Woo, R. M., H.-J. Moon, and S. D. Woo. 2026. “ Selection of Optimal Grain Media for the Production of Entomopathogenic Fungi Using Multiple Evaluation Methods.” Entomological Research 56, no. 2: e70093. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-5967.70093.
The Funding section on page 9 lists the funding number as 2025-RISE-11-014-02.
This should be corrected to 2025-RISE-11-014-03.
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The Japanese rhinoceros beetle Trypoxylus dichotomus (Linnaeus, 1771) is an important industrial insect in Korea. However, recent market stagnation and declining consumer demand emphasize the importance of assessing the genetic diversity of domestic stocks, providing a foundation for selective breeding and resource management. In this study, we compared phenotypic traits and mitochondrial genetic diversity among seven regional populations (referred to as SH, YD, YW, OC, SC, YI, and AS), all obtained from commercial insect farms. We detected substantial phenotypic variation under standardized laboratory conditions. The SH population exhibited superior larval growth (particularly in males) and larger adult size traits, whereas AS and YI consistently showed lower performance. Fecundity displayed high within-population variance and no significant differences among populations. A mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) analysis revealed eight haplotypes with extremely low divergence (0.1%–0.3%), with no clear geographic structure and the dominance of a single haplotype across populations. Bayesian clustering (BAPS) and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) indicated that SH and YW formed distinct clusters, clearly separated from other populations. Based on phenotypic and genetic data, SH was identified as a promising candidate for selective breeding. The overall lack of genetic variability raises concerns about population resilience against pathogens and environmental stressors. Diversifying genetic resources, incorporating nuclear and genome-wide markers, and developing crossbreeding strategies will be essential for ensuring the sustainable development of Trypoxylus dichotomus stocks in Korea.
The fungus gnat, Bradysia impatiens Johannsen, is a primary root pest of plants, resulting in significant losses in crop production. Here, we evaluated the odor preference of 1st–2nd and 3rd–4th instar larvae on nine test materials (enoki mushroom [EM], king oyster mushroom [KOM], oyster mushroom [OM], white mushroom [WM], kidney bean [KB], potato [PTT], Fusarium solani [FS], F. solani–infected kidney bean [FSK], and cheonggukjang [CGJ]) using two- and multiple-choice bioassays. In two-choice bioassays, EM, KOM, OM, WM, KB, PTT, FSK, and CGJ attracted both 1st–2nd and 3rd–4th instar larvae of B. impatiens significantly more than the control. FSK attracted a high number of 1st–4th instar larvae when the results from both larval stages were combined. In subsequent experiments, 1st–2nd instar larvae were more attracted to the odor of FSK than FS, whereas 3rd–4th instar larvae showed a stronger attraction to FS than FSK. Moreover, 1st–2nd instar larvae were significantly more attracted to FSK extract than FS extract, whereas FS extract attracted significantly more 3rd–4th instar larvae than FSK extract. The specific attraction of 1st–2nd and 3rd–4th instar larvae suggests that each substrate contains stage-specific attractant compounds, supporting the olfactory-mediated host selection of B. impatiens larvae. These findings suggest that FS and FSK volatiles may be useful semiochemicals for monitoring and environmentally friendly management of B. impatiens.
