The Lari-Leuco Container: A Novel Collection Arena for Separating Insects Ascending or Descending From a Plant Foliage Sample

Efficient separation of insects from plant material for quantification and collection is an important component of entomological research. This paper reports on a novel, easily replicable container designed to efficiently collect two different biological control agents dispersing from hemlock (Tsuga spp.) foliage infested with the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae Annand (Hemiptera: Adelgidae). The container utilizes a simplified Berlese-style funnel design to collect Laricobius spp. (Coleoptera: Derodontidae) larvae dropping from the foliage into a removable bottom jar, a central jar to house the foliage sample, and a removable top jar to collect adult silver flies (Leucopis spp., Diptera: Chamaemyiidae) emerging from puparia on the twigs. The efficacy of two designs (with and without a funnel leading to the top collection jar) was evaluated using western hemlock [Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.] foliage naturally colonized with HWA and the two predator genera. All Laricobius larvae were effectively collected in the bottom jar, and the addition of an inverted funnel leading to the top collection jar increased the proportion of Leucopis flies reaching the target jar from 60% to 94%. This ‘Lari-Leuco’ container is presented as a research and motoring tool to benefit the integrated pest management program for HWA in eastern North America and for potential use in simultaneously separating ascending and descending life stages in other insect-plant or predator-prey systems.

Development of chemoregulatory method for monitoring grape pests

В практике защиты растений одним из актуальных методов мониторинга насекомых является хеморегуляторный метод, к средствам которого относят феромоны, гормоны, аттрактанты, репелленты и т.д., предназначенные для выявления фитофагов и оценки уровня заселенности ими сельскохозяйственных культур. Цель исследований заключалась в проведении сравнительных испытаний новых и усовершенствованных феромонных ловушек и препаратов для мониторинга доминирующего вредителя винограда - гроздевой листовёртки ( Lobesia botrana Den. et Schiff.) и инвазийного карантинного вида - коричнево-мраморного клопа ( Halyomorpha halys Stаl.) на виноградниках Крыма. Работу проводили в условиях 2020 г. согласно методическим подходам, используемым в отечественной и международной практике энтомологических исследований на промышленных насаждениях основных зон виноградарства Крыма. Установлено, что при средней интенсивности лёта бабочек I генерации гроздевой листовёртки на винограднике сорта Каберне-Совиньон опытные феромонные ловушки типа «Дельта», «Ромб» и «Квадро» производства ФГБУ «ВНИИКР» показали близкие значения уловистости: в среднем 826-1042 экз./ловушку. Наиболее перспективной определена ловушка «Дельта». На фоне средней и низкой интенсивности лёта бабочек I-III генераций гроздевой листовёртки на виноградниках трех зон установлен одинаковый уровень биологической активности четырех феромонных препаратов производства АО «Щелково Агрохим» (разница 0,3-3,1 %) как на фольгапленовых диспенсерах (1,5 мг феромона), так и на трубчатых (0,8-3,0 мг феромона). Показан достаточный уровень эффективности фольгапленовых диспенсеров на протяжении четырех месяцев (снижение биологической активности 4-14 %). На фоне низкой численности коричнево-мраморного клопа на виноградниках установлена более высокая (в 5,2 раза) биологическая активность препарата с феромоном и аттрактантом синтеза АО «Щелково Агрохим» в сравнении с препаратом, содержащем только феромон. Использование этих феромонных препаратов в ловушках барьерного типа позволило впервые выявить новый карантинный вид клопа на участках двух зон виноградарства Крыма. One of the most relevant methods for monitoring insects in the practice of plant protection is the chemoregulatory method, the means of which are pheromones, hormones, attractants, repellents, etc., intended to identify phytophages and assess the level of population density on agricultural crops. The aim of the research was to carry out comparative tests of new and improved pheromone traps and preparations for monitoring the dominant grape pest - European grape moth ( Lobesia botrana Den. Et Schiff.) and the invasive quarantine species - brown marmorated stink bug ( Halyomorpha halys Stаl.) in the vineyards of Crimea. The work was carried out in the conditions of 2020 according to the methodological approaches used in national and international practices of entomological research on industrial plantations of the main viticulture zones of Crimea. It was found that with an average flight intensity of butterflies of European grape moth of the I generation in the vineyard of ‘Cabernet-Sauvignon’ cultivar, experimental pheromone traps of Delta, Romb and Quadro types produced by FSBI VNIIKR showed similar values of catching capacity: at the average rate of 826-1042 nos. / trap. Delta was defined as the most promising trap. Against the background of an average and low flight intensity of European grape moth butterflies of the I-III generations in the vineyards of three zones, similar level of biological activity of four pheromone preparations produced by JSC Shchelkovo Agrokhim (difference - 0.3-3.1%) was established on propylene foil (1, 5 mg of pheromone) and tube dispensers (0.8-3.0 mg of pheromone). A sufficient level of efficiency of propylene foil dispensers was shown during four months (a decrease in biological activity by 4-14%). Against the background of a low number of brown marmorated stink bugs in the vineyards, a higher (5.2 times) biological activity of the preparation with pheromone and attractant of JSC Shchelkovo Agrokhim production in comparison with the preparation containing only pheromone was established. Using of these pheromone preparations in barrier-type traps made it possible to reveal for the first time a new quarantine bug species in the plots of two Crimean viticultural zones.

