Plant-based essential oils have gained attention as a natural alternative for controlling mosquitoes due to their repellent, larvicidal and oviposition deterrent properties. We tested repellent, larvicidal, and oviposition deterrent effects of essential oils (EOs) of Mentha spicata (L.), Ocimum basilicum (L.), and Abutilon indicum (L.) against three mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) including Aedes aegypti (L.), Anopheles gambiae s. l. Giles, and Culex quinquefasciatus Say by using contact-based technique. In screening bioassays, M. spicata I, M. spicata II, O. basilicum I, O. basilicum II, and A. indicum EOs showed higher repellency against Cx. quinquefasciatus as compared to Ae. aegypti and An. gambiae when tested at 33.3 μg/cm². In time-span bioassays performed at 33.3 μg/cm², EO of M. spicata I exhibited 100% repellence up to 45, 30, and 75 min against Ae. aegypti, An. gambiae, and Cx. quinquefasciatus, respectively. Interestingly, at this tested dose, M. spicata I and M. spicata II showed higher repellence compared to DEET against Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus after 45 and 75 min, respectively. Their repellency was observed up to 150 and 210 min against Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus, respectively. In larvicidal bioassays, M. spicata I EO proved more toxic against 2^nd instar larvae of Ae. aegypti, An. gambiae, and Cx. quinquefasciatus (LC₅₀ = 11.0, 42.9, and 12.6 mg/L, respectively) compared to other tested EOs. In oviposition bioassays, M. spicata I exhibited the highest activity, showing 60%, 46%, and 79% oviposition deterrence against Ae. aegypti, An. gambiae, and Cx. quinquefasciatus, respectively, tested at a dose of 600 µg/cm². Major compounds of M. spicata I, M. spicata II, O. basilicum I, and O. basilicum II EOs were piperitenone oxide (38.8%), piperitone oxide (35.4%), estragole (55.3%), and linalool (43.8%), respectively. In conclusion, M. spicata EO could be used to control mosquitoes and their bites.

In recent times, poultry nutritionists have shown increased interest in incorporating insect meal as an alternative source to fulfil the protein needs of poultry, driven by sustainability issues related to conventional protein sources like soybean meal and fish meal. The present study shows the effects of replacing 4, 8 and 12% soybean meal (SBM) with cotton leaf worm (Spodoptera litura) on growth performance, blood haematology, intestinal histomorphology and meat quality of Ross 308 broiler. We also evaluated commercially available black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae for comparison. A total of 350 one-day-old chicks were randomly divided into seven dietary treatments (5 pens/treatment and 10 birds/pen). The results showed that the broiler fed on 12% S. litura or H. illucens had notably (P < 0.05) higher live weight, average daily weight gain and better feed conversion ratios. The diets containing 12% S. litura or H. illucens significantly (P < 0.05) improved broiler blood haematology (haemoglobin, red blood cells, haematocrits, mean corpuscular volume, lymphocytes, heterophils, platelets and total leucocytes as well as serum bio-chemistry traits i.e. total protein and globulin) and gut histology (villus height (Vh), crypt depth (Cd), villus width (Vw), and Vh/Cd ratios). The broiler fed on a 12% S. litura or H. illucens diet indicated a higher L∗ (lightness) and b∗ (yellowness). It was concluded that replacing soybean meal up to 12% with either S. litura or H. illucens improves the growth performance, blood haematology, gut histomorphology, and meat quality traits of broiler and thus can be used as an alternate source of protein in broiler feed.

Water scarcity severely affects crop productivity, necessitating innovative solutions, such as using nanoparticles as stress regulators. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) enriched with proline (ZnOP) and betaine (ZnOBt) in mitigating drought stress in coriander growth. Coriander plants were grown in pots supplemented with ZnO NPs and its derivatives. The leaves and seeds extracts were subjected to antioxidant and phenolics, flavonoid profiling. The seed oil was also characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to figure out the chemical composition. Plants exposed to drought stress showed poor vegetative growth parameters. However, application of ZnO nanocomposites reducing effects of stress thus improving growth and productivity of coriander plants. Coriander plants height increased up to 84 % and 82 % under ZnOP and ZnOBt treatment compared to drought stressed plants (61.87 cm). Number of umbels increased up to 8 while yield increased by 142 % and 129 % under nanocomposites treatments. At 50 mg/kg ZnOP and ZnOBt, total phenolics contents in leaves decreased up to 22 % and 32 %, respectively while total flavonoids contents up to 11 % and 13 %, respectively. Free radical scavenging was 55 % under ZnO, 50 % under ZnOP and 57 % under ZnOBt NPs while in drought stress it was 64 %. Total antioxidant activity and total reducing power potential in plant leaves also significantly decreased upon NPs treatment. Seed yield and nutritional quality was also improved by the application of zinc nanocomposites. Oil content in seeds improved by 59 % and 37 % in presence of ZnOP50 and ZnOBt50, respectively. GC-MS analysis also showed increases in some important essential oil content of seeds like 3-hexanol, limonene, linalool, tetradecanoic acid etc. Total phenolics and flavonoids; free radical scavenging, and antioxidant potential of seeds extract decreased by nano treatment as compared to drought stress while increased as compared to control plants seeds. Proline and betaine accumulation in seeds on nanocomposite treatments also improved the seeds nutritional quality. These findings confirm that zinc nanocomposites treatment results in accumulation of various phytochemicals and quenching of oxidative stress in plants and also have positive effect on coriander seeds production and nutritional quality. These nanocomposite materials can be used to obtained better coriander crop yield even under drought conditions and this system have potential to be further applied to other crops under different stresses offering promising prospects for enhancing crop resilience and productivity

