Natural Insect Research Articles

Arthropods discovered on refugio flowering plants in Mangifera indica plantation

Abstract. Windriyanti W, Rahmadhini N, Fernando I, Kusuma RM. 2023. Arthropods discovered on refugio flowering plants in Mangifera indica plantation. Biodiversitas 24: 4747-4754. The diversity of Refugio flowering plants with different ways of flowering phenology provides alternative food sources for arthropods. Insects are the largest class of arthropods, most of which are ecological services that function as natural enemies and pollinators. Insects require an energy source over a long-term period to promote a stable and healthy population. The use of flowering plants as refugia can maximize the role of insects as ecological services in agroecosystems by providing natural enemies and pollinators with a source of food and shelter. The refugia plants used in this study were sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), king’s salad (Cosmos caudatus), Peruvian zinnia (Zinnia peruviana), Tridax procumbens (Asteraceae), and Alternanthera sessilis (Amaranthaceae) with hedgerow and insectary bank planting patterns. Data collection and periodic direct observation (scan sampling) were conducted by transects. Observed parameters included species composition and population of arthropods in two different agro-systems, monoculture and polyculture. Identification results showed 8 orders, including 44 morphospecies, belonging to 25 families. Arthropod abundance in the on-season of the refugia was found in 1422 individuals. Ecological engineering is a habitat manipulation technology using refugia plants that has increased the composition and population of natural enemy insects and pollinators.

Bioactive compounds of insects for food use: Potentialities and risks

Insects are an alternative source of human and animal food that not only have nutritional characteristics and important bioactive compounds, but also can help reduce the impact of chronic non-communicable diseases; thus, derivatives from insects are a great contribution to the food and pharmaceutical industry. The aim of the present work was to highlight the chemical composition, main bioactive compounds, and anti-nutritional factors present in some insects and their applications as raw materials in the food and pharmaceutical industry through the analysis of different studies. Results indicated that entomophagy was included in the diet of many regions in the world and that it is going to become a significant component in the food industry. It was also found that bioactive compounds with potential functional properties within the chemical composition of insects such as an appropriate digestibility between 54 % and 86 %, peptides between 35 % and 77 % and other nutrients such as proteins and carbohydrates that can be a great contribution to nutrition and reduce the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases. Global agencies are of the opinion that edible insects are the viable option to over the food scarcity. However, use of food matrices from insects raises safety issues, such as anti-nutritional factors allergenicity and capacity to harbor toxins such as oxalates, tannins, alkaloids, phytates and saponins or pathogens and heavy metal. Insights presented in this work are useful to insect business (such as farmers, producers of edible insect products and consultants), researchers, and policy makers. Such insights can be an initiative for insect food companies in many ways, such as to forge collaborations with different bodies (researchers, peoples, government), improve perception of insect consumption, promote market acceptance, identify new and native edible insect species, make ecologically sustainable insect food companies, produce nutritious and delicious insect-based foods, etc.

Towards an inclusive edible insect industry: perspectives from Australia

Abstract The emerging edible insect market (for human food and animal feed) has a promising growth potential in Australia. With a long cultural tradition of consuming more than 60 native insect species, strong research capabilities and industry experience, the nascent Australian industry is well positioned to become a leader in the edible insect sector. Here, we highlight the need for an inclusive industry with a focus on enabling Indigenous leadership to join the industry. We also stress the need for new foundational research of native insect species and for investment to support current and new businesses as part of a strategy to grow the industry. Research and business development in this space needs strong Indigenous leadership and guidelines to recognise and protect traditional ownership of culturally eaten insect species. This is to guarantee appropriate knowledge and benefit sharing of Indigenous cultural and intellectual property. This model of prioritising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people participation in Australia may be of use and implemented in other countries to achieve an inclusive industry.

