Adult nutrition affects reproduction and flight performance of the invasive fall armyworm,Spodoptera frugiperda in China

Floral resources, such as carbohydrate-rich nectar or pollen, can bolster fitness and raise reproductive output of adult lepidopterans. Here, we used laboratory experiments to assess how those plant-derived foods impact adult fecundity, reproductive physiology and flight performance of an invasive strain of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda(FAW; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in China. More specifically, supplementary feeding on bee pollen and honey enhanced FAW flight duration, testis size, ovarian development, longevity and adult fecundity. FAW adults attained the longest pre-oviposition(10.8 days) and oviposition period(6.8 days) and longevity(19.2 days) on 5% acacia honey. Upon access to 2.5% acacia honey and 2.5‰ pine pollen, S. frugiperda attained the highest mating rate(79.7%), fecundity(644.9 eggs/female) and egg hatching rate(82.3%). Feeding on honey further delayed decay of male testes, while ovarian development was enhanced when female moths were allowed access to 2.5% honey and 2.5‰ pine pollen. Upon feeding on 5% honey solution, S. frugiperda engaged in flight over the longest duration(9.5 h), distance(29.9 km) and speed(3.1 km h~(–1)). Honey had a comparatively greater effect on the above parameters than pollen. Our findings help decipher FAW invasion patterns and population dynamics, facilitate the development of nutritional attractants, and contribute to integrated pest management of this newly-invasive pest in eastern Asia.     

Emergence,Mating and Oviposition Behavior of the Chinese Population in Pink Bollworm,Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the most serious lepidopteran pests of cotton in the world. This pest invaded China at the onset of the 20th century, possibly through repeated introductions from several different locations worldwide. In this paper, we describe different behavioral parameters of this Hubei P. gossypiella strain under laboratory and field conditions. Using an infra-red video recorder, we observed (nocturnal) emergence, flight and mating activities, and oviposition patterns. Moth emergence started from 13:00 and continued up till 23:00. Under laboratory and field conditions, 2-7-d-old moths initiated flight around sunset, peaked 50 min later and gradually declined until 04:00. Although mating started immediately after darkness (i.e., 20:00), mating behavior was most intense from 23:00 to 03:40. Oviposition also showed distinct time-related patterns, with approx. 70% eggs laid between 20:00 and 22:00. In the studies of the relationship between flight and oviposition, the duration of flight had an effect on oviposition. The 1-d-old moths flown for 6 and 12 h began oviposition earlier than the unflown ones, and the 6-h flight had no effect on the egg production. However, the longevity of the flown moths was shortened after flight. In addition, the peaks of oviposition for the flown moths were advanced 2–3 d. The age when the moths flied affected the oviposition of adult moths. The earlier the moths started to fly after emergence, the greater the fecundity they had. The average egg production of moths flown for 24 h was less than that of non-flown moths which were of the same age. Both flight and delay in mating could advance the oviposition peak. Our study provides detailed insights in nocturnal activities and the reproductive biology of local P. gossypiella populations, which could be employed to fine-tune current pest management programs in China.     

Accurate recognition of the reproductive development status and prediction of oviposition fecundity in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) based on computer vision

Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important migratory agricultural pest worldwide, which has invaded many countries in the Old World since 2016 and now poses a serious threat to world food security. The present monitoring and early warning strategies for the fall army worm (FAW) mainly focus on adult population density, but lack an information technology platform for precisely forecasting the reproductive dynamics of the adults. In this study, to identify the developmental status of the adults, we first utilized female ovarian images to extract and screen five features combined with the support vector machine (SVM) classifier and employed male testes images to obtain the testis circular features. Then, we established models for the relationship between oviposition dynamics and the developmental time of adult reproductive organs using laboratory tests. The results show that the accuracy of female ovary development stage determination reached 91%. The mean standard error (MSE) between the actual and predicted values of the ovarian developmental time was 0.2431, and the mean error rate between the actual and predicted values of the daily oviposition quantity was 12.38%. The error rate for the recognition of testis diameter was 3.25%, and the predicted and actual values of the testis developmental time in males had an MSE of 0.7734. A WeChat applet for identifying the reproductive developmental state and predicting reproduction of S. frugiperda was developed by integrating the above research results, and it is now available for use by anyone involved in plant protection. This study developed an automated method for accurately forecasting the reproductive dynamics of S. frugiperda populations, which can be helpful for the construction of a population monitoring and early warning system for use by both professional experts and local people at the county level.     

