Insect Diversity Research Articles

Tithonia diversifolia (Asteraceae) as a reservoir of natural enemies to promote pest control and improve development of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in open conditions

ABSTRACT Tithonia diversifolia has the potential for use as a reservoir for entomophages in pest control, as it attracts and preserves natural enemies before migrating to the target crop, where a high incidence of pests occurs. For example, in tomato crop production one of the limiting factors, under field condition, is the incidence of phytophagous insects. We determined the effects of Tithonia diversifolia on species assemblage structure of natural enemies and pest insects (abundance and diversity), plant growth (leaf area, stem length and diameter, number of leaves, flowers and fruits, and fruits weight/per plant), plant defense (leaf thickness and hardness) and fruit colouration on tomato plants in open conditions. Through direct and indirect samplings, a total of 456 insects were collected, comprising 76 natural enemies, 269 pests and 111 belonging other guilds. Length, stem diameter, number of flowers, leaf thickness, and hardness increased, while the number of leaves decreased. T. diversifolia plants increased natural enemies but not pest abundance in tomato plants, demonstrating that this plant can alter the structure of the insect community associated with tomato.

Insect community structure in young and productive coffee farms under leucaena shade of Jember Regency, East Java, Indonesia

The developmental phase of Robusta coffee plantations with agroforestry systems exhibits varying ecosystem characteristics (biotic and abiotic), therebyinfluencing the dynamics of insect community composition within them. One of the major coffee-producing centers in East Java is Jember Regency, where coffeecultivation commonly employs agroforestry systems with various shade trees. Understanding the abundance of insect species in agroforestry coffee plantations is important for determining insect pest control measures. This research aims to study the insect community structure in young coffee and productive coffee farms. Insect sampling was conducted in young coffee farms and productive coffee farms at the Kaliwining Experimental Station, Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute (ICCRI), by using road sampling methods with insect nets and pitfall traps. Both types of plantations utilize Leucaena sp. var L2 as shade trees, forming agroforestry coffee plantation systems. Data analysis was performed by calculating the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’) to assess insectdiversity and the independent sample t-test to determine differences in insect abundance based on functional roles between the two farms. The results indicatethat the composition and abundance of insects in productive coffee farms are higher than in young coffee farms, resulting in a higher insect diversity index valuefor productive coffee farms (categorized as high), while young coffee farms fall into the moderate category. Furthermore, based on their functional roles, productive coffee farms positively influence the abundance of herbivorous, predatory, parasitoid, and detritivorous insects.

CRISPR/Cas9-Based Genome Editing of Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda): Progress and Prospects.

The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) poses a substantial threat to many important crops worldwide, emphasizing the need to develop and implement advanced technologies for effective pest control. CRISPR/Cas9, derived from the bacterial adaptive immune system, is a prominent tool used for genome editing in living organisms. Due to its high specificity and adaptability, the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been used in various functional gene studies through gene knockout and applied in research to engineer phenotypes that may cause economical losses. The practical application of CRISPR/Cas9 in diverse insect orders has also provided opportunities for developing strategies for genetic pest control, such as gene drive and the precision-guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT). In this review, a comprehensive overview of the recent progress in the application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system for functional gene studies in S. frugiperda is presented. We outline the fundamental principles of applying CRISPR/Cas9 in S. frugiperda through embryonic microinjection and highlight the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in the study of genes associated with diverse biological aspects, including body color, insecticide resistance, olfactory behavior, sex determination, development, and RNAi. The ability of CRISPR/Cas9 technology to induce sterility, disrupt developmental stages, and influence mating behaviors illustrates its comprehensive roles in pest management strategies. Furthermore, this review addresses the limitations of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in studying gene function in S. frugiperda and explores its future potential as a promising tool for controlling this insect pest.

Olfactory receptor coexpression and co-option in the dengue mosquito.

The olfactory sensory neurons of vinegar flies and mice tend to express a single ligand-specific receptor. While this 'one neuron-one receptor' motif has long been expected to apply broadly across insects, recent evidence suggests it may not extend to mosquitoes. We sequenced and analyzed the transcriptomes of 46,000 neurons from antennae of the dengue mosquito Aedes aegypti to resolve all olfactory, thermosensory, and hygrosensory neuron subtypes and identify the receptors expressed therein. We find that half of all olfactory subtypes coexpress multiple receptors. However, coexpression occurs almost exclusively among genes from the same family-among odorant receptors (ORs) or among ionotropic receptors (IRs). Coexpression of ORs with IRs is exceedingly rare. Many coexpressed receptors are recent duplicates. In other cases, the recruitment or co-option of single receptors by multiple neuron subtypes has placed these genes together in the same cells with distant paralogs. Close examination of data from Drosophila reveal rare cases of both phenomena, indicating that the olfactory systems of these two species are not fundamentally different, but instead fall at different locations along a continuum likely to encompass diverse insects.

