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From Insect Pheromones to Mating Disruption: Theory and Practice (Volume...
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From Insect Pheromones to Mating Disruption: Theory and Practice (Volume II)

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Pest and Vector Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2023) | Viewed by 11723

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Andrea Lucchi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: harmfulness and biological control of grapevine pests; pheromone mating disruption; implementation of "Area Wide Pest Management" strategies; insect vibrational communication, with particular reference to grapevine leafhoppers and planthoppers; morphology of insect pheromone glands and antennae
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giovanni Benelli

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: insect behaviour; biological control; chemical ecology; mating disruption; ecotoxicology; integrate pest and vector management; One Health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The study of insect chemical ecology is an interesting and important field of research. Pheromone-mediated mating disruption represents an effective and environmentally sustainable biocontrol technique to manage arthropod pests. Pheromone-mediated mating disruption relies on the release of synthetic sex pheromones from dispensers in agricultural settings, interfering with the mate finding and reproduction of a given pest through both competitive and non-competitive mechanisms. Despite a number of successful applications, the use of MD is still restricted to a limited number of crop pests. However, its enormous potential warrants further investigation.

Considering the success of the earlier Special Issue "From Insect Pheromones to Mating Disruption: Theory and Practice", we are pleased to launch a second Special Issue on the topic, welcoming laboratory and field studies on insect courtship, mating, chemical ecology, and the development and implementation of mating disruption strategies against arthropods of economic importance. Both original research and reviews will be considered for publication.

Prof. Dr. Andrea Lucchi
Dr. Giovanni Benelli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • chemical ecology
  • competitive and non-competitive mechanisms
  • courtship
  • insect behavior
  • integrated pest management
  • mating success
  • sex pheromones

