Plants emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under stress, generating complex blends that mediate defense and insect host location. β-Ocimene is a widespread stress-associated monoterpene induced by herbivory, mechanical damage, heat, and drought, and influences insect behavior; however, its molecular detection as a kairomone remains unclear. Using the Eurasian longhorn beetle Monochamus sutor, we found that females are significantly attracted to β-ocimene. Antennal transcriptomics and expression profiling identified candidate odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), among which MsutOBP13 showed high binding affinity for β-ocimene. Structural modeling, molecular docking, and mutagenesis identified Phe49 as a key residue for ligand recognition. RNA interference further confirmed that MsutOBP13 contributes to β-ocimene-mediated behavioral responses. These results reveal a molecular basis for β-ocimene detection and identify this volatile as a host-location cue in a wood-boring herbivore.

In the present paper two new species of Pseudacroclita, P. triangula sp. nov. and P. digitata sp. nov., are described from China and other species of Pseudacroclita are listed with literature cited, distribution and host plants. Illustrations of the adults and genitalia of two new species are provided. An identification key to all the species of Pseudacroclita is given. All the specimens examined are deposited in Nankai University, Tianjin, China.

The oral secretions of herbivorous insects play a pivotal role in insect-plant interactions and the regulation of insect physiology. Unlike the saliva of Hemiptera species, Lepidopteran oral secretions include both saliva and regurgitated gut fluids; yet research on their composition remains limited. This study focuses on yellow peach moth (YPM), Conogethes punctiferalis, a pest increasingly damaging maize. A total of 103 proteins were identified from oral secretions collected from larvae reared on corn and artificial diets, comprising 67 enzymes, 30 non- enzymes, and 6 unknowns. The identified enzyme proteins were primarily trypsin, lipase, and serine protease inhibitors (serpins). Further genomic investigation revealed 36 serpin genes in the YPM genome, distributed in clusters across various chromosomes, with some genes exhibiting partial synteny to homologous sequences in Ostrinia furnacalis. Among the identified serpin genes, the SpI gene (jg17839), which encoded the most abundant protein in YPM oral secretions, was found to exhibit peak expression in fifth-instar larvae and culticle tissues. Silencing of the SpI gene through nanomaterial-mediated RNA interference significantly reduced larval length, weight, pupation rates, and pupal weight, while also increased larval mortality. Moreover, interfering with SpI expression elevated juvenile hormone levels in the larvae. These findings indicate that the abundant SpI protein in YPM oral secretions plays a vital role in larval growth and development by modulating internal hormone levels. This study enriches the database of lepidopteran oral secretion components, fostering a deeper understanding of their physiological roles and informing eco-friendly pest control strategies targeting these proteins in YPM.

Pathogen infection in host plants can alter the attraction and adaptability of herbivorous insects. Female adult insects often exhibit selective behaviours based on their environmental experiences, enabling their offspring to avoid adverse conditions and ensuring healthy growth and development. However, comprehensive studies integrating both the perspectives of offspring fitness and host plant to validate the selective significance of such parental 'Mother knows worst' experiences remain limited. Building on our previous findings that female Conogethes punctiferalis (Yellow peach moth, YPM) adults exhibit oviposition avoidance behaviour towards corn infected with Trichoderma asperellum, we further confirmed that corn infected by T. asperellum significantly inhibits the growth and development of YPM larvae. Feeding on infected corn decreases larval gut microbiota diversity, core microbiota abundance and led to differential expression of key genes in juvenile hormone metabolic pathway. Moreover, the content of flavonoid wogonin, a secondary metabolite, was significantly increased in infected corn. In vitro feeding experiments revealed that wogonin negatively impacts YPM larval growth by causing the juvenile hormone accumulation and suppressing the abundance of core gut microbial strains. This study validates the adaptive significance of parental empiricism from the perspective of offspring, while further elucidating the mechanisms by which microbial-mediated plant resistance against insects, as well as for exploring and utilizing effective biocontrol resources against YPMs.

