Phytochemical feeding deterrents for stored product insect pests

This review summarises information on compounds of plant origin and plant products as feeding inhibitors for stored product insects. More than 200 compounds (mostly sesquiterpenes) and over 160 plant extracts have been tested to date. Indeed, we did not consider substances stimulating olfactory receptors (repellents) or compounds just toxic to insects. The main scope of the review is to enable best choice for the most active, as well as biorationally suitable substances, for evolving further rational experiments in future. Feeding inhibitors may be used along with food or sex attractants in biorational control of the stored food pests. However, each semiochemical should be submitted to a formal registration process before its use in practice.     

Imaging techniques for the detection of stored product pests

Stored grains are subject to deterioration and losses through various factors, but mainly insects and fungi. Various techniques are employed to detect stored product pests; however, there is an urgent need for an industrial-scale on-line detection technique. Near-infrared hyperspectroscopic imaging and soft X-rays have shown the potential for real-time application. These techniques are particularly effective for detecting internal infestations of stored grains. The digital images of the scanned objects are analyzed for various spectral and image features using statistical techniques such as complex multivariate tools. Classification accuracies as high as 80–100 % have been achieved for various pest and grain combinations. Dual-energy X-rays have been shown to detect the concealed eggs of stored product insect pests. The main threats to stored cereals come from Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., and Fusarium spp., which may produce mycotoxins. These imaging techniques have shown good results in the detection of fungal infections of stored grain.     

Synergistic repellent activity of hot and cool thermal-sense compounds against two stored product insect pests

The repellent activities of one hot thermal-sense compound, vanillyl butyl ether (VBE), and two cool thermal-sense compounds, menthoxypropanediol (MPD) and (?)-isopulegol (IPG), against two stored product insects, Tribolium confusum and Liposcelis bostrychophila, were investigated. Such thermal-sense compounds affect mammals through transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, and both types of agonists (VBE and menthol) exhibited mutually inhibitory effects on mammalian TRPV1 and TRPM8 channels. Each compound exhibited repellent activity against both T. confusum and L. bostrychophila in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, synergistic effects were observed between VBE and MPD or IPG. The composition of TRP channels is different between mammals and insects. These results suggest that the use of thermal-sense compounds might serve as an alternative to essential oils in stored products protection.     

Insect-attracting and antimicrobial properties of antifreeze for monitoring insect pests and natural enemies in stored corn

Insect infestations in stored grain cause extensive damage worldwide. Storage insect pests, including the Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae); Sitophilus spp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); and their natural enemies [e.g., Cephalonomia tarsalis (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), and Anisopteromalus calandrae (Howard) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)] inhabit a temporary, but stable ecosystem with constant environmental conditions. The objective of the present experiment was to assess the efficacy of using ethylene glycol antifreeze in combination with nutrient solutions to monitor storage insect pest and natural enemy populations in three bins of corn, Zea mays L. The treatments were deionized water, a diluted (1:5 antifreeze:water) antifreeze solution, 10% honey, 10% honey in the diluted antifreeze solution, 10% beer in the diluted antifreeze solution, 10% sucrose in the diluted antifreeze solution, and a commercial pheromone trap suspended in a 3.8-liter container filled with 300-ml of diluted antifreeze solution. The seven treatments captured storage insect pests and their natural enemies in the bins at 33-36 degrees C and 51-55% RH. The pheromone trap in the container with the diluted antifreeze captured significantly more P. interpunctella than the other treatments, but a lower percentage (7.6%) of these captures were females compared with the rest of the treatments (> 40% females). All trapping solutions also captured Sitophilus spp. and other beetle species, but the captures of the coleopteran pests were not significantly different among the seven treatments (P > 0.05). Two parasitoid wasps also were captured in the study. The number of A. calandrae was different among the seven treatments (P < 0.05), whereas the number of C. tarsalis was not different among the treatments (P > 0.05). Most A. calandrae adults were captured by the 10% honey in the diluted antifreeze, whereas the fewest were captured in the deionized water. Microbial growth was observed in the 10% honey solution, but no microbial growth occurred in the rest of the treatments, including 10% honey in the diluted antifreeze solution. The results of insect captures and microbial growth demonstrated that antifreeze could be used as a part of storage insect monitoring and/or control programs.     

