Effect of Colored Sticky Cards on Non-target Insects

Field experiments to evaluate four different colored sticky cards for trapping non-target insects were conducted in an organic maize field in the Heinigou region of China. Yellow, blue, green, and red sticky cards were used to trap insects in the field. The total number of insects species caught was 54, with 3,862 individuals recorded. Over half of the specimens caught were non-target insects, including phytophagous insects, particularly dipteran species(including many mosquitoes)(50.3%), followed by target pests(37.0%), and beneficial insects(12.7%). Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in attraction to target pests, non-target pests, and beneficial insects among treatment groups. The results showed that higher numbers of target pests(Myzus persicae Sulzer, Empoasca flavescens Fabricius, Nysius ericaecshinly Schilling) were caught on yellow sticky card traps compared with blue, green, or red sticky card traps, indicating that yellow was the best trap color for target pests, with green and blue being progressively less attractive. For non-target insects, including phytophagous insects, flies, and mosquitoes,higher numbers of were caught on blue sticky card traps compared with yellow,green, or red sticky card traps. Our study indicated that blue was the most attractive color for flies, especially for the housefly, Musca domestica Linnaeus. Our study also showed that most beneficial insects exhibited preferences to particular trap color characteristics: yellow was the most attractive color for parasitic wasps and lady beetles; blue was the most attractive color for hoverflies and honeybees. In contrast,green and red had no significant attraction to beneficial insects.

Minerals in edible insects:a review of content and potential for sustainable sourcing

In response to the rapid increase in world population and subsequent demands for food,edible insects represent an alternative food source for humans that is rich in proteins,amino acids and minerals.Entomophagy is a tradition in many countries including China and Thailand,and edible insects have attracted a lot of attention in Western World due to their suitable nutrient composition,high mineral content(e.g.,Fe,Zn,Ca,Mg)and potential use as a supplement in human diet.In this study,we surveyed mineral content in seven insect orders and 67 species of mass produced and wild-harvested edible insects.The total content of essential elements in edible insects was very high in Tenebrio molitor,Bombyx mori,and Zonocerus variegatus.The heavy metal content(summarized for eight species)was below the maximum limit allowed for safe consumption.Sustainable supply of minerals derived from insect biomass is complicated due to the high variations of mineral content in insects and the potential of its change due to processing.

Changes in the Non-targeted Metabolomic Profile of Three-year-old Toddlers with Elevated Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Objective To investigate changes in the urinary metabolite profiles of children exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)during critical brain development and explore their potential link with the intestinal microbiota.Methods Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine ten hydroxyl metabolites of PAHs(OH-PAHs)in 36-month-old children.Subsequently,37 children were categorized into low-and high-exposure groups based on the sum of the ten OH-PAHs.Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to identify non-targeted metabolites in the urine samples.Furthermore,fecal flora abundance was assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing using Illumina MiSeq.Results The concentrations of 21 metabolites were significantly higher in the high exposure group than in the low exposure group(variable importance for projection>1,P<0.05).Most of these metabolites were positively correlated with the hydroxyl metabolites of naphthalene,fluorine,and phenanthrene(r=0.336–0.531).The identified differential metabolites primarily belonged to pathways associated with inflammation or proinflammatory states,including amino acid,lipid,and nucleotide metabolism.Additionally,these distinct metabolites were significantly associated with specific intestinal flora abundances(r=0.34–0.55),which were mainly involved in neurodevelopment.Conclusion Higher PAH exposure in young children affected metabolic homeostasis,particularly that of certain gut microbiota-derived metabolites.Further investigation is needed to explore the potential influence of PAHs on the gut microbiota and their possible association with neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Enhancing forest insect outbreak detection by integrating tree-ring and climate variables

Annual tree rings are widely recognized as valuable tools for quantifying and reconstructing historical forest disturbances.However,the influence of climate can complicate the detection of disturbance signals,leading to limited accuracy in existing methods.In this study,we propose a random under-sampling boosting(RUB)classifier that integrates both tree-ring and climate variables to enhance the detection of forest insect outbreaks.The study focused on 32 sites in Alberta,Canada,which documented insect outbreaks from 1939 to 2010.Through thorough feature engineering,model development,and tenfold cross-validation,multiple machine learning(ML)models were constructed.These models used ring width indices(RWIs)and climate variables within an 11-year window as input features,with outbreak and non-outbreak occurrences as the corresponding output variables.Our results reveal that the RUB model consistently demonstrated superior overall performance and stability,with an accuracy of 88.1%,which surpassed that of the other ML models.In addition,the relative importance of the feature variables followed the order RWIs>mean maximum temperature(Tmax)from May to July>mean total precipita-tion(Pmean)in July>mean minimum temperature(Tmin)in October.More importantly,the dfoliatR(an R package for detecting insect defoliation)and curve intervention detec-tion methods were inferior to the RUB model.Our findings underscore that integrating tree-ring width and climate vari-ables as predictors in machine learning offers a promising avenue for enhancing the accuracy of detecting forest insect outbreaks.

