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  • Monthly, Founded in 1950
    Supervisor:Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Sponsor:Institute of Zoology,Chinese Academy of Sciences
    The Entomological Society of China
    Domestic postal code: 2-153
    Foreign issuance code: Q61
    ISSN 0454-6296
    CN 11-1832/Q
Table of Content
20 March 2023, Volume 66 Issue 3
For Selected: View Abstracts Toggle Thumbnails
  • RESEARCH PAPERS
    Molecular mechanism of the ATP synthase subunit d in trehalose metabolism regulating the larval metamorphosis of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
    ZHANG Bo, GENG Zi-Chen, CHANG Yan-Peng, LI Xiang, AN Shi-Heng, ZHAO Wen-Li
    2023, 66(3):  267-276.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.001
    Abstract ( 355 )   PDF (12044KB) ( 264 )     
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    【Aim】 This study aims to analyze the function and molecular mechanism of the ATP synthase subunit d (ATPs-d) in trehalose metabolism regulating the development and metamorphosis of Helicoverpa armigera larva. 【Methods】 The open reading frame (ORF) of HaATPs-d of H. armigera was cloned by PCR, and its sequence and phylogeny were analyzed by bioinformatics methods. The qRT-PCR was employed to analyze the expression levels of HaATPs-d in the cuticle, midgut and fat body of the 5th instar larva at the molting stage and 6th instar larva, and in the fat body and cuticle of the 6th instar larva in response to 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E)(0.1 mg/mL). The subcellular localization of HaATPs-d in the Spodoptera frugiperda oocyte line Sf9 cells was studied by fluorescence photography. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) was emplyed to identify the protein interacting with HaATPs-d. The effects of the HaATPsd knockdown by RNAi on the larval development and metamorphosis, and soluble trehalase activity and trehalose content in the midgut after injecting dsHaATPs-d into the 6th instar larva of H. armigera were measured. 【Results】 The H. armigera HaATPs-d (GenBank accession number: LOC110375576) ORF is 525 bp in length and encodes 174 amino acids. HaATPs-d was highly conservative, and had close relationship to ATPs-d of S. frugiperda and S. litura. The HaATPs-d expression level peaked in the cuticle of the day-3 6th instar larva and in the midgut and fat body of the 5th instar larva at the molting stage. Compared with the control, 20E (0.1 mg/mL) significantly upregulated the expression levels of HaATPs-d in the fat body and cuticle of the 6th instar larva. HaATPs-d is a cytoplasmic protein. HaATPs-d directly bound with soluble trehalase of H. armigeraKnockdown of HaATPs-d in the 6th instar larva of H. armigera resulted in slower larval development, larval weight loss, increased larval mortality, decreased pupation rate and adult emergence rate, significantly decreased soluble trehalase activity and significantly increased trehalose content in the midgut compared with the control group (injected with dsGFP). 【Conclusion】 HaATPs-d controls the activity of soluble trehalase and trehalose content in larvae by binding with the soluble trehalase of H. armigera, thus affecting the sugar source and finally the larval metamorphosis.
    Sulfakinin and its receptor regulate the feeding behavior of Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)
    GUO Di, ZHANG Su, LI Jian, GAO Cong-Fen, WU Shun-Fan
    2023, 66(3):  277-291.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.002
    Abstract ( 316 )   PDF (3277KB) ( 424 )     
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    【Aim】To clarify the function of sulfakinin (SK) and sulfakinin receptor (SKR) in the feeding behavior of Nilaparvata lugens.【Methods】The full-length cDNA sequences of sulfakinin gene Nlsk and sulfakinin receptor gene Nlskr of N. lugens were cloned by PCR and subjected to bioinformatical analysis. The expression levels of Nlsk and Nlskr in different developmental stages (egg, 1st-5th instar nymphs, and male and female adults) and different tissues (head, antenna, wing, proboscis, leg, gut and Malpighian tubules) of the female adult of N. lugens were analyzed by qRT-PCR. The 3rd instar nymphs of N. lugens were injected with dsNlskr for gene silencing and the expression level of Nlskr in the 4th instar nymph was detected by qRT-PCR. The food intake of the 4th instar nymph after the Nlskr silencing was measured. GO and KEGG analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and qRT-PCR verification of feeding-related genes based on the previously constructed transcriptome database of the 4th instar nymphs after RNAi of Nlskr were performed. 【Results】 The full-length cDNA sequences of Nlsk (GenBank accession number: AB817281) and Nlskr (GenBank accession number: BAO01059.1) of N. lugens were cloned by PCR. Sequence alignment results showed that the NlSK mature peptide of N. lugens has a C-terminal FMRFamide polypeptide structure that is conserved with other species. NlSKR has a highly conserved transmembrane domain with homologous receptors of other insects. The results of qRT-PCR showed that Nlsk and Nlskr were highly expressed in the egg and 1st instar nymph, and mainly in the head. Nlskr was also highly expressed in the proboscis of N. lugens. Silencing Nlskr significantly increased the food intake of the 4th instar nymphs of N. lugens. Based on transcriptome data, GO and KEGG analysis result of DEGs showed that silencing of Nlskr by RNAi significantly affected the expression of the olfactory, gustation, energy metabolism, and feeding-related neuropeptides and receptor genes. The qRT-PCR verification results of feeding-related genes showed that silencing Nlskr decreased the expression levels of Nl7tmOR, NlOAR-3R, NlUH-FAF and NlTRP-161A, and increased the expression levels of NlGr64f, NlUE-E2 and NlTHR.【Conclusion】 This study reveals that sulfakinin and its receptor are involved in regulating the feeding behavior of N. lugens, providing a potential target for the development of pest insect feeding behavior inhibitors.
