Sucking Insect Pests Research Articles

Dissipation kinetics, decontamination and dietary risk assessment of imidacloprid residue in bitter gourd and soil

Imidacloprid is a broad-spectrum neonicotinoid class insecticide with systemic action, widely used on vegetables in India for the management of sucking insect pests. The overall pesticide usage profile in gourds growing districts of Tamil Nadu showed that imidacloprid as the most commonly used insecticide. The present study aimed to develop and validate an analytical approach for detecting imidacloprid and 6-chloronicotinic acid residues in bitter gourd fruit, juice and soil using LC-EI-MS (liquid chromatography coupled with electron ionization mass spectrometry) was undertaken. The persistence pattern, effect of household processing and risk assessment of imidacloprid on bitter gourd was studied by conducting field trials at single and double doses of 20 and 40 g a.i ha-1. Calibration curves showed a good linear relationship (r2>0.99) with the concentrations (0.0025–0.5 µg mL-1) of imidacloprid and 6-chloronicotinic acid. The limit of detection and quantification of the method were 0.008 and 0.025 mg kg-1, respectively. Accuracy of imidacloprid and 6-chloronicotinic acid residue recovery was in the range of 88–101 per cent with RSD of less than six per cent in all the matrices of bitter gourd. Initial deposits of imidacloprid at 20 and 40 g a.i ha-1 were 0.68 and 1.25 mg kg-1 and the residues persisted up to 10 and 15 days with their respective half-lives of 2.51 and 3.13 days. Simple decontamination techniques showed 33 to 80 per cent reduction of residues in samples collected up to 10 days after treatment. The estimated RQ was less than one indicating the level of risk to the consumer is negligible.

Seasonal Incidence of Major Insect Pests of Mungbean

A field experiment conducted during the kharif 2018 evaluated the seasonal incidence of insect pests of mungbean. The results revealed occurrence of major sucking insect pests viz., whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.), leafhopper Empoasca kerri Pruthi, aphid Aphis craccivora Koch from vegetative stage to maturity stage. The lepidopterans viz., tobacco caterpillar Spodoptera litura (F.) and blue butterfly Lampides boeticus L., were observed from reproductive to maturity stage. Maximum incidence of B. tabaci was -at 9.70 nymphs and adults/ cage, E. kerri at 4.97 nymphs and adults/ plant, A. craccivora at 2.17 nymphs and adults/ plant, S. litura at 0.33 larvae/ plant and L. boeticus at 0.37 larvae/ plant and during the 39<sup>th</sup> standard week. Incidence of B. tabaci, A. craccivora, S. litura and L. boeticus showed significant positive correlation with maximum temperature, (r=0.79, 0.76, 0.82 and 0.85, respectively; B. tabaci with rainfall and S. litura with evening relative humidity showed a significant negative correlation (r=-0.76, -0.81, respectively).

Knockdown of TRPV gene Nanchung decreases resistance to the novel pyropene insecticide, afidopyropen, in Bemisia tabaci

Insect TRPV is one subfamily of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, and it is composed of Inactive (Iav) and Nanchung (Nan), the molecular targets of afidopyropen in several sucking insect pests. In this study, we performed successive selection and synergism tests based on previous work. The resistant afidopyropen strain HD-Afi of Bemisia tabaci reached about 86-fold resistance to afidopyropen, and only part of the resistance resulted from detoxification of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases. Then, we cloned and characterized Nan and Iav from B. tabaci (BtNan and BtIav), and found that they were expressed in all stages of development and tissues of adult, and the expression level of BtNan in strains of HD-S and HD-Afi were significantly increased after afidopyropen treatment. Further, expression of BtNan was downregulated after gene silencing, and it resulted in significantly decreased afidopyropen resistance in the strain of HD-Afi. Our data revealed the first evidence that overexpression of the TRPV Nan gene is responsible for causing afidopyropen resistance in B. tabaci, and our results could provide new visions on the function of TRPVs in the development of resistance to pesticide and supply evidence for developing novel strategies of pest management.

