Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), the fall armyworm, is a highly migratory pest primarily distributed in warm tropical regions, while its occurrence in temperate and colder zones remains limited. This geographic restriction raises critical questions about its adaptive capacity to low-temperature environments. This study examined the growth and development of S. frugiperda under different low-temperature conditions. Different life stages including eggs, larvae (5-d old and 12-d old), pupae, and adults were exposed to 3 low-temperature regimes (4 °C, 7 °C, and 10 °C) for prolonged durations (5 to 40 d). Survival rates, developmental metrics, and post-exposure reproductive capacity were quantified to assess cold tolerance. Results revealed variation in cold tolerance among life stages: pupae exhibited the least cold tolerance, followed by eggs, adults, and 12-d-old larvae, while 5-d-old larvae exhibited the highest cold resistance. Notably, all life stages maintained survival and retained partial fecundity after exposure to 10 °C for 10 d, indicating a cold tolerance threshold under mild low-temperature stress. S. frugiperda exhibits varying degrees of cold tolerance across its life stages, with younger larvae showing greater resilience to low temperatures. These findings demonstrate that S. frugiperda has the capacity to survive and reproduce under cooler conditions, which may facilitate its establishment in temperate regions. The study provides valuable insights into the cold adaptation of S. frugiperda and holds important implications for pest management.

Abstract The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda , poses a significant threat to global food security, causing substantial damage to maize, rice, sorghum, and sugarcane across 353 plant species. While Telenomus remus shows promise as an egg parasitoid for biological control due to its high fecundity and ability to parasitize multilayered egg masses, its short shelf life limits practical application in mass production systems. This case study explores how researchers developed cold storage protocols to stabilize production and supply of this important biological control agent. Through systematic testing of viable and UV-treated S . frugiperda eggs stored at 4°C, 7°C, and 10°C for varying durations and evaluation of parasitized eggs at different developmental stages under similar storage temperature conditions, the study demonstrates that viable S . frugiperda eggs remained suitable hosts after 7 days of storage at 4°C and 7°C, while parasitized eggs at 7 days post-parasitism could be stored at 10°C for up to 14 days without significant viability loss. These findings provide a foundation for large-scale production systems that can supply parasitoids to regions severely affected by fall armyworm infestations. Information © The Authors 2026

The Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a globally invasive pest, and its management is primarily dependent on chemical pesticides, which has spurred the need for eco-friendly control strategies. The push-pull strategy, an environmentally friendly pest management approach, has shown promise in controlling S. frugiperda. In this study, using a combination of adult oviposition, larval feeding, and electrophysiological tests, we confirmed the repellent properties of coriander and its volatiles. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of coriander volatiles revealed E-2-decenal as the major repellent compound. Furthermore, SfruOBP13 was identified as one of the main odorant-binding proteins that detects E-2-decenal in the S. frugiperda, providing a molecular basis for the insect's perception of this volatile. These findings lay the groundwork for developing behavior-based pest control strategies, offering valuable insights for sustainable S. frugiperda management using plant-derived semiochemicals.

Spodoptera frugiperda is among the most significant pests affecting food crops globally. Our findings indicate that the mortality rates of 1st and 2nd instar larvae are significantly higher than those of 3rd instar and older larvae following tobacco consumption. In this study, we employed integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to investigate the changes in gene expression and metabolic processes in 2nd and 3rd instar larvae after consuming tobacco and maize. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the majority of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in xenobiotic biodegradation and metabolism were upregulated, particularly cytochrome P450s. Metabolomic analysis identified alkaloid metabolites in the bodies of larvae that had fed on tobacco. The 3rd instar larvae that consumed tobacco exhibited increased production of metabolites via cytochrome P450. Correlation analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome demonstrated that, when comparing the 3rd instar larvae fed on tobacco to those fed on maize, both DEGs and differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) shared pathways related to cytochrome P450, fatty acid metabolism, and glutathione metabolism. Transcriptome and metabolome analysis shows cytochrome P450 play an important role in the detoxification and adaptability of S. frugiperda larvae to tobacco. This study provides a preliminary explanation of the detoxification metabolism and adaptive mechanisms of S. frugiperda larvae in response to tobacco.

