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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.1040.v1

A Revision of the Mexicana Species-Group of Encarsia (=Dirphys Howard) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), Gregarious Endoparasitoids of Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in the Neotropical Region

Andrew Polaszek, Estrella Hernández-Suárez, Robert Luke Kresslein, Paul E. Hanson, Yvonne M. Linton, Jacqueline MacKenzie-Dodds, Stefan Schmidt

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Aleyrodidae; Aleurodicinae; parasitoid; biological control; New World

Online: 15 May 2023 (12:06:35 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.0964.v1

The Effects of Biological and Physical Factors on Controlling the Destructive Palm Pest Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier

Sunyapat Akkarajeerawat, Thanatkorn Chauvanasmith, Chanan Keatsirisart, Wanida Bhu-iam

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: red palm weevil; pest invasion; metamorphosis; gut microbiota; growth hormone; pupation nature

Online: 12 May 2023 (15:04:41 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.0666.v1

First Records of Heartbeats via ECG in a Stingless Bee, Melipona flavolineata (Apidae, Meliponini), during Contention Stress, Using Isoflurane as an Anesthetic

Felipe Andrés León Contrera, Bárbara dos Santos Conceição Lopes, Clarissa Araújo da Paz, Maria Klara Otake Hamoy, Murilo Farias dos Santos, Gabriela Brito Barbosa, Anthony Lucas Gurgel do Amaral, Luiz Henrique Barbosa de Pinho, Moisés Hamoy

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Electrophysiology; Bee; Melipona; ECG; Restraint stress; anesthetic

Online: 9 May 2023 (14:30:31 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.0462.v1

Evolutionary Adaptation of Genes Involved in Galactose Derivatives Metabolism in Oil-Tea Specialized Andrena Species

Gonghua Lin, Bo He, Kai Jiang, Tianjuan Su, Fang Zhao, Zuhao Huang

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Andrena camellia; genome; RNASeq; molecular evolution; gene expression; galactose derivatives; NAGA-like

Online: 8 May 2023 (08:08:31 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.0294.v1

The Key Roles of Ionotropic Receptor Gene EnouIR25a in Host-Plant Finding by the Tea Green Leafhopper, Empoasca onukii Matsuda

Ruirui Zhang, Xiaoyue Lun, Yu Zhang, Yunhe Zhao, Xiuxiu Xu, Zhengqun Zhang

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Empoasca onukii Matsuda; EonuIR25a; plant volatiles; RNA interference; olfactory system

Online: 5 May 2023 (04:13:36 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.0213.v1

Transposable Elements Shape the Genome Diversity and the Evolution of Noctuidae Species

Chunhui Zhang, Lei Wang, Liang Dou, Bisong Yue, Jinchuan Xing, Jing Li

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Noctuidae; transposable elements; genomic diversity; phylogeny; horizontal transfer TE (HTT) events

Online: 4 May 2023 (07:37:23 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.0208.v1

Evolution of MALDI-TOF MS Profiles From Lice and Fleas Preserved in Alcohol Over Time

Hanene Benyahia, Philippe Parola, Lionel ALMERAS

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: arthropods; MALDI-TOF MS; duration of ethanol storing; species identification

Online: 4 May 2023 (07:17:52 CEST)

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Preprint COMMUNICATION | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.0184.v1

Miticidal Tools for Management of Southern Red Mites Infesting Southern Highbush Blueberries

Lorena Lopez, Oscar Liburd

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: tetranychids; mite injury; bronzing; predatory mites; highbush blueberry, Florida

Online: 4 May 2023 (04:14:48 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.0127.v1

Forest Tent Caterpillar Outbreaks Drive Change in Ant Community in Boreal Forests

Anne-Sophie Caron, Essivi Claire Gagon-Koudji, Ira Tanya Handa, Miguel Montoro Girona, Emma Despland

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: ant community; disturbance ecology; forest ecology; insect outbreaks; natural disturbances

Online: 3 May 2023 (10:04:06 CEST)

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Insect outbreaks are major drivers of natural disturbances in forest ecosystems. Outbreaks can have both direct and indirect effects on the composition of soil arthropod communities, through canopy opening, nutrient addition and predator-prey interactions. In this study, we aim to understand the effects of forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria; FTC) outbreaks on ant communities in both temperate and boreal forests in Canada. Using pitfall traps and Berlese funnels, we compared the ant communities as well as the surrounding arthropod communities between control and outbreak sites in boreal andboreal and temperate forests (in Québec, Canada). Using the Sørensen dissimilarity index, we determined the alpha and beta diversity of the ant community. Other arthropods collected in the traps were counted to evaluate the richness and abundance of potential prey for the ants and other potential predators of the FTC. We used an indicator species analysis to examine the species associated with sites defoliated by the outbreak. In the boreal forest, we found that FTC outbreaks caused decreases in species richness and increases in the evenness of ant communities in defoliated sites. In the boreal forest sites, species composition varied significantly between control and outbreak sites. This pattern was driven by the presence of other predators. We also saw no changes in beta diversity in the boreal forest but did see a significant decrease in the temperate forest between the outbreak sites and the control sites. A similar, but weaker pattern was observed in the temperate forest. Ant species in the boreal forest tended to exhibit a more marked preference for either control or previously defoliated sites than species in the temperate forest. Our study showed that disturbances like insect outbreaks can drive changes in the ant community. While we saw small effects of outbreaks, manipulation experiments using resource addition could help us validate the mechanisms behind these relationships.

Preprint BRIEF REPORT | doi:10.20944/preprints202305.0123.v1

Insecticide Resistance in Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes: First Evidence of Kdr F1534C, S989P and V1016G Triple Mutation in Benin, West Africa

Tatchémè Filémon TOKPONNON, Razack OSSE, Sare Dabou Zoulkifilou, Amos GBENOUGA, Festus Houessinon, Idayath Gounou, Aboubakar Sidick, Louisa A. Messenger, Martin Akogbeto

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Aedes aegypti; pyrethroid resistance; kdr mutations; detoxification enzymes; 10ème arrondissement of Cotonou; Godomey-Togoudo; Benin West Africa

Online: 3 May 2023 (09:30:25 CEST)

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Epidemics of arboviruses in general, and dengue fever, in particular, are an increasing threat in areas where Aedes (Ae.) aegypti is present. The effectiveness of chemical control of Ae. aegypti is threatened by the increasing frequency of insecticide resistance. The aim of this study was to determine the susceptibility status of Ae. aegypti to public health insecticides and assess the underlying mechanisms driving insecticide resistance. Ae. aegypti eggs were collected in two study sites in the vicinity of houses for two weeks using Gravid Aedes Traps (GATs). After rearing mosquitoes to adulthood, female Ae. aegypti were exposed to the diagnostic doses of permethrin, deltamethrin and bendiocarb, using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) bottle bioassays. Unexposed, un-engorged female Ae. aegypti were tested individually for mixed-function oxidase (MFO), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and esterase activity. Finally, allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) was used to detect kdr mutations (F1534C, S989P and V1016G) in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene in insecticide-exposed Ae. aegypti. Most traps were oviposition positive; 93.2% and 97% of traps contained Ae. aegypti eggs in the 10ème arrondissement of Cotonou and in Godomey-Togoudo, respectively. Insecticide bioassays assays detected resistance to permethrin and deltamethrin in both study sites and complete susceptibility to bendiocarb. By comparison to the insecticide-susceptibility Rockefeller strain, field Ae. aegypti populations had significantly higher levels of GSTs and significantly lower levels of  and  esterases; there was no significant difference between levels of MFOs. AS-PCR genotyping revealed the presence of the three kdr mutations (F1534C, S989P and V1016G) at high frequencies; 80.9% (228/282) of Ae. aegypti tested had at least one mutation, while the simultaneous presence of all three kdr mutations was identified in 13 resistant individuals. Study findings demonstrated phenotypic pyrethroid resistance, the overexpression of key detoxification enzymes and the presence of several kdr mutations in Ae. aegypti populations, emphasizing the urgent need to implement vector control strategies, targeting arbovirus vector species in Benin.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202304.1201.v1

Synthetic Derivatives for the Management of Solenopsis Ants: Toxicity, Sublethal Effects and Horizontal Transfer

Jaciele O. Dantas, Sócrates C.H. Cavalcanti, Ana Paula A. Araújo, Arie F. Blank, Jefferson E. Silva, Marcelo C. Picanço, Valfran S. Andrade, Geovânia S. Menezes, Thaysnara B. Brito, Leandro Bacci

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Insecta; pest control; ecotoxicology; behavior; biological products; germoplasm; essential oil; insecticide; necrophoresis

