With 6,000 species, Neuroptera (lacewings, antlions, dustywings, and allies) is a relatively small order; however, most larval neuropterans are predacious, often in agricultural systems, lending added importance to this group. Advances in neuropteran phylogeny, most recently through genomic studies, stabilized the nomenclature of this ancestral order of Holometabola, facilitating basic and applied research on these important and interesting insects. The first pheromones for green lacewings (Chrysopidae) have been identified; this, and other research on antlions (Myrmeleontidae), suggests that male-produced long-range pheromones are the norm for the order. Characterizations of the myriad neuropteran exocrine gland systems, including prothoracic, metathoracic, abdominal, dermal, and anal glands, are revealing unforeseen trophic relationships with biological control implications. For examples, males of Chrysopa and other lacewing genera evidently must sequester specific chemical precursors from prey or plants to produce their attractant pheromones, and larval antlion venoms are potentially important genetic leads for insecticidal peptides.

The olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae Rossi) is the primary insect pest in all olive-growing regions worldwide. New integrated pest management (IPM) techniques are needed for B. oleae to mitigate reliance on pesticides used for its control which can result in negative environmental impacts. More effective lures for monitoring olive flies would help to know when and where direct chemical applications are required. The aim of this research was to find new, more effective methods for B. oleae detection and monitoring. Twelve insect-associated yeasts were selected and tested as living cultures in McPhail traps for the attraction of olive flies. Certain yeasts were more attractive than others to B. oleae; specifically, Kuraishia capsulata, Lachancea thermotolerans, Peterozyma xylosa, Scheffersomyces ergatensis, and Nakazawae ernobii, than the industry-standard dried torula yeast (Cyberlindnera jadinii; syn. Candida utilis). The attractiveness of dry, inactive (i.e., non-living) formulations of these five yeasts was also tested in the field. Inactive formulations of K. capsulata, P. xylosa, N. ernobii, and L. thermotolerans were significantly more attractive to B. oleae than commercially available torula yeast. Green lacewing, Chrysoperla comanche (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), adults were incidentally caught in traps baited with the live yeast cultures. This is the first field study that compares olive fly attraction to yeast species other than torula yeast. Commercialization of yeasts that are more attractive than the torula standard would improve monitoring and associated control of the olive fruit fly.

Green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) are voracious predators of aphids and other small, soft-bodied insects and mites. Earlier, we identified (1R,2S,5R,8R)-iridodial from wild males of the goldeneyed lacewing,Chrysopa oculataSay, which is released from thousands of microscopic dermal glands on the abdominal sterna. Iridodial-baited traps attractC. oculataand otherChrysopaspp. males into traps, while females come to the vicinity of, but do not usually enter traps. Despite their healthy appearance and normal fertility, laboratory-rearedC. oculatamales do not produce iridodial. Surprisingly, goldeneyed lacewing males caught alive in iridodial-baited traps attempt to eat the lure and, in Asia, males of otherChrysopaspecies reportedly eat the native plant,Actinidia polygama(Siebold & Zucc.) Maxim. (Actinidiaceae) to obtain the monoterpenoid, neomatatabiol. These observations suggest thatChrysopamales must sequester exogenous natural iridoids in order to produce iridodial; we investigated this phenomenon in laboratory feeding studies. Lacewing adult males fed various monoterpenes reduced carbonyls to alcohols and saturated double bonds, but did not convert these compounds to iridodial. Only males fed the common aphid sex pheromone component, (1R,4aS,7S,7aR)-nepetalactol, produced (1R,2S,5R,8R)-iridodial. Furthermore, althoughC. oculatamales fed the second common aphid sex pheromone component, (4aS,7S,7aR)-nepetalactone, did not produce iridodial, they did convert ∾75% of this compound to the corresponding dihydronepetalactone, and wildC. oculatamales collected in early spring contained traces of this dihydronepetalactone. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis thatChrysopamales feed on oviparae (the late-season pheromone producing stage of aphids) to obtain nepetalactol as a precursor to iridodial. In the spring, however, wildC. oculatamales produce less iridodial than do males collected later in the season. Therefore, we further hypothesize that AsianChrysopaeatA. polygamato obtain iridoid precursors in order to make their pheromone, and that other iridoid-producing plants elsewhere in the world must be similarly usurped by maleChrysopaspecies to sequester pheromone precursors.

Wheel bugs (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae: Arilus) are general predators, the females of which have reddish-orange subrectal glands (SGs) that are eversible like the osmeteria in some caterpillars. The rancid odor of Arilus and other reduviids actually comes from Brindley's glands, which in the North (A. cristatus) and South (A. carinatus) American wheel bugs studied emit similar blends of 2-methylpropanoic, butanoic, 3-methylbutanoic, and 2-methylbutanoic acids. The Arilus SG secretions studied here are absolutely species specific. The volatile SG components of A. carinatus include (E)-2-octenal, (E)-2-nonenal, (E)-2-decenal, (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal, (E)-2-undecenal, hexanoic acid, 4-oxo-nonanal, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, (E,Z)-2,4- or (Z,E)-2,4-decadienal, and 4-oxo-(E)-2-nonenal; whereas in A. cristatus the SG secretion contains β-pinene, limonene, terpinolene, terpinen-4-ol, thymol methyl ether, α-terpineol, bornyl acetate, methyl eugenol, β-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, and farnesol. Arilus spp. SG secretions may be sex pheromones, but verification of this hypothesis requires further testing.