Integrated vegetation management within electrical transmission landscapes promotes floral resource and flower-visiting insect diversity.

Electrical transmission rights-of-way are ubiquitous and critical infrastructure across the landscape. Active vegetation management of these rights-of-way, a necessity to deliver electricity more safely, maintains these landscape features as stages of early successional habitat, a rarity in many regions, making these areas viable movement corridors for many taxa. The goals of this study were to (i) evaluate the effects of different electrical transmission landscape management practices on flowering plant and flower-visiting insect diversity parameters and (ii) generate conservation management inferences for these landscapes. In this study we tested the impact of three vegetation management levels across 18 electrical transmission sites. We evaluated the effects of treatment on bloom abundance and species richness as well as flower-visiting insect abundance and family richness. We identified 76541 flowers/inflorescences across 456 transects, including 188 species in 56 plant families. Additionally, we obtained data on 11361 flower-visitoring insects representing 33 families from 2376 pan trap sets. High vegetation management favored the reduction of coarse woody debris in the sites and harbored the highest level of abundance and richness of both floral resources and flower-visiting insects. We discuss that we can align social and ecological values of rights-of-way, ensuring their sustainability by applying regular and targeted integrated vegetation management. Thus, we can use rights-of-way landscapes not only as an effective management strategy for the delivery of essential human services, but also to provide conservation benefits for wild pollinators.

Understory Vegetation Influences Insect Diversity in Rubber Plantations of Kanyakumari, India

Insects play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance, and their decline has detrimental effects on various organisms. Globally, rubber plantations have been associated with a reduction in insect diversity. However, the impact of monoculture rubber plantations on biodiversity in India, particularly in Kanyakumari, is not well understood and has received little research attention. This study aimed to assess the status of insect diversity in rubber plantations in this region. Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, with its extensive monoculture rubber plantations, provides an ideal setting for this investigation. Three adjacent rubber plantations with varying topography and understory vegetation were selected for the study. Data was collected between July 2021 to January 2022 and analysis was done using biodiversity indices - Simpson and Shannon-Weiner indices. Results indicated that insect diversity was significantly higher in one plantation when compared to the other two plantations. Canopy and understory vegetation were identified as key factors influencing insect diversity. Plantations with dense understory vegetation consisting of diverse native plant species exhibited greater insect richness. The predominant insect orders across all plantations were Hymenoptera (29.70%) and Diptera (29.40 %). However, the impact of rubber plantations on individual insect species varied based on their habitat preferences. Seasonal fluctuations in diversity were particularly noticeable during the monsoon season. Further comparative studies are needed to understand the broader implications of rubber plantations on insect diversity across the district.

Growing gardens into neighborhoods through transdisciplinary research

The increasing densification of urban spaces can negatively impact biodiversity in the city, but the diversity of green spaces also offers new opportunities to implement biodiversity conservation interventions. Urban community gardens are social-ecological systems that support biodiversity, ecosystem services, and positive human-nature interactions. In turn, community gardens can provide ideal “real-world labs” to co-create, test, and collectively implement biodiversity conservation strategies with gardeners that can be transferred to and mainstreamed across other urban ecosystems. This is important because the impact of biodiversity-friendly gardening strategies is not yet systematically researched, nor how this knowledge can be transferred to other urban ecosystems. In our transdisciplinary research, we are developing, implementing, and testing biodiversity conservation interventions focused on promoting insect diversity with gardeners and neighborhood residents from Berlin and Munich, Germany. Our aim is to engage with and support city residents in biodiversity-based urban greening. To do so, we work at the nexus between civil society (gardeners, neighborhood residents, ecologically oriented organizations) and relevant city actors (city council, district committees, city administration) to anchor the participation of civil society in the ecological transformation of the city. In this communication article, we present our transdisciplinary research concept, participatory methods, and experience thus far in translating research to practice, and supporting the role of city residents to implement biodiversity interventions in their gardens and in their neighborhoods.

