scholarly journals Genomic changes in the biological control agent Cryptolaemus montrouzieri associated with introduction

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 989-1000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao‐Sen Li ◽  
Gerald Heckel ◽  
Yu‐Hao Huang ◽  
Wei‐Jian Fan ◽  
Adam Ślipiński ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Cryptolaemus Montrouzieri ◽  
Genomic Changes

scholarly journals Genomic insight into diet adaptation in the biological control agent Cryptolaemus montrouzieri

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao-Sen Li ◽  
Yu-Hao Huang ◽  
Mei-Lan Chen ◽  
Zhan Ren ◽  
Bo-Yuan Qiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Transcriptome Profiling ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Nutritional Deficiencies ◽  
Cryptolaemus Montrouzieri ◽  
Nutrient Metabolism ◽  
Immune Effector

Abstract Background The ladybird beetle Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) is used worldwide as a biological control agent. It is a predator of various mealybug pests, but it also feeds on alternative prey and can be reared on artificial diets. Relatively little is known about the underlying genetic adaptations of its feeding habits. Results We report the first high-quality genome sequence for C. montrouzieri. We found that the gene families encoding chemosensors and digestive and detoxifying enzymes among others were significantly expanded or contracted in this ladybird in comparison to other beetles. Diet-specific larval transcriptome profiling demonstrated that differentially expressed genes on unnatural diet as compared to natural prey were enriched in pathways of nutrient metabolism, indicating that the lower performance on the tested diets was caused by nutritional deficiencies. Remarkably, the C. montrouzieri genome also showed a significant expansion in an immune effector gene family. Some of the immune effector genes were dramatically downregulated when larvae were fed unnatural diets. Conclusion We suggest that the evolution of genes related to chemosensing, digestion, and detoxification but also immunity might be associated with diet adaptation of an insect predator. These findings help explain why this predatory ladybird has become a successful biological control agent and will enable the optimization of its mass rearing and use in biological control programs.

scholarly journals Genomic insight into diet adaptation in the biological control agent Cryptolaemus montrouzieri

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao-Sen Li ◽  
Yu-Hao Huang ◽  
Mei-Lan Chen ◽  
Zhan Ren ◽  
Bo-Yuan Qiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Transcriptome Profiling ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Nutritional Deficiencies ◽  
Cryptolaemus Montrouzieri ◽  
Nutrient Metabolism ◽  
Immune Effector

Abstract Background The ladybird beetle Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant, 1853 (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) is used worldwide as a biological control agent. It is a predator of various mealybug pests, but it also feeds on alternative prey and can be reared on artificial diets. Relatively little is known about the underlying genetic adaptations of its feeding habits. Results We report the first high-quality genome sequence for C. montrouzieri. We found that the gene families encoding chemosensors and digestive and detoxifying enzymes among others were significantly expanded or contracted in C. montrouzieri in comparison to published genomes of other beetles. Comparisons of diet-specific larval development, survival and transcriptome profiling demonstrated that differentially expressed genes on unnatural diets as compared to natural prey were enriched in pathways of nutrient metabolism, indicating that the lower performance on the tested diets was caused by nutritional deficiencies. Remarkably, the C. montrouzieri genome also showed a significant expansion in an immune effector gene family. Some of the immune effector genes were dramatically downregulated when larvae were fed unnatural diets. Conclusion We suggest that the evolution of genes related to chemosensing, digestion, and detoxification but also immunity might be associated with diet adaptation of an insect predator. These findings help explain why this predatory ladybird has become a successful biological control agent and will enable the optimization of its mass rearing and use in biological control programs.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Biological Control Agent Shipments from Three United States Suppliers

1996 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Bruce Steward ◽  
Janet L. Kintz ◽  
Tracy A. Horner
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Phytoseiulus Persimilis ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Biological Control Agents ◽  
Encarsia Formosa ◽  
Cryptolaemus Montrouzieri ◽  
Quality Product ◽  
The Cost ◽  
High Quality Product

Biological control agents were ordered from three U.S. suppliers three times during 1994 and were evaluated (total of nine orders evaluated). Biological control agents evaluated were a whitefly parasitoid [Encarsia formosa Gahan (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae)], mealybug destroyer [Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)], insidious flower bug [Orius insidiosus (Say) (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae)], and a predatory mite [Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae)]. Arrival time, packaging methods, cost, quality, and quantity for each shipment were recorded. Six of the nine orders evaluated did not arrive by the date promised by the supplier. Most biological control agents were shipped in styrofoam boxes; the method by which they were packed in the box differed among suppliers. The cost of each biological control agent order ranged from $260.64 to $327.03 and varied with the same supplier. The number of viable E. formosa emerging ranged from 745 to 4901; two of the nine orders met the quota of 2000 live wasps. The total number of live C. montrouzieri received ranged from 234 to 288; five orders contained the expected number of 250 live beetles. For the expected order of 1000 O. insidiosus, quantities of live insects ranged from 423 to 1333; three orders contained at least the expected amount. The number of live P. persimilis ranged from 199 to 4447. Three orders contained the targeted amount of 2000. Our findings indicate that there are problems with the quantity of viable biological control agents being shipped. To build consumer confidence in the potential effectiveness of biological control, suppliers and producers of biological control agents must address ways to ensure that the consumer receives a high-quality product, in quantity and viability.

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