Class Insecta Research Articles

Biodiversity of Insect Pests in The Agroecosystems of Maize (Zea Mays L.) In Telangana State, India

The study was conducted at maize/ corn crop fields in Nalgonda, Warangal, and Ranga Reddy, erstwhile districts of Telangana state, India, during the 2021–22 Kharif and Rabi seasons. Main objective of the study is to investigate Biodiversity of insect pests in the agroecosystems of maize (Zea mays L.) in Telangana state, India. Sweep net and hand-picking methods were used to collect insect pests on maize/ corn fields. sixteen insect pest’s species were observed, belonging to Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, and Orthoptera orders in the class Insecta of the Arthropoda phylum of the Kingdom Animalia. The order Lepidoptera represented the highest number of eight species followed by Hemiptera three species, Coleoptera two species, Orthoptera two species and Diptera one species. The family Noctuidae of lepidoptera was the richest with eight species followed by Acrididae of Orthoptera with two species, Chrysomelidae of Coleoptera with one species, Scarabaeidae of Coleoptera with one species, Muscidae of Diptera with one species, Aphididae of Hemiptera with one species, Lophopidae of Hemiptera with one species, and Derbidae of Hemiptera with one species on maize/ corn crop fields. Ecological indices of insect pest’s species i.e., Species diversity (Shannon-Wiener Index), Species richness (Margalefs Index) and Species evenness (Pielou Evenness Index) were calculated.

Prey composition of six Nepenthes species in Pematang Gadung, West Kalimantan

Nepenthes traps prey using its pitcher as an adaptation to thrive in low-nutrient habitats. This study aims to identify and analyze the composition of prey trapped in the pitchers of six Nepenthes species occur in Pematang Gadung. The preys were collected by purposive sampling from five pitchers of each species (N. ampullaria, N. bicalcarata, N. gracilis, N. mirabilis, N. rafflesiana and, N. x hookeriana) in two habitat types (peat swamp forest and heath forest). The diversity of prey trapped by Nepenthes was analyzed using Past Software Version 4.0. based on the Shannon index (H′) for each species and the Jaccard index to compare prey diversity between habitat types. A total of 1149 individual prey was collected, comprise seven orders of insects (Class Insecta) and one order of arachnids (Class Arachnida). The predominant prey was the insect of order Hymenoptera (85.90%), especially the family Formicidae. The other orders of insects were Diptera (10.36%), Coleoptera (1.48%), Blattodea (0.96%), Orthoptera (0.61%), and Hemiptera (0.09%). The order of arachnid was Araneae (0.61%). The most diverse prey was found in the pitchers of N. gracilis (H′= 0.79). The diversity of prey trapped by Nepenthes in both habitats has high similarity (JI = 0.71).

The Composition of Arthropods in Nipah Fronds Decomposition at Sungai Kakap Mangrove Area in the West Kalimantan

Anthropogenic activities in Nypa palm (Nypa fructicans) forests directly leave a lot of residual nipa fronds, which take longer to decompose. The decomposition process involves decomposer organisms, one of which is Arthropods. Nevertheless, information regarding the composition of decomposition fronds is still limited. This study aims to obtain data and information regarding the composition of Arthropods and their relationship to the decomposition period. Arthropod sampling was carried out by hand collecting methods at 15, 25, 35, and 45 days after placement. The laying of the nipa palm fronds was determined randomly with a vertical position at 20 cm above the ground surface. Arthropod eggs, larvae, pupae, and imago samples were sorted and preserved in 70% Alcohol. Arthropod data obtained were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the composition of Arthropods consisted of the class Crustacea and Insecta, each with one order (2 genera) and six orders (32 genera). The orders Diptera (Psychoda, Eristalinus) and Amphipoda (Allorchestoides) were dominant. The average number of individuals found increases with the decomposition period. The role of different arthropods influences their composition in the decomposition process of the nipa palm fronds. It is necessary to study the composition of microbes in each decomposition period.

