Entomological Research最新文献

By examining plant–pollinator networks, researchers can create focused conservation and restoration strategies to support the long-term sustainability of both plant and pollinator populations. This research aims to (1) examine how grouping pollinators into functional groups and higher taxonomic levels affects the degree of specialization and (2) determine the proportion of attractive flowers shared among different taxonomic levels for pollinators. For this study, we analyzed 93 plant–pollinator networks. We identified the family and order for each insect pollinator to establish taxonomic groupings. At this stage, interactions related to species at the family and order levels were aggregated. For functional grouping, we classified insect pollinators such as bees, beetles, flies, moths, butterflies, ants, and others. To measure network specialization, we employed the H2 metric, where H2 values range between 0 and 1, with 1 indicating maximum specialization. We then utilized the t-test to determine if there were significant differences in network specialization between different functional and taxonomic networks. Additionally, we calculated the degree of overlap between plants identified as the most attractive across four levels of taxonomic and functional classifications within each network. Our findings revealed that the degree of specialization within plant–pollinator networks varied across different levels of taxonomic and functional grouping. Additionally, we observed significant differences in the selection of attractive plants depending on the level of classification employed. Certain plants identified as attractive at the species level may not necessarily be recognized at higher taxonomic levels or within functional groups.

This study investigated the functional diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in organic paddy and conventional paddy fields using biological trait analysis and assessed ecosystem health through the Korea Wetland Benthic Macroinvertebrate Index (KWBMI). Field surveys were conducted in Yangpyeong-gun, Korea, from June to July 2022, collecting benthic macroinvertebrate samples and environmental data. A total of 76 species, 17 orders, and 6797 individuals were identified, with biological traits analyzed among four categories: feeding habits, living types, food types, and voltinism. Community indices showed distinct differences between OP and CP. The dominance index was higher in OP, whereas CP had greater species diversity and evenness. However, functional diversity indices (FRic, FEve, FDiv, and FDis) were similar between the two fields. Despite this, OP exhibited greater taxonomic diversity within functional groups, whereas CP, despite its higher species diversity, contained functionally similar species. KWBMI scores were 84.4 for OP (Grade A: “very good”) and 75.4 for CP (Grade B: “good”), suggesting the potential benefits of organic farming for ecosystem health. Although functional diversity indices remained similar, differences in taxonomic composition and trait distributions indicate that organic farming may promote taxonomic diversity within functional groups, contributing to ecological stability.

This study examined the growth and developmental responses of Locusta migratoria nymphs to different artificial diet formulations and explored efficient feeding strategies to optimize their performance. The diet formulated with wheat bran and fish meal (WF) was more suitable for L. migratoria than the other diets, supporting improved growth and survival. Contrastingly, casein- and sucrose-containing diets (WCS) demonstrated higher cannibalism rates and lower survival. Further fish meal ratio optimization in WF diets demonstrated that wheat bran + fish meal 8% (WF8) provided the most suitable growth and survival balance. WF8 exhibited slightly lower feed efficiency and weight gain than the natural host plants, wheat and corn; however, the developmental period was comparable. This indicated WF8's potential as a promising alternative diet. Particularly, transitioning to artificial diets from the fourth instar after feeding natural host plants until the third instar led to substantially higher survival rates and adult body weight than continuous feeding on a single diet. These results establish WF8 as a promising artificial diet for L. migratoria and provide valuable insights into sustainable and efficient feeding strategies for large-scale insect farming. This study supports the development of sustainable insect production systems and promotes the advancement of the edible insect industry as an alternative protein source.

Interest in using insects to treat surplus manure without environmental impacts is growing. Black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens L.) larvae show promising potential for transforming organic waste. Moreover, they can breed and grow in organic waste. In addition, using bulking agents in organic waste is effective in optimizing composting process like volume density. In this study, we focused on the decomposition and characteristics of a pig manure–sawdust mixture post-treatment at different growth stages of BSF larvae. For the experiments, 4 kg of pig manure was mixed with 1 kg of sawdust and then treated with 0.5 kg of either second instars (Group 1) or third instars (Group 2) of BSF larvae. The two experimental groups were randomly assigned three replicates per group. For Experiment 1, the results showed that the decomposition efficacy of the second-instar BSF larvae was better than that of the third-instar BSF larvae. In Experiment 2, the two BSF larval groups did not improve the characteristics, including pH, moisture, ADF, NDF, and hemicelluloses of the pig manure–sawdust mixture. These findings provide a scientific basis for improving the decomposition efficacy of second-instar BSF larvae reared on a pig manure–sawdust mixture. BSF larvae did not affect pH and moisture in treated pig manure–sawdust during composting.

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are vaccine antigens that are actively being developed as vaccines because of their high immunogenicity and safety. Among the cell culture parameters for VLP production, pH can have a significant effect on VLP formation and stability. In this study, the pH of cultured insect cells (6.2) was adjusted to a neutral pH, and the effect on VLP production was evaluated. A neutral pH-adapted High Five insect cell line was established and named HF7. Compared with parent High Five cells, HF7 cells were approximately 2 μm larger and showed approximately sixfold greater viral replication. The production of nonenveloped VLPs in HF7 cells was evaluated using enterovirus 71 (EV-71), porcine parvovirus (PPV), porcine circovirus Type 2 (PCV2), and canine parvovirus (CPV) VLPs. As a result, increased production of all VLPs and VLP formation were confirmed. However, the increased production of VLPs is thought to be due to increased cell metabolism and virus replication rather than the formation or stability of VLPs. The neutral pH-adapted HF7 cell line established in this study can be utilized to increase the production of various recombinant proteins, including VLPs.

Improving complex agronomic traits such as yield, plant height, and disease resistance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) is challenging due to their polygenic nature. Conventional breeding methods, often reliant on collective parameters, face limitations in efficiently identifying superior genotypes. Phenomics, however, presents a promising, targeted approach by focusing on individual phenotypic traits. This study employs time-lapse imaging to monitor dynamic phenotypic changes in rice plants infested with the brown planthopper (BPH) (Nilaparvata lugens). Utilizing the Phlizon 6000 W LED Grow Light, which provides far-red wavelengths, and image acquisition with 12 Raspberry Pi 4 Model B units and Raspberry Pi NoIR cameras fitted with blue filters for enhanced NDVI calculations, we captured detailed imagery of plant responses. Our study revealed that NDVI values in the stem region of control plants remained stable, while leaf region values showed an increase. For infested plants, NDVI fluctuations were observed at the lamina joint in the stem region, whereas leaf region values remained consistent. Importantly, damage progression was slower at the lamina joint in resistant rice varieties compared to susceptible ones, underscoring lamina joint discoloration as a valuable parameter for evaluating BPH resistance. This phenome-based precision breeding approach holds significant potential for accelerating the development of rice varieties with enhanced resistance to this pervasive pest, offering new avenues for improving crop resilience and yield.