Drosophila suzukii represents one of the major agricultural pests worldwide. The identification of safety and long-lasting tools to suppress its populations is therefore crucial to mitigate the environmental and economic damages due to its occurrence. Here, we explore the possibility of using satyrization as a tool to control the abundance of D. suzukii. By using males of D. melanogaster, we realized courtship tests, spermathecae analysis, and multiple-choice experiments to assess the occurrence and extent of pre- and post-zygotic isolation between the two species, as well as the occurrence of fitness costs in D. suzukii females due to satyrization. Our results showed that: (i) D. melanogaster males successfully courted D. suzukii females; (ii) D. melanogaster males significantly affected the total courtship time of D. suzukii males, which reduced from 22.6% to 6.4%; (iii) D. melanogaster males were able to inseminate D. suzukii and reduce their offspring, inducing a high fitness cost. Reproductive interference occurs at different steps between D. melanogaster and D. suzukii, both alone and in combination with other area-wide control approaches.

The painted bug, Bagrada hilaris, is an agricultural pest in its original areas (Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East), and it has recently been recorded as an invasive species in southwestern part of the US, Chile, Mexico, and two islands in the Mediterranean basin. Its polyphagous diet causes severe damage to economically important crops. The control of this pest is primarily achieved by means of synthetic pesticides, which are often expensive, ineffective, and harmful to the ecosystem. Recent physiological bioassays to assess its potential control through the sterile insect technique demonstrated that mating between untreated females and males irradiated at doses of 64 and 100 Gy, respectively, resulted in 90% and 100% sterility of the eggs produced by the females. In this study, the mating abilities of virgin males irradiated at 60 and 100 Gy with virgin females were measured through a study of short-range courtship mediated by vibrational communication. The results indicate that males irradiated at 100 Gy emit signals with lower peak frequencies, mate significantly less than unirradiated males do, and do not surpass the early stages of courtship. Conversely, males irradiated at 60 Gy present vibrational signal frequencies that are comparable to those of the control and successfully mated males. Our findings suggest that B. hilaris individuals irradiated at 60 Gy are good candidates for the control of this species, given that they retain sexual competitiveness regardless of their sterility, through an area-wide program that incorporates the sterile insect technique.

In Brazil, the production of beneficial microorganisms by growers exclusively for their own use is a practice known as \"on-farm production\". Regarding on-farm bioinsecticides, they were initially deployed for pests of perennial and semi-perennial crops in the 1970s but, since 2013, their use has extended to pests of annual crops such as maize, cotton, and soybean. Millions of hectares are currently being treated with these on-farm preparations. Local production reduces costs, meets local needs, and reduces inputs of environmentally damaging chemical pesticides, facilitating establishment of more sustainable agroecosystems. Critics argue that without implementation of stringent quality control measures there is the risk that the on-farm preparations: (1) are contaminated with microbes which may include human pathogens or (2) contain very little active ingredient, impacting on field efficacy. The on-farm fermentation of bacterial insecticides predominates, especially that of Bacillus thuringiensis targeting lepidopteran pests. However, there has been a rapid growth in the past 5 years in the production of entomopathogenic fungi, mostly for the control of sap-sucking insects such as whitefly (Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius)) and the corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis (DeLong and Wolcott)). In contrast, on-farm production of insect viruses has seen limited growth. Most of the ca. 5 million rural producers in Brazil own small or medium size properties and, although the vast majority still do not practice on-farm production of biopesticides, the topic has aroused interest among them. Many growers who adopt this practice usually use non-sterile containers as fermenters, resulting in poor-quality preparations, and cases of failure have been reported. On the other hand, some informal reports suggest on-farm preparations may be efficacious even when contaminated, what could be explained, at least partially, by the insecticidal secondary metabolites secreted by the pool of microorganisms in the liquid culture media. Indeed, there is insufficient information on efficacy and mode of action of these microbial biopesticides. It is usually the large farms, some with > 20,000 ha of continuous cultivated lands, that produce biopesticides with low levels of contamination, as many of them possess advanced production facilities and have access to specialized knowledge and trained staff. Uptake of on-farm biopesticides is expected to continue but the rate of adoption will depend on factors such as the selection of safe, virulent microbial strains and implementation of sound quality control measures (compliance with emerging Brazilian regulations and international standards). The challenges and opportunities of on-farm bioinsecticides are presented and discussed.

