Background: The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is a noxious pest of cruciferous crops all over the world causing serious economic damage. Management of insect pest generally depends on chemical control; however, due to development of resistance against all types of insecticides, alternative approaches especially utilization of a microbial agent is inevitable. Results: Potential of 2 entomopathogenic fungi (EPF), viz., Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae, was evaluated against 2^nd and 3^rd larval instars of P. xylostella by adopting leaf dip and direct spraying methods under laboratory conditions. Significant mortality rate was achieved by each fungus under adopted methodologies. However, B. bassiana was found to be more effective in both conditions than M. anisopliae. Highest mean corrected mortality (77.80%) was recorded, when spores of B. bassiana were sprayed on the 2^nd instar larvae (LC₅₀=1.78×10⁴/ml) after the 6th day of treatment. Similarly, incase of M. anisopliae LC₅₀ for the 2^nd instar at the same methodology was 2.78×10⁴/ml with a mortality percentage of 70.0%. Offspring sex ratio was non-significantly related to treatment concentration and methodology, except for the control. Conclusion: Beauveria bassiana and M. anisopliae had potential to suppress P. xylostella infestations when applied appropriately. Present findings suggested that B. bassiana and M. anisopliae when sprayed on immatures of host insect had more effect as compared to leaf dip procedure. Furthermore, no significant effect of concentrations was observed on sex ratio.

Abiotic stresses such as drought and nutrient availability can affect invertebrate herbivores feeding on plants, and potentially cascade up to impact their predators and parasitoids. Although these two factors separately been the subject of many studies, there are few tests of their combined effects in the context of pest species and their natural enemies on cultivated plants. Climate change models predict an increase in the frequency and severity of droughts, while the type and amount of fertiliser applied to crops is more under the control of growers. Understanding how these two abiotic factors may interact is key to utilising the potential of natural enemies to control pests under a future climate. To address this, a range of drought and fertiliser type treatments were applied to a model Brassica system in a factorial design, and the performance of two ubiquitous aphid species and their parasitoids was assessed. One aphid species was a specialist on Brassicas (Brevicoryne brassicae, with parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae) and the second a generalist aphid species (Myzus persicae, with parasitoid Aphidius colemani). The performance of both aphid species responded in a similar way to the treatments, and was maximised on plants growing in organic fertilisers under medium levels of drought stress. The strongest effects of drought and fertiliser cascaded up to affect parasitoids. Parasitoid performance responded in a broadly similar way to their aphid host performance in relation to fertiliser type. Some of the smaller effects of fertiliser treatments on aphid performance were not found for parasitoid performance. Aphid performance was greatest on plants under medium drought stress, but the parasitoids only responded consistently to the high drought stress treatment, on which their performance was reduced. Interactions between the drought and fertiliser did not have a large effect on aphid or parasitoid performance, compared with the strong main effects found for each treatment. These results are discussed in the context of previous and future research on the impacts of abiotic stresses on invertebrate herbivores and their natural enemies.

Spodoptera frugiperda is also known as fall armyworm, one of the important pests of agronomic and horticulture crops, and spread throughout the tropics and subtropics areas, threatening food security, economic advancement, and the lives of millions of cereal farmers. FAW is the world's major migratory pest, mainly damaging jade Rice, paddy rice, sorghum, sugarcane, cotton, pasture, and sugar beet more than 80 kinds of plants Although FAW has received extensive scientific attention in its home range in the Pakistan, chemical inputs play a key role in its mitigation, and biological control adoption is behind globally. Here, a quantitative review of the first report in Pakistan and different countries, potential risks of fall armyworm, collected and organized based on the monitoring, morphological, bio ecology, and geographical distribution of S. frugiperda invasive sites, further, the natural enemies of S. frugiperda, such as parasitic wasps, nematodes, pathogenic fungi, virus; Pheromones traps supporting technologies, Monitoring methods and suggestions, to study the potentially suitable areas of S. frugiperda. A risk assessment was carried out, the occurrence of this insect in Pakistan will affect my country's production industry Therefore, further develop relevant new technology research, strengthen the protection and utilization of natural enemies, and prevent the spread and disaster of S. frugiperda should be paid attention to in disaster-prone areas through the organic combination of biological control and chemical control.

Silkworm is an oligotrophic silk spinning insect with high economic value, feeding on Mulberry leaves, which are the most suitable natural foods for this insect. In recent years, pesticide poisoning of silkworms has occurred from time to time and pose a serious threat for Bombyx mori cultivation. In the present study, the lethal effect of Profenofos and leufenuron against the early three molts of silkworm immatures was evaluated using two different application approaches, i.e., leaf dip and spraying on one side of the leaf. Results showed that among the tested insecticides, Profenofos had a notable effect on the tested insect. LC50 values, i.e., 0.111, 1.479, and 0.203 μL/liter have been observed against 1st, 2nd, and 3rd instars, respectively, in response to Profenofos exposure by the leaf dip method. For the 2nd methodology, the LC50 values recorded were 0.401, 1.47, and 3.42 μL/L in the first three molts. LC 50 value for 1st instar larvae was 9.195 for leufenuron when the leaf dip method was adopted, and 20.724 uL/Liter when the insecticide concentration was sprayed on one side of a leaf. Results showed that Profenofos can significantly reduce the population of B. mori as compared to leufenuron. Overall, the leaf dip methodology yielded significantly better results compared to the second method (spraying). The obtained information could help the sericulture industry avoid fields with a risk of Profenofos exposure, as it has lower LC50 values.