Using kin discrimination to construct synthetic microbial communities of Bacillus subtilis strains impacts the growth of black soldier fly larvae
Black soldier fly larvae are insects capable of converting various organic waste materials. Previous research has utilized host-related microorganisms and synthetic communities to promote larval growth. However, the construction of synthetic community still lacks theoretical guidance. After testing individual strains and constructing synthetic communities based on kin discrimination, it was found that the synthetic communities had a better growth-promoting effect on black soldier fly larvae in a pigeon manure cultivation system. Genome sequencing and analysis of the strains within the synthetic community revealed functiona...
Source: Insect Science - March 18, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Jun ‐Hui Zhao, Ping Cheng, Yi Wang, Xun Yan, Zhi‐Min Xu, Dong‐Hai Peng, Guo‐Hui Yu, Ming‐Wei Shao Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research

Identification and functional characterization of chemosensory genes in olfactory and taste organs of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
In this study, we identified 185 chemosensory genes from 7 organs inS. litura by transcriptome sequencing, of which 72 genes were published for the first time, including 27 odorant receptors (ORs), 26 gustatory receptors (GRs), 1 ionotropic receptor (IR), 16 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), and 2 chemosensory proteins (CSPs). Phylogenetic analyses revealed that ORs, IRs, OBPs, and sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs) were mainly expressed in antennae and sequence-conserved among Noctuidae species. The most differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between sexes were ORs and OBPs, and no DEGs were found in GRs. GR transcrip...
Source: Insect Science - March 15, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Jun Yang, Bao ‐Tong Mo, Guo‐Cheng Li, Ling‐Qiao Huang, Hao Guo, Chen‐Zhu Wang Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research

Competition, cooperation, and parental effects in larval aggregations formed on carrion by communally breeding beetles Necrodes littoralis (Staphylinidae: Silphinae)
Necrodes littoralis (Staphylinidae: Silphinae), a beetle that colonizes cadavers of large vertebrates, forms massive larval aggregations on carrion. By manipulating parental effects and larval density, we found a strong negative group-size effect on the fitness of the beetles. This was accompanied by shortening of development time and increase in thermogenesis with larval density. These results support the hypothesis that larval societies ofN. littoralis are shaped by exploitation competition. AbstractAggregations of juveniles are dominant forms of social life in some insect groups. Larval societies are shaped by competiti...
Source: Insect Science - March 14, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Natalia Lis, Anna M ądra‐Bielewicz, Jędrzej Wydra, Szymon Matuszewski Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research

Long noncoding RNA LRG modulates Drosophila locomotion by sequestering Synaptotagmin 1 protein
SYT1 works as the major Ca2+ sensor for evoked neurotransmitter release. lncRNALRG binds and sequesters SYT1, which in turn blocks its normal function, thereby negatively regulating locomotion. In contrast,LRG deficiency decreases the sequestering of SYT1, which in turn releases more functional SYT1, thereby resulting in higher locomotion speed. AbstractApparently, the genomes of many organisms are pervasively transcribed, and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) make up the majority of cellular transcripts. LncRNAs have been reported to play important roles in many biological processes; however, their effects on locomotion are p...
Source: Insect Science - March 14, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Ming ‐Yang Cui, Meng‐Bo Xu, Ying‐Xuan Wang, Bao‐Yan Bai, Run‐Sheng Chen, Li Liu, Mei‐Xia Li Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research

Shrinking in the dark: Parallel endosymbiont genome erosions are associated with repeated host transitions to an underground life
Endosymbiotic bacteria live in the cells of other organisms. These microbes are particularly prevalent in insects, with whom they share a mutually beneficial relationship. In cockroaches, the endosymbiontBlattabacterium is vital for producing essential amino acids that hosts cannot acquire on their own. Soil-burrowing cockroaches of Australia are an interesting example in whichBlattabacterium has lost core genes related to this nutrient-producing role, meaning the roaches must obtain these amino acids from another source. These losses have occurred independently multiple times throughout the evolution of these roaches and ...
Source: Insect Science - March 11, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Perry G. Beasley ‐Hall, Yukihiro Kinjo, Harley A. Rose, James Walker, Charles S. P. Foster, Toby G. L. Kovacs, Thomas Bourguignon, Simon Y. W. Ho, Nathan Lo Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research

