Post-harvest treatments are very critical in accepting the exported dates. However, stored dates are attacked by a wide range of stored pests causing serious damage to yield. Therefore, this study investigated the efficacy of treating stored dates variety Siwi with vapour heat on almond moth Ephestia cautella (Walker), the Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), the saw-toothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis Linnaeus, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), and the drugstore beetle Stegobium paniceum (L.) of stored dates. Additionally, the effects of vapour heat on the quality and microbial load of treated dates were examined. The tested insects were infested and randomly distributed to eight positions inside a vapour heat chamber at 46.5°C and 95% relative humidity for 30 min. The results showed that a 120 cm height from the vapour heat source led 100% mortality in all tested insects. Furthermore, the treatment of vapour heat had a great efficacy to eliminate infestations. Meanwhile, the vapour heat treatment slightly reduced the microbial load of stored dates, and non-significantly (P ≤ 0.05) affected the chemical and physical characteristics of the stored dates. Therefore, vapour heat is a safe and environmentally friendly insect pest control alternative for exported dates.

The relationships between the Japanese beetle (JB) Popillia japonica Newman, 1841 and the grapevine agroecosystem were investigated in Piedmont in 2020 and 2021, to assess the impact of the species and its distribution within vineyards in relation to the proximity of environmental risk factors. Grubs were sampled by soil coring in the inter-rows of vineyards, whereas both adult beetles and defoliation were counted directly on grapevine plants. The presence of spatial autocorrelation was assessed and the influence of environmental variables (distance from woodlands, meadows and the margin of the vineyard, soil parameters, year of sampling, and year of first detection of the JB) was evaluated through generalized linear mixed models. Beetles and defoliation were more clustered at the edges of vineyards, whereas grubs were localized in few hot spots, generally close to meadows. Spatial autocorrelation was weaker for grubs with respect to adults and defoliation. Grub density depended on distance from meadows, and partially on soil features. Adults abundance was influenced by the proximity to meadows, woodlands, and their presence was clustered at the margin of vineyards. The JBs seem to rely on grapevine mainly as a food source rather than a reproductive site, preferring meadows for egg-laying: therefore, pest management in vineyards should be more focused on adult beetles rather than larvae in the vineyard inter-rows.

Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is a major pest in corn production, and its management remains a significant challenge. Current control methods, which rely heavily on synthetic chemical pesticides, are environmentally detrimental and unsustainable, necessitating the development of eco-friendly alternatives. This study investigates the potential of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae as a biological control agent for O. furnacalis pupae, focusing on its infection efficacy and the factors influencing its performance. We conducted a series of laboratory experiments to evaluate the effects of distance, pupal developmental stage, soil depth, and light conditions on nematode attraction, pupal mortality and sublethal impacts on pupal longevity and oviposition. Results demonstrated that S. carpocapsae exhibited the highest attraction to pupae at a 3 cm distance, with infection declining significantly at greater distances. Younger pupae (<12 h old), were more attractive to nematodes than older pupae, and female pupae were preferred over males. Nematode infection was highest on the head and thorax of pupae, with a significant reduction in infection observed after 24 h. Infection caused 100% mortality in pupae within 2 cm soil depth, though efficacy was reduced under light conditions. Sublethal effects included a significant reduction in the longevity of infected adults and a decrease in the number of eggs laid by infected females compared to controls. These findings underscore the potential of S. carpocapsae as an effective biocontrol agent for sustainable pest management in corn production, offering a viable alternative to chemical pesticides.

The olive black scale, Saissetia oleae (Olivier), is a significant pest of olive crops worldwide. The developmental, reproductive, and population growth parameters of S. oleae were evaluated under five constant temperature conditions (18°C to 33°C). Developmental durations significantly decreased with increasing temperatures. Female lifespan decreased from 161.6 days at 18°C to 104.3 days at 33°C, while male lifespan decreased from 96.8 days at 18°C to 49.4 days at 33°C. The highest sex ratio (proportion of females) of 0.35 was observed at 30°C, with pre-adult survival rates of 63%, while survival rates dropped to 28% at 18°C. Parthenogenesis was not observed in females. The total pre-oviposition and post-oviposition periods decreased with increasing temperature, with the longest oviposition period at 33°C (49.6 days). Maximum fecundity was recorded at 33°C (379.0 eggs/female), followed by 30°C (298.6 eggs/female), and decreased sharply at 18°C (90.1 eggs/female). The intrinsic rate of increase (r) was highest at 30 and 33°C (0.038 d⁻1), while the net reproductive rate (R0) peaked at 30°C (104.5 offspring/female). The predicted fecundity of the next generation showed significant potential growth at 27 and 30°C, with the population increasing 65.3 times at 30°C and 39.4 times at 27°C. The developmental threshold for S. oleae was highest for first-instar nymphs (7.58°C), while second-instar nymphs had lower thresholds (1.09–1.65°C), with total pre-adult development requiring 1250 degree-days for both males and females. These findings underscore the significant impact of temperature on the development and reproduction of S. oleae, with implications for pest management in olive orchards.

Mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti, pose significant public health risks by transmitting diseases like dengue, zika and chikungunya. Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (BTI) is a crucial larvicide targeting mosquitoes while sparing other organisms and the environment. This study evaluated the effects of sublethal BTI doses on Ae. aegypti larvae regarding mortality, development, adult emergence and size, using a wide-area spray application in an urban neighbourhood. Laboratory experiments with four BTI concentrations (0, 0.008, 0.02 and 0.04 ppm) assessed compensatory and over compensatory responses. The spray achieved over 90% larval mortality within 48 h, but accumulating sublethal doses could trigger compensatory and over compensatory effects, enhancing the fitness of survivors. A dose–response relationship was evident, with higher BTI concentrations leading to increased mortality, reduced longevity and fewer pupae. BTI exposure also skewed the sex ratio towards males and altered adult sizes, potentially affecting population dynamics and vectorial capacity. These findings highlight the effectiveness of BTI in Ae. aegypti control and the importance of understanding compensation, overcompensation and density-dependent effects. While wide-area BTI applications can reach inaccessible breeding sites and offer potent mosquito control, careful consideration of ecological and evolutionary consequences is crucial.

The present study describes the feeding effects of Neoseiulus cucumeris Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and two-spotted spider mite (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). In addition, daily and total predation capacity, preference, and prey switching potential of this predator were studied on both pest species. WFT had a boosting effect on the biological parameters of N. cucumeris, primarily resulting in shorter developmental time, higher fecundity, and higher population growth potential than TSSM. Although immatures and males of N. cucumeris consumed significantly more TSSM than WFT, there was no significant difference in net predation rate, stable and finite predation rates of the predator between two prey species. We found an average of 10.58 and 7.93 TSSM and WFT are required to produce a single predator egg, respectively. WFT is preferred over TSSM by the predator. Negative switching behaviour was seen in N. cucumeris as it switched from the abundant prey to the rare prey. Both prey species were suitable for N. cucumeris, being able to develop successfully on them. The predator performed optimally on WFT compared with TSSM owing to its enhanced biological parameters as well as its preference, indicating that thrips are a more relevant resource than spider mites.

Aphids are important pests of cereal crops and cause economically significant damage through direct feeding and the transmission of plant viruses. In Europe, the aphid species of greatest concern are the grain aphid (Sitobion avenae Fabricius) and the bird cherry-oat aphid, (Rhopalosiphum padi Linnaeus). Often, cereal crops are dominated by a small number of prolific clonal populations and these populations can differ in phenotypic traits of agricultural importance. There are two heritable factors that influence aphid phenotype: aphid genetic diversity and the presence of endosymbionts.

Here, multiple cereal aphid populations are used to determine how heritable factors influence aphid phenotype. Several agriculturally important phenotypic traits are examined, and both endosymbiont- and genotype-derived phenotypes are identified. For S. avenae, aphid genotype influences all phenotypic traits assessed, and association with the facultative endosymbiont Regiella insecticola influences alate morph production with co-infection of R. insecticola and Fukatsuia symbiotica increasing reproductive output. For R. padi, adult aphid morph (apterous or alate) is the key driver behind reproductive output, with a genotype × morph effect also found to influence development time.

Overall, these results provide insight into the biological drivers behind phenotypic diversity in agriculturally important aphid species. Being able to associate heritable factors with key phenotypes can generate biological insights into the processes underpinning the dominance of specific aphid clones and can be used to develop pest and disease management strategies based around the phenotypic risk of the aphid populations present.

The oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata (Walker), is a highly migratory pest known for its sudden larval outbreaks, which result in severe crop losses. These unpredictable surges pose significant challenges for timely and accurate monitoring, as conventional methods are labour-intensive and prone to errors. To address these limitations, this study investigates the use of machine learning for automated and precise identification of M. separata larval instars. A total of 1577 larval images representing different instar were analysed for geometric, colour, and texture features. Additionally, larval weight was predicted using 13 regression models. Instar identification was conducted using Support Vector Classifier (SVC), Random Forest, and Multi-Layer Perceptron. Key feature contributing to classification accuracy were subsequently identified through permutation feature importance analysis. The results demonstrated the potential of machine learning for automating instar identification with high efficiency and accuracy. Predicted larval weight emerged as a key feature, significantly enhancing the performance of all identification models. Among the tested approaches, BaggingRegressor exhibited the best performance for larval weight prediction (R2 = 98.20%, RMSE = 0.2313), while SVC achieved the highest instar identification accuracy (94%). Overall, the integration of larval weight with other image-derived features proved to be a highly effective strategy. This study demonstrates the efficacy of machine learning in enhancing pest monitoring systems by providing a scalable and reliable framework for precise pest management. The proposed methodology significantly improves larval instar identification accuracy and efficiency, offering actionable insights for implementing targeted biological and chemical control strategies.

Oenopia sauzeti (Mulsant) (Coccinellidae: Coleoptera) is a highly efficient predator of sap-sucking insect pests due to its high feeding capacity and broad prey range. The present investigation was carried out to find out the feeding potential and functional response of O. sauzeti fed on different densities of Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) (Aphididae: Hemiptera) nymphs in the in vitro condition with the overarching objective of appraising the ladybird beetle’s potential as a distinguished biological control agent. The newly emerged coccinellid grubs of a particular stage were reared individually on Petri plates with a known number of M. euphorbiae nymphs of a particular stage. The single individual of O. sauzeti consumed 1104.53, 936.53, 634.07, and 473.20 aphids in one generation when reared on the first, second, third, and fourth instars of M. euphorbiae, respectively. The female adult of predator recorded as a more voracious feeder compared to the male adult. O. sauzeti exhibits a type II functional response against potato aphid, and a significantly negative linear coefficient was obtained after logistic regression analysis for the proportion of prey consumed (Na/N) as a function of initial prey density (N). The functional response parameters, i.e. attack rate and handling time, were estimated by applying Roger’s random predator equation. The attack rate increased, and handling time decreased with the advancement of the development stage of the predator. The voracious nature of both adults and grubs of the ladybird beetle makes this effective biocontrol agent to be used in the Integrated Pest Management Programme against the potato aphid.

The whitefly, Bemisia tabaci is a cryptic species complex in which one member, Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) has invaded globally. After invading large countries like Australia, China, and the USA, MEAM1 spread rapidly across each country. In contrast, our analysis of MEAM1 in India showed a very different pattern. Despite the detection of MEAM1 being contemporaneous with invasions in Australia, the USA, and China, MEAM1 has not spread widely and instead remains restricted to the southern regions. An assessment of Indian MEAM1 genetic diversity showed a level of diversity equivalent to that found in its presumed home range and significantly higher than that expected across the invaded range. The high level of diversity and restricted distribution raises the prospect that its home range extends into India. Similarly, while the levels of diversity in Australia and the USA conformed to that expected for the invaded range, China did not. It suggests that China may also be part of its home range. We also observed that diversity across the invaded range was primarily accounted for by a single haplotype, Hap1, which accounted for 79.8% of all records. It was only the invasion of Hap1 that enabled outbreaks to occur and MEAM1’s discovery.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a key monoamine neurotransmitter in insects, which regulates neural functions and influences various developmental and physiological processes by binding to its receptors. In this study, we investigate the molecular characteristics, phylogenetic relationships, and expression patterns of the 5-HT7 receptor (Cf5-HT7) in Chrysopa formosa, with a focus on its potential involvement in developmental and diapause regulation. The Cf5-HT7 gene was identified and cloned from the C. formosa transcriptome, revealing an open reading frame of 1788 bp encoding a 596 amino acid protein. Sequence analysis confirmed that Cf5-HT7 is a typical class A G protein-coupled receptor, characterised by seven transmembrane domains and several post-translational modifications, including palmitoylation and N-glycosylation sites. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Cf5-HT7 is most closely related to the 5-HT7 receptor from Chrysoperla carnea, with high conservation of key motifs involved in ligand binding and receptor activation. Expression analysis across different developmental stages of C. formosa showed that Cf5-HT7 is highly expressed in the first instar larvae, with significant upregulation observed during the prepupal stage. Under diapause-inducing conditions, Cf5-HT7 expression is modulated in a stage-specific manner, showing a marked decrease at the onset of diapause, followed by a significant increase during the mid-to-late diapause maintenance phase. These findings suggest that it plays a pivotal role in regulating development and diapause processes in C. formosa, offering new insights into the molecular mechanisms governing insect life cycle transitions. This study lays the groundwork for future research into the functional roles of 5-HT7 receptors in insect physiology and their potential applications in manipulating diapause.

