Management of Lepidoptera

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 6319

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: harmfulness and biological control of grapevine pests; pheromone mating disruption; implementation of "Area Wide Pest Management" strategies; insect vibrational communication, with particular reference to grapevine leafhoppers and planthoppers; morphology of insect pheromone glands and antennae
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Guest Editor
Department Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: biological control of vineyard pests; semiochemicals; beneficial insects; IPM

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Order Lepidoptera, one of the main plant-feeding group of insects in the world, includes significant pests of agricultural crops and stored foodstuffs. Taxonomically divided into the generalized groupings of Rhopalocera (day-flying butterflies) and Heterocera (mostly nocturnal moths), it shows incredible diversity of form, biology, behaviour, and feeding habits of species that occur in almost all known habitats.

With an estimated 160,000-named taxa, moths and butterflies can cause huge losses by damaging fruits, corn, potatoes, cotton, tomatoes, and many other crops and garden plants as well. Many species play significant roles in crop and wildflowers pollination, especially those belonging to Sphingidae and Noctuidae. Moreover, Lepidoptera can be good indicators of ecosystem healthiness and several species have been purposefully introduced to act as biological control agents against noxious plants.

In the past, the need to protect the crops from economically significant attacks of butterflies and moths has forced the farm managers to resort to large amounts of broad-spectrum synthetic chemicals. In recent years, the use of more selective insecticides, such as Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki and aizawai, chitin synthesis inhibitors (CSIs), moulting accelerators (MACs), and some kinds of modern neurotoxic compounds have significantly improved the control of moths and butterflies, reducing or minimizing the environmental damage. An increased level of public concern about the environmental impact of insecticides have also led to the development of low-impact biotechnical methods, such as pheromone mating disruption, mass trapping, or ‘lure and kill’ strategies.

In this framework, the Special Issue “Management of Lepidoptera” will host original research and review articles focusing on innovative and sustainable management strategies of butterflies and moth pests. We also welcome contributions on insecticide resistance, as well as on the sublethal effects of anthropogenic stressors. Of note, particular interest will be devoted to submissions focusing on invasive species.

Prof. Dr. Andrea Lucchi
Dr. Renato Ricciardi
Dr. Giovanni Benelli
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • butterflies
  • moth
  • fruit moths
  • vine moths
  • olive moths
  • tomato moths
  • semiochemical
  • insecticide resistance
  • sublethal effect
  • biological control
  • integrated pest management (IPM)

