Journal of insect physiology最新文献

{"title":"Sexual dimorphism of tarsal structures and attachment forces in Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae)","authors":"Dagmar Voigt ,&nbsp;Thomas Thieme ,&nbsp;Kai Gloyna ,&nbsp;Christoph Buuk ,&nbsp;Stanislav Gorb","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104835","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104835","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agile <em>Diabrotica virgifera virgifera</em> beetles reliably attach and walk on a wide range of substrates, including soil, waxy host plants, non-host plants, and female elytra. This capability relies on a complex of features, including insect behavior and effective tarsal structures.</div><div>This comparative study focuses on the detailed design, dimensions, geometry, and performance of male and female tarsi across different counterpart substrates. The research confirmed the presence of tarsal adhesive setae with lanceolate, filamentous, spatulate, and discoid terminals. Male-specific adhesive setae occurred in ovoid patches on the first tarsomere of the fore- and midlegs, including two subtypes: long, spatulate with discoid-oval terminals and short, mushroom-shaped, having circular terminals. The mushroom-shaped setae appeared to be extraordinary, as they had not been observed in other leaf beetles so far.</div><div>Summarizing the widths of all thin-film elements (adhesive terminals) that potentially participate in contact formation resulted in the overall peeling line length of all adhesive pads to be 1.1 cm for males and 1.0 cm for females, respectively. The attachment force normalized by the total peeling line length (N m⁻¹) in males (0.9) outperformed that of females (0.2).</div><div>According to linear models, statistical interactions between (i) sex and glass surface geometry, (ii) glass surface wettability and geometry, (iii) sex, glass surface wettability, and geometry, and (iv) sex and plant substrate geometry. The pull-off force depended significantly on sex and substrate. Reliable attachment in <em>D. virgifera virgifera</em> on host plants and during mating depends on (i) the dimension and geometry of adhesive structures, (ii) the dimension and geometry of the substrate, (iii) the secretions involved (tarsal fluid, epicuticular grease), (iv) the postures of the legs and feet (angles of segments relative to one another and to the substrate), as well as (v) the motions and behaviour of the beetles. We propose that the attachment and detachment mechanisms are balanced to suit the mobile lifestyle of this species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 104835"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144234356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Visually-guided defensive behaviors in triatomines (Heteroptera: Reduviidae)","authors":"Tomás Manuel Chialina ,&nbsp;Benjamín Leonel Vidal ,&nbsp;Sebastián A. Minoli ,&nbsp;Martín Berón de Astrada","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104862","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104862","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reduviidae is a family of insects mainly composed of predatory species known as assassin bugs and obligate blood-feeding species known as kissing bugs. Although both groups possess relatively well-developed compound eyes, image vision has only been associated with feeding behaviors in assassin bugs. Here, we studied whether vision plays a role in supporting defensive behaviors in kissing bugs.</div><div>Our findings reveal that <em>Rhodnius prolixus</em> consistently responds to visual looming stimuli by either freezing or escaping and that it can rapidly switch between these behaviors based on the ongoing stimulus information. By exposing animals to stimuli with different dynamics, we observed that escape responses were primarily evoked by stimuli mimicking the approach of a predator at a sustained velocity. Altering the contrast of the stimuli showed that freezing occurred regardless of the contrast, whereas escape was elicited only by high-contrast stimuli. Additionally, presenting numerous stimulation trials with short intertrial intervals yielded no habituation of the responses.</div><div>Our results demonstrate a clear role of the visual system in supporting defensive behaviors in kissing bugs. These responses can be evoked in a fast and flexible manner according to the ongoing information provided by the stimulus. Similar to what has been observed in highly visual arthropods, we found that the probability of occurrence and intensity of the evoked defensive responses depend on the evaluation of the impending risk that the visual stimuli entail.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 104862"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144698828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Male accessory gland-derived carboxypeptidase B regulates sperm activation in the spermatophores of Grapholita molesta","authors":"Jie Cheng ,&nbsp;Wei Wei ,&nbsp;Yiyang Zhang ,&nbsp;Fang Zhu ,&nbsp;Zhongjian Shen ,&nbsp;Xianwei Li ,&nbsp;Yu Liang ,&nbsp;Huiming Xiang ,&nbsp;Ruiyan Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104858","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104858","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Grapholita molesta</em> <!