An inexpensive infrared growth sensor array for detection of bacterial antibiotic susceptibility

Abstract An inexpensive infrared sensor was constructed and used for the rapid testing of bacterial antibiotic susceptibility by detection of changes in absorbance at 950 nm. By comparing cultures of clinical isolates together with control strains ( Escherichia coli NCTC 10418, Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 6571 or Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCTC 10662) after addition of an antibiotic, results on susceptibility were obtained within 3–5 h from the original plate culture. Representative strains of E. coli, P. aeruginosa , and S. aureus were tested successfully against ampicillin, penicillin, gentamicin or ciprofloxacin.     

Evaluation of some medicinal plants and their mixtures for their bio-efficacy against crop and stored product pests

Plant based insecticides are gaining importance for their environmental safety. But their efficacy is greatly reduced in the field due to several factors. This study was undertaken to assess the insecticidal properties of medicinal plants viz., Cassia tora, Clerodendron enermi, Calotropis gigantea, Aloe vera, Vitex negundo and Andrographis paniculata, commonly found on farmlands and their mixtures. The extracts and mixtures were bio-assayed against a lepidopteran larva (Heliothis armigera) by modified leaf dip bioassay, and its effect on larval growth, development and survival; the oviposition deterrent effect against moths of H. armigera, and efficacy against the sucking pest Aphis gossypii and a stored product pest Callosobruchus chinensis were studied. The insecticidal activity in descending order was as follows: NSKE 10% > NSKE 5%, Botanical mixture II > A. paniculata > V. negundo > Botanical mixture I > C. gigantea > C. tora > C. enermi > A. vera. All botanicals showed greater ovipositional deterrence than insecticidal activity exhibiting 40–100% inhibition compared to untreated control. A. paniculata showed the highest activity against the store product pest C. chinensis. The complex of compounds in botanical mixtures could be synergistically used in eco-friendly pest management and botanical mixtures with neem as one of the ingredients, which could have a potential role as insect growth regulator.     

Toxicity of basil and orange essential oils and their components against two coleopteran stored products insect pests

Two commercialized essential oils and their constituent compounds were investigated for fumigant and contact activities against two grain storage insects, adults of the maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais) and the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum). The two commercialized basil and orange oils showed strong fumigant and contact activities against S. zeamais and T. castaneum. The constituents of the basil oil were linalool (21.83%), estragole (74.29%), and α-humulene (2.17%), and those of the orange oil were α-pinene (0.54%), sabinene (0.38%), β-myrcene (1.98%), limonene (96.5%), and linalool (0.6%). As a toxic fumigant, the basil oil was more effective (24-h LC₅₀ = 0.014 and 0.020 mg cm^− 3) than the orange oil (24-h LC₅₀ = 0.106 and 0.130 mg cm^− 3) against S. zeamais and T. castaneum adults, respectively. Among the constituents of the two essential oils, the toxicity of estragole was the highest (0.004 and 0.013), followed by linalool (0.016 and 0.023), limonene (0.122 and 0.171), α-pinene (0.264 and 0.273), and β-myrcene (0.274 and 0.275) based on 24-h LC₅₀ values (mg cm^− 3). Similar results were obtained in a contact toxicity test. The contact activity of basil oil was more toxic than orange oil, and estragole and linalool showed pronounced contact toxicity against S. zeamais and T. castaneum adults. Alpha-humulene had no activity as a fumigant at the tested doses, but it did have an effect as a contact poison, having 24-h LD₅₀ values of 0.040 and 0.045 mg adult^− 1 to S. zeamais and T. castaneum, respectively. Although basil oil, orange oil, and their components displayed both contact and fumigant toxicities, their effects were mainly exerted by fumigant action via the vapor phase. Thus, basil oil, orange oil, and their components could be potential candidates as new fumigants for the control of S. zeamais and T. castaneum adults.     

