Hemiptera Research Articles

Diet composition and diet choice of Lesser Mouse-tailed Bat Rhinopoma hardwickii (Gray, 1831) (Rhinopomatidae: Chiroptera)

The food composition and food choice of R. hardwickii were assessed through guano analysis at different seasons and geographical locations. Guano samples of R. hardwickii were collected from the roost sites of the Gangetic plains and arid region of Uttar Pradesh. Each intact pellet was dissolved and recognizable insect body parts like legs, antennae, wings, and mouth parts were separated and photographed. Each insect remnant was identified to its lowest rank as much as possible. A total of 10 roost sites of R. hardwickii were observed in the arid region and Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh and all of them were found in historical monuments. A total of 61 pellets of 10 sites yielded 1,035 remnants of insects. The highest percentage of remnants belongs to legs, followed by wings, antennae, abdominal segments, and mouthparts. The remnants belong to eight insect orders such as Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera, Dermaptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Plecoptera. The remnants of order Hemiptera showed the highest frequency of occurrence followed by orders Coleoptera, Orthoptera, and Hymenoptera, and these four orders of insects constitute the major portion of the diet of R. hardwickii. The orders Dermaptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Plecoptera contributed a small proportion to the diet of R. hardwickii. The remnants of orders Lepidoptera and Plecoptera were occasional. The result of the current study shows that the food choice of R. hardwickii did not differ significantly across roost sites, while differed seasonally. Further, it reveals that the Lesser Mouse-tailed Bat acts as a potential and natural insect balancing agent.

Silver Nanoparticles as a Potent Nanopesticide: Toxic Effects and Action Mechanisms on Pest Insects of Agricultural Importance—A Review

Nanotechnology has been a promising plant protection discipline in recent years, attributed to the unique physicochemical properties exhibited at the nanoscale. In this context, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been effective in various applications, including medical, industrial, and agronomic, and during the last few years, the control of insect pests has raised great interest. The present review mainly provides updated information about the use of AgNPs elaborated by different synthesis methods, such as biological (plants, microorganisms), physical, and chemical, and their effect against various insect species of agricultural importance belonging to the order Diptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Hemiptera. The physiological and toxic effects of applying AgNPs are reported and characterized by developmental problems, mortality, weight reduction, interference with enzymatic activity, and anomalies in the life cycle. Moreover, in the final section, the action mechanisms through which AgNPs act on insects are also discussed, highlighting mechanisms such as alteration of transmembrane permeability, interruption of DNA replication, alteration of protein synthesis, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

On a finding of <i>Arocatus rufipes</i> Stål (Heteroptera, Lygaeidae) on the European white elm in Irkutsk

In the summer of 2023, a true bug Arocatus rufipes Stål, 1872 was detected on the European white elm in Irkutsk, which does not occur in natural environment in Siberia and is used for landscaping urban areas. The western boundary of the natural range of this Asian Heteroptera species runs in Buryatia. Currently, the species is probably spreading west of the Lake Baikal due to urban plantings using trees of the genus Ulmus.

Water fluxes and nutrient absorption along the midgut of three hemipterans, Mahanarva fimbriolata, Dysdercus peruvianus, and Rhodnius prolixus

Hemiptera Order comprises insect species adapted to different diets regarding water and nutrient content and availability, thus suggesting different combinations of proteins to ensure their absorption. To find out whether hemipterans use the same or distinct set of proteins and whether these differences are related to the phylogeny or the diet, RNAseq analyses were conducted in gut sections of three hemipterans, M. fimbriolata, D. peruvianus, and R. prolixus, with remarkable distinct diet. Since only a few of the selected proteins were functionally characterized, the coded putative proteins were manually curated by bioinformatics to infer their physiological function. The results suggest a relationship between gene expression patterns and water and nutrient dietary content and availability. In contrast, putative gene expansions and deletions are related to phylogeny, corresponding to evolutionary adaptations of ancestral forms to feed on xylem, cotton seeds, and blood, resulting in more resemblances between D. peruvianus and R. prolixus than M. fimbriolata. M. fimbriolata absorbs water through aquaporins Drip and Prip in the filtration chamber by passive diffusion, with a higher contribution of water-selective Drip. D. peruvianus water absorption involves Drip and Prip, but Prip contribution appears to be higher, and they probably cooperate with water-ion cotransporters in the posterior midgut. R. prolixus absorbs water in the anterior midgut involving a sodium transporter and a putative water-urea Prip. Sugars, amino acids, and lipids might be absorbed along the midgut in the three species, with a higher contribution of the posterior midgut for amino acid and lipid absorption in M. fimbriolata and D. peruvianus and the middle midgut in R. prolixus.