The diversity and ecological roles of insects and arachnids in arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) plantation in Palasari, Bandung Regency

Keanekaragaman komunitas artropoda dapat dijadikan sebagai bioindikator perubahan lingkungan khususnya pada sistem budi daya kopi dengan sistem pengelolaan yang beragam. Sistem pengelolaan lahan yang beragam akan menimbulkan perubahan struktur komunitas dan fungsi ekologis artropoda. Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk menganalisis keanekaragaman dan peranan serangga dan Arachnida pada perkebunan kopi Arabika di Kabupaten Bandung. Sampel diambil dari perkebunan kopi di Desa Legok Nyenang, Kabupaten Bandung dengan menetapkan lima plot sampel berukuran 100 m2 per plot dengan jarak antar plot sejauh 50 m. Serangga dan Arachnida terestrial diambil menggunakan jaring ayun, perangkap nampan kuning, dan beating sheet. Sampel yang diperoleh diidentifikasi berdasarkan karakter morfologi hingga tingkat morfospesies. Sebanyak 269 jenis serangga (11 ordo dan 98 famili, total 669 individu) dan 23 jenis Aachnida (satu ordo dan 13 famili, total 44 individu) berhasil dikumpulkan dari perkebunan kopi Arabika Palasari. Peran ekologi yang paling beragam adalah fitofag. Spesies fitofag yang dominan adalah Nysius sp. (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae). Musuh alami yang dominan, yaitu parasitoid Megacampsomeris prismatica (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae) dan predator, Tetragnatha sp. (Araneae: Tetragnathidae), sedangkan fungsi ekologis yang jumlahnya paling rendah adalah serangga penyerbuk (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Keanekaragaman jenis serangga dan Arachnida yang ditemukan pada pertanaman kopi di Kabupaten Bandung termasuk dalam kategori tinggi (H' = 5,10), meskipun indeks kemerataan dan dominansinya tergolong rendah. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa pertanaman kopi merupakan ekosistem yang potensial bagi konservasi keanekaragaman hayati serangga dan Arachnida predator sehingga praktik budi daya dan pengelolaan hama harus diarahkan untuk melindungi serangga menguntungkan, seperti musuh alami dan polinator.

Enforced specificity of an animal symbiosis.

Insect diversification has been catalyzed by widespread specialization on novel hosts - a process underlying exceptional radiations of phytophagous beetles, lepidopterans, parasitoid wasps, and inordinate lineages of symbionts, predators and other trophic specialists. The strict fidelity of many such interspecies associations is posited to hinge on sensory tuning to host-derived cues, a model supported by studies of neural function in host-specific model species. Here, we investigated the sensory basis of symbiotic interactions between a myrmecophile rove beetle and its single, natural host ant species. We show that host cues trigger analogous behaviors in both ant and symbiont. Cuticular hydrocarbons - the ant's nestmate recognition pheromones - elicit partner recognition by the beetle and execution of ant grooming behavior, integrating the beetle into the colony via chemical mimicry. The beetle also follows host trail pheromones, permitting inter-colony dispersal. Remarkably, the rove beetle also performs its symbiotic behaviors with ant species separated by ~95 million years, and shows minimal preference for its natural host over non-host ants. Experimentally validated agent-based modeling supports a scenario in which specificity is enforced by physiological constraints on symbiont dispersal, and negative fitness interactions with alternative hosts, rather than via sensory tuning. Enforced specificity may be a pervasive mechanism of host range restriction of specialists embedded within host niches. Chance realization of latent compatibilities with alternative hosts may facilitate host switching, enabling deep-time persistence of obligately symbiotic lineages.

Effects of climate on the phenology of Annona senegalensis Pers. (Annonaceae) and the distribution of associated insects in Burkina Faso.