Online: 29 April 2023 (04:06:06 CEST)

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Ants of the genus Solenopsis are important invasive pests in the world. Due to their high dispersion capacity, aggressive behavior and because they feed on various sources of vegetable and animal protein, these insects have caused serious damage to public health and agriculture. The control has usually been carried out through the use of organosynthetic insecticides. However, due to the ecological and environmental impacts caused by the use these products, more sustainable alternatives have been sought for their control. Faced with these problems and due to the scarcity of registered products for the control of these insects, we aimed with this study to synthesize and evaluate the anticidal potential of carvacrol derivatives. The lethal and sublethal effects caused by these derivatives were compared with the essential oil of Lippia gracilis (50.7% carvacrol) and with the base molecule — carvacrol. Carvacryl benzoate was the most toxic derivative to Solenopsis sp. with an LD50 of 3.20 g/ mg. This compound was about 2 and 7.6 times, more toxic than carvacrol at the doses needed to kill 50 and 90% of populations, respectively. The workers of Solenopsis sp. showed a rapid reduction in survival when exposed to carvacrol (LT50 = 8.43h) and carvacryl benzoate (LT50 = 8.87h). Insects treated with sublethal doses of the compounds did not show significant effects on self-cleaning, allogrooming and aggregation, with the exception of those treated with L. gracilis essential oil. The oil increased self-cleaning and reduced allogrooming and aggregation. Ants treated with carvacrol and carvacryl benzoate showed greater distance and speed when compared to the control. These compounds decreased meanders and angular velocity. When live workers were exposed to dead individuals at the LD90 of the compounds, carvacryl benzoate was the derivative that most reduced insects survival, due to horizontal transfer. These results show the potential of the carvacrol derivative — carvacryl benzoate — for the alternative management of ants of the genus Solenopsis sp.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202304.1040.v1

Screening of Entomopathogenic Fungal Culture Metabolites With Honey Bee Nosemosis Inhibitory Activity

Dong Jun Kim, Ra Mi Woo, Kyu Seek Kim, Soo-Dong Woo

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: honey bee; nosemosis; Nosema ceranae; Apis mellifera; entomopathogenic fungi; metabolite

Online: 27 April 2023 (04:43:22 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202304.0768.v1

Temperature but Not Photoperiod Can Predict Development and Survival of an Invasive Apple Pest

Xiong Zhao He, Qiao Wang

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: biosecurity; temperature; photoperiod; phenology; pest risk analysis

Online: 23 April 2023 (04:37:26 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202304.0580.v1

The Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Influences Nilaparvata lugens Population Growth Directly, by Preying on Its Eggs, and Indirectly, by Inducing Defenses in Rice

Chen Qiu, Jiamei Zeng, Yingying Tang, Qing Gao, Wenhan Xiao, Yonggen Lou

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: herbivore-induced plant defense; signaling pathway; intraguild predation; jasmonoyl-isoleucine; abscisic acid

Online: 19 April 2023 (09:31:48 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202304.0067.v1

The Social Organisation of Oecophylla smaragdina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Colonies and Their Functional Activity

Pierre Exélis, Rosli Ramli, Azarae Hj Idris, Zubaidah Yacob, Rabha W. Ibrahim, Salmah Yaakop, Nurul Wahida Othman

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Weaver ant abundance; Intermediate workers caste; Major workers; Behaviours; Reproductive; Polymorphic workers

Online: 5 April 2023 (15:40:41 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202303.0482.v1

Biology of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) On Several Types of Plant Feed: Potency as a Pest on Various Plants

Danar Dono, Retno Wulansari, Yusup Hidayat

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Fall army worm; insect biology; life table; nutritional indices; host suitability

Online: 28 March 2023 (10:11:21 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202303.0250.v1

Insecticidal and Synergistic Potential of Three Monoterpenoids Against the Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Cu-Licidae), and the House Fly, Musca domestica

Oshneil S. Baker, Edmund J. Norris, Edwin R. Burgess IV

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Aedes aegypti; Musca domestica; house fly; toxicology; natural products; insecticide synergists

Online: 14 March 2023 (06:34:58 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202303.0005.v1

A Re-Inventory After 12 Years – Increase in Red Wood Ant Nests and Woodpecker Cavities in Nests in the West Eifel Volcanic Field Despite Climatic Changes

Gabriele M. Berberich, Martin B. Berberich

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Red wood ants (Formica rufa-group); tree age classes; West Eifel Volcanic Field; herbaceous layer; woodpecker cavities; clearings; re-inventory; climate change

Online: 1 March 2023 (02:57:20 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202302.0217.v1

Resistance Monitoring of Nilaparvata lugens to Pymetrozine Based on Reproductive Behavior

Xin-Yu Song, Yu-Xuan Peng, Yang Gao, Yan-Chao Zhang, Wen-Nan Ye, Pin-Xuan Lin, Cong-Fen Gao, Shun-Fan Wu

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Nilaparvata lugens; pymetrozine; reproductive behavior; bioassay method; resistance monitoring

Online: 13 February 2023 (14:13:43 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202302.0159.v1

A Potential Entomological and Epidemiological Drivers for Reemergence of Human African Trypanosomiasis in Ethiopia after 55 Years

Abate Waldetensai, Ebise Abose, Abebe Getachew, Henok Tadesse, Behabilom Meharenet, Moges Hidoto, Hailemariam Defabachew, Araya Eukubay, Alemayehu Kassahun, Geremew Gonfa, Tesfa Wakgari, Nigus Manaye, Tsegalem Hailemichael, Kokeb Kore, Netsanet Asfaw, Jemal Hassen, Wondu Mengesha, Daniel Tsega, Adugna Abera, Belachew Bokecho, Fiseha Lemango, Tariku Melese, Yimer Mulugeta, Mesfin Wossen, Feyisa Regassa, Geremew Tasew, Abraham Ali

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Trypanosomiasis; Tsetse fly; Trypanosoma brucie rhodesiense; Human; Animal; Ethiopia

Online: 9 February 2023 (08:45:48 CET)

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Background: Sleeping Sickness, Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a vector- borne disease caused by Trypanosoma brucei (T.b). Sleeping sickness in Ethiopia was reported in 1967 for the first time. Recently in Southern parts of Ethiopia, in August 2022, five (5) cases of sleeping sickness (T. b. rhodesiense) were confirmed. Following this outbreak, the current investigation was aimed to identify the entomological and epidemiological drivers for the reemergence of HAT outbreak and recommend appropriate interventions.Methods: A cross sectional study design with descriptive data analysis was used. Tsetse fly collection and blood samples from cattle Animal were taken. NGU and bio-conical traps were used to determine the distribution (density and abundance) of the vector. About 10μl of blood was collected from the marginal ear vein of 301 cattle animals using the heparinized microhematocrit capillary. The parasite detection was carried out through vector dissection under binocular stereo-microscope (magnification of 60X) and microscopic examination from serum of Animals using the Buffy coat method. Results: A total of 329 tsetse flies were captured and identified to Glosina (G.) palidipes 259 (60.4%) and Glossina fuscipes 70 (16.3%). 188 (51.1%) of tsetse flies were collected from Dembagofa with 94 apparent density. Among all captured Tsetse fly, 39 (11.8%) of Tsetse were fed with high female apparent density in eachecological variation: wood land (51), Bush land (20) and grass land (11). Overall, the apparent density of tsetse fly was high in Wood land (93): G. pallidipes (76.5) and Bush land (36.5). Among all examine cattles for the presence of parasite, 9 cattles were detected positive with an overall prevalence of 3%. T. congolense 6 (2%) and T. vivax 1 (0.3%) with 2 (0.7%) suspected brucei. The parasite prevalence Trypanosoma was 4 (4.6%) in poor body a condition (Bcs) cattle. The animals in age range 5 - 9 years were infected high with 7 (5.3%) prevalence. Conclusion: The current study revealed that there are high-risk factors that predispose the community to Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) due to the presence of two different species of Tsetse flies and many animal reservoirs. The transmissions of Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) are related to environmental, Vector, and human factors. Further geographically expanded investigation should be conducted throughout the country.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202302.0141.v1

Identification of Neotropical Culex Mosquitoes by MALDI-TOF MS Profiling

Monique Melo Costa, Amandine Guidez, Sébastien Briolant, Stanislas Talaga, Jean Issaly, Halima Naroua, Romuald Carinci, Pascal Gaborit, Anne Lavergne, Isabelle Dusfour, Jean-Bernard Duchemin, Lionel Almeras

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Culex species; neotropical mosquito; French Guiana; MALDI-TOF MS; proteomic tool; arbovirus; monitoring

Online: 8 February 2023 (08:43:03 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202302.0029.v1

Feasibility of Hunting Invasive Locusts and Studying its Economic, Social, and Environmental Effects (Approach: Preventing the Spraying of Locusts)

Farid Rahimi

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: hunting invasive locusts; food security; entomophagy; pest; entry of toxins into the food chain

Online: 2 February 2023 (04:35:05 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202302.0020.v1

Multiple Pesticide Resistance in Rust-Red Fluor Beetle (Tribolium castaneum, Herbst 1797) from Northern Nigeria is Probably Driven by Metabolic Mechanisms

Muhammad M. Mukhtar, Muhammad A. Mustapha, Mubarak Aliyu, Sulaiman S. Ibrahim

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: red flour beetle; Tribolium castaneum; pesticides; insecticides; resistance, metabolic

Online: 2 February 2023 (01:57:34 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202301.0578.v1

Species Composition and Seasonal Abundance of Predatory Mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) Inhabiting Aesculus Hippocastanum

Michal Kopačka, Rostislav Zemek

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: horse chestnut tree; diversity; population dynamics; mite density; city parks

Online: 31 January 2023 (08:45:45 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202301.0506.v1

Does a Rural-Urban Gradient Affect Arthropod Assemblages in an Arid Ecosystem?