31 Plant Species against Blood Feeding and Disease Vectors Insects: Beyond Anti-Insect Properties, Unvalued Opportunities and Challenges for Health and Sustainability

Plants with bioactive properties are greatly useful in preventing and controlling blood-sucking and disease-vector invertebrates, particularly in developing countries and low-income communities. Their application is a promising alternative to synthetic compounds whose use remains a health, environmental, and economic challenge. However, many are still unknown and unvalued, while others are becoming ignored and threatened. The main objective of this ethnobotanical study is to identify and characterize indigenous and locally grown plants against blood-sucking and disease-vector insects. Salient opportunities and challenges of using these plants are documented and discussed. Semi-structured interviews, using a prepared questionnaire, were conducted with 228 informants. The consensus index (CI) was calculated to analyze the reliability of the collected information. The identified 31 anti-insect plant species belong to 20 botanical families, four morphological categories, and six habitat types. They can be categorized as insecticidal plants (42% of the total), insect repellent (42% of the total), and both insecticidal and insect repellent (16% of the total). More than 54% of these are still abundant in the study area, while about 35.5% have become rare and difficultly accessible. Based on the numerical importance of related anti-insect plant species, the seven targeted blood-sucking insects range in the following decreasing order: Jiggers (16 species) > Fire Ants (9 species) > Flies (8 plants) > Mosquitoes (4 species) > Fleas (2 species) > Bedbugs (1 species) > lice (0 species). The three most commonly used plants, with the highest confirmation indices, are Tetradenia riparia (ICs = 0.712), Eucalyptus globulus subsp. maidenii (ICs = 0.302), and Solanum aculeastrum (ICs = 0.288). The antimicrobial role of many locally grown anti-insect plants and the multiple other associated valorization possibilities are ignored by most informants. Domesticating, propagating, protecting, and promoting the sustainable use of these plants would be an appropriate route for their conservation and continued availability.

Twenty-Three Years of Insect Pollinator-Dependent Crop Studies in Agro-Ecological Zones of Cameroon (2011-2020)

Cultivation of pollinator-dependent crops has expanded globally, increasing our reliance on insect pollination. This essential ecosystem service is provided by a wide range of managed and wild pollinators whose abundance and diversity are thought to be in decline, threatening sustainable food production. In Cameroon, several studies on pollinator-dependent crops carried out in different agro-ecological zones (AEZ) have been published in national and international journals, in order to present the importance and impact of flowering insects on fruit and seed yields of plant species. We proposed to produce a review article highlighting the different flowering insects and their importance for different plants according to AEZ, without however focusing on the quality of the journal (predator or non-predator) and how the different insects were identified (scientific names given in the publications). Thus, from 1997 to 2020, we collected 116 published papers from which only 26 were kept for this review. The results show that Hymenoptera, including the Apidae, followed by Megachilidae, are the most excellent pollinators of plant species in Cameroon, and they are present in different agro-ecological zones. The majority of publications focused on bees, particularly the honeybee Apis mellifera.

A Review on Characteristics, Extraction Methods and Applications of Renewable Insect Protein

Due to the expected rise in the world population,an increase in the requirements for quality and safety of food and feed is expected,which leads to the growing demand for new sources of sustainable and renewable protein.Insect protein is gaining importance as a renewable material for several reasons,reflecting its potential contribu-tions to sustainability,resource efficiency,and environmental conservation.Some insect species are known to be able to efficiently convert organic waste into high-value products such as protein,requiring less land and water compared to traditional livestock.In addition,insect farming produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions,contri-buting to mitigating climate change.Insects are considered as a major potential alternative to animal or plant protein due to their many nutritional benefits,including high protein,mineral,and vitamin contents.On average,the protein content of insects ranges between 35%and 60%dry weight,which exceeds plant protein sources,such as cereal,soybeans,and lentils.As the acceptance of insect protein grows and technologies advance,the food and feed industries continue to explore and expand their applications,offering consumers diverse and sustainable pro-tein choices.In this review,we discuss the recentfindings relating to insect protein focusing on its characteristics,extraction methods,applications,and opportunities along with some trade-offs and uncertainties.

