The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a widespread pest species of various cultivated plants. The pest status of FAW in cotton in the Cerrado region of Brazil has increased with the recent changes in cotton crop systems, such as double cropping and the use of cover or winter crops with non‐tillage cropping systems. In this study we investigated the performance of FAW on three major crops cultivated in the Cerrado – soybean, corn, and cotton – and millet which has been integrated into the landscape as a cover crop. Further, the damage to various reproductive structures of cotton plants by FAW larvae was determined. Both studies were conducted under field conditions. Survival of FAW larvae caged on millet plants was higher than on other hosts. The FAW reared on millet also exhibited a net reproductive rate similar to that observed on corn, which was considered the best host for FAW, and the highest intrinsic rate of increase and lowest mean generation time compared to all other hosts. In cotton, the low availability of bolls during the plant’s blooming stage resulted in higher square feeding, whereas infestation during the plant’s boll stage resulted in higher loss of bolls and lower attack on squares. The number of adults produced in a generation was higher when plants were infested in the boll stage. The results indicated that FAW is a threat to cotton when bolls are available and can cause significant loss of reproductive structures. In addition, based on the FAW performance feeding on millet, this cover crop can be among the reasons of FAW increasing pest status in subsequent crops.

Background Prescription drug abuse in the United States and elsewhere in the world is increasing at an alarming rate with non-medical opioid use, in particular, increasing to epidemic proportions over the past two decades. It is imperative to identify those most likely to develop opioid abuse or dependence to inform large-scale, targeted prevention efforts. Methods The present investigation utilized a large commercial insurance claims database to identify demographic, mental health, physical health, and healthcare service utilization variables that differentiate persons who receive an opioid abuse or dependence diagnosis within two years of filling an opioid prescription (OUDs) from those who do not receive such a diagnosis within the same time frame (non-OUDs). Results When compared to non-OUDs, OUDs were more likely to: 1) be male (59.9% vs. 44.2% for non-OUDs) and younger (M=37.9 vs. 47.7); 2) have a prescription history of more opioids (1.7 vs. 1.2), and more days supply of opioids (M=272.5, vs. M=33.2; 3) have prescriptions filled at more pharmacies (M=3.3 per year vs. M=1.3); 4) have greater rates of psychiatric disorders; 5) utilize more medical and psychiatric services; and 6) be prescribed more concomitant medications. A predictive model incorporating these findings was 79.5% concordant with actual OUDs in the data set. Conclusions Understanding correlates of OUD development can help to predict risk and inform prevention efforts.

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A number of cotton varieties have been genetically transformed with genes from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to continuously produce Bt endotoxins, offering whole plant and season-long protection against many lepidopteran larvae. Constant whole-plant toxin expression creates a significant opportunity for non-target herbivores to acquire and bio-accumulate the toxin for higher trophic levels. In the present study we investigated movement of Cry1Ac toxin from the transgenic cotton plant through specific predator-prey pairings, using omnivorous predators with common cotton pests as prey: (1) the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), with the predator Podisus maculiventris (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae); (2) the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae (Acarina: Tetranychidae), with the predatory big-eyed bug Geocoris punctipes (Heteroptera: Geocoridae) and (3) with the predatory damsel bug Nabis roseipennis (Heteropera: Nabidae); and (4) the thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) with the predatory pirate bug Orius insidiosus (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae). We quantified Cry1Ac toxin in the cotton plants, and in the pests and predators, and the effects of continuous feeding on S. exigua larvae fed either Bt or non-Bt cotton on life history traits of P. maculiventris. All three herbivores were able to convey Cry1Ac toxin to their respective predators. Among the herbivores, T. urticae exhibited 16.8 times more toxin in their bodies than that expressed in Bt-cotton plant, followed by S. exigua (1.05 times), and F. occidentalis immatures and adults (0.63 and 0.73 times, respectively). Of the toxin in the respective herbivorous prey, 4, 40, 17 and 14% of that amount was measured in the predators G. punctipes, P. maculiventris, O. insidiosus, and N. roseipennis, respectively. The predator P. maculiventris exhibited similar life history characteristics (developmental time, survival, longevity, and fecundity) regardless of the prey's food source. Thus, Cry1Ac toxin is conveyed through non-target herbivores to natural enemies at different levels depending on the herbivore species, but continuous lifetime contact with the toxin by the predator P. maculiventris through its prey had no effect on the predator's life history. The results found here, supplemented with others already published, suggest that feeding on Cry1Ac contaminated non-target herbivores does not harm predatory heteropterans and, therefore, cultivation of Bt cotton may provide an opportunity for conservation of these predators in cotton ecosystems by reducing insecticide use.

1 Studies have shown that Cry proteins of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis expressed in transgenic plants can be acquired by nontarget herbivores and predators. A series of studies under field and controlled conditions was conducted to investigate the extent to which Cry1Ac protein from Bt transgenic cotton reaches the third trophic level and to measure the amount of protein that herbivores can acquire and expose to predators. 2 Levels of Cry1Ac in Bt cotton leaves decreased over the season. Among herbivores (four species), Cry1Ac was detected in lepidopteran larvae and the amount varied between species. Among predators (seven species), Cry1Ac was detected in Podisus maculiventris and Chrysoperla rufilabris . 3 In the greenhouse, only 14% of the Cry1Ac detected in the prey ( Spodoptera exigua larvae) was subsequently found in the predator P. maculiventris. Detection of Cry1Ac protein in Orius insidiosus , Geocoris punctipes and Nabis roseipennis was probably limited by the amount of prey consumed that had fed on Bt cotton. 4 Purified Cry1Ac was acquired by the small predatory bug G. punctipes but at much higher concentration than found in plants or in lepidopteran larvae. 5 Bt protein was shown to move through prey to the third trophic level. Predatory heteropterans acquired Cry1Ac from prey fed Bt cotton, but acquisition was dependent on the concentration of Cry1Ac conveyed by the prey and the amount of prey consumed. The type and availability of prey capable of acquiring the protein, coupled with the generalist feeding behaviour of the most common predators in the cotton ecosystem, probably constrain the flow of Cry1Ac through trophic levels.In the laboratory, a study of ingestion of various dosages of Bt protein was conducted using adult G. punctipes to verify the ability of this predatory heteropteran to ingest Cry1Ac 194 J. B. Torres et al.

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Podisus nigrispinus feeds primarily on insect larvae. It has been reared and released in Brazil to control lepidopterous larvae, particularly defoliators of Eucalyptus trees, but inoculative releases and conservation of natural populations in other crops have also been attempted. Aspects favouring the use of P. nigrispinus as a biocontrol agent include: (i) cost-effective mass-rearing capabilities with alternative prey or artificial diets; (ii) compatibility of the predator with some insecticides and forest production practices; (iii) natural occurrence in diverse habitats associated with lepidopteran outbreaks. The biology and ecology of P. nigrispinus and its mass production and use to control defoliating lepidopteran larvae in Eucalyptus plantations are discussed, and research needs to expand its use in pest management are outlined.

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