Olive lace bugs (Hemiptera: Tingidae) are small phytophagous insects known to cause damage to wild and cultivated olive trees in Southern Africa. This study aimed at gaining insights into the species diversity of olive lace bugs in South Africa, which are locally referred to as “tingids” and was previously thought to comprise a single species. Adult olive lace bugs were haphazardly collected from wild and cultivated olive trees in the Western Cape province, and morphologically identified as Cysteochila lineata, Neoplerochila sp., N. paliatseasi and P. australis. DNA barcodes were generated for each species and used for phylogenetic clustering analyses and estimates of intraspecific genetic divergence (p-distances), along with all DNA barcodes available for Tingidae. Phylogenetic clustering and p-distances supported the consistency of the morphological identification of C. lineata, Neoplerochila sp., N. paliatseasi and P. australis, and the utility of DNA barcoding methods for species identification in Tingidae. Additionally, one complete mitochondrial genome for each of the species found in South Africa was sequenced and used for comparative mitogenomics and phylogenetic reconstruction within the family Tingidae. The four olive lace bugs formed one phylogenetic cluster in Tingini, and the genus Neoplerochila was monophyletic. However, the genus Cysteochila was not monophyletic, as C. lineata was recovered as a sister species to P. australis, but Cysteochila chiniana was placed in a different cluster with Trachypeplus jacobsoni and Tingis cardui. These results highlight the evolutionary significance of olive tree utilization by olive lace bugs and may inform future taxonomic revisions in Cysteochila.

This work aims to study the dynamics of the interaction between the parasitoid Dinarmus basalis and its host the cowpea weevil Callosobruchus maculatus. A correlation investigation was carried out between the biochemical composition of the fourth instar larvae L4 of C. maculatus and the biological and demographic performances of its enemy D. basalis. Three strains of the cowpea weevil were used. A laboratory colony of C. maculatus was initiated on chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) for 45 generations and then reared on the ancestral host cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) for 15 generations. A wild colony of C. maculatus was collected from infested chickpea crops. Results showed that the biology and performances of D. basalis are closely related to those of its host C. maculatus. In addition, biochemical analysis revealed that the whole body composition of the fourth-stage host larvae of the three C. maculatus strains is high in sugars (19.99, 13.66 and 14.88 μg/μl) and protein (15.15, 13.14 and 16.91 μg/μl) respectively for cowpea, chickpea and wild strain. Nevertheless, low contents of lipids (8.83, 8.82 and 9.15 μg/μl) and glycogen (2.70, 3.04 and 3.19 μg/μl) respectively for cowpea strain, chickpea strain and wild strain were obtained. In addition, D. basalis demonstrated its ability to control and limit C. maculatus populations with a parasitism rate of 86% on wild strain that has the highest lipid and protein contents compared to 62.22% for the cowpea strain that had the highest content of sugars and glycogen. Results also pointed out that sugars have a significant effect on the longevity of parasitoid adults. A highly significant positive relationship was found between sugar content and sex ratio. Thus, when the host of D. basalis is high in sugars the female gives offspring in favor of females. The results also revealed the importance of protein and lipid contents on the increase of the rate of parasitism. A highly significant positive correlation between parasitism rate and protein (r = 0.258) and lipid (r = 0.481) contents was observed.

Pest management is achieved through the utilization of knowledge of bionomics and population dynamics of target pest species to maintain damage below the economic threshold while reducing the risk of pesticide poisoning. Tomato crop comprise numerous economically important pests, and IPM practices have historically been focused on controlling harmful insects in agricultural environments. IPM modules evaluated in present study were found significantly superior over untreated control. Among them, the efficacy of module 7 comprising Emamectin benzoate 5% SG @ 200 ml/ha + Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 EC @ 150 ml/ha + Novaluron 10 EC @ 1 L/ha was found best in controlling the H. armigera (0.43 larvae/plant and 8.46 and 7.63 per cent fruit damage on number and weight basis, respectively) in tomato. While, the lowest efficacy was recorded in module 2 comprising Trichogramma sp. (@15,0000/ha + HaNPV@ 300 LE/ha + NSKE @ 10% (1.28 larvae/plant and 23.05 and 21.62 per cent fruit damage on number and weight basis). Module 7 recorded maximum fruit yield of 269.73 q/ha with highest efficacy, whereas, it was lowest in module 8 (173.47 q/ha) kept as untreated control. The maximum increase in yield over control was also obtained in module 7 (96.32 q/ha).