Herbivorous insects rely on volatile chemical cues from host plants to locate food sources and oviposition sites. General odorant binding proteins (GOBPs) are believed to be involved in the detection of host plant volatiles. In the present study, one GOBP gene, ScinGOBP2, was cloned from the antennae of adult Semiothisa cinerearia. Reverse-transcription PCR and real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression of ScinGOBP2 was strongly biased towards the female antennae. Fluorescence-based competitive binding assays revealed that 8 of the 27 host plant volatiles, including geranyl acetone, decanal, cis-3-hexenyl n-valerate, cis-3-hexenyl butyrate, 1-nonene, dipentene, α-pinene and β-pinene, bound to ScinGOBP2 (KD = 2.21–14.94 μM). The electrical activities of all eight ScinGOBP2 ligands were confirmed using electroantennography. Furthermore, oviposition preference experiments showed that eight host volatiles, such as decanal, cis-3-hexenyl n-valerate, cis-3-hexenyl butyrate, and α-pinene, had an attractive effect on female S. cinerearia, whereas geranyl acetone, 1-nonene, β-pinene, and dipentene inhibited oviposition in females. Consequently, it can be postulated that ScinGOBP2 may be implicated in the perception of host plant volatiles and that ScinGOBP2 ligands represent significant semiochemicals mediating the interactions between plants and S. cinerearia. This insight could facilitate the development of a chemical ecology-based approach for the management of S. cinerearia.

BACKGROUND Gut bacteria are crucial in influencing insect development and even phenotypic plasticity. The yellow peach moth Conogethes punctiferalis, as a significant borer pest, has been the subject of limited reports regarding the structural and diversification changes in its gut microbiota during feeding, and their potential impacts on the growth and development of the host insects. RESULTS This study, employing 16S rRNA sequencing, demonstrates distinct shifts in the larvae gut microbiome of C. punctiferalis between different feeding stages, highlighting a pronounced diversity in the early-instar with Enterococcus as a predominant genus in laboratory populations. Through in vitro cultivation and sequencing, three bacterial strains - Micrococcus sp., Brevibacterium sp. and Enterococcus mundtii - were isolated and characterized. Bioassays revealed that E. mundtii-infused corn significantly boosts early-instar larval growth, enhancing both body length and weight. Quantitative PCR and spectrophotometry confirmed a higher abundance of E. mundtii in younger larvae, correlating with increased digestive enzyme activity and total protein levels. CONCLUSION This study reveals the heightened gut microbiota diversity in early instars of C. punctiferalis larvae, highlighting that Enterococcus represent a predominant bacteria in laboratory populations. In vitro cultivation and bioassays unequivocally demonstrate the significant role of the cultivable gut bacteria E. mundtii in promoting the growth of early-instar larva. These findings provide a solid theoretical foundation for advancing the comprehension of the intricate interactions between gut microbiota and insect hosts, as well as for the development of eco-friendly pest control technologies based on targeted manipulation of insect gut microbial communities.

Pathogenic microorganisms can impact the behavior and physiology of herbivores by direct or indirect means. This study demonstrated that yellow peach moth Conogethes punctiferalis larvae feeding on Penicillium-infected apples exhibited significantly longer body length and weight parameters compared to the control group. The sequencing of gut 16S rRNA showed a significant increase in the diversity and abundance of bacteria in the larvae feeding on Penicillium-infected apples. Additionally, transcriptomic sequencing of the larval gut indicated significant upregulation of genes related to digestion and cuticle formation after consuming Penicillium-infected apples. Furthermore, enzyme activity assays revealed notable changes in the trypsin and lipase activity. Consequently, these alterations in gut microbiota structure, diversity, and gene expression levels may underlie the observed growth and developmental variations in C. punctiferalis larvae mediated by pathogenic microorganisms. This study holds theoretical significance for a deeper understanding of the tripartite interaction among microorganisms, insects, and plants as well as for the development of novel pest control measures based on gut microbiota.