Intercropping impact on population of cotton sucking insect pests

The cotton intercropping experiment was conducted for the management of sucking pests, viz. leafhopper, Amrasca biguttula biguttula Ishida (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae); whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and thrips, Thrips tabaci Linderman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in desi cotton, Gossypium arborium. The results of the study revealed that less mean population of leafhopper nymphs, whitefly and thrips adults was recorded from the treatments T7 (2.47, 2.61 and 2.10/leaf, respectively) and T8 (2.49, 2.52 and 2.25/leaf, respectively) where pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) crops grown as border crops around cotton, respectively. Cotton as sole crop (T9) recorded the highest mean population of leafhopper nymphs, whitefly and thrips adults i.e. 3.54, 3.97, 3.59/leaf, respectively. However, the maximum net returns was recorded in cotton intercropped with sesame 1:1 (T1: 104140 `/ha) whereas minimum net returns was recorded in sole cotton (T9: 80021 `/ha).

Integrated Potential of Microbial, Botanical, and Chemical Pesticides for the Control of Viral Disease Vector Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on Tomato under Greenhouse and Field Perspectives

Whiteflies are one of the most devastating horticultural pests attacking tomatoes. Although there are several control methods for the control of whitefly pests, the integrated application of entomopathogenic fungi (IPM) with chemical and botanical insecticides has proven more effective than individual control agents. This study was carried out to evaluate individual and combined treatments of entomopathogens B. bassiana, M. anisopliae, B. thuringiensis, Hunter 40 EC, and neem oil for the control of whitefly species on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) under greenhouse and field condition. The greenhouse study showed that the different treatments resulted in a 58.48 to 100% reduction of nymphs and a 52.06 to 100% reduction of adults on both Galilea and Melkashola tomato varieties under greenhouse conditions. The combined treatments of AAUMB-29 + Neem oil displayed a higher yield (423.3 g fruits/plant) on the Gelilea tomato variety, and AAUDM-43 + Hunter 40 EC displayed a yield of (376.66 g/plant) on the Melkashola tomato variety. Under field conditions, the application of AAUMB-29 + Hunter 40 EC + Neem oil significantly decreased the whitefly population by 91.93% (P<0.001) after 10 days of the fourth spray. The result of fruit yield of tomato was significantly higher in all treatments (31.17 t to 70.42 t·ha−1) compared to untreated control (25.83 t·ha−1). Among the treatments, AAUMB-29 + Hunter 40 EC + Neem oil gave the highest fruit yield of 70.42 t·ha−1 followed by AAUMB-29 + Hunter 40 EC (64.50 t·ha−1) on the Galilea tomato variety under field conditions. The combined treatment of AAUMB-29 + Hunter 40 EC + Neem oil was the most effective with lower whitefly infestation, higher marketable yields, and less percentage of yield losses. Further investigations are required to determine the optimization and practicability of this integrated application of treatments for the control of both sucking and chewing insect pests under field conditions.

Heterologous expression of cry1Ia12 insecticidal gene in cotton encodes resistance against pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae); an alternate insecticidal gene for insect pest management.

Cotton is continuously exposed to sucking and chewing insect pest pressure since emergence to harvesting. Pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) has become major chewing insect pest to reduce the cotton yield and results in bad lint quality even in transgenic crops. The efficiency of insecticidal genes has been compromised due to extensive utilization of transgenic crops. The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of an alternate cry1Ia12 insecticidal gene against pink bollworm (PBW) in cotton. Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring pCAMBIA2300 expression vector containing cry1Ia12 gene under the control of 35S CaMV was used to transform a local cotton cultivar GS-01. The various molecular analyses revealed the transgene integration and expression in primary transformants. Among five selected transgenic plants, tcL-08 showed maximum (16.06-fold) mRNA expression of cry1Ia12 gene whereas tcL-03 showed minimum (2.33-fold) expression. Feeding bioassays of 2nd and 3rd instar pink bollworm (PBW) larvae on immature cotton bolls, flowers and cotton squares revealed up to 33.33% mortality on tcL-08 while lowest mortality (13.33%) was observed in tcL-03 and tcL-15. Furthermore, the average weight and size of survived larvae fed on transgenic plants was significantly lesser than the average weight of larvae survived on non-transgenic plants. The present study suggests the cry1Ia12 gene as an alternate insecticidal gene for the resistance management of cotton bollworms, especially PBW.

