Insect Orders Research Articles

Connectivity of stormwater ponds impacts Odonata abundance and species richness

ContextThe successful dispersal of an animal depends, partly, on landscape connectivity. Urbanization poses risks to dispersal activities by increasing hostile land cover types.ObjectivesWe investigated how connectivity of urban ponds impacted Odonata communities (dragonflies and damselflies), an order of semi-aquatic insects that actively disperse.MethodsWe sampled 41 constructed stormwater ponds and 8 natural ponds in a metropolitan area. The effect of connectivity and the quantity of available adjacent habitats was tested at different scales for dragonflies (900 m) and damselflies (300 m), determined by a literature analysis, to account for differences in suborder dispersal capabilities.ResultsLower levels of connectivity and fewer nearest neighbours negatively impacted abundance, species richness, and composition of dragonflies (p values < 0.01, R2 = 0.18–0.70). Adult dragonfly abundance had a stronger positive relationship with connectivity than species richness. In particular, the abundance of adult dragonfly Leucorrhinia frigida, found almost exclusively at natural ponds, had a positive relationship with connectivity. Connectivity and the number of nearest neighbours had no significant impact on damselflies apart from a slight negative relationship between connectivity and species richness (p value = 0.02, R2 = 0.11). Natural ponds had significantly higher levels of connectivity when compared to stormwater ponds.ConclusionsOur results suggest that dragonflies are positively affected by increased connectivity in an urban landscape, with no benefit of connectivity to damselflies at the scale measured. We recommend intentional planning of urban stormwater pond networks, where individual ponds can act as stepping stones, incorporated with strategic inclusion of beneficial land cover types.

Wolbachia Interactions with Diverse Insect Hosts: From Reproductive Modulations to Sustainable Pest Management Strategies.

Effective in a variety of insect orders, including dipteran, lepidopteran, and hemipteran, Wolbachia-based control tactics are investigated, noting the importance of sterile and incompatible insect techniques. Encouraging approaches for controlling Aedes mosquitoes are necessary, as demonstrated by the evaluation of a new SIT/IIT combination and the incorporation of SIT into Drosophila suzukii management. For example, Wolbachia may protect plants from rice pests, demonstrating its potential for agricultural biological vector management. Maternal transmission and cytoplasmic incompatibility dynamics are explored, while Wolbachia phenotypic impacts on mosquito and rice pest management are examined. The importance of host evolutionary distance is emphasised in recent scale insect research that addresses host-shifting. Using greater information, a suggested method for comprehending Wolbachia host variations in various contexts emphasises ecological connectivity. Endosymbionts passed on maternally in nematodes and arthropods, Wolbachia are widely distributed around the world and have evolved both mutualistic and parasitic traits. Wolbachia is positioned as a paradigm for microbial symbiosis due to advancements in multiomics, gene functional assays, and its effect on human health. The challenges and opportunities facing Wolbachia research include scale issues, ecological implications, ethical conundrums, and the possibility of customising strains through genetic engineering. It is thought that cooperative efforts are required to include Wolbachia-based therapies into pest management techniques while ensuring responsible and sustainable ways.

Preferential Induction of Canonical IMD and Toll Innate Immune Receptors by Bacterial Challenges in Triatoma Pallidipennis Primed with Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Bacteria, Respectively

Insects lack an adaptive immune defense against invading microorganisms, but they possess humoral and cellular response similar to that of vertebrates. The Immune Deficiency (IMD) and Toll are the major signaling pathways to produce humoral antimicrobial peptides AMPs. Pathogen molecular patterns (PAMs) of Gram-negative bacteria activate Pattern recognition receptors (PRR) of the IMD pathway, while PAMS of Gram-positive activate PRR of the Toll pathway. Although the IMD pathways is incomplete in Hemipterans, in Triatoma pallidipennis, there is a preferential participation of the IMD pgrp-lc and toll receptors in the responses to Gramnegative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively. Still, as in other insects, cross induction was observed. An enhanced protection after a previous exposure to a pathogen, termed priming, functionally homologous to the adaptive immune memory of vertebrates, has been documented in several insect Orders but not in Hemiptera, and the participation of the components of the immune signaling cascades remains poorly explored. We present evidence for immune priming to Micrococcus luteus (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gramnegative) bacteria in T. pallidipennis. The preferential participation of receptors of the IMD and Toll pathways in the responses to each bacterial challenge was recorded

Biodiversity and Spatiotemporal Variations of Mecoptera in Thailand: Influences of Elevation and Climatic Factors.