多元模糊回归在害虫测报上的应用

介绍了多元模糊回归（AnalysisforMultipleFuzzyRegression）害虫预测方法。建立了安徽徽州地区稻纵卷叶螟五（3）代二峰日蛾量的模糊隶属函数集。对历史资料的回代验证与独立样本的试报,结果令人满意,拟合率在90％以上。分级预报的结果比多元回归方法更为明确。     

The effect of grain albumins, globulins and gliadins on larval development and longevity and fecundity of some stored product pests

Albumins, globulins and gliadins were extracted from field-sprouted wheat grain var. Beta. The pure fractions were freeze-dried and then added to the residue after protein extraction, or to the ground wheat grain. The adults of Tribolium confusum Duv. and the larvae of T. confusum, Trogoderma granarium Ev. and Anagasta kuehniella Zell. were placed on the prepared food. The residue after protein extraction was inadequate food for complete development of larvae of all species in spite of adding of protein fractions. Larvae did not grow on such food although they remained alive very long time. Adults of T. confusum lived shorter times and laid less eggs on the residue after extraction than on ground wheat.

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Zusammenfassung Aus den Körnern der Weizensorte Beta, die auf dem Felde ausgewachsen sind, wurden Albuminen, Globulinen und Gliadinen isoliert. Die reinen Eiweissfraktionen wurden lyophilisiert und zu den vermahlten Körnern oder zu den Extraktionsrückständen zugegeben. Diese auf solche Weisse vorbereitete Nahrung wurde den Käfern von Tribolium confusum und den Larven von T. confusum, Trogoderma granarium und Anagasta kühniella gegeben. Die Extraktionsrückstände erwiesen sich, trotz der Zugabe einzelner Fraktionen, als ungeeignete Nahrung für die Entwicklung der Larven aller drei Arten. Die von diesen Produkten ernährten Larven wurden nicht grösser und verpuppten sich nicht, obwohl sie sehr lange lebten.Die Käfer von Tribolium confusum, die von den Extraktionsrückständen ernährt wurden, lebten kürzer und legten weniger Eier als die, die von den vermahlten Körnern ernährt wurden.

     

起伏型时间序列分析方法在害虫测报上的应用

介绍了起伏型时间序列（analysisforwavetypetimeseries）害虫预测方法。对安徽省凤阳县稻纵卷叶螟四（2）代蛾主峰高峰日进行建模预测,对历史资料的拟合和1989、1990两年的试报,结果令人满意。这是一种新的时间序列分析法。     

An easy,inexpensive, and sensitive method for the quantification of chitin in insect peritrophic membrane by image processing

ABSTRACT

Chitin, poly (β-(1→4)-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine), is an important biopolymer for insects that is utilized as a major component of peritrophic membrane. The chitin content in peritrophic membrane is of expedient interest from a pest control perspective, although it is hard to quantify chitin. In this study, we establish a facile method for the quantification of chitin in peritrophic membrane by image processing. In this method, chitin was indirectly quantified using chitosan–I₃^? complex, which exhibited a specific red-purple color. A calibration curve using a chitosan solution showed good linearity in a concentration range of 0.05–0.5 μg/μL. We quantified the amount of chitin in peritrophic membrane of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae using this method. Throughout the study, only common inexpensive regents and easily attainable apparatuses were employed. This method can be easily applied to the sensitive quantification of the amounts of chitin and chitosan in materials by wide range of researchers.

Abbreviations: LOD: limit of detection; LOQ: limit of quantification; ROI: region of interest; RSD: relative standard deviation.     

