Cylas formicarius is a significant quarantine pest worldwide, causing year-round outbreaks in tropical and subtropical regions. This pest is characterized by a highly cryptic nature, a high reproduction rate, and broad environmental adaptability, which makes it difficult to control. Frequent use of pesticides is not cost-effective, as it brings the accompanying effects of pesticide residues and environmental pollution. With the rapid development of green agriculture, biological control has become an important component in an integrated green management system for C. formicarius. Therefore, this paper critically reviews the research progress in insect pathogenic microorganisms, plant-based pesticides, natural enemy insects, insect sex pheromones, transgenic technology, as well as the screening, identification, and breeding of insect-resistant varieties. The aim is to provide theoretical references for the research and application of sustainable management of C. formicarius.

Insect odorant receptors (ORs) are pivotal molecular interfaces that translate environmental chemical cues into neuronal electrical impulses, thereby governing essential behaviors such as foraging, mating, oviposition, and predator avoidance. The past three years have witnessed a paradigm shift driven by high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo–EM) structures of OR-odorant receptor co-receptor (Orco) heterocomplexes, which definitively established the 1:3 stoichiometry (one odorant-specific OR subunit and three Orco subunits) of the functional ion channel. These structures have revealed the architecture of the ligand-binding pocket and the conformational dynamics underlying channel gating. This structural framework has illuminated long-standing questions regarding the evolution of ORs from ancestral gustatory receptors and their lineage-specific expansion via a “birth-and-death” model, enabling adaptation to diverse ecological niches. Concurrently, the long-debated signal transduction mechanism has been reconciled by evidence of a unified bimodal system, where OR–Orco complexes function as both direct ligand-gated ion channels and activators of an IP3-dependent metabotropic cascade. Here, we integrate these recent breakthroughs—from atomic-level structures and evolutionary genomics to in vivo functional validation—with classical knowledge of OR expression, localization, and diversity. We further synthesize the emerging field of structure-guided applications, including virtual screening for novel semiochemicals and the development of RNAi- and CRISPR-based strategies for pest management. This comprehensive review provides a framework for understanding the molecular logic of insect olfaction and its exploitation for biotechnological innovation.