Mahmoud S. Abdel-Dayem, Mostafa R. Sharaf, Jonathan D. Majer, Mohammed K. Al-Sadoon, Ahmed M. Soliman, Abdulrahman S. Aldawood, Hathal M. Aldhafer, Gamal M. Orabi

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Beetles; abundance; diversity; indicator species; Riyadh; species richness; urbanization; Wadi Hanifa

Online: 27 January 2023 (12:57:42 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202212.0343.v1

2-Isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine as a Putative Male-Specific Aggregation Pheromone in Labidostomis lusitanica (Germar) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Sergio López, Sara Rodrigo-Gómez, Enrique Fernández-Carrillo, Cláudia Corbella-Martorell, Carmen Quero

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Labidostomis lusitanica; Chrysomelidae; Pistacia vera; 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine; electroantennography; behavior

Online: 20 December 2022 (01:41:47 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202212.0249.v1

The Genetic Mechanisms Underlying the Concerted Expression of the Yellow and Tan Genes in Complex Patterns on the Abdomen and Wings of Drosophila Guttifera

Komal K.B. Raja, Evan A Bachman, Catrina Fernholz, David Trine, Rebecca E. Hobmeier, Nathaniel Maki, Timothy Massoglia, Thomas Werner

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: tan; Drosophila; Drosophila guttifera; CRM; cis-regulatory; evo-devo; yellow; transcription factor; cis-regulatory module; cis-regulatory element

Online: 14 December 2022 (06:48:07 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202211.0467.v1

Genetic Diversity of Cytochrome P450s CYP6M2 and CYP6P4 Associated with Pyrethroid Resistance in the Major Malaria Vectors Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles gambiae from Yaoundé, Cameroon

Yvan Gaetan Fotso-Toguem, Billy Tene-Fossog, Leon M.J. Mugenzi, Murielle J. Wondji, Flobert Njiokou, Hilary Ranson, Charles S. Wondji

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: CYP6M2; CYP6P4; polymorphism; metabolic resistance; pyrethroid; Anopheles coluzzii; Anopheles gambiae

Online: 25 November 2022 (05:51:07 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202211.0385.v1

Foraging Behaviour and Population Dynamics of Asian Weaver Ants: Assessing its Potential as Biological Control Agent of the Invasive Bagworms Metisa plana (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) in Oil Palm Plantations

Moïse Pierre Exélis, Rosli Ramli, Rabha W. Ibrahim, Azarae Hj Idris

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Oecophylla genus; population abundance; territorial foragers; quarantine defoliators; IPM

Online: 21 November 2022 (08:31:55 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202211.0203.v1

Cost-Effective PCR-Based Identification of Tunga penetrans (Siphonaptera) Larvae Extracted From Soil Samples Containing PCR Inhibitor-Rich Material

Billy L. Amugune, Abneel K. Matharu, Paul Ouma, Francis Mutebi, Lynne Elson, Ulrike Fillinger, Jürgen Krücken

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Tungiasis; Tunga penetrans; molecular entomology; DNA isolation; Phusion® polymerase; FIREpol® Taq polymerase; low-cost PCR,

Online: 10 November 2022 (11:19:42 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202210.0279.v1

When the Beetles Hit the Fan. The Fan-Trap, an Inexpensive, Light and Scalable Insect Trap under a Creative Commons License, for Monitoring and Experimental Use

Jean-Claude Grégoire, Emilio Caiti, Séverine Hasbroucq, Jean-Marc Molenberg, Sylvain Willenz

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Traps; beetles; monitoring; surveys; spatial distribution

Online: 19 October 2022 (10:07:04 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202210.0185.v1

Evaluation of methods for collecting mosquitoes (Culicidae: Diptera) in canopy and ground strata in the Brazilian Savanna.

Luis F. Mucci, Eduardo S. Bergo, Juliana Telles De Deus, Simone Luchetta Reginato, Mariza Pereira, Vera L. F. de Camargo-Neves

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Diurnal mosquitoes; Kairomones, Canopy stratum, Brazilian savanna

Online: 13 October 2022 (03:20:46 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202209.0454.v1

CRISPR-Cas Genome Editing for Insect Pest Stress Management in Crop Plants

TasfiaTasnim Moon, Ishrat Jahan Maliha, Abdullah Al Moin Khan, Moutoshi Chakraborty, Md Sharaf Uddin, Md Ruhul Amin, Tofazzal Islam

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: CRISPR-Cas technology; pest management; plant stress resistance; insect resistance

Online: 29 September 2022 (07:08:41 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202209.0434.v1

Genetic Relationships and Signatures of Adaptation to the Climatic Conditions in Populations of Apis cerana Based on the Polymorphism of the Gene Vitellogenin

Rustem Abuzarovich Ilyasov, Slađan B. Rašić, Junichi Takahashi, Valery Nikolaevich Danilenko, Maxim Yurevich Proshchalykin, Arkady Stepanovich Lelej, Vener Nurullovich Sattarov, Pham Hong Thai, Rika Raffiudin, Hyung Wook Kwon

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Apis cerana; A. c. koreana; population; gene vitellogenin; genetic structure; nucleotide polymorphism; adaptation

Online: 28 September 2022 (09:02:03 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202209.0236.v1

Competitive Sperm-marked Beetles for Monitoring Approaches in Genetic Biocontrol and Studies in Reproductive Biology

Musa Dan’azumi Isah, Bibi Atika, Stefan Dippel, Ernst A. Wimmer

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Insect Biotechnology; molecular entomology; pest management; Sterile Insect Technique; sperm storage; transgenesis; Tribolium castaneum

Online: 16 September 2022 (03:02:52 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202208.0525.v1

New Unexpected Species of Acheta (Orthoptera, Gryllidae) from the Italian Volcanic Island of Pantelleria

Bruno Massa, Camillo Antonio Cusimano, Paolo Fontana, Cesare Brizio

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: new species; Biogeography; Mediterranean; Red List; Bioacoustics

Online: 30 August 2022 (14:38:12 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202208.0465.v1

Paving the Way for Gene Silencing in Lepidoptera: Integrated Sequencing Data Unveil the Rnai Core Machinery of Leucoptera Coffeella.