Ecological analyses of the small and lesser-known insect order Mecoptera in Thailand are presented. Specimens were collected monthly over a period of 12 consecutive months, using both Malaise and pan traps, from 29 sampling sites located in 18 national parks throughout Thailand. A total of 21 species in four genera were identified from 797 specimens, including Panorpa (1 species), Neopanorpa (18 species), Bittacus (1 species), and Terrobittacus (1 species), with the latter genus representing a new genus record to Thailand. Neopanorpa harmandi, N. siamensis, N. byersi, and N. malaisei were the most abundant species, representing 27.4%, 11.3%, 10.3% and 8.8% of the total specimens, respectively. The species with the highest frequency, as indicated by the high percentage of species occurrence (%SO), was N. siamensis (51%), followed by N. byersi (34%), N. harmandi (34%), N. spatulata (27%), and N. inchoata (27%). Eleven species (52%) exhibited specific regional occurrences. N. tuberosa and N. siamensis had the widest distribution, being found in almost all regions except for western and southern regions for the first and second species, respectively. The seasonal species richness of Mecoptera was high during the rainy season in the northern, northeastern, central, eastern, and western regions, with the highest richness observed in July (15 species), followed by the hot (10 species) and cold seasons (7 species), while there was no significant difference in species richness between seasons in the southern region. Multiple regression models revealed a negative association between species richness and abundance of Mecoptera with both elevation and temperature, and a positive association between rainfall and species evenness. It is predicted that climatic changes will have a detrimental effect on the mecopteran community. The results of this study enhance the understanding of the ecological aspects of Mecoptera, offering crucial insights into its biodiversity and distribution, which are vital for conservation and forest management.

A Special Issue on the Diversity, Ecology and Evolution of Dragonflies and Damselflies (Insecta: Odonata)

The Odonata is an order of insects commonly known as dragonflies and damselflies, with a worldwide distribution except in Antarctica [...]

Pleiotropic immunoregulation by growth-blocking peptide in Ostrinia furnacalis.

Insects rely on their innate immune system to eliminate pathogenic microbes. As a system component, cytokines transmit intercellular signals to control immune responses. Growth-blocking peptide (GBP) is a member of the stress-responsive peptide family of cytokines found in several orders of insects, including Drosophila. However, the physiological role of GBP in defence against pathogens is not thoroughly understood. In this study, we explored the functions of GBP in a lepidopteran pest, Ostrinia furnacalis. Injection of recombinant O. furnacalis GBP (OfGBP) precursor (proGBP) and chemically synthesised GBP significantly induced the transcription of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and other immunity-related genes including immune deficiency (IMD) and Dorsal. The level of OfGBP mRNA was upregulated after bacterial infection. Knockdown of OfGBP expression led to a decrease in IMD, Relish, MyD88 and Dorsal mRNA levels. OfGBP induced phenoloxidase activity and affected hemocyte behaviours in O. furnacalis larvae. In summary, GBP is a potent cytokine, effectively regulating AMP synthesis, melanization response and cellular immunity to eliminate invading pathogens.

Characterization of Indigenous Bacillus thuringiensis Isolates and Toxicity Analysis Against Brinjal Shoot and Fruit Borer, Leucinodes orbonalis (Guenee)

The toxins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) exhibit significant promise in managing specific orders of harmful insects without the drawbacks in using of chemical insecticides. This study examines 20 indigenous Bt isolates, with a focus on their colony and crystal morphology, gene content, protein profiles, and toxicity against the larvae of Leucinodes orbonalis. The results revealed that all colonies were creamy white in colour with fried egg type appearance, flat surface, and undulated margin with spherical shaped crystals. PCR screening detected the existence of cry1, cry2, and vip3A genes with varying gene combinations among the isolates. Protein profiles exhibited the presence of multiple proteins with molecular weights ranging from 20 to 135 kDa, particularly ~135 and ~65 kDa represents Cry1 and Cry2 protein. In vitro bioassays against L. orbonalis revealed that four isolates T193, T339, T374, and T380 having substantial toxicity (93.33 to 100% mortality), suggesting the potential for their utilization in sustainable pest management strategies.