    Identification and expression profiling of odorant-binding protein and chemosensory protein genes in Schlechtendalia chinensis (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
    FENG Guo-Rui, WEI Hong-Yuan, XU Xin, SHAO Shu-Xia, YANG Zi-Xiang
    2023, 66(3):  292-302.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.003
    Abstract ( 230 )   PDF (10282KB) ( 243 )     
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    【Aim】In order to provide theoretical basis for studying the roles of odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and chemosensory proteins (CSPs) in olfactory recognition of Schlechtendalia chinensis by the gene identification and expression profiling of OBPs and CSPs of S. chinensis. 【Methods】Based on the genome and transcriptome data of different developmental stages of S. chinensis, the gene sequences of OBPs and CSPs were identified and screened by bioinformatics methods. Phylogenetic analysis of OBPs and CSPs 

    from S. chinensis and other Hemiptera insects based on amino acid sequences was performed using the neighbor-joining method. According to the TPM (tags per million) values of OBP and CSP genes in the transcriptome of different developmental stages (fundatrigeniae, fundatrix, spring migrant aphids, autumn migrant aphids, overwintering nymphs, sexual females and sexual males) of S. chinensis, the expression abundance was analyzed, and the relative expression levels of OBP and CSP genes were detected by qRT-PCR method. 【Results】 A total of 12 OBP genes (SchiOBP2-10, SchiOBP13-15) and 9 CSP genes (SchiCSP1-2, SchiCSP4-10) were identified from the genome and transcriptome data of S. chinensis. The phylogenetic analysis showed that OBPs/CSPs of S. chinensis were clustered together with OBPs/CSPs of other aphids and formed multiple homologous subgroups, indicating a credible homologous evolutionary relationship. According to the expression abundance in the transcriptome of different developmental stages and spatiotemporal expression profiles detected by qRT-PCR, SchiOBP3/6 and SchiCSP1/4/6/9/10 were highly expressed in fundatrix, SchiOBP4/10/14 and SchiCSP2/5/7 were highly expressed in sexual males, SchiOBP2 was highly expressed in fundatrix and sexual males, SchiOBP7 and SchiCSP8 were highly expressed in spring migrant aphids, SchiOBP8/13/15 were highly expressed in autumn migrant aphids, and SchiOBP9 was highly expressed in overwintering nymphs, indicating that these genes may play 
    important roles in the olfactory recognition of S. chinensis in searching for host plants and mates.【Conclusion】 In this study, the OBP/CSP genes and their expression characteristics in different developmental stages of S. chinensis were identified and 

    clarified, which provide a basis for further study on the function of olfactory-related proteins of S. chinensis and the chemical communication mechanism between gall aphids and their host plants.


    Effects of RNAi efficiency-related nuclease gene on RNAi efficiency in Bombyx mori
    CHEN Yong-Qi, YIN Yan-Ping, FENG Jia-Wei, BAI Xin-Yu, LI Qing-Rong, ZHONG Yang-Jin, YANG Wan-Ying
    2023, 66(3):  303-311.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.004
    Abstract ( 261 )   PDF (8535KB) ( 230 )     
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    【Aim】 The nucleases in the digestive system of Lepidoptera are one of the main reasons for the low efficiency of RNAi. This study aims to explore the effects of RNAi efficiency-related nuclease (REase) of Bombyx mori BmREase on the low efficiency of RNAi in B. mori. 【Methods】 The full-length cDNA sequence of BmREase was homologously cloned from B. mori by RT-PCR and bioinformatically analyzed, and phylogenetic analysis was carried out by maximum likelihood method. qRT-PCR was used to detect the specific expression of BmREase in different tissues (head, cuticle, fat body, midgut, trachea, Malpighian tubules and silk gland) of B. mori at the wandering stage. Furthermore, by injecting the dsRNAs of BmREase, ecdysone receptor (EcR) gene BmEcR, ultraspiracle (USP) gene BmUSP and cytokine sp-tzle1 (Spz1) gene BmSpz1 of B. mori into the wandering B. mori for RNAi, we analyzed whether interferring the expression of BmREase can improve the interference efficiency of dsRNAs of target genes.【Results】The full-length cDNA sequence of BmREase (GenBank accession no.: XM_021350017.2) of B. mori was obtained by RT-PCR amplification. The open reading frame of BmREase is 2 241 bp in length, encoding 746 amino acid residues. Bioinformatics analysis showed that BmREase has a very similar structure to human exonuclease I 3qe9.1, and the active domain composed of Thr7, His33, Ala37, Arg93, Lys97, Tyr159, Asp160, Ser161 and Asn174 can bind to the nucleic acid sequence, indicating that BmREase has nuclease activity. qRT-PCR results showed that BmREase was highly expressed in the wandering midgut and Malpighian tubules of B. mori, indicating that the nuclease mainly exists in the digestive system of B. mori. The expression level of BmREase in the wandering B. mori injected with dsRNA was higher than that of the blank control group. When BmREase was interfered by RNAi, the interference efficiency of dsBmEcR, dsBmUSP and dsBmSpz1 were increased.【Conclusion】 BmREase, which has a similar function to human exonuclease, may affect the interference efficiency of dsRNA in B. mori. This study is instructive for using RNAi to study the gene function of B. mori and to further develop RNAi for pest control.