Soil Arthropod Diversity, Richness and Abundance in Agricultural Ecosystems

Soil arthropods play a crucial role in an ecosystem and act as predators, pollinators, parasitoids, herbivores and decomposers. Arthropods are used as biological indicators for agroecosytem integrity. In the present study a total of 1914 species was recorded. Class Arachnida, Insecta and Crustaceans were found. Class Entognatha and Chilopoda were the others recorded. Family Paronellidae from Entognatha, Scarabaeidae from Insecta and Lycosidae from Arachnida revealed highest number of individual species of 189, 114 and 132, respectively. In Chilopoda and Crustacea a total number of 63 and 138 species were recorded. Highest value of Shannon Weiner index 3.12 at familial species and 3.44 at species level and Simpson’s index of 20.03 and 25.71 at familial level and species level, respectively was recorded during November.

The X chromosome of insects likely predates the origin of Class Insecta.

Sex chromosomes have evolved independently multiple times, but why some are conserved for more than 100 million years whereas others turnover rapidly remains an open question. Here, we examine the homology of sex chromosomes across nine orders of insects, plus the outgroup springtails. We find that the X chromosome is likely homologous across insects and springtails; the only exception is in the Lepidoptera, which has lost the X and now has a ZZ/ZW sex chromosome system. These results suggest the ancestral insect X chromosome has persisted for more than 450 million years - the oldest known sex chromosome to date. Further, we propose that the shrinking of gene content the dipteran X chromosome has allowed for a burst of sex-chromosome turnover that is absent from other speciose insect orders.

Responses of soil arthropods to fertilisation with ruminant manure in irrigated buffel grass production

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to characterise the edaphic macrofauna in soil cultivated with Cenchrus ciliaris L. under irrigation and fertilised with ruminant manure in a Brazilian semi-arid region. The experimental design was in split plots. The main plot was composed using tanned manure from 3 species of ruminants (goat, cattle and sheep), in addition to the control treatment (without manure). The subplots were composed of 3 production cycles of buffel grass. Collections of edaphic macrofauna were performed every 28 days. A total of 3453 arthropods were collected, distributed in 15 taxonomic groups representing 12 orders, 7 of which belong to the Insecta class; 3 from the Arachnid class; and 2 from the Diplopoda class. Ants (Formicidae) accounted for 86.76% of this abundance and were followed by representatives of the orders Araneae (4.26%), Polydesmida (3.61%) and Scarabaeidae (1.58%). Principal Components 1 and 2 explained 56% of the data variation. Bovine manure attracted a greater abundance of individuals, mainly ants. Goat manure showed the highest abundance (p < 0.0013) of the Scarabaeidae class, while sheep manure showed the highest abundance (p < 0.0110) of the Embioptera. The number of individuals varied between the beginning and end of each cycle.

A Review On The Diversity Of Butterfly (Insecta: Lepidoptera) Fauna From Bangladesh

Butterflies are widely regarded as the most reliable bioindicators of a healthy terrestrial ecosystem. This insect belongs to the order Lepidoptera of the class Insecta and plays an important role in preserving ecological dynamics. The objective of this paper is to review the species diversity of butterflies in Bangladesh. The data is based mainly on published records and field sampling. IUCN Bangladesh (2015) evaluated the threat status of 305 species of butterflies in 2015. The overall number of butterfly species in Bangladesh is now 421, with another 116 having just been added to the IUCN-Bangladesh list. Lycaenidae has the most species (124), followed by Hesperiidae (87), Nymphalidae (79), Satyridae (35), Pieridae (36), Papilionidae (32), Danaidae (19), Riodinidae (4), Amathusiidae (4), and finally Acraeidae, which has only one species. In the present review, it is shown that the family Lycaenidae has the highest percentage of butterfly species (29.45%) among the ten families. The number of Lycaenid butterflies is influenced by various factors, one of which is their ability to inhabit a diverse array of habitats. In contrast, Danaidae account for only 4.51% species of butterflies in Bangladesh, where only one Critically Endangered (CR) and endemic taxon, Euploea crameri nicevillei (Sundarban Crow) resides. Larval host plant documentation in the Sundarbans is essential for the conservation of this species, while the molecular data (COI gene) has already been sequenced and submitted to Genbank (MH269417). Finally, the data obtained from this paper is important for future planning and management of the conservation of the butterflies and their habitat in Bangladesh. Bangladesh J. Zool. 51(1): 03-34, 2023

