Current Research in Insect Science最新文献

{"title":"A Rhodnius prolixus catalytically inactive Calpain protease patterns the insect embryonic dorsal-ventral axis","authors":"Alison Julio ,&nbsp;Tainan C. Guedes-Silva ,&nbsp;Mateus Berni ,&nbsp;Paulo Mascarello Bisch ,&nbsp;Helena Araujo","doi":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100094","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100094","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The calcium dependent Calpain proteases are modulatory enzymes with important roles in cell cycle control, development and immunity. In the fly model <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em> Calpain A cleaves Cactus/IkappaB and consequently modifies Toll signals during embryonic dorsal-ventral (DV) patterning. Here we explore the role of Calpains in the hemiptera <em>Rhodnius prolixus</em>, an intermediate germband insect where the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) instead of the Toll pathway plays a major role in DV patterning. Phylogenetic analysis of Calpains in species ranging from Isoptera to Diptera indicates an increase of Calpain sequences in the <em>R. prolixus</em> genome and other hemimetabolous species. One locus encoding each of the <em>CalpC, CalpD</em> and <em>Calp7</em> families, and seven Calpain A/B loci are present in the <em>R. prolixus</em> genome. Several predicted <em>R. prolixus</em> Calpains display a unique architecture, such as loss of Calcium-binding EF-hand domains and loss of catalytic residues in the active site CysPc domain, yielding catalytically dead Calpains A/B. Knockdown for one of these inactive Calpains results in embryonic DV patterning defects, with expansion of ventral and lateral gene expression domains and consequent failure of germ band elongation. In conclusion, our results reveal that Calpains may exert a conserved function in insect DV patterning, despite the changing role of the Toll and BMP pathways in defining gene expression territories along the insect DV axis.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34629,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Insect Science","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100094"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666515824000246/pdfft?md5=41d2c9ae156f861f2c8a2994a9f035f0&pid=1-s2.0-S2666515824000246-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142048780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"N-mixture models for population estimation: Application in spotted lanternfly egg mass survey","authors":"Houping Liu ,&nbsp;James T. Julian","doi":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cris.2024.100078","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Population density and structure are critical to nature conservation and pest management. Traditional sampling methods such as capture-mark-recapture and catch-effort can't be used in situations where catching, marking, or removing individuals are not feasible. N-mixture models use repeated count data to estimate population abundance based on detection probability. They are widely adopted in wildlife surveys in recent years to account for imperfect detection. However, its application in entomology is relatively new. In this paper, we describe the general procedures of N-mixture models in population studies from data collection to model fitting and evaluation. Using <em>Lycorma delicatula</em> egg mass survey data at 28 plots in seven sites from the field, we found that detection probability (<em>p</em>) was negatively correlated with tree diameter at breast height (DBH), ranged from 0.516 [95 % CI: 0.470−0.561] to 0.614 [95 % CI: 0.566−0.660] between the 1st and the 3rd sample period. Furthermore, egg mass abundance (λ) was positively associated with basal area (BA) for the sample unit (single tree), with more egg masses on tree of heaven (TOH) trees. More egg masses were also expected on trees of other species in TOH plots. Predicted egg mass density (masses/100 m²) ranged from 5.0 (95 % CI: 3.0−16.0) (Gordon) to 276.9 (95 % CI: 255.0−303.0) (Susquehannock) for TOH plots, and 11.0 (95 % CI: 9.00−15.33) (Gordon) to 228.3 (95 % CI: 209.7−248.3) (Burlington) for nonTOH plots. Site-specific abundance estimates from N-mixture models were generally higher compared to observed maximum counts. N-mixture models could have great potential in insect population surveys in agriculture and forestry in the future.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34629,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Insect Science","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100078"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666515824000088/pdfft?md5=c5c2ea2bf48085deee5a20adb1ec3d1b&pid=1-s2.0-S2666515824000088-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140330950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A conserved pheromone receptor in the American and the Asian palm weevils is also activated by host plant volatiles","authors":"Ludvine Brajon ,&nbsp;Arthur Comte ,&nbsp;Rémi Capoduro ,&nbsp;Camille Meslin ,&nbsp;Binu Antony ,&nbsp;Mohammed Ali Al-Saleh ,&nbsp;Arnab Pain ,&nbsp;Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly ,&nbsp;Nicolas Montagné","doi":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100090","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100090","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The evolution of chemosensory receptors is key for the adaptation of animals to their environment. Recent knowledge acquired on the tri-dimensional structure of insect odorant receptors makes it possible to study the link between modifications in the receptor structure and evolution of response spectra in more depth. We investigated this question in palm weevils, several species of which are well-known invasive pests of ornamental or cultivated palm trees worldwide. These insects use aggregation pheromones to gather on their host plants for feeding and reproduction. An odorant receptor detecting the aggregation pheromone components was characterised in the Asian palm weevil <em>Rhynchophorus ferrugineus.