Transmission of Zika virus (ZIKV) has been reported in 92 countries and the geographical spread of invasive virus-borne vectors has increased in recent years. Arboviruses naturally survive between vertebrate hosts and arthropod vectors. Transmission success requires the mosquito to feed on viraemic hosts. There is little specific understanding of factors that may promote ZIKV transmission-success. Here we show that mosquito host-seeking behaviour is impacted by viral infection of the vertebrae host and may be essential for the effective transmission of arboviruses like ZIKV. Human skin fibroblasts produce a variety of metabolites, and we show that ZIKV immediately alters gene/protein expression patterns in infected-dermal fibroblasts, altering their metabolism to increase the release of mosquito-attractive volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which improves its transmission success. We demonstrate that at the invasion stage, ZIKV differentially altered the emission of VOCs by significantly increasing or decreasing their amounts, while at the transmission stage of the virus, all VOCs are significantly increased. The findings are complemented by an extensive meta-proteome analysis. Overall, we demonstrate a multifaceted role of virus-host interaction and shed light on how arboviruses may influence the behaviour of their vectors as an evolved means of improving transmission-success.

The current study aimed to evaluate the presence of chemical variations in essential oils (EOs) extracted from Artemisia scoparia growing at different altitudes and to reveal their antibacterial, mosquito larvicidal, and repellent activity. The gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric analysis of A. scoparia EOs revealed that the major compounds were capillene (9.6–31.8%), methyleugenol (0.2–26.6%), β-myrcene (1.9–21.4%), γ-terpinene (1.5–19.4%), trans-β-caryophyllene (0.8–12.4%), and eugenol (0.1–9.1%). The EO of A. scoparia collected from the city of Attock at low elevation was the most active against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria (minimum inhibitory concentration of 156–1250 µg/mL) and showed the best mosquito larvicidal activity (LC50, 55.3 mg/L). The EOs of A. scoparia collected from the high-altitude areas of Abbottabad and Swat were the most repellent for females of Ae. aegypti and exhibited repellency for 120 min and 165 min, respectively. The results of the study reveal that different climatic conditions and altitudes have significant effects on the chemical compositions and the biological activity of essential oils extracted from the same species.

The primary challenge facing the global animal industry is the scarcity of protein feed resources. Various insects are gaining prominence as innovative feed sources due to their economic, environmentally friendly, and nutritious attributes. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of a partial replacement of soybean meal with fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and black soldier fly Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) on the growth performances, blood parameters, gut histology, and meat quality of broilers. A total of 350 1-day-old (40 ± 0.15 g) male chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to seven experimental meals. Each treatment was repeated five times with 50 birds per dietary treatment. The seven dietary treatments included 4, 8, and 12% replacements of SBM with larvae of S. frugiperda and H. illucens. SBM was the basal diet considered the control. The data showed that broilers fed 12% S. frugiperda or H. illucens exhibited a significantly higher (p < 0.05) live weight, average daily weight gain, and improved the feed conversion ratio. Meals with 12% S. frugiperda or H. illucens significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) haematological and gut histological parameters, including villus height, crypt depth, villus width, and villus height/crypt depth ratios. The meat of broilers fed the 12% S. frugiperda diet showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) lightness and yellowness. Replacing soybean meal up to 12% with either S. frugiperda or H. illucens larvae improves the growth performance, blood haematology, gut morphometry, and meat quality traits of broilers.