BACKGROUND: Plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) modified by plant-associated microbes can attract or repel the oviposition of herbivores. Here, we explored the effects of three different fungi on apples' VOCs and the cascading impacts on the oviposition preference of yellow peach moth [YPM, Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenee)]. RESULTS: Among Penicillium crustosum-infected apples (PCA), Rhizopus oryzae-infected apples (ROA), Colletotrichum gloeosporioidesinfected apples (CGA) and healthy apples (HA), mated YPM females preferred to oviposit eggs on ROA and CGA, and showed significant attractiveness to VOCs from PCA, ROA, and CGA under laboratory conditions. The VOCs analyses showed that there were significant differences between fungi-infected apples (ROA, CGA) and control treatments (mechanically damaged apples (MDA), HA) in terms of the relative contents of 13 VOCs. The relative contents of ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl caprylate, estragole, ethyl hexanoate in ROA and CGA were higher than those in MDA. The relative content of isopropyl 2-methylbutyrate in ROA was significantly higher than those in HA and CGA. The relative contents of 2-methylbutyl acetate, butyl 2-methylbutyrate, hexyl 2-methylbutyrate, amyl hexanoate, hexyl hexanoate, (E, E)-.alpha-farnesene in ROA and CGA were lower than those in HA. The relative content of hexyl acetate in ROA and CGA was significantly higher than that in MDA, but lower than that in HA. Additionally, 10 fungi-induced VOCs were detected in ROA and/or CGA. When 20 VOCs from ROA and/or CGA were tested as individuals or mixed blends in Y-tube olfactometer assays, mated YPM females preferred amyl 2-methylbutyrate, isoamyl 2-methylbutyrate, isopropyl 2-methylbutyrate, hexyl propionate (common VOCs in ROA, CGA, and HA), and heptacosane (a fungi-induced VOC in ROA), but no significant preferences were observed between individual compounds and mixed blends, except for hexyl propionate. CONCLUSION: Different fungi infection increased the relative contents of common VOCs from healthy and fungi-infected apples, which ultimately resulted in the significant attractiveness for the oviposition of mated YPM females. This study clarified why fungi-infected apples were more attractive to YPMs than healthy apples and screened out the crucial VOCs for YPM oviposition. (c) 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

为明确植物免疫诱抗剂对种子萌发行为的影响,采用纸上法,设置不同浓度的0.5%几丁聚糖和1%香菇多糖,对番茄、黄瓜、辣椒、茄子种子发芽率、发芽势、发芽指数进行测定.结果表明:2种植物免疫诱抗剂对番茄、黄瓜、辣椒、茄子种子萌发均具有较好的促进效果,其中,1%香菇多糖对番茄、黄瓜和茄子种子萌发的效果优于0.5%几丁聚糖,1%香菇多糖800倍液处理的番茄和茄子的发芽率、发芽势和发芽指数3项指标均最高,分别为92.64%、75.06%、9.47和87.64%、72.24%和9.56,分别较对照组提高10.14百分点、11.78百分点、2.96和24.66百分点、20.06百分点、3.87;1%香菇多糖600倍液处理的黄瓜发芽率、发芽指数均最高,分别为95.15%、11.85,1%香菇多糖800倍液处理的黄瓜发芽势最高,为70.23%;0.5%几丁聚糖600倍液处理的辣椒发芽率、发芽势均最高,分别为99.12%、67.26,1%香菇多糖400倍液处理的辣椒发芽指数最高,为9.45.在田间育苗时,根据不同作物选择适宜浓度的植物免疫诱抗剂并随水施用,可促进种子萌发.

