Occurrence and Distribution of Apolygus lucorum on Weed Hosts and Tea Plants in Tea Plantation Ecosystems

Pest Management Science

et al. 2020

BACKGROUND The plant bug, Apolygus lucorum Meyer‐Dür, has begun a resurgence and has become a key pest in cotton in northern China, with the wide‐scale adoption of transgenic Bt cotton. We attempted to develop a new approach to the control of this plant bug by identifying and utilizing its sex pheromone. RESULTS Extracts from A. lucorum adults and nymphs were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and gas chromatography–electroantennogram detection (GC–EAD) to identify the sex pheromone components. (E)‐4‐Oxo‐2‐hexenal and (E)‐2‐hexenyl butyrate were the major sex pheromone components from females and were also electrophysiology‐active towards male antennae. For males, (E)‐4‐oxo‐2‐hexenal and hexyl butyrate were the major sex pheromone components. These three components, however, were not detected in nymphs. Field tests showed that binary blends of (E)‐4‐oxo‐2‐hexenal and (E)‐2‐hexenyl butyrate at a ratio of 3:2 resulted in trapping the greatest numbers of A. lucorum males. A long‐term dispenser was developed by loading the pheromone components dissolved in sunflower oil into polyethylene vials. Further field evaluation showed that the polyethylene dispensers attracted significantly more bugs even when deployed in the field for 5 weeks. CONCLUSION We identified the sex pheromone of A. lucorum and developed a type of high‐efficiency and long‐term lure. Our results could expand knowledge of the pheromones of plant bugs, and provide novel technologies to monitor and control this pest. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification and field evaluation of the sex pheromone of Apolygus lucorum (Hemiptera: Miridae) in China

Tao

Mei

Pest Management Science

et al. 2020

“…A. lucorum is also a polyphagous pest. With an increasing acreage of fruit trees adjacent to cotton fields, which provided more host plants and suitable sites for overwintering, A. lucorum migrated to fruit trees such as jujube, peach, cherry, and grape (Tian et al, 2019). According to data, A. lucorum is the most dominant mirid species in northern China, feeding on at least 242 host species in 49 families, including cotton, legumes, cereals, fruits, and vegetables (Wang et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Apolygus lucorum effector Al6 promotes insect feeding performance on soybean plants: RNAi analysis and feeding behaviour study with electrical penetration graph

Dong

Insect Molecular Biology

Jin

et al. 2022

The mirid bug Apolygus lucorum, a dominant mirid species in northern China, is a notorious polyphagous pest with more than 200 hosts, including several major crops such as cotton and soybean, resulting in massive economic loss. Studies of insect salivary effectors may provide a novel control strategy for A. lucorum. An A. lucorum effector, that is, Al6, that inhibits plant immunity by using glutathione peroxidase to repress reactive oxidase accumulation was previously identified. In this study, we further explored the molecular functions of Al6 associated with feeding behaviour and insect survival on soybean, a major host of A. lucorum, using RNA interference and electrical penetration graph (EPG) techniques. We initially observed the injury symptom of this mirid bug and characterized feeding behaviour on soybean leaves using EPG. Our results revealed that A. lucorum preferred to feed on young plant organs such as tender leaves, shoots and buds. This mirid bug used cell rupture as a feeding strategy to ingest cell contents from plant tissues. Subsequently, we silenced the Al6 gene using RNAi and investigated the feeding behaviour, honeydew excretion, body weight, and survival rates of A. lucorum on soybean after Al6 knockdown. Our results demonstrated that silencing of Al6 significantly reduced feeding duration, amount of honeydew secretion, body weight, and survival rates of A. lucorum. Thus, our findings provide a novel molecular target of plant‐mediated RNAi for the control of A. lucorum.

“…Small reddish‐brown dead spots on the younger tea buds are caused by stylet probing just after infestation by A. lucorum . The spots of dead tissue gradually form irregular holes in the leaves or cause the tea leaves to fragment as the buds grow (Tian et al, 2019). The feeding of A. lucorum results in a loss of 30–40% of the tender tea shoots during the spring growing season depending on the population density of the pest.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our previous studies showed that A. lucorum gathered on flowering Humulus scandens (Lour.) (Moraceae), Artemisia lavandulaefolia DC., Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq, and Artemisia annua L. (all Asteraceae), which are the common weed species in the tea agro‐ecosystem and have a long blooming period in autumn (Tian et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing Artemisia lavandulaefolia as a trap plant for managing Apolygus lucorum in tea plantations

Tian

Sun

Entomologia Exp Applicata

et al. 2022

Self Cite

Green plant bugs Apolygus lucorum Meyer‐Dür (Hemiptera: Miridae) are among the most important piercing‐sucking insect pests of the tea plant Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze (Theaceae) and severely reduce the quality and economic benefits of tea. The preference of A. lucorum for tea plants and weed hosts, including Humulus scandens (Lour.) (Moraceae), Artemisia lavandulaefolia DC., Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq, and Artemisia annua L. (all Asteraceae), was evaluated using an olfactometer bioassay. Volatiles from weed host plants were analyzed by electronic nose and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The A. lucorum adults had a significant preference for the volatiles from A. lavandulaefolia compared to volatiles from tea. Myrcene, 1,8‐cineole, and sabinene were the three dominant components in the A. lavandulaefolia flower volatiles. Artemisia lavandulaefolia was selected as a trap plant to assess the attractiveness to A. lucorum and the effects on natural enemies. The population density of A. lucorum on A. lavandulaefolia planted in tea plantations was significantly higher than that on tea. In particular, in tea fields with A. lavandulaefolia at 2 m spacing, the number of A. lucorum on trap strips of A. lavandulaefolia was higher than on tea at 10, 20, and 30 m away from the trap strips. The trap strips of A. lavandulaefolia also promoted a small increase in the presence of natural enemies in the tea agroecosystem, especially lacewings. Our research indicated that planting A. lavandulaefolia as a trap plant at 2 m spacing has the potential to manipulate the population of A. lucorum in tea plantations.