Fitness of fall armyworm,Spodoptera frugiperda to three solanaceous vegetables

The fall armyworm(FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda Smith(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important agricultural pest that invaded China in the middle of December 2018. As a polyphagous pest, FAW is identified as a serious threat to agricultural production and food security in China. Pepper(Capsicum annuum L.), tomato(Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) and eggplant(Solanum melongena L.) are three of dominant solanaceous vegetables of this country. To our knowledge, the effects of these plants on the performances of FAW have not been well studied. In this study we assessed the fitness of this pest to these three plants. Results showed that FAW can complete its life cycle when fed with tomato and pepper, but not on eggplant. The population parameters of FAW fed with maize(Zea mays L.) and the three solanaceous vegetables were compared using the age-stage, two-sex life table method. Developmental duration was significantly different in the larval stage, but not in the pupae stage. FAW fed with pepper had the longest pre-adult period(41.73 d) and the lightest pupal weight(0.1134 g); the survival rate was lower than FAW fed with tomato. Significant differences were observed in the mean fecundity of female, with the highest(943.95 eggs) laid by FAW fed with tomato. FAW had the shortest mean generation time(T), the highest intrinsic rate of increase(r) and finite rate of increase(λ) on maize, and the highest net reproductive rate(R_0) on tomato. Overall, FAW fitness on the three solanaceous vegetables was: tomatopeppereggplant. This study provides the foundation for further assessment of FAW risk to solanaceous vegetables and for establishing corresponding control strategies in China.     

拟黑多刺蚁雌性生殖系统的比较观察

[目的]研究不同发育时期的拟黑多刺蚁雌性生殖系统的特点。[方法]通过解剖,观察拟黑多刺蚁雌性成虫不同的发育时期（婚飞前、产卵旺盛期和老龄期）的生殖系统的特点,比较其卵巢发育指数和雌性附腺发育指数。[结果]产卵旺盛期的蚁后卵巢发育指数最高,老龄期及婚飞前蚁后次之,它们之间存在显著性差异;产卵旺盛期蚁后的雌性附腺发育指数值是最高的,婚飞前与老龄蚁后的值次之,且它们之间也存在显著性差异。结果表明蚁后的生殖能力与其卵巢的发育指数和雌性附腺的发育指数有密切的相关性,值越大,产卵能力越强。[结论]该研究为拟黑多刺蚁的人工养殖提供了理论依据。     

Windborne migration routes of newly-emerged fall armyworm from Qinling Mountains–Huaihe River region,China

The fall armyworm(FAW, Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Spodoptera frugiperda(J. E. Smith), invaded China in mid-December 2018; since then, it has become a great threat to Chinese agricultural production. Qinling Mountains–Huaihe River region(QM–HRR) is the transitional zone between northern and southern China, an important region for both corn and wheat production. Based on the actual occurrence of QM–HRR invaded by FAW in 2019, daily mean surface air temperature and nocturnal wind conditions at 925 hPa were examined, and migratory routes of FAW moths originated in QM–HRR were modeled by a forward-trajectory-analysis approach. The results indicated that migratory activities of FAW adults emerged in QM–HRR were initiated from late June. The moths from western QM–HRR, where has complex topographic terrain, mainly flied to Ningxia and Inner Mongolia before mid September. However, FAW moths from the eastern QM–HRR primarily engaged in high-altitude northward transport assisted by the prevailing southerly winds before mid August, and the North China Plain was identified as the main destination of FAW. Meanwhile, the migration trajectories of FAW moths had a possibility to reach the Northeast China Plain. From mid August, FAW moths in eastern QM–HRR largely migrated southward and returned to the Yangtze River Valley. This study provides detailed information on the occurrence and migration routes of FAW moths from QM–HRR and will be helpful for early warning and development of integrated pest management strategies for the control of this exotic insect pest.     

