Cuticle sclerotization is critical for insect survival. Laccase2 (Lac2) is a phenol oxidase that plays a key role in cuticle formation and pigmentation in a variety of insects. However, the function of Lac2 in whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, remains unclear. In this study, we identified a BtLac2 gene in B. tabaci MEAM1 and found that BtLac2 was expressed in all stages. It was highly expressed in the egg stage, followed by nymph and adult. Moreover, the expression of BtLac2 was higher in the cuticle than in other tissues. Knockdown of BtLac2 in nymphs produced thinner and fragile cuticles, which significantly increased the mortality rate, extended the development duration of nymphs, and decreased the emergence rate of adults. This result demonstrates that BtLac2 plays an important role in the cuticle hardening of B. tabaci and suggests a potential management strategy using RNAi to knock down BtLac2 expression.

Insect neuropeptides play an important role in regulating physiological functions such as growth, development, behavior and reproduction. We identified temperature‐sensitive neuropeptides and receptor genes of the cotton whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. We identified 38 neuropeptide precursor genes and 35 neuropeptide receptors and constructed a phylogenetic tree using additional data from other insects. As temperature adaptability enables B. tabaci to colonize a diversity of habitats, we performed quantitative polymerase chain reaction with two temperature stresses (low = 4 °C and high = 40 °C) to screen for temperature‐sensitive neuropeptides. We found many neuropeptides and receptors that may be involved in the temperature adaptability of B. tabaci. This study is the first to identify B. tabaci neuropeptides and their receptors, and it will help to reveal the roles of neuropeptides in temperature adaptation of B. tabaci.

Hierodula jianfenglingensis sp. nov. (Ledong, Hainan) is described as a new species. Its related taxa, Hierodula chinensis Werner, 1929, is revised herein based on some confusions that exist in previous papers. Hierodula dyaka Westwood, 1889 (Xishuangbanna, Yunnan) is re-described and newly recorded from China. Mekongomantis quinquespinosa Schwarz, Ehrmann, & Shcherbakov, 2018 (Xishuangbanna, Yunnan), a newly recorded genus and species from China, is also re-described. Photographs are provided for all adults, along with the ootheca of H. jianfenglingensis sp. nov. and M. quinquespinosa Schwarz, Ehrmann, & Shcherbakov, 2018. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0c2b54b7-3a7b-4f1b-8241-e9ac293f1cbb

The complete mitochondrial genome of the praying mantises Asiadodis yunnanensis was characterized in this study. The circular molecule is 15,416 bp in length (GenBank accession no. MN037794), containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. The nucleotide composition is asymmetric (39.5% A, 15.1% C, 9.6% G, 35.8% T), with an overall A + T content of 75.3%. The gene arrangement of A. yunnanensis is identical to that observed in other praying mantises. Seven PCGs are initiated with typical ATN start codons, Four genes (cox1, nad3, nad4L, and nad6) begin with TTN, nad1 begin with GTT, and nad5 use CTT, as initiation codon. Twelve PCGs stop with complete termination codon TAA and TAG, whereas nad5 uses incomplete termination codon (T––). Twenty reading frame overlaps and seven intergenic regions are found in the mitogenome of A. yunnanensis. The phylogenetic relationships based on 13 PCGs show that A. yunnanensis clusters closest to the species of Mantidae.

Spodoptera exigua has emerged as a globally agricultural pest due to its strong adaptability to diverse nutritional conditions. In this study, we used artificial diets with a protein-to-carbohydrate (P:C) ratio of 1:1 as the control and examined the effects of extreme nutritional imbalances (P:C = 1:7 or 7:1) on survival and the activities of nine enzymes in third-stage larvae. The results showed that survival rates of larvae in both unbalanced diet groups were lower than those in the control group. High-carbohydrate-low-protein diets enhanced carboxylesterase, polyphenol oxidase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and three digestive enzymes (trypsin, amylase, lipase), cope with overeating and peroxide accumulation. The high-protein-low-carbohydrate diet exclusively increased lipase activity, confirming that larvae compensate for carbohydrate deficiency through lipid mobilization. These findings provide novel insights into polyphagy mechanisms in S. exigua, establishing a theoretical basis for predicting pest dispersal and developing control strategies.