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 7277 KiB  
Article
Expression Pattern and Ligand Binding Characteristics Analysis of Chemosensory Protein SnitCSP2 from Sirex nitobei
by Pingping Guo, Enhua Hao, Han Li, Xi Yang, Pengfei Lu and Haili Qiao
Insects 2023, 14(7), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14070583 - 27 Jun 2023
Viewed by 929
Abstract
Sirex nitobei is an important wood-boring wasp to conifers native to Asia, causing considerable economic and ecological damage. However, the current control means cannot achieve better efficiency, and it is expected to clarify the molecular mechanism of protein–ligand binding for effective pest control. [...] Read more.
Sirex nitobei is an important wood-boring wasp to conifers native to Asia, causing considerable economic and ecological damage. However, the current control means cannot achieve better efficiency, and it is expected to clarify the molecular mechanism of protein–ligand binding for effective pest control. This study analyzed the expression pattern of CSP2 in S. nitobei (SnitCSP2) and its features of binding to the screened ligands using molecular docking and dynamic simulations. The results showed that SnitCSP2 was significantly expressed in female antennae. Molecular docking and dynamic simulations revealed that SnitCSP2 bound better to the host plant volatile (+)-α-pinene and symbiotic fungal volatiles terpene and (−)-globulol than other target ligands. By the molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) method, the free binding energies of the three complexes were calculated as −44.813 ± 0.189 kJ/mol, −50.446 ± 0.396 kJ/mol, and −56.418 ± 0.368 kJ/mol, and the van der Waals energy was found to contribute significantly to the stability of the complexes. Some key amino acid residues were also identified: VAL13, GLY14, LYS61, MET65, and LYS68 were important for the stable binding of (+)-α-pinene by SnitCSP2, while for terpenes, ILE16, ALA25, TYR26, CYS29, GLU39, THR37, and GLY40 were vital for a stable binding system. We identified three potential ligands and analyzed the interaction patterns of the proteins with them to provide a favorable molecular basis for regulating insect behavioral interactions and developing new pest control strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Insect Pheromones to Mating Disruption: Theory and Practice (Volume II))
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15 pages, 5133 KiB  
Article
Sex Pheromone Aerosol Emitters for Lobesia botrana Mating Disruption in Italian Vineyards
by Giovanni Benelli, Renato Ricciardi, Francesca Cosci, Andrea Iodice, Edith Ladurner, Francesco Savino and Andrea Lucchi
Insects 2023, 14(3), 270; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14030270 - 08 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1559
Abstract
Despite the great amount of information on the European Grapevine Moth (EGVM), Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), and the effective strategies available for its management, this moth remains the main key pest damaging grapevines in the Mediterranean and Central Europe wine-growing areas. Synthesizing and [...] Read more.
Despite the great amount of information on the European Grapevine Moth (EGVM), Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), and the effective strategies available for its management, this moth remains the main key pest damaging grapevines in the Mediterranean and Central Europe wine-growing areas. Synthesizing and manipulating its sex pheromone components fostered the development of new dispensers to boost the effectiveness and sustainability of mating disruption (MD) programs. Recent MD research has highlighted that the effectiveness of aerosol emitters is comparable to that of passive dispensers when applied in large, uniform sites such as Spanish vineyards. However, aerosol emitters that are equally effective in geographical areas characterized by small-sized vineyards, typical of many Italian regions, have not received enough research attention. To face this challenge, herein the experimental aerosol emitter (product code: Isonet® L MISTERX843) was tested at three different application rates (i.e., 2, 3 and 4 units/ha) in three study sites, two in Tuscany (Central Italy in 2017 and 2018) and one in Emilia-Romagna (Northern Italy in 2017), respectively, for a total of five trials. To assess the efficacy of this novel MD aerosol emitter, three different application densities were compared with an untreated control and two grower’s standards. The latter were represented by passive (Isonet® L TT) and active (Checkmate® Puffer® LB) release dispensers, already on the market for EGVM MD and applied at, respectively, 200–300 and 2.5–4 units/ha. MD carried out with Isonet® L MISTERX843 led to zero catches of males in the pheromone traps. They also allowed for a significant reduction in the number of infested flower clusters and bunches, as well as in the number of nests per flowers cluster/bunch, if compared to the untreated control. As a general trend, MD effectiveness was fully comparable, or even better, if compared to the grower’s standard. In conclusion, our research pointed out that the Isonet® L MISTERX843 can allow for effective EGVM management in small-sized Italian vineyards. Lastly, our economic evaluation showed that the MD whole cost per hectare using active or passive release devices was comparable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Insect Pheromones to Mating Disruption: Theory and Practice (Volume II))
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11 pages, 523 KiB  
Article
Generic Pheromones Identified from Northern Hemisphere Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) Are Attractive to Native Longhorn Beetles from Central-Southern Chile
by Tomislav Curkovic, Diego Arraztio, Amanda Huerta, Ramón Rebolledo, Arly Cheuquel, Américo Contreras and Jocelyn G. Millar
Insects 2022, 13(11), 1067; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13111067 - 18 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1625
Abstract
We conducted field bioassays with several known cerambycid pheromones in two zones of central-southern Chile: (1) Las Trancas (Ñuble region) and Coñaripe (Los Rios region) (Study 1) and (2) Rucamanque and Maquehue (La Araucania region) (Study 2). Up to eight compounds were tested [...] Read more.
We conducted field bioassays with several known cerambycid pheromones in two zones of central-southern Chile: (1) Las Trancas (Ñuble region) and Coñaripe (Los Rios region) (Study 1) and (2) Rucamanque and Maquehue (La Araucania region) (Study 2). Up to eight compounds were tested individually, including 3-hydroxy-2-hexanone, (2R*,3S*)- and (2R*,3R*)-2,3-hexanediol, fuscumol, fuscumol acetate, monochamol, 2-methylbutanol, and geranylacetone. Compounds were loaded in plastic sachets placed in either multiple funnel or cross-vane panel traps hung in trees in a randomized block design (n = 3 or 4). The number of treatments and bioassay periods varied depending on the study. A total of 578 specimens belonging to 11 native species were collected, with the three captured in the highest numbers being Eryphus laetus (292 specimens), Calydon submetallicum (n = 234), and Chenoderus testaceus (n = 20). The three species are of economic importance: E. laetus is considered a minor pest in apple orchards, and the other two species infest Nothophagus hosts, including some timber species. Traps baited with 3-hydroxy-2-hexanone collected significant numbers of both sexes of the two most abundant species, and this compound was the only treatment that attracted C. submetallicum. (2R*,3R*)- and (2R*,3S*)-2,3-Hexanediols were also significantly attractive to E. laetus. Our results suggested that 3-hydroxy-2-hexanone and 2,3-hexanediols, which are known pheromone components of cerambycid species worldwide, are also likely to be conserved aggregation pheromone components among some species in western South America. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Insect Pheromones to Mating Disruption: Theory and Practice (Volume II))