Background: Telenomus remus (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) is a promising egg parasitoid for the biocontrol of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), owing to its high fecundity, ability to parasitize multi-layered egg masses, and suitability for mass rearing. However, the short shelf life of mass-reared T. remus limits its practical application. Cold storage may be a viable solution to stabilize production and supply. Methods: Two experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, viable and UV-treated S. frugiperda eggs were stored at 4, 7, and 10 degrees C for 7 and 14 days, followed by evaluation of their suitability for T. remus parasitism. In the second experiment, eggs parasitized by T. remus (1, 3, 5, and 7 days post-parasitism) were stored under varying temperatures (4, 7, and 10 degrees C) for 7 and 14 days, and the parasitoid emergence rates were recorded to assess stagespecific cold tolerance. Results: UV treatment of eggs significantly reduced the emergence rate of T. remus. Viable S. frugiperda eggs remained suitable hosts for parasitoid reproduction after 7 days of storage at 4 degrees C and 7 degrees C. Cold storage significantly affected parasitoid survival across developmental stages, and 7 days post-parasitism eggs exhibited high adult emergence rates when stored at 10 degrees C for up to 14 days. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that eggs at 7 days post-parasitism can be stored at 10 degrees C for up to 14 days without significant loss of viability. This study presents a potential method for the large-scale production of T. remus, enabling the parasitoids to be supplied to regions severely affected by S. frugiperda.

Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae) is a notable soybean pest, with diapause and non-diapause individuals showing different sensitivities to aggregation pheromones. This study aimed to investigate how R. pedestris detects aggregation pheromones through electroantennogram (EAG) and behavioral experiments, transcriptome sequencing and qRT-PCR, as well as competitive fluorescence-binding assay. Results indicated that diapausing females and males of R. pedestris exhibited a heightened EAG response and were more attracted to the aggregation pheromone components compared to their non-diapause counterparts. Transcriptome sequencing and qRT-PCR analyses revealed significantly higher expression of RpedOBP1 in the antennae of diapause females and males compared to non-diapausing R. pedestris. The competitive fluorescence-binding assay demonstrated that RpedOBP1 displayed the strongest binding affinity to E2HE2H, suggesting its crucial role in recognizing the aggregation pheromone. These findings have the potential to inform the development of integrated pest management strategies utilizing behavioral approaches for bean bug control.

Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) is one of the most destructive pests, causing serious yield losses of corn on all continents except Europe. Low -lethal concentrations of insecticides may affect not only the survival rate but also the demographic parameters of a pest. To understand the effect of low -lethal concentrations of insecticides on S. frugiperda, the developmental parameters after low -lethal concentrations treatment by three different modes of action pesticides tetrachloroamide, spinetoram, and lufenuron were analyzed. For F0 generation, the pupal length and weight of FAW after insecticide treatment were significantly longer and heavier than that of control. For the F1 generation, the adult longevity and egg hatching rate after spinetoram and lufenuron treated was significantly shorter and lower than that of the control. While no significant effect was observed for the intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (lambda), and mean generation time (T) of S. frugiperda, the net reproductive rate (R0) significant decreased after the spinetoram and lufenuron treatment. Results showed tetrachloroamide, spinetoram, and lufenuron negatively affect larval survival rate, but spinetoram and lufenuron caused early maturity, and all three insecticide treatments increased egg reproduction. The results of this study suggest that low -lethal concentration exposure to insecticides negatively impacts the life table parameters of S. frugiperda, and those three insecticides from different modes of action cannot cause FAW resurgence and can be recommended as insecticides to control FAW. Those results will be helpful for researchers working on S. frugiperda management using chemical pesticides in an integrated pest management program.

Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important pest on maize, and it can cause large yield losses. As S. frugiperda has invaded many developing countries in Africa and Asia in recent years, it could impact food security. Pesticides remain the main method to control S. frugiperda in the field, and this pest has developed resistance to some pesticides. In this study, we used second-generation sequencing technology to detect the gene expression change of S. frugiperda after treatment by LC20 of three pesticides, lufenuron, spinetoram, and tetrachloroamide, which have different modes of actions. The sequence data were first assembled into a 60,236 unigenes database, and then the differential expression unigenes (DEUs) after pesticide treatment were identified. The DEU numbers, Gene Ontology catalog, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway catalog were analyzed. Finally, 11 types of unigenes related to detoxification and DEUs after pesticide treatment were listed, and Cytochrome P450, Glutathione S-transferase, and ATP-binding cassette transporter were analyzed. This study provides a foundation for molecular research on S. frugiperda pesticide detoxification.