Nietzsche’s Entomology: Insect Sociality and the Concept of the Will

The article traces Nietzsche’s references to insects in his published and unpublished writings against the backdrop of his study of the entomological research of his time (esp. through his reading of Alfred Espinas’s Die thierischen Gesellschaften). The first part of the article explores how Nietzsche’s entomology allows us to add a posthumanist perspective to the more familiar poststructuralist readings of Nietzsche, as the entomological research he consulted offered him a model for understanding how rudimentary processes can lead to the formation of structures and higher organizations with emergent properties. The second part of the article revisits Nietzsche’s conceptions of the will and the will to power against the backdrop of his references to insect sociality and the influence of Wilhelm Wundt. It shows that Nietzsche’s deconstruction of the will as an umbrella concept and his will to power are attempts to model the emergence of complex edifices from simple operations under which physical, psychological, and social phenomena must be thought to arise. The article concludes with a reflection of the social and political relevance of what Nietzsche identifies as modernity’s “disgregation of the will.”

Influence of Diet on Development and Survival of Thanatophilus rugosus (Coleoptera: Silphidae)

This study examined the effects of various diets on the development time and survival of the carrion beetle Thanatophilus rugosus (Fabricius, 1775). We attempted to find the best diet for rearing the species in laboratory conditions for entomological research and forensic purposes, and to further understand its feeding habits. The larval stages were monitored while feeding on three types of meat under a constant temperature. We discovered that the shortest development time in total was achieved in larvae fed with pork liver, followed closely by pork muscle. The longest development and lowest survival rates were observed when introducing a chicken diet. We were also able to identify specific stages during which the diet significantly affected the development.

Nietzsche’s Entomology: Insect Sociality and the Concept of the Will

The article traces Nietzsche’s references to insects in his published and unpublished writings against the backdrop of his study of the entomological research of his time (esp. through his reading of Alfred Espinas’s Die thierischen Gesellschaften). The first part of the article explores how Nietzsche’s entomology allows us to add a posthumanist perspective to the more familiar poststructuralist readings of Nietzsche, as the entomological research he consulted offered him a model for understanding how rudimentary processes can lead to the formation of structures and higher organizations with emergent properties. The second part of the article revisits Nietzsche’s conceptions of the will and the will to power against the backdrop of his references to insect sociality and the influence of Wilhelm Wundt. It shows that Nietzsche’s deconstruction of the will as an umbrella concept and his will to power are attempts to model the emergence of complex edifices from simple operations under which physical, psychological, and social phenomena must be thought to arise. The article concludes with a reflection of the social and political relevance of what Nietzsche identifies as modernity’s “disgregation of the will.”