Inventory and Potential of Natural Enemies ( Predators and Parasitoids ) as Pest Controller in Lemon Crops in Langkat, North Sumatera

Lemons are plant horticulture fruits which kind of oranges are also known as designation citrus. The fruit shaped as a round oval, colored yellow bright, and tasteful sour or a little sweet. Other roles of insects in nature besides insect potential herbivores (phytophagous) pests, that is, as predators and parasitoids. The study aims to identify types and diversity of enemy potential natural (predators and parasitoids). as controller pests on lemon plants. The study carried out on land lemons in Namo Terasi village, Sei Bingai District, Langkat Regency. Identification insects was done in Laboratory Pests, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Sumatera Utara which held on month, March until June 2023. This study uses a purposive sampling method with 5 types, such as yellow sticky trap, red trap, black trap, blue ball trap, and net trap. Total insects identified on the lemon’s vegetation (Citrus lemon) consist of 10 Orders, 38 Families and 49 Genera, and 2308 individuals. The highest population recorded from Aphidius (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as many as 481 individuals. The highest of Density and Relative Density from family Braconidae (D=481, RD=21.02%), whereas the lowest of Mantidae Family (D= 3, RD=0.13%). Total population were 10 types of predatory insects family, 4 types of parasitoids,16 types of herbivores and 5 types of pollinators, and 3 types of decomposers.

Inventory and Potential of Natural Enemies ( Predators and Parasitoids ) as Pest Controller in Lemon Crops in Langkat, North Sumatera

Lemons are plant horticulture fruits which kind of oranges are also known as designation citrus. The fruit shaped as a round oval, colored yellow bright, and tasteful sour or a little sweet. Other roles of insects in nature besides insect potential herbivores (phytophagous) pests, that is, as predators and parasitoids. The study aims to identify types and diversity of enemy potential natural (predators and parasitoids). as controller pests on lemon plants. The study carried out on land lemons in Namo Terasi village, Sei Bingai District, Langkat Regency. Identification insects was done in Laboratory Pests, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Sumatera Utara which held on month, March until June 2023. This study uses a purposive sampling method with 5 types, such as yellow sticky trap, red trap, black trap, blue ball trap, and net trap. Total insects identified on the lemon’s vegetation (Citrus lemon) consist of 10 Orders, 38 Families and 49 Genera, and 2308 individuals. The highest population recorded from Aphidius (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as many as 481 individuals. The highest of Density and Relative Density from family Braconidae (D=481, RD=21.02%), whereas the lowest of Mantidae Family (D= 3, RD=0.13%). Total population were 10 types of predatory insects family, 4 types of parasitoids,16 types of herbivores and 5 types of pollinators, and 3 types of decomposers.

Book Review

Insect pests remain a major threat to crop production primarily because of their ability to inflict severe damage on crop yields, as well as their role as key vectors of disease. Early identification of pests is critical to the success of integrated pest management (IPM) programmes and essential for the development of phytosanitary/quarantine regimes to prevent the introduction of invasive insect pests to new environments. Advances in monitoring of native and invasive insect pests of crops reviews the wealth of research on techniques to monitor and thus prevent threats from both native and invasive insect pests. The book considers recent advances in areas such as sampling, identifying and modelling pest populations. With its considered approach, the book explores current best practices for the detection, identification and modelling of native and invasive insect pests of crops. The contributors offer farmers informed advice on how to mitigate a growing problem which has been exacerbated as a result of climate change.

Non-compliance with the World Trade Organization agreements by exporters of the European bumblebee, Bombus terrestris

International companies commercially rear bumblebees worldwide, the trade of which is regulated through agreements established by the World Trade Organization (WTO). Scientific studies have shown multiple negative effects of introduced commercial bumblebees on native bees in Japan, Australia, Sweden, Israel, Chile, and Argentina, calling into question the compliance of exporting with some of the established WTO international sanitary regulations. We analyzed international WTO sanitary regulations focusing on the international trade of bumblebees from the European Union (EU) and Israel, especially regarding bumblebee exports to Chile and their side effects in neighboring Argentina. We have gathered evidence showing that exporters of bumblebees do not comply with WTO international trade agreements in at least two ways: (1) the quality of commercialized bumblebees differs from the quality declared in their certifications, and (2) the countries that sell the bumblebees violate sanitary agreements, producing negative effects on other native pollinating insects and causing a cascade of adverse impacts affecting both the environment and agriculture. This situation suggests that companies that raise bumblebees are currently in breach of WTO regulations and continue to contribute to major environmental damage in southern South America and elsewhere.