Spodoptera frugiperda among the China population employs a four-component sex pheromone blend to accelerate male-female allocation and mating behavior. The underlying molecular mechanism has been incompletely elucidated. In the current study, we showed that differences existed between genders toward the four sex pheromone components, including Z9-14:AC, Z7-12:AC, Z9-12:AC, and Z11-16:AC, in terms of electrophysiological responses and behavioral valences. Male adults were significantly more sensitive to all tested compounds than female adults. Furthermore, ecological outputs may be related to four pheromone-binding proteins, namely, SfruPBP1, SfruPBP2, SfruPBP3, and SfruPBP4. They formed four distinct clades within the lepidopteran phylogeny, and male adults expressed significantly higher levels of SfruPBP1 and SfruPBP2 than female adults. We observed the highest binding affinities of SfruPBP1 toward all four sex pheromone components. SfruPBP4 had moderate binding affinities for Z7-12:AC, Z11-16:AC, and Z9-12:AC, while SfruPBP2 showed binding toward Z9-14:AC. This observation suggests that SfruPBP1 plays a key role in sex pheromone discrimination and drives sexually biased behavioral decisions toward certain pheromone components. These findings will help to develop behavioral-mediating tools as part of integrated pest management approaches for this cross-border pest.

为明确草地贪夜蛾Spodoptera frugiperda对我国玉米产量造成的损失,并制订相应的防治指标,在玉米不同生育期分别接入不同数量的草地贪夜蛾3龄幼虫,研究其为害玉米后对产量和其他相关指标造成的影响,建立不同生育期产量损失与不同为害率之间的回归方程.结果显示,大喇叭口期接虫对玉米成株期株高有显著影响,玉米各生长时期接入不同数量草地贪夜蛾后对产量损失均有显著影响.根据防治成本及玉米产量等指标计算出国内玉米的经济危害允许水平为5.56％.利用回归方程计算出玉米小喇叭口期、大喇叭口期以及吐丝期的防治指标分别是为害率达8.72％、7.99％和 6.17％.

Holotrichia oblita (Faldermann) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is an insect whose feeding and mating behaviors occur at night. A scotophase is necessary for H. oblita reproduction. We used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to compare the expression patterns of H. oblita at five photoperiods (0:24, 8:16, 12:12, 16:8, and 24:0 h) (L:D). Compared to the control (24:0) (L:D), 161-684 differentially expressed unigenes (DEUs) were found in female samples, while 698-2322 DEUs were found in male samples. For all DEUs, a total of 92-1143 DEUs were allocated to 116-662 categories of gene ontology (GO), and 81-1116 DEUs were assigned into 77-286 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. The iPath diagram showed that the DEUs generated by comparing female and male samples with photoperiods of 0:24 and 24:0, respectively, involved multiple metabolic pathways, such as carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, purine metabolism and glutathione metabolism. Most of these DEUs were upregulated. Finally, 13 DEUs related to reproduction and development were selected to confirm the consistency of relative expression between RNA-Seq and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Most of these comparison results agreed well, except for some qRT-PCR results that were not detected in male samples due to their low expression. These results provide useful information for understanding the dark-induced reproduction of H. oblita.

Holotrichia oblita (Faldermann) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is a major soil insect pest that damages forest trees, crops, and lawns. Adults of H. oblita fly, forage, and mate at night but remain underground during the day. We studied the effect of photoperiod on H. oblita reproduction. H. oblita females laid more eggs at 8:16 (L:D) h and 0:24 (L:D) h than other photoperiods. As the scotophase increased, the preoviposition period decreased and the oviposition period increased. Female longevity exceeded that of males at all photoperiods, and both males and females at 0:24 (L:D) h had the shortest longevity. The number of eggs laid per female increased with increasing food consumption. Females at 8:16 (L:D) h had the greatest food consumption and laid the most eggs, while females at 24:0 (L:D) h had the lowest food consumption and laid few eggs. The food intake of adults increased gradually and decreased slowly after reaching a peak. Females began to lay eggs when their food consumption reached a maximum. These results indicate that a scotophase is necessary for the reproduction of H. oblita. A long scotophase promotes greater oviposition. The effect of photoperiod on reproduction is affected by food intake.