Silencing of CYP6AS160 in Solenopsis invicta Buren by RNA interference enhances worker susceptibility to fipronil

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases play a key role in pest resistance to insecticides by detoxification. Four new P450 genes, CYP6AS160, CYP6AS161, CYP4AB73 and CYP4G232 were identified from Solenopsis invicta. CYP6AS160 was highly expressed in the abdomen and its expression could be induced significantly with exposure to fipronil, whereas CYP4AB73 was not highly expressed in the abdomen and its expression could not be significantly induced following exposure to fipronil. Expression levels of CYP6AS160 and CYP4AB73 in workers were significantly higher than that in queens. RNA interference-mediated gene silencing by feeding on double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) found that the levels of this transcript decreased (by maximum to 64.6%) when they fed on CYP6AS160-specific dsRNA. Workers fed dsCYP6AS160 had significantly higher mortality after 24 h of exposure to fipronil compared to controls. Workers fed dsCYP6AS160 had reduced total P450 activity of microsomal preparations toward model substrates p-nitroanisole. However, the knockdown of a non-overexpressed P450 gene, CYP4AB73 did not lead to an increase of mortality or a decrease of total P450 activity. The knockdown effects of CYP6AS160 on worker susceptibility to fipronil, combined with our other findings, indicate that CYP6AS160 is responsible for detoxification of fipronil. Feeding insects dsRNA may be a general strategy to trigger RNA interference and may find applications in entomological research and in the control of insect pests in the field.

Reference Transcriptome Data in Silkworm Bombyx mori

Herein, we performed RNA-seq analysis of ten major tissues/subparts of silkworm larvae. The sequences were mapped onto the reference genome assembly and the reference transcriptome data were successfully constructed. The reference data provided a nearly complete sequence for sericin-1, a major silk gene with a complex structure. We also markedly improved the gene model for other genes. The transcriptomic expression was investigated in each tissue and a number of transcripts were identified that were exclusively expressed in tissues such as the testis. Transcripts strongly expressed in the midgut formed tight genomic clusters, suggesting that they originated from tandem gene duplication. Transcriptional factor genes expressed in specific tissues or the silk gland subparts were also identified. We successfully constructed reference transcriptome data in the silkworm and found that a number of transcripts showed unique expression profiles. These results will facilitate basic studies on the silkworm and accelerate its applications, which will contribute to further advances in lepidopteran and entomological research as well as the practical use of these insects.

Breeding Sites of Synanthropic Mosquitoes in Zika-Affected Areas of the Dominican Republic

ABSTRACT Mosquito-borne diseases are a major public health concern in the Caribbean. Domestic water-storage containers are preferred breeding habitats for synanthropic mosquito species, among which Aedes aegypti stands out due to its role in arbovirus transmission. To determine the microenvironmental features associated with container-dwelling mosquitoes, a house-to-house cross-sectional entomological survey was carried out in 9 Dominican provinces affected by Zika virus in 2016. All containers with the potential to store water were sampled, all immature mosquitoes were collected, and information on the type, capacity, volume of stored water, building material, presence of flowers, and house location was documented. The specimens were identified and larval indices (House index [HI], Container index [CI], Breteau index [BI], and Ae. aegypti Breeding Percentage) were applied. A total of 665 dwellings were surveyed across 30 neighborhoods. A total of 1,420 water-filled container habitats were sampled, 19.3% of which harbored immature mosquitoes of 5 species, including 4 important vectors. The dominance of Ae. aegypti was marked, as it was present in all sampled neighborhoods, inhabiting 272 containers (19.1%). Larval indices were higher than the threshold values accepted (5% for the HI and BI, and 3% for the CI) in almost all neighborhoods. The presence of Aedes spp. was associated with the serviceability of water-holding containers (χ2 = 16.56522; P < 0.001), and the difference in volume between water-holding containers was associated with the presence of Aedes spp. infection (χ2 = 4; P < 0.001), the containers up to 5 liters being the most infested. This is the first entomological research based on synanthropic mosquito breeding habitats that cover urban areas of the 3 macro-regions of the Dominican Republic.