    Cross-generational effects of different concentrations of thiamethoxam on Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae) populations
    WANG Zi-Jie, LI Li-Xia, LI Xiao-Hua, LI Wen-Bo, GAO Yu, LI Jin-Bu, SHI Shu-Sen
    2023, 66(3):  312-325.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.005
    Abstract ( 206 )   PDF (2686KB) ( 446 )   PDF(mobile) (2686KB) ( 13 )     
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    【Aim】The purpose of this study is to investigate the cross-generational effects of different concentrations of thiamethoxam on Riptortus pedestris populations. 【Methods】The 3rd instar nymphs of R. pedestris were fed with the soybean seeds treated with different concentrations of thiamethoxam [LC10(5.2 mg/L), LC20(11.2 mg/L), LC30(19.6 mg/L), LC40(31.6 mg/L) and LC50(49.4 mg/L)] by liquid-dipping method for 24 h. The surviving nymphs were reared until the adults emerged and continued to breed to establish the F1 populations. The growth, development and reproduction of the F1 population were systematically recorded. And the biological parameters of the F1 population were analyzed using the age-stage two-sex life table. 【Results】After the 3rd instar nymphs of R. pedestris were fed with the soybean seeds exposed to different concentrations of thiamethoxam, the developmental duration and pre-oviposition period of the F1 population of R. pedestris were prolonged. The egg duration and nymphal duration in the treatment with LC50 of thiamethoxam were the longest, being prolonged by 1.01 and 8.39 d, respectively, and the pre-oviposition period in the treatment with LC20 of thiamethoxam was the longest, being prolonged by 3.54 d, as compared to those in the control (clear water). Thiamethoxam treatment shortened the longevity of adult females and males to some degree, which was reduced by 6.89 and 8.94 d, respectively, in the treatment with LC50 of thiamethoxam, as compared to that in the control. Compared to the control, thiamethoxam treatment resulted in the decrease in the age-stage specific survival rate, number of eggs laid per female, intrinsic rate of increase rm, finite rate of increase λ, net reproductive rate R0 and population trend index I of the F1 population of R. pedestris with increasing thiamethoxam concentration, while caused the prolonged mean generation time T. Compared to the control, treatment with LC40 of thiamethoxam caused the maximum reduction in the number of eggs laid per female, which were decreased by 30.37%, and treatment with LC50 of thiamethoxam resulted in the maximum reduction in the intrinsic rate of increase rm, finite rate of increase λ, net reproductive rate R0 and population trend index I, which were decreased by 150.40%, 1.88%, 55.92% and 65.07%, respectively, and caused the longest mean generation time T, which was prolonged by 8.4679 d. 【Conclusion】The growth, development and reproduction of the F1 population of R. pedestris are still inhibited by thiamethoxam treatment to the nymphs, and the inhibitory effects increase with increasing thiamethoxam concentration. The control efficacy of thiamethoxam against R. pedestris shows cross-generational effects.
    Sugar and protein requirements of Bactrocera minax (Diptera: Tephritidae) adults at different dispersal stages and their reproductive developmental nodes and reproduction dynamics
    XU Bo, LI Zai-Yuan, YANG Hui-Min, KUANG Zhong-Fen, MA Yue-Kun, WANG Fu-Lian, GUI Lian-You, ZHANG Gui-Fen
    2023, 66(3):  326-337.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.006
    Abstract ( 197 )   PDF (9361KB) ( 111 )   PDF(mobile) (9361KB) ( 14 )     
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    【Aim】The aim of this study is to target the specific itinerant dispersal pattern of Bactrocera minax by investigating the nutritional requirements of B. minax adults at different ages (specific dispersal stages) for sucrose and protein, the development progress of testes and ovaries, and the dynamics of mating and oviposition of their adults at specific dispersal stages, to clarify the nutritional basis and reproductive developmental nodes in different dispersal stages of B. minax, and to rudimentarily understand its dispersal mechanisms, so as to provide a basis for precise control of B. minax adults. 【Methods】The female and male adults of B. minax at various dispersal stages consumed either sucrose or the mixed food of sucrose with yeast (sucrose∶yeast=3∶1, m/m)(the main components of yeast are protein and vitamins), and the sugar and protein requirements of adults at different dispersal stages were determined. The adult ovaries and testis were dissected, the adult mating and oviposition dynamics were observed, and the developmental basis and nodes of their initiation and diffusion were analyzed.