A new species of the genus Kalidasa lantern bug (Hemiptera, Fulgoridae) from Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. In Tamil Nadu, India

A new species of the Genus Kalidasa Kirkaldy, 1900 (Fulgoridae: Hemiptera) as Kalidasa mythiliae sp. nov. İnfesting Ailanthus excelsa trees as sucking insect pest collected from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu is described with morphological characteristics of the other five species reported. A key to identify the species of the Genus, Kalidasa of India has been provided.

The Homeodomain-Leucine Zipper Genes Family Regulates the Jinggangmycin Mediated Immune Response of Oryza sativa to Nilaparvata lugens, and Laodelphax striatellus

The homeodomain-leucine zipper (HDZIP) is an important transcription factor family, instrumental not only in growth but in finetuning plant responses to environmental adversaries. Despite the plethora of literature available, the role of HDZIP genes under chewing and sucking insects remains elusive. Herein, we identified 40 OsHDZIP genes from the rice genome database. The evolutionary relationship, gene structure, conserved motifs, and chemical properties highlight the key aspects of OsHDZIP genes in rice. The OsHDZIP family is divided into a further four subfamilies (i.e., HDZIP I, HDZIP II, HDZIP III, and HDZIP IV). Moreover, the protein–protein interaction and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that OsHDZIP genes regulate plant growth and response to various environmental stimuli. Various microRNA (miRNA) families targeted HDZIP III subfamily genes. The microarray data analysis showed that OsHDZIP was expressed in almost all tested tissues. Additionally, the differential expression patterns of the OsHDZIP genes were found under salinity stress and hormonal treatments, whereas under brown planthopper (BPH), striped stem borer (SSB), and rice leaf folder (RLF), only OsHDZIP3, OsHDZIP4, OsHDZIP40, OsHDZIP10, and OsHDZIP20 displayed expression. The qRT-PCR analysis further validated the expression of OsHDZIP20, OsHDZIP40, and OsHDZIP10 under BPH, small brown planthopper (SBPH) infestations, and jinggangmycin (JGM) spraying applications. Our results provide detailed knowledge of the OsHDZIP gene family resistance in rice plants and will facilitate the development of stress-resilient cultivars, particularly against chewing and sucking insect pests.

Evaluation of Mungbean Genotypes Against Major Insect Pests

Field experiment was conducted to screen thirteen genotypes of mungbean against major sucking and lepidopteran pests. The incidence of pests was assessed at 15 DAS (Days after sowing) and continued till maturity at weekly intervals. The results revealed that least mean whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) incidence/plant was observed in genotype Virat (5.17), TM-37 (5.31) and Shikha (5.40). Similarly, the least aphid Aphis craccivora Koch incidence was on Virat (2.73), Shikha (2.77), TM-37 (2.89) and PDM-139 (2.91). The genotypes, Virat (1.26), Shikha (1.26), PDM-139 (1.30) and TM-37 (1.31) were with lowest leaf hopper Empoasca kerri Pruthi counts; and the least larval counts of tobacco caterpillar Spodoptera litura (F.) was in Shikha (0.22), Virat (0.24), PDM-139 (0.25), TM-37 (0.28) and TJM-196 (0.31). Similarly, least incidence of blue butterfly Lampides boeticus L., larva was observed on Virat (0.21), Shikha (0.23) and PDM-139 (0.26) genotypes. Thus, the genotypes viz., Virat, TM-37, PDM-139 and Shikha were found to be tolerant against the major sucking and lepidopteran insect pests.

