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Topic Review
Bed Bugs
The bed bugs (Cimex lectularius and C. hemipterus) have undergone a significant resurgence worldwide since the 1990s. Herein, we discuss on the main evolutionary events, from fossil evidence, dating from 11,000 years ago, until the present that has led to the current worldwide expansion of Cimicid species. We present the hypotheses on the possible dispersion pathways of bed bugs in light of the major historical and evolutionary events. A detailed classification of the Cimicidae family and finally, an illustrative map displaying the current distribution of known Cimex species in each geographical ecozone of Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Australia are presented.
  • 3.0K
  • 05 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Bee Innate Immunity
As important pollinators, bees play a critical role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem and improving the yield and quality of crops. However, in recent years, the bee population has significantly declined due to various pathogens and environmental stressors including viruses, bacteria, parasites, and increased pesticide application. The above threats trigger or suppress the innate immunity of bees, their only immune defense system, which is essential to maintaining individual health and that of the colony. In addition, bees can be divided into solitary and eusocial bees based on their life traits, and eusocial bees possess special social immunities, such as grooming behavior, which cooperate with innate immunity to maintain the health of the colony.
  • 456
  • 29 Nov 2022
Topic Review Video
Bee Nutritional Demands
For all bee species, the pollen quality determines the overall quality of the larval food, influences the development of individuals and shapes their populations. However, not all plants produce pollen that fully satisfies the nutritional requirements of bees. Lack of understanding of the nutritional requirements of wild bees may lead to unintended negative effects of conservation efforts. Ecological stoichiometry provides an approach to better understand the nutritional constraints on growing and developing organisms and their colonies and populations. It makes reference to elements that, if scarce in the environment, prevent the construction of biologically important organic molecules. The least understood aspect of the nutritional requirements of bees concerns stoichiometric balancing and the need for adequate ratios of nutritional elements in consumed food. This text provides theoretical foundation for the project aiming at determining the likely limitations imposed on wild bees by the lack of nutritionally balanced pollen. The following hypotheses may be tested: 1. Pollen stoichiometry vary among plant species and populations but will differ more widely among species than within different populations of the same species.2. The stoichiometry of bees will vary substantially among bee species and between sexes within a species, which suggests the existence of different nutritional demands. Therefore, it is expected that the stoichiometric mismatches experienced by bees will vary in a species-specific and sex-specific manner.3. For a given bee species, specific pollen species allow the overcoming of stoichiometric mismatches and will balance the diet. Accordingly, it is expected expect that flora diversity and, thus, pollen diversity matches the stoichiometric niches of bees. I predict that the occurrence of specific key host plant species that produce stoichiometrically desirable pollen allows bees to stoichiometrically balance their diets. The project may ask if and how floral diversity, particularly the accessibility of nutritionally desirable key species, may influence bee populations. The obtained data will allow the parameterization of a conceptual model of nutritional limitations (to be developed in the future), which will enable to predict how floral community influences wild bee populations via supply and demand of nutrients.
  • 1.1K
  • 05 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Benefits of Insect Pollination in Brassicaceae
Cultivated Brassicaceae attract a wide variety of pollinators. In both self-compatible and self-incompatible crop species, meta-analysis indicates that seed yield (Y), silique set (SQS), number of siliquae/plant (NSQ), and the number of seeds/silique (NSSQ) increase when plants are insect-pollinated compared to when there is no insect pollination. The weight of seeds (WS), however, increased in self-incompatible species but not in self-compatible ones as a result of insect pollination. Overall, the percentage of studies showing a positive effect of insect pollination on yield parameters was higher in self-incompatible than in self-compatible species. It was shown that the ability of self-compatible species to reproduce does not fully compensate for the loss of yield benefits in the absence of insect pollination. 
  • 418
  • 31 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Biological Control of Bulb Mites
Mites of the genus Rhizoglyphus (Acari: Acaridae) are serious pests of plants belonging to the orders Liliales and Asparagales such as onions, garlic, lilies, and tulips. Their control by synthetic pesticides is becoming problematic as a result of resistance development in these mites and environmental and health issues. New pest control methods thus need to be developed. Efforts to develop biological control programs for bulb mites have taken place in a number of countries. Several biocontrol agents have been tested against Rhizoglyphus spp. under laboratory and some also under field conditions. The most promising results have been obtained with acaropathogenic/entomopathogenic fungi and predatory mites as described below. Other possible prospective control agents attacking mites are viruses, bacteria, and protista, but except for some bacteria their efficacy against bulb mites has not been investigated yet.
