BACKGROUND The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a notorious agricultural pest and the effective vector of many plant viruses worldwide. Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV), exclusively transmitted by B. tabaci in a semipersistent manner, is a serious causal agent in cucurbit crops in many countries. Plant viruses can manipulate the behaviors of insect vectors to promote the spread of themselves, but underlying mechanisms are remaining unclear. RESULTS In this study, our observations indicated that B. tabaci, when carrying CCYV, oriented more actively to the host plant cucumber. Transcriptome analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcription analysis showed that the odorant‐binding protein 5 (OBP5) was upregulated with viral acquisition. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis showed that BtabOBP5 was highly homologous with nine OBPs from other hemipteran insects. In addition, OBP5‐silenced whiteflies significantly altered their orientation behavior towards cucumber plants and towards some typical volatile organic compounds released from cucumbers. CONCLUSION This study described a novel mechanism by which the olfactory system of vector insects could be regulated by a semipersistent plant virus, thereby affecting insect olfactory behavior and relationship with host plants. These results provided a basis for developing potential olfaction‐based pest management strategies in the future. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

BACKGROUNDThe bean bug, Riptortus pedestris, is known to cause significant economic losses in soybean crops due to its seed‐sucking behavior, but the mechanism of its adaptation to lipid‐rich seeds remains poorly understood. To exploit potential target genes for controlling this pest, neutral lipases are functionally characterized in this study.RESULTSIn this study, a total of 69 lipases were identified in R. pedestris, including 35 neutral lipases that underwent significant expansion. The phylogeny, expression patterns, and catalytic capacity of neutral lipases were investigated and we selected six salivary gland‐specific, eight gut‐specific, and three ovary‐specific genes for functional analysis. All three ovary‐specific neutral lipases (Chr1.3195, Chr1.0994, and Chr5.0087) are critical for insect reproduction, while a few gut‐specific neutral lipases (Chr4.0221 and Chr1.3207) influence insect survivorship or weight gain. In contrast, no significant phenotype change is observed when silencing salivary gland‐specific neutral lipases.CONCLUSIONThe lipases Chr1.3195, Chr1.0994, Chr5.0087, Chr4.0221, and Chr1.3207 are essential for R. pedestris feeding and reproduction, and the insect is highly sensitive to their deficiency, suggesting that neutral lipases are promising candidates for application in RNAi‐based control of this destructive pest. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.