La fauna de insectos y discusión de algunas especies de interés del Rancho Las Playitas, Municipios de Arizpe y Bacoachi, Sonora, México

A total of 404 species in 312 genera, 69 families, and 11 orders of insects is documented from Rancho Las Playitas, Municipalities of Arizpe and Bacoachi, Sonora, Mexico. Distributions and locality records of noteworthy species are presented.

Resource partitioning among bat species in Peninsular Malaysia rice fields.

Resource partitioning among tropical bats in agricultural areas of Peninsular Malaysia remains unclear. This study was conducted to evaluate resource partitioning among bats by examining their fecal samples. The main bat species sampled included: Rhinolophus coelophyllus, Rhinolophus malayanus, Rhinolophus pusillus, Rhinolophus refulgens, Taphozous melanopogon and Hipposideros larvatus. Two harp traps were set at different elevations on a hilltop (Gunung Keriang) and two high nets were used in neighboring rice fields at three sites, for three consecutive nights per sampling from April 2021 to February 2022. A total of 301 bats and 1,505 pellets were analyzed using a conventional approach which examined the fecal sample under the microscope. All of the bat species within the study had insects from the order Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera and Hemiptera in their diet. Larger bats exhibited a greater variety of prey consumption. Male individuals were observed to be generalists while female individuals were specialists, particularly during pregnancy and lactating reproductive stages. Bat species and insect order had a significant impact on the percentage fragment frequency of the insects consumed. Rhinolophus coelophyllus specialized in feeding on Coleoptera and Diptera, H. larvatus fed on Coleoptera, R. malayanus fed on Hemiptera, R. pusillus and T. melanopogon fed on Lepidoptera. Future molecular analysis can be carried out to further identify the insect pests consumed by these bats up to species level. These findings enhance our understanding of bats' ecological roles in agricultural landscapes and contribute to conservation and pest management strategies.

Potential for Use of Species in the Subfamily Erynioideae for Biological Control and Biotechnology.

The fungal order Entomophthorales in the Zoopagomycota includes many fungal pathogens of arthropods. This review explores six genera in the subfamily Erynioideae within the family Entomophthoraceae, namely, Erynia, Furia, Orthomyces, Pandora, Strongwellsea, and Zoophthora. This is the largest subfamily in the Entomophthorales, including 126 described species. The species diversity, global distribution, and host range of this subfamily are summarized. Relatively few taxa are geographically widespread, and few have broad host ranges, which contrasts with many species with single reports from one location and one host species. The insect orders infected by the greatest numbers of species are the Diptera and Hemiptera. Across the subfamily, relatively few species have been cultivated in vitro, and those that have require more specialized media than many other fungi. Given their potential to attack arthropods and their position in the fungal evolutionary tree, we discuss which species might be adopted for biological control purposes or biotechnological innovations. Current challenges in the implementation of these species in biotechnology include the limited ability or difficulty in culturing many in vitro, a correlated paucity of genomic resources, and considerations regarding the host ranges of different species.

Intracellular symbiont Symbiodolus is vertically transmitted and widespread across insect orders.