Genome-scale approach to reconstructing the phylogenetic tree of psyllids (superfamily Psylloidea) with account of systematic bias

Psyllids (class Insecta: order Hemiptera: superfamily Psylloidea) are a taxonomically and phylogenetically challenging clade. Recent studies have largely advanced the phylogeny of this group, yet the family-level relationships among Aphalaridae, Carsidaridae, and others remain unresolved. Genome-scale phylogenetic analysis is known to provide a finer resolution for problems like that. However, such phylogenomics also introduces new problems: incorrect trees with high confidence yielded due to systematic error (bias). Here we addressed these issues using hundreds of single-copy orthologous (SCO) genes in psyllid transcriptomes and genomes. Our analyses revealed conflicts between the nucleotide-based and amino-acid-based phylogenetic trees. While the nucleotide-based phylogeny strongly supported the (Aphalaridae + Carsidaridae) + Others relationship, the amino-acid-based one recovered Aphalaridae + (Carsidaridae + Others) with 100% support. Further inspection revealed significant compositional heterogeneity in nucleotide sequences for 67% of SCO genes, but not in the corresponding translated amino acid sequences. We then used different strategies to combat this compositional bias, and found that using the RY-coding strategy (coding the standard nucleotides as purines and pyrimidines) the nucleotide-based phylogeny became consistent with the amino-acid-based one. We further applied RY-coding to a published concatenated nucleotide dataset and recovered the Aphalaridae monophyly (which is refuted by the original literature on non-recoded sequences) at the base of psyllid tree. Moreover, it was found that variations in evolutionary rate could lead to errors in nucleotide-based phylogeny. The fast-evolving Heteropsylla cubana (Psyllidae: Ciriacreminae) was incorrectly placed within the subfamily Psyllinae. This bias can be avoided by using data removal or RY-coding strategies. Together, our results strongly support the family relationship of Aphalaridae + (Carsidaridae + Others), and show that the amino-acid-based concatenation analysis is more robust than nucleotide-based one. Future phylogenomic analysis of psyllid nucleotide sequences should take into account methods such as the RY-coding scheme to address potential systematic biases arising from composition and rate heterogeneities.

Study on Butterfly Diversity in the Campus of Government College Quepem, Goa, India

Butterflies belonging to the class Insecta and the order Lepidoptera make the second largest order after Coleopterans. They are one of the best environmental indicators due to their short life cycle and quick response to the changes in the environment. Moreover, they play vital roles in nutrient cycling and food chain in the ecosystems. No published documentary evidences are available on the butterfly diversity of Quepem at the foothills of Western Ghats in Goa. Present study was designed to generate the preliminary checklist of butterflies at the campus of Government College, Quepem. Field survey on butterflies was carried out from September 2021 to January 2022, in the selected sites comprising of botanical garden, butterfly garden and specific sites in the college campus rich in vegetation. 40 butterfly species belonging to five families spread over 30 genera were recorded during the study period. Family Nymphalidae dominated the college campus with 18 species followed by Lycaenidae (9 species), Papilionidae (5 species), and Hesperiidae and Pieridae with 4 species each. The dominance exhibited by family Nymphalidae was mainly due to the rich landscape and the availability of larval host and nectar plants in the campus.

Arthropod Biodiversity of Citrus Ecosystem with Special Reference to Citrus Leaf Miner

The citrus leaf miner (CLM), scientifically known as Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton and belonging to the Gracillaridae family, is a significant nuisance for citrus nurseries and the tender leaves of young citrus plants. Damage caused by the larvae is conspicuous especially on the young foliage during initial phase of development and the management of the pest is highly critical. The present studies were carried out at ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute, Nagpur during 2013 to 2015 to document the species composition of bioagents (parasitoids and predators), their incidence levels and species richness/ diversity in citrus ecosystems with reference to citrus leaf miner. During the study, we documented individuals from two classes, four orders and six families of insects. Class Insecta was dominant followed by Arachnida. Among the six families, Eulophidae and Coccinellidae were the most dominant bioagent groups for parasitoid and predator, respectively. Relative abundance of the bioagents of P. citrella revealed that C. phyllocnistoides was the predominant one and constituted 30% of total bioagents collected followed by Cirrospilus sp. (including C. quadristriatus, C. ingenuus) (25%), E. brevicornis (15%) and S. striatipes (9%). Coccinellids constituted about 3%; whereas, chrysopid predator, M. desjardinsi and spider species constituted 13% and 7%, respectively of the total bioagent collection. Understanding of the bioagent complex in citrus ecosystem will help us to identify the promising ones for biological control as well as guide us the bioagent active frame to avoid pesticide sprays to sustain them naturally in the ecosystem.