【Results】The female adults of B. minax at the out-migrating stage (1-day-old) and the pre-return migrating stage (15-day-old) had a significantly higher sucrose consumption than those at the other dispersal stages, while those at the out-stay stage (10-day-old) had the lowest sugar consumption. At every step of the migratory process, male adults had significantly lower sucrose consumption than female adults. The 10-day-old female adults had the highest yeast consumption, while the 1-, 10- and 30-day-old male adults had significantly higher yeast consumption than the 15- and 20-day-old male adults. The 10-day-old female and male adults, 20-day-old male adults and 30-day-old male adults exhibited significantly increased consumption to the mixed food of sucrose with yeast than to single sucrose, while the 1-, 15- and 20-day-old female adults showed significantly decreased consumption to the mixed food of sucrose with yeast than to single sucrose. The consumption of male adults of each age to the mixed food of sucrose with yeast did not significantly decrease as compared with that to single sucrose. After adding yeast, the 1-, 15-, 20- and 30-day-old female adults and the 15-day-old male adults had significantly lower consumption to sucrose in the mixed food than to single sucrose. The ages of adults with 16%, 50% and 84% of the stage 3 ovaries were 9.17-, 14.80- and 20.34-day-old, respectively. The testis volume of male adults was the lowest at the 5-day-old, started to dramatically expand at the 10-day-old, and reached the maximum at the 30-day-old. The testis length increased with the male ages ranging from 10- to 20-day-old, but became obviously shortened at the 30-day-old. The testes width of male adults increased sporadically with age, with the larger ones occurring between 10- and 30-d-old. The ages of adults at the mating onset (with the cumulative mating rate of 16%), mating peak (with the cumulative mating rate of 50%) and mating end (with the cumulative mating rate of 84%) were 16.90-, 22.06- and 27.42-day-old, respectively, while those of female adults at the oviposition onset (with the cumulative oviposition rate of 16%), oviposition peak (with the cumulative oviposition rate of 50%) and oviposition end (with the cumulative oviposition rate of 84%) were 16.03-, 28.08- and 38.69-day-old, respectively. 【Conclusion】The female adults of B. minax have high demand for sucrose during the out-migrating and pre-return migrating periods, and the female adults in the migration state (out migrating stage, return migrating stages and alternately dispersal stage) have higher demand than males, meaning that sucrose is an essential nutrient for migration. B. minax has the highest protein consumption during the out-stay stage, which is consistent with the onset of ovarian development. The degree of protein demand in males corresponds to the size of the testes. Protein is closely related to the development of the adult reproductive system and can provide the nutritional basis for its migration and diffusion. The pre-return migrating stage of adult is consistent with the peak of female ovarian development and the onset of mating, indicating that the developmental status of the adult reproductive system is strongly tied to the launching node of the return migration. And the maturation of the female ovaries is the decisive physiological basis for the return migration in the populations. Therefore, the return migration phase of B. minax can be predicted by monitoring the progress of ovarian development in females.
    Effects of inducing queen diapause and diapause-breaking methods on the colony reproductive characteristics of the bumblebee, Bombus breviceps (Hymenoptera: Apidae)
    QIN Jia-Min, ZONG De-Qin, ZHAN Jiang, LIANG Cheng
    2023, 66(3):  338-350.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.007
    Abstract ( 170 )   PDF (1887KB) ( 401 )     
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    【Aim】Domesticating native bumblebees for crop pollination is an effective way to achieve coordinated development of modern agriculture and ecological conservation. This study aims to investigate the effects of inducing queen diapause and diapause-breaking methods on the colony reproductive breeding characteristics of Bombus breviceps, the dominant species in Yunnan Province, southwestern China, so as to optimize key rearing techniques and improve breeding efficiency.【Methods】Through the statistics of the changes in the body weight and survival rates of B. breviceps queens at different diapause stages, as well as the rearing of queens with different body weights, different diapause periods (diapause duration of 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 d) and different diapause-breaking methods (control group not subjected to any treatment, cold storage at 5 ℃ for 90 d, and COtreatment for 5 and 30 min, respectively), the breeding characteristics such as colony development (pre-oviposition period, duration up to the first worker emergence, duration up to the first progeny queen emergence, duration up to the first male emergence, duration of the colony reaching 6 workers, duration of the colony reaching 30 workers, duration of the colony reaching 60 workers and longevity of foundress queens), colony strength (number of workers and number of progeny queens) and breeding efficiency [proportion of queens laying eggs, proportion of applicable colonies (proportion of colonies producing 50 or more workers) and proportion of colonies producing progeny queen] were recorded and compared.【Results】The body weight of mated B. breviceps queens was in a normal distribution, ranging from 0.4513 g to 1.1928 g, with an average of (0.8969±0.1219) g. The most frequent body weight range was 0.8733-0.9788 g, accounting for 61.2%. There was an extremely significantly positive correlation between the survival rate and the body weight of queen at the diapause stage, and both of them decreased with the extension of diapause duration. When the diapause duration exceeded 120 d, the queen survival rate decreased dramatically. There was no significant correlation between the pre-diapause body weight and pre-oviposition period, duration up to the first worker emergence, duration up to the first progeny queen emergence, duration up to the first male emergence, duration of the colony reaching 6 workers, duration of the colony reaching 30 workers, duration of