Insects engage in manifold interactions with bacteria that can shift along the parasitism-mutualism continuum. However, only a small number of bacterial taxa managed to successfully colonize a wide diversity of insects, by evolving mechanisms for host-cell entry, immune evasion, germline tropism, reproductive manipulation, and/or by providing benefits to the host that stabilize the symbiotic association. Here, we report on the discovery of an Enterobacterales endosymbiont (Symbiodolus, type species Symbiodolus clandestinus) that is widespread across at least six insect orders and occurs at high prevalence within host populations. Fluorescence in situ hybridization in several Coleopteran and one Dipteran species revealed Symbiodolus' intracellular presence in all host life stages and across tissues, with a high abundance in female ovaries, indicating transovarial vertical transmission. Symbiont genome sequencing across 16 host taxa revealed a high degree of functional conservation in the eroding and transposon-rich genomes. All sequenced Symbiodolus genomes encode for multiple secretion systems, alongside effectors and toxin-antitoxin systems, which likely facilitate host-cell entry and interactions with the host. However, Symbiodolus-infected insects show no obvious signs of disease, and biosynthetic pathways for several amino acids and cofactors encoded by the bacterial genomes suggest that the symbionts may also be able to provide benefits to the hosts. A lack of host-symbiont cospeciation provides evidence for occasional horizontal transmission, so Symbiodolus' success is likely based on a mixed transmission mode. Our findings uncover a hitherto undescribed and widespread insect endosymbiont that may present valuable opportunities to unravel the molecular underpinnings of symbiosis establishment and maintenance.

Exploring horizontal transfer of mariner transposable elements among ants and aphids

Aphids and ants are mutualistic species with a close space-time relationship, which may facilitate the occurrence of horizontal transfer events between these insect groups. Myrmar-like mariner elements were previously isolated from two ant (Myrmica ruginodis and Tapinoma ibericum) and two aphid species (Aphis fabae and Aphis hederae). The aim of this work is to determine the presence of Myrmar-like mariner elements in new ant and aphid species, as well as to analyze the likelihood of horizontal transfer events between these taxa. To accomplish this, the Myrmar-like element has been isolated from five aphid species and six ant species. Among these new analyzed species, full-length Myrmar-like mariner elements with very high sequence similarity have been isolated from the aphids Aphis nerii, Aphis spiraecola, Brachycaudus cardui, and Rhopalosiphum maidis as well as from the ants Lasius grandis and Lasius niger, even though aphids and ants belong to two insect orders (Hemiptera and Hymenoptera) that have evolved independently for at least 300 million-years. Both Lasius species establish frequent mutualistic relationships with multiple aphid species, including A. nerii, A. spiraecola, and B. cardui. The study of the putative protein encoded by them and the phylogenetic analysis suggests that they could be active transposons shared by aphids and ants through horizontal transfer events. Additionally, mariner elements with internal deletion were found in several aphids and one ant species, showing a high degree of sequence similarity among them. The characteristics of these elements with internal deletion suggest a complex origin involving various evolutionary processes, possibly including also horizontal transfer events. Myrmar-like elements have also been isolated from the other ant species, although without similarity with the aphid mariner sequences. Myrmar-like elements are also present in phylogenetically distant insect species, as well as in one crustacean species. The phylogenetic study carried out with all Myrmar-like elements suggests the probable occurrence of horizontal transfer events.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF EXISTING ENTOMOFAUNA IN THE LAVENDER CROPS

The observations were made during the year 2022, starting from May to August, in a Lavandula crops in the Raducaneni, stationary from Iasi, located about 40 km from the Iasi city and about 45 km from the Husi city.The existing entomofauna was grouped by taxon categories up to the insect order level, only the coleopterans being determined up to the species level.

DNA barcoding reference libraries of Italian Plecoptera: a gap analysis

Plecoptera is a small order of aquatic insects that is considered one of the most endangered groups of insects due to increasingly altered freshwater ecosystems. Plecoptera nymphs can be challenging to identify at the species level because diagnostic characters for most species are lacking, while adults can be difficult to collect routinely given their short life span. Species identification by DNA barcoding is increasingly used as an alternative to morphological identification, but gaps and inaccuracies in reference databases needed for taxonomic assignment can undermine the utility of barcoding in real case studies. Here we aim to: i) quantify the number of Italian species of Plecoptera with barcodes from specimens collected worldwide and from Italy; ii) perform a regional assessment of DNA barcoding coverage; iii) calculate the intraspecific distance among available sequences to evaluate the potential presence of errors and cryptic species. As reference databases, we used both a non-curated database (BOLD) and a curated database (MIDORI2) to test the effect of sequence selection on the availability of reference sequences. We found that 67.6% and 51.8% of the Italian Plecoptera species were represented in BOLD and MIDORI2. Most of the available sequences were obtained from specimens collected outside Italy, with only 21.8% and 13.5% of the Italian species having sequences from specimens collected in Italy. Endemisms were poorly represented, and intraspecific distances for some species were high, which suggest cryptic diversity or erroneous assignments. Our results support the growing need to increase international cooperation among barcode initiatives and to promote the integration between molecular biologists and zoologists to exploit the full potential of DNA barcoding to protect biodiversity.