Conserving insect assemblages in urban landscapes: accounting for species-specific responses and imperfect detection

Understanding how global environmental change impacts insect biodiversity is central to the core principals of conservation biology. To preserve the ecosystem services provided by insects in cities, it is crucial to understand how insect species are influenced by the degree of urbanization of the surrounding landscape. Using a hierarchical occupancy–detection model, we estimated the effect of urbanization on heteropteran bug species richness and occupancy, an approach that concurrently accounts for species-specific responses and imperfect detection. We found that species richness decreased along a gradient of increasing urbanization. This trend corresponded well with species-specific trends, as approximately two-thirds of all herbivores and predatory species experienced a strong mean negative response to urbanization. These results indicate that many species are potentially at risk of local extinction as cities grow and expand in the future. A second group of species, however, showed a weak mean negative response, indicating that they are ubiquitous urban species that thrive regardless of the surrounding degree of urban disturbance. Our research suggests that as cities develop, many of the species that are currently present will become less likely to occur, and therefore assemblages in the future are likely to become more simplified. In order to preserve or increase insect biological diversity in cities, it is critical to understand how individual species are influenced by urbanization. Our finding that insects display species-specific responses to urbanization has important repercussions for decision makers charged with preserving and improving urban biodiversity and the deliverance of ecosystem services in cities.     

Control of leg protraction in the stick insect: a targeted movement showing compensation for externally applied forces

Summary In stick insects, the swing of each rear leg is aimed at the ipsilateral middle leg. The control of this targeted movement was investigated by applying external force to aid or oppose protraction of one rear leg as stick insects walked on a treadwheel.In the first condition studied, the target middle leg was stationary during the protraction of the rear leg (Figs. 1a, 2). The opposing forces tested were 14 and 32 times greater than the peak force exerted during unobstructed protraction. Nevertheless, the rear leg continued to step to a constant position behind the middle leg (Fig. 3).In the second condition, the target middle leg also walked on the wheel. As the force opposing protraction increased, the endpoint of rear leg protraction shifted caudally, the speed of protraction decreased, and the total protraction duration increased (Fig. 5; Table 1). The middle leg's position at the end of rear leg protraction shifted caudally but its posterior extreme position remained virtually unchanged. When the onset of the external force was abrupt, compensation often occurred within 20 ms (Fig. 6a).External forces aiding protraction increased protraction speed only slightly (Table 2). When the force was suddenly removed, the leg continued moving forward but with reduced velocity (Fig. 6b).It is concluded that position information is used only to determine the swing endpoint and that velocity is controlled during the movement. The results are compared with movements to a target by vertebrates and with models of motor control in general.Abbreviations AEP anterior extreme position - PEP posterior extreme position     

我国农作物害虫测报技术规范制定与应用

截止到2012年底,全国农业技术推广服务中心共制定了24个害虫测报技术的国家标准和农业行业标准,涉及水稻、小麦、玉米、棉花、果树、蔬菜等多种主要农作物。同时,一些省级植保部门根据各自的工作要求和业务特长,补充制定了部分害虫的地方性测报技术规范及国家标准。迄今,已对15大类107种(类)害虫制定了测报技术规范,为基层技术人员的害虫监测和预报业务提供了技术方法,促进了测报工作的有效开展。     

Aspects of insect chemical ecology: exploitation of reception and detection as tools for deception of pests and beneficial insects

Empirical exploitation of insect reception and detection at the peripheral neurosensory level has been extremely valuable for identifying pheromones and other semiochemicals, mainly by electroantennogram or single cell preparations coupled with capillary gas chromatography. Differential sensitivity to semiochemicals at the single‐cell level has allowed the identification of some of the most active semiochemicals relating to host location and, more importantly, to the avoidance of nonhosts. However, in terms of molecular recognition, there is still a considerable gap in understanding the detection of particular molecules and their discrimination from closely‐related chemical structures. New approaches will be needed to understand the processes of molecular recognition more precisely. Nevertheless, from electrophysiological studies to the most advanced molecular techniques, it has been possible to identify semiochemicals for the deception of pests in their quest to find plant and animal hosts, as well as mates. Even the deception of insects antagonistic to pests, particularly parasitoids, can now be exploited for managing pests in more sustainable systems. Successes in exploiting insect semiochemicals in the interests of better agriculture and animal husbandry are exemplified, and potential new ways of learning more about reception and detection for deception are discussed. This takes the subject beyond the management of pest and beneficial insects to wider commercial and social opportunities.     