Multiple mating is a behaviour observed across various polyandrous insect species. It is suggested that, in ladybirds, this strategy of multiple copulations is used to enhance fecundity and fertility through sperm replenishment. Studies on sperm depletion need to correlate fertility with the presence of spermatozoa in the spermatheca. This study investigates the role of sperm replenishment in the ladybird Cryptolaemus montrouzieri. We hypothesised that females of this species exhibit fecundity and fertility rates proportional to the number of sperm replenishment opportunities (constant, periodic or absent). We observed oviposition behaviour and hatching rates over 30 days, and simultaneously tested for sperm depletion in females that copulated once. We dissected the spermathecae at four post-copulation moments to count spermatozoa under a microscope. Our results indicate that a single copulation suffices to maintain fertility for at least 30 days. Females with constant replenishment opportunities exhibited higher fecundity but lower fertility and increased mortality, suggesting a reproductive cost associated with frequent mating. Females with no replenishment during the experiment, exhibited the highest hatchability rate and lowest oviposition. Periodic copulation resulted in optimal female mating rate, with average fertility and fecundity. A plausible hypothesis would be that paired females choose to fertilise fewer eggs from a single male but are unable to control the effects of the oviposition stimulus induced by the male's presence. These findings have implications for the management and rearing of C. montrouzieri in biological control programmes, optimizing mating strategies for mass production.

The effects of rainfall and temperature on the seasonal phenology of ant nuptial flights in a forest locality in Ghana was studied for 42 months using a light-trap. A total of 204393 ants was caught. Of the 135 species/morphospecies collected, 40 could not be identified beyond genus, and males of a further 14 beyond subfamily. The commonest 65 species/morphospecies flew a mean of 10.1 ± 0.4 months per year. With the exception of males of Dorylus atriceps, Platythyrea conradti, Plat. modesta, Crematogaster nr striatula plus gynes of Plagiolepis brunni and Cr. [F257], whose peak flights occurred in the main dry season, flight activity coincided with the onset of the rainy seasons. Both sexes of Pheidole megacephala, P. speculifera, Tetramorium aculeatum, and Paraparatrechina albipes plus gynes of Cr. striatula and males of Anochetus africanus, Hypoponera dulcis, Cr. kneri, and T. guineensis flew more frequently on rainy than dry dates. Nineteen species were caught more frequently on dry than on wet dates including most Camponotus, Tapinoma, and Technomyrmex spp. Fifteen species/morphospecies responded positively to increasing monthly rainfall, six to increasing monthly temperatures, and five to the interaction between these factors, with males of A. pellucidus, H. dulcis, and Cr. striatula caught more frequently in wetter, warmer months, and those of Camponotus olivieri and Technomyrmex andrei in drier, warmer ones.

Coccygidium luteum (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a solitary larval parasitoid, is associated with the fall armyworm (FAW), in Africa. However, there is very limited information on reproductive biology, and other biological parameters that influence its life strategies. We conducted laboratory experiments to gain new insights into the biology of C. luteum reared on FAW as the host. Host age preference, reproductive biology, lifetime fecundity, life cycle, and adult longevity were studied under laboratory conditions of 28 ± 1°C and 70 ± 3% relative humidity. This study revealed that C. luteum prefer early (1st–3rd) instars of FAW for oviposition. The maximum parasitism rate was 80% at second instar larvae. A mean pre-oviposition period of 0.38 ± 0.51 days, oviposition period of 5.13 ± 0.64 days, and no post-oviposition period were observed. The mean lifetime parasitism rate of FAW larvae by female C. luteum was 49 ± 24. Longevity of unmated C. luteum was 14.44 ± 1.43 days for males and 12.83 ± 1.12 days for females. Mated ovipositing females lived for 7 days. Mean female and male progenies per adult female C. luteum was 28.11 ± 8.18 and 39.89 ± 4.76 respectively, with an overall sex ratio of 1.42 at 28 ± 1°C using second instar larvae. Total life cycle from oviposition to adult emergence was 23 ± 1 days. This study provides the basic information about C. luteum that could be utilised for mass rearing of this parasitoid under an augmentative biological control of FAW programme.

