The TIFY family is a plant-specific gene family that is involved in regulating a variety of plant processes, including developmental and defense responses. The chromosome-level genome of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) has recently been released, but a comprehensive view of the TIFY family in C. sinensis (the CsTIFY genes) is lacking. The current study performed an extensive genome-wide identification of CsTIFY genes. The phylogenetics, chromosome location, exon/intron structure, and conserved domains of these genes were analyzed to characterize the members of the CsTIFY family. The expression profiles of the CsTIFY genes in four organs were analyzed, and they showed different spatial expression patterns. All CsJAZ genes were observed to be induced by jasmonate acid (JA) and exhibited different responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Six of seven CsJAZ genes (CsJAZ1, CsJAZ2, CsJAZ3, CsJAZ4, CsJAZ7, and CsJAZ8) were upregulated by mechanical wounding and infestation with the tea geometrid (Ectropis obliqua), while infection with tea anthracnose (Colletotrichum camelliae) primarily upregulated the expression levels of CsJAZ1 and CsJAZ10. In addition, CsJAZs were observed to interact with CsMYC2 and AtMYC2. Therefore, the results of this study may contribute to the functional characterization of the CsTIFY genes, especially the members of the JAZ subfamily, as regulators of the JA-mediated defense response in tea plant.

The desert locust has been a notorious pest since ancient times. A population upsurge hit Pakistan in 2019 and caused tremendous damage to agriculture and livelihoods. To take advantage of this ongoing upsurge, we conducted a field study to verify whether locust collection could be an interesting control method to protect crops in the event of an invasion, as well as an accepted food resource for poor rural communities. A village in the Thar desertic region was selected as a type-locality. An awareness campaign was launched to promote the collection and consumption of locusts as well as to alert people of their nutritional value. Two large swarms arrived near the village and several other swarms affected places nearby. Around 3033 kg of locusts were collected through handpicking at night. Most of the locusts were eaten and, as a result, hoppers of the next generation did not emerge in the type-locality; however, hopper bands appeared in areas where entomophagy was not practiced. The study area had less locust activity because swarms could not lay eggs due to entomophagy by the villagers. The consumption of desert locusts could be an effective practice to prevent malnutrition and protein deficiency and, to a certain extent, an efficient mitigation measure to help local populations to better protect themselves and their crops against locust outbreaks. Collection and consumption of locusts should be encouraged while remaining realistic about its real impact on locust control. This should also be done in concert with local authorities to take into account the risks to human health and to avoid the consumption of insects treated with pesticides.

An annotated catalogue of Acrididae (Orthoptera: Caelifera) of Pakistan and its two adjacent territories is presented. A total of 169 species (including subspecies) belonged to 66 genera and 29 tribes with 14 subfamilies are reported from this region. Oedipodinae (56) was the most species-rich subfamily, followed by Gomphocerinae (30), Acridinae (15), Calliptaminae with (12), Eyprepocnemidinae (12) Oxyinae (9), Hemiacridinae (10), Cyrtacanthacridinae (8), Catantopinae (7), Tropidopolinae and Teratodinae each with (3), Spathosterninae (2) and Coptacrinae, and Melanoplinae are represented by a single species. Pakistan harbors about 51.76% of the Acridomorpha species recorded for subtropical Asia, including 13.61% of the Caelifera, are endemic. Since the first checklist was published in 1990, which listed 39 species, hundreds of additional specimens from the region have been collected and databased, new species have been described, and the taxonomic status of some species has changed. Due to a lack of long-term studies for most localities, several species that were new at the time of collection are meanwhile described from other areas of Southeastern Asia. Specimen data from insect collections, databases, scientific literature, and unpublished records were compared to the original checklist. Our list includes three endemic species, 11 rare species, seven first-time reports, including five expected and 18 dubious records. Additionally, there are a few species from protected areas, although no consistent analysis has yet been done on species restricted to protected areas in Pakistan. A detailed account of subfamilies, endemic and rare species, and those anticipated to occur in Pakistan is also presented. This checklist provides baseline data for researchers and the public, strengthening the pest framework for management.

Seventeen species of the family Gryllidae were reviewed and a Modicogryllus sindhensis is described herein as new. Four species, namely Acheta hispanicus Rambur, 1838, Gryllus septentrionalis F. Walker, 1869, Callogryllus saeedi Saeed, 2000, and Miogryllus itaquiensis Orsini & Zefa, 2017 are recorded as new country and state records. Differences between similar species and a taxonomic key to the species of Sindh are provided.

The egg-pods of 04 species viz: Oxya hyla hyla Serville, 1831, O. velox (Fabricius, 1787), O. fuscovittata (Marschall, 1836) of genus Oxya and Oxyina bidentata (Willemse, 1925) of Oxyina were examined under laboratory conditions. Significant differences were found in the sizes and shapes of the pods. Beside this, number of eggs in each egg pod, distribution pattern and weight, length and width of eggs in the pods were also noted. Eggs pods of Oxya species were cylindrically elongated, large, slightly bent in the middle and rounded at ends while egg pods of Oxyina bidentata are bean shaped. The weight, width and length of freshly laid egg pods of Oxya species was 46.82 +/- 5.28 mg, 15.56 +/- 9.56mm, and 7.20 +/- 0.78 mm, 43.39 +/- 4.31 mg, 15.3 +/- 1.05 mm, 6.10 +/- 0.87mm, 33.73 +/- 7.28 mg, 13.4 +/- 1.1 mm, 6.73 +/- 0.56 mm for Oxya velox, Oxya fuscovittata and Oxya hyla hyla respectively while it was 37.59 +/- 6.28mg, 11.80 +/- 0.78 mm and 5.90 +/- 0.87 mm in Oxyina bidentata. Measurement and weight of these 4 species were also compared and it was noticed that the weight, length, and width of eggs of Oxya velox i-e 2.47 +/- 0.38 mg, 6.00 +/- 0.81 mm, and 3.31 +/- 0.30 mm respectively is significantly greater than that of Oxya fuscovittata, Oxya hyla hyla and Oxya bidentata. It was observed that the egg-pod is full of eggs without any empty space. There are more eggs at the base and their number decreased towards the top. The major hatching occur within few weeks i.e., 57.43 to 100% in Oxya velox from June to August but mostly in the month of June, 76.85% to 100% in O. hyla hyla from July to September but mostly in August, and 69.09% in O. fuscovitatta from July to August, mostly in mid-July then hatching stopped. Present study might be useful to forecast the exact hatching dates in near future.