Adult Size Research Articles

Larvicidal activity of Trichoderma atroviride (Hypocreales: Hypocreaceae) against Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae).

Larviciding is an important part of effective integrated mosquito management. However, growing resistance to chemical- and bacterial-based insecticides requires biocontrol agents with novel modes of action. Entomopathogenic fungi are good candidates for larval control due to their capability to infect mosquito larvae and their production of larvicidal compounds. In this study, we isolated a strain of Trichoderma atroviride from Aedes albopictus larvae collected in Manhattan, KS, USA. We used a laboratory-based microcosm assay to expose L3 Ae. albopictus larvae to T. atroviride conidia and culture supernatant treatments. Larvae were monitored daily for survival and development to pupae and adults. In addition, adult survival was monitored for 10 d postpupation, and wing lengths were measured to assess mosquito size. Our results revealed that T. atroviride culture supernatant was a potent larvicide toward Ae. albopictus. However, conidia by themselves were not larvicidal, indicating the major mode of killing was through toxicity exerted by the culture supernatant. We further show that larval exposure to T. atroviride supernatant delayed larval development to pupae. Sex-specific adult survival was not affected by larval exposure to T. atroviride. However, wing length of male and female mosquitoes were reduced, indicating a reduction in adult mosquito body size as compared to the control. Taken together, this study identifies the culture supernatant from a novel strain of T. atroviride as a potent larvicide of Ae. albopictus, potentially expanding the toolbox for biological control of mosquitoes.

Surrounding residential greenness and mental health: Findings from the French CONSTANCES cohort.

Surrounding residential greenness and mental health: Findings from the French CONSTANCES cohort.

A National Evaluation of Time to Surgery Following Burn Center Admission Utilizing the Burn Care Quality Platform Data.

Burn injuries are a major cause of morbidity in the United States, affecting 600 000 individuals annually. Early surgical intervention improves outcomes and reduces complications; however, access to specialized burn care is limited, with only 135 burn centers nationwide. Timely surgery, particularly for large burns, is critical for preventing complications such as hypertrophic scarring (HTS) and infection while optimizing recovery. This study evaluates surgical timing across pediatric and adult burn patients to inform evidence-based practices. We analyzed data from the American Burn Association's Burn Care Quality Platform (2020-2023), including 99 195 patients (23 284 pediatric, 75 911 adult) admitted to 112 burn centers. Days from admission to first burn surgery were assessed, excluding cases with trauma or non-burn diagnoses. Surgical timing was compared by total body surface area (TBSA) burned and age group. Among pediatric patients, 34.6% (7247) underwent surgery, with a median time to surgery of 1 (IQR: 1-3) day; for adults, 49.3% (32052) underwent surgery, with a median of 2 (IQR: 1-4) days. Larger burns (≥20% TBSA) were treated slightly earlier, with median times of 1-3days across groups. However, no statistically significant differences in surgical timing were observed by burn size in adults, whereas significant differences were found in the pediatric 20- 29% TBSA group (p=.035). Timely surgical intervention improves outcomes, yet delays in treating smaller burns highlight gaps in care. Future research should address referral guidelines, logistical barriers, and optimize surgical timing to improve outcomes and resource allocation in burn care.

Multigenerational exposure to glyphosate has only modest effects on life-history traits, stress tolerance and microbiome in a field cricket.

Glyphosate is the most used herbicide worldwide, and it can be toxic to off-target species, such as insects. Although GLY-based herbicides (GBHs) can influence insect microbiomes, little is known about its cascading effects on fitness-related traits, such as life history or stress tolerance, especially in the context of long-term, multigenerational exposure. Thus, we exposed the variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps, to GBH within and across generations to examine the potential role of GBH in developmental plasticity and evolution. Specifically, we measured its effects on life-history traits (e.g. developmental duration, adult body size and mass, and a life-history trade-off between investment into reproduction and flight), stress (heat and desiccation) tolerance and the gut microbiome. One generation of exposure to GBH reduced desiccation tolerance, which was also lower in flight-capable individuals. However, after 11 generations of exposure to GBH, this cost of GBH disappeared, and GBH exposure instead increased adult body size and mass in flight-incapable individuals. Flight capacity had a stronger effect on the gut bacterial community than GBH exposure, where flight-capable individuals contained more than twice as many Family Oscillospiraceae and fewer than half as many Family Erysipelotrichaceae. The effects of both flight capacity and GBH on the microbiome were only evident in generation 1. Together, our results indicate that GBH exposure may have quite modest long-term effects on stress tolerance and the gut microbiome. However, GBH may facilitate the evolution of flightlessness given its potential benefits to flight-incapable individuals, which exhibit greater reproductive potential and tolerance to climate stressors compared with flight-capable individuals.

