Pesticide resistance in arthropods: Ecology matters too

Abstract

Pesticide resistance development is an example of rapid contemporary evolution that poses immense challenges for agriculture. It typically evolves due to the strong directional selection that pesticide treatments exert on herbivorous arthropods. However, recent research suggests that some species are more prone to evolve pesticide resistance than others due to their evolutionary history and standing genetic variation. Generalist species might develop pesticide resistance especially rapidly due to pre‐adaptation to handle a wide array of plant allelochemicals. Moreover, research has shown that adaptation to novel host plants could lead to increased pesticide resistance. Exploring such cross‐resistance between host plant range evolution and pesticide resistance development from an ecological perspective is needed to understand its causes and consequences better. Much research has, however, been devoted to the molecular mechanisms underlying pesticide resistance while both the ecological contexts that could facilitate resistance evolution and the ecological consequences of cross‐resistance have been under‐studied. Here, we take an eco‐evolutionary approach and discuss circumstances that may facilitate cross‐resistance in arthropods and the consequences cross‐resistance may have for plant–arthropod interactions in both target and non‐target species and species interactions. Furthermore, we suggest future research avenues and practical implications of an increased ecological understanding of pesticide resistance evolution.

Inducible Gut-Specific Carboxylesterase SlCOE030 in Polyphagous Pests of Spodoptera litura Conferring Tolerance between Nicotine and Cyantraniliprole

“…Plant secondary metabolites are produced by plants for protection from insect attack. , On the other hand, herbivorous insects have developed tolerance or resistance to decrease the harmful effects of these plant compounds. This kind of evolution in insects is commonly recognized to affect the development of defenses against synthetic insecticides, suggesting that phytophagous insects have adapted to deal with insecticides since these insects have developed tolerance or resistance to phytochemicals from their host plants. , The tobacco cutworm, S. litura, has developed different levels of resistance to organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids, indoxacarb, abamectin, emamectin benzoate, chlorantraniliprole, and cyantraniliprole. ,,, Nicotine, as a secondary metabolite in tobacco, has been shown to participate in increasing S.…”

Inducible Cytochrome P450s in the Fat Body and Malpighian Tubules of the Polyphagous Pests of Spodoptera litura Confer Xenobiotic Tolerance

“…22,38 Due to this coevolution between insects and host plants and the unscientific use of insecticides, S. litura has developed varying levels of resistance to classic insecticides, such as carbamates, organophosphates, abamectin, and pyrethroids. 10,22,39,40 In addition to classic types of chemical insecticides, S. litura has developed resistance to diamide insecticides, which have been commercially used in recent years. S. litura showing more than 50-fold chlorantraniliprole resistance and 10-fold cyantraniliprole resistance have been investigated in several areas of southwest China.…”

Tolerance to dietary linalool primarily involves co-expression of cytochrome P450s and cuticular proteins in Pagiophloeus tsushimanus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) larvae using SMRT sequencing and RNA-seq

“…In the face of a diverse range of phytochemicals, specialization could lead to a competitive advantage by developing more fine-tuned metabolic features for digestion and detoxification of host plants [14,15]. In this context, classic examples are that specialist herbivores feeding on a single or a few plants with terpenoid-based defenses have evolved adaptation strategies, as mainly demonstrated for pine-feeding bark beetles [16,17].…”