Monika, Vikas Ramteke, Bhojendra, Nemichand Mandawi, Shravan Chandrawashi, Raghunath Singh Netam, T. N. Raviprasad, Kaliaperumal Vanitha, J. Dinkara Adiga, Devchand Salam, Narendra Kumar, Parvinder Kumar Salam, Padmakshi Thakur
{"title":"Diversity, abundance, and foraging behaviour of flower visiting insects in cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) in South East Central India","authors":"Monika, Vikas Ramteke, Bhojendra, Nemichand Mandawi, Shravan Chandrawashi, Raghunath Singh Netam, T. N. Raviprasad, Kaliaperumal Vanitha, J. Dinkara Adiga, Devchand Salam, Narendra Kumar, Parvinder Kumar Salam, Padmakshi Thakur","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10242-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10242-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The present study examined the diversity and foraging behavior of insect visitors on cashew (<i>Anacardium occidentale</i>) inflorescence, revealing a diverse assemblage of pollinators across five insect orders: Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Hemiptera. A total of 20 insect species were recorded, with Hymenoptera, particularly <i>Apis cerana indica</i>, <i>Apis florea</i>, and <i>Tetragonula</i> sp., being the most frequent visitors and key pollinators. Ants were observed in abundance but their role in pollination remained uncertain. Pollinator preference was influenced by floral rewards, with nectar-foraging bees favoring hermaphrodite flowers, while pollen-collecting bees showed a preference for male flowers. Foraging behavior varied across species, with <i>Pieris rapae</i> exhibiting the fastest foraging speed (3.66 s flower<sup>− 1</sup>) whereas, highest foraging rate (7.60 flowers min<sup>− 1</sup>) was recorded in <i>Apis cerana indica</i>. Pollinator abundance was highest between 10:00–12:00 h, coinciding with peak nectar availability. Diversity indices revealed that Shannon’s diversity index and Simpson’s dominance index were highest during mid-morning, gradually declining in the late afternoon. Among cashew varieties, VRI-3 exhibited the highest pollinator diversity, whereas Indira Kaju recorded the lowest. The findings emphasize the role of diverse pollinator communities in enhancing cashew pollination efficiency and highlight the need for targeted pollination management strategies to optimize cashew yield. Understanding pollinator dynamics can contribute to improved cashew productivity through conservation and management of key pollinating species.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147642998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Taís Alves da Cruz, Gabriela Fraga Porto, Bruno de Sousa-Lopes, Kleber Del-Claro
{"title":"Beyond predator bodyguards: ant attendance at post-floral pericarpial nectaries increases fruit production, improves fruit morphology, and reduces nectar thief visitation in Declieuxia fruticosa (Rubiaceae)","authors":"Taís Alves da Cruz, Gabriela Fraga Porto, Bruno de Sousa-Lopes, Kleber Del-Claro","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10238-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10238-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p><i>Declieuxia fruticosa</i> produces branches with inflorescences that simultaneously bear floral buds, distylous flowers, and fruits with post-floral pericarpial nectaries (PPNs). These branches attract ants, pollinators, herbivores, and nectar thieves. Ants feeding on PPNs may act as plant bodyguards against herbivores, but they can also influence floral visitors, potentially generating both costs and benefits for plant reproduction. However, the net effects of these multitrophic interactions on plant fitness remain unclear. We tested the hypothesis that ant presence at PPNs enhances fruit production and improves fruit morphological traits in <i>D. fruticosa</i> by repelling herbivores and nectar thieves, while not interfering with legitimate pollinators. Field experiments and observations were conducted in Uberlândia, MG, Brazil, manipulating ant presence and absence. We quantified fruit number, weight, width, and length, and evaluated stigma receptivity, pollen availability, and the assemblage of floral visitors and herbivores. Our results demonstrate that ant presence at PPNs significantly increases fruit set and all evaluated morphological traits. Fruits produced in the presence of ants were, on average, 25% larger and 2.4 times heavier than those from ant-excluded plants. Moreover, ant presence was associated with a 2.9-fold reduction in the frequency of nectar thieves and a 65% increase in visitation frequency by <i>Apis mellifera</i>, the main pollinator. These findings indicate that ant-mediated protection against herbivores and floral exploiters, without substantial interference in pollination, directly enhances plant fitness. Overall, our study highlights the role of ants in shaping plant reproductive success through direct and indirect multitrophic interactions.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11829-026-10238-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147560588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michelle J. Chin, Mari Alkassam, Mannat Bagga, Su Hyun Elizabeth Ko, Jason C. L. Brown