Efficacy of Newer Insecticides against the Major Sucking Pests of Groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.)

The field experiments on the efficacy of newer insecticides on sucking insect pests of groundnut was conducted at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Palem, of Nagarkurnool district, Telangana, India during rabi, 2021-22 in a randomized block design with eight treatments viz., Tolfenpyard 15% EC at 1.5ml L-1 and Tolfenpyard 15% EC at 2 ml L-1, Tolfenpyard 15% EC at 2.5ml L-1, Spinetoram 11.7% SC at 0.5ml L-1, Thiamethoxam 12.6+ Lambdacyhalothrin 9.5% ZC at 0.4ml L-1, Clothianidin 50% WDG at 0.3g L-1, Afidopyropen 50g/IDC at 2ml L-1 and Sulfoxaflor 21.89% SC at 0.5ml L-1. Among all the insecticides tested clothianidin @ 0.3g L-1 worked very effectively in reducing the population of leafhoppers and thrips. The other effective treatments were afidopyropen at 2ml L-1 and tolfenpyard @ 2.5ml L-1 followed by tolfenpyard 15 %EC at 2.5ml L-1, tolfenpyard at 2.5ml L-1, thiamethoxam+ lambdacyhalothrin at 0.4ml L-1. The treatment spinetoram at 0.5ml L-1 was less effective on the sucking pest. The highest Incremental Cost Benefit Ratio (ICBR) is recorded from the plots sprayed with clothianidin @ 0.3g L-1 (1.4.83) followed by afidopyrofen @ 2ml L-1 (1:3.94).

Assessment of solomon 300 OD (Betacyfluthrin 90 + Imidacloprid 210 OD) as phtotoxixity and effects on natural enimies of sucking insect pests in kinnow plants

The trial for study was on orchard of Agricultural Research Station Srigangangar of kinnow 2 trees per treatment/ replication during 2016-2017. Eight treatments including control were evaluated and each treatment was replicated three times and using RBD to work bio-effeciacy of natural enemies of sucking insect pests of kinnow. Observations in each plot separately on natural enemies’ population were also recorded one days before of spray and 3, 7, 10 and 14 days after spray and evaluated from pooled data the natural enemies population has reduced some extend 3rd after spray and again increased also no ill effect of the natural enemies’ population. Out of these treatments two treatments one using 7 ml/ha and 14 ml/hawas taken as phyto-toxicity observation. No phyto toxicity symptoms was observed on number of leaves and infested leaves per twigs from 5 randomly selected twigs by viewing symptoms like leaf injury, yellowing, stunting, necrosis, epinasty and hyponasty in the leafs.

Effect of Various Intercrops on the Incidence of Major Sucking Insect Pests of Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (Linn.) Walp

Background: Ecological maneuvering of major sucking insect pests of cowpea, [Vigna unguiculata (Linn.) Walp.] at the micro level was aimed through various agronomic techniques. The tactics of appropriate intercropping is gaining thrust in the present scenario in overall strategy of insect pest management. Methods: The experiment was conducted during kharif, 2018 in a randomized block design (RBD) with 5 treatments and 4 replications. The populations of major sucking insect pests were recorded at weekly interval from their appearance till harvesting of the cropearly in the morning of 10 cm terminal shoot for aphid and from three leaves, viz., one each from top, middle and lower canopy of the plant for leafhopper and whitefly. Result: The experiment on cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (Linn.) Walp.] grown along with, pearlmillet [Penisetum glucum (Linn.) R.Br.emend stunntz] sesame, (Sesamum indicum) sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonloba) as intercrops showed reduced population of sucking insect pests (aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch, leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris) and whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) over the sole crop (cowpea), cowpea with pearlmillet and sorghum combinations proved significantly less conducive to aphid, leafhopper and whitefly infestation as compared to other intercrops.