Climate change and global warming in the Sahelian region cause dramatic drought and advancing of the desert. This phenomenon could affect the plant survival and community composition, but even for surviving plants, it could affect their phenology and the insect community associated with them. In a space-for-time approach, we studied the case of Annona senegalensis Pers. (Annonaceae), a common shrub in tropical areas, to determine the impact of climate change on its phenology and the insects associated with its flowers and fruits. We determined the phenology phases of Annona senegalensis during a 1-year period and assessed the abundance and diversity of insects in the Sudanian and the Sudano-Sahelian climatic zones of Burkina Faso. Temperature, rainfall and relative humidity were recorded during 12 months in two sites per zone. Leafing of Annona senegalensis lasted 10 months in the Sudanian zone, flowering and fruiting were 3 months long. In the Sudano-Sahelian zone, leafing lasted 8 months while flowering and fruiting were 3 and 4 months long, respectively. A total of 10,040 insects belonging to 48 species were collected in the two climatic zones. Forty-six species were found in the Sudanian zone while 25 species were recorded in the Sudano-Sahelian one. The variations in the plant phenology and the insect community were mainly due to the variation in rainfall across both climatic zones. Our results emphasize that advancing of the desert due to climate change could not only affect the survival of plants but for resistant species it also affect their interactions with insects and the whole insect community associated.

Exploring the impact of cover crops in integrated pest management: pest and natural enemies population dynamics in no-tillage cotton production.

Conservation agriculture plays an important role in the sustainability of production systems, notably for globally significant crops such as cotton. This study explores the integration of the no-tillage system (NTS) with integrated pest management (IPM) by incorporating cover crops. The aim is to assess the impact of these living or dead covers on the management of insect populations, the indices diversity of phytophagous insects and natural enemies, and to investigate the population fluctuation of these arthropods, considering a variety of crops in the NTS before and after cotton planting. The trial, conducted over two consecutive cropping seasons in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, employed a randomised block design with four repetitions. The treatments included cover crops with the highest potential for use in the region, such as millet (Pennisetum glaucum glaucum L.), corn (Zea mays L.), brachiaria (Urochloa ruziziensis), black velvet bean (Stizolobium aterrimum), forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), and white oats (Avena sativa L.) and a mix of white oats with brachiaria. The results indicated that the black velvet bean stands out as the most effective cover crop, providing the best performance in terms of non-preference to the attack of the evaluated pest insects. Conversely, brachiaria proves to be more susceptible to infestations of Dalbulus maidis (DeLong and Wolcott) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), and Diabrotica speciosa (Germar, 1824) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). The study underscores the relevance of the judicious choice of cover crops in IPM and in promoting agricultural biodiversity, creating a strategic tool to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of the cotton production system in the context of the NTS.

Forest defoliation by an invasive outbreak insect: Catastrophic consequences for a charismatic mega moth.

Earth is now experiencing declines in insect abundance and diversity unparalleled in human history. The drivers underlying those declines are many, complex, and incompletely known. Here, using a natural experiment, we report the first test of the hypothesis that forest defoliation by an invasive outbreak insect compromises the fitness of a native insect via damage-induced increases in toxicity of the forest canopy. We demonstrate that defoliation by the invasive spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) elicits an average 8.4-fold increase in foliar defense expression among aspen (Populus tremuloides) genotypes. In turn, elevated defense dramatically reduces survivorship, feeding, and growth of a charismatic mega moth (Anthereae polyphemus). This work suggests that changes to the phytochemical landscape of forests, mediated by invasive outbreak insects, are likely to negatively impact native insects, with potential repercussions for community diversity and ecosystem function across expansive scales.

Tropical beetles more sensitive to impacts are less likely to be known to science

Insects are posited to be declining globally. This is particularly pertinent in tropical forests, which exhibit both the highest levels of biodiversity and the highest rates of biodiversity loss. However, for the hyper-diverse tropical insects there are scant data available to evidence declines. Understanding tropical insect diversity and its response to environmental change has therefore become a challenge, but it is estimated that 80% of tropical insect species remain undescribed1. Insect biodiversity predictions are based mostly on well-studied taxa and extrapolated to other groups, but no one knows whether resilience to environmental change varies between undescribed and described species. Here, we collected staphylinid beetles from unlogged and logged tropical forests in Borneo and investigated their responses to environmental change. Out of 252 morphospecies collected, 76% were undescribed. Undescribed species showed higher community turnover, reduced abundance and decreased probability of occurrence in logged forests. Thus the unknown components of tropical insect biodiversity are likely more impacted by human-induced environmental change. If these patterns are widespread, how accurate will assessments of insect declines in the tropics be?

Host range of naturally and artificially evolved symbiotic bacteria for a specific host insect.