Evolution of phenotypic plasticity during environmental fluctuations.

Evolution in variable environments is predicted to disfavor genetic canalization and instead select for alternative strategies, such as phenotypic plasticity or possibly bet-hedging, depending on the accuracy of environmental cues and type of variation. While these two alternatives are often contrasted in theoretical studies, their evolution are seldom studied together in empirical work. We used experimental evolution for 30 generations in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis remanei to simultaneously study the evolution of plasticity and bet-hedging in environments differing only in their temperature variability, where one regime is exposed to faster temperature cycles between 20°C and 25°C, with little autocorrelation between parent and offspring environment, while the other regime had slowly increasing temperature with high autocorrelation in temperature between parent and offspring. These two environments had the same average temperature over evolutionary time, but one varied with larger magnitude on a shorter time scale. After experimental evolution, we scored adult size and fitness in full siblings reared in two different temperatures, optimal 20°C and mildly stressful 25°C. Experimental evolution in fast temperature cycles resulted in the evolution of increased body size plasticity but not increased bet-hedging, compared to evolution in the slowly changing environment. Plasticity followed the temperature size rule as size decreased with increasing temperature and this plastic response was adaptive. In addition, we documented substantial standing genetic variation in body size, which represents a potential for further evolutionary change.

Description of two new species and a new population of Mesobiotus cf. coronatus from Cotacachi-Cayapas National Park, Ecuador.

In this study, we present descriptions of two new eutardigrade species and additionally a detailed description of new population of Mesobiotus cf. coronatus discovered in the Cotacachi-Cayapas National Park in Ecuador. The presented analysis is based on morphological and morphometric data using light and scanning electron microscopy; description of Macrobiotus sharopovi sp. nov. and the population of Mesobiotus cf. coronatus were also supported with genetic data (nuclear barcode sequences, i.e., 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA and ITS-2, and one mitochondrial COI sequence). Based on the egg morphology, Mac. sharopovi sp. nov. belongs to Mac. paulinae morpho-group and is most similar to Mac. papei, Mac. paulinae, Mac. polypiformis and Mac. shonaicus but differs from them mainly by some characters of eggs (number of egg processes on circumference, details of eggshell morphology and features of filaments and their number) and adults (size of cuticular pores). Based on such features as the presence of gibbosities and well visible dorsal sculpture, the second new species, i.e., Ramazzottius syraxi sp. nov. is the most similar to Ram. baumanni species complex, Ram. belubellus, Ram. saltensis and Ram. szeptycki but differs from them by gibbosities configuration and morphology of dorsal sculpture. Mesobiotus cf. coronatus, which belongs to Meb. harmsworthi morpho-group, is potentially a new species but due to unclear taxonomic position of nominal Meb. coronatus, a formal description of this taxon is not possible in the present study.

Small fish biomass in the North Sea is far greater than previously estimated

Abstract Small fish, including species with small adult sizes and juveniles of larger species, play a central role in marine food webs as prey for top predators, such as seabirds, marine mammals, and piscivorous fish. However, reliable data on small fish are lacking as conventional fisheries surveys primarily focus on larger, commercially important species and underestimate small fish. Consequently, little is known about absolute biomasses, and fine-scale distribution patterns of this important trophic group. Based on 1307 quantitative Triple-D samples from the Dutch Exclusive Economic Zone and the UK sector of the Dogger Bank, biomass densities were estimated for pooled small demersal fish and for the most abundant species individually. Our estimates suggest that small demersal fish biomass is at least twice as high as reported in trawl-based studies. Uniformly distributed species such as dab (Limanda limanda) and plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) contributed most to the overall small fish biomass, while sandeels (Ammodytidae) showed particularly high local densities. These new prey biomass estimates might change our understanding of the North Sea ecosystem's carrying capacity, and establishes a baseline for monitoring changes in small fish communities driven by climate change and human impacts.

Development and validation of sex-associated markers using whole-genome re-sequencing in frog Quasipaa spinosa.