the colony reaching 60 workers, longevity of foundress queens, number of workers or number of progeny queens of B. breviceps, but more colonies with queens of medium body weight (0.8733-0.9788 g) would produce progeny queens. There was no interaction between the effects of pre-diapause body weight and diapause duration on colony development and colony strength. The diapause duration was not significantly correlated with the number of workers and number of progeny queens, but was significantly negatively correlated with the pre-oviposition period, duration up to the first worker emergence, duration up to the first progeny queen emergence, duration up to the first male emergence, duration of the colony reaching 6 workers, duration of the colony reaching 30 workers, duration of the colony reaching 60 workers and longevity of foundress queens. With the extension of diapause duration, the colony developmental duration was shortened. Queens undergoing diapause for 90 d had similar proportion of queens laying eggs to those undergoing diapause for 60 and 120 d, and their colonies produced higher number of workers. Compared with queens undergoing diapause for 60, 120 and 150 d, queens undergoing diapause for 90 d had higher proportion of applicable colonies and proportion of colonies producing progeny queens. The pre-oviposition period, duration up to the first worker emergence, duration of the colony reaching 6 workers, duration of the colony reaching 30 workers, duration of the colony reaching 60 workers of the queens after cold storage at 5 ℃ for 90 d and COtreatments were extremely significantly shorter than that in the control. The number of workers produced in the group of CO2 treatment for 30 min (496.4±101.1 workers) was the highest, significantly higher than that in the group of CO2 treatment for 5 min (364.4±132.1 workers), group of cold storage at 5 ℃ for 90 d (398.2±117.2 workers) and the control group (253.0±44.0 workers). The proportion of queens laying eggs (100.0%), proportion of applicable colonies (86.7%) and proportion of colonies producing progeny queens (86.7%) in the group of CO2 treatment for 30 min were higher than those in the group of cold storage at 5 ℃ for 90 d and group of CO2 treatment for 5 min, and that in the control group was the lowest.【Conclusion】The mated B. breviceps queens should undergo diapause to initiate colonies. The queens weighing 0.8733-0.9788 g before diapause have better reproductive characteristics. Both cold storage at 5 ℃ for 90 d and CO2 treatment can induce queens to break diapause and initiate colonies. The results of this study can provide a reference for efficient breeding of B. breviceps, and have important implications for the conservation and their pollination applications of native bumblebees.
    Herbivore-induced resistant rice volatiles enhance the direct and indirect resistance of the neighboring susceptible rice varieties to Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)
    LI Cheng-Zhe, LU Jin-Cheng, PAN Xin-Da, XIAO Yu-Jie, DENG Jian-Yu, ZHOU Guo-Xin, LOU Yong-Gen
    2023, 66(3):  351-359.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.008
    Abstract ( 218 )   PDF (3787KB) ( 253 )     
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    【Aim】 The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, is one of the most important pests on rice. The objective of this research is to determine the effects of volatiles emitted from BPH-induced resistant rice varieties (IR64, ASD7 and IR56) on the resistance of the susceptible rice variety TN1, and to provide theoretical and technical guidance for the green ecological control of BPH. 【Methods】 We employed rice-BPH-Anagrus nilaparvatae as a model system. TN1 plants were exposed to the volatiles emitted from rice varieties (IR64, ASD7, IR56 and TN1) uninfested and infected by BPH female adults (BPH-induced rice), respectively, and the number of eggs laid per female, the amount of honeydew secreted per female, nymphal survival rate and egg hatching rate of BPH on TN1 plants were measured. The choice of the female adults of BPH and A. nilaparvatae to the abovementioned TN1 plants was determined by using an H-type olfactometer and a Y-type olfactometer, respectively.【Results】 Exposure of TN1 plants to the volatiles emitted from BPH-induced resistant rice reduced the number of eggs laid per female of BPH, while exposure to volatiles emitted from uninfested resistant rice did not affect the number of eggs laid per female of BPH. Exposure of healthy TN1 plants to the volatiles emitted from BPH-induced IR64 decreased the amount of honeydew secreted per female, but had no effects on the egg hatching rate and nymphal survival rate of BPH. In addition, exposure of healthy TN1 plants to the volatiles emitted from BPH-induced IR64 also reduced the attractiveness to BPH, but enhanced the attractiveness to A. nilaparvatae. When healthy TN1 plants were exposed to the volatiles emitted from BPH-induced IR64 or TN1, only the relative content of 2-heptanone in TN1 plants changed significantly.【Conclusion】 Exposure of TN1 plants to volatiles emitted from BPH-induced resistant rice varieties reduces the number of eggs laid and the amount of honeydew of BPH female adults, reduces the attractiveness to BPH female adults, but enhances the attractiveness to the parasitoid A. nilaparvatae. The relative content of 2-heptanone in TN1 plants is increased when TN1 plants are exposed to the volatiles emitted from BPH-induced resistant rice variety IR64, which may be an important reason to the behavior changes of BPH and A. nilaparvatae.