为筛选高效安全的花生种衣剂,选用7种杀虫剂对暗黑鳃金龟进行室内毒力测定,并在此基础上,复配杀菌剂戊唑醇或吡唑醚菌酯制成种衣剂开展田间防效试验.室内毒力测定结果表明,供试的7种杀虫剂原药中,联苯菊酯、噻虫胺和氯虫苯甲酰胺对7日龄暗黑鳃金龟幼虫的毒力较高,96 h的LC50依次为0.490、12.923和14.705 mg/kg.田间防效结果表明,添加杀菌剂戊唑醇或吡唑醚菌酯复配后处理,出苗率、防治效果、保果效果和增产率均得到进一步的提高,其中以12％联苯菊酯·吡唑醚菌酯和12％联苯菊酯·戊唑醇的综合防效最佳,可作为花生病虫害防治的轮换药剂推广应用.

Marek's disease (MD) continues to threaten the sustainability of the world poultry industry. In this study, the sequences of the meq gene of 220 MDV strains isolated during the years 1964-2020 were analysed, including 50 from our group plus 170 isolates from the GenBank. Analyses, using phylogenetic trees, amino acid (aa)-mutation screening, evolutionary studies and transmission dynamics were all performed. All strains were divided into two clusters (Clusters 1 and 2), and Cluster 1 includes the mild strains, the vaccine strains and the foreign virulent strains, while Cluster 2 was dominated by the Chinese field strains. Our study identified that the Chinese field strains in Cluster 2 during the years 1995-2020 likely originated in the 1980s from abroad, and the estimated genetic diversity of these strains experienced two growth phases in the years 2005-2007.5 and 2015-2017. Viral phylogeography identified 3 major geographic provincial regions for the Chinese field strains of Cluster 2: the Northeastern Region (Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang), the East-central Region (Henan, Shandong and Jiangsu) and the Southern Region (Guangxi, Guangdong and Yunnan). The spread of Northeastern strains to East-central chicken flocks and the further spread from Guangxi to Guangdong are strongly indicated. The emergence of the mutations A88T and Q93R together in the Southern strains during the years 2017-2020 with molecular characteristics of vv+ MDV were also found later than those in the Northern strains. Overall, the Chinese field strains in Cluster 2 in southern China in recent years have been rapidly evolving. Guangxi Province has become an epicentre for these viruses and the chicken flocks in the Southern region have been facing the adverse effects of the emerging vv+ MDV.

One avian leukosis virus of subgroup J (ALV-J) strain GX14YYA1 was isolated from a commercial bivalent Newcastle disease (ND)–infectious bronchitis (IB) vaccine in our previous study. To evaluate the pathogenicity of the ALV-J-contaminated vaccine on commercial chickens, day-old Three-Yellow chicks in group I were vaccinated with ALV-J-contaminated bivalent ND-IB live vaccine by intranasal and eye drop at 1-day-old for the primary vaccination and at 7-day-old for the secondary vaccination. Groups II and III were kept as the normal vaccination group with the noncontaminated ND-IB vaccine and blank control groups, respectively. The birds of different groups were maintained separately in isolators for 175 d. The first viremia was detected at 4 wk of age and 20% (2/10) of the birds maintained viremia during 11 to 25 wk of age. At the same time, the birds in group I experienced a significant suppression of body weight gain when compared with those of groups II and III (P < 0.05). In addition, the birds in group I showed obvious ALV-J hemangioma-type anatomical lesions in the liver and tumors were observed in the abdominal cavity. The results demonstrated that the ALV-J contaminated commercial live vaccines can induce pathogenicity in commercial Three-Yellow chickens and indicate that ALV-J-contaminated commercial live vaccines could be one of the transmission routes of ALV-J to commercial chickens.

[目的]筛选高效低毒药剂防治入侵安徽省的草地贪夜蛾.[方法]评价了6种药剂对入侵安徽草地贪夜蛾种群的室内杀虫活性和田间防效.[结果]5％甲氨基阿维菌素苯甲酸盐微乳剂室内杀虫活性最高、田间防效最好,48 h的LC50值为0.070 mg/L,7、14d的大田防效分别达到91.90％和92.78％;其次是60 g/L乙基多杀菌素悬浮剂和20亿PIB/mL甘蓝夜蛾核型多角体病毒悬浮剂,而8000 IU/μL苏云金杆菌悬浮剂、80亿cfu/mL金龟子绿僵菌CQ-Ma421可分散油悬浮剂和100亿cfu/g白僵菌原粉粉剂对安徽草地贪夜蛾的室内杀虫活性和田间防效均较低.[结论]在安徽地区,可选用甲氨基阿维菌素苯甲酸盐、乙基多杀菌素和甘蓝夜蛾核型多角体病毒对草地贪夜蛾进行防治.