Natalia Martins, Eliza Nascimento, Leonardo Vidal, Vivian Lucena-Leandro, Camila Junqueira, Fernanda Soares, Marcos Viana, Pollyana Nobrega, Wagner Fontes, Isabelle Luz, Angela Mehta, Eduardo Romano, Wellington Clarindo, Juliana Dantas, Roberto Togawa, Erika Albuquerque

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: insect; leaf miner; Coffea; pest control; biopesticide; silencing

Online: 29 August 2022 (04:27:45 CEST)

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Background, Leucoptera coffeella (Guerin-Meneville, 1842) is a moth species (Lyonetiidae, Lepidoptera) pest that causes severe losses to coffee crops. Further information about its genomic data is required to allow molecular strategies for the development of sustainable pesticides and to gain in-depth knowledge on phylogenetics. However, the closest complete genome available is within the superfamily level (Yponomeutoidea). Here we report the generation of the first long-read genome, transcriptome and proteome results of L. coffeella and the in silico analysis performed in these molecular levels to investigate genes involved in the siRNA processing. Results, PACBio and paired-end Illumina combined DNA sequencing from pupae samples resulted in more than 436 Gb subreads and 31Mb reads with N50 read length of 15,512 nt, mean read length 13.8 Kb and max read length 420.7 Kb. Additionally, 20Gb data of short DNA sequencing was combined to produce 1,984 contigs comprising 397 Mb in total. The longest and shortest scaffold sizes are 10,809,567 nt and 15,247 nt, respectively (mean size 200,178 nt). The N50 scaffold was 275,598 nt and the GC content was 36.10%. Predicted coding DNA sequences counted 39.930 gene models. Searching of 5286 BUSCO groups revealed 91.7 percent of completeness (single and duplicated genes combined) compared to lepidoptera genomes (lepidoptera_odb10). Flow cytometry showed the 1C DNA content is approximately 295 Mb. RNA-Seq from seven development stages resulted in 28294 identified transcripts. Additionally, proteomics from immature stages resulted in 2045 proteins matching the gene models. Conclusions, This first nuclear genome of the Lyonetiidae family brings valuable molecular resources to study Lepidoptera genomes. Genome, transcriptome and proteome sequencing to raise genome annotation precision may resolve uncovered taxonomic issues. In addition, these combined approaches provide insights into plant-insect interaction players, as horizontally transferred genes (HGT) and endosymbionts. Put together, the generated data enables the development of molecular tools towards sustainable biotechnology solutions for lepidopteran pest control.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202208.0359.v1

Entomological, Epidemiological, and Climatological Investigation of the 2019 Dengue Fever Outbreak in Gewane District, Afar Region, North-East Ethiopia

Wondemeneh Mekuriaw Tebeje, Solomon Kinde Getahun, Bezabih Kindu Tilahun, Yibeyin Mulualem Melis, Girma Hailu FIssaha, Araya Gebresilassie Hagos, Chalachw Sisay Gebeyehu, Fitsum Bekele Endeshaw, Hiwot Amare Hailu, Mesfin Wossen Getaneh, Adugna Woyessa Woyessa, Louisa A Messenger

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Dengue Fever; Arbovirus; Aedes aegypti; Ethiopia; Climate

Online: 19 August 2022 (05:52:42 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202206.0364.v1

TitleClimate Change will Weaken the Ability of Natural Enemies to Control the Asian Longhorned Beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Quancheng Zhang, Jungang Wang, Yonghui Lei

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Anoplophora glabripennis; Dastarcus helophoroides; Dendrocopos major; MaxEnt; climate change; natural enemy; pest management

Online: 27 June 2022 (11:01:09 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202205.0315.v1

DNA Identification and Diversity of The Vector Mosquitoes Culex Pipiens S.S. and Culex Torrentium in Belgium (Diptera: Culicidae)

Ann Vanderheyden, Nathalie Smitz, Katrien De Wolf, Isra Deblauwe, Wouter Dekoninck, Kenny Meganck, Sophie Gombeer, Adwine Vanslembrouck, Jacobus De Witte, Anna Schneider, Ingrid Verlé, Marc De Meyer, Thierry Backeljau, Ruth Müller, Wim Van Bortel

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Culex pipiens biotypes pipiens / molestus; hybrids; disease vectors; DNA-based identification; cyto-chrome c oxidase I (COI); fragment size analyses (ACE2, CQ11)

Online: 24 May 2022 (03:48:37 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202204.0206.v1

High Malaria Mosquito Species Diversity, Their Blood Feeding Patterns, Role in Malaria Transmission and The Challenge of Morphological Classification: An Implication for Entomological Surveillance and Monitoring, Southwestern Ethiopia

Adilo Assa, Nigatu Eligo, Fekadu Massebo

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Anopheles arabiensis; Blood meal index; Boreda district; Morphological misclassification

Online: 21 April 2022 (10:55:23 CEST)

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There are a number of Anopheles species playing either primary or secondary roles in malaria transmission. Hence, understanding the species composition, their bionomics, and behaviors are all important in designing and implementing vector control intervention tools. Moreover, accurate identification of different species is vital. This study aimed to assess species composition, sporozoite infection rate, and blood meal origins of malaria mosquitoes in two malaria-endemic villages of Boreda district in Gamo zone, southwest Ethiopia. Thirty houses, 20 for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light traps and 10 for Pyrethrum Spray Catches (PSC), were randomly selected for bimonthly mosquito collection from October 2019 to February 2020. Enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test was done to detect the blood meal origins and circumsporozoite proteins (CSPs). The entomological inoculation rate (EIR) was calculated by multiplying the sporozoite and human biting rates from PSCs. Anopheles gambiae and An. funestus complexes were further identified into species by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Anopheles species with some morphological structures confusing with An. gambiae or An. funestus complexes were father confirmed by PCR. A total of 15 Anopheles species were documented, of which An. demeilloni was the dominant one. Only An. arabiensis was positive for P. falciparum CSP. The overall P. falciparum CSP rate of An. arabiensis was 0.54%. The overall estimated P. falciparum EIR of An. arabiensis from PSC was 1.5 infectious bites/person/five months. Of the 145 freshly fed Anopheles mosquitoes tested for blood meal source, 57.9% (84/145) had bovine blood meal, 22 (15.2%) had human blood meal origin alone and 24 (16.5%) had mixed blood meal origins of human and bovine. An. demeilloni mainly fed on bovine blood (102/126 = 80.9%). Among 420 morphologically classified An. demeilloni, 11 (2.6%) were confirmed as An. lessoni (one of the An. funestus complexes) by PCR. A substantial number of morphologically classified An. salbaii, An. maculipalpis and An. fuscivenosus were found to be An. arabiensis by PCR. Regardless of the high diversity of Anopheles mosquitoes, An. arabiensis is playing the primary role in malaria transmission. Morphological misclassification of species could be a challenge in malaria mosquito monitoring and surveillance, and hence it should be supported by more sensitive techniques for confirmation.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202204.0039.v1

Closing the Knowledge Gap: Horizontal Transfer of Mariner Transposons between Rhus Gall Aphids and Other Insects

Aftab Ahmad, Xu Su, AJ Harris, Zhumei Ren

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: horizontal transfer; Rhus gall aphids; Mariner transposable elements

Online: 7 April 2022 (02:31:25 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202203.0380.v1

Early Life Exercise Training and Inhibition of Apolipoprotein B Expression to Improve Age-Related Arrhythmias and Prolong the Average Lifespan in Drosophila

Meng Ding, Qiufang Li, Tianhang Peng, Tongquan Wang, Hanhui Yan, Chao Tang, Xiaoya Wang, Yin Guo, Lan Zheng

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Exercise training; arrhythmias; Drosophila; apolipoprotein B; aging

Online: 29 March 2022 (10:07:13 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202203.0350.v1

Reviewing the WHO Tube Bioassay Methodology: Accurate Methods Reporting and Number of Mosquitoes Key to Producing Robust Results

Giorgio Praulins, Angus Spiers, Rosemary Lees

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: insecticide resistance; resistance monitoring; method validation; WHO tube

Online: 25 March 2022 (15:40:56 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202203.0345.v1

Strain Characterisation for Measuring Bioefficacy of ITNs Treated with Two Active Ingredients (Dual-AI ITNs): Developing a Robust Protocol by Building Consensus

Rosemary Susan Lees, Jennifer S Armistead, Salum Azizi, Edi Constant, Christen Fornadel, John E Gimnig, Janet Hemingway, Daniel Impoinvil, Seth R Irish, William Kisinza, Natalie Lissenden, Henry D Mawejje, Louisa A Messenger, Sarah Moore, Corine Ngufor, Richard Oxborough, Natacha Protopopoff, Hilary Ranson, Graham Small, Joseph Wagman, David Weetman, Sarah Zohdy, Angus Spiers

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: insecticide-treated nets (ITN); pyrethroid; mosquito; strain characterisation; insecticide resistance; method development; durability monitoring; product evaluation; quality control (QC); dual active ingredients (dual-AI); bioefficacy

Online: 25 March 2022 (14:12:38 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202203.0192.v1

Population Genetic Structure of the Bean Leaf Beetle Ootheca mutabilis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Uganda

Dalton Kanyesigye, Vincent Pius Alibu, Wee Tek Tay, Polycarp Nalela, Pamela Paparu, Samuel Olaboro, Stanley Tamusange Nkalubo, Ismail Siraj Kayondo, Gonçalo Silva, Susan Elizabeth Seal, Michael Hilary Otim

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: genetic differentiation; leaf beetle; mitochondrial DNA; microsatellites; haplotype; gene flow

Online: 14 March 2022 (16:48:57 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202202.0278.v1

Descending Control of Nociception in Insects?