{"title":"Spatial and temporal effects of Eurosta solidaginis-induced stem galls on leaf physiology in Solidago canadensis","authors":"Michelle J. Chin, Mari Alkassam, Mannat Bagga, Su Hyun Elizabeth Ko, Jason C. L. Brown","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10239-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10239-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Insect-induced galls act as resource sinks, but their effects on ungalled plant tissues are poorly understood. We examined how stem galls induced by <i>Eurosta solidaginis</i> affected <i>Solidago canadensis</i> leaf physiology, measuring multiple parameters in leaves close to and far from galls (and similar locations in ungalled plants) throughout late summer and autumn. While chlorophyll concentration was unaffected, stomatal density was higher in leaves close to galls, suggesting localized effects on stomatal development. Starch levels were lower in close and far leaves from galled plants, consistent with galls acting as powerful carbon sinks. Catalase activity was elevated only in leaves close to galls, yet these leaves showed no increased resistance to oxidative damage, suggesting catalase upregulation may instead protect larvae from photosynthetic reactive oxygen species (ROS). Salicylic acid, a defense hormone, was higher in leaves close to galls but only in some years, indicating spatially localized, environmentally-dependent defense responses. Early-season increases in leaf moisture content in leaves from galled plants may minimize larval freezing risk, while lack of increased transpiration rate over the season in galled plants may represent improved leaf cuticle maintenance to prevent desiccation. These spatially and temporally dynamic responses reveal that <i>Eurosta</i> manipulates host physiology in ways that could maximize its energy acquisition while minimizing freezing risk and oxidative stress. Our findings may inform biological control strategies for aggressive and invasive <i>Solidago</i> populations.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147560197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ioreni Margarita Hernández-Velázquez, Rebeca González-Gómez, Laura Rosado, Carlos Cadena, Alejandro Pereira-Santana, Salvador Hernández Moreno, Antonio Andrade-Torres, Jesús Alejandro Zamora-Briseño
{"title":"Research progress on the mahogany shoot borer, Hypsipyla grandella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae): new perspectives for its management","authors":"Ioreni Margarita Hernández-Velázquez, Rebeca González-Gómez, Laura Rosado, Carlos Cadena, Alejandro Pereira-Santana, Salvador Hernández Moreno, Antonio Andrade-Torres, Jesús Alejandro Zamora-Briseño","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10223-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10223-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The mahogany shoot borer, <i>Hypsipyla grandella</i>, is one of the most serious pests affecting Spanish cedar and mahogany crops. This pest species has halted the massive commercial propagation of these crops in Latin America. The lack of effective control measures, combined with the limited application of cutting-edge techniques to investigate the insect’s biology and ecology, has hindered the development of data-based control strategies. In this review, we performed a systematic survey of the available scientific literature on <i>H. grandella</i> using selected academic databases. We categorized the retrieved studies according to their main research focus, allowing us to identify research trends and knowledge gaps in the current state of research on this pest species. Our analysis indicates that most studies have focused on descriptive aspects of the insect’s biology and life cycle, whereas host–insect interactions and the chemical ecology conducted by this insect remain poorly explored. Additionally, we provide a summary and discussion of the principal management strategies evaluated to date, encompassing both conventional silvicultural practices and alternative or integrated approaches. Finally, we suggest innovative research directions to address the methodological gaps, which we believe are necessary for the development of new management strategies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147560732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Tailoring the species composition and in-field deployment of flower strips for functional insect biodiversity and biological control","authors":"Séverin Hatt, Daphné Maenhout, Antoine Coppi, Qingxuan Xu, Frédéric Francis, Julien Piqueray","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10234-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10234-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Flower strips in agroecosystems contribute to insect conservation and can favor biological control of crop pests. First, we compared a flower mixture tailored to attract and support natural enemies of aphids, to a subsidized mixture, on the attraction and support of functional insect biodiversity. Second, we tested the in-field deployment of flower strips set at 27 m intervals with sugar beet crop to enhance the regulation of aphid pests, independently of the flower mixture. The tailored mixture showed a more consistent flowering cover, and a significantly higher presence of aphids serving as alternative prey/hosts, than the subsidized mixture. The