Keanekaragaman Jenis Arthropoda Tajuk di Hutan Mangrove Ciletuh, Sukabumi, Jawa Barat

This research was conducted in the mangrove areas Ciletuh, Sukabumi managed by Pokmasi Mandrajaya. Ciletuh mangrove area is occupied by mixed mangrove tree species. Mangrove is the habitat of a wide variety of arthropods and other canopy arthropods. Arthropods are one of the biotic components that play a role in multiple levels in an ecosystem. The existence of arthropods can be an indicator of the balance of the ecosystem. The purpose of this study was to estimate the abundance and diversity of arthropods in the canopy of Ciletuh mangrove areas. The study was conducted by analyzing vegetation, canopy arthropod catching by the beating-tray method, measurements of temperature and humidity. The results showed that canopy arthropods at 6 mangrove zoning in Ciletuh mangrove forest consisting of 21 families. Family that dominate in Ciletuh mangrove forest are family Formicidae in the class of Insecta and family Salticidae in the class of Arachnida.&#x0D; Keywords: arboreal arthropods, beating-tray, Ciletuh, mangrove

A review on heat stress altering the insect life history strategies and underlying mechanisms: Special reference to an economically important Lepidoptera, Bombyx mori (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae)

Lepidoptera is an order belonging to class Insecta consisting of Rhopalocera and Heterocera. B. mori belongs to this order and is the backbone of sericulture. Sericulture, the culture, rearing and maintenance of Bombyx mori (Linnaeus, 1785) for silk production, is widely practiced in India, contributing to its economy and providing livelihoods to many, especially those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Temperature and humidity affect silk production greatly. Heat shock genes and proteins protect B. mori to a certain extent from increased heat stress. However, outside this range, silkworm biology suffers. The silkworm adapts to heat by upregulating thermotolerance genes and proteins, especially heat shock proteins (HSPs). Produce different heat-resistant proteins at different temperatures. Larvae, embryos, and cocoons are affected by heat stress. Given the silkworm’s sensitivity to temperature and humidity and the alarming pace of climate change and global warming faced by the earth, it is necessary to consider solutions that will allow B. mori to adapt in the future decades. Molecular and enzymatic markers may help screen thermotolerant silkworm breeds. Given this insect’s temperature sensitivity, global warming and climate change may harm it even more than other insects. Therefore, to save this insect and the sericulture sector, steps must be taken in this direction.

Identification of Wolbachia pipientis and phylogenetic studies of plodia interpuntella populations in different cities of Pakistan

Wolbachiapipientis is genus of gram-negative bacteria which infect the members of phylum arthropoda, mainly affects the class insecta and some nematodes. Wolbachiapipientis are the common bacterial symbionts of the insects. About 25 to 70% of insect species are estimated to be the host of Wolbachiapipientis. Infection of these bacteria can alter the reproduction and biology of the host. Even some host species can not reproduce without Wolbachiapipientis infection. Due to thisreason, Wolbachiapipientis are used to control the population of pest species. A major reseach objective is the detection of Wolbachiapipientis in the Plodiainterpuntella populations of different cities of Pakistan leading towards its phylogenetic descriptions through molecular markers. Plodia interpuntella commonly called Indian meal moth. This insect is the major and most destructive pest of food grains such as, rice, maize and other cereals. The presence of this pest is relating with occurrence of such grains in homes and grocery stores. Indian meal moth feeding reduces the dry weight of stored grains. This study was done to estimates the economic and yield losses of food gains due to Plodia interpuntella in the different cities of Pakistain such as (Faisalabad, Jhang and Layyah) from Punjab, (Peshawar) from KPK and (Hyderabad) from Sindh. Firstly, the Collection of Plodiainterpunctella was completed from mention areas, and the pest was identified through morphologically, molecular analysis, eggs and larval instar. The results of our study showed that, the pest infection rate was ot similar in all the citites. Its majorly attack was identified in Faisalabd, Jhang, Layyah, Peshwar and Hyderabad gradually. During the study, pest infection rate was calculated in four months, July, August, September and October. The attack of pest was maximum in the start of July and minimum at the end of Octobor in stored grains. The results were calculated by using DNA extraction. The statistical analysis was performed through SPSS.