The fungus gnat, Bradysia impatiens Johannsen, is a primary root pest of plants, resulting in significant losses in crop production. Here, we evaluated the odor preference of 1st–2nd and 3rd–4th instar larvae on nine test materials (enoki mushroom [EM], king oyster mushroom [KOM], oyster mushroom [OM], white mushroom [WM], kidney bean [KB], potato [PTT], Fusarium solani [FS], F. solani–infected kidney bean [FSK], and cheonggukjang [CGJ]) using two- and multiple-choice bioassays. In two-choice bioassays, EM, KOM, OM, WM, KB, PTT, FSK, and CGJ attracted both 1st–2nd and 3rd–4th instar larvae of B. impatiens significantly more than the control. FSK attracted a high number of 1st–4th instar larvae when the results from both larval stages were combined. In subsequent experiments, 1st–2nd instar larvae were more attracted to the odor of FSK than FS, whereas 3rd–4th instar larvae showed a stronger attraction to FS than FSK. Moreover, 1st–2nd instar larvae were significantly more attracted to FSK extract than FS extract, whereas FS extract attracted significantly more 3rd–4th instar larvae than FSK extract. The specific attraction of 1st–2nd and 3rd–4th instar larvae suggests that each substrate contains stage-specific attractant compounds, supporting the olfactory-mediated host selection of B. impatiens larvae. These findings suggest that FS and FSK volatiles may be useful semiochemicals for monitoring and environmentally friendly management of B. impatiens.
The growing demand for sustainable protein sources has accelerated interest in utilizing insects to convert organic waste into high-value nutrients for feed and food production. Insects, particularly black soldier fly larvae, mealworms, crickets, and houseflies, efficiently bioconvert agricultural, food, and industrial by-products into nutrient-rich biomass containing proteins, essential amino acids, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. In animal nutrition, insect-derived meals and oils serve as eco-friendly alternatives to fishmeal and soybean meal, enhancing growth performance, gut health, and feed efficiency in aquaculture, poultry, swine, and pet food sectors. For human consumption, edible insects provide protein-rich flours and functional compounds with the potential to address malnutrition while reducing environmental footprints. Additionally, insect farming supports circular economy principles by closing nutrient loops, reducing waste, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Regulatory approval and consumer acceptance are expanding, highlighting insects as a promising pathway toward resilient, resource-efficient, and sustainable food systems worldwide. The safety of insects employed in the production of feed and food should be a priority in order to be successfully implemented in the contemporary supply chains. Among the key safety consideration points are microbial contamination, chemical residues, allergenicity, and environmental risk related to the rearing conditions. The insect-based ingredients can be safely and reliably made through good quality hygiene, controlled substrates, and processing to serve global feed and food systems.
As an economic insect, the silkworm plays a crucial role in China's agricultural industry. However, traditional sericulture faces multiple challenges due to its exclusive reliance on mulberry leaves, including labor shortages, pesticide contamination, and disease outbreaks, which severely constrain industry development. Artificial diet rearing, which utilizes formulated diets for silkworm cultivation, is a promising strategy to overcome these limitations and facilitate industrial upgrading. Nevertheless, current artificial diet rearing systems encounter obstacles such as inadequate strain adaptation and high diet costs. Recent studies have made significant advances in elucidating silkworm feeding mechanisms and artificial diet rearing optimization. This review systematically synthesizes progress in three key areas: molecular bases of feeding preference, development of artificial diet rearing-adapted strains, and feed formulation technologies and rearing protocols. Our analysis provides theoretical frameworks and actionable solutions to advance artificial diet rearing implementation and sericulture modernization.
As an economic insect, the silkworm plays a crucial role in China's agricultural industry. However, traditional sericulture faces multiple challenges due to its exclusive reliance on mulberry leaves, including labor shortages, pesticide contamination, and disease outbreaks, which severely constrain industry development. Artificial diet rearing, which utilizes formulated diets for silkworm cultivation, is a promising strategy to overcome these limitations and facilitate industrial upgrading. Nevertheless, current artificial diet rearing systems encounter obstacles such as inadequate strain adaptation and high diet costs. Recent studies have made significant advances in elucidating silkworm feeding mechanisms and artificial diet rearing optimization. This review systematically synthesizes progress in three key areas: molecular bases of feeding preference, development of artificial diet rearing-adapted strains, and feed formulation technologies and rearing protocols. Our analysis provides theoretical frameworks and actionable solutions to advance artificial diet rearing implementation and sericulture modernization.