</em> This study compared the response spectra of this receptor, <em>Rfer</em>OR1, and its ortholog in the American palm weevil <em>R. palmarum, Rpal</em>OR1. Sequences of these two receptors exhibit more than 70 amino acid differences, but modelling of their 3D structures revealed that their putative binding pockets differ by only three amino acids, suggesting possible tuning conservation. Further functional characterization of <em>Rpal</em>OR1 confirmed this hypothesis, as <em>Rpal</em>OR1 and <em>Rfer</em>OR1 exhibited highly similar responses to coleopteran aggregation pheromones and chemically related molecules. Notably, we showed that <em>R. ferrugineus</em> pheromone compounds strongly activated <em>Rpal</em>OR1, but we did not evidence any response to the <em>R. palmarum</em> pheromone compound rhynchophorol. Moreover, we discovered that several host plant volatiles also activated both pheromone receptors, although with lower sensitivity. This study not only reveals evolutionary conservation of odorant receptor tuning across the two palm weevil species, but also questions the specificity of pheromone detection usually observed in insects.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34629,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Insect Science","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100090"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666515824000209/pdfft?md5=b2cfe36bb54df917861b70e41c7e5185&pid=1-s2.0-S2666515824000209-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141842815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Idiosyncratic effects of bacterial infection on female fecundity in Drosophila melanogaster","authors":"Aabeer Basu,&nbsp;Vandana Gupta ,&nbsp;Kimaya Tekade ,&nbsp;Nagaraj Guru Prasad","doi":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100098","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100098","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Existing theories make different predictions regarding the effect of a pathogenic infection on the host capacity to reproduce. Terminal investment theory suggests that due to the increased risk of mortality, and the associated risk of losing future opportunity to reproduce, infected individuals would increase their investment towards reproduction. Life-history theory posits that due to energetic and resource costs associated with mounting an immune defense, hosts would decrease their investment towards reproduction, and reallocate resources towards defense and survival. Additionally, Somatic damage incurred by the host due to the infection is also expected to compromise the host capacity to reproduce. We explored these possibilities in <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em> females experimentally infected with pathogenic bacteria. We tested if the effect of infection on female fecundity is pathogen specific, determined by infection outcome, and variable between individual infected females. We observed that the mean, population level change in post-infection female fecundity was pathogen specific, but not correlated with mortality risk. Furthermore, infection outcome, i.e., if the infected female died or survived the infection, had no effect on fecundity at this level. At individual resolution, females that died after infection exhibited greater variation in fecundity compared to ones that survived the infection. This increased variation was bidirectional, with some females reproducing in excess while others reproducing less compared to the controls. Altogether, our results suggest that post-infection female fecundity is unlikely to be driven by risk of mortality and is probably determined by the precise physiological changes that an infected female undergoes when infected by a specific pathogen.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34629,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Insect Science","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100098"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142427256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Life history traits of the target pest and transmission routes of the biocide are critical for the success of the boosted Sterile Insect Technique","authors":"Fanny Herbillon ,&nbsp;Esther Gnilane Diouf ,&nbsp;Thierry Brévault ,&nbsp;Marion Haramboure ,&nbsp;Simon Fellous ,&nbsp;Cyril Piou","doi":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100101","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100101","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sterile insect technique (SIT) is an environmentally friendly pest control strategy that consists of inundative releases of mass-reared sterilized males over defined areas, where they mate with wild females, resulting in no offspring and a declining pest population. The technique has effectively managed many crop pests and vector-borne diseases worldwide. A new approach, called boosted SIT, has been proposed to gain efficiency. It combines SIT with the contamination of wild females by sterile males previously coated with biocides. The present study investigated to what extent life history traits of the target pest and biocides can make the boosted SIT more efficient than the classical SIT. We built a generic agent-based model (SIT++) that simulates the population dynamics of insect pests. We then explored parameters related to the mating system, spermatic competition, and fecundity, taking examples from the biology of three well-known Dipteran pest species (<em>Bactrocera dorsalis, Ceratitis capitata,</em> and <em>Glossina palpalis gambiensis</em>)<em>.