Toxicity of allyl esters in insect cell lines and in Spodoptera littoralis larvae

We investigated the effects of five allyl esters, two aromatic (allyl cinnamate and allyl 2-furoate) and three aliphatic (allyl hexanoate, allyl heptanoate, and allyl octanoate) in established insect cell lines derived from different species and tissues. We studied embryonic cells of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (S2) (Diptera) and the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua (Se4) (Lepidoptera), fat body cells of the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata (CPB) (Coleoptera), ovarian cells of the silkmoth Bombyx mori (Bm5), and midgut cells of the spruce budworm Choristoneura fumiferana (CF203) (Lepidoptera). Cytotoxicity was determined with use of MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] and trypan blue. In addition, we tested the entomotoxic action of allyl cinnamate against the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis .The median (50%) cytotoxic concentrations (EC50s) of the five allyl esters in the MTT bioassays ranged between 0.25 and 27 mM with significant differences among allyl esters (P = 0.0012), cell lines (P < 0.0001), and the allyl estercell line interaction (P < 0.0001). Allyl cinnamate was the most active product, and CF203 the most sensitive cell line. In the trypan blue bioassays, cytotoxicity was produced rapidly and followed the same trend observed in the MTT bioassay. In first instars of S. littoralis, allyl cinnamate killed all larvae at 0.25% in the diet after 1 day, while this happened in third instars after 5 days. The LC50 in first instars was 0.08%. In addition, larval weight gain was reduced (P < 0.05) after 1 day of feeding on diet with 0.05%. In conclusion, the data provide evidence of the significant but differential cytotoxicity among allyl esters in insect cells of different species and tissues. Midgut cells show high sensitivity, indicating the insect midgut as a primary target tissue. Allyl cinnamate caused rapid toxic effects in S. littoralis larvae at low concentrations, suggesting further potential for use in pest control.

Biologia e tabela de vida de fertilidade de Spodoptera eridania (Cramer) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) em morangueiro e videira

A biologia de Spodoptera eridania foi estudada em laboratório (22±1ºC, UR 70±10%, fotofase de 14 horas), em folhas de morangueiro (Fragaria x ananassa cv. 'Aromas') e videira (Vitis vinifera cv. 'Cabernet Sauvignon'). A duração e a viabilidade do ciclo total foram, respectivamente, de 52,2±1,32 dias e 37,6% para morangueiro e 42,2±0,45 dias e 25,5% para videira. A razão sexual em morangueiro foi de 0,58, e 0,48 em videira. A longevidade média de machos e fêmeas em morangueiro foi de 16,3±1,16 e 15,8±1,85 dias, respectivamente, e 5,6±0,88 e 7,3±0,83 dias em videira. A fecundidade média total foi de 1.747,5±187,32 ovos por fêmea em morangueiro, e 1.764,9±289,04 em videira. A tabela de vida de fertilidade mostrou que a taxa líquida de reprodução e a razão finita de aumento foram de 394,89 e 1,10, respectivamente, para morangueiro, e de 213,98 e 1,12 para videira. As culturas do morangueiro cv. 'Aromas' e da videira cv. 'Cabernet Sauvignon' são hospedeiras favoráveis e equivalentes quanto ao potencial de crescimento populacional de S. eridania.

Characterization of an antennal carboxylesterase from the pest moth Spodoptera littoralis degrading a host plant odorant.