Biological invasions are usually examined in the context of their impacts on native species. However, few studies have examined the dynamics between invaders when multiple exotic species successfully coexist in a novel environment. Yet, long-term coexistence of now established exotic species has been observed in North American lady beetle communities. Exotic lady beetles Harmonia axyridis and Coccinella septempunctata were introduced for biological control in agricultural systems and have since become dominant species within these communities. In this study, we investigated coexistence via spatial and temporal niche partitioning among H. axyridis and C. septempunctata using a 31-year data set from southwestern Michigan, USA. We found evidence of long-term coexistence through a combination of small-scale environmental, habitat, and seasonal mechanisms. Across years, H. axyridis and C. septempunctata experienced patterns of cyclical dominance likely related to yearly variation in temperature and precipitation. Within years, populations of C. septempunctata peaked early in the growing season at 550 degree days, while H. axyridis populations grew in the season until 1250 degree days and continued to have high activity after this point. C. septempunctata was generally most abundant in herbaceous crops, whereas H. axyridis did not display strong habitat preferences. These findings suggest that within this region H. axyridis has broader habitat and abiotic environmental preferences, whereas C. septempunctata thrives under more specific ecological conditions. These ecological differences have contributed to the continued coexistence of these two invaders. Understanding the mechanisms that allow for the coexistence of dominant exotic species contributes to native biodiversity conservation management of invaded ecosystems.

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTD) are currently one of the most devastating and challenging diseases in viticulture, leading to considerable yield losses and a remarkable decline in grapevine quality. The identification of the causal agents is the cornerstone of an efficient approach to fighting against fungal diseases in a sustainable, non-chemical manner. This review attempts to describe and expose the symptoms of each pathology related to GTD, the modes of transmission, and the harmfulness of recently reported agents. Special attention was given to new diagnostic tests and technologies, grapevine defense mechanisms, molecular mechanisms of endophytes fungal colonization, and management strategies used to control these threats. The present extended review is, therefore, an updated state-of-the-art report on the progress in the management of vineyards.

Recently, the concept of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) was further extended into Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management (IPPM). Implementation of IPPM strategies entails the combination of actions for pest and pollinator management providing complementary or synergistic benefits for yield and/or quality of the harvest. The aim of this study was to examine IPPM elements (i.e., mixed hedgerow, nesting boxes for mason bees, Osmia spp.) and demonstrate their impact in the practical context of modern commercial fruit cultivation in a 4-year case study in an intensive \'Conference\' pear orchard. The outcomes of visual observations during transect walks and molecular analysis of pollen collected by mason bees, showed the importance of additional floral resources for the presence of mason bees and other pollinating insects in the orchard environment. Pear quality assessments indicated that insect-mediated pollination had a significant positive impact, with a tendency for higher quality pears in the close vicinity of Osmia nesting boxes. However, despite the fact that pear pollen was also detected in Osmia spp. nest cells, the amount and frequency of pear pollen collection for their nest built-up turned out to be rather low. In the same intensive pear orchard studied for pollination effects, we simultaneously demonstrate the impact of a mixed hedgerow to enhance integrated pest control.

Species of the family Scoliidae are larval parasitoids of scarabaeoid beetles and pollinators of various plants. Despite their great importance in pest biological control and plant pollination, the taxonomy and systematics of these parasitoids are far from clear. Some species of the family are extremely morphologically similar and difficult to identify, especially in males. In this study, an integrative taxonomic approach, combining morphology and molecular data, was used to discriminate the species of Scoliidae from southern China. In total, 52 COI sequences belonging to 22 morphospecies of 9 genera in two tribes were obtained. The COI sequences worked well for the identification of all the studied species, with intraspecific genetic distances generally less than 2%, while interspecific distances ranged between 5.3% and 20.8%. The delimitations of the problematic species and subspecies of Scolia and Megacampsomeris are well solved by COI sequences, suggesting that DNA barcoding could be a useful identification tool for Scoliidae. Based on both morphological and molecular evidence, we discovered one undescribed cryptic species of the polytypic species Solia (Discolia) superciliaris Saussure, 1864, five newly recorded species, i.e., Scolia (Discolia) sikkimensis Bingham, 1896, Sericocampsomeris flavomaculata Gupta and Jonathan, 1989, Megacampsomeris asiatica (Saussure, 1858), Megacampsomeris pulchrivestita (Cameron, 1902) and Megacampsomeris shillongensis (Betrem, 1928) and one pending subspecies of Scolia (Discolia) watanabei (Matsumura, 1912) from China. Our study indicates that such an integrative approach, combing both molecular and morphological evidence, is a potent tool to tackle the taxonomic challenges in the family Scoliidae, or even, in other diverse groups of Aculeata, of which sexual dimorphism and cryptic species are common.