abundance of natural enemies was low in the flower strips and was not significantly different between the two mixtures, while non-predatory hoverflies were numerous, and significantly more abundant in the tailored mixture. The abundance of <i>Aphis fabae</i> was significantly reduced on sugar beet bordered by in-field flower strips. The abundance of <i>Myzus persicae</i> followed a similar trend, but with a high variability leading to non-significant differences between fields. Predators on sugar beet were mainly ladybird beetles and hoverflies, which abundance was significantly correlated with the abundance of <i>Aphis fabae</i>. By tailoring the plant species composition of mixtures, we demonstrate that flower strips can support both natural enemies and non-predatory insects, offering potential for multifunctional habitats. Their deployment within fields significantly contributes to protecting crops against aphids. As such, tailored and in-field flower strips represent strategic tools to design pest suppressive agroecosystems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147441442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Felix Sauke, Katrin M. Meyer, Sylvain Pincebourde, Kerstin Wiegand
{"title":"APPLE-POPDYN: an individual-based model linking apple-tree productivity and leaf miner infestation dynamics","authors":"Felix Sauke, Katrin M. Meyer, Sylvain Pincebourde, Kerstin Wiegand","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10233-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10233-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The extent of crop damage caused by insect pests is economically significant and largely determined by the host selection behavior of individual pest species. According to the plant vigor hypothesis, herbivorous insects prefer vital over stressed plant parts. However, the feedbacks between insect behavior, plant performance, and insect population dynamics remain poorly understood. We developed the individual-based model APPLE-POPDYN to explore how different insect oviposition strategies affect apple tree productivity and insect phenology—feedbacks that are challenging to disentangle with experimental studies alone. The model is based on the interaction between the spotted tentiform leaf miner (<i>Phyllonorycter blancardella</i>) and its host, the apple (<i>Malus domestica</i>). It allows for controlled modification of behavioral traits, thereby enabling a systematic investigation of these interactions. The model includes the generation of meteorological pseudo data, apple tree growth, leaf-level oviposition behavior, and insect population dynamics. APPLE-POPDYN distinguishes between “picky” insects that prefer vigorous leaves and “tolerant” insects that do not discriminate. Picky insects develop faster but spend more time searching for suitable leaves. As a result, they produce more generations per year but achieve lower population sizes and cause less overall damage than tolerant insects. Additionally, increasing infestation levels reduce leaf vigor, negatively feeding back on host attractiveness. Our findings suggest that adaptive insect behavior does not necessarily lead to higher population sizes and provide new insights into the ecological dynamics of plant–insect interactions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11829-026-10233-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147441444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Prafull Sati, J. P. Purwar, Narne Kavya, Ritu Mishra, Dharanikota Lalithambica Devi, Aditya Pratap
{"title":"A novel application of grey relational analysis in screening of advanced breeding lines for antixenosis of Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) infesting green gram","authors":"Prafull Sati, J. P. Purwar, Narne Kavya, Ritu Mishra, Dharanikota Lalithambica Devi, Aditya Pratap","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10231-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10231-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Green gram (<i>Vigna radiata</i> (L.) R. Wilczek) is an important short-duration pulse crop valued for its high nutritional content and suitability to diverse agro-climatic conditions. However, its productivity is significantly threatened by insect pests, particularly the polyphagous defoliator <i>Spodoptera litura</i> (Fabricius). This noctuid pest causes extensive leaf damage, leading to substantial economic losses. Host plant resistance, governed by biophysical and biochemical traits, is a fundamental component of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). These traits influence pest behaviour by affecting host preference and insect survival, thereby shaping population dynamics. This study investigated the mechanisms of resistance, with a focus on antixenosis (non-preference), in green gram against <i>S. litura</i>. Seventy germplasm accessions, along with a standard check, were evaluated under both field and laboratory conditions. The results demonstrated that more than half of the tested germplasms exhibited lower pest preference compared to the check. Biophysical traits (Trichome density and leaf thickness) showed a positive correlation with pest preference whereas Biochemical traits (Total soluble sugars and catalase activity) exhibited a negative correlation with pest preference, while peroxidase activity played a significant defensive role. Identification of traits for host plant resistance is important for the searching the source of resistance. Multivariate statistical analysis may play an important role to assess the key parameters for host plant resistance. For this purpose, Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) has been used to identify the biophysical parameters for the antixenosis mechanism against <i>S. litura</i> infesting green gram. This analysis (Grey relational coefficients) revealed that, among these traits, Trichome density (0.719) and Peroxidase (0.599) were found to be the most significant variables associated antixenosis resistance mechanism against larva of <i>S. litura.