    Effects of yak grazing intensities on arthropod diversity in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, southwestern China
    SHI Yin-Xia, AI Yi, TIAN Li-Ming, MIPAM Tserang Donko
    2023, 66(3):  360-368.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.009
    Abstract ( 234 )   PDF (1501KB) ( 468 )     
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    【Aim】 Climate change and overgrazing are seriously threatening the functions of alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, southwestern China. Theoretically, large herbivore grazing is tightly related to the boveground arthropod diversity, while this relationship remains unclear. 【Methods】 Yak (Bos grunniens), as a typical native livestock on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, was used as animals to conduct grazing experiment in alpine meadows. Four grazing intensities (heavy grazing: 3 yaks/hm2; moderate grazing: 2 yaks/hm2; light grazing: 1 yak/hm2; and no-grazing) were set and metabarcoding technology combined with traditional plant quadrat survey was used to examine the effects of grazing intensity on the α diversity (Simpson, Chao1, ACE, and Shannon-Wiener), relative abundance and β diversity of aboveground arthropods, the α diversity (Shannon-Wiener diversity index, species richness and Pielou’s evenness index) of plant communities, and the relationships between the α diversity of aboveground arthropods and the α diversity of plant communities. 【Results】 The results showed that the α diversity of aboveground arthropods in alpine meadows did not differ significantly among different grazing intensities, while moderate grazing tended to increase the arthropod diversity. The dominant order of aboveground arthropods under different grazing intensities was the Orthoptera, with the relative abundance of 97.30%, 81.93%, 94.29% and 67.60%, respectively, under no-grazing, light grazing, moderate grazing and heavy grazing. Grazing increased the relative abundance of the Hemiptera and Diptera. The community structures of aboveground arthropods under no-grazing and moderate grazing showed slight difference, but those under light grazing and heavy grazing obviously differed. There was no significant correlation between aboveground arthropod diversity and plant community diversity. 【Conclusion】 This study suggest that yak grazing intensity has no significant effect on aboveground arthropod diversity in alpine meadows, but obviously alters the relative abundance of the dominant species and community structures of aboveground arthropods. Moderate grazing might be the optimal grazing intensity to protect aboveground arthropod diversity. This study, to a certain extent, provides theoretical supports for the maintenance and protection of biodiversity in alpine meadows.
    Prediction of global potential suitable area of the black twig borer, Xylosandrus compactus (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) under future climate change scenarios of CMIP6
    SUN Xue-Ting
    2023, 66(3):  369-380.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.010
    Abstract ( 216 )   PDF (8733KB) ( 151 )     
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    【Aim】The black twig borer, Xylosandrus compactus, is an important wood-boring insect pest native to Southeast Asia. It causes serious damage to multiple host plants, leading to substantial economic and ecological losses worldwide. This study aims to clarify the distribution and changes of global potential suitable areas of this pest, so as to provide a basis for its monitoring and early warning, and development of its control measures. 【Methods】The distribution sites of X. compactus were screened by using ArcGIS to set up the buffer. The maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) parameters were reset by regularization multiplier and feature combinations calculated by R. Various environmental variables were screened through the jackknife test and variable correlation analysis. The distribution of the potential global suitable areas for X. compactus was predicted based on the MaxEnt model reconstructed by key environmental variables, combined with the current climate data and four forcing scenarios in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). 【Results】 After screening, the data from 170 distribution sites of X. compactus were used to construct the MaxEnt model. The seven dominant environmental variables affecting the distribution of X. compactus included monthly mean temperature difference, minimum temperature of the coldest month, mean temperature of the warmest quarter, annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality (coefficient of variation), and precipitation of the wettest quarter and precipitation of the driest quarter. The model prediction showed that under the current climate conditions, X. compactus can be distributed between 60°N and 45°S, and the lowly, moderately and highly suitable habitats of the global land area account for 8.70%, 6.32% and 2.79%, respectively. Under future climate conditions, the distribution area of the lowly, moderately and highly suitable habitats of X. compactus will increase to varying degrees, and the increase of the three kinds of suitable areas (lowly, moderately and highly suitable areas)was the largest under the moderately to highly complusive scenario (SSP370). The distribution of suitable areas of X. compactus shifted northwardly. The coastal regions on all continents except for Antarctica were highly suitable for the distribution of X. compactus, and the highly suitable habitat eventually expanded to inland.【Conclusion】 Climate change and human activity provide favorable conditions for the survival, growth, and development of X. compactus, as well as its generational shifts and population growth. Therefore, the preventive and control model of “graded response” is recommended to be developed in accordance with the possible suitable area level of X. compactus.