A re-assessment of Palaeotanyrhina (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) elucidates the phylogeny of Leptopodoidea

Abstract A morphologically unusual fossil true bug genus, Palaeotanyrhina Poinar, Brown & Kóbor, 2022, placed into Cimicomorpha: Reduvioidea by its authors, is revisited based on an inclusion in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. The original description is supplemented with additional details and corrections. It is demonstrated that the placement of Palaeotanyrhina into Cimicomorpha was based on misinterpretations of the morphology of the holotype, and the genus is a member of the infraorder Leptopodomorpha. A phylogenetic analysis is provided for fossil and extant taxa of Leptopodomorpha. Parvilepta Yu, Zhuo & Chen, 2023, Cretaleptus Sun & Chen, 2019, Macrolepta Yu, Zhuo & Chen, 2023 (currently members of Leptopodidae: Leptosaldinae) and Palaeoleptus Poinar, 2009 (the type genus of Palaeoleptidae) are demonstrated to be phylogenetically closely related to Palaeotanyrhina. All the above mentioned genera are recognized to represent stem-group members of Leptopodomorpha: Leptopodidae: Leptopodinae: Leptopodini, and accordingly, they are transferred to the latter tribe. The following new subjective synonyms are proposed: Leptopodidae: Leptopodinae: Leptopodini Brullé, 1836 = Palaeoleptidae Poinar, 2009, syn. nov. = Palaeotanyrhinidae Poinar, Brown & Kóbor, 2022, syn. nov. Based on the analytic results, the subfamilies Leptosaldinae and Leptopodinae of Leptopodidae and the tribes Leotichiini and Leptopodini of Leptopodinae are considered valid, redefined, and a list of their included genera and species are provided. Arguments are provided in support of the placement of Leptosaldinea Popov & Heiss, 2016, formerly placed into Leptosaldinae, into the infraorder Dipsocoromorpha.

Diversity of True Bugs from the Rio Pilcomayo National Park, Formosa Province, Argentina

The study of the Heteroptera (Hemiptera) fauna of the Rio Pilcomayo National Park, resulted in an inventory composed of: Alydidae (3 spp.), Aradidae (1 sp.), Belostomatidae (4 spp.), Berytidae (1 sp.), Blissidae (4 spp.), Colobathristidae (1 sp.), Coreidae (4 spp.), Corixidae (3 spp.), Cydnidae (12 spp.), Cymidae (1 sp.), Gelastocoridae (1 sp.), Geocoridae (1 sp.), Gerridae (1 sp.), Hebridae (1 sp.), Largidae (3 spp.), Lygaeidae (6 spp.), Miridae (14 spp.), Pachygronthidae (3 spp.), Pachynomidae (1 sp.), Pentatomidae (3 spp.), Pyrrhocoridae (1 sp.), Reduviidae (10 spp.), Rhopalidae (9 spp.), Rhyparochromidae (20 spp.), Saldidae (1 sp.), Scutelleridae (2 spp.), Tingidae (1 sp.). These findings include three new records for the Argentinean fauna: Niesthrea digna Chopra (Rhopalidae), Galgupha (Psestophleps) costomaculata McAtee and Malloch, and Dallasiellus alutaceus Froeschner (Cydnidae); and 69 new records for Formosa Province.