Diverse insects are intimately associated with specific symbiotic bacteria, where host and symbiont are integrated into an almost inseparable biological entity. These symbiotic bacteria usually exhibit host specificity, uncultivability, reduced genome size, and other peculiar traits relevant to their symbiotic lifestyle. How host-symbiont specificity is established at the very beginning of symbiosis is of interest but poorly understood. To gain insight into the evolutionary issue, we adopted an experimental approach using the recently developed evolutionary model of symbiosis between the stinkbug Plautia stali and Escherichia coli. Based on the laboratory evolution of P. stali-E. coli mutualism, we selected ΔcyaA mutant of E. coli as an artificial symbiont of P. stali that has established mutualism by a single mutation. In addition, we selected a natural cultivable symbiont of P. stali of relatively recent evolutionary origin. These artificial and natural symbiotic bacteria of P. stali were experimentally inoculated to symbiont-deprived newborn nymphs of diverse stinkbug species. Strikingly, the mutualistic E. coli was unable to establish infection and support growth and survival of all the stinkbug species except for P. stali, uncovering that host specificity can be established at a very early stage of symbiotic evolution. Meanwhile, the natural symbiont was able to establish infection and support growth and survival of several stinkbug species in addition to P. stali, unveiling that a broader host range of the symbiont has evolved in nature. Based on these findings, we discuss what factors are relevant to the establishment of host specificity in the evolution of symbiosis.IMPORTANCEHow does host-symbiont specificity emerge at the very beginning of symbiosis? This question is difficult to address because it is generally difficult to directly observe the onset of symbiosis. However, recent development of experimental evolutionary approaches to symbiosis has brought about a breakthrough. Here we tackled this evolutionary issue using a symbiotic Escherichia coli created in laboratory and a natural Pantoea symbiont, which are both mutualistic to the stinkbug Plautia stali. We experimentally replaced essential symbiotic bacteria of diverse stinkbugs with the artificial and natural symbionts of P. stali and evaluated whether the symbiotic bacteria, which evolved for a specific host, can establish infection and support the growth and survival of heterospecific hosts. Strikingly, the artificial symbiont showed strict host specificity to P. stali, whereas the natural symbiont was capable of symbiosis with diverse stinkbugs, which provide insight into how host-symbiont specificity can be established at early evolutionary stages of symbiosis.

Synchronised monitoring of plant and insect diversity: a case study using automated Malaise traps and DNA-based methods.

The occurrence and distribution of insects and their possible associations with plant species are largely unknown in Germany and baseline data to monitor future trends are urgently needed. Using newly-designed automated Malaise trap multi-samplers, the occurrence of insect species and their potential associations with plants was monitored synchronously at two contrasting field sites in Germany: an urban botanical garden and a forest research station. Taxa were identified by metabarcoding of the insects and the plant traces present in the preservative ethanol of the Malaise trap samples. For comparison, a botanical survey was conducted in the vicinity of the traps. Across both sites, we identified a total of 1290 exact sequence variants (ESVs) assigned to Insecta, of which 205 are known to be pollinators. In the botanical garden, we detected the occurrence of 128 plant taxa, of which 41 also had one of their known insect pollinator species detected. Insect species richness was highest in May, mainly attributed to an increase in Diptera. These results present a case study of the applicability of automated sampling and DNA-based methods to monitor the timings of flowering and corresponding activity of plant-visiting insects.

Spatio-temporal beta diversity of specialist and generalist aquatic insects in streams altered by mining activities in eastern Amazonia

Spatio-temporal beta diversity of specialist and generalist aquatic insects in streams altered by mining activities in eastern Amazonia

Floral visitors, pollinators and floral rewards of the Australian dioecious arid zone shrub Pimelea microcephala subsp. microcephala

ABSTRACT Entomophilous dioecious plants may present opportunities to conserve insect populations as they often possess flowers accessible to a diversity of visitors and potential pollinators. Additionally, flowers of each sex can vary in the nutrients they provide. Two South Australian populations of the largely dioecious arid zone shrub Pimelea microcephala subsp. microcephala (Thymelaeaceae) were investigated to determine the conservation utility of the species to conserve insect populations by assessing floral visitor and pollinator diversity and the nutritional quality of pollen and nectar. Fifty-five visitors representing species in six insect orders were recorded at Baron Station, while 49 visitors from three insect orders were recorded at Clements Gap. Thirty-nine of the observed visitors were captured, of which two species of Hymenoptera, two of Diptera and one of Hemiptera were carrying pollen and thus potential pollinators. Visitation rates were higher for male than female plants at Clements Gap, but the reverse at Baron Station. Pollen from male plants had low protein content (2.5% dried weight (DW)) compared to co-flowering hermaphroditic angiosperms at the sites (5.3–14.0% DW). In contrast, floral extracts from male plants had at least 2× greater cumulative sugar concentrations than those of females at the same site, but female extracts had at least 4× higher protein content than male ones. As a food resource plant, P. microcephala subsp. microcephala may represent an important plant species for revegetation efforts that support the conservation of insect diversity in arid regions and throughout its broad range.