The yellow-spined bamboo locust (YSBL), Ceracris kiangsu Tsai, has historically had a significant impact on different bamboo varieties in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Since 2014, there have been many outbreaks of YSBL populations in Laos, and YSBLs subsequently invaded Southwest China in 2020 and 2023. However, there was limited information about the damage to staple crops. Life table parameters and fitness parameters were assessed using wheat, rice, waxy maize, and sweet maize under three different temperatures (25 °C, 30 °C, and 35 °C) in the laboratory. The results indicated that the YSBLs feeding on wheat seedlings displayed a significantly higher survival rate, a shorter developmental time, and a higher adult emergence rate compared to YSBLs feeding on the other host species at 30 °C. The developmental durations of 1st and 3rd instar YSBLs on wheat (1st: 8.21 ± 0.35 d; 3rd: 6.32 ± 0.34 d) and rice (1st: 7.19 ± 0.23 d; 3rd: 9.00 ± 0.66 d) were significantly shorter than those of 1st and 3rd instar YSBLs on waxy maize (1st: 13.62 ± 1.22 d; 3rd: 13.67 ± 6.33 d) and sweet maize (1st: 16.00 ± 1.79 d; 3rd: 18.00 ± 3.49 d) at 30 °C. The body lengths of male and female YSBLs on wheat (male: 29.52 ± 0.40 mm, female: 34.97 ± 0.45 mm) and rice (male: 28.85 ± 0.68 mm, female: 34.66 ± 0.35 mm) were significantly longer than those observed when they were fed on sweet maize (male: 25.64 ± 1.60 mm, female: 21.93 ± 6.89 mm). There were only male adults obtained on waxy maize. The phenotypic characteristics of the YSBLs feeding on rice seedlings were very close to those of the YSBLs feeding on wheat seedlings. A relatively slower decline was observed in the survival rates of YSBL nymphs on wheat and rice compared to those on waxy maize and sweet maize at 25 °C, 30 °C, and 35 °C. In short, this study implied that YSBLs prefer wheat and rice. This study is the first report of direct damage caused by the YSBL to wheat in the laboratory, and its results could be useful in improving our understanding of the host preference of the YSBL and providing strategies for the management of this pest in field crops.

Five species of Acroclita Lederer, 1859 are reported from China, including Acroclita ovata sp. nov., which is described and illustrated from Hubei Province. The previously described species are listed along with references cited, host-plants, specimens examined, and distributions. A taxonomic key to Chinese species of Acroclita is presented based on characters of the male genitalia.

为明确植物免疫诱抗剂对番茄灰霉菌的抑菌效果,选用3%氨基寡糖素水剂、0.5%几丁聚糖水剂和1%香菇多糖水剂3种常规植物免疫诱抗剂,分别配制高、中、低3个浓度,采用含药培养基的方法开展室内抑菌试验,明确3种植物免疫诱抗剂相应最佳抑菌浓度后,在番茄生育期开展田间诱导抗灰霉病试验.室内抑菌试验结果表明:3种植物免疫诱抗剂均可抑制番茄灰霉菌的生长,其中,1%香菇多糖水剂对番茄灰霉病菌具有较好的速效性和持效性,1%香菇多糖水剂20倍液接菌1 d后的抑菌率为36.1%,4 d后抑菌率为67.43%;3%氨基寡糖素水剂抑菌效果次之,3%氨基寡糖素水剂100倍液接菌1 d后抑菌率为22.1%;0.5%几丁聚糖水剂抑菌效果相对较低,抑菌率维持在0.0%～14.3%.田间诱导抗病试验结果表明:0.5%几丁聚糖水剂200倍液对番茄灰霉病具有较好的诱抗效果,连续施用4次后,番茄灰霉病防效达61.83%.

Research on the ovarian development of insect pests helps provide key information for predicting pest occurrences, and currently, there is very limited information about the reproductive system of Ceracris kiangsu Tsai. This study aimed to assess the reproductive fitness of 321 adult female insects by using traditional methods to dissect female adults, measure female ovaries, and assess the process of egg formation. The phenotypic traits including body weight and body length were also measured and used to estimate the model of ovarian developmental stages. Four ovarian developmental stages before the oviposition were identified, and the fundamental ovarian structure of C. kiangsu displayed red dots on the matured eggs inside the calyx at ovarian developmental stage V. The accessory glands of C. kiangsu had the deepest folds at stage Ⅲ. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to explore the correlation between ovarian development, body weight, and body length. A significant positive correlation was observed for body weight (p = 0.001) and body length (p = 0.009), which varied with the grade of ovarian development evaluated by the ovarian developmental stage, ovarian length, ovarian width, and ovarian cross-sectional area. A partial least square (PLS) regression was used to model the ovarian developmental stage, with a stage-based PLS being identified as the more effective method, which was y = 1.509x 1 + 0.114x 2. The model provides a potentially rapid way to identify the population source as either "native" or "immigrant" from the phenotypic traits without dissection. The aforementioned model may be used to estimate adult emergence periods and identify migratory populations from their ovarian development, potentially aiding in implementing proper prevention measures.