Social Cost Analysis of Biological Control Technology for Crop Diseases and Insect Pests

With the rapid development of modern agriculture,the prevention and control of crop diseases and insect pests has become an important part to ensure the safety of agricultural production,the quality of agricultural products and the safety of agricultural ecological environment.Although the effect of traditional chemical prevention and control technology is remarkable,the health risks and environmental problems brought by it should not be ignored.As a green and environmentally friendly means of prevention and control,biological prevention and control technology has gradually become a hot research topic and a trend of agricultural production.This paper is intended to comprehensively evaluate the social costs of biological control technologies for crop diseases and pests,including the health risks reduced,environmental improvements,economic benefits,and barriers to promotion,and put forward corresponding policy recommendations.

Analysis of Economic Benefits Brought by Industrialization of Natural Enemy Insects

In the field of biological control of agricultural and forestry pests,natural enemy insects play an important role,constituting the core of modern integrated pest management(IPM)strategy,providing solid support for the zero growth goal of chemical pesticide use,and helping the sustainable development of green agriculture.The rise of the natural enemy insect industry has become a key driver of the transformation of green agriculture,injecting vitality into the sustainability and ecological protection of agriculture.With the increasing concern about food safety,environmental protection and ecological balance all over the world,the application scope of natural enemy insects as biological control means is constantly expanding.Its unique ecological adaptability and environmentally friendly characteristics help to reduce dependence on chemical pesticides,ensure the safety of agricultural products and maintain ecological diversity.The purpose of this study is to analyze the current situation of natural enemy insect industry,evaluate its cost and benefit,emphasize its great significance in promoting the transformation of green agriculture,improving production efficiency and promoting ecological protection by drawing lessons from foreign successful experiences,and explore an efficient and sustainable new agricultural development model.

Identification of key taste components in Baccaurea ramiflora Lour.fruit using non-targeted metabolomics

Among the numerous fruit species of Baccaurea ramiflora Lour.,‘LR’(white flesh)and‘BR’(pink flesh)are two kinds of local strains with high edibility.In order to study the metabolic causes of taste differences,we performed the non-targeted metabonomics analysis of‘LR’and‘BR’using LC-MS/MS.541 metabolites were totally identified,and 45 kinds of metabolites(carbohydrates,fatty acids,flavonoids and terpenoids,etc.)were different between the two strains.The results indicate L-sorbose,D-(+)-glucose,citric acid,L-phenylalanine and oleamide,α-eleostearic acid were the main primary metabolites.The significant difference existed in pathways of unsaturated fatty acids between the studied two strains by pathway enrichment analysis.The results demonstrate that the different in composition,as well as the abundance of primary and secondary metabolites may be the potential causes of taste differences,which provides a new insight into the possible metabolic factors setting off the changing taste of B.ramiflora.

CRISPR-based genetic control strategies for insect pests

Genetic control strategies such as the sterile insect technique have successfully fought insect pests worldwide. The CRISPR(clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) technology, together with high-quality genomic resources obtained in more and more species, greatly facilitates the development of novel genetic control insect strains that can be used in area-wide and species-specific pest control programs. Here, we review the research progress towards state-of-art CRISPR-based genetic control strategies, including gene drive, sex ratio distortion, CRISPRengineered genetic sexing strains, and precision-guided sterile insect technique. These strategies’ working mechanisms,potential resistance development mechanisms, and regulations are illustrated and discussed. In addition, recent developments such as stacked and conditional systems are introduced. We envision that the advances in genetic technology will continue to be one of the driving forces for developing the next generation of pest control strategies.

Regional selection of insecticides and fungal biopesticides to control aphids and thrips and improve the forage quality of alfalfa crops

The efficacies of biological and conventional chemical insecticides against two major insect pests of alfalfa(aphids and thrips)were compared in three sites across China’s alfalfa belt.In addition,the persistence of the residues of chemical insecticides in alfalfa and their influence on the quality of alfalfa hay were examined.Efficacy varied among the different biological and chemical insecticides.The chemical insecticides were significantly more effective than biopesticides in a short time-frame.The efficacy period of biopesticides was significantly longer than that of chemical insecticides,and the corrected mortality rate of aphids in all regions was above 50%at 14 days after application.The analysis of pesticide residues showed that the residual doses of all the pesticides were within the allowed ranges after the safe period.The acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber contents in alfalfa hay were higher and the protein content was lower in chemical insecticide treatments than in biopesticide treatments in Hebei.The relative feeding value of alfalfa hay treated with Metarhizium anisopliae IPP330189 was the highest among the treatments.Compared with chemical insecticides,the yield of alfalfa hay was higher in the biopesticides treatments.Biopesticides show a stronger control effect on insect populations and also a better improvement in the quality of alfalfa hay than chemical insecticides.This study provides a basis for exploring and developing a comprehensive control regime for alfalfa insect pests in the different alfalfa-growing regions in China,and for reducing chemical insecticide usage and improving forage quality.