-->is a globally significant fruit-boring pest. Females maximize reproductive efficiency through optimal sperm utilization following a single mating event. Post-mating sperm activation is critical for reproductive success. Although sperm activation in <em>G. molesta</em> relies on the spermatophore microenvironment, the molecular regulators and associated metabolic pathways remain poorly understood. Here, we report that a male accessory gland-derived carboxypeptidase B (GmCPB) is essential for this process. <em>GmCPB</em> exhibited peak expression in the accessory gland during the pre-maturation stage; RNAi-mediated knockdown of <em>GmCPB</em> in males substantially reduced fertility, while mating success and longevity were unaffected. Mating with <em>GmCPB</em>-knockdown males had no effect on spermatophore formation or sperm transfer, whereas sperm activation was markedly impaired. Untargeted metabolomic analysis further revealed that multiple metabolic pathways exhibited significant dysregulation in the spermatophores of females after mating with <em>GmCPB</em>- knockdown males. Our findings propose a functional framework for CPB characterization and establish a molecular foundation for population suppression strategies targeting male accessory gland proteins in <em>G. molesta</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 104858"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144667812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pitfalls in insect cryoprotectant functional studies: A case study of myo-inositol in Drosopila lummei","authors":"Tomáš Štětina ,&nbsp;Lukáš Kučera ,&nbsp;Martin Moos ,&nbsp;Jan Rozsypal ,&nbsp;Vladimír Koštál","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104864","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104864","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The correlation between the accumulation of a potentially cryoprotective substance and the increase in cold hardiness has been documented in many cold-acclimated insects. Nevertheless, the literature offers scant direct evidence for the cryoprotective function of the accumulated substances. Here, we sought to obtain direct evidence of non-colligative cryoprotective function of <em>myo</em>-inositol in adults of boreal fly, <em>Drosophila lummei</em>. The diapause flies accumulated <em>myo</em>-inositol in concentration of up to 500 mmol·kg⁻¹ fresh mass during several weeks of gradual cold acclimation simulating winter onset. Concurrently, their cold hardiness, measured by five different metrics, substantially increased. We found that the primary source of <em>myo</em>-inositol is glycogen breakdown to glucose units, followed by their subsequent conversion through the activity of <em>myo</em>-inositol phosphate synthase, which is encoded by the <em>Inos</em> gene. The relative expression of <em>Inos</em> increased 86-fold during cold acclimation. We successfully augmented the levels of <em>myo</em>-inositol in the bodies of pre-acclimated flies, achieving levels comparable to those attained through cold acclimation. However, the study demonstrated that both methods of exogenous <em>myo</em>-inositol delivery (microinjection into the hemolymph and feeding enriched diets) were unsuccessful in achieving proper tissue localization of <em>myo</em>-inositol, which naturally accumulates primarily in the thoracic flight muscles and CNS. At the same time, the artificial increase in <em>myo</em>-inositol concentration did not affect any of the five measured cold hardiness metrics. We conclude by discussing various pitfalls of functional studies of insect cryoprotectants and identify ways to overcome them.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 104864"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144757758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stress response of the honey bee exposed to warming, starvation and neonicotinoids","authors":"Álvaro Hernández-Rivera ,&nbsp;Ramsés Chávez-Ríos ,&nbsp;Wesley Dáttilo ,&nbsp;Andrea Esquivel‐Román ,&nbsp;Francisco Castelán ,&nbsp;Bibiana Montoya ,&nbsp;Daniel González-Tokman","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104870","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104870","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Honey bees are the world’s most important crop pollinators, but their populations have recently shown significant declines, likely due to multiple stressors. Bees and other insects rely on heat shock proteins (HSP) and antioxidant defense systems to buffer against potentially noxious effects coming from challenges such as rising temperatures, starvation, and pesticide exposure. Nevertheless, our understanding of how combined stressors impact honey bee physiology, and the extent to which HSPs and antioxidants can protect against biomolecular damage, remains incomplete. In our study, we examined the isolated and combined effects of three stressors (temperature increase, starvation, and exposure to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid at two