</i> This study highlights the critical role of specific morphological and enzymatic traits in conferring resistance to <i>S. litura</i> in green gram. Furthermore, it establishes Grey Relational Analysis as an effective tool for pinpointing key resistance characteristics, thereby facilitating the selection and breeding of resistant varieties for sustainable crop protection.</p>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147441551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Transcriptomic analysis of digestive and detoxification enzyme genes in Agasicles hygrophila (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) under varied dietary conditions","authors":"Wenjie He, Shuang Zhan, Cenyue Li, Wenzhe Wang, Yuting Wu, Chun Yang, Lingling Gao, Ruiyan Ma, Yanqiong Guo","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10237-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10237-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Agasicles hygrophila</i> is a monophagous beetle that exclusively feeds on the host plant <i>Alternanthera philoxeroides</i>. It cannot complete its life cycle on non-target plants, so it is an effective biological control agent. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its host specificity remain unclear due to limited transcriptomic resources. Here, we employed the Illumina HiSeq™ 2000 platform to generate transcriptomic databases for adult <i>A. hygrophila</i> under three conditions: feeding on the host plant, non-target plant <i>Beta vulgaris</i> var. <i>cicla</i> and starvation as control. We assembled 46,151 unigenes (N50 = 1312 bp). BLAST annotation against the Nr database identified <i>Tribolium castaneum</i> Herbst as the top hit. We identified 221 digestive enzyme genes (63 carbohydrases, 72 lipases, 86 trypsins) and 138 detoxification enzymes (69 P450s, 23 GSTs, 46 CCEs). KEGG analysis showed detoxification enzymes were enriched in hormone biosynthesis and metabolism. Comparative analysis of DEGs among the three treatment groups, <i>A. hygrophila</i> feeding on the host plant, exhibited a higher number of DEGs (1525 vs. 733), and higher digestive/detoxification enzyme abundances than the non-target plant. Notably, carbohydrases/lipases showed more downregulated genes, while proteases exhibited the opposite trend; P450s were the most differentially expressed detoxification enzymes. qRT-PCR validated 26 digestive and 21 detoxification enzyme DEGs with complete sequences. This study provides a comprehensive transcriptomic resource and offers mechanistic insight into the metabolic basis of monophagy in this biocontrol agent.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147441552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Feeding and fecundity of leaf beetle Monolepta hieroglyphica on different tissues of corn and three weed plants","authors":"Yu-Wei Wu, Lin-Hao Zheng, Jia-Liang Xu, Jing-Wen Wang, De-Wei Meng, Fei-Wu Li, Wen-Jing Xu","doi":"10.1007/s11829-026-10225-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11829-026-10225-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The double-spotted leaf beetle (DLB), <i>Monolepta hieroglyphica</i> (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a polyphagous pest that causes considerable damage to corn in China. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the influence of host plants on the biology of this beetle. This study assessed the feeding of DLB on three corn tissues and three weed species, as well as the impact of host plants/tissues on DLB fecundity. The Feeding rate of DLB was significantly affected by interaction between host plants/tissues and sex, indicating sex-specific patterns of feeding choice. The feeding levels of DLB adults were affected only by host plants/tissues, following the order: common knotgrass > corn silk > corn leaf > Asian copperleaf > white goosefoot > corn kernel. The fecundity of single female adults fed on common knotgrass was the highest (44.70 ± 11.47 eggs), whereas that fed on corn leaf was the lowest (2.00 ± 0.88 eggs). These results underscore the significance of weeds as alternative DLB hosts in corn agroecosystems, improving our understanding of DLB biology and offering valuable insights for establishing and providing an integrated pest management (IPM) program.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8409,"journal":{"name":"Arthropod-Plant Interactions","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11829-026-10225-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147441446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}