Defensive furofuran lignans localized to the oil cells of Neocinnamomum delavayi and their metabolism by a specialist insect

Neocinnamomum delavayi (Lauraceae) leaves with abundant oil cells are seldom attacked by insects, but their chemical constituent and biological function remain obscure. Three furofuran lignans, including (+)-eudesmin (3), (+)-magnolin (4), and demethoxyaschantin (5), were identified to be the major specialized metabolites in the oil cells of N. delavayi leaves through laser microdissection coupled with NMR analysis. Compounds 3 and 4 exhibited obvious antifeedant activity against a generalist insect Spodoptera exigua, and their natural contents in the leaves could effectively defend against generalist insects. Intriguingly, three specific metabolites 9–11, the O-demethylation derivates of compounds 3–5, were identified from a native specialist insect Dindica polyphaenaria feeding with N. delavayi leaves, implying an adaptation mechanism of specialist insects to plant defensive compounds. The results revealed a chemical connection between plants and insects, which would contribute to our understanding of plant-insect interaction and insect management.

Increase in heat tolerance following a period of heat stress in a naturally occurring insect species.

Climate warming is the defining environmental crisis of the 21st century. Elucidating whether organisms can adapt to rapidly changing thermal environments is therefore a crucial research priority. We investigated warming effects on a native Hemipteran insect (Murgantia histrionica) that feeds on an endemic plant species (Isomeris arborea) of the California coastal sage scrub. Experiments conducted in 2009 quantified the temperature responses of juvenile maturation rates and stage-specific and cumulative survivorship. The intervening decade has seen some of the hottest years ever recorded, with increasing mean temperatures accompanied by an increase in the frequency of hot extremes. Experiments repeated in 2021 show a striking change in the bugs' temperature responses. In 2009, no eggs developed past the second nymphal stage at 33°C. In 2021, eggs developed into reproductive adults at 33°C. Upper thermal limits for maturation and survivorship have increased, along with a decrease in mortality risk with increasing age and temperature, and a decrease in the temperature sensitivity of mortality with increasing age. While we cannot exclude the possibility that other environmental factors occurring in concert could have affected our findings, the fact that all observed trait changes are in the direction of greater heat tolerance suggests that consistent exposure to extreme heat stress may at least be partially responsible for these changes. Harlequin bugs belong to the suborder Heteroptera, which contains a number of economically important pests, biological control agents and disease carriers. Their differential success in withstanding warming compared to beneficial holometabolous insects such as pollinators may exacerbate the decline of beneficial insects due to other causes (e.g. pollution and pesticides) with potentially serious consequences on both biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

Correlation of fruit tree rhizosphere soils with entomopathogenic fungi

AbstractEntomopathogenic fungi are microorganisms that control the density of host insects in nature; they are being studied as environmentally friendly alternatives to chemical insecticides for controlling insect pests. The main habitat of entomopathogenic fungi is soil, and the correlation between the distribution of entomopathogenic fungi and the physicochemical characteristics of soils planted with different trees, including vine (outdoor, greenhouse, and greenhouse shine musket), apple, peach, and pear, were analyzed. The entomopathogenic fungi of the genera Beauveria, Metarhizium, and Purpureocillium investigated in this study were all found in soil samples from vine‐greenhouse, apple, and peach trees. Purpureocillium and Beauveria abundances were positively correlated with soil properties; however, Metarhizium abundances were not correlated with soil properties. The Metarhizium isolates discovered in this study showed pathogenicity to cotton aphids (an agricultural pest) and can be employed as sources for biological studies in the future. This study provides data on the diversity and abundance of entomopathogenic fungi related with soil properties, as well as the molecular, biological, and insecticidal characteristics of Metarhizium isolates.