Entomopathogenic fungi represent a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides for agricultural pest management. This study evaluated optimal grain media for the mass production of three highly virulent entomopathogenic fungal isolates: Beauveria bassiana 331R and Metarhizium anisopliae SD4-2 (acaricidal against two-spotted spider mites), and Purpureocillium lilacinum 44R (insecticidal against green peach aphids). Three grain media—millet, rice, and Italian millet—were assessed based on conidial productivity, virulence, thermotolerance, and UV-B tolerance. The results demonstrated fungal isolate-specific optimal combinations with significant media effects on all parameters. B. bassiana 331R achieved the highest productivity on millet (1.76 × 109 conidia/g) with complete virulence (100% mortality), P. lilacinum 44R produced maximum yields on millet (4.49 × 109 conidia/g), and M. anisopliae SD4-2 achieved the highest production on rice (5.47 × 109 conidia/g) at 14 days post-inoculation. Environmental stress tolerance showed complex media-dependent variations: thermotolerance (45°C, 2 h) favored rice for B. bassiana 331R (25.7% germination) and M. anisopliae SD4-2 (5.7% germination), while P. lilacinum 44R maintained high tolerance across all media (88%–91% germination). A comprehensive evaluation using weighted scoring revealed fungal isolate-specific optimal media: millet for B. bassiana 331R and P. lilacinum 44R, and rice for M. anisopliae SD4-2. These findings emphasize the necessity of multi-parameter evaluation for optimal media selection in commercial production of entomopathogenic fungi, providing crucial insights for developing effective mycoinsecticides.
Soybeans and corn are the primary agricultural commodities in Brazil, both of which are significantly impacted by various pests, leading to substantial crop losses. Notably, coleopteran and lepidopteran pests pose considerable challenges, as they have developed resistance to increasingly toxic chemical controls. One such pest, Astylus variegatus, is commonly found in the southwestern and southern regions of Brazil, as well as in northern Argentina and Paraguay. This insect affects summer garden plants and primarily targets soybean and corn crops during the flowering stage by feeding on excess pollen. In this context, the objective of this study was to produce four volatile compounds that serve as aggregation pheromones for A. variegatus. We tested these compounds on soybean crops to evaluate their attractiveness and synthetic viability. The compounds (Z)-oct-2-enal (4), methyl (2E,4Z)-deca-2,4-dienoate (5), methyl (2E)-dec-2-enoate (8), and methyl decanoate (10) were synthesized in three steps (yielding 37%), four steps (yielding 26%), two steps (yielding 39%), and two steps (yielding 90%), respectively, after purification by distillation. These compounds were then individually tested on soybean crops during the summer harvest of 2023–2024 in southern Brazil using sticky traps. The results indicated that compound 4 was the most efficient and selective attractant, capturing 68 adult specimens on field testing. In summary, this study demonstrates the straightforward synthesis of four compounds not previously described for the control of A. variegatus. These compounds show potential as aggregation pheromones for mitigating pest damage in soybean and other crops.
We generated a de novo transcriptome for the endangered predatory ground beetle Damaster mirabilissimus mirabilissimus using the Illumina HiSeq 4000 platform (150-bp paired-end). Sequencing produced 66,553,052 raw reads (≈10 Gbp), of which 66,253,375 remained after quality filtering. Trinity assembly yielded an N50 of 2643 bp. Assembly completeness assessed with BUSCO (Insecta_odb9 dataset; 1367 orthologs) indicated 96.5% complete and 3.1% missing genes, supporting high overall quality. Functional annotation was performed against the PANM, Swiss-Prot, UniGene, and KOG databases, and functional classification employed KOG, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and InterProScan. We further identified 2050 transcriptome-derived simple sequence repeats (SSRs), with the dinucleotide motif AC being the most frequent (n = 77). Collectively, this dataset provides a primary functional-genomic resource for a nonmodel, threatened insect lacking a reference genome, delivers a candidate set for chemosensory gene families, including odorant receptors (ORs), and establishes a foundation for subsequent in vitro deorphanization and field-based chemical-ecology validation.
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