The development of sex markers is crucial for addressing monosexual breeding in aquaculture species and for identifying traits that are sexually inherited, especially for elucidating the mechanisms of sex determination in amphibians. In aquaculture, comprehending sex determination is especially vital because the market value of animal products frequently depends on their sex. Quasipaa spinosa (Anura, Dicroglossidea) is a valuable frog species in the aquaculture industry of China and southeast Asia, yet there exists limited genomic information regarding this organism. Current data indicates that the adoption of all-male breeding techniques in Q. spinosa could substantially benefit the Chinese aquaculture industry, both by augmenting its economic prospects and by ensuring the effectiveness of wildlife reintroduction efforts. The growth rate, adult size, disease resistance, and other traits of male Q. spinosa surpass those of females, making the development of all-male breeding a significant focus in the Q. spinosa aquaculture industry. Therefore, it is imperative to establish a marker specific to males. In this research, we used the male Q. spinosa genome as reference and performed whole-genome resequencing on 30 males and 30 females. Subsequently, we exhibited evident sexual differentiation on chromosome 3 and primers were designed for PCR detection of the identified candidate male INDEL loci. Ultimately, two sex-associated INDELs that could be effectively detected were obtained and validated on the samples collected from the remaining three locations, thereby confirming the robustness of these two INDELs for sex identification in Q. spinosa.

Effects of S-methoprene on growth, development, and reproduction of Acyrthosiphon pisum.

As an analogue of juvenile hormone, S-methoprene regulates the development, metamorphosis, and reproduction of insects by interfering with the normal metaboilic level of juvenile hormone in insects, and thus has been widely used as a biochemical insecticide. To clarify the effects of S-methoprene on the growth, development, and reproduction of Acyrthosiphon pisum, we measured the survival rate, developmental duration, adult body size, body weight, longevity, fecundity and reproductive system of A. pisum under different concentrations (0, 50, 100, 500, 1000 mg·L-1) of S-methoprene by plant mediation in vitro. The results showed that S-methoprene treatment did not affect the survival rate and developmental duration of A. pisum, but had significant effects on body size, adult longevity and fecundity of A. pisum adult. With the increases of S-methoprene concentration, the proportion of sterile adult increased significantly, adult body size and weight decreased gradually, and the adult longevity and reproductive period shortened gradually. The average fecundity of per female and the average daily fecundity per female gradually decreased. At the concentration of 1000 mg·L-1 S-methoprene, adult body weight (2.41 mg) was 1.30 mg lower than that of the control, and body length (3.74 mm), body width (1.34 mm), hind food tibia length (2.68 mm) and surface area (3.95 mm2) were 12.4%, 15.7%, 11.3% and 26.1% lower than those of the control. The number of sterile adult accounted for 50.9%, and the adult longevity (14.3 d) and reproductive period of A. pisum (12.2 d) were the shortest. The average fecundity of per female (83.5 ind) and the average daily fecundity of per female (6.8 ind·d-1) were the lowest. Under S-methoprene treatments, the number of newly deve-loped embryos in the ovary of A. pisum adults significantly decreased, and the number of mature embryos with eye spots increased gradually and the appendages such as antennae and feet of mature embryos became more obvious, but the size of the first embryo was significantly reduced. The results showed that S-methoprene shortened adult longevity and decreased fecundity, and significantly inhibited the new embryo production and embryo size in the ovarian tubes of A. pisum. This study would provide a theoretical basis for the potential value of juvenile hormone analogues in regulating aphid population.

Which Body Size Metrics Should Be Used for Assessing Temperature Impacts on Fish Growth and Size?

An extensive literature and debate exist on how and why temperature impacts animal, and especially ectotherm, body sizes. However, there remain considerable discrepancies and misunderstandings in the key definitions and concepts of body size used to describe observed temperature impacts across studies. For fish and other animals that continue growing throughout life, body size can be defined as size-at-maturity, adult size, asymptotic size, maximum observed size, population-averaged length or mass, or average size-at-(arbitrary)-age. These concepts of size are not equivalent, and temperature is likely to affect each in different ways. Some disagreement about temperature impacts on fish body sizes might relate to the different body size and growth metrics used, especially when combined with different biological scales (individual, population, or community) and empirical contexts (laboratory, field). Here, we review six common confusions associated with the measurement of "size" in fish and other water-breathing ectotherms and recommend consistent and accurate use of terms and methodology to ensure that studies of global warming impacts on fish sizes can be compared and interpreted unequivocally.