Laboratory-based flight performance of the fall armyworm,Spodoptera frugiperda

In late 2018, the fall armyworm(FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda Smith(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) made its arrival in China and its populations have since proliferated across most of eastern Asia. While S. frugiperda exhibits a considerable dispersal capacity and engages in long-distance migration, there's only scant information on the species' flight capability. Here, we empirically assessed S. frugiperda flight activity under varying climatic conditions using a flight mill. More specifically, under laboratory conditions, FAW exhibited superior flight performance at 20–25°C and 60–90% relative humidity(RH). When quantifying flight performance over five consecutive nights(i.e., 10 h/night), all flight parameters initially increased and then gradually dropped and FAW adults attained a total flight distance, duration and velocity equal to 63.73 km(48.42–94.12 km)(median, quartile range), 24.12 h(20.87–27.73 h) and 2.73 km h~(–1)(2.13–3.33 km h~(–1)), respectively. Our work constitutes a first comprehensive assessment of S. frugiperda flight performance and provides baseline information for future efforts to forecast spatiotemporal changes in its geographical distribution, movement patterns and invasion trajectories. Such can ultimately permit a timely and targeted deployment of area-wide pest management measures against this newly-invasive pest in China and across eastern Asia.     

酱曲露尾甲飞行速度和持续时间的初步研究

本项研究应用飞行磨联接自动记录飞行的电子计算机,测定酱曲露尾甲的飞行速度和持续时间,其结果是:(1)所测定的甲虫多数只作短时间的反复飞行(1s—30min)。仅26％的雌虫和8％的雄虫飞行持续时间大于30min,最长可达6.3h.(2)雌虫飞行持续时间明显长于雄虫(P<0.05).(3)雌虫的飞行速度为1586±275m/h,雄虫的飞行速度为1195±347m/h.雌虫飞行速度比雄虫快(P<0.05).     

Ovipositional responses of Spodoptera frugiperda on host plants provide a basis for using Bt-transgenic maize as trap crop in China

Spodoptera frugiperda, the pest fall armyworm(FAW), is widespread in more than 100 countries. To date, planting insectresistant transgenic crops is one of the main control methods in its native countries. In this study we evaluated Bt-transgenic maize(Bt maize) and non-transgenic(conventional) maize and six other host plants in greenhouse pot experiments and field trials for oviposition preference by the Chinese populations of FAW. In laboratory trials, female moths preferred to oviposit on maize with no significant preference between conventional and Bt maize. However, after conventional and transgenic maize were exposed to FAW larvae and damaged, oviposition was significantly higher on transgenic maize than on the conventional one. Field trials showed that for plants less damaged at an early stage(seedling stage), oviposition of FAW on transgenic and conventional maize was significantly higher than that on wheat, sorghum, foxtail millet, peanut and soybean while showing no significant difference between transgenic or conventional maize. FAW adults mainly laid eggs on Bt maize, while the larval density and leaf damage rating or percentage of damaged plants were significantly lower than on conventional maize. Larval density and its damage on conventional maize were significantly higher than that on Bt maize and the other five hosts. Thus, maize is a highly preferred and suitable host for S. frugiperda feeding and ovipositing, and Bt maize can be used as trap crop to protect other crops.     