Strain improvement of fungal insecticides for controlling insect pests and vector-borne diseases

Insect pathogenic fungi play an important natural role in controlling insect pests. However, few have been successfully commercialized due to low virulence and sensitivity to abiotic stresses that produce inconsistent results in field applications. These limitations are inherent in most naturally occurring biological control agents but development of recombinant DNA techniques has made it possible to significantly improve the insecticidal efficacy of fungi and their tolerance to adverse conditions, including UV. These advances have been achieved by combining new knowledge derived from basic studies of the molecular biology of these pathogens, technical developments that enable very precise regulation of gene expression, and genes encoding insecticidal proteins from other organisms, particularly spiders and scorpions. Recent coverage of genomes is helping determine the identity, origin, and evolution of traits needed for diverse lifestyles and host switching. In future, such knowledge combined with the precision and malleability of molecular techniques will allow design of multiple pathogens with different strategies and host ranges to be used for different ecosystems, and that will avoid the possibility of the host developing resistance. With increasing public concern over the continued use of synthetic chemical insecticides, these new types of biological insecticides offer a range of environmental-friendly options for cost-effective control of insect pests.     

Methods for detection and visualization of intracellular polymers stored by polyphosphate-accumulating microorganisms

Polyphosphate-accumulating microorganisms (PAOs) are important in enhanced biological phosphorus (P) removal. Considerable effort has been devoted to understanding the biochemical nature of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) and it has been shown that intracellular polymer storage plays an important role in PAO's metabolism. The storage capacity of PAOs gives them a competitive advantage over other microorganisms present that are not able to accumulate internal reserves. Intracellular polymers stored by PAOs include polyphosphate (poly-P), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and glycogen. Staining procedures for qualitative visualization of polymers by optical microscopy and combinations of these procedures with molecular tools for in situ identification are described here. The strengths and weaknesses of widely used polymer quantification methods that require destruction of samples, are also discussed. Finally, the potential of in vivo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for on-line measurement of intracellular reserves is reported.     

Bioactivities of l-carvone, d-carvone, and dihydrocarvone toward three stored product beetles

The rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae L., adults were highly susceptible by contact to l-carvone, d-carvone, and dihydrocarvone when compared with the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica F., adults and red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst.). Adults of R. dominica were more susceptible than the other species to fumigant vapors of l-carvone, d-carvone, and dihydrocarvone. The three larval stages (14-, 16-, and 18-d-old) of T. castaneum progressively became more susceptible with age toward contact toxicity of three test compounds but in fumigant toxicity, 16-d-old larvae of T. castaneum were more susceptible to the three compounds. Comparison of contact and fumigant toxicity of the test compounds indicates that l-carvone and d-carvone possess 24 times more fumigant toxicity toward adults of R. dominica than its contact toxicity. Overall order of toxicity was l-carvone > d-carvone > dihydrocarvone. Egg hatching and subsequent larval and adult survival of T. castaneum were significantly reduced when the eggs of T. castaneum were treated with l-carvone, d-carvone, and dihydrocarvone. l-Carvone completely suppressed egg hatching at the concentration of 7.72 mg/cm2. Data on feeding-deterrent indices indicate the high potency of l-carvone as feeding-deterrent in order of S. oryzae adults > T. castaneum adults > R. dominica adults > T. castaneum larvae.     

安徽省广德县迁飞性水稻害虫发生的特点与影响因子

据调查 ,2 0 0 2～ 2 0 0 3年安徽省广德县的稻纵卷叶螟、白背飞虱初见期、迁入主峰日较历年平均值显著提前 ,仍以第 2代为主害代次外 ,大发生年第 1代往往即可达到防治指标 ,第 3代仍居留为害。褐飞虱首次出现第 4代危害单季稻记录。 3种迁飞性害虫在单季稻上居留时间延长 ,危害代次增多。稻纵卷叶螟、白背飞虱时空分布差异增大 ,多种影响因子则有利于害虫的发生。