Beauveria bassiana acts as an endophytic fungus that controls herbivorous pests by stimulating plant defenses and inducing systemic resistance. Through multiomics analysis, 325 differential metabolites and 1739 differential expressed genes were observed in tomatoes treated with B. bassiana by root irrigation; meanwhile, 152 differential metabolites and 1002 differential genes were observed in tomatoes treated by local leaf spraying. Among the upregulated metabolites were α-solanine, 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid, clerodendrin A, and peucedanin, which demonstrated anti-insect activity. These differential metabolites were primarily associated with alkaloid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and tryptophan metabolism pathways. Furthermore, the gene silencing of UDP-glucose:sterol glucosyltransferase, a gene involved in α-solanine synthesis, indicated that B. bassiana could inhibit the reproduction of whiteflies by regulating α-solanine. This study highlighted the ability of B. bassiana to modulate plant secondary metabolites and emphasized the significance of understanding and harnessing multitrophic interactions of endophytic B. bassiana for sustainable agriculture.

Trade-off theory has long been the central to evolutionary biology and is extensively employed to explain the correlations between life-history traits. It is generally accepted that trade-off occurs when one trait cannot increase without a decrease in another. In this study, we collected data on spider mites (70 papers for females and 35 papers for males) and explored the relationships between life-history traits to test the trade-off theory in both sexes. The results demonstrate that for both males and females, there was a statistically significant negative correlation between developmental rate and lifespan, in agreement with the trade-off theory. However, in contradiction with our assumption, the developmental rate of females was positively correlated with maximum daily fecundity, but not with the total fecundity. This indicates that developing fast does not necessarily bring the cost to late life-history traits. The long-lived females also showed higher lifetime fecundity, contrary to our prediction that investment in survival comes at the cost of lower investment in reproduction. These fundings are congruent with life history theory in that spider mites “live fast, die young”, convincing the trade-off between growth and longevity. Nevertheless, this study highlights that there is no clear evidence that spider mites trade off growth and survival for reproduction. The implications of this phenomenon are discussed.

Two new species of the feather mite genus Neocalcealges Orwig 1968 (Analgoidea: Trouessartiidae) are described from passerine birds (Passeriformes) from the Sichuan province of China: Neocalcealges davidi sp. nov. from Alcippe davidi Styan (Leiothrichidae) and N. chrysotis sp. nov. from Lioparus chrysotis (Blyth) (Paradoxornithidae). We provide a key to all described species of Neocalcealges.

A new feather mite species Proctophyllodes gracilitus sp. nov. is described from the mountain bulbul Ixos mcclellandii (Horsfield) (Passeriformes: Pycnonotidae) in China. The new species belongs to the mecistocaulus species-group and differs from the most similar species, P. stenophyllus Gaud & Mouchet, 1957, by having the following characters: in males of P. gracilitus, the terminal lamellae are thinner and longer (45–49×4–5) and the posterior part of the hysteronotal shield has circular lacunae; and in females setae h1 are situated at the level of posterior margin of supranal concavity, setae h2 are longer than terminal appendages, do not have enlargement in base, and setae h3 are about 2/3rds the length of terminal appendages. In addition, Proctophyllodes weigoldi Vitzthum, 1922 has been collected from the willow tit Poecile montanus (Baldenstein) (Passeriformes: Paridae) that is a new host record for this species. This species is redescribed, because it was found that specimens from Po. montanus have some minor morphological differences from specimens of the common blackbird Turdus merula Linnaeus (Passeriformes: Turdidae) (a type host) and eyebrowed thrush Turdus obscurus Gmelin (Passeriformes: Turdidae).