Matilda Gibbons, Sajedeh Sarlak, Lars Chittka

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: nociception; pain; modulation of nociception; insects; descending control of nociception

Online: 22 February 2022 (14:24:24 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202202.0232.v1

The microRNAs in the Antennae of Apolygus lucorum (Hemiptera: Miridae): Expression Properties and Targets Prediction

Adel Khashaveh, Xingkui An, Shuang Shan, Xiaoqian Pang, Yan Li, Xiaowei Fu, Yongjun Zhang

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Small RNA sequencing; miRNAs; Target prediction; Chemosensory-associated genes; Apolygus lucorum

Online: 18 February 2022 (10:01:58 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202202.0190.v1

Arthropods in Two Organic Agro-Ecosystems; Biodiversity, Distribution, and Weeds Impacts

Islam Zidan, Mourad Hassan, Gomaa Abou-Elella, Elsayed El-Saiedy, Mohamed Nawar

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: mites; insects; trophic relation; plant-arthropod interactions; SEKEM; fayoum

Online: 16 February 2022 (02:46:57 CET)

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Preprint SHORT NOTE | doi:10.20944/preprints202202.0173.v1

Arthropod Diversity and Distribution; How do the NRCERS Agricultural Procedures Impact?

Islam Zidan

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Insects; Acari; Araneae; Gastropods; Weeds; Pesticides; Fertilizers; IPM; Arthropod-Plant Interac-tions; Tri-trophic relationship

Online: 14 February 2022 (11:08:33 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202202.0035.v1

Risk-Based Mapping Tools for Surveillance and Control of the Invasive Mosquito Aedes Albopictus in Switzerland

Damiana Ravasi, Francesca Mangili, David Huber, Laura Azzimonti, Lukas Engeler, Nicola Vermes, Giacomo Del Rio, Valeria Guidi, Mauro Tonolla, Eleonora Flacio

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Aedes albopictus; ovitrap; regularized logistic regression; ecological niche model; environmental factors; surveillance

Online: 2 February 2022 (13:18:11 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202201.0023.v1

Comparative Study of the Effect of Solvents on the Efficacy of Neonicotinoid Insecticides Against Malaria Vector Populations Across Africa

Magellan Tchouakui, Tatiane ASSATSE, Leon M. J. Mugenzi, Benjamin D. Menze, Daniel Nguiffo-Nguete, Williams Tchapga, Jonathan Kayondo, Francis Watsenga, Emile Z. Manzambi, Michael Osae, Charles S. Wondji

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Malaria; Anopheles gambiae; vector control; neonicotinoids; cross-resistance

Online: 4 January 2022 (20:40:51 CET)

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Background: New insecticides with novel modes of action such as neonicotinoids have recently been recommended for public health use by WHO. Resistance monitoring of such novel insecticides requires a robust protocol to monitor the development of resistance in natural populations. In this study, we comparatively used three different solvents to assess the susceptibility of malaria vectors to neonicotinoids across Africa.Methods: Mosquitoes were collected from May to July 2021 from three agricultural settings in Cameroon (Njombe-Penja, Nkolondom, and Mangoum), the Democratic Republic of Congo (Ndjili-Brasserie), Ghana (Atatam), and Uganda (Mayuge). Using the CDC bottle test, we compared the effect of three different solvents (ethanol, acetone, acetone+MERO) on the efficacy of neonicotinoids against Anopheles gambiae s.l. In addition, TaqMan assays were used to genotype key pyrethroid-resistant markers in An. gambiae and to evaluate potential cross-resistance between pyrethroids and clothianidin.Results: Lower mortalities were observed for all populations when using absolute ethanol or acetone alone as solvent (11.4- 51.9% mortality for Nkolondom, 31.7- 48.2% for Mangoum, 34.6- 56.1% for Mayuge, 39.4- 45.6% for Atatam, 83.7- 89.3% for Congo and 71.05- 95.9% for Njombe pendja) compared to acetone + MERO for which 100% mortality was observed for all the populations. Synergist assays (PBO, DEM and DEF) revealed a significant increase of mortality suggesting that metabolic resistance mechanisms are contributing to the reduced susceptibility. A negative association was observed between the L1014F-kdr mutation and clothianidin resistance with a greater frequency of homozygote resistant mosquitoes among the dead than among survivors (OR=0.5; P=0.02). However, the I114T-GSTe2 was in contrast significantly associated with a greater ability to survive clothianidin with a higher frequency of homozygote resistant among survivors than other genotypes (OR=2.10; P=0.013). Conclusions: This study revealed a contrasted susceptibility pattern depending on the solvents with ethanol/acetone resulting in lower mortality, thus possibly overestimating resistance, whereas the addition of MERO consistently increased the efficacy of neonicotinoids in terms of percentage mortalities and time to final mortality. The addition of MERO could however prevent the early detection of resistance development. We therefore recommend monitoring susceptibility using both acetone alone and acetone+MERO (8-10µg/ml for clothianidin) to capture the accurate resistance profile of the mosquito populations.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202112.0486.v1

Contact Toxicity of Various Stemona Collinsiae Root Extracts Against Periplaneta Americana (Dictyoptera: Blattodea) And Detection of Didehydrostemofoline Distribution in Tissue Using MALDI Imaging Mass Spectrometry

Aurapa Sakulpanich, Korawan Ounklong, Jinnaphat Sommanat, Anon Phayakkaphon, Raweewan Srisawat, Jiraporn Ruangsittichai

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Stemona collinsae; Non-Tai-Yak; Topical administration; Didehydrostemofoline; Alkaloids; Cockroach; Insecticide; MALDI IMS

Online: 30 December 2021 (12:39:41 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202112.0146.v1

Corrections and Additions to Descriptions of Some Species of the Subgenus Orthocladius s. str. (Diptera, Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae)

Bruno Rossaro, Laura Marziali, Giulia Magoga, Matteo Montagna, Angela Boggero

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Chironomids; taxonomy; morphometry; principal component analysis

Online: 9 December 2021 (08:39:58 CET)

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The larvae of some species of the subgenus Orthocladius s. str. (Diptera, Chironomidae) are here described for the first time with corrections and additions to the descriptions of adult males and pupal exuviae. The identification of larvae is generally not possible without association with their pupal exuviae and/or adult males, so the descriptions here are based only on reared material or on pupae with the associated larval exuviae. Usually, Chironomidae larvae can be separated on the basis of morphometric characters, and the most discriminant characters ones are: 1- the ratio between the width of median tooth of mentum (Dm) and the width of the first lateral tooth (Dl) = mental ratio (DmDl), 2- the ratio between the length of the first antennal segment (A1) and the combined length of segments 2-5 (A(2-5)2-5) = antennal ratio (AR). The shape of mandible, maxilla, and other body parts are almost identical in all the species considered in this study. The larva of Orthocladius (Symposiocladius) lignicola is very characteristic and can be separated by the shape of mentum and the larvae of all the known species of Symposiocladius are characterized by the presence of large Lauterborn organs on antennae and of tufts of setae on abdominal segments. The larvae of Orthocladius (Orthocladius) oblidens and Orthocladius (Orthocladius) rhyacobius can be distinguished from other species basing on their large Dm and to each other by AR. A principal component analysis was carried out using 5 characters: 1- Dm, 2- Dl, 3- length of A1, 4- width of A1 (A1W), 5- combined length of segments 2-5 (A2-5). The most discriminant characters were Dm and A1, confirming that DmDl and AR can be used to separate species at larval stage, but the large superposition of morphometric characters in different species confirms that association with pupal exuviae is in any case needed to identify larvae. In future perspective, the development of reference DNA barcodes from specimens identified by specialists is recommended since possibly the best tool for larvae identification, but association of barcodes with morphotypes is in any case fundamental.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202110.0394.v2

Field Demonstration of Heat Technology to Mitigate Heat Sinks for Drywood Termite (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae) Management

Jia-Wei Tay, Devon James

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: heat treatment; termite control; termites; Crytotermes brevis; wood pest; heat technology; non-chemical; pest management; condominium; temperature sensor

Online: 3 December 2021 (10:12:33 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202111.0538.v1

Evaluation of Density Reduction of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes and Biosecurity of the Use of a Paint Containing Propoxur in Selected Houses in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

Alejandro Villegas, Jorge Castañeda, Javier Pruñonosa, Ricardo Arce, Gerardo Álvarez

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Propoxur; insecticide paint; Aedes aegypti; density reduction; Mexico

Online: 29 November 2021 (12:48:34 CET)