Dynamic and asynchronous ontogenetic changes in growth and metabolic rate in thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus).

As mammals grow from developmentally immature neonates into adults, metabolic rate (V̇O2) has been hypothesized to scale isometrically with body mass until individuals reach a critical size, after which scaling becomes hypometric. This study aimed to determine when this occurs and gain insight into why this metabolic switch occurs in altricial thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus). We hypothesized that the switch would be related to patterns of growth and development. We measured the mass and resting V̇O2of I. tridecemlineatus pups using flow-through respirometry at postnatal days (P)0-P30 (inclusive), P60, P90, P120 and at over 1year old and found repeated and asynchronous ontogenetic changes in growth rate and metabolic scaling. Following birth, pups grew 1.18±0.02 g day-1 and metabolism scaled isometrically as predicted (scaling exponent B=1.01±0.03). Surprisingly, B more than doubled to 2.64±0.13 at P18-P23 while growth rate remained constant. At P29, growth rate more than quadrupled to 4.87±0.03 g day-1 while between P35 and P43 the further increase in V̇O2was proportionately less, and thus B fell to -0.27±0.43. Adult size was reached by P79, with final scaling and growth rate values maintained into adulthood (P465). The asynchronous changes in mass and resting V̇O2appear to reflect metabolic trade-offs as pups allocated energy towards physiological development (P18-P35) versus growth (P35-P79): the period of hypermetabolic scaling (B=2.64±0.13) coincided with the time when pups became weaned and sufficiently physiologically and morphologically developed to live independently.

Elevated fish growth yet postponed maturation during intense marine heatwaves.

In the last decade, the northeast Pacific Ocean has experienced new climatic extremes with the occurrence of several marine heatwaves (MHWs), prolonged periods of warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures, likely as a result of anthropogenic climate change. The temperature-size rule is used to contextualize the impacts of climate change on fish maturity and growth, and predicts earlier maturation, faster growth of juveniles, and smaller adult body sizes with increasing temperatures. We investigated the temporal dynamics of fish reproductive development, maturity, and growth from 2014 to 2021, during intense and less intense MHW conditions. We estimated length and age at 50% maturity with histological sections of ovarian tissue samples collected from 644 female Black Rockfish (Sebastes melanops) caught off the Pacific Coast of the United States (42° N-49° N) and estimated von Bertalanffy growth function parameters with length-at-age data for a subset of 302 females. During intense MHWs, maturation was postponed, reproductive success was lower by a third, and parasite prevalence in ovaries was nominally higher. Younger females were larger at age during intense MHWs, and throughout the last decade, growth rate coefficients were higher than what is typically expected for slower-growing fishes, like rockfishes. The increase in juvenile growth during intense MHW conditions may be explained by the temperature-size rule, but our observation of postponed maturation contradicts theoretical predictions. Our work reveals that MHWs can induce shifts in fish growth and maturation, but that the temperature-size rule may not provide an adequate framework to predict how increasing temperatures associated with climate change may influence reproductive development and maturity for fishes with complex reproductive strategies. An understanding of how anomalous environmental conditions interact with fish life histories may help predict population vulnerability, which will be critical for future fisheries management under climate change.

Assessing the relative influence of island climatic and geographical factors on body size in an endangered iguana species of the French Caribbean

Abstract Body size is an important organismal trait on which many physiological and behavioral factors depend, and can be used to study how animals adapt to insular environments. In this regard, reptiles on islands exhibit remarkable size extremes, ranging from giants to some of the smallest vertebrate species in the world. In addition, the dependence of ectotherms on external temperature makes them particularly sensitive to climatic conditions. We tested the hypotheses that adult body size in Lesser Antillean iguanas (Iguana delicatissima) would increase with island area and isolation, as well as with increasing annual rainfall and ambient temperature. We used a database of 6878 individuals collected on seven islands in the French West Indies from 2009 to 2021. We measured individual size by the snout‐vent length. GLMM analyses showed that iguana body size increased with island size, and that iguanas on the islands located closer to the mainland were larger compared to those on islands located the furthest from the mainland. Regarding climatic conditions, we found that annual rainfall and ambient temperature had no significant effect on iguana body size. These findings indicate that geographical conditions have a greater influence on iguana size compared to climatic conditions. The lack of influence of climatic conditions may be related to the fact that iguanas are critically endangered, meaning that their populations consist of limited numbers of individuals far from the carrying capacity of their habitat. If ecological resources are not currently a limiting factor for Lesser Antillean iguanas, then conservation efforts could successfully promote the growth of their populations.

