Abstract Our earlier study revealed that pesticide use considering the preservation of phytoseiid mites is crucially important for the effective utilization of commercialized Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) release materials for spider mite control in Japanese pear orchards. Pesticide use alteration corresponding to commercialized N. californicus release material installation might change phytoseiid mite species composition and affect the efficacy of commercialized N. californicus in spider mite control. This study evaluated the effect of pesticide use alteration on phytoseiid mite species composition and subsequent spider mite control using commercialized N. californicus at Japanese pear orchards. We examined the population dynamics of spider mites and phytoseiid mites in Japanese pear orchards during 2019–2023. In 2022 and 2023, commercialized N. californicus release materials were installed at a Japanese pear orchard under conditions limiting the use of pesticides with adverse effects on phytoseiid mites. The results demonstrated that the most dominant species was shifted from N. californicus to Amblyseius eharai Amitai et Swirski (Acari: Phytoseiidae) with no significant suppression effects of commercialized N. californicus in spider mite control. The results also demonstrated a decline in the distribution of commercialized N. californicus to pear leaves. Amblyseius eharai and indigenous N. californicus dominantly existed in that order before commercialized N. californicus distribution to pear leaves. These results suggest that intraguild predation by A. eharai and competition with indigenous N. californicus might be involved in the less efficient distribution of commercialized individuals as major and minor factors, respectively.

Anopheles species are vectors for malaria. To date, insecticide application has been the primary method for controlling mosquito disease vectors. Chemical interventions to control vectors may occasionally prove ineffective, due to the development of insecticide resistance. Target-site insensitivity is one of the primary mechanisms that contribute to resistance. This study aims to determine the G119S (mutation of glycine to serine) and L1014S (mutation of leucine to phenylalanine) mutation rates of Anopheles superpictus Grassi, 1899 (Culicidae: Anophelinae) and Anopheles sacharovi Favre, 1903 (Culicidae: Anophelinae) populations and their seasonal variations in the Aegean Region. For both A. superpictus and A. sacharovi, the G119S mutation was observed at a low frequency during all three periods. The mean L1014S frequency for A. sacharovi populations in the spring 2018, fall 2018, and spring 2019 periods was 0.063, 0.156, and 0.196, respectively. For A. superpictus populations, the frequencies were 0.025, 0.013, and 0.024, respectively. Pyrethroids, the most widely utilized insecticide in recent years, which are presumed to be effective, will ultimately exhibit reduced efficacy in some of these populations.

The mechanisms underlying prolonged survival under starvation condition—after animals have depleted their energy reserves from food—remain poorly understood. For accurate measurement of survival durations, we developed a novel automated survival monitoring system for newly hatched larvae under starvation conditions. This system integrates a CCD flatbed scanner with the automated image analysis software, AutoCircaS. Unlike conventional methods, which are often limited to Drosophila melanogaster Meigen (Diptera: Drosophilidae), our system enables the analysis of the newly hatched larval stage under starvation conditions in other species, such as the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) and the silkworm Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae). Newly hatched larvae of these three species were subjected to starvation conditions, and survival times were recorded in the absence of dietary nutrients. The system achieved an accuracy of 88.5% for D. melanogaster, 79.2% for H. illucens, and 95.0% for B. mori in detecting survival times within 4 h. The median starvation survival times were 1.42 days for D. melanogaster, 6.08 days for H. illucens, and 2.92 days for B. mori, highlighting the particularly long survival of H. illucens compared to the other species. These findings reveal interspecific differences and suggest that variations in ecological backgrounds and adaptive strategies contribute to their starvation tolerance. This system also provides novel insights into the intrinsic starvation responses of insects and offers significant potential for practical applications, such as developing long-term insect preservation techniques through developmental arrest.