A list of the invertebrates of the Mackenzie area, New Zealand

ABSTRACT A list of 3052 invertebrate taxa of the Mackenzie area, South Island, New Zealand is compiled from published surveys, museum catalogues and other sources. The class Insecta comprised 90% of all taxa recorded, followed by Arachnida (5%). The most diverse orders were Lepidoptera (24%), Diptera (19%), Coleoptera (18%) and Hymenoptera (11%). Over all taxa, 64% are endemic, 6% native, 7% exotic and 23% undetermined. Twenty-eight are only found in the Mackenzie region and 123 are assessed in the New Zealand Threat Classification System.

Climate Change and Its Impact on Butterflies

Climate change had been influencing the world since the industrial revolution when fossil fuels including coal and petroleum were greatly used for industrial and production purposes. Increasing output of greenhouse gases had blocked more heat in the atmosphere, increasing the global temperature. Butterflies, from the class Insecta, had been living for thousands of years. These insects sit in a unique niche, considering their special place as both pollinators and primary consumers. Studying the butterflies will be a good approach to figure out the impact of climate changes on the ecosystems, by studying how butterflies are affected by climate changes, since they adapted and lived for billions of years. The results had shown that while butterflies have a certain extent of phenotypic plasticity to combat climate change, overall, climate change is destroying their lifespan and behaviors, causing losses in populations of butterflies throughout the globe. Our paper gives a rough frame about how, or in what factors, butterflies are influenced by climatic changes. However, more studies are needed to further investigate all the influences climate change conducted on butterflies. Also, more acts need to happen to successfully stop climate change from making butterflies and the biospheres even worse.

Comparative Anatomy of the Insect Tracheal System Part 1: Introduction, Apterygotes, Paleoptera, Polyneoptera

A broad comparative study of insect respiratory morphology is presented. Tracheae, epidermal invaginations extending into the body in branching networks of tubes, supply tissues with direct access to air for gas exchange. While previous tracheal studies focused on a handful of taxa and lacked in consistency, here a unified system of tracheal nomenclature is established using visualizations from micro-CT scanning of representatives from apterygotes, Paleoptera, and Polyneoptera, totaling 29 species, 29 genera, and 26 families in 13 insect orders. Three-dimensional visualizations of named tracheal branches establish robust assessments of homology and provide a framework for further studies across class Insecta. Patterns in respiratory architecture are presented along with a discussion of future investigations into phylogenetic and physiological questions.

Komparativna studija faune člankonožaca u gnijezdima roda, domaćih lastavica i običnih golubova

An analysis was conducted on the arthropod fauna collected from stork, swallow, and pigeon nests during summer 2018 in three regions of north-eastern Algeria (Guelma, El-Tarf, and Annaba). A total of 40 nests was examined, of which 58% were infested with arthropods. Arthropods were less abundant and species rich in swallow nests than in pigeon or stork nests, where a greater dominance of mesostigmatic mites (78.71% and 72.41%, respectively) was found. Dermanyssus gallinae was the most abundant (33.05%) and most frequent (73.33%) mesostigmatic mite in pigeon nests, while uropodina mites were dominant (41.37%) in white stork nests with a frequency of 76.92% of the nests analysed. In swallow nests, the following arthropods were found: Psocodea, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera and Coleoptera belonging to the class Insecta and Isopoda belonging to the class Malacostraca. This is the first comparative survey of arthropods occupying the nests of these bird species in northern Algeria. It is anticipated that these data, that highlight the richness of the arthropod fauna in the nests of these bird species, will motivate further research aimed at characterising the arthropod community in different bird nests and determining the nature of the relationships between them.