Background: Carboxyl/cholinesterases (CCEs) are highly diversified in insects. These enzymes have a broad range of proposed functions, in neuro/developmental processes, dietary detoxification, insecticide resistance or hormone/pheromone degradation. As few functional data are available on purified or recombinant CCEs, the physiological role of most of these enzymes is unknown. Concerning their role in olfaction, only two CCEs able to metabolize sex pheromones have been functionally characterized in insects. These enzymes are only expressed in the male antennae, and secreted into the lumen of the pheromone-sensitive sensilla. CCEs able to hydrolyze other odorants than sex pheromones, such as plant volatiles, have not been identified. Methodology: In Spodoptera littoralis, a major crop pest, a diversity of antennal CCEs has been previously identified. We have employed here a combination of molecular biology, biochemistry and electrophysiology approaches to functionally characterize an intracellular CCE, SlCXE10, whose predominant expression in the olfactory sensilla suggested a role in olfaction. A recombinant protein was produced using the baculovirus system and we tested its catabolic properties towards a plant volatile and the sex pheromone components. Conclusion: We showed that SlCXE10 could efficiently hydrolyze a green leaf volatile and to a lesser extent the sex pheromone components. The transcript level in male antennae was also strongly induced by exposure to this plant odorant. In antennae, SlCXE10 expression was associated with sensilla responding to the sex pheromones and to plant odours. These results suggest that a CCE-based intracellular metabolism of odorants could occur in insect antennae, in addition to the extracellular metabolism occurring within the sensillar lumen. This is the first functional characterization of an Odorant- Degrading Enzyme active towards a host plant volatile.

Selección y evaluación de cepas nativas de Bacillus thuringiensis contra Heliothis zea (Boddie) y Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) [por] Guillermo José Gutiérrez Castillo

Tesis (Maestro en Ciencias con especialidad en Microbiolo gia) U.A.N.L.

Desarrollo y evaluación de bioinsecticidas microencapsulados a partir de bacillus thuringiensis y neem para el control del gusano soldado spodoptera exigua (hübner).

Tesis (Doctor en Ciencias con especialidad en Biotecnología) UANL,2014.

Antifeedant activities of crude seed extracts of tropical African spices against Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The antifeedant activities of Piper guineense Schum et Thonn (Piperaceae), Aframomum melegueta (Rosk) K. Schum (Zingiberaceae), Aframomum citratum (Pareira) K. Schum (Zingiberaceae) and Afrostyrax kamerunensis Perkins and Gilg (Huaceae) seed extracts were investigated in laboratory dual- and no-choice bioassays using third-instar Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) larvae. In the dual-choice test, the hexane and methanol extracts of A. melegueta showed potent dose-dependent antifeedant activity at concentrations of ≥300 ppm and the water extract at ≥500 ppm, as illustrated by significantly lower leaf consumptions. Aframomum citratum methanol and water extracts exhibited antifeedant activity at ≥300 and ≥1000 ppm, respectively, but the hexane and ethanol extracts did not affect feeding at any concentration. Piper guineense ethanol and water extracts showed dose-dependent antifeedant effects at ≥300 and ≥500 ppm, respectively, and the methanol extract was active only at 1000 ppm. None of the extracts of the highly aromatic A. kamerunensis exhibited antifeedant activity at any of the tested concentrations. In the no-choice bioassays, extracts with antifeedant activity in the dual-choice tests also showed dose-dependent feeding inhibition. The hexane and methanol extracts of A. melegueta were effective in the no-choice tests at ≥100 and ≥500 ppm, respectively, and the water extract at ≥300 ppm. Similarly, the A. citratum water and methanol extracts were active at ≥500 ppm and the P. guineense water and ethanol extracts at ≥100 ppm. GC/MS chromatography of A. melegueta hexane and methanol extracts revealed volatile constituents with known anti-insect activity. The hexane and methanol extracts of A. melegueta, the methanol extract of A. citratum and the water and ethanol extracts of P. guineense may have potential for use by subsistence farmers.