Insect taxa as biodiversity indicators at selected coastal landscape

For monitoring responses of insect arthropods to disturbance, a dataset of 1831 insects was considered. We studied faunal diversity of insects in terraces habitats located on the coast of Lebanon. Insects were sampled from 12 sites having different habitats with one sampling method of combined pitfall-pan trap. This study resulted in nine insect orders and 129 morphospecies. Hymenoptera was the most abundant order in all habitats (63.57%) followed by the orders Diptera, Homoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Dictyoptera and Thysanoptera. This coast was classified with medium biodiversity index (D) of 0.51 for insect orders and high D of 0.83 for morphospecies. The highest (D) was in field crops habitat (H1) of 0.64 and 0.91 for insect orders and morphospecies, respectively; followed by scrublands (H3), greenhouse areas (H2) and olive orchards (H4). These results indicated that human intervention was affecting the diversity in natural habitats. Five insect orders: Coleoptera, Dictyoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera were significantly selected as potential biodiversity indicators in this coastal area. Thus, for monitoring these bioindicators, a protocol based on operating our combined trap method appears practical in design and yield very diverse material with the target of sustaining these insect populations in the coastal area.

Day‐Flying Lepidopteran Species Abundance, Diversity, and Distribution in Wolaita Sodo University, Ethiopia

Lepidoptera account for the second largest, most diverse, widespread, and widely recognized insect order in the class Insecta. At four microhabitats at Wolaita Sodo University (WSU) in Ethiopia, lepidopteran diversity and abundance were studied for the first time using transects between January 2022 and December 2023. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance, correlation analysis, diversity indices, and ordination and cluster analysis. Altogether 50 species of 367 individuals were collected throughout the study period distributed in 6 families. The Nymphalidae family contained the highest species abundance 20 (34%). In comparison to other ecosystems, open forest regions (35%) included more species, followed by shrub forest (30%). Species such as Danaus plexippus, Tirumala septentrionis, and Melanargia lachesis were abundant in open forest habitat. Idea leuconoe and Eurema brigitta were also abundant, regardless of location. About 36% of species were recorded only in dry season and 36% of total were recorded only in wet season. Spearman’s rho correlation analysis showed that butterfly families had strong positive relationships with flying habitat and flight seasons. Therefore, adequate conservation measures should be taken to ensure their survival, as well as the preservation of their habitats for the benefit of the ecosystem as a whole.

Comparative cytogenetics of three Zoraptera species as a basis for understanding chromosomal evolution in Polyneoptera insects.

Zoraptera (also called "angel insects") is one of the most unexplored insect orders. However, it holds promise for understanding the evolution of insect karyotypes and genome organization given its status as an early branching group of Polyneoptera and Pterygota (winged insects) during the Paleozoic. Here, we provide karyotype descriptions of three Zorapteran species: Brazilozoros huxleyi (2n♂; ♀=42; 42), B.kukalovae (2n♂; ♀=43; 44) and Latinozoros cacaoensis (2n♂; ♀=36; 36). These species represent two of the four recently recognized Zorapteran subfamilies. Contrary to an earlier suggestion that Zoraptera has holocentric chromosomes, we found karyotypes that were always monocentric. Interestingly, we detected both X0 (B.kukalovae) and XY (B.huxleyi, L. cacaoensis) sex chromosome systems. In addition to conventional karyotype descriptions, we applied fluorescent in situ hybridization for the first time in Zoraptera to map karyotype distributions of 18S rDNA, histone H3 genes, telomeres and (CAG)n and (GATA)n microsatellites. This study provides a foundation for cytogenetic research in Zoraptera.