Lepidopteran pheromones as potential tools for pest insect control in the Arecaceae family

Lepidoptera is the second larger order of Insecta Class. Lepidopteran which feed of species of the Arecaceae family are notorious for the damage they cause, attacking a range from seedlings to the fruit. There are several control methods used against these pest insets, and among them, chemical pesticides are the most explored. Biological and mechanical control are also relevant, but they require a large number of trained workers. Behaviour modulation through chemical communication, using pheromones, stands out with a great potential to sustainably control insect populations. Pheromones have already been identified in lepidopteran pest which infest Arecaceae plants, they are mainly female-produced compounds, and belong to the sexual and contact types. The majority of pheromone compounds identified to this date are classified as Types I and II (unsaturated C10–C18 alcohols and their derivatives; and unsaturated C17–C25 hydrocarbons and their epoxides, respectively) with rare occurrences of Types 0 (short-chain secondary alcohols) and 3 (methyl-branched structures). Considering the vast quantity of lepidopteran species that attack this family and the economic impacts they generate, the present work aggregates the current knowledge on pheromones used the Integrated Pest Management of lepidopteran insects that damage palm plant species, and discusses both the compounds already applied in the field and the promising one that must yet to be tested.

Impact of chemical fertilizers on diversity and abundance of soil-litter arthropod communities in coffee and banana plantations in southern Rwanda

Few studies explored effects of chemical fertilizers on diversity and abundance of soillitter arthropods in the tropics. To fill this gap, a study focussed on the abundance of soil-litter arthropods and selected soil physicochemical properties in coffee plantations treated with chemical fertilizers and in plantations of coffee and banana treated with organic fertilizers and organic mulches in southern Rwanda. Each land use was replicated three times. Soil-litter arthropods were collected using pitfall traps and hand collection. They were identified to the family level using dichotomous keys. Soil have been collected using auger and taken to the laboratory for the analysis of soil pH, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, phosphorus, and cation exchange capacity. Findings indicated a total of 12,945 individuals distributed into 3 classes, 16 orders, 50 families and 92 morphospecies, with higher abundance and diversity in coffee plantations treated with organic fertilizers and organic mulches. Collected soil-litter arthropods were mainly classified in the class Insecta, dominated in numbers by ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), while Coleoptera and Hemiptera had more families. However, soil under coffee plantations treated with organic fertilizers and organic mulches was acidic compared with the soil under coffee plantations treated with inorganic fertilizers and banana plantations treated with organic fertilizers and organic mulches. The relationships between soil-litter arthropods and soil physicochemical properties suggest that soil-litter arthropods respond to the land use independently from soil physicochemical properties. We recommend further studies in coffee and other crop plantations in other regions of Rwanda to verify the findings of this study.

Terrestrial arthropods diversity in the Argan Biosphere Reserve: Seasonal dynamics and ecological function roles

Diversity, spatial patterns and temporal trends of terrestrial arthropod communities in the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve of Morocco are poorly understood. Arthropods were seasonally sampled using pitfall traps at four sites, three of which are Argan forest ecosystem and one of which is a modern Argan grove. Diversity parameters were seasonally measured. Observation allowed identification of 161 morphospecies belonging to the five classes Chilopoda, Malacostraca, Collembola, Insecta and Arachnida were recorded. Captures were dominated by insects, representing more than 90% of the total trapped individuals. Insecta were the most diversified class (122 morphospecies), followed by Arachnida (33). The three other classes were less diversified with two species each. Among insects, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera were the most diversified groups. Diversity parameters exhibited seasonal variations. The highest arthropod abundance per sample was recorded during spring, while observed richness was higher in spring and summer. Shannon diversity index showed no significant difference among seasons. The composition of terrestrial arthropod communities between sites changed among seasons. A high dissimilarity was reported between the terrestrial arthropod community of Belfaa and those of other sites. The classification of arthropods into trophic guilds shows the importance of both predators and detritivores, which shows a higher abundance in spring and summer. Overall, predators guild richness was higher than others among seasons. This study highlights spatiotemporal diversity composition and structure of terrestrial arthropods community associated with the Argan ecosystem, complementing the unique diversity and proliferation of ecotypes present in Morocco.