New Argentine head circumference references for people with achondroplasia from 0 to 21 years of age.

Introduction. Macrocephaly is a phenotypic feature of achondroplasia (ACH), the most common form of disproportionate short stature. In 2011, we published head circumference (HC) references for this population, but due to the scarcity of data about older ages, the centiles were estimated only up to 6 years of age. Objective. To estimated centiles of the HC between birth and 21 years of age for ACH. Population and methods. Data from children with ACH assisted between 1992 an 2024 at a thirdlevel hospital in Argentina were used for its estimation. The growth curves were adjusted using the LMS method. To evaluate the magnitude of the differences between the Argentine references of ACH and those of the general population, the 3, 50, and 97 centiles at different ages were plotted comparatively. Results. The HC of ACH was more significant at all ages than the general population's references. During the first year of life, males and females reach 84% and 86% of adult size, respectively, completing growth after 20 years of age. Conclusions. Due to the difference in cephalic size between the general population and ACH, it is essential to have specific references for this population. This will allow us to detect growth trajectories not attributed to ACH and to suspect deviations that require a rapid interdisciplinary approach.

Combining acoustic telemetry and side-scan sonar to estimate abundance of endangered shortnose sturgeon in the Hudson River, New York

For endangered shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum), the ability to estimate and monitor population size is critical for tracking species’ recovery. Yet, contemporary abundance estimates have not been completed for many shortnose sturgeon populations, largely owing to the difficulty in using traditional abundance estimators for sturgeons. Here, we estimate the adult shortnose sturgeon population size of the Hudson River, NY by integrating data from two largely passive sampling methods – acoustic telemetry and side-scan sonar – into a Bayesian hierarchical model of abundance. We estimated the adult abundance to be 69,798 individuals (95% CI = 9,207-185,666), making the Hudson River the largest extant shortnose sturgeon population. Despite this, the population remains vulnerable to localized disturbances, as over 40% of the population congregated in a small overwintering habitat that coincides with an area of high anthropogenic activity. Accordingly, recurrent demographic surveys may be beneficial for gaining insight into the relative effects of anthropogenic and naturally stochastic processes shaping shortnose sturgeon demography. Our modeling framework provides a relatively low-cost alternative for future demographic monitoring of species of conservation concern.

Position and Dimension of the Inner Ear in Midterm Fetuses

Background:This study aimed to see the change in the area covered by the inner ear (IE) in the petrous bone with gestational age, and to determine the growth dynamics of inner ear structures such as the cochlea and semicircular canals.Methods:Twenty temporal bones of 10 fetal cadavers (5 males and 5 females) aged 23.50 ± 2.94 weeks were included in the study.Results:The petrous ridge length (PRL), the inner ear length (IEL), the thickness of bone on the cochlea, the distance of the rearmost part of the superior semicircular canal to the most posterior border of the petrous ridge, and the distance of the frontmost part of the cochlea to the most anterior border of the petrous ridge were measured as 23.97 ± 4.21 mm, 13.31 ± 1.45 mm, 1.26 ± 0.20 mm, 6.86 ± 1.97 mm, and 3.85 ± 0.93 mm, respectively. The ratio of the IEL to the PRL decreased despite of proportional increase in these parameters with age. This finding shows that the growth dynamics of the IE are slower than that of petrous bone, and thus the area ratio covered by the inner ear in the petrous bone decreased with age. The size of the cochlea and the angles between the semicircular canals did not correlate with gestational age. However, the semicircular canals (their thicknesses and inner surface areas) attain adult size between 21 and 24 weeks.Conclusion:Our findings may be useful for otologists to see the relation of the IE with the petrous bone. Our numeric dataset may form a basis of prenatal radiologic investigations.

Inbreeding reduces the ability of young to exploit high-resource nurseries.