The genome sequence of a true bug, Aradus depressus (Fabricius, 1794)

We present a genome assembly from an individual male true bug, Aradus depressus (Arthropoda; Insecta; Hemiptera; Aradidae). The genome sequence has a total length of 697.70 megabases. Most of the assembly (98.69%) is scaffolded into 14 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the X and Y sex chromosomes. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 17.81 kilobases in length.

Bugs (hemiptera) of western siberia possible agents of biological control of phytophages

The increasing harmfulness of phytophages damaging agricultural and ornamental crops is associated with various factors, in particular with the expansion of the range of pest species and the development of resistance to the chemical plant protection products used. The search and regular replenishment of the assortment of entomocarifages is becoming important in the biological protection of plants for obtaining organic crop products. An alternative to using chemical pesticides is to use natural enemies. One of the promising and numerous suborders is the hemiptera or bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). The paper provides an ecological and faunal description of zoophages and zoophytophages of the order Hemiptera found in the regions of the Novosibirsk region (Moshkovsky, Bolotninsky, Chulymsky districts), Altai Territory (Troitsky district) and the Altai Republic (Ust-Koksinsky district) during the growing season of 2023. Seven species belonging to three families of the bedbug suborder were collected: Nabidae (Nabis ferus, Nabis limbatus), Anthocoridae (Orius niger), Pentatomidae (Arma custos, Zicrona caerulea, Picromerus bidens, Pentatoma rufipes). The insects were kept alive for transportation to the laboratory and study of their biological characteristics. Three species were introduced into laboratory culture. The selection of conditions for keeping predatory insectoids continues to obtain a stable laboratory population and further use in crop production. As a result of the surveys of natural and agrobiocenoses, predation by Arma custos and Pentatoma rufipes on the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle was revealed.

Susceptibility of Aphis craccivora (Hemiptera: Aphididae) to three entomopathogenic Fusarium species

The black aphid (Aphis craccivora) is an insect pest that can cause significant losses to different agricultural crops. Entomopathogenic fungi can be good options for controlling this insect. Fusarium species have shown promising results in the biological control of several agricultural pests, mainly of the order Hemiptera. This study investigated the susceptibility of A. craccivora to 27 Fusarium isolates, distributed among F. sulawesiense (4), F. pernambucanum (6) and F. caatingaense (17). The viability of the conidia of all isolates was assessed by measuring their germination rate. Pathogenicity tests were conducted at 10⁷ conidia/mL, and the best-performing isolate was further tested at different concentrations (10⁴ to 10⁸ conidia/mL). Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Tukey's test at 5 %, and R for calculating lethal times (LT50,90) and lethal concentrations (LC50,90). All isolates had viable conidia with germination rates between 92.67 % and 100 %. Mortality rates ranged from 17.22 % to 90.23 %. F. pernambucanum URM 7559 had the shortest lethal times (LT50 of 2.24 days and LT90 of 4.42 days), followed by F. sulawesiense URM 7555 (LT50 of 2.35 days and LT90 of 4.77 days) and F. caatingaense with LT50 of 3.93 days for URM 6784 and LT90 of 8.27 days for URM 6807. The three Fusarium species tested, especially F. pernambucanum, showed promise in the biological control of A. craccivora. Although the results are promising, additional studies are needed to evaluate the safety, field efficacy and environmental impacts of Fusarium use, focusing on the interaction with the agricultural ecosystem and the risks to non-target organisms.

ARTHROPOD-VECTORS OF PHYTOVIRUSES IN THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST: A REVIEW

This review presents the species diversity of arthropods-phytophages identified in the Russian Far East and capable of acting as vectors of phytoviruses. The most important taxon of these vectors is the order Hemiptera, especially the family Aphididae, whose representatives are able to transmit most of the identified phytoviruses. Viruses and their vectors are associated with host plant species cultivated in the Russian Far East: potatoes, soybeans, vegetables, and cereals.

Diversity of mosquito natural enemies and their feeding efficacy on Aedes vectors.