不同水稻品种对稻纵卷叶螟生长发育、存活、生殖及飞行能力的影响

系统研究了稻纵卷叶螟在6种不同水稻品种(常规粳稻武育粳3号,杂交粳稻宁粳1号,常规籼稻TN1,杂交籼稻汕优63,超级杂交籼稻两优培九,超级杂交籼粳稻甬优9号)上取食后的发育历期、存活率、卵巢发育进度、繁殖力和飞行能力。结果表明,武育粳3号和宁粳1号能显著延长稻纵卷叶螟未成熟期的发育历期,降低其存活率,延缓卵巢发育进度,降低成虫繁殖率,并提高成虫的飞行能力;不同水稻品种间的影响存在显著差异,其影响从大到小排列为杂交粳稻>常规粳稻>常规籼稻>杂交籼稻>超级杂交稻。这说明,幼虫期营养对稻纵卷叶螟的生长发育、存活、生殖和飞行能力具有显著影响。     

Case study on the first immigration of fall armyworm,Spodoptera frugiperda invading into China

The fall armyworm(FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda is one of the most damaging crop pests, and it has become major threat to the food security of many countries. In order to monitor possible invasion of this pest into China, a searchlight trap was established in March 2018 in western Yunnan Province, China, where it has served as the "first station" for many pests that have migrated from Myanmar to China. A number of suspected FAW moths were captured and identified by DNA sequencing. The results showed that the FAW moth was first captured on December 11 and formed its first immigration peak in mid-December 2018. DNA detection revealed that the early invading FAW population was the "corn-strain". The field survey indicated that the pest mainly colonized corn in Pu'er, Dehong and Baoshan areas. Migration trajectory simulation implied that the moths might have mainly come from the eastern area in the mid-latitude region of Myanmar(20–25°N, 94–100°E). This case study confirmed the first immigration of FAW into China, and will be helpful for guiding monitoring and management work to control this pest.     

光周期和温度对中华通草蛉不同越冬时期成虫滞育后生物学特性的影响

【目的】了解不同光周期和温度对中华通草蛉（Chrysoperla sinica）自然滞育种群成虫滞育后生殖生物学的影响,明确“滞育发育”与滞育强度、滞育解除与滞育后发育的关系。【方法】观察记录中华通草蛉自然种群分别于11月、1月、3月在18、22、28℃及不同光周期（15D﹕9L、13.5D﹕10.5L、12L﹕12D）下的产卵前期、产卵历期、产卵量和雌成虫寿命等。【结果】温度对滞育解除后的中华通草蛉成虫的产卵前期（P＜0.001）、产卵历期（P＜0.001）、产卵量（P=0.012）和雌虫寿命（P＜0.001）均有显著影响：随着温度的升高,中华通草蛉解除滞育后的产卵前期、产卵历期、雌雄成虫寿命均缩短。11月份22℃下成虫产卵量最高,而18℃下最低,且3个温度间产卵量有显著差异（P＜0.001）。而1月份（P=0.604）与3月份（P=0.745）不同温度间产卵量无显著性差异。不同越冬时期对滞育成虫产卵前期有显著性影响（P＜0.001）,且随越冬时间延长产卵前期减少。成虫在1月份产卵量高于其它越冬时期,且只有在光周期15D-9L条件下差异显著（P＜0.05）,其余光照条件下差异均不显著（P＞0.05）。不同越冬时期对成虫产卵历期和雌虫寿命差异不显著（P＞0.05）。光周期对中华通草蛉滞育解除过程中的产卵前期（P=0.240）、产卵历期（P=0.234）及雌虫寿命（P=0.155）均无显著性影响。中华通草蛉成虫在15D﹕9L条件下产卵量最大,且在11月份（P=0.008）与3月份（P＜0.001）显著高于其它光周期下,1月份则光周期对产卵量无显著影响（P=0.735）。交互作用显示,温度与越冬时期的交互对产卵前期（P=0.016）及产卵量（P＜0.001）影响显著,而对产卵历期（P=0.321）和雌虫寿命（P=0.583）则无显著影响。光周期与越冬时期的交互对产卵前期（P=0.664）、产卵历期（P=0.074）和雌虫寿命（P=0.052）均无显著性影响,但显著影响成虫产卵量（P=0.031）。【结论】温度对滞育后发育生物学特性均有显著性影响。越冬时期只对产卵前期和产卵量有显著性影响,说明不同越冬时期滞育强度不同且滞育解除过程的能量消耗会对产卵量有一定影响。光周期只对产卵量有显著性影响,说明光照长度会影响中华通草蛉卵粒的形成。温度和越冬时期比光周期对中华通草蛉成虫滞育后发育影响显著。     

