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PloS One 2023In this study, we used the cowpea weevil Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and two essential oils (mint and rosemary) to investigate the effect of the...
In this study, we used the cowpea weevil Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and two essential oils (mint and rosemary) to investigate the effect of the parents (F0) exposure to a sublethal dose of essential oil on grand offspring (F2) encountering the same essential oil. Then we evaluated biological parameters, including immature development time, sex ratio, adult emergence, egg number, egg hatch, longevity, and mating behaviors in three generations (F0, F1, and F2). Results showed when F0 experienced essential oil in the embryonic stage, parental and grandparental effects were more severe than adulthood experiences. Also, grandparental effects increased or decreased reactions of F2 generation when faced with a similar essential oil, depending on grand offspring sex. For example, when grandparents experienced rosemary essential oil in the embryonic stage, they produced more tolerant female grand offspring with a better ability to cope with the same essential oil (increased adult longevity and egg number). However, male grandoffspring were more sensitive (had a higher mortality percentage and less copulation success). Grandparental effects of exposure to mint essential oil diminished female grand offspring longevity and improved male copulation behavior parameters such as increased copulation duration and decreased rejection by females. In all, grandparental effects were different in male and female grand offspring based on the essential oil type experienced by F0.
Topics: Female; Male; Animals; Humans; Adult; Reproduction; Grandparents; Oils, Volatile; Coleoptera; Weevils
PubMed: 38134132
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295937 -
PeerJ 2023Fireflies (Coleoptera, Lampyridae) are a globally threatened group of insects due to habitat loss and fragmentation, light pollution, climate change and pesticides....
Fireflies (Coleoptera, Lampyridae) are a globally threatened group of insects due to habitat loss and fragmentation, light pollution, climate change and pesticides. However, against all odds, some firefly populations persist in urbanized environments where all four of these factors are present simultaneously. In this work, we compiled several data sources to document the diversity of fireflies in the urbanized area of Morelia, characterize their current habitats, and determine the main stressors affecting these bioluminescent insects. We found seven genera and 26 species of fireflies (19 nocturnal, seven diurnal) associated with 32 urban, peri-urban and extra-urban areas; at least, 14 are new records for Michoacán, and the list for the state now includes nine genera and 41 species. Five additional sites were documented as extinction sites. We compared the characteristics of these five sites with those of the sites with extant populations. We found that in Morelia, fireflies are mainly associated with areas that have high to moderate proportions of vegetation cover, are near water bodies, have very gentle to moderate slopes, and are exposed to low levels of light pollution. In contrast, the extinction sites showed high proportions of artificial surfaces and high levels of light pollution. Because some fireflies are considered bioindicators of ecosystem integrity as they are associated to specific habitats, are highly diverse and due to their sensitivity to environmental changes, we consider that sites from Morelia's urban core and extinction sites show the highest levels of environmental degradation, threatening most fireflies and other insects living in the urban core with local extinction. At the same time, our results also suggest that implementing conservation strategies and sustainable planning for the urban development of Morelia in the short term could allow fireflies and other vital elements of the city's insect communities to persist for future generations. Restoration and conservation of green areas and nighttime environments are essential for biodiversity and human health, especially in intra-urban zones.
Topics: Animals; Coleoptera; Ecosystem; Fireflies; Mexico
PubMed: 38107586
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16622 -
PeerJ 2024Resource partitioning among tropical bats in agricultural areas of Peninsular Malaysia remains unclear. This study was conducted to evaluate resource partitioning among...
Resource partitioning among tropical bats in agricultural areas of Peninsular Malaysia remains unclear. This study was conducted to evaluate resource partitioning among bats by examining their fecal samples. The main bat species sampled included: , , , , and . Two harp traps were set at different elevations on a hilltop (Gunung Keriang) and two high nets were used in neighboring rice fields at three sites, for three consecutive nights per sampling from April 2021 to February 2022. A total of 301 bats and 1,505 pellets were analyzed using a conventional approach which examined the fecal sample under the microscope. All of the bat species within the study had insects from the order Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera and Hemiptera in their diet. Larger bats exhibited a greater variety of prey consumption. Male individuals were observed to be generalists while female individuals were specialists, particularly during pregnancy and lactating reproductive stages. Bat species and insect order had a significant impact on the percentage fragment frequency of the insects consumed. specialized in feeding on Coleoptera and Diptera, fed on Coleoptera, fed on Hemiptera, and fed on Lepidoptera. Future molecular analysis can be carried out to further identify the insect pests consumed by these bats up to species level. These findings enhance our understanding of bats' ecological roles in agricultural landscapes and contribute to conservation and pest management strategies.