    Transcriptomic difference analysis from four subspecies of Apis mellifera during overwintering
    ZHAO Hui-Ting, ZHAO Shu-Guo, DU Ya-Li, LIU Miao-Miao, LIU Yu-Ling, XU Kai
    2023, 66(3):  381-390.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.011
    Abstract ( 238 )   PDF (1335KB) ( 364 )     
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    【Aim】To investigate the change in expression patterns of genes and the cold resistance mechanisms of the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) during the overwintering period, so as to provide better guidance for overwintering management of bee colonies. 【Methods】 Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in four subspecies of A. melliferaincluding A. m. caucasica, A. m. mellifera, A. m. ligustica and A. m. carnica during the overwintering period were identified and compared using transcriptomics and subsequently subjected to GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. The reliability of transcriptome sequencing results was verified by qRT-PCR. 【Results】 Changes in the expression levels of DEGs in four subspecies of A. mellifera possessed distinctive characteristics during the overwintering period. The expression levels of DEGs changed actively in A. m. ligustica from the initial overwintering period to the middle overwintering period, and in A. m. carnica and A. m. mellifera from the middle overwintering period to the anaphase overwintering period. For A. m. caucasica, the expression levels of DEGs were relatively stable throughout the overwintering period. There were differences in the expression patterns of DEGs in the four subspecies of A. mellifera at the initial overwintering period. The expression levels of genes of cuticular protein 22, vitellogenin, odorant-binding protein 14, heat shock protein 70, and cytochrome P4509e2 in A. m. caucasica and A. m. mellifera were higher than those in A. m. ligustica and A. m. carnicaThe expression levels of genes of chitinase, defensin 1, retinol dehydrogenase and cytochrome b5 in A. m. ligustica were higher. The expression levels of DEGs in A. m. carnica were lower. According to the expression trend of DEGs, the expression levels of 
    heat shock protein and ATP synthase subunit genes in A. m. ligustica and A. m. carnica were upregulated, and those of cuticular protein 22, vitellogenin, and cytochrome b/c genes in A. m. caucasica and A. m. mellifera were downregulated during overwintering. The results of enrichment analysis by GO and KEGG indicated that the DEGs in A. m. ligustica, A. m. carnica and A. m. caucasica from the initial overwintering period to the middle overwintering period were enriched in the redox processes and metabolic pathways of glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation and TCA cycle pathways, and the enriched DEGs in A. m. ligustica and A. m. carnica were upregulated and those in A. m. caucasica downregulated. The DEGs in A. m. mellifera were mainly enriched in amino acid metabolic pathway during the overwintering period and were involved in the Hippo, FoxO and Hedgehog signaling pathways. The qRT-PCR validation result was the same as the expression trend of RNA-Seq, indicating that the transcriptome sequencing data are reliable.【Conclusion】 The cold resistance mechanisms of the four subspecies of A. mellifera were preliminarily determined in this study, indicating that glycogenolysis decomposition in A. m. ligustica and A. m. carnica is enhanced during overwintering period to provide energy, whereas A. m. caucasica decreases the decomposition of glycogen before overwintering, suggesting that the cold resistance mechanisms in A. m. caucasica and A. m. mellifera may be the same by accumulating cold resistance substances in the body before overwintering and releasing energy gradually during the overwintering period.
    Geometric morphometric analysis of forewing in Pochazia and Ricania (Hemiptera: Ricaniidae)
    JIANG Xin, STROIŃSKI Adam, QIN Dao-Zheng
    2023, 66(3):  391-398.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.012
    Abstract ( 198 )   PDF (8242KB) ( 169 )     
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    【Aim】The morphological characteristics of the forewing of the representative species in two controversial genera, Pochazia and Ricania, were studied, to provide more evidence for the feature revision and species attribution of the both related genera. 【Methods】In total, 169 specimens of 10 species belonging to Pochazia and Ricania were examined, nine homologous landmarks and the outline of forewing (constituted by sixty semi-landmarks) were selected for each specimen. Principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical variate analysis (CVA) were performed to quantitatively analyze the veins and outline of forewing and to explore the variation rule of the morphology of forewing of these two genera. 【Results】 The forewing analysis showed that the first 3 principal components and canonical variates could explain 74.945% and 88.096% of the variation of the veins and outline of the forewing of 10 representative species of Pochazia and Ricania, respectively, indicating that the bifurcation point of vein CuA, claval margin, costal margin and apical half of posterior margin all have high variations. The high dispersion of the PC1 in PCA results of these two genera validated that the bifurcation point of the vein CuA, claval margin, costal margin and apical half of posterior margin can be used as a basis for intergeneric classification. The interspecific CVA showed fine aggregation and high dispersion, and the significance analysis based on Mahalanobis distance revealed remarkable differences in these 10 representative species.【Conclusion】The geometric morphometric analysis can be used for the classification of Pochazia and Ricania, but the diagnostic characteristics between these two genera require further studies.