A winged relative of ice ‐crawlers in amber bridges the cryptic extant Xenonomia and a rich fossil record
The origin of the distinctive xenonomian insects has been a matter of debate. The head morphology described here demonstrates that a new Cretaceous fossil is a crown Xenonomia. The new specimen bridges the species-poor extant Xenonomia clade with a rich Permian fossil record. AbstractUntil the advent of phylogenomics, the atypical morphology of extant representatives of the insect orders Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) and Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) had confounding effects on efforts to resolve their placement within Polyneoptera. This recent research has unequivocally shown that these species-poor groups are closely rel...
Source: Insect Science - March 8, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Yingying Cui, J érémie Bardin, Benjamin Wipfler, Alexandre Demers‐Potvin, Ming Bai, Yi‐Jie Tong, Grace Nuoxi Chen, Huarong Chen, Zhen‐Ya Zhao, Dong Ren, Olivier Béthoux Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research

iSalivaomicDB: A comprehensive saliva omics database for insects
(Source: Insect Science)
Source: Insect Science - March 7, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Bo Zhang, Longfei Chen, Shan Xiao, Cong Dang, Fang Wang, Qi Fang, Xinhai Ye, David W. Stanley, Gongyin Ye Tags: LETTER TO THE EDITOR Source Type: research

Role of CYP311A1 in wing development of Drosophila melanogaster
In this study, we investigated the role of CYP311A1 in wing morphogenesis inDrosophila. Using the GAL4-UAS system,Cyp311a1 was selectively knocked down in the wing disc. A deformed wing phenotype was observed in flies with reducedCyp311a1 transcripts. BODIPY and oil red O staining revealed a reduction of neutral lipids in the wing disc after the depletion ofCyp311a1. In addition, we observed an enhanced sensitivity to Eosin Y penetration in the wings ofCyp311a1 knocked-down flies. Moreover, the reduction of CYP311A1 function in developing wings does not affect cell proliferation and apoptosis, but entails disordered Phallo...
Source: Insect Science - March 6, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Xubo Zhang, Mengqi Liu, Andi Cheng, Bernard Moussian, Jianzhen Zhang, Wei Dong Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research

G ‐quadruplex is involved in the regulation of BmSGF1 expression in the Silkworm, Bombyx mori
In this study, aBmSGF1 G4−/− homozygous mutant was generated with the G4 sequence knocked out. The promoter activity ofBmSGF1 was lowered in theBmSGF1 G4−/− mutant. Pyridostatin (PDS) stabilized the G4 structure and increased the promoter activity ofBmSGF1, whereas anti-sense oligonucleotide (ASO) complementary to the G4 sequence suppressed the promoter activity ofBmSGF1. Compared with wild-type larvae, the deletion of theBmSGF1 G4 structure decreased both the expression ofBmSGF1 and the fibroin heavy chain geneBmFib-H in the posterior silk gland and the weight of the cocoons. Overall, these results suggest that t...
Source: Insect Science - March 5, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Yanfei Chen, Jin Li, Kangkang Niu, Yuling Peng, Qisheng Song, Qili Feng Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research

Two host ‐plant strains in the fall armyworm
The existence of two sympatric strains within the fall armyworm, a lepidopteran species, has been well-documented for nearly four decades. However, the underlying evolutionary mechanism responsible for the genetic differentiation between these strains has remained a subject of intense debate. This review highlights recent evolutionary genomic studies, demonstrating the role of host-plant adaptation as the driving force behind the incipient speciation between these strains. AbstractThe fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is one of the major pest insects damaging diverse crops including cotton, corn, rice, and sorghum. Fal...
Source: Insect Science - March 4, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Kiwoong Nam, Nicolas N ègre, Clara Ines Saldamando Benjumea Tags: REVIEW Source Type: research