Topics: Humans; Pregnancy; Animals; Female; Male; Oryza; Chiroptera; Lactation; Malaysia; Coleoptera; Lepidoptera
PubMed: 38250723
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16657 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Nov 2023We tested the effect of simultaneous infestation by adults of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) and the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) on six...
We tested the effect of simultaneous infestation by adults of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) and the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) on six sorghum varieties. For this purpose, vials containing sorghum and either each species alone or both species were placed at 30 °C and 65% relative humidity. After ten days, all parental adults were removed and the vials were returned to the same conditions. Five weeks later the vials were emptied, to record adult emergence, the percentage of insect damaged kernels (IDK), and frass weight. Our results indicated that progeny production capacity for both species was not affected by the simultaneous presence of R. dominica and S. oryzae, and that adult emergence was more of a variety- mediated parameter. Both species had previously shown similar preferences towards specific sorghum varieties. IDK and frass were higher in vials containing R. dominica alone rather than S. oryzae alone, but these indicators were not always related to progeny production. Specifically, the most and the least frass production was noted on Sumac and PE sorghum varieties for both species, respectively. When the two species were placed together in the same vial, the most frass production was noted in the Non-Waxy Burgundy and Sumac varieties. Our results suggest that varietal resistance in sorghum could be utilized to help reduce post-harvest infestations by S. oryzae and R. dominica.
Topics: Animals; Sorghum; Coleoptera; Weevils; Insecta; Edible Grain; Insecticides
PubMed: 37796352
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29807-9 -
Current Opinion in Insect Science Dec 2023Horned beetles have emerged as a powerful study system with which to investigate the developmental mechanisms underlying environment-responsive development and its... (Review)
Review
Horned beetles have emerged as a powerful study system with which to investigate the developmental mechanisms underlying environment-responsive development and its evolution. We begin by reviewing key advances in our understanding of the diverse roles played by transcription factors, endocrine regulators, and signal transduction pathways in the regulation of horned beetle plasticity. We then explore recent efforts aimed at understanding how such condition-specific expression may be regulated in the first place, as well as how the differential expression of master regulators may instruct conditional expression of downstream target genes. Here, we focus on the significance of chromatin remodeling as a powerful but thus far understudied mechanism able to facilitate trait-, sex-, and species-specific responses to environmental conditions.
Topics: Animals; Coleoptera; Biological Evolution; Gene Regulatory Networks; Transcription Factors; Species Specificity
PubMed: 37709168
DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101114 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jul 2023Insect outbreaks affect forest structure and function and represent a major category of forest disturbance globally. However, the resulting impacts on evapotranspiration...
Insect outbreaks affect forest structure and function and represent a major category of forest disturbance globally. However, the resulting impacts on evapotranspiration (ET), and especially hydrological partitioning between the abiotic (evaporation) and biotic (transpiration) components of total ET, are not well constrained. As a result, we combined remote sensing, eddy covariance, and hydrological modeling approaches to determine the effects of bark beetle outbreak on ET and its partitioning at multiple scales throughout the Southern Rocky Mountain Ecoregion (SRME), USA. At the eddy covariance measurement scale, 85 % of the forest was affected by beetles, and water year ET as a fraction of precipitation (P) decreased by 30 % relative to a control site, with 31 % greater reductions in growing season transpiration relative to total ET. At the ecoregion scale, satellite remote sensing masked to areas of >80 % tree mortality showed corresponding ET/P reductions of 9-15 % that occurred 6-8 years post-disturbance, and indicated that the majority of the total reduction occurred during the growing season; the Variable Infiltration Capacity hydrological model showed an associated 9-18 % increase in the ecoregion runoff ratio. Long-term (16-18 year) ET and vegetation mortality datasets extend the length of previously published analyses and allowed for clear characterization of the forest recovery period. During that time, transpiration recovery outpaced total ET recovery, which was lagged in part due to persistently reduced winter sublimation, and there was associated evidence of increasing late summer vegetation moisture stress. Overall, comparison of three independent methods and two partitioning approaches demonstrated a net negative impact of bark beetles on ET, and a relatively greater negative impact on transpiration, following bark beetle outbreak in the SRME.
Topics: Animals; Coleoptera; Plant Bark; Forests; Trees; Weevils
PubMed: 37028665
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163260 -
Annual Review of Entomology Jan 2024The larval stages of click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) species, several of which are serious agricultural pests, are called wireworms. Their cryptic subterranean... (Review)
Review
The larval stages of click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) species, several of which are serious agricultural pests, are called wireworms. Their cryptic subterranean habitat, resilience, among-species differences in ecology and biology, and broad host range, as well as the lack of objective economic injury thresholds, have rendered wireworms a challenging pest complex to control. Significant progress has been made in recent years, introducing a new effective class of insecticides and improving species identification and our understanding of species-specific phenology, chemical ecology (i.e., adult sex pheromones and larval olfactory cues), and abiotic and biotic factors influencing the efficacy of biological control agents. These new developments have created opportunities for further research into improving our risk assessment, monitoring, and integrated pest management capabilities.
