This work investigated acaricidal and repellent activities of Zanthoxylum myriacanthum Wall. ex Hook. f. (Rutaceae) extracts against Tetranychus urticae Koch and Tetranychus truncatus Ehara (Acari: Tetranychidae). Acaricidal activities were tested by spraying the extracts on adult females and eggs, and repellent activity was assessed in paired-choice tests with filter paper treated with the extracts by using adult female mites. Adult mortality 24 h after application of a 12% (w/v) concentration of the hexane extract was 73.3% for T. urticae and T. truncatus, whereas application of the methylene chloride extract caused 85.8% mortality of T. urticae and 85% mortality of T. truncatus. Lower concentrations (6–12%) of the methanol extract yielded low efficacy against T. urticae but exhibited high efficacy against T. truncatus (73.8–95.8%). In general, egg hatch was reduced <50% by 5 d following application of the extracts. Only the 6–12% concentration of the hexane extract caused higher levels of T. truncatus egg mortality ranging 55.4–68.7%. All extracts repelled adult mites over 64% from 5 to 72 h after exposure. However, the percentage of repellency showed no statistical differences in all treatments. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified that the major chemical compounds in the hexane extract were DL-limonene (29.75%) and sabinene (9.76%), whereas limonene (40.70%) and sabinene (16.60%) were the principal constituents of the methylene chloride extract. Our results demonstrate that Z. myriacanthum dried fruit extracts have potential for controlling T. urticae and T. truncatus and might be developed as acaricides for integrated pest management programs.

Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) represents a severe threat to human well-being and health due to the arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) it transmits. Its control is implemented mainly through massive applications of insecticides directed to the larval and adult stages. To develop an additional method for combating this vector, eggs (7–15 d old) were exposed in groups of 20 to a stream of hot air at temperatures between 32 ± 2°C and 147 ± 2°C for 5 s. The cumulative percentage of emerged larvae at 24 h and 48 h posttreatment was recorded as a measure of response to the hot air treatment. In the untreated control, which was exposed to room temperature (26 ± 2°C), the cumulative emergence of larvae at 48 h was 99.2 ± 1.7%. The cumulative percentage of larval emergence at 48 h ranged from 97.2% at 87 ± 2°C to 67.7% at 147 ± 2.4°C. The biological efficacy of this proposed hot air treatment was, thus, not acceptable. The natural biological attributes of the Ae. aegypti eggs in withstanding heat and desiccation appear to have protected them against the various levels of temperature tested.

Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) diversity, with respect to elevation and the similarity of different ant communities therein, was identified in the southern portion of the Western Sichuan Plateau in China. Thirty plots were established in four elevation zones to serve as sampling areas for ants. We collected 19,235 ants in the survey. Those represented 68 species, 23 genera, and 4 subfamilies (including 13 undetermined species). The three dominant species in terms of abundance were Lasius himalayanus Bingham, Formica fusca L., and Myrmica kozlovi Ruzsky. We also found that the number of species, population density, the diversity, and dominance indices of the ant communities displayed a multidomain effect with an increase in elevation. The similarity coefficient of ant communities in each zone of elevation ([q] 0.2239–0.5217, medium similar level [occupying 17%], medium dissimilar level [occupying 50%], and dissimilar level [occupying 33%]) showed that differences in elevation and in habitat heterogeneity had a large impact on ant communities in the study area. Ant species diversity at each elevation sampled was not disturbed by human activities. The similarity coefficient of ant communities at the different zones of elevation was low. Therefore, ant species diversity was relatively high, indicating a higher conservation value in Sichuan Province.

In Mexico, conventional insecticides are the main tools used to manage the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in maize, Zea mays L. This scenario results in the need to continually assess the biological efficacy of insecticides used to combat this pest. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of insecticides with different modes of action in diverse locations under different levels of S. frugiperda larval infestation. The insecticides evaluated decreased larval density per plant to levels below the recommended economic threshold (ET) of 2.0 larvae per 10 plants (0.2/plant), resulting in decreased levels of damage to the plant whorl. When applied at infestation levels below the ET, larval numbers remained below the ET for at least 7–14 d after application. In contrast, when applied with infestation levels above the recommended ET, the performance of some insecticides in terms of effectively reducing larval density decreased. We, however, found that Coragen^® (chlorantraniliprole; FMC Agroquímica de México), Clavis^® (thiodicarb + triflumuron; Bayer de México), and Pleo^® 50 EC (pyridalyl; Valent de México) can be used under these conditions to provide adequate protection up to 21 d after application. The information obtained in our experiments confirms the need to adjust the current ET depending on the type of compound to be used, since the insecticides used performed more efficiently and for a long time at densities lower than 2.0 larvae per 10 plants.

The citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is an important insect pest of greenhouse-grown horticultural crops. Citrus mealybug causes direct plant damage when feeding on plant leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits, and this damage can result in substantial economic losses. Insecticides are used to manage citrus mealybug populations in greenhouse production systems. Although entomopathogenic fungal-based insecticides are labeled for use against citrus mealybug, there is no quantitative information on their efficacy against this insect pest under greenhouse conditions. Consequently, four experiments were conducted in a research greenhouse at Kansas State University (Manhattan) from 2020 to 2022 to determine the efficacy of three commercially available entomopathogenic fungal-based insecticides on citrus mealybug feeding on coleus, Solenostemon scutellarioides (L.) Codd (Lamiales: Lamiaceae), plants: Beauveria bassiana strain GHA (BotaniGard^®, Laverlam International Corp., Butte, MT), B. bassiana strain PPRI 5339 (Velifer™, BASF, Research Triangle, NC), and Isaria fumosorosea Apopka strain 97 (Ancora^®, OHP, Inc., Bluffton, SC). The surfactant polyether and polyether-polymethylsiloxane-copolymer (CapSil^®, Aquatrols, Paulsboro, NJ) was added to spray solutions to determine whether the surfactant would enhance efficacy. The entomopathogenic fungal-based insecticides, with or without the surfactant, were not effective in managing citrus mealybug populations, with <50% mortality in all four experiments. Our study indicates that entomopathogenic fungal-based insecticides are not effective in managing citrus mealybug populations in greenhouses.

Carposina sasakii Matsumura (Lepidoptera: Carposinidae) is a serious fruit-boring pest in eastern Asia. In China, it is one of the most harmful and common pests in deciduous fruit trees, causing an annual loss of more than a billion yuan. However, economic losses to the jujube industry as a result of C. sasakii damage remain undefined. In this study, we collected related data on C. sasakii, the market price of jujube, and costs of its prevention and management. The potential economic losses of China's jujube industry caused by C. sasakii were predicted using @RISK (Palisade, Raleigh, NC) software and a stochastic simulation method, which is the universal model of potential economic loss assessment for economically important fruit flies. Our results showed that the total economic losses potentially caused by C. sasakii to China's jujube industry are approximately 8,643.41–350,524.15 million RMB (RMB is the legal tender in China; approximately 1,338.00–54,261.14 million USD) if the pest was not managed and approximately 2,487.15–123,242.12 million RMB (about 385.01–19, 077.88 million USD) when management was applied. Therefore, a loss of approximately 841.83–244,144.06 million RMB (approximately 130.32–37,793.50 million USD) can be logically retrieved after controlling this pest. As a result, we suggest that related organizations and pest management practitioners strengthen prevention and control measures of C. sasakii to reduce the risk of economic loss by decreasing the infestation level of C. sasakii in jujube production and, thus, economic losses after infestation.

Cicadella viridis (L.) and Evacanthus interruptus L. (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) are two of the most important leafhopper pests worldwide. Identifying habitat suitability areas of these species could be useful for their management. This study used the MaxEnt model to predict the current and future global habitat suitability areas of these species based on distribution and associated environmental data. The model showed that isothermality and the mean temperature of the driest quarter of the year were the most important environmental factors affecting the distribution of C. viridis and E. interruptus. Europe and southern China are the current primary habitat suitability areas for the two species. The high habitat suitability areas for C. viridis are also concentrated in these areas, whereas the high habitat suitability areas for E. interruptus are mainly found in western Europe. Under future climate change scenarios, the area of the two species habitat suitability areas increases, and the high habitat suitability areas for C. viridis decrease. However, the high habitat suitability areas for E. interruptus increase in 2041–2060 shared socioeconomic pathways 585 (ssp585) but decrease in 2041–2060 and 2061–2080 shared socioeconomic pathways 126 (ssp126). It is necessary to develop measures to monitor these species within habitat suitability areas, especially in high habitat suitability areas, to reduce economic losses.