Due to the quick development of insecticide resistance, it is crucial to optimize management programs by understanding the sublethal effects of effective insecticides like chlorantraniliprole on Aedes aegypti L. populations. Using age-stage and two-sex life tables, we investigated the sublethal impacts of chlorantraniliprole on Ae. aegypti. Larval duration in the progeny of exposed parents was reduced by 0.33–0.42 days, whereas, the longevity of male and female adults was decreased by 1.43–3.05 days. Similarly, the egg-laying capacity of F₁ and F₂ progeny of the exposed parents was significantly reduced from 27.3% to 41.2%. The mean generation time (T) increased up to 11.8% in exposed populations, and the net reproduction rate (Ro) decreased by 51.50–55.60%. After 24 h of chlorantraniliprole treatment, there was a significant increase in cytochrome P450 activity. Contrarily, the activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) initially declined but started increasing after 48 h of treatment. This research highlights the importance of chlorantraniliprole in mosquito management, as well as the importance of considering sublethal effects when developing strategies to handle them. Having a thorough understanding of the harmful effects of insecticides on mosquito populations can greatly enhance the effectiveness of insecticide-based interventions, while also minimizing the risk of pest resurgence.

Supergenes, tightly linked sets of alleles, offer some of the most spectacular examples of polymorphism persisting under long-term balancing selection. However, we still do not understand their evolution and persistence, especially in the face of accumulation of deleterious elements. Here, we show that an overdominant supergene in seaweed flies, Coelopa frigida, modulates male traits, potentially facilitating disassortative mating and promoting intraspecific polymorphism. Across two continents, the Cf-Inv(1) supergene strongly affected the composition of male cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) but only weakly affected CHC composition in females. Using gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection, we show that females can sense male CHCs and that there may be differential perception between genotypes. Combining our phenotypic results with RNA-seq data, we show that candidate genes for CHC biosynthesis primarily show differential expression for Cf-Inv(1) in males but not females. Conversely, candidate genes for odorant detection were differentially expressed in both sexes but showed high levels of divergence between supergene haplotypes. We suggest that the reduced recombination between supergene haplotypes may have led to rapid divergence in mate preferences as well as increasing linkage between male traits, and overdominant loci. Together this probably helped to maintain the polymorphism despite deleterious effects in homozygotes.

Edible crickets Acheta domesticus and Gryllus assimilis are worldwide mass-reared insects. They are recognised as a sustainable source of protein in the food and feed industries and, in relation to this, must comply with food safety requirements. In this study, we assessed the self-protective ability of crickets to recognise potentially hazardous bacteria-contaminated feed. A two-choice test was carried out to estimate the crickets’ preference between the bacteria-contaminated and control feed. Three bacterial species were tested as potential contaminants: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis. A. domesticus did not recognise feed contaminated with any of the bacterial species tested. G. assimilis avoided E. coli-contaminated feed, while the other two bacteria did not cause differences in feeding behaviour. The study of gas chromatography-electroantennogram detection showed that E. coli released a volatile compound, which was olfactory perceived by both males and females of G. assimilis. The compound was identified as indole. In a behavioural test, crickets spent less time feeding on indole-contaminated feed compared to control feed. Hence, indole induced an avoidance response in G. assimilis. It can be concluded that G. assimilis perceives and recognises some bacteria contaminants and thereby avoids spoiled feed.

Bio-degradable and eco-friendly essential oils (EOs) extracted from Mentha longifolia, Salsola imbricata, Erigeron bonariensis, E. canadensis, Ailanthus altissima, and Zanthoxylum armatum were investigated for their repellent and larvicidal potential against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The EOs of M. longifolia, S. imbricata, E. bonariensis, E. canadensis, A. altissima, and Z. armatum exhibited 99.0%, 96.8%, 40.2%, 41.7%, 29.1%, and 13.2% repellency against mosquitoes at a tested dose of 33.3 μg/cm², respectively. In time span bioassays, the EOs of M. longifolia, S. imbricata, E. bonariensis, and E. canadensis showed more than 40% repellency for 60 min at a tested dose of 330 μg/cm². Larvicidal bioassays revealed that larvae of Ae. aegypti were the most susceptible to M. longifolia (LC₅₀, 39.3 mg/L), E. bonariensis (LC₅₀, 26.0 mg/L), E. canadensis (LC₅₀, 35.7 mg/L), and Z. armatum (LC₅₀, 35.9 mg/L) EOs upon 48 h exposure. The most abundant constituents in the EOs of M. longifolia, S. imbricata, E. bonariensis, E. canadensis and A. altissima were piperitone oxide (45.5%), carvone (39.9%), matricaria ester (43.1%), (31.7%) and eugenol (24.4%), respectively. Our study demonstrates that EOs of M. longifolia, S. imbricata, E. bonariensis, and E. canadensis might be used to control Ae. aegypti mosquitoes without harming humans or the environment.