Insect odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) are the key proteins in insect olfactory perception and play an important role in the perception and discrimination of insects. Frankliniella occidentalis is a polyphagous pest and seriously harms the quality and yield of fruits, flowers and crops worldwide. Therefore, the discovery of OBPs has greatly improved the understanding of behavioural response that mediates the chemoreception of F. occidentalis. To identify the OBP gene of F. occidentalis and its sequence and expression, rapid amplification cDNA ends (RACE) and qRT-PCR reaction system were performed. The results showed that the sequence of FoccOBP9 gene was 846 bp and the reading frame was 558 bp, encoding 185 amino acid residues, a 3′ non-coding region of 195 bp and a 5′ non-coding region of 93 bp.The molecular weight of the protein was about 20.08 kDa, and the isoelectric point was 8.89. FoccOBP9 was similar to AtumGOBP and CnipOBP2 (30%), followed by BdorGOBP, DficGOBP, DsuzGOBP, AalbOBP38, CmarOBP6 and SexiOBP. Phylogenetic analysis of the FoccOBP9 demonstrated that the FoccOBP9 had a relatively close evolutionary relationship with SgreOBP1, AtumGOBP, HeleOBP3, CbowOBP17, CnipOBP2 and CpalOBP2. The prediction of secondary structure showed that FoccOBP9 protein contained 135 amino acid residues forming α-helix, 91 amino acid residues forming β-sheets and 24 amino acid residues forming β-turning. However, three-dimensional structure prediction showed that the FoccOBP9 protein skeleton was composed of six α-helices and the loops connecting these helices. Dynamic observation of the three-dimensional structure revealed that five α-helices (α1, α2, α4, α5, α6) were found in the structure. The expression profiles analysis revealed that FoccOBP9 are highly abundant in antenna significantly, followed by the head and belly, and almost no expression in the chest and foot. Therefore, the identification and analysis of OBP may be useful for monitoring and limiting the damage of F. occidentalis.

Cathepsin B (CTSB) is a cysteine protease that is widely found in eukaryotes and plays a role in insect growth, development, digestion, metamorphosis, and immunity. In the present study, we examined the role of CTSB in response to environmental stresses in Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Six MpCTSB genes, namely MpCTSB-N, MpCTSB-16D1, MpCTSB-3098, MpCTSB-10270, MpCTSB-mp2, and MpCTSB-16, were identified and cloned from M. persicae. The putative proteins encoded by these genes contained three conserved active site residues, i.e. Cys, His, and Asn. A phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that the six MpCTSB proteins of M. persicae were highly homologous to other Hemipteran insects. Real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that the MpCTSB genes were expressed at different stages of M. persicae and highly expressed in winged adults or first-instar nymphs. The expression of nearly all MpCTSB genes was significantly upregulated under different environmental stresses (38°C, 4°C, and ultraviolet-B). This study shows that MpCTSB plays an important role in the growth and development of M. persicae and its resistance to environmental stress.

The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is a destructive migratory pest, posing great threat to over 60 countries globally. In the backdrop of climate change, the habitat suitability of desert locusts is poised to undergo alterations. Hence, investigating the shifting dynamics of desert locust habitats holds profound significance in ensuring global agricultural resilience and food security. In this study, we combined the maximum entropy modelling and geographic information system technology to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the impact of climate change on the distribution patterns and habitat adaptability of desert locusts. The results indicate that the suitable areas for desert locusts (0.2976 × 108 km2) are concentrated in northern Africa and southwestern Asia, accounting for 19.97% of the total global land area. Key environmental variables affecting the desert locust distribution include temperature annual range, mean temperature of the coldest quarter, average temperature of February, and precipitation of the driest month. Under the SSP1–2.6 and SSP5–8.5 climate scenarios, potential suitable areas for desert locusts are estimated to increase from 2030 (2021–2040) to 2090 (2081–2100). By 2090, highly suitable areas for SSP1–2.6 and SSP5–8.5 are projected to be 0.0606 × 108 and 0.0891 × 108 km2, respectively, reflecting an expansion of 1.84 and 2.77% compared to existing ones. These research findings provide a theoretical basis for adopting prevention and control strategies for desert locusts.

