Vitellogenin (Vg) and vitellogenin receptor (VgR) play important roles in the vitellogenesis of insects. In this study, we cloned and characterized the two corresponding genes (TpVg and TpVgR) in an economically important insect, Thitarodes pui (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae), from the Tibetan plateau. The full length of TpVg is 5566 bp with a 5373 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 1,790 amino acids. Sequence alignment revealed that TpVg has three conserved domains: a Vitellogenin_N domain, a DUF1943 domain, and a von Willebrand factor type D domain (VWD). The full length of TpVgR is 5732 bp, with a 5397 bp ORF encoding 1798 amino acids. BLASTP showed that TpVgR belongs to the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene superfamily. Structural analysis revealed that TpVgR has a group of four structural domains: a ligand-binding domain (LBD), an epidermal growth factor (EGF)–precursor homology domain, a transmembrane (TM) domain, and a cytoplasmic domain. In addition, TpVgR has four cysteine-rich LDL repeats in the first ligand-binding site and seven in the second. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the expression levels of TpVg and TpVgR are much higher in later pupa than in either the larval or adult stage, implying that the synthesis and uptake of Vg in T. pui occurs in the later pupal stage. These results will help us to understand the molecular mechanism of the reproductive capacity and will provide new insight into the mass rearing and utilization of T. pui.

The genus Anastatus comprises a large group of parasitoids, including several biological control agents in agricultural and forest systems. The taxonomy and phylogeny of these species remain controversial. In this study, the mitogenome of A. fulloi Sheng and Wang was sequenced and characterized. The nearly full-length mitogenome of A. fulloi was 15,692 bp, compromising 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and a control region (CR). The total A + T contents were 83.83%, 82.18%, 87.58%, 87.27%, and 82.13% in the whole mitogenome, 13 PCGs, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and CR, respectively. The mitogenome presented negative AT skews and positive GC skews, except for the CR. Most PCGs were encoded on the heavy strand, started with ATN codons, and ended with TAA codons. Among the 3736 amino acid-encoding codons, TTA (Leu1), CGA (Arg), TCA (Ser2), and TCT (Ser2) were predominant. Most tRNAs had cloverleaf secondary structures, except trnS1, with the absence of a dihydrouridine (DHU) arm. Compared with mitogenomes of the ancestral insect and another parasitoid within Eupelmidae, large-scale rearrangements were found in the mitogenome of A. fulloi, especially inversions and inverse transpositions of tRNA genes. The gene arrangements of parasitoid mitogenomes within Chalcidoidea were variable. A novel gene arrangement was presented in the mitogenome of A. fulloi. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 13 protein-coding genes of 20 parasitoids indicated that the phylogenetic relationship of 6 superfamilies could be presented as Mymaridae + (Eupelmidae + (Encyrtidae + (Trichogrammatidae + (Pteromalidae + Eulophidae)))). This study presents the first mitogenome of the Anastatus genus and offers insights into the identification, taxonomy, and phylogeny of these parasitoids.

The wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae: Lycosidae) is an important biological control agent against rice pests in the paddy ecosystem. Vitellogenin (Vg) is the precursor of the yolk protein and is crucial for reproduction in P. pseudoannulata. We have identified three full‐length cDNAs encoding vitellogenins. The PpVg1 transcript is 5598 bp long, with an open reading frame (ORF) of 5379 bp encoding a 1792 amino acid protein. The PpVg2 transcript is 5394 bp long, with an ORF of 5205 bp encoding a 1734 amino acid protein. The PpVg3 transcript is 5229 bp long, with an ORF of a 5019 bp encoding a 1672 amino acid protein. Typical domains are found in all PpVgs sequences, including an N‐terminal lipoprotein domain, a DUF1943 domain and the von Willebrand factor type D domain. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that PpVg1, PpVg2 and PpVg3 are grouped with other arachnid Vgs. PpVg1 and PpVg2 are more closely related to Parasteatoda tepidariorum vitellogenin, whereas PpVg3 is segregated into a single clade in the arachnid group. Expression analysis by a quantitative reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction shows that PpVg1, PpVg2 and PpVg3 are mainly expressed in adult females. Mating elicite an increase in the transcription levels of PpVg1 and PpVg2, and the expression level of PpVg3 is up‐regulated after first oviposition. The present study represents the first report with respect to the molecular characterization and expression patterns for the spider vitellogenin and will greatly facilitate our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of P. pseudoannulata reproduction.

Trichogramma is a kind of egg parasitoid wasp that is widely used to control lepidopterous pests. Temperature is one of the main factors that determines the various life activities of this species, including development, reproduction and parasitism efficiency. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are highly conserved and ubiquitous proteins that are best known for their responsiveness to temperature and other stresses. To explore the potential role of HSPs in Trichogramma species, we obtained the full-length cDNAs of six HSP genes (Tchsp10, Tchsp21.6, Tchsp60, Tchsp70, Tchsc70-3, and Tchsp90) from T. chilonis and analyzed their expression patterns during development and exposure to temperature stress. The deduced amino acid sequences of these HSP genes contained the typical signatures of their corresponding protein family and showed high homology to their counterparts in other species. The expression levels of Tchsp10, Tchsp21.6 and Tchsp60 decreased during development. However, the expression of Tchsc70-3 increased from the pupal stage to the adult stage. Tchsp70 and Tchsp90 exhibited the highest expression levels in the adult stage. The expression of six Tchsps was dramatically upregulated after 1 h of exposure to 32 and 40°C but did not significantly change after 1 h of exposure to 10 and 17°C. This result indicated that heat stress, rather than cold stress, induced the expression of HSP genes. Furthermore, the expression of these genes was time dependent, and the expression of each gene reached its peak after 1 h of heat exposure (40°C). Tchsp10 and Tchsp70 exhibited a low-intensity cold response after 4 and 8 h of exposure to 10°C, respectively, but the other genes did not respond to cold at any time points. These results suggested that HSPs may play different roles in the development of this organism and in its response to temperature stress.

Insect chemoreception involves many families of genes, including odourant/pheromone binding proteins (OBP/PBPs), chemosensory proteins (CSPs), odourant receptors (ORs), ionotropic receptors (IRs), and sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs), which play irreplaceable roles in mediating insect behaviors such as host location, foraging, mating, oviposition, and avoidance of danger. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of olfactory reception in Chilo sacchariphagus, which is a major pest of sugarcane. A set of 72 candidate chemosensory genes, including 31 OBPs/PBPs, 15 CSPs, 11 ORs, 13 IRs, and two SNMPs, were identified in four transcriptomes from different tissues and genders of C. sacchariphagus. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted on gene families and paralogs from other model insect species. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that most of these chemosensory genes exhibited antennae-biased expression, but some had high expression in bodies. Most of the identified chemosensory genes were likely involved in chemoreception. This study provides a molecular foundation for the function of chemosensory proteins, and an opportunity for understanding how C. sacchariphagus behaviors are mediated via chemical cues. This research might facilitate the discovery of novel strategies for pest management in agricultural ecosystems.