Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is the most destructive pest of stored grain commodities. To control the attack of this insect pest, it is important to develop non-hazardous alternatives to replace fumigants. This study examined the fumigant toxicity and repellent activity of seven essential oils (Chinopodium ambrosiodes, Pinus roxburghii, Zanthoxylum armatum, Lepidium sativum, Azadirachta indica, Baccharis teindalensis, and Origanum majorana) against adult T. castaneum under controlled laboratory conditions. The fumigant toxicity and repellent activities of essential oils were tested using five different doses (62.5, 125, 250, 500, and 1000 µg) in vapour-phase fumigation and four-arm olfactometer bioassays, respectively. In vapor-phase fumigation bioassays, mortality data were recorded after 24, 48, and 72 h. The results showed that C. ambrosiodes and P. roxburghii essential oils are potential fumigants against adult T. castaneum. In repellency bioassays, a one-week-old adult population of T. castaneum was used to test the repellency potential of the essential oils. The results indicated that C. ambrosiodes and P. roxburghii had significant repellency potential against T. castaneum. Overall, we conclude that these essential oils have strong repellent and fumigant properties and can be used as potential repellent compounds to deter the insects.

The white mango scale (WMS) insect, Aulacaspis tubercularis (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), is a polyphagous, multivoltine pest which is a serious threat to qualitative mango production and export. The WMS insect sucks sap from leaves, branches and fruits. The heavy infestation of this pest may cause the falling of young leaves, drying up of twigs, poor flowering, and, finally, reduce the quality of fruits by producing pink spots on fruits’ surface. This review paper was written to provide comprehensive information about pest biology, ecology and management in different parts of the world. WMS was first reported on the island of Formosa on Mangifera indica in 1929 and later on in the Caribbean Islands, India and Brazil. Now it is found in almost 69 mango-producing countries of the world. The thermal regime may affect the population of pests. In Australia, the life cycle is completed in 35–40 days in summer and 70–85 days in winter. Variety, age of plants, number of trees per acre, canopy size and sunlight penetration affect the density of WMS. Different Coccinellid beetles and parasitoid Encarsia femorosa feed on WMS; however, farmers most commonly use insecticides to get rid of this pest. In Pakistan, WMS is a growing threat to the export of mangoes; hence IPM plan is needed to reduce the pest numbers and enhance qualitative mango production.

Mango is an important, exportable fruit crop of Pakistan. Pakistan is occupying 6th position on the basis of mango production in almost 90 mango producing countries of the world. The mango hopper Idioscopusclypealis is a most destructive insect pest of mangoes in Pakistan. This pest may cause the economic loss to the mangoes due to due to its abundance and high population in dense traditionally managed mango orchards. Keeping in view the importance of the pest, a study was designed with an objective to determine comparative efficacy of four different insecticidal spray modules for effective control of mango hopper on cultivar SufaidChaunsa in the research orchards of Mango Research Institute, Multan during 2019-2021. Another objective was to determine the population dynamics of mango hopper and the effect of weather factors on the population of mango hopper. The infestation of the pest was examined by observing nymphs and adults in a single panicle/inflorescence (10-inch long) from each cardinal directions of the selected trees visually counted during the flowering season on weekly basis. In module 1, Thiamethoxam (Actara 25 WG) was sprayed after the fruit harvest. In module 2, the insecticide Thiamethoxam (Actara 25WG) was sprayed after the fruit harvest, followed by second spray of Clothianidin (Trunk 20SC) only on tree trunks in the month of December. In module 3, first spray of thiamethoxam was done after fruit harvest, second spray of Clothianidin (Trunk 20SC) only on tree trunks in the month of December and a subsequent third spray of Spinetoram (Delegate 25 WG) was done on mango trees before flowering season in the month of January. The population of mango hopper was significantly lowest in module 3 and higher population of hopper was recorded in control. Population dynamics studies revealed that mango hopper population reached at its peak in 2nd week of April during 2020 and 3rd week of March in 2021. The population of mango hopper was maximum during mango flowering period, while in the later months the population of mango hopper declined. The effect of weather factors on population abundance of mango hopper revealed that significantly positive correlation and regression was observed with relative humidity and wind while negative correlation was observed with increased temperature and rainfall.

Soybean vein necrosis orthotospovirus (SVNV: Tospoviridae: Orthotospovirus), the causal agent of soybean vein necrosis disease, is vectored by soybean thrips Neohydatothrips variabilis (Beach, 1896), and to a lesser extent by five other thrips species. There is increasing incidence of soybean vein necrosis (SVN) disease in all soybean growing states in the United States, Canada, Egypt and Pakistan, necessitating a study of the system’s ecology and management. We addressed the effect of SVNV on the life table parameters of the vector. We used an ‘age-stage two-sex’ life table approach, which provided detailed life stage durations of each larval instar and adults (both sexes). Our results showed that the intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ) and mortality index (qx) were higher in the infected population, while the net reproduction rate (Ro), cumulative probability of survival (lx) and gross reproduction rate (GRR) were lower in the uninfected population. Overall, in both infected and uninfected populations, the number of eggs producing haploid males via arrhenotoky ranged from 9–12 per female. Male to female ratio was female biased in the infected population. Overall, our study provided evidence that virus infection, by decreasing the population doubling time, could enhance the virus and vector populations in soybeans.

Soybean thrips (Neohydatothrips variabilis) are an important phytophagous vector of the widely recognized Soybean vein necrosis orthotospovirus (SVNV). Understanding the egg-laying behavior of these thrips could aid in developing strategies for the management of the vector and virus. In this study, we described the egg-laying behavior of N. variabilis and reconstructed the three-dimensional morphology of the female terminalia by using serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The female reproductive system consists of two panoistic ovaries consisting of eight ovarioles. The appendage gland is connected to the ovaries by two muscles, and to the body wall by a single muscle. The spermatheca is connected to the eighth tergum through four branched muscles, to the basivalvulae of the ovipositor by one muscle and to the vagina by a single muscle. The external genitalia are operated by seven muscles. The movement of the eggs inside the ovipositor is achieved by the back and forth “rocking” movement of the first valvulae and valvifer. Eggs are deposited into the parenchymatous tissue alongside leaf veins. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study describing the internal and external genitalia of N. variabilis.

Soybean vein necrosis orthotospovirus (SVNV, Genus: Orthotospovirus, Family: Tospoviridae, Order Bunyavirales) is a vector and seed transmitted virus that infects soybean in different countries around the world. The purpose of this review paper was to provide information about SVNV, its geographic dispersal, vectors, disease transmission mode, alternative host plants, diagnostic tools and management. SVNV is a negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus reported in all soybean growing states in the USA, Egypt and Canada. SVNV can replicate in plants belonging to six different families, including the Leguminosae member mung bean, which is a major component of the diet of poor people of Asia. The most efficient and abundant SVNV vector species is Neohydatothrips variabilis (Beach.) (Sericothripinae: Thripidae). Five other insect species have the potential to transmit the virus, but their rate of transmission is very low. In addition to leaf necrosis, this virus can decrease seed oil content by 0.1% that may lead to a decrease in quality of SVNV infected seed in oilseed markets. In fact, in the infected seeds the quantity of the undesirable linolenic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid is increased. Broad presence of SVNV in all soybean growing regions points to the need to manage vector and virus. However, research is needed to determine various management options for the virus and vector including breeding for genetic resistance.