ABSTRACT
In China, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) is an invasive phytophagous pest; it attacks nearly all species of defoliated trees. To develop integrated pest management programs (IPM) for H. cunea, we need to ensure the availability of insects by mass-rearing them on artificial diets under laboratory conditions. This study compared the growth characteristics, nutritional indices, growth indices, and digestive enzyme activity of insects reared on Pterocarya stenoptera C.DC (Fagales: Juglandaceae), the Chinese wingnut, and an artificial diet. We also investigated the correlation between diet components and growth indices using principal components analysis and Pearson correlation analysis. We found that mass-rearing of H. cunea on an artificial diet was feasible. It led to a shorter developmental period, with heavier larvae and pupae than natural diets. The principal components analysis indicated that the growth indices and α-Amylase were significantly positively associated with PC1, which explained 82.45% of the total data variability. Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant correlation between digestion, absorption parameters, and growth. Developing a mass-rearing program to produce H. cunea on an artificial diet will be valuable for improving IPM strategies. Understanding the mechanism of the responses of phytophagous insect populations to anthropogenic diet regulation can provide new ideas and methods for pest control.
Subject(s)
Moths , Animals , Feasibility Studies , Larva , Diet , ChinaABSTRACT
The relative quantification of gene expression is mainly achieved through reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR); however, its reliability and precision rely on proper data normalization using one or more optimal reference genes. Hyphantria cunea (Drury) has been an invasive pest of forest trees, ornamental plants, and fruit trees in China for many years. Currently, the molecular physiological role of reference genes in H. cunea is unclear, which hinders functional gene study. Therefore, eight common reference genes, RPS26, RPL13, UBI, AK, RPS15, EIF4A, ß-actin, α-tub, were selected to evaluate levels of gene expression stability when subjected to varied experimental conditions, including developmental stage and gender, different tissues, larvae reared on different hosts and different larval density. The geNorm, BestKeeper, ΔCt method, and NormFinder statistical algorithms were used to normalize gene transcription data. Furthermore, the stability/suitability of these candidates was ranked overall by RefFinder. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of reference genes in H. cunea and could help select reference genes for other Lepidoptera species.