</em> We found that for boosted SIT to be more beneficial than SIT, horizontal transmission of the biocide to the same generation and to the progeny must be very high. Female fecundity was the other key parameter behind the success of boosted SIT, which was more efficient with insect pests having low reproduction rates. In particular, vertical transmission and late killing time were critical parameters. We also observed that a high level of virulence can help, but only when the boosted SIT is already advantageous; otherwise, it becomes detrimental. The boosted SIT might be advantageous depending on the life history traits of the target pest and transmission routes. For a more extensive exploration, the model can easily be tailored to pests with very different life history traits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34629,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Insect Science","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100101"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142657372","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transgenerational plasticity in aphids reared in a poor-resource environment","authors":"Vincenzo Trotta ,&nbsp;Pierluigi Forlano ,&nbsp;Vittoria Caccavo ,&nbsp;Paolo Fanti ,&nbsp;Donatella Battaglia","doi":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cris.2024.100081","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The changing environmental conditions can affect insect biology over multiple generations and phenotypic plasticity is important for coping with these changes. Transgenerational plasticity occurs when the environment in which the parents developed influences the plastic response of the offspring phenotype. In the present study, the plastic effects of resource limitation on important life history traits such as body size, fecundity, survival, and resistance to starvation of the pea aphid <em>Acyrthosiphon pisum</em> were investigated over two generations. This study focused on understanding how resource limitation can determine an adaptive expression of maternal effects and transgenerational plasticity in fitness-related traits. Aphids showed phenotypic plasticity for the life history traits investigated, as they performed better when grown in an optimal environment than in a resource-poor one. Also, aphids had a poorer performance if their mothers were raised in a resource-poor environment. The effects of transgenerational plasticity were observed only in response to resistance to starvation, through increased survival in the offspring of the mother reared in a resource-poor environment, suggesting an evolutionary bet-hedging strategy. The results of this study showed that the effects of adaptive transgenerational plasticity may be partially masked in stressful environments, where developmental problems instead predominate. More information on the transgenerational response to resource limitation across generations can contribute to a better understanding of aphid biology.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34629,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Insect Science","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100081"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666515824000118/pdfft?md5=4e7cc4839ed0035ccadce8486978cec8&pid=1-s2.0-S2666515824000118-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140638878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diapause survival requires a temperature-sensitive preparatory period","authors":"Amanda D. Roe ,&nbsp;Ashlyn A. Wardlaw ,&nbsp;Skye Butterson ,&nbsp;Katie E. Marshall","doi":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100073","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100073","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Diapause is a form of internally-controlled dormancy that allows insects to avoid stressful conditions and periods of low food availability. Eastern spruce budworm (<em>Choristoneura fumiferana</em> Clemens), like many cold-adapted insects, enter diapause well in advance of winter conditions, thus exposing them to elevated temperatures during fall that can deplete energy stores and impact post-diapause survival. We explored the impact of fall conditions on <em>C. fumiferana</em> by manipulating the length of the fall period and exposure temperatures during the diapause initiation phase of second instar larvae in a factorial design. We exposed second instar larvae to four fall temperatures (10, 15, 20, and 25°C) and five exposure times (1, 2, 4, 6, and 10 weeks) prior to standardized diapause conditions. We measured metabolites (glycogen, glycerol, and protein) prior to and during diapause for a subset of individuals. We also measured post-diapause survival by quantifying emergence following diapause conditions for a subset of individuals. We found that long, warm fall conditions depleted glycogen content and lowered post-diapause survival. We also found that short, cool conditions impacted post-diapause survival, although glycogen content remained high. Our results showed that fall conditions have substantial fitness consequences to overwintering insects. Optimal fall conditions struck a balance between exposure time and temperature. Our findings point to a potentially adaptive reason for early diapause onset: that an undescribed, but temperature-sensitive process is occurring in <em>C. fumiferana</em> larvae during the diapause initiation period that is essential for overwintering survival and successful post-diapause emergence.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34629,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Insect Science","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100073"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666515824000039/pdfft?md5=81aeef5e0705c5eeb8da8455b4db4639&pid=1-s2.0-S2666515824000039-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139634032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acclimation temperature influences the thermal sensitivity of injury accumulation in Folsomia candida at extreme low and high temperatures","authors":"Micha Wehrli,&nbsp;Stine Slotsbo,&nbsp;Jian Ge,&nbsp;Martin Holmstrup","doi":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100089","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100089","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The importance of thermal acclimation for the Thermal Death Time (TDT) landscape of the common soil living springtail, <em>Folsomia candida</em> (Collembola, Isotomidae), was investigated. To this aim, we acclimated adult springtails at 10 °C (cold-acclimation) and 20 °C (warm-acclimation), respectively. In static thermal tolerance assays, we found the relationship between survival and exposure time at a number of stressful