Topics: Animals; Coleoptera; Larva; Insecticides; Ecosystem; Agriculture
PubMed: 37562049
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-120220-123249 -
Journal of Economic Entomology Feb 2024The population dynamics of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), red flour beetle, was studied at 30 °C using long vertical columns (LVCs) (150 mm diameter and 1,020 mm long)...
The population dynamics of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), red flour beetle, was studied at 30 °C using long vertical columns (LVCs) (150 mm diameter and 1,020 mm long) and shallow containers (SCs) (460 mm long, 660 mm wide, and 150 mm high), containing 14 kg of whole wheat or a diet made of whole wheat and cracked wheat in 19:1 ratio by mass. The moisture content of the wheat or mixed diet was 14.5% (wb). Every 4 wk and up to 24 wk the live and dead adults were counted in the SCs or in each section of the LVCs. Each LVC was separated into 10 equal sections before removing grain from the LVC. After counting, the grains were incubated at 30 °C and 70% RH for 4 wk, and emerged adults after re-incubation were counted as offspring. The adults and offspring were mainly concentrated in the top section of the LVCs, which could be due to higher mortality in the lower sections and preference of T. castaneum for the surface of grain bulk. The diet influenced the population, and the insects developed better in the cracked wheat-based diet. Greater surface area of the container increased the multiplication and/ or survival of T. castaneum and insects inside SCs with larger surface area and with cracked wheat-based diet, had quicker population increase rate and larger carrying capacity than LVCs.
Topics: Animals; Coleoptera; Tribolium; Triticum; Population Dynamics; Diet
PubMed: 37967300
DOI: 10.1093/jee/toad213 -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences Jun 2024An often-overlooked aspect of life-history optimization is the allocation of resources to protect the germline and secure safe transmission of genetic information. While...
An often-overlooked aspect of life-history optimization is the allocation of resources to protect the germline and secure safe transmission of genetic information. While failure to do so renders significant fitness consequences in future generations, germline maintenance comes with substantial costs. Thus, germline allocation should trade off with other life-history decisions and be optimized in accordance with an organism's reproductive schedule. Here, we tested this hypothesis by studying germline maintenance in lines of seed beetle, selected for early (E) or late (L) reproduction for 350 and 240 generations, respectively. Female animals provide maintenance and screening of male gametes in their reproductive tract and oocytes. Here, we reveal the ability of young and aged E- and L-females to provide this form of germline maintenance by mating them to males with ejaculates with artificially elevated levels of protein and DNA damage. We find that germline maintenance in E-females peaks at young age and then declines, while the opposite is true for L-females, in accordance with the age of reproduction in the respective regime. These findings identify the central role of allocation to secure germline integrity in life-history evolution and highlight how females can play a crucial role in mitigating the effects of male germline decisions on mutation rate and offspring quality.
Topics: Animals; Female; Longevity; Germ Cells; Male; Biological Evolution; Reproduction; Coleoptera
PubMed: 38864321
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0532 -
Journal of Economic Entomology Oct 2023Insecticidal grain protectants can provide control of pest insects during grain storage, but studies which directly compare the efficacy of insecticides in rough rice...
Insecticidal grain protectants can provide control of pest insects during grain storage, but studies which directly compare the efficacy of insecticides in rough rice are few. We examined methoprene, deltamethrin, commercial formulations of methoprene + deltamethrin, β-cyfluthrin, and diatomaceous earth applied to rough rice over a 6-month period for control of lesser grain borers, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), and rice weevils, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). We found that methoprene, deltamethrin, or a combination of the 2 were the most effective controls of both beetles in 22.7-liter metal containers. Damage mass and beetle mass in methoprene-treated rice were reduced by 38% and 55%, respectively, when compared to the nontreated control. Similarly, the mixture of deltamethrin and methoprene reduced damage mass by 32% and total beetle mass by 45% below that of the nontreated control. Deltamethrin reduced total beetle mass by 38% relative to the nontreated rice. In vial assays, only the combination of deltamethrin and methoprene provided control of R. dominica. Diatomaceous earth had the greatest impact upon S. oryzae, but it did not affect R. dominica. Based on these results, a commercial formulation of deltamethrin and methoprene is likely to provide the best overall control of stored grain beetles, though diatomaceous earth may be effective when use of chemical insecticides is undesirable or when S. oryzae is the sole pest present.
Topics: Animals; Coleoptera; Insecticides; Diatomaceous Earth; Methoprene; Weevils; Edible Grain
PubMed: 37748015
DOI: 10.1093/jee/toad169