A susceptible strain of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), was used to select for resistance to tebufenozide in the laboratory. After continuous selection with tebufenozide 17 times during 35 generations, a resistant strain was achieved with high resistance to tebufenozide (RR 93.8). Bioassay revealed that this strain showed high cross-resistance to abamectin (RR 35.7), methoxyfenozide (29.1) and JS118 (16.5), and a little to deltamethrin (3.9), but no obvious cross-resistance was found to cypermethrin (1.3), fipronil (1.3), trichlorfon (1.1), chlorfenapyr (1.0), phoxim (0.9) and acephate (0.8). The resistant and susceptible insects had similar development rates, but life table tests indicated that the resistant strain showed reproductive disadvantages, including decreased copulation rate, reproductivity and hatchability. When compared with the susceptible strain, the resistant insects had a relative fitness of only 0.3. This indicated that tebufenozide resistance selected under laboratory conditions had considerable fitness costs in this pest, and therefore rotational use of insecticides without cross-resistance is recommended to delay development of resistance.

We challenged Locusta migratoria (Meyen) grasshoppers with simultaneous doses of both the insecticide chlorantraniliprole and the fungal pathogen, Metarhizium anisopliae. Our results showed synergistic and antagonistic effects on host mortality and enzyme activities. To elucidate the biochemical mechanisms that underlie detoxification and pathogen-immune responses in insects, we monitored the activities of 10 enzymes. After administration of insecticide and fungus, activities of glutathione-S-transferase (GST), general esterases (ESTs) and phenol oxidase (PO) decreased in the insect during the initial time period, whereas those of aryl acylamidase (AA) and chitinase (CHI) increased during the initial period and that of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) increased during a later time period. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) decreased at a later time period post treatment. Interestingly, treatment with chlorantraniliprole and M. anisopliae relieved the convulsions that normally accompany M. anisopliae infection. We speculate that locust mortality increased as a result of synergism via a mechanism related to Ca2+ disruption in the host. Our study illuminates the biochemical mechanisms involved in insect immunity to xenobiotics and pathogens as well as the mechanisms by which these factors disrupt host homeostasis and induce death. We expect this knowledge to lead to more effective pest control.

Low temperature induces diapause in locusts. However, the physiological processes and initiation mechanism of diapause are not well understood. To understand the molecular basis of diapause, ‘omics’ analyses were performed to examine the differences between diapause and non-diapause eggs at both transcriptional and translational levels. Results indicated that a total of 62,241 mRNAs and 212 proteins were differentially expressed. Among them, 116 transcripts had concurrent transcription and translation profiles. Up-regulated genes related to diapause included glutathiones-S-transferase et al., and down-regulated genes including juvenile hormone esterase-like protein et al. KEGG analysis mapped 7,243 and 99 differentially expressed genes and proteins, to 83 and 25 pathways, respectively. Correlation enriched pathways indicated that there were nine identical pathways related to diapause. Gene Ontology analysis placed these genes and proteins into three categories, and a higher proportion of genes related to metabolism was up-regulated than down-regulated. Furthermore, three up-regulated pathways were linked to cryoprotection. This study demonstrates the applicability of high-throughput omics tools to identify molecules linked to diapause in the locust. In addition, it reveals cellular metabolism in diapause eggs is more active than in non-diapause eggs, and up-regulated enzymes may play roles in cryoprotection and storing energy for diapause and post-diapause stages.

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