Systematics, Phylogeny, and Evolution of Braconid Wasps: 30 Years of Progress

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 335-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue-xin Chen ◽  
Cornelis van Achterberg
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Markers ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Parasitoid Wasp ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Phytophagous Insects ◽  
Mitochondrial Genomes ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Animal Kingdom ◽  
Phylogeny And Evolution ◽  
Stable Classification

The parasitoid wasp family Braconidae is likely the second-most species-rich family in the animal kingdom. Braconid wasps are widely distributed and often encountered. They constitute one of the principal groups of natural enemies of phytophagous insects, of which many are serious pest species. The enormous biological diversification of braconid wasps has led to many homoplasies, which contributed widely to instabilities in historical classifications. Recent studies using combinations of genetic markers or total mitochondrial genomes allow for better founded groupings and will ultimately lead to a stable classification. We present the current status of the phylogenetics of the Braconidae in a historical perspective and our understanding of the effects on higher classification.

scholarly journals Plant-Derived Insecticides Under Meta-Analyses: Status, Biases, and Knowledge Gaps

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo M. Turchen ◽  
Lírio Cosme-Júnior ◽  
Raul Narciso C. Guedes
Keyword(s):  
Web Of Science ◽  
Sublethal Effects ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Botanical Insecticides ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Target Species ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Arthropod Species ◽  
Meta Analyses

Plant-derived or botanical insecticides are biopesticides experiencing substantial ongoing increase in interest. The 74 years of our literature survey tracked over 2500 papers on botanical insecticides published between 1945 and 2019 (Web of Science database). Such a survey allowed meta-analyses to recognize current status and biases of the studies providing important insights into the research topic. They include the recognition of the exponential growth of such studies since the 1990s, the prevalent interest on the Meliaceae plant species and a dozen additional families, although some 190 families have been investigated. The arthropods targeted by such studies were pest species (ca. 95%) with rather little attention devoted to non-target species (p < 0.001). This bias is followed by another one—mortality assessments are prevalent among target and non-target arthropod species when contrasted with sublethal assessments (p < 0.01). These omissions are pivotal, as they fail to recognize that sublethal effects may be as important or even more important than mortality, and that initial insecticide deposits quickly degrade over time leading to prevailing sublethal exposure. Furthermore, although the target of control is limited to few species, non-target species will be exposed and as such need to be factored into consideration. Thus, these biases in studies of botanical insecticides incur in knowledge gaps with potential consequences for the practical use of these compounds as pest management tools.

scholarly journals Trophic Features, Benthic Recovery, and Dominance of the Invasive Mytilopsis Sallei in the Yundang Lagoon (Xiamen, China) Following Long-Term Restoration

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Magni ◽  
Serena Como ◽  
Maria Flavia Gravina ◽  
Donghui Guo ◽  
Chao Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Future Evolution ◽  
Mytilopsis Sallei ◽  
Biological Tool

A comprehensive set of physicochemical variables in near-bottom water and surface sediments, as well as the soft-bottom macrozoobenthic assemblages were investigated at six sites across the Yundang Lagoon (Southeast China) in November 2012. This lagoon was severely damaged in the 1970s due to domestic and industrial pollution and land reclamation and underwent a massive restoration effort over the past 30 years. Our objectives were to: (1) assess the current trophic and environmental condition of the lagoon; (2) investigate the pattern of spatial variation in the macrozoobenthic assemblages; and (3) assess the benthic recovery in relation to the main environmental gradients and the presence of invasive alien species. Nutrient, chlorophyll-a, biological oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (CODMn), and total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations were lower than those reported in previous decades, yet organically-enriched conditions occurred at an inner site. From azoic conditions in the 1980s and a few benthic species reported prior to this study, we found a significant increase in benthic diversity with 43 species heterogeneously distributed across the lagoon. The invasive bivalve Mytilopsis sallei was the dominant species, which was associated with the richest benthic assemblage. However, M. sallei is a pest species, and its spatiotemporal distribution should be carefully monitored. These results highlight the central role of the macrozoobenthos in providing important ecological information on the current status of the Yundang Lagoon and as an effective biological tool to follow the recovery’s progress and the future evolution of this highly valued ecosystem.

scholarly journals Comprehensive Transcriptome of the Maize Stalk Borer, Busseola fusca, from Multiple Tissue Types, Developmental Stages, and Parasitoid Wasp Exposures

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 2554-2560
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Target Genes ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Busseola Fusca ◽  
Parasitoid Wasp ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Biological Research ◽  
Parasitoid Wasps ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Stalk Borer

Abstract Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), the maize stalk borer, is a widespread crop pest in sub-Saharan Africa that has been the focus of biological research and intensive management strategies. Here, we present a comprehensive annotated transcriptome of B. fusca (originally collected in the Western Province of Kenya) based on ten pooled libraries including a wide array of developmental stages, tissue types, and exposures to parasitoid wasps. Parasitoid wasps have been used as a form of biocontrol to try and reduce crop losses with variable success, in part due to differential infectivities and immune responses among wasps and hosts. We identified a number of loci of interest for pest management, including genes potentially involved in chemoreception, immunity, and response to insecticides. The comprehensive sampling design used expands our current understanding of the transcriptome of this species and deepens the list of potential target genes for future crop loss mitigation, in addition to highlighting candidate loci for differential expression and functional genetic analyses in this important pest species.

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