high and low temperatures. Using logistic modelling, we found, at each exposure temperature, the time until 50% mortality had been reached (Lt₅₀). The exponential functions of TDT curves were found by linear regression of log₁₀ Lt₅₀ values against exposure temperature. Results showed that cold acclimation significantly increased cold tolerance and increased the temperature dependence of cold injury accumulation rate (increased the slope by 4 orders of magnitude) in <em>F. candida</em>. Hence, cold acclimation changed the status of this species from chill-susceptible to moderately chill-tolerant. The cellular injury accumulation at sub-zero temperatures was not related to freezing of body water in this study. Congruently, we found a significant negative effect of cold acclimation on heat tolerance and that cold acclimation decreased the thermal sensitivity of the heat injury accumulation rate. Different slopes of the TDT curves between acclimation groups indicated that acclimation shifted the proportional importance of cellular injury mechanisms or the nature of injury mechanisms. Finally, we compare and combine the TDT curves at extreme high and low temperatures with previously published results on longevity at benign temperatures (from 0 to 30 °C) and describe the full thermal niche of <em>F. candida</em>.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34629,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Insect Science","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100089"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666515824000192/pdfft?md5=1d0234cbc5a36b03e77f763285ddcb32&pid=1-s2.0-S2666515824000192-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141696476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Salivary glands of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis: Dissection and microscopy guide","authors":"Monika Danchenko,&nbsp;Kevin R. Macaluso","doi":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cris.2024.100080","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Fleas are morphologically unique ectoparasites that are hardly mistaken for any other insect. Most flea species that feed on humans and their companion animals, including the cat flea (<em>Ctenocephalides felis</em>), have medical and veterinary importance. Besides facilitating blood acquisition, salivary biomolecules can modulate pathogen transmission. Thus, dissection of salivary glands is essential for comprehensive studies on disease vectors like the cat flea. Herein, we present the pictorial dissection protocol assisting future research targeting individual flea organs, for revealing their roles in vector competence and physiology. We provide a comprehensive guide, allowing researchers, even with limited practical experience, to successfully perform microdissection for collecting cat flea salivary glands. Furthermore, the protocol does not require expensive, sophisticated equipment and can be accomplished with routinely available tools. We illustrated expected results with morphological changes of salivary glands upon blood feeding as well as fluorescently stained these organs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34629,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Insect Science","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100080"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666515824000106/pdfft?md5=40c890615cb15135c8207c7991694f98&pid=1-s2.0-S2666515824000106-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140539662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lemongrass essential oil and DEET inhibit attractant detection in infected and non-infected Ixodes scapularis ticks","authors":"Kayla Gaudet ,&nbsp;Luis Adriano Anholeto ,&nbsp;N. Kirk Hillier ,&nbsp;Nicoletta Faraone","doi":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100096","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cris.2024.100096","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Blacklegged tick, <em>Ixodes scapularis</em> Say (Arachnida: Ixodidae), is a growing health concern for humans as vectors the causative agent of Lyme disease, <em>Borrelia burgdorferi,</em> and many other pathogens. Given the potential health threat <em>I. scapularis</em> entails, and the need to find effective strategies to prevent tick bites, it is pivotal to understand the chemosensory system of ticks and their host-seeking behaviour when exposed to repellents. In this study, we investigated whether the exposure to synthetic and plant-derived repellents impairs the ability of <em>I. scapularis</em> to detect attractants and host volatiles (butyric acid), and ultimately how these repellents interfere with host-seeking behaviour in both wild and lab-reared ticks. Furthermore, we screened wild ticks used in electrophysiology and Y-tube behavioural assays for presence of pathogens (<em>Borrelia, Anaplasma,</em> and <em>Babesia</em>) to evaluate if the bacterial infection status would affect the detection of butyric acid under the exposure to repellents. We determined that the exposure to DEET, lemongrass essential oil, citral, and geraniol significantly inhibited the ability of both lab-reared and wild adult female <em>I. scapularis</em> to detect and respond to butyric acid. We found that tick infection status does not significantly impact host-seeking behaviour in adult female <em>I. scapularis</em>. The knowledge gained from our study contributes to advance our understanding of host-seeking behaviour in ticks and the impact that the exposure to repellent has on the tick chemosensory system. These findings will be important for elucidating the mechanism of repellence in ticks and for the development of effective tick repellent management tools.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34629,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Insect Science","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100096"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266651582400026X/pdfft?md5=41756cf3df0f1511122cfd62fc86a96a&pid=1-s2.0-S266651582400026X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142310234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}