Mosquitoes host diverse bacterial communities influenced by the sex of the mosquito, tissue, and developmental stages, among other factors. Consequently, the mosquito microbiota may impact on several aspects of the host biology, including nutrition, development and reproduction. We have recently revealed a shared core microbiota among different mosquito species, although interesting inter- and intra-species differences were detected. Additionally, we showed deep divergences between genera, underlining microbiota specificity and adaptation to their host suggesting that the holobiont of different mosquito species may significantly vary. Moreover, mosquito species are characterized by distinctive microbiota in different organs, likely reflecting different functions and/or adaptation processes. Understanding of the microbiota of mosquitoes in relation to sex, developmental stage and tissue, may ultimately provide crucial insights and novel targets for possible application of symbionts in innovative strategies for the control of vector borne diseases, globally named Symbiotic Control (SC). Here I report some advances in the study of microbial symbiosis in mosquitoes with particular reference to the acetic bacterium Asaia, the best characterized Anopheline symbiont, for which some conditioning on the biology of the host are proposed, including, for example, a possible impact on insecticide-resistance mechanism sdeveloped by mosquitoes.

Maize dwarf mosaic disease (MDMD) is one of the most common and economically important viral diseases of maize in many countries. In Europe, the spread of two pathogens of this disease has been proven: the maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV) and the sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV). MDMV and SCMV are transmitted by aphids in a non-persistent manner. According to the literature, more than 20 different species of aphids capable of transmitting MDMD are known. This study presents the first report of Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) in maize in Ukraine. Plants with typical mosaic symptoms were found in corn crops in the Kyiv region in early June 2018. The pathogen was transmitted by mechanical inoculation to maize and sweet maize plants with the manifestation of mosaic symptoms. In August, symptoms of mosaic together with aphids Rhopalosiphum padi were found on previously healthy plants in the same corn crop. In 2020, in the same sown area, corn was free of viral infection during an inspection in June, however, a re-inspection in September revealed mosaic symptoms on maize plants and the presence of aphids R.padi in the leaf axils. The presence of SCMV in maize samples taken in 2018 and 2020 in both June and August/September, as well as in inoculated maize and sweet maize plants, was confirmed by DAS-ELISA (Double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays) using a commercial test system from Loewe Biochemica. The obtained data allow suggesting that Rhopalosiphum padi is a natural vector of SCMV in agrocenoses of Ukraine.

In recent decades, agro-industrial waste has become recognized as a significant social, nutritional, and environmental problem. Thus, management strategies are urgent. The use of agricultural and food processing waste in new by-products is likely to out-compete any other offered solution. In this respect, the valorization of citrus peels from juices and jam industries is an important issue since Tunisia is well-known for the production of such crops. The present work assessed the insecticidal potential of essential oils extracted from the bitter orange Citrus aurantium L. as a protectant against adults of the lesser grain borer Rhyzopertha dominica F.

Citrus aurantium fruit samples were collected from Nabeul and Bousselem localities (north Tunisia). Essential oils were analyzed by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques and assessed for their fumigant toxicity against newly emerged R. dominica adults. Results showed quantitative and qualitative differences in oil composition in due to location. Limonene was the major and characteristic common compound with values of 92.36% and 93.69% for Nabeul and Bousselem, respectively.

The fumigant bioassay showed that Citrus aurantium from Nabeul was more toxic and the corresponding LC₅₀ and LC₉₅ values were 307.89 and 652.91 µL/L air, respectively, within 48h of exposure. Our work indicates concern in the use of Tunisian Citrus aurantium essential oils as fumigant protectant against Rhyzopertha dominica during storage.