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Biological Control of Fall Armyworm
The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is one of the most important invasive pests worldwide, resulting in considerable losses in host crops. FAW comprises two genetic strains, such as the “rice strain”, which prefers rice and other grass species, and the “maize strain”, which feeds upon maize and sorghum. Potential control measures are generally more applicable to the farmers who lack financial assets to buy chemical insecticides or costly pure seeds. The adverse effects of pesticides on the ecosystem and human’s health and the development of resistance to insect pests have exaggerated efforts to find an alternative strategy that is cost-effective, low-risk and target-specific. Therefore, biological control is widely considered as one of the most important options for insect pest management. 
  • 880
  • 09 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Biological Experimental Setup Using Engineering Tools
Despite their diminutive neural systems, insects exhibit sophisticated adaptive behaviors in diverse environments. An insect receives various environmental stimuli through its sensory organs and selectively and rapidly integrates them to produce an adaptive motor output. Living organisms commonly have this sensory-motor integration, and attempts have been made to elucidate this mechanism biologically and reconstruct it through engineering.
  • 65
  • 17 Feb 2024
Topic Review
CAL Schistocerca piceifrons piceifrons Management
The Central American locust (CAL), Schistocerca piceifrons piceifrons (Walker, 1870), is a transboundary pest that is distributed from Mexico to Panama. It is a true locust species characterized by density-dependent phase polyphenism. The ancient record of the CAL is found in the Popol Vuh, the Mayan sacred book, demonstrating how it has affected humans for millennia. In Mexico, the CAL has been declared a national threat to agriculture since 1824. Serious locust plagues occurred in 1882–1883 when swarms of 20 km2 in size invaded the Yucatán Peninsula and neighboring states in southern Mexico and, since then, management actions to suppress populations and economic damage have been implemented. A better understanding of the biology, ecology, and behavior of the CAL replaced a manual and mechanical collection of locust swarms, hopper bands, and egg pods with modern techniques such as the use of safer chemical products and environmentally friendly bioinsecticides. Presently, biomodels and GIS support the monitoring and forecasting of outbreaks.
  • 562
  • 01 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Cell Line Support Arthropod Immunity
Many insect and tick species are serious pests, because insects damage crop plants and, along with ticks, transmit a wide range of human and animal diseases. One way of controlling these pests is by impairing their immune system, which protects them from bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. An important tool for studying immunity is using long-lasting cell cultures, known as cell lines. Cell line research is a powerful method for understanding how invertebrates mount defenses against pathogenic organisms and testing hypotheses on how these responses occur. In particular, immortal arthropod cell lines are valuable tools, providing a tractable, high-throughput, cost-effective, and consistent platform to investigate the mechanisms underpinning insect and tick immune responses. Here we review how cell line research results inform the controls of medically and agriculturally important insects and ticks.
  • 351
  • 08 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Chitinase-Like Gene Family in Bemisia tabaci
Chitinases are of great importance in chitin degradation and remodeling in insects. However, the genome-wide distribution of chitinase-like gene family in Bemsia tabaci, a destructive pest worldwide, is still elusive. With the help of bioinformatics, we annotated 14 genes that encode putative chitinase-like proteins, including ten chitinases (Cht), three imaginal disk growth factors (IDGF), and one endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (ENGase) in the genome of the whitefly, B. tabaci. These genes were phylogenetically grouped into eight clades, among which 13 genes were classified in the glycoside hydrolase family 18 groups and one in the ENGase group. Afterwards, developmental expression analysis suggested that BtCht10, BtCht5, and BtCht7 were highly expressed in nymphal stages and exhibit similar expression patterns, implying their underlying role in nymph ecdysis. Notably, nymphs exhibited a lower rate of survival when challenged by dsRNA targeting these three genes via a nanomaterial-promoted RNAi method. In addition, silencing of BtCht10 significantly resulted in a longer duration of development compared to control nymphs. These results indicate a key role of BtCht10, BtCht5, and BtCht7 in B. tabaci nymph molting. This research depicts the differences of chitinase-like family genes in structure and function and identified potential targets for RNAi-based whitefly management. 
  • 338
  • 20 Jan 2022
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