    Correlation research between the opening and closing statuses of the elytra during flight and the morphology of the hindwing axillaries of scarabs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea)
    YAN Zi-Han, LU Yuan-Yuan, LIU Ning, LI Jing, TONG Yi-Jie, YANG Hai-Dong, SUN Zhi-Bin, BAI Ming
    2023, 66(3):  399-408.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.013
    Abstract ( 203 )   PDF (28520KB) ( 193 )     
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    【Aim】 Most beetles fly with their elytra open, but there are a few species that fly with their elytra almost closed (e.g. most cetoniines and some species of dung beetles). Closed elytra during flight can significantly reduce air resistance and improve flight speed, but limit the motion amplitude and stress state of the hindwing base articulation sclerites (axillaries). And the axillaries play a role of power transmission hub. Previous studies have found that axillaries have complex internal and external morphological structures, but it is not clear what factors affect such complex morphological structures, and the relationship between the opening and closing behaviors of the elytra and the axillaries during flight is still unknown. 【Methods】 A total of 27 species from 10 families of Scarabaeoidea and 6 subfamilies of Scarabaeidae were scanned using Micro CT. The threedimensional morphologies of axillary sclerites [1st axillary (1Ax), 2nd axillary (2Ax) and 3rd axillary (3Ax)] were reconstructed and analyzed by computer aided three-dimensional reconstruction. Among them, 17 species fly with the elytra open, and 10 species fly with the elytra closed, covering 83% of the family level of the Scarabaeoidea. 【Results】 The morphological characters of the 1Ax, 2Ax and 3Ax of the scarabs with elytra open during flight are different from those of the scarabs with elytra closed. The front end of the head of 1Ax is narrow, and the neck is broad and convex. The ridge of 2Ax is wide, and the positions of proximal lobe and distal lobe are different. The head of 3Ax is broad and the inner apex angle is acute, and the tail of 3Ax is relatively short. Axillaries of the same group have similar morphologies. The morphologies of the axillaries of cetoniines and its sister group are different from those of the tribe of Gymnopleurini. 【Conclusion】 The opening and closing statuses of elytra during flight have an influence on the morphology of the axillary sclerites, and the morphology of axillary sclerites is not only affected by the pressure of flight selection, but also affected by phylogeny.
    Identification of butterfly species in the natural environment based on residual network
    LI Fei, ZHAO Kai-Xuan, YAN Chun-Yu, YAN Jian-Wei, XING Ji-Chun, XIE Ben-Liang
    2023, 66(3):  409-418.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.014
    Abstract ( 164 )   PDF (13400KB) ( 196 )     
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    【Aim】 Butterflies, as lepidopteran insects, are sensitive to their living environment and can be indicator species of the regional ecological environment. Automatic identification of butterfly species in the natural environment is of great significance to ecosystem stability. In the existing studies, there are few species and numbers of butterflies, and most of them take specimen images as recognition objects. Therefore, the butterfly image data set in the natural environment was constructed, and a butterfly species recognition model LDResNet based on the residual network was proposed in this study. 【Methods】 Firstly, deformable convolution was introduced to enhance the network feature extraction ability to different shapes of butterfly images, and to obtain more fine
    -grained features. Secondly, the attention mechanism was embedded after the deformable convolution to increase the weight of butterfly features and reduce the interference of redundant information. Finally, the number of model parameters was reduced using an improved depthwise separable convolution. 【Results】 Experimenting on a self-built dataset, the LDResNet model achieved the average recognition accuracy of 87.61%, a 3.14% improvement over the original model, with only 1.04 MB of model parameters. 【Conclusion】 LDResNet has obvious advantages over other models in terms of average recognition accuracy and number of parameters, and this research model can provide technical support for automatic identification of butterfly species in natural environments.
    Research progress in foraging behavior of pollinating bumblebees
    ZHOU Feng, YAO Li-Yuan, SHI Han, HOU Zhi-Bo, YU Peng
    2023, 66(3):  419-438.  doi:10.16380/j.kcxb.2023.03.015
    Abstract ( 304 )   PDF (4355KB) ( 351 )     
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    Pollination is an essential strategy for seed production and genetic diversity of plants. As important pollinating insects, bumblebees play a significant role not only in the pollination of wild and endangered plants, but also in facility crop pollination due to their unique foraging behavior and pollinating characteristics. Although a lot of researches on foraging behavior of bumblebees have been reported, there is a lack of systematic summary as for process, characteristics and pattern, behavioral strategy, influencing factors of the foraging behavior, and the influence on the pollination efficiency among plants. Therefore, in this article we attempt to provide a detailed review on the above mentioned aspects. Foraging behavior of bumblebees is a behavioral process that integrates going out of nest, taking in nectar and collecting pollen. Bumblebees would make use of various behavioral strategies according to the distribution of food resource in order to obtain the maximization of net energy. Ecological factors such as light, temperature and humidity can influence the foraging behavior of bumblebees. In addition, factors from plant such as color, morphology, scent of flower and food nutritional status would exert an impact on the foraging behavior of bumblebees. Some other factors such as social information, microorganisms in intestinal system of bumblebees, pathogens and insect pests, and competitors of foraging can all impact their foraging behavior through physiological regulation. In addition, interspecific and intraspecific competition can affect the foraging behavior of bumblebees. As an essential part of pollination, foraging behavior of bumblebees would also influence the pollination efficiency, and further impact fruit set, seed set and fruit quality. Currently, the foraging behavior of bumblebee has been managed in many ways to improve pollination efficiency in greenhouses. In summary, the researches about foraging behavior help to understand the pollinating function and process and provide a basis for the application of artificial domestication of bumblebees in facility crop pollination. However, according to the current research status in combination with the effects of factors such as climate change and pesticide application, a lot of scientific problems related to foraging behavior of bumblebees should be further studied, e. g. the genetic basis of floral preference, ecological response of foraging behavior, mechanism of coevolution with plants, impact from climate change and pesticide application and adaptive mechanism of bumblebees. Research on these issues will promote further understanding of the mechanism of foraging behavior and improve pollinating agricultural production.
    CONTENTS
    Contents of Vol. 66 Issue 3
    2023, 66(3):  439-439. 
    Abstract ( 125 )   PDF (502KB) ( 182 )     
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