The fall armyworm(FAW),Spodoptera frugiperda(Lepidoptera:Noctuidae),has invaded many countries in Africa and Asia since 2016,posing a major threat to world food security.Long-distance migration and strong reproductive...The fall armyworm(FAW),Spodoptera frugiperda(Lepidoptera:Noctuidae),has invaded many countries in Africa and Asia since 2016,posing a major threat to world food security.Long-distance migration and strong reproductive ability form the biological basis of its rapid population expansion,but the relationship between the flight and reproduction of FAW has not been studied in depth.Here,an empirical assessment of this relationship in an invasive FAW population in China found that 1-3-day-old adults which had undergone 10-h tethered flights had a significantly shorter pre-oviposition period and greater oviposition synchronization,but did not show any differences in fecundity,oviposition period,mating percentage or other reproductive variables.Further studies on moths after 1.25-15-h tethered flights indicated that the reproductive process of adults could be fully triggered by flight activity longer than 2.5 h.Dissection of the reproductive organs also showed that tethered flight promoted ovarian and testicular development of FAW.These results show that appropriate moth flight activity significantly speeds up the reproductive process of FAW,which increases our knowledge on its migratory biology in relation to regional outbreaks.展开更多
The oriental armyworm,Mythimna separata,is a major long-distance migratory insect pest of grain crops in China and other Asian countries.Migratory flights and reproductive behavior usually occur at night,regulated by ...The oriental armyworm,Mythimna separata,is a major long-distance migratory insect pest of grain crops in China and other Asian countries.Migratory flights and reproductive behavior usually occur at night,regulated by a circadian rhythm.However,knowledge about the linkages between adult flight,reproduction,and clock genes is still incomplete.To fill this important gap in our knowledge,a clock gene(designated Msper)was identified and phylogenetic analysis indicated that the encoded protein(MsPER)was highly similar to PER proteins from other insect species.Quantitative RT-PCR assays demonstrated that significantly different spatiotemporal and circadian rhythmic accumulations of mRNA encoding MsPER occurred during development under steady 14 h:10 h light:dark conditions.The highest mRNA accumulation occurred in adult antennae and the lowest in larvae.Msper was expressed rhythmically in adult antennae,relatively less in photophase and more entering scotophase.Injecting small interference RNA(siRNA)into adult heads effectively knocked down Msper mRNA levels within 72 h.Most siRNA-injected adults reduced their evening flight activity significantly and did not exhibit a normal evening peak of flight activity.They also failed to mate and lay eggs within 72 h.Adult mating behavior was restored to control levels by 72 h post injection.We infer that Msper is a prominent clock gene that acts in regulating adult migratory flight and mating behaviors of M.separata.Because of its influence on migration and mating,Msper may be a valuable gene to target for effective management of this migratory insect.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31727901 and 31621064)。
文摘The fall armyworm(FAW),Spodoptera frugiperda(Lepidoptera:Noctuidae),has invaded many countries in Africa and Asia since 2016,posing a major threat to world food security.Long-distance migration and strong reproductive ability form the biological basis of its rapid population expansion,but the relationship between the flight and reproduction of FAW has not been studied in depth.Here,an empirical assessment of this relationship in an invasive FAW population in China found that 1-3-day-old adults which had undergone 10-h tethered flights had a significantly shorter pre-oviposition period and greater oviposition synchronization,but did not show any differences in fecundity,oviposition period,mating percentage or other reproductive variables.Further studies on moths after 1.25-15-h tethered flights indicated that the reproductive process of adults could be fully triggered by flight activity longer than 2.5 h.Dissection of the reproductive organs also showed that tethered flight promoted ovarian and testicular development of FAW.These results show that appropriate moth flight activity significantly speeds up the reproductive process of FAW,which increases our knowledge on its migratory biology in relation to regional outbreaks.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32072420,31871951,31672019)China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA(CARS-22)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2017YFD0201802,2017YFD0201701).
文摘The oriental armyworm,Mythimna separata,is a major long-distance migratory insect pest of grain crops in China and other Asian countries.Migratory flights and reproductive behavior usually occur at night,regulated by a circadian rhythm.However,knowledge about the linkages between adult flight,reproduction,and clock genes is still incomplete.To fill this important gap in our knowledge,a clock gene(designated Msper)was identified and phylogenetic analysis indicated that the encoded protein(MsPER)was highly similar to PER proteins from other insect species.Quantitative RT-PCR assays demonstrated that significantly different spatiotemporal and circadian rhythmic accumulations of mRNA encoding MsPER occurred during development under steady 14 h:10 h light:dark conditions.The highest mRNA accumulation occurred in adult antennae and the lowest in larvae.Msper was expressed rhythmically in adult antennae,relatively less in photophase and more entering scotophase.Injecting small interference RNA(siRNA)into adult heads effectively knocked down Msper mRNA levels within 72 h.Most siRNA-injected adults reduced their evening flight activity significantly and did not exhibit a normal evening peak of flight activity.They also failed to mate and lay eggs within 72 h.Adult mating behavior was restored to control levels by 72 h post injection.We infer that Msper is a prominent clock gene that acts in regulating adult migratory flight and mating behaviors of M.separata.Because of its influence on migration and mating,Msper may be a valuable gene to target for effective management of this migratory insect.
