Current Opinion in Insect Science

Are traits with high levels of plasticity more complex in their genetic architecture, as they can be modulated by numerous different environmental inputs? Many authors have assumed that behavioral traits, in part because they are highly plastic, have an exceptionally complex genetic basis. We quantitatively summarized data from 31 genome wide association studies and 87 traits in Drosophila melanogaster and found no evidence that behavioral traits have fundamental differences in number of single nucleotide polymorphisms or the significance or effect size of those associations, compared to non-behavioral (morphological or physiological) traits...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Many indoor urban pest insects now show a near-global distribution. The reasons for this may be linked to their cryptic behaviors which makes unintentional transport likely, tied to their reliance on human-mediated dispersal which can result in spread over potentially long-distances. Additionally, numerous species exhibit an array of mechanisms that confer insecticide resistance. Using population genetics, it is possible to elucidate the genetic characteristics that define globally successful indoor urban pest insect species...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Global climate changes undermine the effectiveness of "set and forget" phytosanitary regulations. Uncertainties in future greenhouse gas emission profiles render it impossible to accurately forecast future climates, thus limiting the ability to make long-term biosecurity policy decisions. Agile adaptive biosecurity frameworks are necessary to address these climatic uncertainties and to effectively manage current and emerging threats. This paper provides opinions on these issues and presents a case study focusing on the threats posed by Aleurocanthus woglumi (citrus blackfly) to Europe...

As obligate blood-feeders, ticks serve as vectors for a variety of pathogens that pose threats on both human and livestock health. The microbiota that ticks harbor play important roles in influencing tick nutrition, development, reproduction, and vector. These microbes also affect the capacity of ticks to transmit pathogens (vector competence). Therefore, comprehending the functions of tick microbiota will help in developing novel and effective tick control strategies. Here, we summarize the effects of main tick symbiotic bacteria on tick physiology and vector competency...

Ticks are obligatory hematophagous arachnids, serving as vectors for a wide array of pathogens that can be transmitted to humans or animals. The ability of tick-borne pathogens to maintain within natural reservoirs is intricately influenced by the attractiveness of ticks to their animal hosts, including humans. However, the complex dynamics of tick behavior and host-seeking strategies remain understudied. This review aims to summarize the impact of volatiles or odors on tick behavior and vector competence. Our literature review has identified a selection of compounds, such as 1-octen-3-ol, hexanal, heptanal, nonanal, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, acetone, and octanal, as having the potential to impact both ticks and mosquitos' behaviors...

Insecticide resistance is an evolved ability to survive insecticide exposure. Compared to nonsocial insects, eusocial insects have lower numbers of documented cases of resistance. Eusocial insects include beneficial and pest species that can be incidentally or purposely targeted with insecticides. The goal of this review is to explore factors that either limit resistance or the ability to detect it in eusocial insects. We surveyed the literature and found that resistance has been documented in bees, but in other pest groups like ants and termites, the evidence is more sparse...

Insects exposed to constant low temperatures (CLT) exhibit high rates of mortality as well as a variety of sublethal effects. In many species, interruptions of CLT with brief pulses of warm temperatures (fluctuating thermal regimes; FTR) lead to increases in survival and fewer sublethal effects. However, we still lack a complete understanding of the physiological mechanisms activated during FTR. In this review, we discuss recent advances in understanding FTR's underlying molecular mechanisms. We discuss knowledge gaps related to potential trade-offs between FTR's beneficial effects and the costs of these repairs to overwintering reserves and reproduction...

Species distribution models are the primary tools to project future species' distributions, but this complex task is influenced by data limitations and evolving best practices. The majority of the 53 studies we examined utilized correlative models and did not follow current best practices for validating retrospective or future environmental data layers. Despite this, a summary of results is largely unsurprising: shifts towards cooler regions, but otherwise mixed dynamics emphasizing winners and losers. Harmful insects were more likely to show positive outcomes compared to beneficial species...

When flowers, plants bearing extrafloral nectaries or sugar sprays are added to agroecosystems, parasitoids are expected to feed, thereby improving biological control. This paper reviews studies where sugar-feeding of field-collected parasitoids was monitored via biochemical assays. When examined, trends in parasitoid abundance, energetic reserves, longevity and per capita fecundity are also followed. Starved parasitoids readily feed on sugar sources in the field, and more individuals collected near sugar sources are categorized as "fed" when sugar is otherwise limited in the agroecosystem...

Termite eusociality is accompanied by flagrant caste polyphenism manifested by the presence of several sterile (workers and soldiers) and reproductive (imaginal and neotenic kings and queens) caste phenotypes. Imaginal kings and queens are developmentally equivalent to adults of other hemimetabolous insects but display multiple adaptations inherent to their role of eusocial colony founders, such as long lifespan and high fecundity. Herein, we summarize the recent advances in understanding the biology of imaginal (primary) queens as emblematic examples of termite polyphenism acquired during social evolution...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Detecting substrate vibrations is essential for insects in different behavioural contexts. These vibrational behaviours are mediated by mechanoreceptor organs detecting and processing vibrational stimuli transmitted in the environment. We discuss new insights recently gained about the functional principles of insect vibration receptors, mainly leg chordotonal organs highly sensitive to vibrational stimuli, and the mechanisms of their diversification in neuroanatomy and functional morphology, in relation to input pathways...

Studies of division of labor have focused mainly on individual workers performing tasks. Here I propose a shift in perspective: colonies perform tasks, and task performance should be evaluated at the colony level. I then review studies from the recent literature from this perspective, on topics including evaluating task performance; specialization and efficiency; flexibility and task performance; response threshold models; andvariation in behavior arising from diverse sensory experiences and learning. The use of specialized workers is only one of a variety of strategies that colonies may follow in performing tasks...

The response of insects to climate changes in various aspects has been well documented. However, there is a dearth of comprehensive review specifically focusing on the response and adaptation of grasshoppers, which are important primary consumers and pests in grassland and agricultural ecosystems. The coexistence of grasshopper species forms diverse communities and coherent groups in spatial-temporal scales. It makes them excellent models for studying interplay of phenology, dispersal, trophic relationship and population dynamics, all influenced by climate changes...

Honeydew is the excretion of plant-feeding hemipterans and it is one of the most abundant source of carbohydrates for parasitoids and predators in agroecosystems. Being so abundant, honeydew mediates direct and indirect interactions that affect biological control. We describe these interactions and identify honeydew-management strategies to reduce pest pressure. First, the presence of non-damaging honeydew producers in cover crops and hedges increases the efficacy of parasitoids and predators. Second, breaking the mutualism between ants and honeydew-producing pests with alternative sugar sources promotes biological control of these pests...

The increased accessibility of genomic and imaging methods, and the improved access to ecological, spatial and other natural history related data is allowing for insect systematics to grow and find answers to central evolutionary and taxonomic questions. Today, integrated studies in insect phylogenomics and systematics are combining natural history, behavior, developmental biology, morphology, fossils, geographic range data, and ecological interactions. This integration is contributing to the clarification of evolutionary relationships, and the recognition of the role played by these factors on the evolution of insects...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Aphids present a fascinating example of phenotypic plasticity, in which a single genotype can produce dramatically different winged and wingless phenotypes that are specialized for dispersal versus reproduction, respectively. Recent work has examined many aspects of this plasticity, including its evolution, molecular control mechanisms, and genetic variation underlying the trait. In particular, exciting discoveries have been made about the signaling pathways that are responsible for controlling the production of winged versus wingless morphs, including ecdysone, dopamine, and insulin signaling, and about how specific genes such as repressed by TOR and vestigial are regulated to control winglessness...