Intrageniculate terminal depolarization of the retinal ganglion cell axons is enhanced during the occurrence of reserpine-induced ponto-geniculo-occipital-spikes (PGOn) in the cat immobilized with gallamine triethiodide, thus providing additional evidence for the functional similarity of PGOR to PGO-spikes occurring during REM sleep and arousal. It is suggested that during pgor, one of the essential changes occurring in the lateral geniculate body is an alteration of the interaction between different retinal afferents.

植物检疫学是植物保护专业重要的选修课之一，将课程思政与植物检疫学教学实践有机结合，对培养创新型应用型植物保护专业人才具有重要意义。教学是学校实现培养人才的最主要最直接的途径，也是落实课程思政建设的重要途径。探讨植物检疫学教学实践中的课程思政建设，将思政元素与植物检疫学理论知识相融合，可在一定程度上拓宽学生的知识体系，有效推动植物保护专业人才培养质量的提升。

【Background】The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a major migratory agricultural pest in the tropical and subtropical areas of America, it has rapidly expanded to more than 100 countries around the world since 2016, and has now invaded 27 provinces (Autonomous Region, Municipality) in China, posing a great threat to food security. Resistance may become an increasingly serious problem in many regions with the heavy reliance on insecticides for several years and lead to low control efficiency. S. frugiperda had spread to the north of the Great Wall rapidly. However, there are few studies on insecticide resistance and annual variation in China, especially the Great Wall protection zone in 2020 and 2021.【Objective】The objective of this study is to clarify the susceptibility and differences of S. frugiperda populations to insecticides in the Great Wall protection zone and other areas of China, and to provide guidance for scientific insecticide use for the prevention and control of S. frugiperda.【Method】Samples of S. frugiperda were collected from maize fields in 13 provinces (Autonomous Region, Municipality) in China, and the genomic DNA was extracted. The mutations of target genes of carbamate, pyrethroid and diamide insecticides in 362 individuals collected from 47 cities (districts) of 13 provinces (Autonomous Region, Municipality) in 2020 and 2021 were analyzed through direct sequencing of the PCR products individually.【Result】There were 6 genotypes of mutations in ace-1 to carbamate insecticides in all the samples. A201S and F290V mutations were detected in ace-1. The frequency of A201S heterozygous mutation was 8.4%, and the frequency of F290V homozygous and heterozygous mutations was 14.9% and 25.7%, respectively. No G227A mutation was detected. The mutation frequency at F290V in the key prevention region was higher than that in the migratory transition region and annual breeding region, while the mutation frequency at A201S was lower than that in the above two regions. The average frequency of ace-1 mutation was high in the Great Wall protection zone, Huang-Huai-Hai interception zone, Yangtze River Basin and Southwest and South China protection zone. There was no significant difference in the frequency of ace-1 mutation between the populations in 2021 and 2020. No mutations were detected in pyrethroid vgsc and diamide ryr.【Conclusion】A201S and F290V mutations with high frequency in ace-1 is one of the mechanisms conferring carbamate resistance in many populations in China. The use of carbamates should be restricted in the control of S. frugiperda. No mutations had been detected in the vgsc and ryr, suggesting susceptibility to pyrethroids and diamides for rational rotation, however, the low frequency of mutation in S. frugiperda and common mutation in Spodoptera exigua (relatives of S. frugiperda) to pyrethroids and diamides have been detected. In the future, the effect of high insecticide selection stress in the lab and field populations fed by different hosts on the target gene mutation should be evaluated, and the research of rapid diagnostics methods and products of insecticide resistance should be accelerated.