realistic doses) on HSP levels, total antioxidant capacity, and antioxidant protective effect against lipid oxidative damage in <em>Apis mellifera ligustica</em>, using a full factorial experimental design. We found a positive relationship between lipid peroxidation and total antioxidant capacity throughout all conditions tested, indicating a limited capacity of antioxidants to protect against oxidative damage. Moreover, when bees were exposed to starvation or increased temperature alone, the antioxidant protective effect against lipid peroxidation was improved, but when both stressors were present together such an antioxidant protective effect was reduced, suggesting an antagonist effect of combined exposure to heat and starvation. These findings provide evidence that exposure to multiple stressors may produce sublethal effects by overwhelming antioxidant defenses. We discuss potential implications of these results for the management of honey bee colonies, particularly in the context of global environmental change, to ensure the health of honey bees and protect the essential ecosystem services they provide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 104870"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144912425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Proline-rich nuclear receptor coactivator (Pnrc), the Drosophila aaquetzalli homologue, is important in survival of Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata","authors":"Ahmad Ali Anjum,&nbsp;Lan-Lan Liao,&nbsp;Lin Jin,&nbsp;Guo-Qing Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104843","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104843","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To develop a novel control strategy via a combination of double stranded RNA (dsRNA)-based pesticide and biocontrol in <em>Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata</em>, we endeavored to identify potential dsRNAs that can cause living and non-feeding beetles to provide food for predators and parasitoids. In this context, depletion of proline-rich nuclear receptor coactivator (Pnrc), the <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em> aaquetzalli homologue, damages cuticle integrity. In the current paper, RNA interference (RNAi) targeting <em>Hvpnrc</em> by an injection of 200, 500 or 1000 ng of ds<em>pnrc</em> into the third instar larvae significantly reduced the level of corresponding transcript and repressed pupation and adult eclosion, in a dose-dependent manner. The resultant female adults were malformed, with misshapen elytra and hindwings. They seldom moved, consumed less potato foliage, and hardly laid eggs. Most <em>Hvpnrc</em> RNAi beetles remained alive for more than a week before death. Silencing of <em>Hvpnrc</em> at the fourth larval instar or pupal stages caused more severe defective phenotypes. The <em>Hvpnrc</em> depleted adults seldom moved and did not consume potato foliage. They did not oviposit and eventually died within 10 days post eclosion. Taken together, ds<em>pnrc</em> can cause delayed death and can exert an antifeeding effect; a ds<em>pnrc</em>-based pesticide may be compatible with biocontrol when applied to the potato field to control <em>H. vigintioctopunctata</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 104843"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144649689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of parental photoperiod and elevation on egg diapause, mortality, and synchronous hatching of Mormon crickets Anabrus simplex","authors":"Robert B. Srygley","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104866","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104866","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Some katydid species remain in the egg stage for multiple years in prolonged diapause. Because the egg has yet to develop a nervous system, the parental generation is believed to play a large role in determining the duration of egg diapause through adult photoperiod and selection of the egg laying environment. However, little evidence exists that compares the relative influences of parental photoperiod and the egg environment on diapause. I investigated the relative effects of parental photoperiod and egg environment on diapause by burying two sets of Mormon cricket <em>Anabrus simplex</em> eggs, one from long-day parents and the other from short-day parents, at seven sites on an elevational gradient (1200–2800 m). As predicted, the effect of parental photoperiod on the diapause duration of the offspring was more pronounced at lower elevations than at high elevation sites. Contrary to results from a laboratory experiment, offspring of short-day parents developed faster. The field experiment confirmed that for Mormon crickets, parental photoperiod is a soft cue for prolonged diapause, especially when compared with the effects of the environment on egg diapause. Median hatching time ranged from two to eight years, depending on the elevation and microhabitat. Soil temperature was a critical factor in determining the persistence of Mormon cricket eggs in egg banks. Moreover, mortality was greater for the short-day photoperiod, particularly at higher