Field Release Performance of Chrysoperla Carnea for Population Management of Sucking Insect Pests of Cotton

Chrysoperla carnea egg cards in cotton field were released for two years for population management of sucking insect pests of cotton. Releases were made at the rate of 40 cards per acre, starting from the first week of June when crop was five weeks old and continued at fortnightly interval up to the end of September. On over-all basis C. carnea caused pest population reduction of more than 40-75% of different insect pests. In first year release, reduction was 76%, 86%, 39% and 52% of aphid, jassid, thrip and whitefly population, respectively. While, results of second year study showed that the predator caused 75%, 80%, 62% and 45% pest population reduction of aphid, jassid, thrip and whitefly, respectively. Whereas, in second-year of study, C. carnea larvae were released in field cage cotton plants which caused pest population reduction of 19.5%, 31.18% and 40.23% by 1st, 2nd and 3rd instars of C. carnea, respectively.

Management of Sucking Pests of early Season Cotton by Application of different Seed and Soil Insecticides in Pakistan

Cotton is cash crop of Pakistan and sucking insect pests are serious issue especially in early cotton season. To cope with the issue, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the post emergence effectiveness of two seed and two soil applied insecticides on populations’ development of sucking insect pests in cotton. The seed applied insecticides i.e. Imidacloprid (Confidor 70 WS) and Thiamethoxam (Actara 70 WS) were applied to the seed before sowing. Two granular insecticides i.e. Aldicarb (Temik 10 G) and Carbaryl (Sevin 10 D) were applied in furrows with a modified applicator that was calibrated to deliver the desired rate. The results showed that all the tested insecticides were very effective in controlling the targeted sucking insect pests i.e. thrips, whiteflies and jassids as compared to untreated cotton. Conversely, the seed applied insecticides i.e. Imidacloprid and Thiamethoxam showed more effectiveness compared to soil applied granular insecticides i.e. Aldicarb and Carbaryl in reducing sucking pests’ populations. Such systemic insecticides applied as treated seed can be present in sufficient quantity in germinating plants leading to toxicity to pests, and helpful for safety of natural enemies. The population trends of the three principal sucking insect pests namely thrip, whitefly and jassid were varied significantly over the study months thereby indicating that the population build up was favoured by certain factors. Consequently, the use of seed applied insecticides can be a major component to put into practice in the integrated pest management technology of cotton.

Identification and Detection of CYP4G68 Overexpression Associated With Cyantraniliprole Resistance in Bemisia tabaci From China

Bemisiatabaci, the tobacco whitefly, is one of the most notorious agricultural sucking insect pests that severely damage a series of crops worldwide. Throughout China, B. tabaci threatens agricultural production with increasing cases of resistance to commonly used insecticides, prompting the widespread use of cyantraniliprole as an alternative to control hemipteran pests. Here, we found overexpression of the CYP4G68 gene conferring cyantraniliprole resistance using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and RNA interference (RNAi) in one lab-selected resistant strain CYAN-R (to about 80-fold higher than control). Furthermore, we measured levels of resistance to cyantraniliprole in whiteflies with 18 field-sampled populations across China and then confirmed that, among them, 14 field-sampled populations showed low-to-high resistance to cyantraniliprole compared with the susceptible strain. We measured CYP4G68 expression in the 14 field populations, and the results of qPCR and RNAi indicated that in two of these populations, Haikou and Wuhan, significant overexpression of CYP4G68 contributed to the development of field-evolved resistance to cyantraniliprole. These results indicate the need to facilitate strategies of management to delay the evolution of resistance to cyantraniliprole and control of whiteflies more sustainably, and to prevent overuse of insecticides in the environment through rational application practices.