Parents of many species create a "nursery" in which young develop, and variation in this environment can influence offspring phenotype and fitness. Recent studies have demonstrated that behavioral interactions within these nurseries may moderate inbreeding depression. However, whether other features of the nursery impact inbreeding depression, either directly or through secondary impacts on behavior, has been less well studied. Here I describe two experiments involving the burying beetle, Nicrophorus orbicollis, in which I test (1) whether inbreeding depression is sensitive to the size of the carcass that constitutes the nursery, and (2) whether inbreeding and carcass size influence parental care behavior. In the first experiment, I found that resource abundance in the nursey impacted inbreeding depression in larval mass, a trait that determines adult body size and competitive ability. In low-resource nurseries, inbred and outbred offspring did not differ in mass. However, in high resource nurseries inbred larvae were smaller than outbred larvae. This inbreeding-by-environment interaction occurred because the mass of outbred larvae was more responsive to resource abundance than the mass of inbred larvae. Larval survival from dispersal to eclosion exhibited inbreeding depression that was independent of resource abundance. In the second experiment, I found no evidence that the inability of inbred larvae to exploit high-resource nurseries was due to differences in parental behavior. These results suggest that inbred larvae are less able than outbred larvae to take advantage of high resource nurseries; however, further work is necessary to uncover the mechanisms generating this inbreeding-by-environment interaction.

Research Note: Estimating Kinship Size of Older Adults in Europe With Models and Surveys.

Measures of kinship size are increasingly common in sociodemographic studies. The size and structure of older adults' kinship networks can be ascertained via direct observation in a social survey or modeled using demographic techniques. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages, but whether the two provide comparable estimates of kinship size is an open question. In this research note, we answer this question using social survey data and demographic models to estimate the size of older adults' kinship networks in 22 European countries. We find an impressively high association between the two approaches, with important variations by the kin type considered. We discuss the reasons for the divergence in the estimates and provide guidance for researchers interested in using either approach to quantify kinship size.

Effects of polystyrene microplastic ingestion on development, adult fitness, and reproductive success of Culex quinquefasciatus and Anopheles quadrimaculatus

Plastic pollution is an escalating global problem that significantly impacts ecosystems. Because plastics are non-degradable, they accumulate throughout the environment as microplastics (MPs). MPs are a major pollutant in aquatic environments, leading to their inevitable ingestion by a wide range of organisms, including mosquitoes. This laboratory study was conducted to determine the effects of MP ingestion by mosquito larvae on the development, adult fitness, and reproductive success of Culex quinquefasciatus and Anopheles quadrimaculatus. First instar larvae were exposed to different combinations of particle size and concentration of carboxylate-functionalized orange fluorescent polystyrene microspheres; 1 µm and 1000 particles/mL, 1 µm and 100,000 particles/mL, 30 µm and 1000 particles/mL. The results demonstrated that polystyrene MP ingestion impacts larval development, adult fitness (adult size, blood-feeding rate), and reproductive success (fecundity) with differential effects in Cx. quinquefasciatus and An. quadrimaculatus. The study suggests the possibility of particle size and concentration thresholds that significantly impact the life history traits of different mosquito species, potentially influencing population sizes and vectorial capacities. These observations underscore the need for further investigation into the mechanisms and broader implications of plastic pollution on mosquito populations using environmentally realistic MP concentrations.

Development of Pheromone‐Based Mating Disruption for Three Lepidopteran Pests of Currant in Northern Europe

ABSTRACTCurrant, and in particular blackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, is widely grown in Europe. It is the host of a number of pest insects, but their occurrence and the damage they cause vary geographically. In northern Europe, three lepidopteran species, the currant shoot borer (Lampronia capitella), the currant clearwing (Synanthedon tipuliformis), and the currant bud moth (Euhyponomeutoides albithoracellus), are particularly damaging and sometimes cause decreased plant vigour and drastic yield losses. With fewer insecticides approved for use and with an increased interest in organic production of currants, the need for alternative methods to control these moths is urgent. We here applied pheromone‐based mating disruption in small and sometimes well isolated plantations in Finland, Norway and Sweden against the three pests using 15–25 g of active ingredients and 300 dispensers per ha. A strong trap shutdown effect, up to 100%, was recorded for the currant clearwing and the currant bud moth, but no effect on the most widespread species, the currant shoot borer, was noted. After 1 year of treatment, however, it was not possible to detect any significant effect on the damage level or on the future adult population size of the pests. We conclude that for the currant clearwing and the currant bud moth, mating disruption is likely to work with higher pheromone doses or modified dispenser density, whereas the reason behind the lack of effect on the currant shoot borer needs to be addressed by new experiments and observations of behaviour.