Mosquito-bome diseases are a major health issue among communities in Asia, and dengue has become a serious public health concern in Sri Lanka with varying magnitude since 1960. With the realization of the failures and limitations of current vector control strategies, the authorities are moving towards simple, low- cost, and eco-friendly vector management methods. Thus, the present study was devised to evaluate the potential densities of mosquito natural enemies in natural water habitats in Galle district, Sri Lanka, and to investigate the feeding efficacy of prominent mosquito natural enemies on main dengue vectors (Aedes sp.) in a laboratory setting. The survey was carried out using eight sentinel sites in Galle district, and samples of mosquito natural enemies and mosquito larvae were collected, and identified using taxonomic keys. Study records, the aquatic insects of family Hydrometridae, Belostomatidae, Notonectidae, Nepidae, Ranat- ridae, and Corixidae as dominant mosquito natural enemies, and Libellulidae and Dytiscidae insects as sub-dominant families. The highest density of the family Hydrometridae was recorded in rural, natural inland, and rocky study sites. The order Hemiptera was recorded as the key order of the mosquitos' natural enemies in Galle district. The family Hydrometridae had the highest density of recorded mosquito natural enemies. Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus were recorded as abundant vector mosquitoes. Family Nepidae is the most effective natural mosquito predator on Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus, and this knowledge will be vital for implementing future biological control strategies for Aedes vectors in Sri Lanka.

Climate change effects on the diversity and distribution of soybean true bugs pests.

Climate change and pests are two major factors in the reduction of global soybean yields. The diversity and geographic distribution of soybean true bug pests vary across soybean production areas worldwide, and climate change impacts are different across species and regions. Therefore, we integrated spatial and temporal predictions at the global scale to predict the impact of global warming on the distribution of 84 soybean true bug pests by the maximum entropy niche model (MaxEnt) under present (1970-2000) and future (2041-2060) scenarios. We produced an ensemble projection of the potential distribution of pests and crop production areas to estimate how and where climate warming will augment the threat of soybean true bug pests to soybean production areas. Our results indicated that Southeast North America, Central South America, Europe and East Asia were the regions with the higher richness of soybean true bug and the most vulnerable areas to invasion threats. Climate change would promote the expansion of the distribution range and facilitate pest movement pole wards, affecting more soybean cultivated areas located in mid-latitudes. Moreover, species with different distribution patterns responded differently to climate change in that large-ranged species tended to increase in occupancy over time, whereas small-ranged species tended to decrease. This result indicates that some pests that have not yet become notable may have the chance to develop into serious pests in the future due to the expansion of their geographical range. Our findings highlight that soybean cultivated regions at mid-latitudes would face general infestations from soybean true bug pests under global warming. These results will further facilitate the formulation of adaptation planning to minimize local environmental impacts in the future. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Molecular characterization and identification of insect pollinators of Valeriana jatamansi Jones from Shimla Hills, Western Himalaya, India

Valeriana jatamansi Jones a perennial medicinal herb belongs to the family Caprifoliaceae and highly pollinated by wild insect pollinators. In present investigation a total of 51 species of flower visitors were reported on V. jatamansi at altitude range of 1,927 to 2,850 m, in different localities of Shimla Hills, Western Himalaya. The collected insect pollinator species were taxonomically identified and 29 of them were olecularly characterized and identified using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) sequence from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). BLAST analysis revealed 98 to 100 per cent similarity with the existing GenBank sequences. The average AT content was found to be significantly higher (69.8%) compared to the GC content (30.0%), indicating AT bias in all sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of 29 different species of insect ‘pollinator of V. jatamansi revealed two clades, one shows phylogenetic relationship between 28 species which belongs to four orders Diptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera and Lepidoptera and the other shows the one species which belongs to order Coleoptera. This study contributes to increasing the number of published accounts of NCBI and helps to accurately distinguish the pollinator fauna of Valeriana Jatamansi.

Identification and function of microRNAs in hemipteran pests: A review.