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPT-PCR) is commonly used to analyze gene expression, however, the accuracy of the normalized results is affected by the expression stability of reference genes. Holotrichia oblita (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) causes serious damage to crops. Reliable reference genes in H. oblita are needed for qRT-PCR analysis. Therefore, we evaluated 13 reference genes under biotic and abiotic conditions. RefFinder provided a comprehensive stability ranking, and geNorm suggested the optimal number of reference genes for normalization. RPL13a and RPL18 were the most suitable reference genes for developmental stages, tissues, and temperature treatments; RPL13a and RPS3 were the most suitable for pesticide and photoperiod treatments; RPS18 and RPL18 were the most suitable for the two sexes. We validated the normalized results using odorant-binding protein genes as target genes in different tissues. Compared with the selected suitable reference genes, the expression of OBP1 in antennae, abdomen, and wings, and OBP2 in antennae and wings were overestimated due to the instability of ACTb. These results identified several reliable reference genes in H. oblita for normalization, and are valuable for future molecular studies.

[目的]蚜虫是小麦生产中的主要害虫,通过室内生物活性测定及田间药效试验为小麦蚜虫的防治和药剂轮换使用筛选药剂.[方法]室内采用玻璃管药膜法、浸渍法,田间采用喷雾法评价8种药剂的室内生物活性和田间药效.[结果]在评价的3种化学药剂中,毒死蜱室内生物活性测定的LC50值最低,且田间防效最好,5种植物源农药中烟碱AS的田间防治效果最好.[结论]在麦蚜发生较轻时,可用烟碱替代化学农药防治麦蚜,遇麦蚜大发生,可用毒死蜱进行防控.

The differences among different sub-groups of the avian leukosis virus (ALV) genome are mainly concentrated in the env gene, which binds to cell-specific receptors and determines the characteristics of viral tropism and pathogenicity. In this study, two rescued viruses rGX15MM6-2 (ALV of subgroup J, ALV-J) and rGX14FF03 (ALV of subgroup B, ALV-B) and a recombinant virus rALV-B-Jenv (ALV-B's backbone with ALV-J's env) were generated and tested utilizing both in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results showed that the replication ability of the viruses released in DF-1 cell cultures was listed in order as rGX15MM6-2 > rALV-B-Jenv > rGX14FF03. rGX15MM6-2 caused the most serious suppression of body weight gain, exhibited a significant negative effect on the development of immune organs (P < 0.05) and lower antibody responses to vaccinations with the commercial oil-emulsion vaccines (OEVs) (P < 0.05) in the challenged chickens. The viral detection showed that the positive rate in blood from the birds infected with rALV-B-Jenv were respectively higher than those from the birds infected with rGX14FF03 (P < 0.05). At 25 wpi, similar tumors were found in the abdominal cavity of the birds in rGX15MM6-2 and rALV-B-Jenv groups. The results demonstrated that the ALV-J env gene significantly increases the pathogenicity of the recombinant ALV-B. With the increasing incidence of co-infections of different subgroups of ALV in the field, the possibility of viral recombination is increasing and demands further study.

利用植物挥发物作为增效剂增加昆虫性信息素的诱捕效果,提高生物防治效率已成为研究趋势.本研究利用触角电位仪以及Y形嗅觉仪研究草地贪夜蛾对3个浓度梯度氧化芳樟醇的电生理及行为反应.结果 表明:草地贪夜蛾雌、雄蛾对各浓度氧化芳樟醇都具有较强的电生理反应,且雌蛾对1 μg/μL的氧化芳樟醇电生理反应值最高,为(0.40±0.051)mY,显著高于雄蛾;行为研究结果则表明,草地贪夜蛾雌虫对1μg/μL的氧化芳樟醇具有明显的选择偏好性,而雄蛾则对浓度为10 μg/μL的氧化芳樟醇表现出明显的排斥性.本研究为开发有效的植物源草地贪夜蛾引诱剂提供了基础.