Rice production is often associated with high pesticide input. To improve farmers\' practice, sustainable management approaches are urgently needed, such as ecological engineering (EE), which aims at enhancing beneficial arthropods while reducing pesticides. Here, we implemented and tested EE in Cambodian rice fields by comparing: (i) fields not treated with pesticides (control); (ii) fields not treated with pesticides but with non-rice crops planted in the surrounding (EE); and (iii) conventionally farmed fields using pesticides (CR). Using benefit-cost analysis, we compared the economic value of each treatment. The non-rice crops preferred by men and women farmers as well as farmers\' willingness to implement EE were assessed using surveys. We sampled arthropod abundance and richness in rice fields and bunds during two seasons. During the dry season, we compared EE and CR among three Cambodian provinces. During the wet season, we specifically assessed the differences in EE, control and CR in arthropod abundance and rice yield in one province. While withholding from using pesticides did not result in a decrease in yield in EE and control treatments, parasitoid abundance was higher in both treatments during the wet season. The benefit-cost ratio was highest for EE and control treatments. Pesticides were likely the main driver causing low arthropod abundance, without any benefit towards increased rice yield. The proper implementation of EE coupled with farmers\' knowledge of ecologically based pest management is a promising solution towards sustainable rice production.

BACKGROUND: Solanum sisymbriifolium is a native plant of South America introduced into Africa, which has detrimental effects on crop yields, and on the environment due to weed control treatment by burning. In South America, S. sisymbriifolium is naturally controlled by the beetle Gratiana spadicea, making this a potential option for its control in Africa. Here, we aim to generate current and future scenarios for the introduction of G. spadicea as a biocontrol agent in Africa, analysing: (i) current and future effective biocontrol areas; (ii) potentially avoided economic losses (AEL), and chemical control costs and savings; and (iii) avoided carbon emissions (ACE) associated with the non-burning of crop fields. We combine species distribution models (SDM) with land cover maps to estimate current and future effective biocontrol considering Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 climate change scenarios. We then estimate AEL and ACE using biocontrol, and chemical control costs and savings.
RESULTS: The effective biocontrol area reached 392 405 km2 in 18 countries, representing 40% of potentially affected croplands. Climate change induced a decrease in affected croplands and effective biocontrol. The estimated AEL reached US$45 447.2 ± 5617.3 billion distributed across 16 countries, while the estimated chemical control costs and savings reached US$1988.5 billion and 1411.8 billion, respectively. Potential ACE reached 36.3 ± 5.4 Tg.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence for the potential benefits of biological controllers on economic losses and carbon emissions, which can be incorporated into sustainable development in low-income countries.

The olive grove is a key landscape across the Mediterranean basin. This agroecosystem is threatened by Xylella fastidiosa, the causal agent of the olive tree quick decline syndrome, Philaenus spumarius being the main vector. A way to limit pest populations relies on the use of biological control agents such as arthropods. Among them, spiders are generalist predators with different hunting strategies that feed mostly on insects and can contribute to limit pests. In this work, field and laboratory data were used to provide a protocol aiming to facilitate the selection of species of spiders among different guilds that could represent potential natural enemies of P. spumarius. Sampling of spiders was conducted in olive groves in northeastern Portugal. Two species, namely the orb-weaver Araniella cucurbitina and the ambusher Synema globosum, were selected according to the dominant guilds of spiders inhabiting the olive crop. We tested the differences of potential predatory efficiency using classical functional response tests with P. spumarius as prey. A type-II functional response was found for A. cucurbitina, whereas a type-I response was found for S. globosum. This difference uncovers a different potential efficiency among the two species as natural enemies of P. spumarius with relevant implications at high prey density in the field. A conceptual workflow to follow the fieldwork and selection of species for further work (i.e., laboratory assays) is provided and discussed. Standardized methods regarding the assessment of the suitability and efficiency of potential natural enemies are essential for the integration of results at different geographical extents and crops. Selecting functional counterparts such as different species of predators occurring at different locations that use the same prey (e.g., a pest) in the same way (e.g., hunting strategy) would facilitate developing biological control schemes.