The display of the reproductive behavior in most noctuid Lepidoptera follows a diel periodicity and is limited to a precise period of either the day or the night. These behavioral traits and the sex pheromone chemistry can be species specific and thus might be linked to the phylogeny. The objective of this study was to test the relationship of these reproductive traits with phylogeny. The study...

Global warming and climate change will trigger major changes in diversity and abundance of arthropods, geographical distribution of insect pests, population dynamics, insect biotypes, herbivore plant interactions, activity and abundance of natural enemies, species extinction, and efficacy of crop protection technologies. Changes in geographical range and insect abundance will increase the exten...

European and Mediterranean corn borers are two of the most economically important insect pests of maize (Zea mays L.) in North America and southern Europe, respectively. Cell wall structure and composition were evaluated in pith and rind tissues of resistant and susceptible inbred lines as possible corn borer resistance traits. Composition of cell wall polysaccharides, lignin concentration and ...

Surveys were conducted in the major apple growing regions of New York state to determine the incidence of borers infesting burrknots on clonal apple rootstocks. Dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris), was generally prevalent throughout the state, but American plum borer, Euzophera semifuneralis (Walker), was limited to western New York apple orchards near infested stone fruit trees. Insect...

Progress on the research and development of insect-resistant transgenic rice, especially expressing insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), in China has been rapid in recent years. A number of insect-resistant transgenic rice lines/varieties have passed restricted and enlarged field testing, and several have been approved for productive testing since 2002 in China, although none...

In the Mediterranean area, the main corn borer species are Sesamia nonagrioides Lefebvre (Mediterranean corn borer) and Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner (European corn borer). In the overall context of integrated pest control, it is possible to reduce the effect of a pest without having a negative effect on the environment by varying the sowing date. Benefits are possible if the most susceptible stage...

In natural stands, trunk borers are economically the most serious insect pests. The larvae construct galleries in the trunks of living trees, causing the greatest damage in the lower portion (Beal 1952; Hay and Wootten 1955). The quality of the butt log, which is potentially the most valuable portion of the tree, is greatly reduced. Oaks suffer more damage than other hardwoods in the South (Hay...

Sugarcane is semiperennial and produces considerable biomass, forming an ideal habitat for insects. Most insects do not affect crops, but some compete with humans for sugar and by-products. Sugarcane stalkborers are key pests of this crop worldwide because they feed directly on the vegetative tissues that store sucrose, allowing the introduction of micro-organisms that affect yield and quality....