elevations where the eggs were in the soil longer. At high elevation sites, the season for embryonic development is short and embryonic growth can only occur when the soil heats up during the day. Hence, multi-year diapause and slow embryonic development is a natural consequence of temperatures at high elevation. Mountains and canyons provide a patchy thermal environment where multiple generations of eggs are likely to be banked in the soil by which favorable environmental conditions can lead to developmental synchronization, hatching, and outbreaks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 104866"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144766789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of electrophysiological and behavioral responses of tephritid (Diptera: Tephritidae) pests to cucurbit host odors","authors":"Yoseph Baraki ,&nbsp;Yitbarek Woldehawariat ,&nbsp;Teun Dekker ,&nbsp;Tibebe Dejene Biasazin","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104865","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104865","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Developing species-specific lures for female tephritid fruit flies is crucial for sustainable pest management, yet remains a significant challenge. This study aimed to identify potential attractants for <em>Zeugodacus cucurbitae</em>, a major pest on cucurbit crops, by comparing the olfactory responses of females to host plant volatiles with those of two related fruit-infesting species, <em>Bactrocera dorsalis</em> and <em>Ceratitis capitata</em>. Using gas chromatography coupled electroantennogram detection (GC-EAD) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), we identified 28 antenna-active compounds from flowers and fruits of <em>Cucumis sativus</em> L., <em>Cucurbita pepo</em> L., and <em>Cucurbita mixta</em> L. While eight compounds elicited responses in all three tephritid species, indicating shared olfactory sensitivity, <em>B. dorsalis</em> and <em>C. capitata</em> detected a broader range of volatiles than <em>Z. cucurbitae</em>. Behavioral assays in a six-choice olfactometer demonstrated that synthetic blends based on cucurbit host odors attracted females of all three species. These findings suggest that, while there is some overlap in host odor perception, subtle differences exist that could be exploited for species-specific lure development. Further optimization and field testing of these promising blends are recommended to enhance targeted pest management strategies for <em>Z. cucurbitae</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 104865"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144757759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to “A physiologically-oriented transcriptomic analysis of the midgut of Tenebrio molitor”. [J. Insect Physiol. 99 (2017) 58–66]","authors":"Nathalia R. Moreira,&nbsp;Christiane Cardoso,&nbsp;Renata O. Dias,&nbsp;Clelia Ferreira,&nbsp;Walter R. Terra","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104854","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104854","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 104854"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144649688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Knockdown of LmSPARC influences lipid metabolic homeostasis involved ovarian development in Locusta migratoria","authors":"Mingjun Wang ,&nbsp;Wenhui Guo ,&nbsp;Yong Yang ,&nbsp;Qingyao Zhu ,&nbsp;Xiaohong Zhang ,&nbsp;Daochuan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104855","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104855","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reproduction, a fundamental feature of all known life, is closely correlated with energy homeostasis. Lipids, which can accumulate, provide essential energy support for reproduction. Secreted Protein, Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC) is a cellular matrix glycoprotein involved in the regulation of extracellular matrix synthesis. However, the precise coordination of lipid homeostasis by SPARC during insect reproductive development remains poorly understood. Our study revealed that when the expression of <em>LmSPARC</em> was downregulated by RNA interference (RNAi) in 4th and 5th instar nymphs, molting was delayed compared with that in the control. Knockdown of <em>LmSPARC</em> reduced levels of vitellogenin (Vg) protein and retarded maturation of oocytes. The intercellular patency in the follicular epithelium of the ovaries was abnormal after <em>LmSPARC</em> silencing. In addition, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses showed that the energy metabolism pathway was disrupted in locusts lacking <em>LmSPARC</em>, and the accumulation and degradation of lipids in the body were abnormal. This study provides insights into the effects of <em>LmSPARC</em> on ovarian development and energy metabolism homeostasis in <em>Locusta migratoria</em>, and provides a reference for screening biological control targets via on RNAi.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 104855"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144667811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}