetle populations and suggest that multiplex PCR may serve as a promising approach for the simultaneous detection of major stored grain pests.
This study examined the role of oothecae from two mantid species, Hierodula tenuidentata (Saussure, for parasitoid wasps and shelters for associated arthropods. A total of 32 oothecae were assessed, including 28 from H. tenuidentata and four from I. oratoria, collected from tree branches in Semnan and Khorasan Razavi Provinces in Iran, respectively. A total of 167 parasitoids removed from collected oothecae including three torymid species, Podagrion splendens (Spinola, 1811), Podagrion gibbum (Bernard, 1938), and Podagrion bouceki (Delvare, 2005), and one eulophid species, Melittobia megachilis (Packard, 1864), were recovered from H. tenuidentata oothecae. All of them belong to Hymenoptera. In contrast, only P. splendens emerged from I. oratoria oothecae. Additional arthropods included flies, mosquitos, ants and lacewings. All first documented associations with the oothecae of H. tenuidentata and I. oratoria. These finding highlight the potential complexity of various arthropods interactions within mantids oothecae as a suitable microhabitate.