Are there differences in behaviour between the two colour morphs of the mountain stone wētā, Hemideina maori?

ABSTRACT A robust understanding of an organism’s behavioural and ecological characteristics is an integral part of conservation; unfortunately, many of New Zealand’s native insect fauna still show a degree of data deficiency in these areas. Predator avoidance behaviours are one such area, and where there are colour morphs in New Zealand native and threatened insects, potential differences in the behaviour of these morphs can often be under investigated. The mountain stone wētā (Hemideina maori) possesses two distinct colour morphs, melanic and yellow, though the reason for this distinction is unclear. This study uses laboratory based assays to compare the behaviour of the morphs, including activity, refuge seeking, cohabitation, emergence and defensive behaviour. We observed emergence and cohabitation regularly, used video recordings to assay activity and refuge seeking behaviours, and measured defensive behaviours by probing individuals until a defensive response was displayed. Differences in all tested behaviours between colour morphs were non-significant; however, there were significant differences in defensive behaviour between sexes. We also discuss how defensive behaviours of H. maori compare with another tree wētā. Overall, the colour morphs in H. maori are similar in their predator responses and there may be a driving factor for melanism other than predation pressure. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D54E864D-844F-4619-84E6-44BBAC1DE4E5

Object Detection of Small Insects in Time-Lapse Camera Recordings.

As pollinators, insects play a crucial role in ecosystem management and world food production. However, insect populations are declining, necessitating efficient insect monitoring methods. Existing methods analyze video or time-lapse images of insects in nature, but analysis is challenging as insects are small objects in complex and dynamic natural vegetation scenes. In this work, we provide a dataset of primarily honeybees visiting three different plant species during two months of the summer. The dataset consists of 107,387 annotated time-lapse images from multiple cameras, including 9423 annotated insects. We present a method for detecting insects in time-lapse RGB images, which consists of a two-step process. Firstly, the time-lapse RGB images are preprocessed to enhance insects in the images. This motion-informed enhancement technique uses motion and colors to enhance insects in images. Secondly, the enhanced images are subsequently fed into a convolutional neural network (CNN) object detector. The method improves on the deep learning object detectors You Only Look Once (YOLO) and faster region-based CNN (Faster R-CNN). Using motion-informed enhancement, the YOLO detector improves the average micro F1-score from 0.49 to 0.71, and the Faster R-CNN detector improves the average micro F1-score from 0.32 to 0.56. Our dataset and proposed method provide a step forward for automating the time-lapse camera monitoring of flying insects.

The importance of wild pollinators for indigenous crop pollination: The case of Cyclopia (honeybush)

Pollination is an important ecosystem service. Animal-mediated pollination (mostly insects) increases the production of 35% of global crops. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are considered important crop pollinators globally, but are under pressure and therefore the value of wild pollinators for crop production is receiving more attention. The importance of pollinators (including non-Apis) has been extensively studied in the agricultural sector of South Africa, however little research is available on the pollination of indigenous crops. With the considerable value of the indigenous honeybush (Cyclopia Vent.) in the tea industry, it is important to determine the pollinators since Cyclopia is widespread across the fynbos biome and the pollinators are largely unknown. Here we ask whether carpenter bees (xylocopid bees) are the only pollinators of commercially important Cyclopia species, or if honey bees contribute to pollination. Floral observations and camera trapping confirmed that six species of xylocopid bees were the only pollinators of four commercially important Cyclopia species. Honey bees were observed to be ineffective pollinators of Cyclopia owing to their inability to trip Cyclopia flowers and gain access to the floral reproductive parts. Similarly, an additional seven species including Diptera, Apidae and Lema sp. were unable to gain access to Cyclopia flowers, although were observed visiting. Nectar measurements revealed the highest nectar volume in C. genistoides, while C. intermedia had the highest nectar sugar concentration (above 35% for all species). The value of native non-Apis insects for crop pollination in a changing world is highlighted in Cyclopia, an indigenous legume gaining traction in the global tea market and therefore in cultivation.