Hemiptera is one of the most significant orders of insect pests, including whiteflies, true bugs, aphids, planthoppers, psyllids, and so forth, which have led to substantial economic losses in agricultural industries and have significantly affected food yields through their ability to suck the phloem sap of crops and transmit numerous bacterial and viral pathogens. Therefore, explorations of pest-specific, eco-friendly and easy-to-adopt technologies for hemipteran pest control are urgently needed. To the best of our knowledge, microRNAs (miRNAs), which are endogenous non-coding small RNAs approximately 22 nucleotides in length, are involved in regulating gene expression via the direct recognition and binding of the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) or by acting as a center of a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network at the post-transcriptional level. This review systematically outlines the characterization and functional investigation of the miRNA biogenesis pathway in hemipteran pests, such as whiteflies, true bugs, aphids and planthoppers. In addition, we explored the results of small RNA sequencing and functional observations of miRNAs in these pests, and the results suggest that the numerous miRNAs obtained and annotated via high-throughput sequencing technology and bioinformatic analyses contribute to molting development, fitness, wing polyphenism, symbiont interactions and insecticide resistance in hemipteran pests. Finally, we summarize current advances and propose a framework for future research to extend the current data and address potential limitations in the investigation and application of hemipteran miRNAs.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of Chinese water Scorpion Ranatra chinensis (Heteroptera: Nepidae)

Heteroptera (the true bugs), one of the most diverse lineages of insects, diversified in feeding strategies and living habitats, and thus become an ideal lineage for studies on adaptive evolution. Chinese water scorpion Ranatra chinensis (Heteroptera: Nepidae) is a predaceous bug living in lentic water systems, representing an ideal model for studying habitat transition and adaptation to water environment. However, genetic studies on this water bug remain limited. Here, we obtained a chromosome-level genome of R. chinensis using PacBio HiFi long reads and Hi-C sequencing reads. The total assembly size of genome is 867.89 Mb, with a scaffold N50 length of 26.48 Mb and the GC content of 39.50%. All contigs were assembled into 23 pseudo-chromosomes (N = 19 A + X1X2X3X4), and we predicted 18,424 protein-coding genes in this genome. This study will provide valuable genomic resources for future studies on the biology, water adaptation, and genome evolution of water bugs.

Contribution to knowledge of the true bugs species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) in the habitats of the Berati area in Albania

The present study provides taxonomic information pertaining to the distribution patterns of “true bugs” insects (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), throughout the ecological systems of the Berat region in Albania. Specimens were collected from May to September spanning the years 2018 to 2020. The data were collected from stations that exhibited ideal habitats for this specific order, encompassing regions with ample flora, cultivated fields with crops, elevated hills, and hilly terrains. In the Berat region, our inquiry has successfully identified a total of 38 species belonging to the Heteroptera suborder (Hemiptera order). Furthermore, we have furnished citations for every Heteroptera species that have been identified inside the Berat region. Before our investigation, there was a total of 47 recorded species of “true bugs” in Berat. Significantly, our research uncovers a total of 24 species that have not been previously recognized in the Berat region. As a result, our research significantly expands the documented count of Heteroptera species in Berat to 71.

Studies on Relative Abundance and Diversity of Insect Fauna in Cotton in Rajendranagar, Telangana, India

The accurate documentation of insects is crucial for studying biodiversity and population dynamics. Given the resilience of the majority of insect species, proper sampling necessitates the utilization of suitable strategies for capturing specific insects. However, the diversity and types of insect species present in major crops cultivated in Rajendranagar remain poorly understood. Consequently, a comprehensive investigation of the diversity of different insect species in cotton crop was conducted during the period from September 2021 to February 2022 at College Farm. A total of 10,233 individuals from 47 families and 10 orders were documented. Among the orders, Hemiptera recorded the highest number of 4,256 individuals followed by Coleoptera (2,567), while the minimum number of individuals was observed in the order Neuroptera (12). Notably, the order Hemiptera exhibited the highest Shannon-Weiner index value (H = 1.78) and species richness (R = 0.963). However, evenness was found to be highest in Orthoptera (e = 0.826). Furthermore, the order Hemiptera displayed the highest relative abundance (RA) with a value of 41.59%, whereas Neuroptera exhibited the lowest relative abundance with a value of 0.12%.