For facilitating the process of transcriptomics data, and to guarantee the reproducibility of
our analyses, we developed AskoR, which is a R library for performing a suite of statistical analysis and graphical output from gene expression data obtained by sequencing (RNA-Seq). From raw counts, it makes it possible to filter and normalize the data, to check the consistency of the samples, and to carry out differential expression tests, GO terms enrichments, and clusters of co-expression, with a large number of figures in the output. AskoR can be downloaded and used in your favorite R environment or directly accessible through a Galaxy portal like the one which is hosted by the BioInformatics Platform for the Agroecosystems Arthropods (BIPAA).

In Tunisia, dates are important and valuable export commodity with significant socio-economic impacts. Their production is confronted to various biotic constraints mainly due to the attacks of diseases and insect pests in pre and post-harvest causing yearly losses which can reach 30% .The date moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Pyralidae), is the major phytosanitary threat of Tunisian dates production and industry. The postharvest control of this pest is based on the use of synthetic fumigant. However, these pesticides have serious controversial effects on human health and environment. Thus, this work aims to search new management alternatives that focus on replacing synthetic pesticides. For that, the insecticidal fumigant potential of essential oils extracted from leaves of the laurel Laurus nobilis L. (Lauraceae) collected from the region of Bizerte (North-West, Tunisia) were tested against fifth instar larvae of E. ceratoniae. In addition, a reference treatment using the commercial fumigant Phosphine (PH₃: Phosphorus hydride) was also carried out. Moreover, the impact of essential oils on the physical, biochemical and organoleptic properties were determined on dates treated and stored for three storage periods (7, 15 and 30 days). Results showed that laurel essential oils exhibited an interesting insecticidal fumigant activity against E. ceratoniae larvae. This activity varies depending on the concentration and the duration of exposure. The lowest concentration 60 µl/l air achieved mortalities of 14.28 % , 21.42% and 37.03% after 7, 15 and 30 days of storage respectively, while, the highest concentration 180 µl/l air resulted in mortalities of 21.42%, 25% and 44.44 % also after 7, 15 and 30 days of storage respectively. Besides, the respective LC₅₀ and TL₅₀ values were 1204.27 μL liter−1 air and 35.43 days. On the other hand, results of chemical control using phosphine have revealed a very interesting insecticidal activity. Corrected mortality reached 100% after 7 days of exposure.

High-yield soybean (Glycine max) fields are needed to supply the world’s demand on soybean products, but insects like Euschistus heros (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) often reduce the soybean quality and productivity, particularly in neotropical fields of South America. There, chemical control of E. heros populations is needed almost every growing season, so that selection of insecticide resistance leading to control failure is a concern. We assessed the performance of conventional synthetic and new insecticide mixtures against E. heros. In the 2018/2019 growing season, a randomized-block experiment with five replications was conducted in Maracaju, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The crop management practices were as usual expect for stink bug control. The insecticides, applied twice (in R5.3 and R5.4 growth stages), were as follows: acephate, bifentrin+carbosulfan, acetamiprid+bifenthrin, imidacloprid+lambda-cyhalothrin, sulfoxaflor+lambda-cyhalothrin. Before and after applying the treatments, the number of nymphs and adults were recorded in a 1-m soybean row using a beat cloth in four different representative areas of each experimental plot. Before the first insecticidal application, there no significant difference in the total number (nymphs+adults) of stink bugs, which averaged 2/m. All the insecticidal treatments were efficacious until 14 days after the second application, maintaining 0.3–1.4 stink bugs/m. In the control, the stink bugs number were 3–6/m, significantly higher than those in the insecticidal treatments. Therefore, the insecticides effectively reduced the population density of E. heros nymphs and adults. These results are useful for soybean pest managers, indicating that the soybean stink bug populations can be reduced when using the insecticides properly.

The genus Eumerus Meigen, 1822 (Eristalinae: Merodontini) is one of the most diverse hoverfly genera in the west Palaeartic Region with 89 confirmed species and 77 occurring in the European continent. It is also highly diverse in the Iberian Peninsula plus Balearic Islands with 36 species. Recent descriptions of four new species have increased the number of species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula up to five. Nowadays, taxonomy, distribution and biology of the Iberian Eumerus are still far to be fully understood. The aim of this work is to present an updated overview of the Eumerus checklist in the Iberian area, addressing main topics pending of resolution in the genus.