Landscape configuration modulates the presence of leaf-cutting ants in eucalypt plantations

Pest responses to landscape complexity show variable patterns globally, primarily related to species traits and specific managed habitats. Leaf-cutting ants (LCAs) are native insects and important pests of plantation forests in South America. We evaluated the responses of LCA nests in young Eucalyptus plantations to different spatial contexts: land uses, interfaces (adjacent land use pairs), agroecosystems, and landscapes. We selected 30 sites in the littoral region of Argentina representing three types of land uses neighboring Eucalyptus plantations: adult eucalypt plantations, citrus plantations, and semi-natural habitats. At each site, we quantified and identified LCA nests and characterized landscape composition and configuration in circles of 250 m radius. LCA nest abundance and presence were similar across different land uses, interfaces, and agroecosystems. Nest presence decreased in landscapes with increasing mean perimeter/area ratio and citrus coverage, whereas LCA abundance showed a similar trend. This indicates that heterogeneous landscapes and those with greater citrus plantation coverage were less likely to have LCA nests. Our findings suggest that landscape configuration was the main predictor of the LCA presence. Understanding the dynamics of LCAs populations and their complex associations with landscape components will contribute to developing successful environmental pest management strategies for plantation forests.

Innovation of argan (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) products and byproducts for sustainable development of rural communities in Morocco. A systematic literature review

AbstractArgan tree is endemic of Moroccan arid regions, providing socioeconomic and cultural benefits since ancient times. This study identifies the emerging threats for the argan forest, and the opportunities related to the innovative uses of argan products and byproducts. Argan forest is facing pressure from overgrazing, demand for argan oil and nuts, and land degradation, despite its recognition as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the inclusion in the FAO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme. Innovative use and recycling of the waste deriving from argan nuts processing, offer promising opportunities to support a local bio-economy. Argan press cake can be used to integrate livestock feeding, to extract sudan dyes or to produce bioplastics. Argan nut shells can be used to produce environment-friendly and low-cost purifying materials and biochar, or as a source of bioenergy. Argan pulp can be used for bioethanol production or to obtain natural insect repellent. Despite these promising opportunities, the socio-economic impact of innovative uses is still limited. Local population is not sufficiently involved in management and development strategies. To support the sustainable development of local communities, it is necessary to promote a participative approach as well as training and product differentiation among argan women cooperatives.

A Hybrid Algorithm for Multi-Objective Optimization—Combining a Biogeography-Based Optimization and Symbiotic Organisms Search

To solve the multi-objective, flexible job-shop scheduling problem, the biogeography-based optimization (BBO) algorithm can easily fall into premature convergence, local optimum and destroy the optimal solution. Furthermore, the symbiotic organisms search (SOS) strategy can be introduced, which integrates the mutualism strategy and commensalism strategy to propose a new migration operator. To address the problem that the optimal solution is easily destroyed, a parasitic natural enemy insect mechanism is introduced, and predator mutation and parasitic mutation strategies with symmetry are defined, which can be guided according to the iterative characteristics of the population. By comparing with eight multi-objective benchmark test functions with four multi-objective algorithms, the results show that the algorithm outperforms other comparative algorithms in terms of the convergence of the solution set and the uniformity of distribution. Finally, the algorithm is applied to multi-objective, flexible job-shop scheduling (FJSP) to test its practical application value, and it is shown through experiments that the algorithm is effective in solving the multi-objective FJSP problem.

Natural and biomimetic superhydrophobic surface: Review of the manufacturing techniques

Nature has produced many materials, things, and processes at all scales, from the large to the tiny. The newly growing area of biomimicry enables the development of materials, tools, and techniques with desired features by mimicking biology or nature. Consequently, the traits of animals, plants, and insects in nature have drawn much attention. Because of its surface roughness and epicuticular waxes, the lotus leaf, for instance, has a superhydrophobic surface. These surfaces feature a water-repellent effect and high and low-contact angle hysteresis. This essay briefly introduces the theoretical wetting process before describing some of the traits of several naturally occurring species. Next, a thorough analysis of artificial superhydrophobic surfaces made in the last five years utilizing the most popular fabrication methods is provided.

