36Insect ryanodine receptors (RyR) are the molecular target-site for the recently introduced 37 diamide insecticides. Diamides are particularly active on Lepidoptera pests, including tomato 38 leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). High levels of diamide resistance were 39 recently described in some European populations of T. absoluta, however, the mechanisms 40 of resistance remained unknown. In this study the molecular basis of diamide resistance was 41

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Arabidopsis thaliana is commonly regarded as a self‐pollinated plant species. One of the many surprises in population genetic studies of the species was the observation of distinct traces of recombination in the DNA sequences that may be the result of rare outcrossing events. We studied flower visitors in a natural population of the species. Solitary bees, diptera and thrips are among the most frequently observed insects among the surprising diversity of insects visiting flowers of A. thaliana. Assuming that every visit equals an outcrossing event, the outcrossing rate was estimated to be 0.84 %. This value falls between estimations of outcrossing rates from molecular data and those of artificial systems. Despite the rather low rate of flower visitation, A. thaliana can no longer be regarded as a completely self‐pollinated plant species in the wild. This observation may explain recombination events observed in molecular analyses. Possible pollen transfer between populations due to the mobility of the observed insects should be considered in population genetic analyses.

Insects in the order Thysanoptera are known for their haplodiploid reproduction, with most species reproducing by arrhenotoky. A few species, however, have only female populations and reproduce by thelytoky. Seven thrips species reproducing either by arrhenotoky [Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), Echinothrips americanus Morgan, Suocerathrips linguis Mound and Marullo, Gynaikothrips ficorum (Marchal)] or thelytoky [Hercinothrips femoralis (O.M. Reuter) and Parthenothrips dracaenae (Heeger)] or showing both reproduction modes (Thrips tabaci Lindeman) were screened for the presence of Wolbachia using 16S rDNA and ftsZ gene primers. The arrhenotokous reproducing species E. americanus, G. ficorum, and S. linguis tested positive for Wolbachia. The bacterium was not detected in F. occidentalis or T. tabaci; even the thelytokous population of T. tabaci was free of Wolbachia. Wolbachia was found in the thelytokous reproducing species H. femoralis and P. dracaenae. Antibiotic treatment of H. femoralis induced the production of males that copulated with females. The results confirmed Wolbachia to be present in thelytokous reproducing thrips species and proved the presence of the bacterium for the first time in some arrhenotokous reproducing thrips species.

Benzoylurea selection pressure on a diamide-resistant P. xylostella strain resulted in lowest reproduction parameters and the longest generation time, as well as doubling the time among all strains tested. This suggests significant effects on the overall fitness and population growth parameters for diamide-resistant populations pressured by benzoylureas under applied conditions. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.