MRUNet:A two-stage segmentation model for small insect targets in complex environments

Online automated identification of farmland pests is an important auxiliary means of pest control.In practical applications,the online insect identification system is often unable to locate and identify the target pest accurately due to factors such as small target size,high similarity between species and complex backgrounds.To facilitate the identification of insect larvae,a two-stage segmentation method,MRUNet was proposed in this study.Structurally,MRUNet borrows the practice of object detection before semantic segmentation from Mask R-CNN and then uses an improved lightweight UNet to perform the semantic segmentation.To reliably evaluate the segmentation results of the models,statistical methods were introduced to measure the stability of the performance of the models among samples in addition to the evaluation indicators commonly used for semantic segmentation.The experimental results showed that this two-stage image segmentation strategy is effective in dealing with small targets in complex backgrounds.Compared with existing state-of-the-art semantic segmentation methods,MRUNet shows better stability and detail processing ability under the same conditions.This study provides a reliable reference for the automated identification of insect larvae.

Defensive Role of Plant Latex on Insect Pests’ Suppression: A Critical Review

Over 350 million years have passed since the documentation of the first interaction between plants and insects. Numerous plant defense qualities and associated counter-adaptive features have developed as a result of these interactions between insects and plants. These characteristics might be either morphological or biological in nature. One of the most significant and useful biochemical characteristics in plants is latex. Latex has a sticky property due to presence of secondary metabolites in it, which aids in entangling or sealing the mouthparts of small insects. These metabolites also chemically interact with the insects interfering with crucial bodily processes. Plant latex has amazing properties that help protect plants from insects and inhibit them in general. It may be possible to control insect pests in a natural, secure, and long-lasting manner by correctly identifying plant latex with strong insecticidal properties and developing formulations of plant latex.

Efficacy of Beneficial Fungi Isolates in Solanum lycopersicum L. Protection against Lepidopteran Insects through a Leaf Inoculation Technique

Helicoverpa armigera is a key insect pest of tomatoes reducing drastically yields. The effect of the endophytic colonization of tomato plants by Beauveria bassiana using leaf spray as an inoculation method on damage and survival of H. armigera was assessed in a screen house. Two B. bassiana isolates (Bb 115 and Bb 11) and two tomato varieties (a local variety Tounvi and an improved variety Padma) were included in the study. The adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces were sprayed at a concentration of 107 conidia/ml and 109 conidia/ml for each isolate and each of the two tomato varieties. Thirty days after inoculation, five discs of tomato leaf and tomato root were cut for each isolate, each concentration per isolate and for each variety. The samples were incubated at room temperature (28°C ± 2°C) and periodically checked for fungal growth. Larval survival was checked and a damage assessment was done on tomato flowers and the leaves. The results show that the lowest Mean Survival Times (MSTs) were recorded on larvae feeding on plants inoculated with Bb 11 (4.2 ± 0.8 days against 11.5 ± 0.2 days for control). Compared to the other treatments, low damage rates of the flowers of the improved variety inoculated with Bb 11 at 109 conidia/ml were recorded from the 6th Day After Inoculation (DAI). This rate remains low until the end of treatment. Overall flower damage was lower than leaf damage. The results showed large differences in pathogenicity, with most endophytic isolate belonging to Bb 11 when inoculated at 109 conidia/ml using the leaf spraying technique. Data were discussed with regard to the use of endophytism B. bassiana in an integrated tomato pest control approach.

Non-target lung embolization during portal vein embolization due to an unrecognized portosystemic venous fistula:A case report

BACKGROUND Portal vein embolization(PVE)is an effective and relatively safe procedure performed prior to major hepatic resection to enhance future liver remnant.Nontarget embolization during PVE is rare,and if it occurs,it usually affects the future liver remnant.Intrahepatic portosystemic venous fistulas are extremely rare in non-cirrhotic livers.We report a case of non-targeted lung embolization during PVE due to an unrecognized intrahepatic portosystemic fistula.CASE SUMMARY A 60-year-old male presented with metastatic colon cancer of the liver.The patient underwent preoperative right PVE.During the embolization procedure,a small amount of glue and lipiodol emulsion was embolized to the heart and lungs through an unrecognized intrahepatic portosystemic fistula.The patient remained clinically stable and underwent the planned hepatic resection after 4 wk,with an uneventful postoperative course.CONCLUSION Conventional portograms and careful evaluation prior to PVE are advisable to avoid such complications.

