Geographic variation in larval cold tolerance and exposure across the invasion front of a widely established forest insect
In this study, we measured variation in cold temperature tolerance of early instar larvae of an invasive forest insect,Lymantria dispar dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), using populations sourced from a range of climates within the current introduced range in the Eastern United States. We tested for population differences in chill coma recovery (CCR) by measuring recovery time following a period of exposure to a nonlethal cold temperature in 2 cold exposure experiments. A 3rd experiment quantified growth responses after CCR to evaluate sublethal effects. Our results indicate that cold tolerance is linked to regional clima...
Source: Insect Science - March 23, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Petra Hafker,
Lily M. Thompson,
Jonathan A. Walter,
Dylan Parry,
Kristine L. Grayson Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Fasting as a precursor to high ‐fat diet enhances mitochondrial resilience in Drosophila melanogaster
In this study, we exposed maleDrosophila melanogaster to two modulated dietary treatments: one without a fasting period before exposure to a high-fat diet and the other with a 24-h fasting period. We then investigated mitochondrial metabolism and molecular responses to these treatments. Exposure to a high-fat diet without a preceding fasting period resulted in disrupted mitochondrial respiration, notably at the level of complex I. On the other hand, a short fasting period before the high-fat diet maintained mitochondrial respiration. Generally, transcript abundance of genes associated with mitophagy, heat-shock proteins, m...
Source: Insect Science - March 22, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Florence Hunter ‐Manseau,
Simon B. Cormier,
Rebekah Strang,
Nicolas Pichaud Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Colony performance of three native bumblebee species from South China and association with their gut microbiome
Bombus breviceps demonstrated better colony performance thanBombus atripes orBombus bicoloratus, as they produced 96 ± 4 workers and consumed only 18 ± 2 mg of pollen and 1.2 ± 0.1 g of syrup.Bombus breviceps had the most diverse gut bacterial composition, withGilliamella,Snodgrassella,Enterobacter andLactobacillus Firm5 as the dominant bacteria. The higher the abundance ofSnodgrassella, the better the performance of the colony in the foundation stage, andLactobacillus Firm5,Apibacter andBifidobacterium were seen to be beneficial during the stages of rapid growth and colony decline. AbstractBumblebees play an i...
Source: Insect Science - March 22, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Lei Han,
Zhi ‐Min Chang,
Chang‐Shi Ren,
Xiang‐Sheng Chen,
Guy Smagghe,
Yi‐Ge Yuan,
Jian‐Kun Long Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
An aquaporin and an aquaglyceroporin have roles in low temperature adaptation of mosquitoes (Anopheles sinensis)
Two aquaporin homologs are inAnopheles sinensis, AsAQP2 (A. sinensis aquaglyceroporin), and AsAQP4 (An. sinensis aquaporin); AsAQP2 transports water, glycerol, and urea, and AsAQP4 transports water alone. These 2 AQPs are highly expressed in the Malpighian tubules and midguts. AsAQP2 and AsAQP4 expression is up-regulated by blood feeding compared with sugar feeding. Mosquitoes with reduced AsAQP2 and AsAQP4 expression survived significantly longer under low temperatures than normal temperature. AbstractMosquitoes (Anopheles sinensis), widely geographically distributed in Asia including China, are the primary vector of the ...
Source: Insect Science - March 21, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Yong ‐Qiao Zhao,
Yi‐Ying Tang,
Ju‐Ping Hu,
Yu‐Zheng Huang,
Kai Wan,
Mei‐Hua Zhang,
Ju‐Lin Li,
Guo‐Ding Zhu,
Jian‐Xia Tang Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
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