Flight behavior of the sycamore lace bug,Corythucha ciliata,in relation to temperature,age, and sex

The flight capacity of different ages and sexes of the sycamore lace bug, Corythucha ciliata, was studied at different temperatures using a flight mill system. The results of regression analysis showed a significant effect of temperature on flight distance(P=0.0082). Temperature did not influence flight duration(P=0.212) or flight speed(P=0.175). The mean flight distance(1 024 m) and mean flight duration were the greatest at 25.2°C. The age of C. ciliata had a significant influence on flight distance(P=0.0005), flight duration(P=0.0005) and flight speed(P=0.026). The 12-d-old adult had the greatest flight distance(887 m), duration(3 875 s) and speed(0.22 m s–1). Flight distances and flight duration of females were significantly longer than that of males. However, the male had significantly greater flight speed than the female. The insect appears to be capable of long distance flights. The understanding of the optimal age and temperature for the flight of this insect through this study provides a foundation for better management of the insect in China.     

Mutagenesis of odorant coreceptor Orco reveals the distinct role of olfaction between sexes in Spodoptera frugiperda

Odorant receptor (OR) is crucial for insects to detect and recognize external chemical cues closely related to their survival. The insect OR forms a heteromeric complex composed of a ligand-specific receptor and a ubiquitously odorant receptor coreceptor (Orco). This study used the CRISPR/Cas9 technique to knock out (KO) Orco and reveal its essential role in acting on OR-meditated olfactory behavior in a critical invasive agricultural pest, the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda. Electroantennogram (EAG) results suggested that the Orco mutants of both male and female moths severely reduced their electrophysiological responses to the eight tested plant volatiles and two sex pheromones. However, the Orco gene played distinct roles in mating behavior between sexes: the mating behavior was fully disrupted in mutated males but not in mutated females. The oviposition result indicated that the Orco KO females displayed reduced egg laying by 24.1% compared with the mated wild type (WT) females. Overall, these results strongly suggest that Orco is an excellent target for disrupting FAW’s normal behavior and provides a feasible pest control approach.     

A sublethal concentration of afidopyropen suppresses the population growth of the cotton aphid,Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover(Hemiptera: Aphididae), is an important insect pest of cotton crops worldwide. The objectives of this study were to determine the acute toxicity of afidopyropen and whether there are any effects of sublethal concentrations of afidopyropen on the biological characteristics of A. gossypii. The results showed that afidopyropen possesses high acute toxicity to adult A. gossypii with a 72 h LC₅₀ value of 1.062 mg L^–1. A sublethal concentrat...     

中华蜜蜂雄蜂飞行时间初探

通过对500只中华蜜蜂(Apis cerana cerana)雄蜂飞行的观察,发现21-30日龄的雄蜂在下午3点左右进行飞行且飞行时间最长.在不考虑雄蜂的日龄和其它因素时,飞行的持续时间平均为35.67±20.12min.雄蜂首次飞行的日龄与其飞行的持续时间有一定的相关(r=0.612).雄蜂两次飞行间在蜂箱内停留的时间与其日龄有关,随每日飞行次数的增加呈下降的趋势.每日第1-2次飞行在箱内停留的时间显著地长于其它次飞行所停留的时间.雄蜂飞行间在蜂箱内停留的平均时间为21.22+16.53mim.     