The contribution of the Middle Triassic fossil assemblage of Monte San Giorgio to insect evolution

The Triassic represents a critical period for understanding the turnover of insect fauna from the Paleozoic to the Mesozoic following the end-Permian mass extinctions (EPME); however, fossil deposits from the Early-Middle Triassic are scarce. The exceptionally preserved 239 million-year-old fossil insect fauna recorded at Monte San Giorgio (Switzerland), including 248 fossils representing 15 major insect clades is presented here. Besides the exceptional features, including their small size and excellent preservation, the fossils have importance in the evolutionary history of the group. The taxonomic and ecological diversity recovered, including both freshwater (dragonflies and caddisflies) and terrestrial taxa (true bugs and wasps), demonstrates that complex environments sustained a paleocommunity dominated by monurans (thought not to have survived the EPME), midges, and beetles. Interestingly, a blattodean-like fossil bearing an external ootheca was also found, important for understanding Paleozoic roachoids to extant cockroaches’ transition and the evolution of maternal brood care. Moreover, the youngest and first complete specimen of †Permithonidae and the oldest sawfly fossils were discovered. Finally, round-shaped bodies, compatible with seminal capsules or lycophyte spores, were found on the abdomens of several midge-like individuals. If these are spores, non-seed-bearing plants could have been the first entomophilous plants rather than gymnosperms, as recently supposed. Altogether, these fossils contribute substantially to understanding insect evolution and Paleozoic-Mesozoic faunal turnover.

The First FISH-Confirmed Non-Canonical Telomeric Motif in Heteroptera: Cimex lectularius Linnaeus, 1758 and C. hemipterus (Fabricius, 1803) (Hemiptera, Cimicidae) Have a 10 bp Motif (TTAGGGATGG)n.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with two different probes, the canonical insect telomeric sequence (TTAGG)n and the sequence (TTAGGGATGG)n, was performed on meiotic chromosomes of two members of the true bug family Cimicidae (Cimicomorpha), the common bed bug Cimex lectularius Linnaeus, 1758 and the tropical bed bug C. hemipterus (Fabricius, 1803), whose telomeric motifs were not known. In both species, there were no hybridization signals with the first probe, but strong signals at chromosomal ends were observed with the second probe, indicating the presence of a telomeric motif (TTAGGGATGG)n. This study represents the first FISH confirmation of the presence of a non-canonical telomeric motif not only for the infraorder Cimicomorpha but also for the suborder Heteroptera (Hemiptera) as a whole. The present finding is of key significance for unraveling the evolutionary shifts in the telomeric sequences in this suborder.

The plant-sucking insect selects assembly of the gut microbiota from environment to enhance host reproduction

Plant-sucking insects have intricate associations with a diverse array of microorganisms to facilitate their adaptation to specific ecological niches. The midgut of phytophagous true bugs is generally structured into four distinct compartments to accommodate their microbiota. Nevertheless, there is limited understanding regarding the origins of these gut microbiomes, the mechanisms behind microbial community assembly, and the interactions between gut microbiomes and their insect hosts. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive survey of microbial communities within the midgut compartments of a bean bug Riptortus pedestris, soybean plant, and bulk soil across 12 distinct geographical fields in China, utilizing high-throughput sequencing of the 16 S rRNA gene. Our findings illuminated that gut microbiota of the plant-sucking insects predominantly originated from the surrounding soil environment, and plants also play a subordinate role in mediating microbial acquisition for the insects. Furthermore, our investigation suggested that the composition of the insect gut microbiome was probably shaped by host selection and/or microbe-microbe interactions at the gut compartment level, with marginal influence from soil and geographical factors. Additionally, we had unveiled a noteworthy dynamic in the acquisition of core bacterial taxa, particularly Burkholderia, which were initially sourced from the environment and subsequently enriched within the insect midgut compartments. This bacterial enrichment played a significant role in enhancing insect host reproduction. These findings contribute to our evolving understanding of microbiomes within the insect-plant-soil ecosystem, shedding additional light on the intricate interactions between insects and their microbiomes that underpin the ecological significance of microbial partnerships in host adaptation.