RNAi Insecticide Offers Promise for Managing Colorado Potato Beetle
A study evaluating one of the first insecticides developed to use RNA interference as a mode of action finds significant effects on mobility, pupation, and reproduction of the target insect, the Colorado potato beetle.
Why the Connections Between Cells Could be New Targets for Managing Insect Pests
The channels that link insect cells, known as gap junctions, control a wide array of biological functions. Biologists are exploring gap junctions as potential targets for new insecticides, and a new review in Annals of the Entomological Society of America examines existing knowledge and future directions for this line of research.
Bacteria Can Be Used for RNA Interference in Insects
Bacteria in the gut of disease-bearing insects — including the mosquito which carries the Zika virus — can be used as a Trojan horse to help control the insects’ population, […]
Pheromone Research May Lead to New Insect Control Methods
Each year in the United States, fire ants cost $7 billion for control, damage repair, and medical care. They infest millions of acres in urban, agricultural, wildlife, recreational and industrial […]