Comparing levels of geitonogamous visitation by honey bees and other pollinators

Geitonogamy, the transfer of pollen from one flower to another on the same plant, is often the primary means of self-pollination in flowering plants. For self-compatible plants, self-fertilization may lead to greatly reduced offspring fitness via inbreeding depression. For self-incompatible plants, geitonogamous pollen transfer can result in low seed set, even when stigmatic pollen loads are substantial. For multiple self-compatible, native California plants, we found that honey bees visited more flowers per plant than native insects, and that offspring resulting from pollination by honey bees had reduced fitness relative to those resulting from native insect pollination. Here we investigate whether honey bees generally make more geitonogamous visits than other pollinators using data from a global survey of 41 manuscripts that reported floral visitation data. Compared to the average of all non-honey bee visitors in a plants pollinator assemblage, honey bees visit significantly more flowers per plant, though they do not differ from the non-honey bee visitor with the highest rate of geitonogamous visitation. However, the disparity between rates of geitonogamous visitation by honey bees and non-honey bee visitors is a function of the frequency of honey bees relative to non-honey bee visitors. As honey bees become increasingly numerically dominant, there is a trend for their rates of geitonogamous visitation to increase, accompanied by a significant decline in flowers visited per plant by non-honey bee visitors. While we found that honey bees visited more flowers per plant compared to the average of other visitors, large or eusocial pollinators were as likely as honey bees to be the most geitonogamous visitor.

Invasive diatom, Cymbella janischii adhering on body surface of native aquatic beetles, Grouvellinus nitidus (Elmidae) and Ectopria opaca (Psephenidae) in Japan

AbstractCymbella janischii, an invasive species of diatom, has been broadening its geographical range in Japan since 2004, flourishing in substantial colonies in river beds. As thick and mucilaginous colonies of this diatom often cover large areas of river beds, this elicits concerns regarding the potential alteration of sedimentary bottom structures and resultant effects on the native ecosystems. The presence of the diatoms growing on the body surface of two aquatic beetles, Grouvellinus nitidus (Elmidae) and Ectopria opaca (Psephenidae) in a Japanese river was confirmed. This constitutes the inaugural documentation of invasive diatoms having a specific relationship with native aquatic insects at an individual level.

A century of Illinois hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae): museum and citizen science data reveal recent range expansions, contractions, and species of potential conservation significance.

Hover flies of the family Syrphidae are a highly diverse group of insects that exhibit varied life histories and provide numerous ecosystem services. Despite their importance, they are highly understudied, and many biological and distributional patterns remain unknown in regions like the midwestern United States. Data from specimens exist in regional insect collections but is largely undigitized and thus inaccessible to much of the scientific community. Here, we report our efforts to identify, recurate, and digitize thousands of specimens from the Illinois Natural History Survey Insect Collection. We then combine these data with existing datasets to compile a comprehensive checklist of Illinois hover fly fauna, assess for temporal range expansion/contraction trends, and identify species of potential conservation significance. All total, the over 20,000 specimens/records we examined revealed 209 species within 71 genera and all 4 subfamilies of Syrphidae to have ever occurred in Illinois. Based on previously published data, 68 of these species are new Illinois state records and 36 expand the previously known range significantly. Numerous species found in Illinois historically have only recently been reported further north, while others of historically southern distribution appear to be extending their range northward, possibly due to anthropogenic factors like climate change. Furthermore, 73 species have not been reported in Illinois since at least 1995, and 27 are deemed to be of potential conservation significance with few to no recent records in the Midwest or elsewhere. Our findings illustrate the importance of routine expansion, curation, and digitization of natural history collections.