For insects whose larvae are incapable of moving between food resources, the selection of oviposition sites by females is critical to the survival and development of their offspring. In such insects, it is known that females utilise and benefit from conspecific cues for oviposition choice. Studying how information from the behaviour of conspecifics affects egg-laying decision-making is crucial for understanding the biology of insects, which can lead to novel strategies for pest management. We focused on the reproductive behaviour of the Asian long-horned beetle Anoplophora glabripennis, which has become an invasive pest species throughout the world. Here, we show that A. glabripennis avoids sites already containing conspecific cues during egg-laying decision-making. The field survey measuring the distance between neighbouring oviposition scars (in this species, females make scars through the bark of host branches for laying eggs) suggested that the selection of oviposition sites by females is not random. In laboratory oviposition-choice bioassays, females made less oviposition scars on branches containing scars made by other females than those without scars. In addition, female oviposition was also deterred by the presence of their own oviposition scars. Our results indicate that avoiding sites containing conspecific (and their own) traces realises fitness benefit such as reducing resource competition among larvae. This study provides insights into the reproductive behaviour of this invasive longhorn beetle, which is useful for developing environmentally friendly control methods such as oviposition deterrents.

Bombyx mori Tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (BmWARS) belongs to the family of Ic-like aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs), whose specific recognition of the substrate Trp, tRNA, maintains the fidelity of protein synthesis. In this study, BmWARS was cloned and characterized from the midgut of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, resulting in an open reading frame (ORF) with a full length of 1,149 bp, which can encode 382 Aa. BmWARS is localized in the cytoplasm, and is expressed in all tissues of the silkworm, with higher expression in the testis, ovary, silk gland and malpighian tubule. The expression of BmWARS was significantly up-regulated in the midgut and silk gland after infection with Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV). In addition, overexpression of BmWARS inhibited BmNPV infection and replication extremely significantly, while interference with BmWARS expression promoted BmNPV infection and replication. Analysis of the immune pathways in which BmWARS may be involved revealed that the expression of the key genes of the PI3K-Akt pathway, BmPI3K, BmAkt, BmPDK1, BmeIF4E, BmS6, and p-Akt protein was significantly reduced, whereas the expression of BmPTEN, BmFoxO, and BmCaspase9 was significantly increased in the cells that overexpressed BmWARS and were infected with BmNPV. Meanwhile, the results of the study interfering with the expression of BmWARS were completely opposite to those of the study overexpressing BmWARS. This is the first report that BmWARS has antiviral effects in Bombyx mori. Moreover, BmWARS inhibits BmNPV infection and replication in Bombyx mori cells by promoting apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation.

Asexual queen succession (AQS) species produce queens via thelytokous parthenogenesis, which significantly impacts their social life history. For the first time, we discovered that Reticulitermes aculabialis exhibits the phenomenon of parthenogenesis under experimental conditions, and we also investigated the genetic structure of wild colonies of this species using polymorphic microsatellite loci. Our genetic analysis revealed that 93.2% of the secondary queens in the wild colonies were homozygous at all loci, indicating parthenogenesis in these secondary queens, while workers (2.5%), soldiers (0%), nymphs (0%), and alates (6.7%) had low rates. Genetic analysis revealed that the mean number of alleles per group (Na) ranged from 2.000 ± 0.000 to 2.500 ± 0.428, with 83.3% polymorphic loci (PPL). The observed heterozygosity (Ho) varied from 0.467 ± 0.141 to 0.583 ± 0.098, indicating significant genetic diversity among workers and soldiers. In contrast, soldiers and nymph develop predominantly through sexual reproduction than alates and workers. The occurrence of AQS in R. aculabialis suggests a different mechanism of ploidy restoration, highlighting the diversity of reproductive mechanisms across various lineages of the Termitidae and non-Termitidae termites.