Three types of modified silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO₂, 10–20 nm) with additives of epoxy, silane and amino groups, used independently and in combination with the entomopathogenic bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. morrisoni and fungus Metarhizium robertsii were tested against Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) and cabbage beetles (Phyllotreta spp.). All three nanoparticles were found to have an entomocidal effect on Colorado potato beetle larvae and crucifer flea beetles when ingested. Increased susceptibility of insects to B. thuringiensis or M. robertsii blastospores and their metabolites was shown after exposure to the modified silicon dioxide nanoparticles. The potential of modified silicon dioxide nanoparticles to enhance the efficiency of biopesticides based on the bacteria B. thuringiensis and fungi M. robertsii is considered in the paper.

Many insect and other arthropod species are maintained as non-model laboratory stocks and are used for fundamental and applied studies. Their biology may be affected by symbionts, such as Wolbachia and Spiroplasma. Thirty stocks of different insect species that are maintained at the Laboratory of biological control of phytophagous and phytopathogens in the Siberian Federal Scientific Centre of Agro-BioTechnologies were screened to find Spiroplasma/Wolbachia–host associations. We used 16S rDNA and fusA loci for Spiroplasma characterization and five MLST genes for Wolbachia. Seven out of thirty stocks harbored symbionts. Five stocks were infected with only Wolbachia, one with only Spiroplasma, and one with both symbionts. Two stocks were occasionally characterized by false-positive signals of Spiroplasma infection that were explained by contamination from food sources, viz. infected insects. Five Wolbachia isolates belonged to supergroup B and one to supergroup A. Only the MLST haplotype of Nabis ferus was previously known (ST-522), while the other haplotypes contained new alleles. One Spiroplasma isolate was clustered in the Ixodetis clade and another was basal to the Apis clade. We noted the importance of non-model insects for fundamental studies of host–symbiont interactions and their significance for applied research and practice.

Since the middle of the last century, the practice of using the predatory bug Podisus maculiventris to protect nightshade crops from pests has been known in various regions of the world. In the conditions of the Siberian region, the use of Podisus to regulate the number of Colorado potato beetles has not found wide application to date, which is due to both the availability of the entomophage itself on the market of plant protection products and the need to develop methods and conditions for its use in the production of organic plant products. The paper presents information on the influence of environmental factors on the dynamics of the Colorado potato beetle population, the survival rate and the effectiveness of its entomophage on the colored potato variety Rosemaria. During the years of research, the number of phytophage generations developing during the growing season depended on the temperature factor. In 2023, a high number of the second generation of the Colorado potato beetle was noted, due to the warmer conditions of this growing season, while in 2022, egg-laying and second-generation larvae were single. The influence of local weather conditions on the survival of podisus individuals released into open ground and, as a consequence, on its regulatory activity was noted. Differences in the effectiveness of the entomophage depending on the method of its release were revealed. With uniform dispersal of P. maculiventris nymphs over plants, a decrease in leaf damage by the Colorado potato beetle and an increase in its biological effectiveness were observed compared to the option of releasing podisus at one point. The maximum effectiveness of podisus was noted on the 7th day after its repeated release and was 87.8 and 90.9 % in 2023 and 2022. respectively, in the variant with uniform distribution of the entomophage among plants, while when released at the control point, the biological efficiency was at the level of 63.8 and 64.4 %. The potato yield in the variants using the predatory bug was 1.3-1.5 times higher compared to the control and varied from 124.3±6.6 to 149.9±6.5 c/ha depending on the year of research and the method of release of the entomophage.

The increasing harmfulness of phytophages damaging agricultural and ornamental crops is associated with various factors, in particular with the expansion of the range of pest species and the development of resistance to the chemical plant protection products used. The search and regular replenishment of the assortment of entomocarifages is becoming important in the biological protection of plants for obtaining organic crop products. An alternative to using chemical pesticides is to use natural enemies. One of the promising and numerous suborders is the hemiptera or bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). The paper provides an ecological and faunal description of zoophages and zoophytophages of the order Hemiptera found in the regions of the Novosibirsk region (Moshkovsky, Bolotninsky, Chulymsky districts), Altai Territory (Troitsky district) and the Altai Republic (Ust-Koksinsky district) during the growing season of 2023. Seven species belonging to three families of the bedbug suborder were collected: Nabidae (Nabis ferus, Nabis limbatus), Anthocoridae (Orius niger), Pentatomidae (Arma custos, Zicrona caerulea, Picromerus bidens, Pentatoma rufipes). The insects were kept alive for transportation to the laboratory and study of their biological characteristics. Three species were introduced into laboratory culture. The selection of conditions for keeping predatory insectoids continues to obtain a stable laboratory population and further use in crop production. As a result of the surveys of natural and agrobiocenoses, predation by Arma custos and Pentatoma rufipes on the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle was revealed.

This study investigated the feeding behavior of the generalist predator Nabis ferus (Heteroptera: Nabidae) toward various Aphididae species as prey in a laboratory setting. Data were obtained on the predatory behavior of N. ferus, including a ranking of the most preferred species for feed. Eight representatives of the Aphididae family were used as prey: Schizaphis graminum, Rhopalosiphum padi, Aphis fabae, Megoura viciae, Brevicoryne brassicae, Aphis pomi, Myzus cerasi and Aphis urticata. The average number of prey ranged from 11.2±1.18 in the case of bird cherry-oat aphid to 13.7±0.38 in case of the apple aphid. The consumption of M. viciae individuals was significantly lower, averaging 6.6±1.03 aphids per predator. These studies have implications for the biological control of phytophagous pests in agriculture. These findings highlight the potential of N. ferus as a sustainable and effective control agent to organic farming.