Beypazarı İlçesinin Papilionoidea ve Hesperioidea (Lepidoptera) Fauna Bilgisine Katkılar (Türkiye)

Butterflies, which are among the active groups in pollination, are one of the insect groups that are most affected by habitat loss. Although it is one of the most studied groups among insect orders, the butterflies of Beypazarı are still not fully known. Beypazarı district, chosen as the study area, has different habitat types such as mixed forest, bush, steppe and ruderal. In this study, it was aimed to examine the distribution of butterfly species in the region, especially rare and critical species in detail, and the results of the field studies conducted in Beypazarı district between 2016-2017 were summarized in the article. Butterfly samples were collected from 33 stations. As a result of the identification studies of the collected specimens, 81 species belonging to 6 families were identified. Distribution of species according to families are: Nymphalidae (13), Hesperiidae (10), Lycaenidae (24), Papilionidae (3), Pieridae (16), Satyridae (15). 53 species are new records for the Beypazarı fauna. Polyommatus cornelius detected in the study area is endemic to Türkiye. 80 types of LC (Least Concern) are in the category of one type of NT (Near Threatened). While the shrub vegetation in the region is in the first place with 56 species in terms of butterfly diversity, mixed forest is in the second place with 38.

Keanekaragaman beserta karakteristik habitat Famili Panorpidae (Ordo: Mecoptera) di Taman Hutan Raya Ir. H. Djuanda Bandung

Mecoptera merupakan ordo serangga primitif dan ordo minor serangga, memiliki 9 famili salah satunya Panorpidae. Penelitian tentang Panorpidae di Indonesia masih jarang dilakukan, terutama yang berkaitan dengan habitatnya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui keanekaragaman Famili Panorpidae beserta karakteristik habitatnya di Taman Hutan Raya Ir. H. Djuanda Bandung. Penelitian dilakukan pada bulan Maret–April 2023 dengan metode survei, yaitu dengan membuat plot pada tiga blok kawasan, yaitu blok pemanfataan, blok perlindungan dan blok koleksi. Teknik pengambilan sampel dilakukan dengan hand collecting dan sweeping net. Panorpidae yang tertangkap diidentifikasi berdasarkan karakeristik morfologinya, seperti corak pada sayap, genital, warna pronotum, warna meso–metanotum, warna rostrum, dan warna pada kaki. Parameter lingkungan (suhu dan kelembapan udara, intensitas cahaya) serta vegetasi tempat Mecoptera ditemukan diidentifikasi dan dicatat setiap kali pengamatan. Berdasarkan hasil identifikasi Panorpidae yang ditemukan, terdapat satu genus (Neopanorpa) dan lima spesies yang ditemukan pada blok perlindungan dan tiga spesies pada blok pemanfaatan, sedangkan blok koleksi tidak ditemukan. Kelimpahan individu di blok perlindungan lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan blok pemanfaatan. Umumnya, Panorpidae ditemukan pada vegetasi berdaun lebar, seperti Clidemia sp. dan Datura sp. dengan kanopi yang tidak terlalu rapat. Kedua blok tersebut memiliki keanekaragaman dan kemerataan Panorpidae termasuk dalam kategori sedang. Suhu, kelembapan, dan intensitas cahaya juga mempengaruhi sebaran dari jenis serangga Panorpidae. Kelembapan berpengaruh positif terhadap keanekaragaman dan kelimpahan Panorpidae, sedangkan suhu dan intensitas cahaya berpengaruh negatif. Penelitian ini menunjukkan Panorpidae cenderung menyukai pada tempat lembap serta terlindungi oleh vegetasi semak dan kanopi yang tidak terlalu rapat.

Discovery of Thripida from the Middle Jurassic Yanan Formation.

Thysanoptera, commonly known as thrips, constitutes a relatively diminutive insect order within the superorder Thripida Fallen, 1814, with at least 6000 described extant species. Thripida has been divided into three clades: Panthysanoptera Nel et al., 2012, Lophioneurida Tillyard, 1921, and Westphalothripidesidae Nel et al., 2012, primarily based on wing venation patterns (Nel et al., 2012).