Population life tables for the invasive fall armyworm,Spodoptera frugiperda fed on major oil crops planted in China

The fall armyworm(FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a newly invasive, widespread agricultural pest in China. Understanding the suitability of the main field crops in Chinese agricultural system as host for this polyphagous herbivore is especially important for making control strategy. Here, after FAWs were fed three important oil-bearing crops(oilseed rape, soybean and sunflower) planted in China and resultant population parameters were compared using the age-stage, two-sex life table method, survival of larvae on soybean was significantly lower than that on oilseed rape and sunflower. Developmental duration of larvae on soybean was also the longest(23.3 days). The highest pupation rate was recorded on sunflower. The highest pupal mass(0.19 g) was attained on oilseed rape, significantly higher than on the other host plants; the lowest mass was on soybean(0.15 g). On soybean, oilseed rape and sunflower, respectively, the average generation period was 42.21, 39.10 and 40.44 d; the intrinsic rate of increase(r) was 0.0844, 0.1041 and 0.1134; the finite rate of increase(λ) was 1.0881, 1.1098 and 1.1202. While the most suitable host plant overall was sunflower, S. frugiperda completed development and increased its population on all three host plants. Thus, soybean, oilseed rape and sunflower were all suitable for FAW, and population monitoring and management of FAW in these crops should be increased.     

Searchlight trapping reveals seasonal cross-ocean migration of fall armyworm over the South China Sea

The fall armyworm(FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a migratory noctuid pest that has recently invaded eastern Asia. From 2017 up till 2020, searchlight trapping was used to assess the extent of FAW migration across the South China Sea. Molecular and morphology-based identification confirmed that FAW made its first appearance on Yongxing Island on 11 April 2019, with most trapped individuals belonging to the S. frugiperda "corn-strain". Carbon isotope analysis further showed that FAW moths originated from C4 host plants, while trajectory analyses revealed that migratory S. frugiperda adults are able to cross the South China Sea and enter mainland China. This long-distance migration process plausibly results in frequent genetic mixing between domestic FAW populations and those of neighboring Southeast Asian countries. Overall, this work provides unique insights into FAW migration across eastern Asia and ultimately can help advance pest forecasting, risk assessment and area-wide pest management.     

Features of Bioecology of Sea Buckthorn Flies <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhagoletis batava</Emphasis> Hering in the Central Non-Chernozem Region of Russia

Sea buckthorn fly Rhagoletis batava Hering (Diptera; Tephritidae) was first recorded in the Central Non-Chernozem Region of Russia in the early 21st century. The pest adapted in a short time and there are periodically massive outbreaks of reproduction. In some years, this phytophage damages more than 80% of susceptible sea buckthorn cultivars’ fruits. However, the bioecology of R. batava in the specified area has not been studied, which hampers the timely implementation of protective measures and ensuring of their high efficiency. The beginning of flight of flies, oviposition, and larval hatching strongly depend on weather conditions and they occur with a difference in the calendar period up to 25–30 days in different years. In the years of research, the sum of effective temperatures above 10°C at the beginning of flight of flies ranged from 252.1 to 319°С, from 339.5 to 390.3°C at the beginning of oviposition, and from 428.3 to 471.0°C at the beginning of larval hatching. The duration of the summer period in the exploration area ranges from 48 to 57 days. To track the dynamics of the summer and to more accurately determine the beginning of the individual phases of development of the pest, it is necessary to use yellow two-sided glue traps and fruit inspection under a microscope.     

Effect of a near-zero magnetic field on development and flight of oriental armyworm(Mythimna separata)

The geomagnetic field affects all living organisms on the Earth. In this study we investigated the developmental and behavioral effects of rearing Mythimna separata in a near-zero magnetic field(500 n T) compared to the local geomagnetic field(approximately 50 μT). The near-zero magnetic field produced by a Helmholtz coil system significantly lengthened larval and pupal development durations, increased male longevity, and reduced pupal weight, female reproduction, and the relative expression level of the vitellogenin(Vg) gene in newly emerged females. Moreover, the near-zero magnetic field had a considerable negative effect on the mating ratio of M. separata adults. In addition, the moths in the near-zero magnetic field displayed less flight activity late in the night than those in the Earth's normal geomagnetic field, indicating that the flight rhythm of M. separata may be affected by the near-zero magnetic field. Reduction in magnetic field intensity may have negative effects on the development and flight of oriental armyworm, with consequent additional effects on its migration.