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This study investigated the development of Aedes aegypti density in houses of the urban locality of Poblado Miguel Alemán Valdes, in the Sonora state of Mexico, after application of 1% propoxur paint as full wall coverage (IP) and targeted indoor painting (IP 1m) in comparison to IRS with propoxur 70% WP (full wall coverage). The 1% propoxur paint was applied by the homeowners by brushing and rolling at the recommended dose of 1L/8 m², equivalent to 1.5 g a.i./m², while IRS was conducted by professionals with Propoxur 70% WP at a dose of 1 g a.i./m². Adult mosquito surveys were conducted in a random sample of houses in each block one week before the interventions and at week 1, month 1 to 4, month 6, month 9 and month 12 post-interventions. All three propoxur based treatments provided similar reductions (43.7%, 44.9% and 41.3% for IP, IP 1m and IRS respectively) in the fraction of houses positive in female Aedes aegypti resting indoor and outdoor as one year average of 8 follow up surveys. Indoor resting density of Aedes females during the one-year evaluation was reduced by 77.5% through IP followed by IP 1m with 64.2% reduction and 30% reduction with IRS. Culex mosquitoes’ interior density was affected as well by the insecticide treatments with similar average reductions for IP 1m (50.0%) and IRS (57.8%) in comparison with control. Aedes breeding was impacted by the insecticide paint in similar extent for both interventions, expressed by a substantial reduction of the House Index (20.1% IP, 31.2% IP 1m) and especially the Container Index (51.8% IP, 61.7% IP 1m) during the one-year surveys in comparison to control. In contrast, IRS treated block experienced an increase in both indexes. However, despite IP and IP 1m impacted in Aedes adult and immature indexes with noticeable reductions, the differences in all cases were not significative among the different insecticide treatments. The low sample size and mosquito population levels may have influenced the statistical outcomes. More than 80% of the interviewed residents were satisfied with the effectiveness of the paint and IRS treatments. The determination of the blood cholinesterase activity of tested individuals after the use of the carbamate paint and IRS in this study did not exceed acceptable inhibition limits. This study suggests that the application of propoxur paint by homeowners as full house coverage or as targeted indoor painting can be a safe and accepted intervention method for density reduction of Aedes aegypti populations in urban environments.

Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202111.0518.v1

Worming the Circular Economy for Biowaste and Plastics: Hermetia illucens, Tenebrio Molitor and Zophobas morio

Zhi-Jue Kuan, Barnabas Kuan-Nang Chan, Samuel Ken-En Gan

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: polystyrene; polyethylene; worms; Hermetia illucens; Tenebrio molitor; Zophobas morio; plastic; bioremediation; food-waste; circular economy

Online: 29 November 2021 (09:47:04 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202111.0314.v1

Asian Hornet, Vespa velutina Lepeletier 1836 (Hym.: Vespidae), Venom Obtention Based on an Electric Stimulation Protocol

Xesús Feás, Carmen Vidal, M. Pilar Vázquez-Tato, Julio A. Seijas

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Asian hornet; Vespa velutina; Venom; Electrical; Stimulation; Allergy; Stings; Invasive species

Online: 17 November 2021 (23:38:04 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202111.0213.v1

Evaluation of Natural and Factitious Food Sources for Pronematus Ubiquitus on Tomato Plants

Marcus V. A. Duarte, Dominiek Vangansbeke, Juliette Pijnakker, Rob Moerkens, Alfredo Benavente, Yves Arijs, Ana Lizbeth Flores Saucedo, Felix Wackers

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Biological control; alternative food; Tydeidae; mites

Online: 12 November 2021 (11:20:39 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202111.0206.v1

The Residual Efficacy of SumiShield™ 50WG and K-Othrine® WG250 IRS Formulations Applied to Different Building Materials Against Anopheles and Aedes Mosquitoes

Rosemary Susan Lees, Giorgio Praulins, Natalie Lissenden, Andy South, Jessica Carson, Faye Brown, John Lucas, David Malone

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Indoor residual spray (IRS); Vector control; Anopheles; Aedes aegypti; Culex quinquefasciatus; Neonicotinoids; Pyrethroid; Insecticide resistance; SumiShield; K-Othrine.

Online: 10 November 2021 (14:24:24 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202110.0054.v2

RFID Technology Serving Honey Bee Research: A Comprehensive Description of a 32-Antenna System to Study Honey Bee and Queen Behavior

Mohamed Alburaki, Shayne Madella, Miguel Corona

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: RFID; honey bee behavior; queen tracking; foraging activity; transponder

Online: 10 November 2021 (08:44:00 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202111.0113.v1

Good Things Come in Larger Packages: Size Matters for Fruit-feeding Butterfly Dispersal and Diet Breadth

Geraldo Freire-Jr., Thayane Silva, Hernani Oliveira, Chloe Collier, Hanna P. Rodrigues, Joao Paulo Dias, Jessie Pereira Santos, Onildo J. Marini-Filho, André V. L. Freitas, Angela Smilanich, Lee A. Dyer, Ivone R. Diniz

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Body-size; Cerrado; Evolutionary history; Nymphalidae; Phylogeny; Species traits

Online: 5 November 2021 (10:35:29 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202110.0394.v1

Heat Technology Aiming to Mitigate Structural Heat Sinks for Drywood Termite (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae) Management

Jia-Wei Tay, Devon James

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: heat treatment; termite control; termites; drywood termite; Crytotermes brevis; wood pest; heat sink; heat technology; non-chemical; pest management

Online: 26 October 2021 (15:44:16 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202110.0123.v1

Adaptive strategies of Rice Leaf Roller, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis in Response to Different Rearing Temperatures

Weixiang Lv, Xingfu Jiang, Xiujie Chen, Yunxia Cheng, Jixing Xia, Lei Zhang

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Cnaphalocrocis medinalis; rearing temperatures; development; reproduction; flight performance

Online: 7 October 2021 (15:20:38 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202110.0054.v1

RFID Technology Serving Honey Bee Research: A Comprehensive Description of a 32-Antenna System to Study Honey Bee and Queen Behavior

Mohamed Alburaki, Shayne Madella, Miguel Corona

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: RFID; honey bee behavior; queen tracking; foraging activity; transponder

Online: 4 October 2021 (12:18:36 CEST)

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Working Paper ARTICLE

Novel Cytoskeleton-Associated Proteins in Trypanosoma brucei are Essential for Cell Morphogenesis and Cytokinesis

Marina Schock, Steffen Schmidt, Klaus Ersfeld

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Trypanosoma brucei; cytoskeleton; microtubules; BioID; mass spectrometry

Online: 1 October 2021 (14:04:33 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202109.0305.v1

Krüppel-Homologue 1 Mediates Hormonally-Regulated Dominance Rank in a Social Insect

Atul Pandey, Guy Bloch

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Krüppel-homologue 1; juvenile hormone; vitellogenin; RNA interference; nanoparticles; reproduction; dominance; aggression; oogenesis

Online: 17 September 2021 (11:18:45 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202109.0252.v1

Invasive Populations of Emerald Ash Borer Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, 1888 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in Saint Petersburg, Russia: a “Hitchhiker”?

Andrey V. Selikhovkin, Boris G. Popovichev, Sergey A. Merkuryev, Mark G. Volkovitsh, Rimvys Vasaitis, Dmitry L. Musolin

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Emerald ash borer; Fraxinus spp.; forest pests; invasive populations; north-west Russia; Saint Pe-tersburg; urban pests

Online: 15 September 2021 (09:46:17 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202109.0119.v1

An Updated Review of the Invasive Aedes albopictus in the Americas; Geographical Distribution, Host Feeding Patterns, Arbovirus Infection, and the Potential for Vertical Transmission of Dengue Virus

Julian E. Garcia-Rejon, Juan Carlos Navarro, Nohemi Cigarroa-Toledo, Carlos M. Baak-Baak

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Asian tiger mosquito; feeding pattern; minimum infection rate; emerging arboviruses; dengue virus

Online: 7 September 2021 (10:38:13 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202109.0051.v1

Genetic Knockouts Indicate That the ABCC2 Gene in the Bollworm Helicoverpa Zea Is Not a Major Receptor for the Cry1Ac Insecticidal Protein.

Omaththage P. Perera, Nathan S LIttle, Heba Abdelgaffar, Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes, Gadi V. P. Reddy

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Helicoverpa zea; Bollworm; CRISPR; Cry1A; Bt Toxin; Genome Editing; Knockout; Functional Genomics; Resistance

Online: 3 September 2021 (08:19:44 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202012.0826.v2

Pollination Efficiency of Amegilla calens (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on Gossypium hirsutum L. (Malvaceae) Variety L457 Flowers at Meskine (Maroua, Cameroon)

Issaya Kodji issaya, Beaudelaine Stephanie Kengni, Tope Sidonie Fameni, Fohouo Fernand-Nestor Tchuenguem

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Amegilla; Gossypium barbadens; Meskine; pollination efficiency; yields

Online: 27 August 2021 (14:08:15 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202108.0160.v1

Review and Meta-Analysis of the Evidence for Choosing Between Specific Pyrethroids for Programmatic Purposes.