Diversity of Insect Flower Visitors on Macadamia within a Monoculture Orchard in Murang’a County, Central Kenya

Macadamia is cultivated for its nutritious edible kernel. In Kenya, the crop is predominantly grown by smallholder farmers mainly for export markets. Macadamia trees also enhance agro-forestry conservation, in the East African farmlands, by providing habitat and floral resources to beneficial arthropods such as insect pollinators. Allogamy of macadamia flowers is largely dependent on insects that pollinate and consequently influence the nut set, retention and yield. However, there is limited information on macadamia insect flower visitors in Kenya. This article assessed the diversity of insects that forage flowers of macadamia crop, and further evaluated their temporal distribution, in Murang’a county, central Kenya. Insect flower visitors were sampled weekly using a butterfly net for twelve consecutive months, from January 2021 to December 2021. Sixty-one insect species were recorded foraging macadamia flowers in Murang’a county, central Kenya. There was a statistical difference in the Simpson diversity index among weather seasons, dry, long rain, cold and short rain (p Apis mellifera), a key pollinator species, being the most abundant flower visitor. This study provides strong baseline information, to scientists and farmers, on probable macadamia pollinator species, in central Kenya. .

Analysis of Differential Metabolites in Selenium-enriched Rice Based on Extensive Non-targeted Metabolome

[Objectives]Selenium(Se)-enriched rice is the main type of Se-enriched agricultural product developed in China,and this study aimed to understand the impact of selenium application on the metabolites in rice.[Methods]Se-enriched rice was prepared by foliar application of a sodium selenite aqueous solution,and high-throughput analysis of differential metabolites in Se-enriched rice was conducted based on extensive non-targeted metabolome.[Results]There were significant differences in metabolites between Se-enriched rice and ordinary rice,and a total of 535 differential metabolites were identified.Among them,420 metabolites in Se-enriched rice were upregulated,accounting for 78.5%,far higher than downregulated metabolites.The enrichment differences of three KEGG metabolic pathways,including cysteine and methionine metabolism,zeatin biosynthesis,and arachidonic acid metabolism,reached a significant level,indicating that selenium enrichment had a significant regulatory effect on the metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids,the synthesis of natural cytokinin zeatin,and arachidonic acid bioactive components in rice.[Conclusions]The results can provide a theoretical basis for the production of Se-enriched rice.

Growth performance and scale insect infestation of Shorea leprosula in a common garden experimental plot

Many tree planting programmes have long been initiated to increase forest cover to mitigate the effects of global climate change.Successful planting requires careful planning at the project level,including using suitable species with favourable traits.However,there is a paucity of improvement data for tropical tree species.An experimental common garden of Shorea leprosula was established to study traits related to growth performance which are key factors in planting success.Seedlings of S.leprosula were collected from nine geographical forest reserves.To study the effects of genetic variation,seedlings were planted in a common environment following a randomized complete block design.From performance data collected 2017‒2019,one population showed the highest coefficient for relative height growth,significantly higher than most of the other populations.Interestingly,this population from Beserah also exhibited the lowest coefficient for scale insect infestation.This study provides preliminary results on growth performance and susceptibility to scale insect infestation in S.leprosula and the first common garden experiment site conducted on dipterocarp species.It lays a foundation for future genome-wide studies.

Modified Metaheuristics with Transfer Learning Based Insect Pest Classification for Agricultural Crops

Crop insect detection becomes a tedious process for agronomists because a substantial part of the crops is damaged,and due to the pest attacks,the quality is degraded.They are the major reason behind crop quality degradation and diminished crop productivity.Hence,accurate pest detection is essential to guarantee safety and crop quality.Conventional identification of insects necessitates highly trained taxonomists to detect insects precisely based on morphological features.Lately,some progress has been made in agriculture by employing machine learning(ML)to classify and detect pests.This study introduces a Modified Metaheuristics with Transfer Learning based Insect Pest Classification for Agricultural Crops(MMTL-IPCAC)technique.The presented MMTL-IPCAC technique applies contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization(CLAHE)approach for image enhancement.The neural architectural search network(NASNet)model is applied for feature extraction,and a modified grey wolf optimization(MGWO)algorithm is employed for the hyperparameter tuning process,showing the novelty of the work.At last,the extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost)model is utilized to carry out the insect classification procedure.The simulation analysis stated the enhanced performance of the MMTL-IPCAC technique in the insect classification process with maximum accuracy of 98.73%.