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11 pages, 1539 KiB  
Article
Identification and Field Evaluation of Sex Pheromone Components and Its Antagonist Produced by a Major Tea Pest, Archips strojny (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
by Nanxia Fu, Fida Hussain Magsi, Yingjie Zhao, Xiaoming Cai, Zhaoqun Li, Lei Bian, Chunli Xiu, Zongmao Chen and Zongxiu Luo
Insects 2022, 13(11), 1056; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13111056 - 15 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2141
Abstract
Pesticide application is the only known control method for the tea tortrix Archips strojny (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), which is a major pest of spring tea in China. To develop sex pheromone-based, environmentally safe control strategies, here we identified the sex pheromone components of this [...] Read more.
Pesticide application is the only known control method for the tea tortrix Archips strojny (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), which is a major pest of spring tea in China. To develop sex pheromone-based, environmentally safe control strategies, here we identified the sex pheromone components of this species. The male moths’ antennae responded electrophysiologically to two compounds in female pheromone gland extracts. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis indicated that the two bioactive compounds were (Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (Z11-14:Ac) and (Z)-11-tetradecenyl alcohol (Z11-14:OH). Field trapping assays showed that lures baited with only the major component Z11-14:Ac were the most attractive to male moths, and the attractiveness decreased significantly when the lure was impregnated with increased relative ratios of the minor component Z11-14:OH. Our study demonstrated that Z11-14:Ac was the major attractant in the A. strojny sex pheromone, and the minor component Z11-14:OH seemed to serve as an antagonist. The results indicate that lures baited with 1 mg of Z11-14:Ac could be used as a monitoring or mass trapping tool for A. strojny management in Chinese tea plantations. Furthermore, Z11-14:Ac was identified as a common sex pheromone attractant of nine Archips species; these results lay the foundation for developing mating disruption techniques that target multiple leafroller pests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Insect Pheromones to Mating Disruption: Theory and Practice (Volume II))
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18 pages, 6268 KiB  
Article
Mating Behavior and Identification of Male-Produced Pheromone Components in Two Woodwasps, Sirex noctilio and Sirex nitobei, in China
by Pengfei Lu, Enhua Hao, Min Bao, Rui Liu, Ciyuan Gao and Haili Qiao
Insects 2022, 13(10), 966; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13100966 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1623
Abstract
To protect vulnerable trees from native and invasive wood wasps, the mating behavior of these two woodwasp species (S. noctilio and S. nitobei, respectively) and factors influencing this behavior were investigated in cages outdoors. Male-produced pheromones were identified in both woodwasp [...] Read more.
To protect vulnerable trees from native and invasive wood wasps, the mating behavior of these two woodwasp species (S. noctilio and S. nitobei, respectively) and factors influencing this behavior were investigated in cages outdoors. Male-produced pheromones were identified in both woodwasp species. Compared with the native species S. nitobei, the invasive species S. noctilio showed stronger mating ability, including mating frequency, time, and duration. The mating behavior of both species mainly occurred from 9:00 to 17:00 each day, peaking at 11:00 and 12:00. The daily mating behavior of both species was most directly related to light intensity. Both female and male S. noctilio and S. nitobei were capable of mating upon emergence, and most individuals mated at 2 days of age. For both species, a female-to-male ratio of 5:15 was most conducive to mating, and individuals with a larger body size were preferred as mates by males and females. (Z)-3-decenol was present in solid-phase microextraction extracts of both species. Two reported minor reference components, (Z)-4-decen-1-ol and (E, E)-2,4-decadienal, were not identified in either woodwasp species. The peak of male pheromone release occurred from 11:00–12:00 for 2-day-old individuals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Insect Pheromones to Mating Disruption: Theory and Practice (Volume II))
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9 pages, 1077 KiB  
Article
Lateralization of Courtship Traits Impacts Pentatomid Male Mating Success—Evidence from Field Observations
by Donato Romano, Giovanni Benelli and Cesare Stefanini
Insects 2022, 13(2), 172; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13020172 - 05 Feb 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2566
Abstract
Lateralization has been documented in many insect species, but limited information on courtship and mating lateralization in wild conditions is available. We conducted field investigation on the courtship and mating behavior of the neem bug, Halys dentatus, a polyphagous insect mainly infesting [...] Read more.
Lateralization has been documented in many insect species, but limited information on courtship and mating lateralization in wild conditions is available. We conducted field investigation on the courtship and mating behavior of the neem bug, Halys dentatus, a polyphagous insect mainly infesting Azadirachta indica, with particular attention to lateralization of mating displays. We investigated the presence of population-level behavioral asymmetries during H. dentatus sexual interactions and their influence on male mating success. Two lateralized traits were found: left or right-biased male approaches to the female and left or right-biased male turning displays. Males approaching females from their left side were mainly right-biased in the 180° turning display, and males that approached females from their right side were mainly left-biased. Right-biased males by turning 180° to carry out end-to-end genital contact, performed a lower number of copulation attempts, thus starting copula earlier than left-biased males. Mating success was higher when males approached the left side of females during sexual interactions. A higher number of successful mating interactions was observed in right-biased males when turning 180°. Our results add useful knowledge on the reproductive behavior of H. dentatus in the field, with potential applications for identifying useful benchmarks to monitor the quality of individuals mass-reared for pest control purposes over time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Insect Pheromones to Mating Disruption: Theory and Practice (Volume II))
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