Natalie Lissenden, Mara Kont, John Essandoh, Hanafy M Ismail, Thomas S Churcher, Ben Lambert, Audrey Lenhart, Philip J McCall, Catherine L Moyes, Mark J I Paine, Giorgio Praulins, David Weetman, Rosemary S Lees

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Pyrethroid; pyrethroid resistance; insecticide resistance; insecticide resistance management; vector control; malaria; malaria control; mosquito; Anopheles

Online: 6 August 2021 (11:19:25 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202101.0412.v2

Raspberry PI for Kill Mosquitoes by Laser

Ildar Rakhmatulin

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: laser for mosquito control; deep learning for mosquito control; insect detection; mosquito neutralization; pest detection; insect recognition; Raspberry Pi3; Raspberry Pi4; OpenCV for small object detect

Online: 2 August 2021 (16:44:07 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202107.0696.v1

Olfactory Learning Supports an Adaptive Sugar-Aversion Gustatory Phenotype in the German Cockroach

Ayako Wada-Katsumata, Coby Schal

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Gustation; sugar aversion; German cockroach; olfactory learning; memory; foraging

Online: 30 July 2021 (10:49:30 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202102.0472.v1

Potential of Entomopathogenic Nematodes versus Alpha-cypermethrin Against Potato Tuber Moth, Phthorimaea operculella Zeller 1873 (Lep.: Gelechiidae) in Storage Conditions

Laleh Ebrahimi, Aziz Sheikhigarjan, Mehran Ghazavi

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: EPNs; PTM; biological control; potato tuber; efficacy; alpha-cypermethrin

Online: 22 February 2021 (13:19:25 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202101.0412.v1

Raspberry PI for Kill Mosquitoes by Laser

Ildar Rakhmatulin

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: laser for mosquito control; deep learning for mosquito control; insect detection; mosquito neutralization; pest detection; insect recognition; Raspberry Pi3; Raspberry Pi4; OpenCV for small object detect

Online: 21 January 2021 (09:27:07 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202012.0593.v1

Human Fatalities Caused by Hornet, Wasp and Bee Stings in Spain: Epidemiology at State and Sub-state Level from 1999 to 2018

Xesús Feás

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: epidemiology; X23; fatalities; venomous animals; Spain; stings; hornets; wasps; bees; Vespa velutina

Online: 23 December 2020 (15:24:07 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202012.0454.v1

Molecular Characterization and Genetic Diversity of Clade E-Human Head Lice from Guinea

Alissa Hammoud, Meriem Louni, Mamadou Cellou Baldé, Abdoul habib Beavogui, Philippe Gautret, Raoult Didier, Florence Fenollar, Dorothée Missé, Oleg Mediannikov

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Head lice, haplogroup E, PHUM540560 gene, Acinetobacter haemolyticus, Acinetobacter spp., Guinea.

Online: 18 December 2020 (11:22:55 CET)

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Pediculus humanus capitis, the head louse, is an obligate blood-sucking ectoparasite that occurs in six divergent mitochondrial haplogroups (A, D, B, F, C and E), each exhibiting a particular geographic distribution. A few years ago, several studies reported the presence of different pathogenic agents in head lice specimens from different clades collected worldwide. These findings suggest that head louse could be a vector for dangerous diseases and therefore a serious public health problem. Herein, we aimed to study the mitochondrial genetic diversity, the PHUM540560 gene polymorphisms profile of head lice collected in Guinea, as well as to screen for the pathogens present in these lice. In 2018, a total of 155 head lice were collected from 49 individuals at the Medicals Centers of rural (Maférinyah village) and urban (Kindia city) areas, in Guinea. All head lice were subjected to genetic analysis and screened for the presence of several pathogens using molecular tools. The results showed that all head lice belonged to the haplogroups C/E using the duplex qPCR which detects both clades. Standard PCR and sequencing revealed that all specimens belonged to the haplogroup E, including 8 haplotypes, whither 6 new identified for the first time in this study. The study of the PHUM540560 gene polymorphisms in our Guinean head lice revealed that 7/40 (17.5%) of our tested samples exhibit three different polymorphism profiles compared to the clade A-head lice PHUM540560 gene profile, while the remaining specimens 33/40 (82,5%) showed the same PHUM540560 gene polymorphism profile as the previously reported clade A-body lice. Molecular investigations of the targeted pathogens revealed only the presence of Acinetobacter species in 9% of our samples using real time PCR. Sequencing results identified highlighted the presence of several Acinetobacter species, including Acinetobacter baumannii (14.3%), Acinetobacter nosocomialis (14.3%), Acinetobacter variabilis (14.3%), Acinetobacter haemolyticus (7.2%), Acinetobacter towneri (7.2%). Furthermore, a candidate new species of Acinetobacter sp. (7.2%) was detected. Positive specimens were collected from 24,5% individuals in Maférinyah. We also investigated in our study the carbapenem’s-resistant profile of A. baumannii, none of our specimens were positive for the following resistance genes blaOXA-21, blaOXA-24 and blaOXA-58. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to report the existence of the Guinean haplogroup E, the PHUM540560 gene polymorphism profile as well as the presence of Acinetobacter species in head lice collected from Guinea.

Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202009.0552.v1

Vector-focused Approaches to Curb Malaria Transmission in the Brazilian Amazon: An Overview of Current and Future Challenges and Strategies

Elerson Matos Rocha, Ricardo de Melo Katak, Juan Campos-de-Oliveira, Maisa da Silva Araujo, Bianca Cechetto Carlos, Roberto Galizi, Frederic Tripet, Osvaldo Marinotti, Jayme A. Souza-Neto

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Malaria; Amazon; Brazil; Anopheles darlingi; Plasmodium; Control; Challenges; Strategies; Conventional; Novel; Vector; Mosquito

Online: 23 September 2020 (15:26:43 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202009.0378.v1

The Relationship Between Category Richness and Morphological Diversity in Jewel Beetles

Yijie Tong, Haidong Yang, Xingke Yang, Ming Bai

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: morphological diversity; species richness; jewel beetle; geometric morphometrics; elytron; pronotum

Online: 17 September 2020 (05:56:52 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202008.0243.v1

Melissopalynology of Honey from Sudan: Implication for the Honey Identity and Misdesignation

Mohammed El-Nebir, Mogbel El-Niweiri, Seif Eldin Mohammed

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: melissopalynology; honey identity; forage biodiversity

Online: 10 August 2020 (08:23:56 CEST)

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Preprint COMMUNICATION | doi:10.20944/preprints202008.0231.v1

Transcriptome of the Aedes aegypti Mosquito in Response to Human Complement Proteins

Gloria I. Giraldo-Calderón, Arley Calle-Tobon, Paula Rozo-Lopez, Tonya M. Colpitts, Yoonseong Park, Guillermo L. Rua-Uribe, Berlin Londono-Renteria

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: human complement; Aedes aegypti; blood-meal; hC3; hC5a

Online: 10 August 2020 (03:13:56 CEST)

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Preprint BRIEF REPORT | doi:10.20944/preprints202007.0503.v1

Beekeeping in Pakistan (History, Potential, and Current Status)

Khalid Khan

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: beekeeping; honey bees; honey production; bee forage plants; honey producing capacity

Online: 22 July 2020 (06:26:48 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202007.0377.v1

Antibiotic Treatment in An. coluzzii Affects Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism

Estelle Chabanol, Volker Behrends, Ghislaine Prévot, George K. Christophides, Mathilde Gendrin

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: mosquito; Anopheles; microbiota; malaria; Plasmodium; metabolism; immunity; TCA cycle; nitrogen excretion; amino acids

Online: 17 July 2020 (11:00:53 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202007.0357.v1

Neuroscience Needs Ethology: The Marked Example of the Moth Pheromone System

Herve Thevenon

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: moth; pheromone; noctuid

Online: 16 July 2020 (13:21:38 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202007.0004.v1

Blood Meal Sources of Anopheles spp. in Malaria Endemic Areas of Honduras

Denis Escobar, Krisnaya Ascencio, Andrés Ortiz, Adalid Palma, Ana Sánchez, Gustavo Fontecha

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Blood Meal Source; Malaria; Honduras; Plasmodium spp

Online: 2 July 2020 (12:52:53 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202006.0164.v1

Integrated Pest Management for Acacia: Prospects and Challenges

Jyoti Chauhan, Ishan Saini, Tarun Kumar, Prashant Kaushik

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Acacia; insects; pests; management

Online: 14 June 2020 (03:55:08 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0076.v2