“课程思政”是当今“立德树人”“三全育人”大格局下教育教学思想的创新与革命。因此，以植物保护专业的研究生课程昆虫生态学为例，依据昆虫生态学课程的自身特点，以昆虫生态学课程内容为核心，从思政意识、思政方法、思政内容以及思政评价四个方面，通过结合、穿插、渗入等方式融入课程思政，配合启发式、案例式以及情景式的教学模式，形成“课程—思政”双核心的课程体系，使昆虫生态学课程的性质、目的和要求与生态文明建设战略目标相谋和，实现知识能力获取和价值引领的同频共振。

Plant-associated microbes have been reported as important but overlooked drivers of plant–herbivorous insect interactions. Influence of plant-associated microbes on plant–insect interactions is diverse, including beneficial, detrimental, and neutral. Here, we determined the effects of three Penicillium fungi, including Penicillium citrinum , Penicillium sumatrense , and Penicillium digitatum , on the oviposition selection and behavior of the yellow peach moth (YPM), Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée). Compared with fungi noninfected apples (NIA), mechanically damaged apples (MDA), and P . citrinum in potato dextrose agar medium (PC), the oviposition selection and four-arm olfactometer experiments both showed that mated YPM females preferred to P . citrinum -infected apples (PCA). For P . sumatrense or P . digitatum , we also found that mated YPM females preferred to P . sumatrense -infected apples (PSA) or P . digitatum -infected apples (PDA), respectively. Among three Penicillium fungi-infected apples, the selection rates including oviposition and olfactometer behavior of mated YPM females on PDA were both higher than those on PSA and PCA. Further analyses of host plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by GC-MS showed that the absolute contents of ethyl hexanoate and ( Z , E )-α-farnesene in PCA, PSA, and PDA were all higher than those in NIA, and a total of 16 novel VOCs were detected in fungi-infected apples (PCA, PSA, and PDA), indicating that fungi infection changed the components and proportions of apple VOCs. Taken together, three Penicillium fungi play significant roles in mediating the host selection of YPMs via altering the emissions of VOCs. These findings will be beneficial for developing formulations for field trapping of YPMs in the future.

The genus Rhopalovalva Kuznetzov, 1964 belongs to Eucosmini within the famlily Tortricidae with larvae feeding on the plants of Fagaceae, Leguminosae, Convolvulaceae and Aceraceae. In this paper, Rhopalovalva is revised from China, with two species (Rhopalovalvaspinata sp. nov. and Rhopalovalva stilliformis sp. nov.) described as new to science. Photographs of the adults and male genitalia of these two new species are given. A key to Chinese species of Rhopalovalva Kuznetzov is provided based on the characters of the male genitalia.

Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) play essential roles in lepidopteran insects' perception of host volatiles by binding and transporting hydrophobic ligands. The yellow peach moth (YPM), Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée), is a serious agricultural pest, with broad host range and cryptic feeding habits. However, few studies about YPM perceiving pheromones and host plant odorants have been reported. In this study, four OBP genes (CpunOBP8, CpunOBP9, CpunABP, and CpunGOBP2) were cloned from the antennae of YPM. The recombinant proteins were expressed and purified by prokaryotic expression system, with their binding affinities to 26 ligands being tested. Four CpunOBPs all had six conserved cysteine residues, which were typical structural characteristics of classical OBPs. The fluorescence competitive binding assay indicated that CpunOBP8 and CpunABP could not only exhibit high binding affinities to female sex pheromones, but also to host plant odorants. For example, CpunOBP8 bound strongly with cis-10-hexadecenal, hexadecanal, and so forth, whereas CpunABP bound with cis-10-hexadecenal, camphene, and 3-carene. Comparatively, CpunOBP9 and CpunGOBP2 could only bind with host plant odorants, with CpunOBP9 binding strongly to 3-methyl-1-butanol, hexyl acetate, and so forth, while CpunGOBP2 displaying the widest binding spectra and correlating with 3-carene, pentyl acetate, and so forth. The results indicated that on the one hand, each of the four CpunOBPs had its specific binding spectra when binding and transporting olfactory ligands; on the other hand, the same ligand might be bound to more than one CpunOBPs, which would provide information for the potential application of semiochemicals in controlling YPM.