Impact of insecticides on sucking insect pests of cucumber in greenhouse

Impact of insecticides on sucking insect pests of cucumber in greenhouse

Suppressing the sucking insect pests of cotton through repulsive Moringa (Miracle) tree leaf extract – a review

Suppressing the sucking insect pests of cotton through repulsive Moringa (Miracle) tree leaf extract – a review

Seed Coating with Triflumezopyrim Induces the Rice Plant’s Defense and Inhibits the Brown Planthopper’s Feeding Behavior

Triflumezopyrim (TFM), a novel mesoionic insecticide, has been effective in controlling sucking insect pests such as the brown planthopper (BPH). However, the mechanism of TFM as a seed coating agent in paddy fields remains unclear. Here, we investigate the seed germination rates (>80%) and seedling emergence rates (>85%) of rice treated with TFM at 0, 22.5, 45.0, 67.5, and 90.0 g a.i. ha−1 with no significant effect on germination rates. In addition, the low TFM residue concentration (0.04 mg. kg−1) is maintained in the rice stem. Meanwhile, the TFM seeds’ treatments lead to increased oxalic acid, flavonoids, total phenol, callose contents, and elevated C/N ratio in rice plants at 60 and 90 days after sowing (DAS). The electrical penetration graph (EPG) results indicate that TFM as a seed coating treatment prolongs the non-probing period and inhibits phloem sap ingestion at 90 DAS. Furthermore, the mechanically transplanted rice treated with TFM provides long-term prevention against the BPH infestation. This study demonstrates that seeds treated with TFM play a vital role in controlling the BPH population up to >90%. These results provide a novel valuable control strategy for BPH in the rice fields.

Comparative evaluation of selected neonicotinoids and conventional insecticide against aphids (Aphis gossypii) and whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci)

Polyphagous sucking insect pests like aphids (Aphis gossypii) and whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) causes major problem in fibre crops, oilseed crops, pulses and vegetables. These sucking insect pests cause serious economic losses directly and indirectly by acting as vectors in transmitting several viral diseases in cultivated crops. Neonicotinoids viz., imidacloprid 17.6 SL @ 0.28 ml, acetamiprid 20SP @ 0.1 g, thiacloprid 21.7SC @ 0.28 mL, thiamethoxam 25 WG @ 0.2 g and clothianidin 50 WDG @0.08 g along with monocrotophos 36 SL @ 1 ml per litre water and control (water alone) were tested against nymphs and adults of A. gossypii and B. tabaci following methods recommended by Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC). Among different treatment tested on A. gossypii, imidacloprid was found to be superior with 100% mortality on both nymphs and adults at 72h aftertreatment. When these treatments were tested against B. tabaci, acetamiprid was found to be superior to other neonicotinoids and monocrotophos, resulting in 100% mortality of nymphs and adults at 72h after treatment. Outcome of the studies suggest that neonicotinoids are significantly superior to monocrotophos for management of sucking insect pests. Imidacloprid and acetamiprid, that are systemic, selective with less mammalian toxicity are comparatively safer than conventional insecticide like monocrotophos and hence may be included in IPM practices to manage polyphagous sucking insect pests like aphids and whiteflies in different crop ecosystems.

Status of (Gennadius) in Context of its Biology Bemisia tabaci and Ecology in Cotton Agroecosystem

Cotton is an important cash crop and extensively cultivated in different parts of the world. Many factors are responsible for its low productivity and production but the magnitude of insect pests that damage cotton crop from sowing to maturity, is most important. Introduction of Bt cotton lead to drastic reduction in bollworms incidence but sucking insect pests such as whitefly, mealybug, jassid and thrips aphids has increased. Among these, whitefly, is most serious pest of cotton. At present, it is globally distributed and known to infest several Bemisia tabaci plant species. It causes damage to cotton crop by direct feeding and contamination of lint by honey dew and sooty mould. It transmits a deadly cotton leaf curl virus. has strong relationship with abiotic factors like temperature, humidity and precipitation. Temperature has B. tabaci positive correlation and relative humidity has negative correlation with whitefly. A combination of temperature and relative humidity is highly important for its multiplication in cotton. For a multi-voltine and multi-crop pest like estimating rates of mortality in the field is extremely B. tabaci complex and difficult. So, life table studies are important to predict pest outbreaks and to develop pest management strategies.