What the Salamander Eye Has Been Telling the Vision Scientist’s Brain

Fernando Rozenblit, Tim Gollisch

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: retina; vision; ambystoma; salamander; mudpuppy; axolotl

Online: 19 April 2020 (08:06:38 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0127.v1

Combining Experimental Evolution and Genomics to Understand How Seed Beetles Adapt to a Marginal Host Plant

Alex Rêgo, Samridhi Chaturvedi, Amy Springer, Alexandra M. Lish, Caroline L. Barton, Karen M. Kapheim, Frank J. Messina, Zachariah Gompert

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: plant-insect interaction; host shift; parallel evolution; detoxification; experimental evolution; population genomics; genome-wide association mapping; gene expression; Callosobruchus maculatus

Online: 8 March 2020 (01:52:10 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202002.0255.v1

Influence of Irradiation on the Biology of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys Stål)

Hai Nam Nguyen, Lloyd Damien Stringer, Ki-Jeong Hong

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: BMSB; Halyomorpha halys; inherited sterility; irradiation; SIT

Online: 18 February 2020 (03:15:20 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202001.0276.v1

Genetic Variation of Traits in Natural Enemies Relevant for Biological Control: A Systematic Review

Kim B. Ferguson, Sophie R. Chattington, Wouter N. Plouvier, Bart A. Pannebakker

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: genetic improvement; genetic variation; heritability; systematic review; biocontrol agent; life history traits

Online: 24 January 2020 (10:39:55 CET)

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Preprint SHORT NOTE | doi:10.20944/preprints202001.0196.v1

A Guide and Toolbox to Replicability and Open Science in Entomology

Jacob Wittman, Brian Aukema

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: reproducibility; open access; data curation; data mangement; pre-print servers

Online: 18 January 2020 (09:05:49 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201911.0376.v1

Habitat Fragmentation Effects on Community Composition of Carabid in Steppes of Northwest China

Shu-hua Wei, Wen-guang Huang, Meng-meng Zhu, Li-yuan Gao, Ying Wang, Rong Zhang, Zhi-hong Li, Zi-hua Zhao

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: steppe; habitat fragmentation; carabid beetles; community; richness; abundance

Online: 29 November 2019 (10:40:21 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201911.0300.v1

Next Generation Biological Control: The Need for Integrating Genetics and Evolution

Kelley Leung, Erica Ras, Kim Ferguson, Simone Ariëns, Dirk Babendreier, Piter Bijma, Kostas Bourtzis, Jacques Brodeur, Margreet Bruins, Alejandra Centurión, Sophie Chattington, Milena Chinchilla-Ramírez, Marcel Dicke, Nina Fatouros, Joel González Cabrera, Thomas Groot, Tim Haye, Markus Knapp, Panagioata Koskinioti, Sophie Le Hesran, Manolis Lirakis, Angeliki Paspati, Meritxell Pérez-Hedo, Wouter Plouvier, Christian Schlötterer, Judith Stahl, Andra Thiel, Alberto Urbaneja, Louis van de Zande, Eveline Verhulst, Louise Vet, Sander Visser, John Werren, Shuwen Xia, Bas Zwaan, Sara Magalhães, Leo Beukeboom, Bart Pannebakker

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: artificial selection; biological control; genetics; genome assembly; genomics; insect breeding; microbiome; modelling

Online: 24 November 2019 (17:10:31 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201911.0093.v1

Soil microarthropods and soil health: Intersection of decomposition and pest suppression

Deborah A. Neher, Mary E. Barbercheck

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: microarthropods; decomposition; nutrient mineralization; multi-channel feeding; predation; alternate prey; detrital shunting

Online: 8 November 2019 (10:39:16 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201910.0204.v1

Why are There so Many Bee-Orchid Species? Adaptive Radiation by Intraspecific Competition for Mnemonic Pollinators

Michel Baguette, Joris Bertrand, Virginie M. Stevens, Bertrand Schatz

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: adaptive radiation; sympatric speciation; pollination by sexual swindle; plant insect coevolution; asymmetric coevolution; chemical ecology; Ophrys orchids; unifying species definition; pseudocopulation; key innovation

Online: 17 October 2019 (15:12:38 CEST)

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Adaptive radiations occur mostly in response to environmental variation through the evolution of key eco-morphological innovations that allow emerging species to occupy new ecological niches. However, rapid phenotypic evolution and the evolution of key novelties are likely to also occur when a couple or few species are engaged into narrow ecological interactions. To demonstrate coevolution is a difficult task; only elusive evidences confirm that coevolution is a driver of speciation and diversiﬁcation. Here we propose that the adaptive radiation of the Mediterranean orchid genus Ophrys, which gave rise to ca. 350 species since the apparition of the genus is due to the particular co-evolutionary dynamics between these plants and their pollinators. We suggest that the pollination by sexual swindle used by Ophrys orchids is the main driver of this coevolution. Flowers of each Ophrys species mimic sexually receptive females of one particular insect species, mainly bees. Male bees are attracted by pseudo-pheromones emitted by Ophrys flowers that are similar to the sexual pheromones of their females. Males lured by the flower shape, color and hairiness attempt to copulate with the flower, which glues pollen on their bodies. Pollen is eventually transferred to the stigma of another flower of the same Ophrys species during similar copulation attempts. Three observations led us to propose the scenario of an asymmetric co-evolutionary relationship between Ophrys and their pollinators. Firstly, there is a strong intra-specific competition among Ophrys individuals for the attraction of their species-specific pollinators, which is due to the high learning and memorization abilities of bees that record the pheromone signatures of kin or of previously courted partner to avoid (further) copulation attempts. Mnemonic pollinators induce thus a strong selective pressure for variation in the pseudo-pheromones emitted by individual flowers, which will potentially generate shifts in pollinator species, and hence Ophrys speciation. These pollinator shifts are adaptive for new Ophrys species because they may benefit from a competitor-free space. Secondly, such shifts in pollinator species are due to the random crossing of peaks in the olfactory landscape of the pollinator guild that is syntopic to each particular Ophrys population. This selective process on individual, random variation in pseudo-pheromone bouquets is followed by directional selection on flower phenotypes that will reinforce the attraction of the new pollinator. Thirdly, pollinators use the pseudo-pheromones emitted by Ophrys to locate suitable habitats from a distance within complex landscapes. Pollinators stay fixed for a while in these habitats by the local diversity of pseudo-pheromones, which increases their probability of encounter with a receptive female and hence the reproduction probability of both sexes. Conversely, pollinators disperse out of small suitable habitats once they have memorized the local diversity of sexual pseudo-pheromone bouquet or if fecundated Ophrys flowers repel pollinators, which decreases the probability of geitonogamy (plant advantage) but limit pollinator mating with locally emergent insect females, thus limiting inbreeding and favoring gene flow (pollinator advantage). Finally, we propose several research avenues that emerged according to this scenario of adaptive radiation by assymetric coevolution between Ophrys species and their pollinators.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201902.0215.v4

Testing Host-Plant Driven Speciation in Phytophagous Insects: A Phylogenetic Perspective

Emmanuelle Jousselin, Marianne Elias

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: coevolution; herbivory; host-plant specialization; phylogeny; speciation

Online: 17 October 2019 (10:12:05 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201909.0012.v2

The G119S Acetylcholinesterase (Ace-1) Target Site Mutation Confers Carbamate Resistance in the Major Malaria Vector Anopheles gambiae from Cameroon: A Challenge for the Coming IRS Implementation

Emmanuel Elanga-Ndille, Lynda Nouage, Cyrille Ndo, Achille Binyang, Tatiane Assatse, Daniel Nguiffo-Nguete, Doumani Djonabaye, Billy Tene-Fossog, Helen Irving, Charles S. Wondji

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: Ace-1 G119S mutation; insecticide resistance; Anopheles gambiae; Cameroon; malaria

Online: 8 October 2019 (11:49:05 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201910.0026.v1

Blood Digestion by Trypsin-Like Serine Protease in the Lyme Disease Vector Tick, Ixodes Scapularis

Jeremiah Reyes, Cuauhtemoc Ayala-Chavez, Andrew Nuss, Monika Gulia-Nuss

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: ticks; Ixodes scapularis; serine protease; blood digestion; trypsin

Online: 2 October 2019 (08:56:27 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201902.0215.v3

Testing Host-Plant Driven Speciation in Phytophagous Insects: A Phylogenetic Perspective

Emmanuelle Jousselin, Marianne Elias

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: coevolution; herbivory; host-plant specialization; phylogeny; speciation

Online: 23 September 2019 (17:37:04 CEST)

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Biology and Life Sciences