Trap lure blends that maximize the diversity of captured insect species help to reduce the costs of detection programs that target native and nonnative invasive species of bark and woodboring beetles. In 2007, the effects of the bark beetle pheromones ipsdienol and ipsenol on catches of beetles (Coleoptera) in multiple-funnel traps baited with ethanol + α-pinene were evaluated in a trapping study in one stand of mature loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L., in northcentral Georgia. Ipsenol and/or ipsdienol increased catches of Acanthocinus obsoletus (LeConte) and Monochamus titillator (F.) (Cerambycidae), Ips avulsus (Eichhoff), Ips calligraphus (Germar), Ips grandicollis (Eichhoff) (Curculionidae), Temnoscheila virescens (F.), and Aulonium tuberculatum (LeConte) (Zopheridae) in traps baited with ethanol and α-pinene. However, catches of most species in traps baited with ipsenol + ipsdienol were the same as those baited with either ipsenol or ipsdienol alone. Only catches of I. avulsus were greatest in traps baited with both ipsdienol and ipsenol. Catches of Thanasimus dubius (F.) (Cleridae), Platysoma spp. (Histeridae), and Lasconotus spp. (Zopheridae) increased with the addition of ipsenol but decreased with the addition of ipsdienol. In contrast, catches of Orthotomicus caelatus (Eichhoff) (Curculionidae) increased with the addition of ipsdienol; attraction was interrupted by the addition of ipsenol. A number of trade-offs exist in retaining ipsdienol and/or ipsenol in the multicomponent pine lure blend for detection programs in Georgia.

Grapholita molesta Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a major fruit pest of a wide range of Rosaceae trees. Olfaction plays a crucial role in insect behavioral activities, and insects primarily rely on odorant receptors (ORs) to detect odorant molecules. Several olfactory-related genes in G. molesta have been studied; however, the ORs of G. molesta are unclear. Here, GmolOR7, a general OR gene, was cloned and characterized. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree analysis showed that GmolOR7 is closely related to Cydia pomonella OR54, with the amino acid sequence identity of 80.21%. Furthermore, the different developmental stages and tissues of GmolOR7 in G. molesta were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results demonstrated that GmolOR7 was expressed at higher levels in adults, and particularly in the antennae of females. GmolOR7 expression was the highest in 3-d-old adults. These results will provide an indication for further functional study of the GmolOR7 in G. molesta and its role in the detection of host-plant volatiles by insects in general.

The Mongolian pine borer, Dioryctria mongolicella Wang & Sung (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a major pest in Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvetris L. var. mongolica Litvinov) plantations in the northeast of China. A blend of 11-hexadecenal and 11-hexadecenyl acetate in a ratio of 2:1 was detected from extracts of its female sex pheromone glands by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Our field trapping experiments confirmed that the D. mongolicella pheromone consists of a blend of (E)-11-hexadecenal (E11-16:Ald) and (Z)-11hexadecenyl acetate (Z11-16:Ac). The addition of (Z,E)-9,11-tetradecadienyl acetate (Z9E11-14:Ac) and (Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-tricosatriene (ZZZ3,6,9-23:H) increased catches of male D. mongolicella in sticky traps baited with E11-16:Ald and Z11-16:Ac. However, the addition of (3Z,6Z,9Z,12Z,15Z)-pentacosapentaene or (Z,Z,Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9,12,15-tricosapentaene to lures loaded with E11-16:Ald, Z11-16:Ac, and Z9E11-14:Ac did not significantly increase trap catches of D. mongolicella at two locations in Heilongjiang province, China. The synthetic blend of 400 µg E11-16:Ald, 200 µg Z11-16:Ac, 200 µg Z9E11-14:Ac, and 500 µg ZZZ3,6,9-23:H will help in developing efficient strategies for monitoring and control of D. mongolicella populations in Mongolian pine plantations.

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) is the most severe pest of citrus worldwide, and it has a high capacity to develop insecticide resistance. We estimated the intraplot variation of resistance to imidacloprid in adults collected from an orchard (8 ha) of Persian lemon, Citrus latifolia Tan., in Martínez de la Torre, Veracruz, Mexico. We divided the orchard into eight sections of similar size. Adults were sampled from each section to assess their response in the F₁. We conducted two field samplings: November 2020 and May 2021. The relative response (RR₅₀) at the median lethal mortality (LC₅₀) level in adults collected in the first sampling varied from 518× to 16,701×. Adults collected from Sections 2 and 5 exhibited the highest LC₅₀ values. In the second sampling, adults with the highest LC₅₀ values were collected from Sections 3, 5, and 6. The range of intraorchard variation at the LC₅₀ level (RR₅₀) ranged from 635× to 6,626×. The RR₉₅ values could be estimated in two sections of the first sampling: 7,421× (Section 7) and 58,958× (Section 8). For the remainder of the intraorchard sections in both samplings, the maximum concentration of imidacloprid that could be prepared was 100,000 mg/L, which caused a level of mortality that reached ≤87.9%. The range of variation at the LC₅₀ among sections (FRR₅₀) was low: 1 to 32.17× in the first sampling and 1 to 10.43× in the second. The resistance detected to imidacloprid is the highest recorded worldwide for D. citri.