Study of Insect Fauna and Spiders Prevailing in Lovely Professional University Research Farm, Punjab

Background: The diverse insect fauna harboring in every corner of the agroecosystem plays a crucial role in ecological balance. The insect pest feeding on various crops which then it is preyed upon by diverse predators establishing an optimum food chain. With respect to the host plant interaction, it is of paramount importance to survey and identify the species prevailing the region and having the potential of causing a havoc to the host plant so as to initiate an effective pest management tactics. This research focuses on the species diversity of insect pest as well as biological control agents in the various crop ecosystem Methods: Sampling of the insects and spider fauna were studied for two years, 2022 and 2023. Samplings were conducted in LPU research farm using three sampling techniques such as yellow sticky trap, sweeping net, pheromone lures. Following sampling of the insects and spiders species diversity was assessed using various indices such as shannon weiner indec, pielous index, simpsons index, margalefs index, Brillouins index and berger parker index Result: 913 insects from 56 species and eight orders-Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Odonata, Orthopteraand Thysanoptera-as well as 9 species of spiders were recorded in the current study. Hemiptera, Lepidopteraand Coleoptera were the orders with the highest species abundance, while Hymenoptera was the least. Margalef’s richness index ranged from 0.26-2.6 and 0.21-2.72 respectively, evenness ranged between 0.06-0.20 and 0.08-0.22 and the diversity index for the first and second year, as indicated by the Shannon-Weiner index, varied from 0.11-0.30 and 0.14-0.34, respectively. In order to develop a strategy framework for monitoring insect biodiversity, which depends on a number of factors, it is necessary to analyze and document insect diversity.

Endophytic entomopathogenic fungi as biological control agents of insect pests.

Entomopathogenic fungi capable of establishing mutualistic endophytic relationships with plants have a tremendous potential as biocontrol agents of insect pests. While fungi have long played an important and highly effective role in pest suppression, the utility of endophytic entomopathogenic fungi in pest management is a relatively new and emerging topic of biocontrol. Here we discuss the relevance of endophytic fungi to plant health in general, synthesize the current knowledge of the effectiveness of endophytic entomopathogenic fungi against diverse insect pests, discuss the indirect plant-mediated effects of endophytic entomopathogenic fungi on arthropods, and describe the diverse benefits of endophytic fungi to plants that are likely to affect herbivores and plant pathogens as well. Lastly, we consider major challenges to incorporating endophytic entomopathogenic fungi in biocontrol, such as their non-target effects and field efficacy, which can be variable and influenced by environmental factors. Continued research on endophyte-insect-plant-environment interactions is critical to advancing our knowledge of these fungi as a sustainable pest management tactic. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Diversity and abundance of insects associated with two accessions of golden melon (Cucumis melo L.)

This study aims to give fundamental details regarding the diversity and abundance of insects associated with two accessions of Golden melon (Cucumis melo L). There were 1,058 (1,058) different specimens gathered. These insects belong to 7 different Orders (Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Diptera, Dictyoptera, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera) and 22 different (Acrididae, Alydidae, Apidae, Braconidae, Calliphoridae, Chrysomelidae, Coccinellidae, Erotylidae, Formicdae, Gryllidae, Mantidae, Muscidae, Pentatomidae, Pieridae, Reduviidae, Sacrophidae, Scarabaiedae, Scutelleridae, Tachinidae, Tenebrionidae, Tettigonidae and Vespidae). Majority of the insect predators belong to the Formicidae family. Golden melon beds were sampled for insects every 10 weeks from the second week after sowing. Every week, sampling was carried out between 7:00 and 9:00 in the morning using a sweep net, a pitfall, and handpicking. As a result, this knowledge will aid in understanding the various insect pests that affect golden melon (Cucumis melo) systems