There is a scarcity of data on how the lipid composition of oily seeds changes in response to biotic stress. Yellow peach moth (Conogethes punctiferalis) has caused massive economic losses on the pecan (Carya illinoinensis) industry. Lipidomics is used in this study to determine the lipid composition of pecan and how it changes in response to insect attack. Pecan had 167 lipids, including 34 glycerolipids (GL), 62 glycerophospholipids (GP), 17 fatty acyls (FA), 41 sphingolipids (SP), and 13 saccharolipids (SL). The effects of biotic stress on lipids, particularly GL and GP, were significant. Biotic stress significantly reduced the lipid content of chains longer than 48. Forty-four significantly different lipids were discovered as potential biomarkers for distinguishing non-infected pecans from infested pecans. In addition, we used bioinformatics to identify the five most important metabolic pathways in order to investigate the processes underlying the changes. Our discoveries may offer valuable insights for enhancing pecan production in the future and contribute novel perspectives towards enhancing the nutritional value of pecans.

Bacteria often play important roles in the host adaptation of phytophagous insects. Beetles of the genus Curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) include pest species that bore into the seeds of trees in the family Fagaceae and damage the cotyledons. At present, there are few studies of the taxonomic diversity and functional effects of symbiotic bacteria involved in changes in host ranges and host adaptation of Curculio. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene Illumina and metagenomic sequencing to compare the composition and functions of the bacterial communities of three species of host plants and several Curculio species combinations: Curculio bimaculatus feeding on Castanopsis sclerophylla, C. bimaculatus feeding on Castanopsis tibetana, and Curculio davidi feeding on Ca. tibetana. The host plants influenced the diversity of symbiotic bacteria, while the Curculio species influenced the community structure of the symbiotic bacteria. Functional predictions showed that symbiotic bacteria contributed to the metabolism of the hosts. However, consistent with the variation in bacteria, the major metabolism-related bacterial genera varied among the treatment groups. Comparisons of metabolic enzymes based on KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) annotation revealed differences in the enzymes involved in insect development and detoxification of plant secondary compounds among the three groups, and the patterns were influenced by the dominance of the Curculio species on the host plants. This study provides valuable insights into the possible role of symbiotic bacteria in Curculio as host insects.

Bamboo snout moths (Lepidoptera, Crambidae) comprise the four species: Eumorphobotys obscuralis , Circobotys aurealis , Demobotys pervulgalis , and Crypsiptya coclesalis . These economically important insect pests of bamboo are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. The lack of precise mitochondrial genetic data has impeded the development of effective identification techniques, accurate classification strategies, and targeted prevention and treatment strategies. In this study, we obtained the complete mitochondrial genome sequences of four bamboo snout moth species using high‐throughput sequencing. The mitogenomes were 15,103–15,349 bp in length and contained 13 protein‐coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and a noncoding region (A + T rich element), consistent with previously studied Crambidae mitogenomes. We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships among the four species using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods. The moths that fed on bamboo were well clustered in a single clade. Crypsiptya coclesalis was most closely related to D. pervulgalis , while E. obscuralis was most closely related to C. aurealis . The divergence among the main lineages of 97 Lepidoptera species was reconstructed using an uncorrelated relaxed molecular clock. Analyses of the phylogenetic relationships and divergence times showed that the evolution of lepidopteran species has been closely related to that of their hosts. The data support the development of molecular identification techniques for the four species of bamboo snout moth, and our results provide a basis for targeted control strategies.

To investigate how insect hair morphology influences pollination effectiveness, this study examined four common wild pollinators in Camellia oleifera plantations: two bee species (Colletes gigas and Apis cerana) and two hornet species (Vespa velutina and Vespa soror). We systematically measured hair length, hair density, and pollen loads on four body regions (head, thorax, abdomen, and legs). The results indicated that the following: (1) C. gigas possessed significantly longer and denser hairs across all body parts, especially on the legs, compared to the other three species. (2) Both the pollen load per body part and the total pollen load were markedly higher in C. gigas than in the other pollinators. The two hornet species did not differ significantly from A. cerana in pollen load, and even exceeded it in certain traits such as head hair length. (3) Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between total pollen load and both hair length (ρ = 0.545, p < 0.01) and hair density (ρ = 0.391, p < 0.01). Pollen loads on different body regions were also strongly positively correlated, suggesting functional synergy across the insect’s surface. Leg pollen load correlated positively with head and leg hair length, but negatively with head hair density. Notably, leg hair length and density showed a unique positive correlation, highlighting region-specific morphological adaptation. (4) Cluster analysis separated C. gigas from the other three species, which grouped together. In conclusion, hair length and density—particularly on the legs—are key morphological traits underpinning pollen-carrying efficiency in these pollinators. C. gigas demonstrates superior hair morphology and pollen-carrying performance, supporting its role as an effective pollinator of C. oleifera. This study provides a trait-based framework for identifying dominant pollinators and underscores that evaluating species with complex ecological roles, such as hornets, requires integrating morphological traits with broader behavioral and community contexts.

Anthracnose fruit rot and leaf blight caused by Colletotrichum species, are significant diseases affecting pecan in the subtropical regions of China. From 2018 to 2021, disease surveys were conducted in the provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui, Shandong, Yunnan, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Jiangxi, and Guangxi, leading to the isolation of 108 Colletotrichum isolates from symptomatic samples. Species identification was performed through multigene phylogenetic analysis of the ITS, ACT, CAL, GAPDH, TUB2, and CHS-1 DNA regions. The isolates were classified within the C. gloeosporioides, C. acutatum, C. gigasporum, and C. orchidearum species complexes, with over 52% belonging to the C. gloeosporioides complex. Twelve Colletotrichum species were identified: C. fructicola (n=48), C. fioriniae (n=18), C. siamense (n=15), C. gloeosporioides (n=5), C. nymphaeae (n=5), C. aenigma (n=4), C. jiangxiense (n=4), C. henanense (n=2), C. gigasporum (n=2), C. conoides (n=1), C. sojae (n=1), and C. cliviicola (n=1). Pathogenicity tests via point inoculations confirmed that C. fioriniae, C. fructicola, and C. siamense showed higher virulence. In wound inoculation assays, leaves inoculated with C. fioriniae, C. conoides, C. fructicola, C. siamense, and Colletotrichum sp. developed larger lesions (diameters ranging from 4.0 to 8.3 mm) compared to those inoculated with C. gigasporum, C. jiangxiense, C. sojae, C. nymphaeae, C. cliviicola, and C. henanense (lesion diameters from 2.0 to 2.5 mm). The prevalence and diversity of Colletotrichum species associated with pecan anthracnose varied among the eight provinces, with relatively greater diversity observed in Yunnan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui. C. fructicola (50.3 %) was the most prevalent species across most pecan-growing regions studied in China, followed by C. fioriniae (15.5 %). This study provides the first report of C. conoides, C. aenigma, C. henanense, C. jiangxiense, C. gigasporum, C. sojae, and C. cliviicola infecting Carya illinoinensis in China.