Não preferência para alimentação e aspectos biológicos de Spodoptera eridania em cultivares de feijão-caupi

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the no-preference for feeding and biological aspects of Spodoptera eridania fed on cowpea cultivars BR17 Gurgueia, BRS Urubuquara, BRS Nova Era, Sempre Verde, BRS Milenio and BR3 Tracuateua. In free-choice test, leaf discs were placed in Petri dishes where one third instar larvae per cultivar was released, whereas in no-choice test one leaf disc was placed per Petri dish where one caterpillar per cultivar was released, evaluating their attractiveness after 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 120, 360 and 720 minutes, as well as the leaf area consumed. Randomized blocks and complete randomized blocks design were used for free-choice and no-choice tests, respectively, with six treatments and 10 replications. The evaluation of the biological parameters of S. eridania was carried out in Petri dishes where recently hatched caterpillars were transferred in the proportion of one per dish, and the leafs of the cultivars were offered to them during the whole larval period, and we evaluated: periods and viabilities of larvae and pupae, overall viability, weight of larvae and pupae, sex ratio, longevity and overall cycle. Complete randomized design was used with six treatments and 30 replications. In no- preference for feeding free-choice test the cultivars Sempre Verde and BR17 Gurgueia were the most and the least consumed, respectively. Regarding the effects of cowpea cultivars on larval viability we can infer that BRS Urubuquara and Sempre Verde show antibiosis-type resistance to S. eridania.

Feeding of Spodoptera eridania (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on soybean genotypes

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Novo registro de Trichospilus diatraeae Cherian & Margabandhu, 1942 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), como parasitóide de Spodoptera cosmioides Walker, 1858 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) no Brasil

Spodoptera cosmioides (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)é uma espécie polífaga e alimenta-se de grande número de plantas cultivadas e espontâneas. No Brasil, as culturas do abacaxi, algodoeiro, arroz, berinjela, cebola, eucalipto, pimentão e tomateiro, entre outras hortaliças, são consideradas hospedeiras da praga. Entretanto, apesar da ampla gama de hospedeiros, sua ocorrência como praga é relatada relacionada a desequilíbrios provocados pelo uso excessivo de inseticidas de amplo espectro, o que vem causando a resistência da praga a inseticidas. Devido a essa complexidade, métodos alternativos de controle têm sido propostos, por exemplo, o controle biológico através da utilização de parasitóides. Trichospilus diatraeae (Hymenptera: Eulophidae) é um parasitóide gregário pupal preferencialmente de espécies da ordem Lepidoptera. Este é o primeiro relato de T. diatraeae parasitando pupas de S. cosmioides, parasitóide que oferece novas perspectivas para os programas de controle biológico.

Tipos e graus de resistência de genótipos de soja a Spodoptera eridania (Cramer, 1782) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Aspectos biológicos de Spodoptera cosmioides Walker, 1858 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) nas cultivares de algodoeiro DeltaOPAL e NuOPAL (Bollgard I)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Comprehensive Analysis of Gene Expression Profiles of the Beet Armyworm Spodoptera exigua Larvae Challenged with Bacillus thuringiensis Vip3Aa Toxin

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Antibiosis in Soybean Genotypes and the Resistance Levels to Spodoptera eridania (Cramer) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The southern armyworm (SAW) Spodoptera eridania (Cramer) is one of the most common armyworm species defoliating soybeans. Preliminary screening trials have indicated that some soybean genotypes exhibit resistance to SAW. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the development of SAW larvae fed on ten soybean genotypes in order to identify genotypes with antibiosis-type resistance. Neonate SAW larvae were daily fed with young leaves collected from plants at the vegetative growth stages V4-V5. Larval development and survival were recorded. Genotypes PI 227687 and PI 227682 delayed larval, pupal, and larva-adult development and yielded larvae with the lowest weight and survival and pupae with the lowest weight. Genotypes IAC 100 and DM 339 also negatively affected larval and pupal development and larval survival but at a lower level. Based on our results, the soybean lines PI 227687 and PI 227682 could be used as sources of genes for soybean breeding programs aiming to develop high yield, SAW-resistant cultivars. Moreover, further trials must be carried out under field conditions to validate if the commercial cultivars IAC 100 and DM 339, which expressed moderate levels of antibiosis-type resistance in the laboratory, are effective in suppressing SAW larvae populations.