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2941 KiB  
Article
Biology, Population Fluctuation, and Foliar Consumption Rate of Durrantia arcanella Busk, 1912 (Lepidoptera: Depressariidae), a Defoliator of Oil Palm in the Colombian Caribbean
by German E. Tejeda-Rico, Carlos E. Barrios-Trilleras, Roberto J. Diaz-Castro, Leidy V. Florián-Martínez, Leidy J. Contreras-Arias, José Luis Padilla-Agudelo and Anuar Morales-Rodríguez
Insects 2023, 14(12), 900; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14120900 - 21 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1716
Abstract
Durrantia arcanella is a recurring pest insect of oil palm in Colombia. Because the biology and ecology of D. arcanella are unknown, it was proposed to determine the life cycle and foliar consumption under laboratory conditions. Furthermore, through sequential sampling for two and a half [...] Read more.
Durrantia arcanella is a recurring pest insect of oil palm in Colombia. Because the biology and ecology of D. arcanella are unknown, it was proposed to determine the life cycle and foliar consumption under laboratory conditions. Furthermore, through sequential sampling for two and a half years, its population fluctuation and natural enemies were determined in Agustín Codazzi and El Copey (Cesar, Colombia). Also, temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity were registered. The life cycle of D. arcanella lasted 48.0 ± 10.1 days, the egg 8.0 ± 0.7 days, larva 24.2 ± 6.2 days, pre-pupa 1.5 ± 0.5 days, pupa 7.1 ± 0.9 days, and adult 7.2 ± 2.0 days. The larvae consumed 8.2 ± 5.3 cm2 of leaflets. Correlations were found between the population fluctuation in D. arcanella and the temperature in El Copey (ρ = −0.45; p < 0.0043), relative humidity in Codazzi (ρ = 0.33; p < 0.034), and with the natural control in both locations ((ρ = 0, 61; p < 0.000044) and (ρ = 0.42; p < 0.006)). These results suggest monitoring the pest populations in the second semester of the year and show the importance of promoting native natural enemies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Lepidoptera)
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12 pages, 5024 KiB  
Article
Insect Distribution in a Vacant Multi-Level Office Building
by Peter Brimblecombe, Laure Jeannottat and Pascal Querner
Insects 2023, 14(7), 578; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14070578 - 25 Jun 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1289
Abstract
The webbing clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) causes extensive and costly damage to fabrics, furnishings, and museum objects. It is best known from its presence in homes, museums, and historic properties, while infestations in office buildings are not as well understood. Offices [...] Read more.
The webbing clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) causes extensive and costly damage to fabrics, furnishings, and museum objects. It is best known from its presence in homes, museums, and historic properties, while infestations in office buildings are not as well understood. Offices typically have more frequent cleaning, fewer quiet habitats, less food availability, and fewer breeding environments for moths, which may explain the lower abundance. Nevertheless, they can be introduced with materials or by employees whose homes have a moth infestation. This study examines the distribution of different insect pests determined from pheromone traps set out in an unoccupied multi-floor office building in Switzerland. Tineola bisselliella dominated the insect catch but was mostly found in the aisles on the lower floors. The larger rooms tended to have a greater insect catch. Carpet beetles (Attagenus smirnovi) and silverfish (Zygentoma) were also found, although in smaller numbers, and often preferred the basement floors. The ghost silverfish (Ctenolepisma calvum) dominated the Zygentoma, even though it has been rare until recently in Switzerland. The study suggests the need for Integrated Pest Management within office buildings. In addition, in unoccupied buildings under renovation, with no obvious sources of food, insect pests still need monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Lepidoptera)
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17 pages, 6133 KiB  
Article
Transgenerational Sublethal Effects of Chlorantraniliprole and Emamectin Benzoate on the Development and Reproduction of Spodoptera frugiperda
by Xuecong Zhang, Chaoxing Hu, Lihong Wu and Wenlong Chen
Insects 2023, 14(6), 537; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14060537 - 8 Jun 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1941
Abstract
Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), commonly known as the fall armyworm (FAW), causes significant damage to many different crop species. In this study, age-stage, two-sex life table analysis was used to investigate the effects of sublethal concentrations of emamectin benzoate and chlorantraniliprole on [...] Read more.
Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), commonly known as the fall armyworm (FAW), causes significant damage to many different crop species. In this study, age-stage, two-sex life table analysis was used to investigate the effects of sublethal concentrations of emamectin benzoate and chlorantraniliprole on FAW development and reproduction. In the F0 generation, exposure to emamectin benzoate and chlorantraniliprole significantly impacted the duration of FAW, thus prolonging the development duration of each instar, but not the prepupal stage. Furthermore, the weight of FAW pupae was significantly reduced by emamectin benzoate at LC25 and chlorantraniliprole at LC25 in the F0 generation. With respect to fecundity, emamectin benzoate and chlorantraniliprole significantly reduced fecundity in the F0 generation. In the F1 generation, emamectin benzoate at LC10 had no significant effect on the preadult or adult stages, whereas LC25 significantly shortened the preadult period. The preadult and adult stages of FAW exposed to chlorantraniliprole at LC10 and LC25 were significantly prolonged. Furthermore, emamectin benzoate had no significant effect on the pupal weight of the F1 generation. Chlorantraniliprole had no significant effect at LC10, but significant reduced pupal weight occurred at LC25 in the F1 generation. With respect to fecundity, emamectin benzoate significantly reduced fecundity in the F1 generation. Interestingly, chlorantraniliprole significantly increased fecundity in the F1 generation, which could promote population growth and pest resurgence. These findings have important implications for the integrated pest management of FAW and provide a reference for the more effective control of FAW. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management of Lepidoptera)
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