Novel insights into paternity skew in a polyandrous social wasp
We examined the level of polyandry and paternity skew in the common eastern yellowjacket wasp,Vespula maculifrons, in order to gain a greater understanding of conflict in social insects. We collected 10 colonies ofV. maculifrons and genotyped workers and prereproductive queens at highly variable microsatellite markers to assign each to a patriline. Genotypic data revealed evidence of significant paternity skew among patrilines. In addition, we found that patrilines contributed differentially to caste production (worker vs. queen), suggesting an important role for reproductive conflict not previously discovered. We also inv...
Source: Insect Science - February 29, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Sarah E. Orr, Nicole A. Hedrick, Kayla A. Murray, Abhinav K. Pasupuleti, Michael A. D. Goodisman Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research

Research progress of aphid immunity system: Potential effective target for green pest management
Aphid immune system for resisting pathogen infection. Two defensive barriers in aphids. The red arrows represent the first line of immunity defense, and the black arrows represent cellular immunity in the second line of defense. AbstractDue to the absence of acquired immunity, insects primarily rely on their innate immune system to resist pathogenic microorganisms and parasitoids in natural habitats. This innate immune system can be classified into cellular immunity and humoral immunity. Cellular immunity is mediated by hemocytes, which perform phagocytosis, aggregation, and encapsulation to fight against invaders, whereas...
Source: Insect Science - February 28, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Li ‐Na Sun, Jian‐Yu Meng, Zeng Wang, Shi‐Yang Lin, Jie Shen, Shuo Yan Tags: REVIEW Source Type: research

Comparative analysis of locomotor behavior and head diurnal transcriptome regulation by PERIOD and CRY2 in the diamondback moth
The earth's rotation drives a roughly 24-h cycle, governing circadian rhythms in organisms. In mammals, master genes CLOCK:BMAL1 are repressed by multiple PERIODs (PERs) and CRYPTOCHROMEs (CRYs). Differences in the regulation of behavior by and oscillations in PERs and CRYs are not known.Plutella xylostella, the diamondhead moth, possessing a simplified PER/CRY system, was investigated. Here, we applied the CRISPR/Cas9 technology to individually and in combination knock out the circadian clock genes ofPxper andPxcry2. Subsequently, we conductedin vivo gene function studies, coupled with time-series transcriptome sequencing...
Source: Insect Science - February 28, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Wenfeng Chen, Danfeng Wang, Lingqi Yu, Wenmiao Zhong, Yao Yuan, Guang Yang Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research

Rainfall during the night can trigger non ‐migratory take‐off behavior of the white‐backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera
Rainfall during nighttime can triggerSogatella furcifera to exhibit non-migratory take-off behavior and perform dispersal flights below an altitude of 150  cm. The migratory take-off individuals possess stronger sustained flight capabilities and exhibit more immature ovaries compared with non-migratory take-offs. AbstractTake-off behavior is crucial to the overall success of insect migration. Although most high-altitude migratory flights commence with mass take-offs around dusk and dawn, little is known about nighttime take-off behavior. The take-off behavior of migratorySogatella furcifera was investigated in field cages...
Source: Insect Science - February 28, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Haibo Yang, Yunlong Feng, Pinhong Zhu, Dingxu Li, Gao Hu Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research

Genetic variation in the triosephosphate isomerase gene of the fall armyworm and its distribution across China
In this study, we conducted full-length sequencing of theTpi genes from 5 representative FAW groups. Our findings revealed that theTpi genes varied in length from 1220 to 1420  bp, with the primary variation occurring within 4 introns. Notably, the exon lengths remained consistent, at 747 bp, with 37 observed base variations; however, no amino acid variations were detected. Through sequence alignment, we identified 8 stable variation sites that can be used to distinguis h FAW strains in the Eastern hemisphere. Additionally, we performed strain identification on 1569 FAW samples collected from 19 provinces in China betwee...
Source: Insect Science - February 28, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Xin ‐Yue Liang, Lei Zhang, Hong‐Ran Li, Xiao‐Ping Niu, Yu‐Tao Xiao Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research